The concept of a ‘favourite’ game is an odd one, much like it is with a favourite anything. We all have favourite foods, favourite movies, favourite songs, favourite colours, but it doesn’t mean those things are all we ever want to eat, or watch, or hear, or wear again. The truth is we rarely have unconditional favourites - it depends on context, mood, time of year, time of day, time of life. But when someone asks you your favourite, you sound like a pretentious dork when you say this, so instead I sayMass Effect 2is my favourite game.
It’s my favourite game in the most contexts, in the most moods, most of the times. I’m not sure I’d commit to a replay too often now, with my last one beingLegendary Edition, but it might also be my most replayed game from my younger years. That’s no mean feat when you consider that it’s a near prerequisite that said replay also includes Mass Effect and Mass Effect 3. And today, as the game turns 15, it’s important to look back, but also, to remember to look forward.
Mass Effect Has A Point To Prove
Mass Effect 4/5/The Next One (I’ll go with 4) is under a bit of pressure already.BioWarehas had a string of misses inMass Effect Andromeda,Anthem, and recently,Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Though the latest game on that list fared better critically and commercially than its more maligned peers, it was still far short of the universal acclaim the studio was used to during the Mass Effect andDragon Agetrilogies.
This may partly be a result of theharsh and disruptive environmentit was launched into, but it alsogot in its own waybybacktracking on what made the series greatandflattening itself for broader appeal, missing the mark there and also losing its hardcore support in the process.
This puts Mass Effect into a difficult position. It’s too late to change course wholesale, and Andromeda is no longer a blip from a new studio overstretched, Anthem no longer an ill-advised live-service experiment. These appear to be the norm for new BioWare, and Mass Effect is now tasked with breaking a three game streak, with a growing number of the audience expecting it to be the fourth flop. Through no real fault of its own,Mass Effect 4 will not get the benefit of the doubt. And yet, the most enjoyable part of The Veilguard was when it was acting like Mass Effect with fast-paced, power wheel detonation combat seen through the eyes of one hero.
Thelatest tease of Renegade/Paragonseems to come from that frustration, which is where Mass Effect 2 comes back in. Given Dragon Age had progressively moved away from Origins, generally considered the most ‘pure’ Dragon Age, Mass Effect stuck with the formula for 2. Its greatness flows through 3 and Andromeda. Mass Effect 4 is expected to do the same, to match 2. But that’s such a high bar that it feels like the dice are loaded against Mass Effect from the start.
BioWare Can Succeed Beyond Its Golden Age
I could write about why Mass Effect 2 is so great for its quinceanera, and I’ve praised the game’s individual elementsmany,many,manytimes. I still have more to say about it, but I find it impossible to think about Mass Effect 2 and not immediately worry about Mass Effect 4. It seems impossible that a game could rival it for my affections - onlyBaldur’s Gate 3andRed Dead Redemption 2have joined the pantheon of my ‘favourite’ games in the past decade. Nostalgia has a powerful pull.
But we don’t need Mass Effect 4 to be as good as Mass Effect 2. To simply end BioWare’s dry spell would be enough. That may be a tough ask, but all it really needs to do is to stay true to its own traditions. Meaningful choices. Divergent pathways. Strong characters. Explosive gameplay. If it were as easy to write down as to do, every game would have them, but this is BioWare’s pedigree. It doesn’t need characters on the level of Garrus, Wrex, and Liara, even ifthe latter is confirmed to featureandthe other twomayappear as well.
Maybe the golden age of BioWare is gone. Maybe that’s okay. I liked The Veilguard more than most, but still appreciated it was very flawed in some ways, and most of its strengths came from its similarities to Mass Effect. Now, Mass Effect just needs to steady the ship. I love Mass Effect 2, but it’s in the past. With Mass Effect 4, I hope the series can still have a future.
