Character creation is an essential part of the RPG experience. Players rely on the character creation mechanics to craft the best characters possible, whether that means someone that looks like them or otherwise. Many RPGs have very detailed character creation mechanics thanks to advances in technology and graphics. While improved graphics and mechanics are undoubtedly welcome in a video game franchise, especially one that spans over many years, the advancements can also have an adverse effect on the gaming experience. Mass Effect is an incredibly well-known sci-fi RPG franchise that has always given players the opportunity to create their own Commander Shepard.
Mass Effect released the original trilogy from 2007 to 2012 and its character creation mechanics varied drastically from each game to the next. The previous game would also allow players to import previous saves, including the design of their Commander Shepard, into the following game. This feature is well-loved, but often the character creation would vary so drastically between games that players would still have to take time to redesign their Shepard. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is correcting the issues from the original release of the trilogy, but it should be the standard going forward for other RPG titles with multiple games.
Cohesive Character Creation
There are a lot of different factors that make an RPG stand out from the crowd. Among the most important is the character creation used for players to customize their appearance in-game. Cyberpunk 2077 was originally lauded for what was supposed to be an inclusive character creator, but in the end it ultimately fell short. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition won’t be making changes that make it as inclusive as Cyberpunk 2077 was supposed to be, but it will be unifying the character creator across all three games.
Now, players will be able to create and maintain the same Commander Shepard appearance across all three original trilogy games. Players can of course choose to change the appearance between games as well, but for those who enjoy continuity it’s nice to have the transfer option right off the bat. Beyond the more unified system, there’s no doubt that Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will look visually stunning thanks to all the updated graphics and visuals of the remastered games.
Future RPGs should follow in the lead of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition if the RPG spans for more than one game with the same lead character. Having a cohesive character creator helps players keep a consistent style throughout the games, but also keeps the style of the games consistent. While it’s inevitable that games will improve as video game technology does, it would be best to refine the elements of the already existing character creator rather than making something that looks jarringly different compared to the previous game.
The Same Presets in All Games
While this situation may have been prominent for Mass Effect, odds are it’s not the only game that will have this hiccup during development. Most RPGs have premade characters that players can use if they don’t want to customize their own. Commander Shepard can either be male or female when playing through the trilogy. The male version of Commander Shepard had a standard look from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 3, looking the same in every trailer with refined graphics. Female Commander Shepard, on the other hand, didn’t. Her look was only finalized in Mass Effect 3.
With the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, the developer has now implemented the “final” version of Female Shepard as a preset character to play from the very first game. It was unfortunate that Female Shepard never got a “canon” look until the final game of the trilogy, so it’s important that other RPGs that come after Mass Effect: Legendary Edition avoid the same issue. If there are characters akin to Commander Shepard in new RPGs, there should be a consistent look for them throughout however many games are in the series. If there isn’t, it’s nothing more than a disservice to the character and the fans of the game series.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is something Mass Effect fans have waited a long time for. Besides the technical aspects being revamped, players can also look forward to a newly unified character creator across all three games. The importance of a unified mechanic like that cannot be understated, and may even be crucial for future RPGs and their character creation offerings.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition releases May 14 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.