9 Things We'd Like To See In Mass Effect 3
What we'd like to see featured in BioWare's anticipated title.
Mass Effect 3 - provided it's not delayed - is going to be one of the biggest games of 2011. BioWare's space epic has become one of the most beloved game franchises in the world, and Mass Effect 2 was widely considered to be one of the very best games of 2010.
So far all we know about Mass Effect 3 is that the game will feature the Reapers finally launching their all-out assault on Earth - but what else would we like to see happen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, but here are nine of the things we're gunning for:
Garrus Vakarian
Let's not mess about here. Garrus is one of the most popular characters of the series and an integral part of Shepard's team to boot - he's as essential to the successful running of the Normandy as EDI is to Joker. If you chose another person to lead the second team during Mass Effect 2's suicide mission then, quite frankly, you made the wrong choice.
Other than being one of the few Turians in the galaxy that doesn't want humanity dead, Garrus has served as a protégé to Shepard in both games now (and a possible love interest if playing as a female character in Mass Effect 2) and it would surely be criminal of BioWare to deny him his rightful place in the concluding chapter of the trilogy.
Here's an idea. At the end of the first game, Garrus decided he was going to reapply to become a Spectre - an elite group of agents who preserve galactic order whatever the cost. Shepard was chosen to be the first human Spectre in Mass Effect, but spent most of Mass Effect 2 wrapped up in saving humanity from annihilation. Surely Garrus would make a fine replacement?
An end to Shepard's story
The fiction of the Mass Effect universe is huge and sprawling - you only need to take a cursory glance at the in-game Codex to realise just how much is actually going on in the Milky Way. There's more than enough to keep the franchise ticking on for years, but at the same time we're really hoping BioWare has enough courage to pull the plug on Shepard's storyline.
We're not saying it has to be extreme - Shepard doesn't have to die or anything - but there does have to be some genuine closure. Saying goodbye to Shepard will be hard for BioWare, but for a conclusion befitting the Mass Effect trilogy we're going to need a real, definitive ending. Be brave, BioWare!
Consequences
Importing your Shepard from game to game is optional, but it really enhances the experience. With Mass Effect 3 we really want to see some complicated results from your former actions in both Mass Effect 1 and 2.
For instance, if you got into a relationship in Mass Effect 1 then you have a photo of them in your quarters in Mass Effect 2. If you subsequently get into another relationship in Mass Effect 2 then that picture is left face-down on a desk for the rest of the game. What will happen if you encounter your former squeeze again in Mass Effect 3?
User Comments
Gollum_85
altaranga@ Woffls
Woffls
The real 'problem' is content that's thought of as a list first, then an idea second. In my personal experience, lists often more popular than other article types - at least in terms of hits - and that's why so many sites lean on them for traffic. The lists we don't like seeing are those derived from wanting to make a list for the sake of it, then thinking of something to fill in the gaps.
I'm not gonna' lie, I've done it a few times before, and so have most enthusiast writers. Lists aren't inherently bad, it's really down to how much effort is put into them, and how relevant they are.
The worst lists are ones with an agenda like "Top 100 games ever, but we're changing the rules so Ocarina of Time doesn't win again lol, and we'll put Wind Waker in the top 5 even though it's bobbins compared to Twilight Princess."
altaranga@ squidman
In my humble opinion lists can feel a bit sterile at times. They're not bad per se, but they definitely have more of a regimented feel than a longform piece.
I'm not asking for everything to be an essay as I can understand how efficiency is important, but perhaps every now and again could we have a non-list article to read? I can assure you we readers enjoy reading as much as you writers enjoy writing. :)
SexyJams@ dudester
You could say that about anything!
If they made it good, then why is it bad... silly question! :p
dudester@ squidman
dudester@ SexyJams
Woffls@ squidman
Mako > Mining.
squidman
SexyJams@ dudester
I don't want a lesser of two evils, we should be hoping for something actually enjoyable. As a consumer, I never want to have to be satisfied with something sub-par.
dudester
SexyJams@ FantasyMeister
reynoldio
ME2 on PS3 has (and still is, in fact) gripped me as much as any other game I've ever played. The story is great, the mechanics are great, the dialogue options are great, so I just want more.
Of course it's not perfect, as Martin points out it doesn't really feel like the dialogue has a real effect on the game - more consequences for your actions and less selecting everything on the wheel one by one then saying bye.
Very excited :)
FantasyMeister
erm, no wait... nvm.
Still needs more mako.
squidman@ altaranga
There's a few reasons, but the primary reason is because it's an easily digestible format that can dish out a lot of information without overloading the reader.
Also, it's probably the best way to convey the subject of the article on the internet. An essay-like feature where I detail all the things I'd like to see in Mass Effect 3 would be a bit of a slog, I assure you. Even as a list feature the final wordcount on this one comes in at over a thousand words.
Not that a general longform article would be a bad thing, mind, but for the kind of features we usually do it's the most efficient format.