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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   2189 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for October 13, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Most people prefer ME2 to ME1, but I agree with Shamus Young (RIP): ME2 might be better mechanically, but narratively it's much weaker, mostly propped up by its ensemble cast of cool characters, of which only Mordin and Legion aren't returning from ME1.

ME1 has a unique space brutalist aesthetic, like it’s a very clearly Canadian game, and not just Canadian but from those northern Alberta cities - Edmonton or Calgary - where Winter is white snow and grey brutalist buildings above endless underground tunnels and passages and bridges people use to get around in downtown. Yes, the art and architecture is inspired by Syd Mead, but also by Edmonton’s Alberta Law Courts building, and by the West Edmonton Mall, which opened in 1981 and was the world’s largest until 2004.

It’s a uniquely 70s and early 80s vision of the future, these fuzzy orange screens projected above rough concrete covered in vines and other greenery. It’s also one that was completely abandoned in Mass Effect 2 and 3 (except for the Salarian homeworld to a limited extent) for the white-plastic-and-glass look of Star Trek 2009 and the second and third Star Wars prequel movies.

Yeah the aesthetics in ME1 appealed to me a lot more for some reason. Less slick and utilitarian gray everywhere, more just kind of grungy run down shit that still felt alive and had some character.

Also the writing was just more sparse and there was less comedic relief all the time. Still enjoying ME2 though.

I thoroughly enjoyed ME2 enough to go through it at least twice, but there were lingering odd feelings I couldn't articulate until reading Shamus' ME retrospective - which is probably one of the best long-form critiques I've ever read, and one I couldn't agree with more. Every complaint he makes with ME2's story and tone had me going "Yes! That's why X felt so off or out of step with the first game!".

People focus so much of their ire on ME3's end, but I think it's clear the problems start with ME2. They just aren't as obvious without hindsight and actually revisiting the middle part of the trilogy with a fresh perspective. The first game still feels really special to me.

If it's your kind of thing, I would definitely check Shamus' series after finishing the games! Shame about his passing this year. He was good at what he did.

Shame about his passing this year. He was good at what he did.

What I wouldn't give for him to have been here for the System Shock remake and BG3.

The way I always thought about it is that the character loyalty quests were very good, but the main quest was a giant distraction from the actual ME story. They even had to create a DLC to tie it together with ME3.

Thanks for not spoiling! I'm excited to see where the story goes, it's quite interesting so far.

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