June 5th, 2009

Wes

Apparently some people don't like it when you attack their galaxy and attempt to destroy all sentient life in the universe. Especially Commander Shepard it seems, who returns as Uber-Badass Shepard (it's a real military title; I checked around). Details on the plot still seem somewhat murky, but this much is clear: the galaxy is in trouble again, and Shepard's out to save it. For whatever reason however, his normal compatriates seem to be missing in action.  Shepard must recruit an underground squad of "experts" to assist him (read: thugs and criminals, but damn good at what they do).  Overall, it looks like Bioware has taken the aspects of the first Mass Effect (dialouge wheel, writing, real-time action) and improved upon them. How this game manages to fit on one disc, I'll never know.

What's interesting to me is how Bioware is clearly following classic literary archetypes in the writing. The trilogy arc thus far could be compared to any number of trilogies, not least among them Star Wars. The darker tones of the second game/arc highlight the vulnerabilities of the hero and a triumph of the evil they're fighting against. This leads to the ultimate redemption and success of the hero in the final arc. It's a great literary device, and I enjoy seeing it used by Bioware in their trilogy.

Take a look at the video below to see what I mean when I say that the second game is much darker than the first, and that Shepard is deserving of his new 'rank.'