I was introduced to Mass Effect through the recent legendary edition and my God it was glorious. Having access to all the DLC and revamped combat mechanics felt great. The story was breathtaking and thanks to the citadel DLC in ME3 it really felt like the trilogy ended on a strong note
@@Adrian07z Never forget his sacrifice. If only we hadn't mindlessly gunned him down we could have spared ourselves from the entire trilogy narratively collapsing in the last 10 minutes.
"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence." Man Sovereign was such a imposing villain who had zero respect for organic life. Too bad Harbinger couldn't repeat the vibe and dread. An ever-present threat but no Sovereign.
I actually prefer Harbinger. His elegant and Intellectual voice is perfect for the Leader of the Reapers. He sounds wise and more then just a scary monster "Shepard you have become an annoyance. You fight against inevitability, Dust struggling against Cosmic Winds . This seems a victory to you a star system sacrificed. But even now your greatest civilisations are doomed to fall. Your leaders will beg to serve us." I wish he was actually used in Mass Effect 3 like he was in the 2nd game. Also it's interesting that Harbinger wanted Shepard ALIVE in the DLC. The IT theory was literally right there for them setup in that DLC lol
They believe they're the pinnacle bcuz they had tried synthesis but couldn't get it right, so for that time yeah they were the pinnacle..... Wait if they were synthesized too then they would be creatures who can live in fucking space instead of just a ship
41:17 small correction/addition: if you help Wrex get back his family armour on Tontau, you do not need paragon/renegade points to convince Wrex and he's more likely to stand down
I’m still new to mass effect (haven’t finished 3 yet) but it has now become one of my favorite franchises ever. I love the characters snd the universe they inhabit. It’s all so interesting and complex.
Mass Effect is almost 15 years old now. I have some seriously mixed feelings about the fact that at least some of the people who have been introduced to it recently, are younger than the game. It is awesome for sure, I truly love hearing that even after this long people are still being brought into the fold, but at the same time it is just yet another reminder of how much time has passed.
There're things to love about every game in the trilogy: 1's amazing story and world-building, 2's fantastically written dialogue and characters, 3's incredible presentation and scale, and nearly every DLC is a goddamn banger: Citadel, Shadow Broker, Leviathan, Arrival, Overlord, Stolen Memory; sheeeeesh, but 1 will always have a special place in my Dr. Heart. Thanks for making such a beautiful essay on the game that got me to see the shootie-shootie-bang-bangs on the computer as mankind's greatest art form (even if it doesn't always live up to its potential). Really excellent work, ArTorr.
@@SpicyDeddy Consider this simply some food for thought. I wonder about that. Is it massive when _one_ person holds the fate of so many in their hands? Or is it only massive when said fate is held in the hands of thousands or millions (as was the case for much of the world during WW2)? Personally I can fall to either side there. Playing as Shepard, yeah no denying that the galaxy essentially lives or dies by your actions.... but at the same time, one person can only ever do so much, regardless of the wider implications of their actions (unless we start talking about some setup where a being can truly split themselves, and I don't mean some simple shadow clone thing that so many like to use, but something like That Time I Got Reincarnated as A Slime). I think it is this dichotomy that makes this aspect of a story so appealing, be it a game, movie, book, whatever. Decisions that shape the future, but actions that are just the actions of a single person.
The first conversation with sovereign in Mass Effect 1 is still (to me) the greatest plot twist of all time in video gaming history. You are entering this world where multiple species fight for power and ressources with war and politics... and then in one unexpected moment: "RUDEMENTARY CREATURES OF BLOOD AND FLESH YOU TOUCH MY MIND FUMBLING IN IGNORACE UNCAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING" "YOU EXIST BECAUSE WE ALLOW AND YOU WILL END BECAUSE WE DAMAND IT" A moment that would have made Gene Roddenberry proud.
ME1s opening is probably my favorite sequence in all of gaming.. the first cutscene always hypes me and made me point whenever I use a mass relay in ME1, the noise is so good and the cutscenes are so good.
I ended up buying the Legendary Edition on pc because of your intro just so I could finish the first game and come back to fully appreciate the rest of the video
I've always preferred Mark Meer's voice acting as Shepard. There are lots of lines that he delivers in a very Arnold Schwarzenegger-y manner, just without the accent, like "You're working too hard" before slamming an electric blow torch into a criminal mechanic's back.
The tone of his voice is also much more in-line with how Navy Line Officers actually talk, so as a former CTR in the US Navy I find his voice to be the better performance.
@@jonathanoriley8260 Actually that's the reason I nearly always play a male Shepard : the voice acting and physical decisions (headbutting a Krogan style) feel so much more in line with this kind of gruff military officer.
Man. Im late to the party on this one. But the editing of this was... well amazing. The cuts between fem-shep and shep at the end were brilliantly done. All in all everything was done amazingly. Props to you. Can't wait for the next ones.
Absolutely brilliant video dude... it sounds corny but i cant even describe what Mass effect means for me, especially ME1. I was really in dark and depressed space when i played this series for the first time 3 years ago. This game was the only thing that gave me just a little joy and happiness in life at the time, i felt that i was Commander Shepard and not me while playing it. Big thanks for this break down of the game, means a lot to me.
I think the best thing about the alien races in mass effect is they are characterized by human ideals/traits our desire for love and wisdom the assari our desire to understand everything despite the morality the Solairians our stubborn rage the krogan and our tactical dominating minds the Turians
Incredible video, probably one of, if not my favorite ME1 review so far. I also really appreciate that intro and acknowledging the love Mass Effect has not just for sci-fi, but for cosmology and science in general. It's easy to forget amongst the amazing story and characters, but personally, I think what makes Mass Effect what it is is that desire to explore space and see the unknown, and it's nice to see someone actually appreciate that too
Glad you enjoyed it! One of my favorite things about Mass Effect is how it balances the trajectory of our real-world scientific advancements with classic sci-fi storytelling. Had to shine a light on it 👍
The scene around 5:30 with Shepard confronting garrus is something I've never seen. I'm assuming that is a deleted scene. It's hard for me to imagine a version of mass effect where Shepard and Garrus *aren't* best friends.
Hats off for the wonderful intro! Using the historical and beautiful landscape footage to introduce humanity with combination of the Normandy reveal or ME3 ending music just hooked me right away.
I got Mass Effect 2 for like 8 dollars for Xbox 360 and played it thinking it was dome sorta Halo rip off... oh boy... didnt even finish the game before i had to go buytm the 1st one and play it first.. then finished 2. Then Mass Effect 3 came out... with Legendary edition all those emotions came back better than ever
I prefer Paragon Shepherd while I did a frew renegade option here and there but mainly I wanted a badass moment but really a cruel galaxy needed little more light in it and it needs a hero like you say humanity need to be a better.
This is why it feels like Andromeda's "gloriously versatile" combat customization feels like a downgrade. It no longer serves character development or story.
I remember coming home from school at some time during 2007, I was around 11 I think? and I remember my brother playing a game I'd never seen before, and I just sat and watched him play it for hours. I became enthralled by Mass Effect's universe ever since that day and its definitely influenced my views on Sci-fi for the rest of my life.
All this has done is remind me of how pissed I was when I finished Mass Effect 1, and loaded up Mass Effect 2 only to find that I didnt get infinite ammo anymore...
i first played the trilogy when the legendary edition came out. it really changed my perspective on games forever. i really deepdived into this world as my commander shepard every decision i had to make in game felt so real it was like I was shepard. this masterpiece of a videogame trilogy is by far the best thing i ever layed my hands on!
A really good review of an amazing experience called Mass Effect. Really enjoyed your points and views on this trilogy. Something what all ME fans tend to do: How I get into ME: It started in Dead Space 3, a videogame with same publisher. There was a piece of a special armor equipment with N7 markings. I wanted to know more about it and so I learnt about ME. I was not sure if I want to commit so much time to play whole trilogy, so I first played the 3rd game ... I remember spending like 2 initial hours in Codex just to read all of the background (I avoided Googling it, because when I saw the depth in 3rd game, I started to think to play the previous 2 games so I avoided any spoilers). As many ME fans know, things in this "default" 3rd game don't go smoothly and after the end I was wondering, if by playing the whole trilogy, I might be able to get better results. No game before, after, no book or no movie made me so involved in itself as Mass Effect did. The moral-grey situations, the choices givven to player, the consequences ... it's unique amazing experience. Needless to say that I finished the whole trilogy 7-times, exploring the various story-routes made by different choices. I guess its time for the 8th time, first time in Legendary edition.
Fantastic ArTorr! You have capture my thoughts on the series so far. Never could put these thoughts into words, so thank you for that! Your production quality is unbelievable special. Keep it up!
The Story of Mass Effect probably would have made Gene Roddenberry proud and that is not a small feat to achieve. The central message of original Star Trek - to fight for a better world (while pointing at social ills for viewers to raise awareness ) - is told all to well in Mass Effect.
great video, i enjoyed every second of it! I played Mass Effect for the first time because of the LE and I am so glad I decided to pick the game up. When you mention the fact that we aren't allowed to control other characters because Bioware wants us to feel immersed in shepherds character I finally understood why we were allowed to control other party members. But thats something I loved about the game. I never control other party members even when I can because I love fully diving into the mind of the single character i am controlling and the others having more or so a "mind" of their own. Anyways really captivating video , now onto the brilliance of ME 2!
im 19 minutes in and i just want to say thank you so much for providing subtitles. i feel like offering subtitles that arent generated by google translate is often overlooked. anyway, i'm really enjoying your commentary so far; it's the first i've seen from you. even smiled IRL when the video transitioned to your favorite location in all of sci-fi. gonna send this to my brother and best friend :)
One thing I disagree with is about Sovereign standing no chance against combined organics. First thing, it's only Alliance that fights him, all alien forces were already down. Second, it was Shepard who secured the kill. During the fight with zombie Saren, we can see that Sovereign has no trouble decimating the fleet, they even say they have to retreat, they only win after Saren is destroyed which shuts Sovereign down (for some reason). I think this is the main reason Reapers decide to get rid of Shepard immediately - he was the one who killed a reaper, not the human fleet.
The idea of free will being the ultimate triumph over the reapers makes shooting the hologram kid in 3 now that it has consequences (or asking too many of the wrong questions now that you can ask questions) the most thematically sound ending of Mass Effect 3
Yeah but I still hate the fact the bloody hologram controls the weapon. If it won't help just send a team of engineers to shoot it, they still must have at least a few tens of minutes before the Citadel fleets are entirely routed.
@@JabamiLain lollll, about 3 hours in, why did they choose this direction for the story lolll. Once I saw ELECTRONIC ARTS , the fear started to creep in. The settings are beautiful though
Exploring barren wastelands of worlds filled with nothing was very interesting for me. The crushing loneliness of having nothing in it aside from raging winds blowing the dust from nowhere to no place felt very unnerving. The feeling that nothing will ever grow or live on that planet and that it will remain like that for the rest of eternity is very well transmitted through these uncharted worlds. I think having many of them like that was fundamental to give off the idea of exploring the unknown.
I had never played mass effect before, watched about 10 minutes of this video and it was enough to convince me to give em a shot, fucking love these games now, Great Video
The barren nature of the uncharted world’s is one of the reasons that my space nerd self loved them. Yes, you have all of these worlds to explore, but they’re desolate and lonely. Maybe there’s a remnant of something before, but it’s mostly just vast and empty even though all the relays open up to council explored space.
I am one of those who never played it until the legendary edition came out. But it is now one of my favorite franchises ever. I have replayed them all frequently. I did have a friend who warned me as I was progressing "you are not going to like how it ends. Just warning you". He was right lol It's not hate. It's more just disappointment. But up until the end, I was blown away by how good the whole trilogy was. Your videos are excellent.
In 2008, a friend and I were trading games and I saw a strange looking game in his pile. He said he couldn't get into it, I don't remember what I traded for it but I remember the day I laid eyes upon this now 16 year long (and counting) obsession.
As someome with a sub list full of video game documentary content, your production and narrative are amazing and possibly the best on RU-vid that I have found. New sub. Thanks for the content.
Loving this documentary so far, but I take issue with the citadel being dull, Maybe its just me, but I spent 11 hours just running around the nooks and crannies of the citadel, end to end, just looking and listening... And I never got bored, in fact I was excited! That first trip there, the citadel was MASSIVE, and they filled it out like nothing I had every experienced but always wanted to. It was gorgeous... I was annoyed when they scaled it back for 2 and 3 honestly. But ME1, you can just wander and have a ball :) TO me, that cemented that this was going to be more than your standard rpg and signaled the greatness to come. BEcause the world was on display, inviting you to get lost in it ;) Brilliant way to establish setting and get the player invested in the world... IE come live in it a while, get your space legs... get wonder and get attached. Now, lets go see what ELSE is out there... (There's more!?!??!?! Most games, this would be it! Oh Hell yeah, lets go!) Brilliant space.
59:00+ A slight correction of Ashley: she (proudly) carries the burden of (what is generally considered) a shameful military family history, especially of conflict with turians. That shameful view of her family and it's in-service consequences have been shaping her edginess and "cautious distrust" attitude towards any stranger, especially alien. Funnily, all her predictions are spot-on.
Hated and loved ME1. Felt the age even in Legendary edition. Made me tear up 3 times but also ragequit more than that. I'm on 2 now just recurited Garrus and I'm liking it so far. Wanna fuck Tali but dunno how that'll work with me currently tapping Liara
"Asari and Human share many similar traits." *AGHEM* That could be something everyone has in common with Asari if the theory is true that they project images into the minds of races they come into contact with. Don't ask me why I'm here and not rewatching Star Wars again. I'm doing both.
I've always loved Mass effect. I grew up watching my dad play copies of 1 and 2 he borrowed from a coworker, and I still remember the exact moment we saw the live-action trailer for 3 for the first time. I spent months and months religiously playing the multiplayer, and the campaign still hits as hard as it did the first time I ever finished it. For a while, these games - and the characters - were my only friends, and they still hold a certain comfort that no other game can give me. When the Legendary Edition came out, I managed to convince my best friend to try it out, and I'm so profusely happy to say he became just as enamored by the series as I am. The hold this series retains on me after nearly two decades speaks to just how powerful these games really are, flaws and all. I just wanna thank you for talking about this trilogy. It's unfair to call the series 'underrated', but I just don't see people speaking in depth about it as much as I'd like to haha! The depth of analysis and production value of your videos make you such an underrated creator. I especially appreciate the more neutral tone you offer, as it's easy to get bogged down in the more negative critiques of games I really just want to enjoy. Can't help but smile every time I see a new video of yours in my subscription box :)
I remember watching my dad play through the Mass Effect trilogy and last year I went back and played through the whole trilogy in like 2 months. Love the game and I’m loving this video so far
Best game I've ever played. I played 1and 2 more times than I can count. I've figured out how to save everyone. Perfect balance of paragon vs renegade. Except Kaden or Ashley. Three was awesome as well with the exception of the ending.
I disagree with the "choices are inconsequential" narrative. Using your example, how you treat Joker has the same consequences of how you'd treat anyone below you in rank. The decisions you make in the moment reflect who you are and your growth as a character. So even if Joker and Kaidan say the same lines regardless of what you choose Shepard to say, how you treat someone matters.
I adore the Mass Effect universe and particularly the trilogy. ME2 to this day remains the most impactful and emotionally invested I have ever been in any game or series before it. That game was an absolute masterpiece and I have never been so emotionally tied to a game. That final mission, i got to the point where I needed to play the finalission, but I waited 2 months before it, as I scared of losing squadmates and had not realised in 2022 that you could save all of them. So many great characters, all very different, top notch writing and back story. It was breathtaking a game and although ME3's ending was not well received by people the.initial ending seemed to me more grown up, there was a major impact after the invasion is fought off which a victory will require sacrifice
Just finished watching your three part Legend of Clone wars series. It was amazing and as it turns out, not only did you make episodes of my favorite show, but my favorite VIDEO game. You deserve 1,000,000 Subs
Bioware in my eyes created the Best answer to Star wars and Star Trek while keeping to their roots. And even to this day the Mass effect trilogy and Dragon age are by far the best third person RPGS besides Deus ex, Final fantasy, and Kingdom hearts. Other games like Spiderman PS4, God of War 4, Last of us part 1&2 the entire Uncharted series make you FEEL like their respective main characters (like how reviewers say Spiderman PS4 "makes you feel like Spiderman") while games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age,DEUS Ex bad Kingdom hearts you ARE the Main Character because in a way the project directors make the Characters a BLANK SLATE allowing for not just Player expression but also in Allowing players to tackle The story at their own time without hindrance.
I bought ME1 on a whim not knowing ANYTHING about it. Boy oh boy I was blown away. Tried again and again to get my friends into it but they just weren't interested. When ME2 came out they all raved about the series and I was just happy they got into it. Haha. All that to say, ME1 is my favorite of the series. It felt the most like an RPG and it was just a damn good time.
I remember getting Mass Effect when it first came out. I was so hyped with all the interviews, teasers, articles, and everything else. What I got managed to live up to all expectations I had, and I spent weeks locked in my room playing through it trying to get every achievement. I'm sure some of my college classes dipped because of it, but worth it.
How does this video still only have 50K views??? This video is so well made its unbelievable, i hope this doesn't discourage you from making more Mass effect videos
This series gets me so amped. The Mass Effect trilogy is my absolute favorite video game series of all-time and your attention to detail and presentation emphasizes that love and scale. Well done!
"Shepard, When I graduated from the N7 program I had the honor of meeting Admiral Jon Grissom, the man who inspired me to pursue a career in the service, and I never thought I'd feel prouder in my life. I was mistaken. Don't get me wrong it was a big day, and important day. But there's something about welcoming young driven people like yourself into the ranks that's also pretty damn satisfying. Your distinguished service record may have gotten you into this program-but it was your courage, integrity, and tenacity that's enabled you to join an elite few. You represent the best of humanity, and I feel certain you'll make the galaxy a better place. And I'm not the only one who feels this way. Becoming an N7 means the entire Systems Alliance is telling you one thing-we believe in you. Let me end by saying this: Welcome to the team, Shepard." -David Anderson
"Jenkins leroying himself" what an amazing video One of the best edits, most composed, most amazing atmospheric deep dives of any channel I've met in a while. You used nothing but concisely built sentencing without inputing "it feels like" or "I feel like" 10/10 gonna go watch me2 video now. Thank god for such quality driven content creators ❤❤
It's too bad that we humans are so busy fighting each other that we've forgotten to look up. Also, I would like to point out that I have recently encountered those very same emotions that I had the first time I spoke to Vigil. That was in Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker. So far, only twice. I look forward to more fantastic stories in the future.
Excellent video! Wish I could show it to my friends to convince them to play the game (I think the drama around it has turned them off and it's a huge shame) but the video has spoilers so better not just in case ;P Personally I LOVED the uncharted planets in ME1 and was sad to see them gone in the next installments. There was something about the atmosphere that just made it feel like you were really exploring something that not many people have been to before.
It's definitely a shame they never did Uncharted worlds in a sequel! ME2 really could've made those super special. I guess it just makes that first game stand out even more for having them. Anyway, thanks for checking this out!! Hopefully your friends get into it eventually. Honestly, manslayer's hilarious gamer poops for ME3 was a tipping point for my friends (even though you can't say 98% of the things in those videos in-game 😋)
@@ArTorrPresents Hmm, maybe I should share those vids with them too, you never know. And the legendary edition is on sale right now too, perfect opportunity >:) Thank you for your hard work!
Here's a thought or a question or maybe both, are trilogies a doomed format? If you look at Mass Effect, FABLE, STAR WARS and so many other trilogies, they seem to peak in the middle installment and often face plant on the final episode. Thanks for prompting this idea in my mind with a great video. Great work, cant wait to see more of what you've got in store.
I've thought about this a little bit, and to me I think trilogies fail for 2 reasons: it's a heavily romanticized format, in that some storytellers envision a perfect trilogy, rather than the format that best suits a story (a duology, a quadrilogy, etc). The other reason is that many storytellers just lose momentum by the 3rd entry. If it's a game or movie, a lot of what made a story exciting or worth telling for the creator might get lost after years of working on it. A sequel would build on the ideas of the first entry. But a threequel has to build on both previous entries, and conclude them in an impactful way. That seems really hard to do, and a big deterrent a trilogy's momentum. Anyway, Thank you for checking out the video!
never played or watched mass effect and i havent even started the video yet but artorr is the one creator i know that i will injoy and be fascinated by whatever he puts out whatever the topic. keep doing what your doing!
