During the summer of 2009, I purchased an XBOX 360 for the sole purpose of playing Madden. I loved football and would purchase a new copy of Madden each year. Even the minor improvements and tweaks in gameplay made a difference to me. I rarely played online, instead choosing to lead my offline franchise into the playoffs each year (Go Bears!). But as the winter of 2010 approached, I started to wonder, what did other games have to offer? What about a first person shooter… well not my cup of tea. Puzzle games, ok I guess. Maybe an RPG? My previous RPG experience had consisted of playing Pokémon as a kid. Other games I had played growing up included StarCraft and Diablo 2, both with RPG elements, right? I had never heard of Mass Effect, didn’t know a thing about Bioware. Knights of the Old Republic… Nope. A quick trip to Best Buy, and there it was, the original Mass Effect. In fact, it was on sale for $20.00, not bad. I was used to paying $60 for a new copy of Madden each year. The box was reminiscent of old Star trek movies. I could tell this was a game with a rich backstory, the world contained secrets, maybe even a mystery locked away in the game’s story. I could have been wrong, but what did I have to lose, $20? If I was wrong, I could just go back to playing Madden each year. To be fair, I could have just read the online reviews, but I was an impulsive 20-something.
I took the game home, popped it in the Xbox, and started my journey. Immediately I was blown away by the music. The music was subtle, contemplative, and evocative of something mysterious. I knew I had made the right choice. Not long after beginning my adventure, I had a ship to explore, crewmates with unique personalities and back stories, and an adventure brewing. The game drops you on Eden Prime, and a quick tutorial begins. Needless to say, years of Madden gaming does not prepare someone for this type of gaming experience. I didn’t know how to aim, didn’t know how to manage my crewmates, didn’t know how to balance my character’s progress. Eventually I fought through waves of Geth, found the beacon and watched Saren assassinate Nihlus. I knew I had to return to the Citadel and expose Saren’s treachery. And then the game truly began.
I don’t want to spoil the game’s story, but wow. I didn’t know I could have experiences like this. Sure the game’s mechanics were poor, and driving the Mako was a chore. But my actions were important in this world, I was molding the story to my will, or so I thought. The illusion was real enough for me. It mattered. The actions and decisions I made in this world made a difference. Garrus wasn’t some throw-away character. I bonded with him over the course of 3 games (and multiple play-throughs). Nearly 7 years later, few games have held my attention and interest as deeply as the original Mass Effect. It was the first truly next-gen RPG I played with a story, unique characters, and decisions to be made. I wasn’t playing a videogame, but truly role-playing in this complicated world.
Few games have held my attention as deeply, the Witcher 2, Spec Ops the Line, L.A. Noire to name a few. These days I have less time for gaming, certainly older and more critical of the gaming experience. Finicky game mechanics matters more to me now than it did 7 years ago. Recently I began playing Mass Effect Andromeda. It’s a decent game, better than most. But it lacks that sense of wonder and possibilities that the original trilogy had. The characters are stiff uninteresting. For the first time in the series, I feel like I am playing a video game, a decent one, but still a game. Maybe I am starting to be jaded about the gaming experience. After completing the Witcher 3 this year, I am worried. The game was special in a technological sense, visually stunning. However I didn’t feel like anything I did mattered in that world. Maybe the characters weren’t flawed enough to build a real connection to. I don’t know, but I didn’t feel as invested as I have in years past. Horizon Zero Dawn is next on my list. Would love to hear your thoughts- have your gaming habits changed? What are you playing now… are you still playing into your 30s or 40s?
