So what was this game about again?
(media.scored.co)
You're viewing a single comment thread. View all comments, or full comment thread.
Comments (32)
sorted by:
Shepard worked because the high restrictions of the Paragon/Renegade system usually led to a consistently written character being made by forcing you to commit, most of the time, to being one or the other to not lose out on points you'd need in it to make bigger decisions.
At least in ME1, its been so long they all blend together and I can't remember if that stayed in 2/3.
Shepard worked because they wrote the story entirely for a guy static character and then made some minor dialogue changes for the female option. The illusion of choice dialogue options has been overdone as is, they never actually make massive impacts or punishments to the story.
I find the gender difference far less egregious in a universe basically dominated by the Asari, who seem to be the ones corralling all other races together. Its still generic "sci-fi egalitarianism" but it at least is inoffensive.
The true failing of the character creator is the background choices, which should lead to considerable differences in both your treatment and your choices but instead if just a handful of "we referenced it 2-3 times randomly with no effect" moments.
The asaris existence is illogical on its front. An all female species that by all lore barely reproduce but somehow still have the numbers to be the “girlboss” alien species. They were put in to satisfy guys who wanted to fuck an alien and lefties demanding space egalitarianism as you said.
They literally do some form of psychic bullshit to always appear as something close to the "perfect" girl for your species, if not you specifically. They literally abused simping to become the top of the food chain.
Its unironically hilarious and legitimately unique, made even more so by the fact that they don't acknowledge it at all so it doesn't get moralized or excused.
'Cept that made Mass Effect a shitty RPG all around. There's no point in deciding what action you think is best on a case by case basis because you get punished for not committing to one side or the other on the morality meter. So you just choose whatever aligns with your current playthrough without needing to think or even read the already truncated dialogue options. Seriously, Mass Effect might as well have started by asking if you wanted to be a Paragon or Renegade and just decided everything from there.
Well his point was that the lack of a canon singular character makes the writing worse. In which case those limitations contribute to making a more dedicated character, instead of a murderhobo that can min/max around quests arbitrarily to pick the best rewards.
If you think JRPGs have better written stories, then a "shitty rpg" is the one that offers you a bunch of choices to begin with. If you prefer having a bunch of options, then JRPGs are the shitty RPGs because you can't really "roleplay" in the slightest.
They are both Role Playing Games, but one the role is assigned and you're playing their story, and the other the role is freeform so there's minimal story.