While the first Mass Effect was promising though unpolished and the 3rd Mass Effect game found no meaningful ways to build on the franchise, Mass Effect 2 was the stellar middle ground.
One can make criticism of its binary moral system, but the depth of the story and characters reaches far beyond a renegade/paragon binary. Like in a college class, the material is deep and meaningful, but for the sake of the grading the class, it has to be reduced to a multiple choice exam (but that doesn't mean the whole experience was shallow).
I think Mass Effect 2 was a brilliant game. Aside from having robust production values, lots of content and refined gameplay, it also gave the player lots of choice, freedom, variety and content overall. It's a smart game that succeeds on an artistic level while also appealing to the mainstream market.
Like Nolan's Inception, there were a few artistic compromises to appeal to a wider audience, but when all's said and done, Mass Effect 2 is perfectly well rounded.
One can make criticism of its binary moral system, but the depth of the story and characters reaches far beyond a renegade/paragon binary. Like in a college class, the material is deep and meaningful, but for the sake of the grading the class, it has to be reduced to a multiple choice exam (but that doesn't mean the whole experience was shallow).
I think Mass Effect 2 was a brilliant game. Aside from having robust production values, lots of content and refined gameplay, it also gave the player lots of choice, freedom, variety and content overall. It's a smart game that succeeds on an artistic level while also appealing to the mainstream market.
Like Nolan's Inception, there were a few artistic compromises to appeal to a wider audience, but when all's said and done, Mass Effect 2 is perfectly well rounded.