REVIEWS

Mass Effect Trilogy: A Second Chance


A second playthrough can give you a new perspective

I personally consider the Mass Effect Trilogy to be one of the best game series that I have ever played. The story and gameplay were incredibly addicting and I found myself waiting for the end of the work day just so I can get lost in the galaxy. Over the Trilogy a great immersive story develops with you playing as Commander Shepard and deciding how events will unfold. As Shepard you decide whether to be a “Paragon get the job done with a heavy regard for life hero” or a “Renegade do whatever it takes to get the job done hero.”

My first play through the Trilogy started in Mass Effect 1 playing as a male Shepard “good guy.” I was quickly hooked on the story more than the gameplay. I became more and more interested in the in-game relationships and how the story was going to unfold.

Mass Effect 2 launched January 2010 and I was excited for the story to continue. The game gave you an ability to port a completed save game from Mass Effect 1 and literally continue from where you left off. The story just kept getting better and better that when I finished the game, I was chomping at the bit for the final game.

March 6, 2012 came around and I quickly picked my Mass Effect 3 so I could complete the story. The third game was living up to expectations, the combat, character interactions, character development, and most of all the story. The character development was incredible as everything you had done over the previous games began to wear on your character. It was great, until I finished the game. The ending was a huge let down filled with so many plot holes and unanswered questions. I also had a feeling of was playing the whole game series a waste?

All this character development and that is what I get? I still love the game series but felt betrayed by the game developers. In June the developers released a free Downloadable Content (DLC) extended cut ending to fix the plot holes as well as the ending. I chose not to play it as I was still upset.

So my games sat for nearly 2 years until I talked with a friend who was a fellow Mass Effect fan and he told me to give it another chance that. The extended cut made it better. I took his advice but instead of just Mass effect 3 for the ending, I decided to play through the whole trilogy again. This time around I played a female Shepard and decided to be a Renegade. As I played though the first game I began to remember what I loved about the game.

I decided to get some more of the DLC available for all three games. The DLC enhanced my fun even more. By the time I finished Mass Effect 2 and was beginning Mass Effect 3, I began remembering why I really enjoyed this series. Even knowing how it was going to end I was still excited. Especially knowing that I had not seen the extended cut ending. What made Mass Effect 3 even more fun for me was the “Citadel” DLC. The content was exciting and fun to play through.

After I completed all the extra DLC, I finished the game. I sat and watched as I make the final decision to what my character is going to to do. What unfolded was an excellent ending and closure to the great story that spanned across three games. After my second Trilogy playthrough with the extended cut ending, I was happy with it and my friend was right. The extended cut made completing the Trilogy much more gratifying.

In closing sometimes when a game or series of games you love does something that just kills your enjoyment of it, coming back later can sometimes yield great results. A second complete playthrough can also remind you of why you enjoyed it in the first place.

Published: March 2nd, 2015   |  3,113 Reads

About the Author

Don "Donaliam" Rush
Writer

Donald Rush has been a member of the Gaiscioch Family since 2006 and been a video game since the days of the Atari 2600. He is casual gamer of FPS, MMORPG, RTS, RPG, PC games as well as consoles.

View Profile

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS