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Mass Effect used to be a golden standard that game developers and story tellers were held to when it came to quality game development. With the recent announcement that the Mass Effect series is being put on hold, it’s quite evident that its status amongst gamers has changed significantly since its original release. I believe the reasoning for this loss of popularity and success is mainly due to the consistently shifting style of and approach to the series.

When Mass Effect came out in 2007, it became the pinnacle of Western RPGs, taking that mantle from BioWare’s previous hit Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Mass Effect was first and foremost an RPG. It was a sci-fi adventure where you could build your own character (to an extent), explore the galaxy, and save every sentient being from the threat of a super-intelligent alien robot named Sovereign. It had elements of cover-based third-person shooters, most notably borrowed from the recent success of Gears of War. However, it was much more about the exploration, character stats, and story-based dialogue choices than it was anything else.

From there, Mass Effect 2 came out and started to lean away from its RPG roots. Mass Effect 2 had a good balance between the remaining RPG elements and its expanded third-person shooter elements, making for the most critically well-received game in the series. I still prefer the original to Mass Effect 2 since I’m an RPG nut and a huge Knights of the Old Republic fan, two gaming itches that the original game scratched perfectly.

However, things started to change drastically when Mass Effect 3 came out. The gameplay was mostly focused on third-person shooting and, while excellent, it sacrificed many elements of Mass Effect that fans grew to know and love. The RPG elements still existed but the dialogue seemed less important and more an illusion of choice than the previous two installments. There was far less emphasis on exploration, in fact it was discouraged entirely due to the Reaper invasion in the story. There was a last-minute addition of a multiplayer mode that had some pretty cool influences over the main story but was largely unnecessary. To top it all off, it had an ending that threw all the RPG choice-based storytelling the player had made to this point to the wind in favor of an incredibly rushed and dissatisfying conclusion. BioWare made efforts to edit the ending and add more detail for fans who were disappointed by this, but the damage had already been done at this point.

After Mass Effect 3, there was a four year wait until Mass Effect: Andromeda came out. For starters, this is partially what killed the series since the damage done by the ending to Mass Effect 3 was the last interaction with the Mass Effect series many gamers had for four years. From there, Andromeda was announced and everyone was really excited for something to wash away the bad aftertaste of 3’s ending. However, things didn’t go as fans had expected. The story ended up being incredibly minimalistic compared to previous games which was disappointing after four years of waiting. There were barely any RPG elements left with the dialogue being as unimportant if not less important that Mass Effect 3. There was a huge focus on third-person shooting and, while fun, it lacked the substance that each previous game had with regards to why you’re fighting in the first place.

All this, and I didn’t even mention the horribly rendered facial animations that turned Andromeda into a meme that the internet started to hate on ferociously. That being said, this last statement about Andromeda being a meme is what fully killed the franchise. Andromeda did far more poorly than most anticipated, mostly due to insane levels of negative internet feedback. Regardless of why it did so poorly, it’s clear that Mass Effect is no longer the juggernaut in the gaming industry that it used to be. This is something that is incredibly sad for me, a huge fan of the series despite its flaws, to say. Considering Mass Effect is on hold indefinitely, there is very little chance of a sequel to right the series’ wrongs, at least any time soon.

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I spend most of my days working towards my Writing and Rhetoric degree at the University of Central Florida, but I spend a lot of my down time keeping up to date on the best TV, movies, and video games the industry has to offer. Here I put all of that extended time to use discussing each of them in-depth.

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Exciting news for gamers! The highly anticipated PS5 game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be joining EA Play on Thursday

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3 hours ago

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April 23, 2024

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Update: It seems that the PS Store may have acted prematurely, as it has now been officially confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be added to EA Play on Thursday, April 25th, 2024. Once the active members are in, they’ll have the opportunity to download and play the complete game.

Original Story: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, released in 2023, has been added to the EA Play subscription service. This exciting action-adventure game is now available for download and play at no additional cost for active members. While EA has yet to provide any official updates, you can head over to the PS Store and find it listed as “included with EA Play.”

Adding to the mix is the recent announcement of a forthcoming price hike for the subscription, affecting both monthly and yearly payment plans. Starting on May 10th, 2024, the monthly subscription fee will be increased from £3.99 / $4.99 to £5.99 / $5.99. For those who choose the 12-month commitment, the price will be £34.99 / $39.99, which is a £15 / $10 increase.

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In April 2023, the highly anticipated Star Wars Jedi: Survivor made its debut on the PS5. After thoroughly evaluating the game, we are pleased to announce that it has earned an impressive 9/10 rating in our review. We praised the game for its ability to build upon the first installment’s foundations and improve upon every aspect. “The combat is highly enjoyable and provides a plethora of options, while the exploration reaches new heights. The incorporation of Metroidvania elements adds an extra layer of depth, resulting in captivating puzzles and rewarding experiences.”

Click the link to access a comprehensive list of all EA Play games available on PS5 and PS4. Are you planning to give Star Wars Jedi: Survivor a try on the service? We would greatly appreciate your feedback in the comments section.

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Rest assured, the highly anticipated PS5 exclusive, Stellar Blade, will be available in its original, uncensored form across all regions

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1 day ago

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April 22, 2024

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Fear not; for those worried about potential censorship issues with the PS5-exclusive Stellar Blade, set to release on April 26th, Sony has got you covered. ShiftUp, the developer, proudly assures players that the game will maintain its uncensored content across all regions, including Japan.

We have to admit, we didn’t anticipate this as a potential issue or a potential selling point. The main character, Eve, and her revealing costumes have been heavily showcased in the game’s pre-release marketing. Nevertheless, it is pleasing to witness ShiftUp’s evident enthusiasm as their vision prepares to reach the hands of a vast number of players.

Regarding Stellar Blade, Yoko Taro believes it surpasses NieR: Automata, and we were pleased to learn that the game will be considerate of your PS5 storage capacity. The demo is now available for you to try, and it has nearly doubled the daily active users of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This is quite impressive, especially considering it is the game’s first console showing.

Will you be there to experience Stellar Blade on its release day? It’s certainly a relief to witness the game remaining uncensored until the last moment. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount

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4 days ago

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April 19, 2024

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There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.

As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.

The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.

The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.

What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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