When players first booted up Mass Effect 2 they were greeted with the option of importing their save file from Mass Effect 1. The hope was that every choice made in the first game would have some impactful repercussion in its sequel. Unfortunately, most of those promises were never delivered upon, with many of the imports subtly affecting pieces of dialogue or the appearances of characters. Bioware hopes to improve upon this formula by taking more than 1,000 variables from the first two games and using them to create the story for Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect 2’s project lead Casey Hudson talked about how the team approaches a game that is dependant on the different choices made by millions of gamers. He said,
“We record what a player has done in a play-through, and then we have all of those choices available that writers can refer to as they build storylines. Numerically, it’s over 1,000 variables that we’ll have access to for shaping the Mass Effect 3 experience for people who’ve played the previous games.”
What this says to me is that built into Mass Effect 2 are 1,000 scenarios with multiple outcomes, whether they be choosing a Renegade option versus Paragon, or even something as minute as whether you talked to an NPC at all. Sure, some of these moments may carry some weight when it comes to the final game in the franchise, but I can imagine that only about a handful will really be meaningful.
It would really be a tremendous feat, from a storytelling perspective, if Bioware could create a unique experience based on each gamer’s decisions from the previous games, but asking for that is like asking for some new weapons without having to pay.
There is no doubt in my mind that Mass Effect 3 will be an awesome game, whether it takes 1 or 1,000 variables from my previous play-throughs. What really counts is a great story and an even more polished combat system. Oh, and please, for the love of all that is good, do not make me mine the universe again. I soaked that thing dry already.
Which would you prefer, a somewhat flawed Mass Effect 3 that gives each gamer a unique experience, or one that might not be tailored to you but one that blows your socks off?
Source: CVG
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In BioWare I trust!
My only concern is that they focus too much on the “variable” experience and lose focus on what really matters. You know, like story and boss fights.
You know, i never really noticed the absence of boss fights in Mass Effect.
I’m greedy. I want a unique experience tailored to me that blows my socks off.
I really want and need this to happen!
Here is my question to you. Why does it have to be one or the other? I think Bioware has done noting but make good games. I say we have every reason at this point that they can give us an amazing third installment made by our choices. Nothing new is ever achieved if not attempted. I would rather seem them try something this inovative and amazing and only do ok than see them make a great carbon copy of mass effect 2.
My only concern is will this game be an RPG? The first game was an RPG for sure Mass Effect 2 was good but only an RPG by name it was less of an RPG than an epic shooter. If they continue to dumb down the RPG aspects I’m afraid Mass Effect 3 will be a game that does not hold up to the rest of the franchise for me. I’m first and foremost an RPG fan so while Mass Effect 2 was great I prefered the first because it was 10 times the RPG the second was.