Introduction:

The Mass Effect trilogy is a series of role-playing video games developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The trilogy consists of Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, released between 2007 and 2012. The games follow the story of Commander Shepard, a human soldier tasked with saving the galaxy from a threat known as the Reapers. While the Mass Effect trilogy is often praised for its rich storytelling, memorable characters, and immersive world-building, the series has its fair share of flaws, as we will discuss in this review.

Gameplay:

The gameplay of the Mass Effect trilogy is a mix of third-person shooter and role-playing game mechanics. The games offer a vast array of weapons, abilities, and upgrades for the player to choose from, allowing for a range of playstyles. However, the gameplay can be clunky at times, with the cover system often failing to work correctly, and the aiming feeling imprecise.

The games also suffer from a lack of variety in their missions, with many of them feeling repetitive and tedious. The side quests, in particular, feel like busywork, lacking the depth and impact of the main story missions. The games’ open-world segments are also underwhelming, with limited exploration opportunities and little to discover beyond the main story.

The games’ RPG mechanics are also problematic, with a lack of meaningful choices and consequences. While the games offer a range of dialogue options and decision points, many of them lack weight, resulting in a lack of agency for the player. The games’ morality system is also problematic, with a simplistic “good vs. evil” binary that fails to capture the complexity of the game’s world and characters.

Story and Characters:

The Mass Effect trilogy is often praised for its rich storytelling and memorable characters, but the games’ flaws become apparent upon closer inspection. While the games’ overarching story of the Reapers is engaging, the execution falls short. The pacing is uneven, with the games’ endings feeling rushed and unsatisfying. The games also suffer from a lack of cohesion, with plot threads introduced and then abandoned without resolution.

The games’ characters are also a mixed bag. While the games offer a diverse cast of characters with unique personalities and backgrounds, some of them feel underdeveloped or stereotypical. The games’ romance options are also problematic, with limited diversity and a lack of agency for the player.

Furthermore, the games’ handling of sensitive topics, such as race and gender, is problematic. The games’ treatment of non-human characters as allegories for real-world marginalized groups can be insensitive and offensive. The games’ portrayal of women and LGBTQ+ characters is also problematic, with limited representation and a lack of sensitivity and understanding of the issues.

Graphics and Sound:

The graphics and sound of the Mass Effect trilogy are another mixed bag. While the games’ environments and character designs are impressive, the games suffer from a lack of polish and optimization. The games’ textures and animations can be jarring, and the games’ engine can struggle to maintain a stable frame rate.

The games’ sound design is one of the series’ strengths, with a range of memorable music tracks and voice acting performances. However, the games’ dialogue can be clunky at times, with awkward pauses and unnatural inflections.

Conclusion:

Overall, while the Mass Effect trilogy has its strengths, it falls short in many areas. The games’ underdeveloped gameplay, lack of variety, and problematic RPG mechanics make it hard to recommend to anyone but the most dedicated fans of the series. The games’ story and characters are engaging, but the execution is uneven, with a lack of cohesion and resolution.