Mass Effect is one of the most popular video game franchises around due to its multiple endings and monumental decisions that players must make to progress through the story. With new installment currently in production, fans can rest assured the saga will continue.
Many gamers and fans of the series have replayed its games many times, wanting to relive the story over and over again. Yet while the games remain gripping, there are a few harsh realities that players must deal with every time they replay the trilogy.
Choices Don't Present The Same Challenge The Second Time Around
One of the franchise's most appealing aspects are the difficult decisions that players must make throughout the series. These decisions can change the story for better or worse, forcing players to try to make the best decision possible.
Players replaying the game already know which decisions they made before and what those decisions led to, making it a much easier choice for them when it comes time to replay the scenarios. Even if players want to make another choice, the decision is still easier than a first time playthrough due to the curiosity of players wanting to see what would've happened if they had made the opposite choice of what they did before.
Character Deaths Hurt More
Mass Effect includes some of the best video game characters of all time, which makes for some emotional moments when those characters end up dying. The pain only intensifies upon replays. Going into the games a second or even a third time, players already know what's coming for the characters they love most, making the slow march to their inevitable demise even worse. What hurts even more are the deaths of characters that could've survived, but don't due to choices made by the player, forcing them to live with the consequences of their actions for the rest of the games.
There's A Lot Of Dialogue To Get Through
Given that the games have an RPG aspect to them, there are multiple different dialogue options for players to follow to either continue the story or to find out more backstory and information about a situation. While first time players usually tend to just go for continuing the story, those replaying the game like to explore the other dialogue options to flesh out the story more. With so many dialogue options with every chance to talk with characters, it can be time-consuming to expend every dialogue option for every character at every point in the games. But for those wanting more of the story, going through this process is necessary.
The First Game's Opening Pales In Comparison
The Mass Effect games have some of the greatest video game openings of all time, but that honor does not apply to the first game in the series. While the second and third games of the franchise include epic opening sequences that show off how dark the series can get, the first game simply shows a title card and a bit of background on the universe before jumping right into the games. Compared to the mind-blowing graphics and scenes depicted in the openings of the following games, it makes the first game feel even weaker.
The Banshees Are Still Horrible
Mass Effect 3 introduces several new types of enemies into the game, but the most annoying enemy type that was introduced was the Banshee. Banshees are strong, difficult to kill, and have annoying screeches that announce their arrival.
But the worst aspect of the Banshees is that, if they get too close to the player, they can kill instantly. With their ability to warp forward several paces at a time, they can accomplish this relatively quickly. Even those replaying the games still cringe with annoyance every time they here that infamous screech.
It's Hard To Trust Characters Who Will Betray Shepard Later
Many of the characters that survive the games are characters fans want to see in Mass Effect 4. But while many characters remain loyal to Shepard and their missions, others tend to betray him at one point or another. Therefore, when these characters appear, it can be hard for players not to feel antsy around them, given that they will soon betray them later on. Characters like Udina may be someone important allies to Shepard at the start, but as time goes on, they will soon operate under their own agendas, mostly against what Shepard wants. As such, seeing them again on a replay can be very difficult indeed.
Paragon/Renegade Interrupts Are Annoying
The paragon/renegade mechanic is crucial for some of the best choices to make in the series, and while many of the paragon/renegade building moments are through actions and dialogue, an interrupt option is introduced in Mass Effect 2. However, the paragon/renegade interrupts can be annoying to go through even during replays due to how sudden they can be and how quick players need to act to perform the interrupt. Even when players know they're coming, it can come as a surprise if they aren't paying enough attention to the game. Overall, the interrupts can be really frustrating even for seasoned players replaying the game multiple times.
Getting Everyone To Survive The Suicide Mission Is Still Hard
If the player can run the iconic Suicide Mission and get the entire squad to live through it, it can be immensely gratifying. But it's still a daunting challenge even for those who've done it before.
Players who replay the game multiple times can find happiness in getting every squad member to live through. It can be challenging to ensure every character's loyalty, but it's well worth it since loyalty is a key part in getting everyone out alive.
Romance Can Be Challenging
Another well renowned aspect of the Mass Effect franchise is the romance mechanic, which allows players to seek a romance with one of the various squadmates in the game. Navigating this romance can be a choire, though, and several things must be done right in order to make sure the romance doesn't end in disaster. Certain actions must be taken, and certain dialogue opportunities must be played out correctly for the romance to become official. One wrong action and it doesn't work. The process can be difficult at times, but it's well worth the result in the end.
Mass Effect 3's Ending Is Still Controversial
Mass Effect 3 overall satisfied players - but the ending of the game still caused some controversy among the community. To this day, fans argue whether or not the ending was satisfying or underwhelming. Shepard being forced to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the galaxy, while completely in character, did not sit well with many players. To them, it felt like a lackluster way for Shepard to go out after everything the character did throughout the games. Even during replays, when gamers get a chance to explore other endings, the overall conclusion to the game is not something that everyone can stand.
Source:gamerant.com