Console Corner: Review of Mass Effect (Remastered)

Caveat: I returned to video games circa 2016 after decades away. I missed everything of the Playstation 2 and 3 generations. This includes all of the Mass Effect games. Hearing a lot of positive words, however, I waited to see if Bioware would remaster the games for the PS4 generation. Lo and behold, in 2021 all three were released in a Legendary edition, which I promptly purchased. Thus, be warned my review below is through the lens of a gamer accustomed to PS4 standards. I do my best to be objective, but certainly bias will slip through.

Mass Effect, the original, the source, the first stopping point in a trilogy of games that would go on to become mass... ive successes. (Sorry.) Not only highly praised, it is also one of the most enduringly praised set of games; it's 2021 and the trilogy still makes a huge amount of top 10 lists. The situation is, however, that most of the praise is directed at Mass Effect 2, the sequel to Mass Effect (2007). There may be some complaints about the ending of Mass Effect 3, but it too lingers. The original, not so much. Let's see why.

Mass Effect is a single-player science fiction game that combines elements of a third-person shooter with role playing games. Players choose a character, customize its appearance and skills according to a simple matrix, and jump into the story of Captain Shepard. As Shepard, players are given the task of exploring a planet deemed suspect by the Galactic Council. After landing, things quickly going downhill. Shepard's crew are immediately attacked by what appear to be cybernetic creatures. And after battling through a wave of them, one of Shepard's mates suddenly turns traitor and kills a friend. But worse yet, a supernatural beacon is discovered, and when Shepard touches it, nightmares descend. Getting to the bottom of all these mysteries requires a real hero.

From the perspective of 2021, it's clear why little is said about Mass Effect today. It's a blocky experience that moves in fits and jerks. The controls are not always as responsive as one would like. Story is a shotgun blast. The combination of generic scripting and voice acting doesn't do the game any favors. Mission objectives are not always clear—despite verbiage to the contrary, and there is a fair amount of to-ing and fro-ing as a result. It's just not a cohesive package, and despite the effort remastering the game for the PS4, it doesn't hold up well.

But there is a foundation of a game. The world, the concept (shooter+arpg), and the squad-based approach to combat all show strong promise. It's clear a sequel to Mass Effect could be a success. More effort in gameplay and controls would tighten things up considerably. A better edited story—one that more smoothly blends action sequences, cut scenes, and dialogue would make for a smoother experience. The basics exist, just the sum is not greater than the parts.

For the reasons listed above, I did not finish Mass Effect. After +/-5 hours, the experience was simply too disjointed, and there didn't seem any hope of a reward waiting to make it all worth while. You only live once, and Mass Effect 2 was waiting. That being said, if you are a gamer who doesn't mind a more retro experience and absolutely loves science fiction, there is a chance the game will provide warmer feelings.