This is probably the best and most consistent the series gets in terms of demonstrating scale. As in, Just how vast and grand and full of detail the world is.
Replaying this via the Legendary Edition. Aesthetically this still rocks, has some iffy combat encounters and writing here and there (i.e., Noveria); but no matter what I do, Shepard is consistently and utterly a doorknob. I wish I could be anyone else!
i was shockingly disappointed (Therum) or just moderately bored (Noveria) around the first few acts but after i dove deep in side quests & get the hang of the general mechanics etc i felt surprisingly involved. get the critics towards the Mako but i respect the effort for creating these beautiful albeit desolate planets.
also i played the 2&3rd part eons ago & i'm a bit sad in retrospect for avoiding this one solely because of my impatience bc it was a really well-rounded introduction to the overarching plot. the closing acts (Ilos/Citadel) were esp. well directed.
i have a huge gripe though, that is i never felt caring nor feeling anything toward Shepard, he's just ur generic man of the hour, either being a well respected hero or a (still rewarded) twat. my problem is not mainly that ur choices never matters, more that i never felt any ambiguity in his character. i felt aspiring to the darker side of shepard just equals being a huge asshole without any reasonable depth in his grudge. which is understandable bc the game revolves around saving the galaxy - but tbqh i'd loved this game infinitely more if the tone were more subtle (or playing as a spectre would have been meant playing as a spy with personal motivations or whatever instead of leading a numb, trustworthy knight - or a trustworthy knight with severe anger management problems)
its just i never really felt Shepard has any personal motivation except saving the galaxy & literally every ally had a more in-depth backstory than him, etc. its still a really well rounded game but i also feel (the sort of) waste of much more unexplored potential underneath bc of the sole reason of this
If you’re ever up for playing this again, consider doing so as FemShep. Jennifer Hale’s performance does a better job at bringing some nuance and dynamics to Shepard, regardless of the route you chose, that’s absent a lot of the time w/ Mark Meer’s MascShep.
I come back to this once in a blue moon to appreciate how ahead of its time it was. Combat is janky and didn't age well, but for a 2007 console shooter? It's fucking stellar.
also i played the 2&3rd part eons ago & i'm a bit sad in retrospect for avoiding this one solely because of my impatience bc it was a really well-rounded introduction to the overarching plot. the closing acts (Ilos/Citadel) were esp. well directed.
its just i never really felt Shepard has any personal motivation except saving the galaxy & literally every ally had a more in-depth backstory than him, etc. its still a really well rounded game but i also feel (the sort of) waste of much more unexplored potential underneath bc of the sole reason of this
6 years then sure as fuck doesn't feel like 2018 to now.