I was introduced to Mass Effect through the recent legendary edition and my God it was glorious. Having access to all the DLC and revamped combat mechanics felt great. The story was breathtaking and thanks to the citadel DLC in ME3 it really felt like the trilogy ended on a strong note
"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence." Man Sovereign was such a imposing villain who had zero respect for organic life. Too bad Harbinger couldn't repeat the vibe and dread. An ever-present threat but no Sovereign.
I actually prefer Harbinger. His elegant and Intellectual voice is perfect for the Leader of the Reapers. He sounds wise and more then just a scary monster "Shepard you have become an annoyance. You fight against inevitability, Dust struggling against Cosmic Winds . This seems a victory to you a star system sacrificed. But even now your greatest civilisations are doomed to fall. Your leaders will beg to serve us." I wish he was actually used in Mass Effect 3 like he was in the 2nd game. Also it's interesting that Harbinger wanted Shepard ALIVE in the DLC. The IT theory was literally right there for them setup in that DLC lol
They believe they're the pinnacle bcuz they had tried synthesis but couldn't get it right, so for that time yeah they were the pinnacle..... Wait if they were synthesized too then they would be creatures who can live in fucking space instead of just a ship
@@Adrian07z Never forget his sacrifice. If only we hadn't mindlessly gunned him down we could have spared ourselves from the entire trilogy narratively collapsing in the last 10 minutes.
The first conversation with sovereign in Mass Effect 1 is still (to me) the greatest plot twist of all time in video gaming history. You are entering this world where multiple species fight for power and ressources with war and politics... and then in one unexpected moment: "RUDEMENTARY CREATURES OF BLOOD AND FLESH YOU TOUCH MY MIND FUMBLING IN IGNORACE UNCAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING" "YOU EXIST BECAUSE WE ALLOW AND YOU WILL END BECAUSE WE DAMAND IT" A moment that would have made Gene Roddenberry proud.
There're things to love about every game in the trilogy: 1's amazing story and world-building, 2's fantastically written dialogue and characters, 3's incredible presentation and scale, and nearly every DLC is a goddamn banger: Citadel, Shadow Broker, Leviathan, Arrival, Overlord, Stolen Memory; sheeeeesh, but 1 will always have a special place in my Dr. Heart. Thanks for making such a beautiful essay on the game that got me to see the shootie-shootie-bang-bangs on the computer as mankind's greatest art form (even if it doesn't always live up to its potential). Really excellent work, ArTorr.
@@SpicyDeddy Consider this simply some food for thought. I wonder about that. Is it massive when _one_ person holds the fate of so many in their hands? Or is it only massive when said fate is held in the hands of thousands or millions (as was the case for much of the world during WW2)? Personally I can fall to either side there. Playing as Shepard, yeah no denying that the galaxy essentially lives or dies by your actions.... but at the same time, one person can only ever do so much, regardless of the wider implications of their actions (unless we start talking about some setup where a being can truly split themselves, and I don't mean some simple shadow clone thing that so many like to use, but something like That Time I Got Reincarnated as A Slime). I think it is this dichotomy that makes this aspect of a story so appealing, be it a game, movie, book, whatever. Decisions that shape the future, but actions that are just the actions of a single person.
41:17 small correction/addition: if you help Wrex get back his family armour on Tontau, you do not need paragon/renegade points to convince Wrex and he's more likely to stand down
I’m still new to mass effect (haven’t finished 3 yet) but it has now become one of my favorite franchises ever. I love the characters snd the universe they inhabit. It’s all so interesting and complex.
Mass Effect is almost 15 years old now. I have some seriously mixed feelings about the fact that at least some of the people who have been introduced to it recently, are younger than the game. It is awesome for sure, I truly love hearing that even after this long people are still being brought into the fold, but at the same time it is just yet another reminder of how much time has passed.
I remember watching my dad play through the Mass Effect trilogy and last year I went back and played through the whole trilogy in like 2 months. Love the game and I’m loving this video so far
ME1s opening is probably my favorite sequence in all of gaming.. the first cutscene always hypes me and made me point whenever I use a mass relay in ME1, the noise is so good and the cutscenes are so good.
In 2008, a friend and I were trading games and I saw a strange looking game in his pile. He said he couldn't get into it, I don't remember what I traded for it but I remember the day I laid eyes upon this now 16 year long (and counting) obsession.
I ended up buying the Legendary Edition on pc because of your intro just so I could finish the first game and come back to fully appreciate the rest of the video
I've always loved Mass effect. I grew up watching my dad play copies of 1 and 2 he borrowed from a coworker, and I still remember the exact moment we saw the live-action trailer for 3 for the first time. I spent months and months religiously playing the multiplayer, and the campaign still hits as hard as it did the first time I ever finished it. For a while, these games - and the characters - were my only friends, and they still hold a certain comfort that no other game can give me. When the Legendary Edition came out, I managed to convince my best friend to try it out, and I'm so profusely happy to say he became just as enamored by the series as I am. The hold this series retains on me after nearly two decades speaks to just how powerful these games really are, flaws and all. I just wanna thank you for talking about this trilogy. It's unfair to call the series 'underrated', but I just don't see people speaking in depth about it as much as I'd like to haha! The depth of analysis and production value of your videos make you such an underrated creator. I especially appreciate the more neutral tone you offer, as it's easy to get bogged down in the more negative critiques of games I really just want to enjoy. Can't help but smile every time I see a new video of yours in my subscription box :)
Absolutely brilliant video dude... it sounds corny but i cant even describe what Mass effect means for me, especially ME1. I was really in dark and depressed space when i played this series for the first time 3 years ago. This game was the only thing that gave me just a little joy and happiness in life at the time, i felt that i was Commander Shepard and not me while playing it. Big thanks for this break down of the game, means a lot to me.
Man. Im late to the party on this one. But the editing of this was... well amazing. The cuts between fem-shep and shep at the end were brilliantly done. All in all everything was done amazingly. Props to you. Can't wait for the next ones.
Incredible video, probably one of, if not my favorite ME1 review so far. I also really appreciate that intro and acknowledging the love Mass Effect has not just for sci-fi, but for cosmology and science in general. It's easy to forget amongst the amazing story and characters, but personally, I think what makes Mass Effect what it is is that desire to explore space and see the unknown, and it's nice to see someone actually appreciate that too
Glad you enjoyed it! One of my favorite things about Mass Effect is how it balances the trajectory of our real-world scientific advancements with classic sci-fi storytelling. Had to shine a light on it 👍
I've always preferred Mark Meer's voice acting as Shepard. There are lots of lines that he delivers in a very Arnold Schwarzenegger-y manner, just without the accent, like "You're working too hard" before slamming an electric blow torch into a criminal mechanic's back.
The tone of his voice is also much more in-line with how Navy Line Officers actually talk, so as a former CTR in the US Navy I find his voice to be the better performance.
@@jonathanoriley8260 Actually that's the reason I nearly always play a male Shepard : the voice acting and physical decisions (headbutting a Krogan style) feel so much more in line with this kind of gruff military officer.
The idea of free will being the ultimate triumph over the reapers makes shooting the hologram kid in 3 now that it has consequences (or asking too many of the wrong questions now that you can ask questions) the most thematically sound ending of Mass Effect 3
Yeah but I still hate the fact the bloody hologram controls the weapon. If it won't help just send a team of engineers to shoot it, they still must have at least a few tens of minutes before the Citadel fleets are entirely routed.
I think the best thing about the alien races in mass effect is they are characterized by human ideals/traits our desire for love and wisdom the assari our desire to understand everything despite the morality the Solairians our stubborn rage the krogan and our tactical dominating minds the Turians
i first played the trilogy when the legendary edition came out. it really changed my perspective on games forever. i really deepdived into this world as my commander shepard every decision i had to make in game felt so real it was like I was shepard. this masterpiece of a videogame trilogy is by far the best thing i ever layed my hands on!
This series gets me so amped. The Mass Effect trilogy is my absolute favorite video game series of all-time and your attention to detail and presentation emphasizes that love and scale. Well done!
The scene around 5:30 with Shepard confronting garrus is something I've never seen. I'm assuming that is a deleted scene. It's hard for me to imagine a version of mass effect where Shepard and Garrus *aren't* best friends.
I remember coming home from school at some time during 2007, I was around 11 I think? and I remember my brother playing a game I'd never seen before, and I just sat and watched him play it for hours. I became enthralled by Mass Effect's universe ever since that day and its definitely influenced my views on Sci-fi for the rest of my life.
Hats off for the wonderful intro! Using the historical and beautiful landscape footage to introduce humanity with combination of the Normandy reveal or ME3 ending music just hooked me right away.
A really good review of an amazing experience called Mass Effect. Really enjoyed your points and views on this trilogy. Something what all ME fans tend to do: How I get into ME: It started in Dead Space 3, a videogame with same publisher. There was a piece of a special armor equipment with N7 markings. I wanted to know more about it and so I learnt about ME. I was not sure if I want to commit so much time to play whole trilogy, so I first played the 3rd game ... I remember spending like 2 initial hours in Codex just to read all of the background (I avoided Googling it, because when I saw the depth in 3rd game, I started to think to play the previous 2 games so I avoided any spoilers). As many ME fans know, things in this "default" 3rd game don't go smoothly and after the end I was wondering, if by playing the whole trilogy, I might be able to get better results. No game before, after, no book or no movie made me so involved in itself as Mass Effect did. The moral-grey situations, the choices givven to player, the consequences ... it's unique amazing experience. Needless to say that I finished the whole trilogy 7-times, exploring the various story-routes made by different choices. I guess its time for the 8th time, first time in Legendary edition.
I had never played mass effect before, watched about 10 minutes of this video and it was enough to convince me to give em a shot, fucking love these games now, Great Video
59:00+ A slight correction of Ashley: she (proudly) carries the burden of (what is generally considered) a shameful military family history, especially of conflict with turians. That shameful view of her family and it's in-service consequences have been shaping her edginess and "cautious distrust" attitude towards any stranger, especially alien. Funnily, all her predictions are spot-on.
im 19 minutes in and i just want to say thank you so much for providing subtitles. i feel like offering subtitles that arent generated by google translate is often overlooked. anyway, i'm really enjoying your commentary so far; it's the first i've seen from you. even smiled IRL when the video transitioned to your favorite location in all of sci-fi. gonna send this to my brother and best friend :)
I first played Mass Effect back at the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010. Strange to think that its been 14-15 years, depending on how you count it, since I first started my journey across the stars. Back then as a kid who just started to learn English, I couldn't fully understand everything during conversations and scenes but I remember that it was the coolest game I've played until that point. Now, as an adult, I replay the trilogy almost every year. It has become a small tradition for me. Despite having played the games countless times, I still enjoy my time with them the same as I did the first time. I truly believe Bioware created something truly timeless with the series. This video was expertly written and delivered, you did a great job with it. Probably the best Mass Effect video I saw on UA-cam. Thank you for the nostalgia ride....now its probably time to save the galaxy again. I SHOULD GO.
"Shepard, When I graduated from the N7 program I had the honor of meeting Admiral Jon Grissom, the man who inspired me to pursue a career in the service, and I never thought I'd feel prouder in my life. I was mistaken. Don't get me wrong it was a big day, and important day. But there's something about welcoming young driven people like yourself into the ranks that's also pretty damn satisfying. Your distinguished service record may have gotten you into this program-but it was your courage, integrity, and tenacity that's enabled you to join an elite few. You represent the best of humanity, and I feel certain you'll make the galaxy a better place. And I'm not the only one who feels this way. Becoming an N7 means the entire Systems Alliance is telling you one thing-we believe in you. Let me end by saying this: Welcome to the team, Shepard." -David Anderson
I remember getting Mass Effect when it first came out. I was so hyped with all the interviews, teasers, articles, and everything else. What I got managed to live up to all expectations I had, and I spent weeks locked in my room playing through it trying to get every achievement. I'm sure some of my college classes dipped because of it, but worth it.
I remember hearing basically nothing about this game but then finding an old Xbox 360 disc for ME1 and thinking "mass effect? I think I've heard of that" and loading it up. This was two years ago, and to this day remains the only game (series) to make me cry. I hope our kids will have a game series like this to play
I bought ME1 on a whim not knowing ANYTHING about it. Boy oh boy I was blown away. Tried again and again to get my friends into it but they just weren't interested. When ME2 came out they all raved about the series and I was just happy they got into it. Haha. All that to say, ME1 is my favorite of the series. It felt the most like an RPG and it was just a damn good time.
"Jenkins leroying himself" what an amazing video One of the best edits, most composed, most amazing atmospheric deep dives of any channel I've met in a while. You used nothing but concisely built sentencing without inputing "it feels like" or "I feel like" 10/10 gonna go watch me2 video now. Thank god for such quality driven content creators ❤❤
As someome with a sub list full of video game documentary content, your production and narrative are amazing and possibly the best on UA-cam that I have found. New sub. Thanks for the content.
Just finished watching your three part Legend of Clone wars series. It was amazing and as it turns out, not only did you make episodes of my favorite show, but my favorite VIDEO game. You deserve 1,000,000 Subs
great video, i enjoyed every second of it! I played Mass Effect for the first time because of the LE and I am so glad I decided to pick the game up. When you mention the fact that we aren't allowed to control other characters because Bioware wants us to feel immersed in shepherds character I finally understood why we were allowed to control other party members. But thats something I loved about the game. I never control other party members even when I can because I love fully diving into the mind of the single character i am controlling and the others having more or so a "mind" of their own. Anyways really captivating video , now onto the brilliance of ME 2!
I wanna just say, ArTorr, I've never played Cyberpunk 2077 or Mass Effect, but your style, formatting, editing, it's all brilliant. The way you weave your praise and critiques together is so unique, and I'm so happy I found your channel. Can't wait to see what you do next!
Just wrapping up my first run through the trilogy since ME3 First came out. You really captured the beautiful qualities of Mass Effect, and the way it pulls you into it's world.
How does this video still only have 50K views??? This video is so well made its unbelievable, i hope this doesn't discourage you from making more Mass effect videos
never played or watched mass effect and i havent even started the video yet but artorr is the one creator i know that i will injoy and be fascinated by whatever he puts out whatever the topic. keep doing what your doing!
Fantastic ArTorr! You have capture my thoughts on the series so far. Never could put these thoughts into words, so thank you for that! Your production quality is unbelievable special. Keep it up!
The barren nature of the uncharted world’s is one of the reasons that my space nerd self loved them. Yes, you have all of these worlds to explore, but they’re desolate and lonely. Maybe there’s a remnant of something before, but it’s mostly just vast and empty even though all the relays open up to council explored space.
@@JabamiLain lollll, about 3 hours in, why did they choose this direction for the story lolll. Once I saw ELECTRONIC ARTS , the fear started to creep in. The settings are beautiful though
Exploring barren wastelands of worlds filled with nothing was very interesting for me. The crushing loneliness of having nothing in it aside from raging winds blowing the dust from nowhere to no place felt very unnerving. The feeling that nothing will ever grow or live on that planet and that it will remain like that for the rest of eternity is very well transmitted through these uncharted worlds. I think having many of them like that was fundamental to give off the idea of exploring the unknown.
I adore the Mass Effect universe and particularly the trilogy. ME2 to this day remains the most impactful and emotionally invested I have ever been in any game or series before it. That game was an absolute masterpiece and I have never been so emotionally tied to a game. That final mission, i got to the point where I needed to play the finalission, but I waited 2 months before it, as I scared of losing squadmates and had not realised in 2022 that you could save all of them. So many great characters, all very different, top notch writing and back story. It was breathtaking a game and although ME3's ending was not well received by people the.initial ending seemed to me more grown up, there was a major impact after the invasion is fought off which a victory will require sacrifice
Can't believe this video has gone under the radar as it has. It captures so much the feeling of wonder and immersion that sucked me into its world the first time I played it. Brilliant work!
I am one of those who never played it until the legendary edition came out. But it is now one of my favorite franchises ever. I have replayed them all frequently. I did have a friend who warned me as I was progressing "you are not going to like how it ends. Just warning you". He was right lol It's not hate. It's more just disappointment. But up until the end, I was blown away by how good the whole trilogy was. Your videos are excellent.
I am in awe of how well made this video is, this is a full on film about your love for this game and it was a really meaningful watch. From your editing, vocal delivery, I can really tell how much effort you’ve put into this. Really glad to have found your channel man keep it up
One thing I disagree with is about Sovereign standing no chance against combined organics. First thing, it's only Alliance that fights him, all alien forces were already down. Second, it was Shepard who secured the kill. During the fight with zombie Saren, we can see that Sovereign has no trouble decimating the fleet, they even say they have to retreat, they only win after Saren is destroyed which shuts Sovereign down (for some reason). I think this is the main reason Reapers decide to get rid of Shepard immediately - he was the one who killed a reaper, not the human fleet.
Legendary series. People will remember it as a truely remarkable set of games. Can't believe when I was around 10, in like 07 or 08, Mass Effect was part of an Xbox bundle. How lucky to stumble across it that early. Brilliant video. Only came across your channel today. Gonna be binging a lot of your stuff. Keep it up👍🤝
That moment when the Eden prime message comes through is one of my favourite in gaming. Anderson watches, assessing. Nihlus does too, and his mandibles twitch out of curiosity, like a frown if Turians could. And Shepard, the less experienced officer glances at them briefly, as if to see what their reactions are to this that’s playing out before them. For guidance? To imitate them? It’s just so good.
Absolutely fantastic retrospective video mate. Extremely well done. I'm completely in awe of your editing skills. Please keep doing more and more of these videos in general. Will be watching your other Mass Effect videos next. Cheers.
Hey thank you for the comment. Always working torwards something new for the channel, but kindness like yours keeps me going. Enjoy the other Mass Effect videos!
I remember getting this from blockbuster when it came out, blown away though didn't finish it til years later. Now though my son 17 has finished the trilogy and is a huge fan as well it is really awesome to share with him.
Best game I've ever played. I played 1and 2 more times than I can count. I've figured out how to save everyone. Perfect balance of paragon vs renegade. Except Kaden or Ashley. Three was awesome as well with the exception of the ending.
I remember I bought Mass Effect back in 2008 when I went to buy some other game at Gamestop, but I couldn't because it was +18, and I was 15 at the time, so I decided on Mass Effect because the cover reminded me of Knights of the Old Republic and ever since then I've probably beat the game over 20 times with most of them being 100% completion, with all squad mates; both paragon and renegade; all psych profiles and backgrounds; and with all classes. All of this has led me to believe Liara is by far the most OP squad mate if specced into right in ME1, as well as my favourite squaddie in the whole trilogy. Mass Effect remains still my 2nd all-time favourite game, only behind Halo Combat Evolved and ahead of Bioshock. Great video, absolutely loved the analysis and even some things that went over my head after all this time. Just makes me love this game even more than I already did
You make pretty amazing videos! They really catch the essence of the topics you deal with, and the length is perfect to help me procrastinating on writing my term papers. Nice work! ;)
Joyus Expletive: The Elcor are an absolute fucking treasure. Honestly, The Elcor are my favorite side race in Mass Effect. They talk kinda like HK-47 but with a funny deadpan and less violence.
It's too bad that we humans are so busy fighting each other that we've forgotten to look up. Also, I would like to point out that I have recently encountered those very same emotions that I had the first time I spoke to Vigil. That was in Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker. So far, only twice. I look forward to more fantastic stories in the future.
Just finished the first game on legendary edition man what a ride. Gonna replay it might be one of the best story games ever. It was actually this video that got me to play it so thanks very much for that.
All this has done is remind me of how pissed I was when I finished Mass Effect 1, and loaded up Mass Effect 2 only to find that I didnt get infinite ammo anymore...
Went to check out your channel on Arken the Amerikan's recommendation at the end of his "How Liberty Dies" video. I saw this video on your front page, and ME being my favorite video game series of all time I had to watch...and I must say, this video is criminally underrated. Hopefully the algorothim picks it up soon, it deserves it!
I prefer Paragon Shepherd while I did a frew renegade option here and there but mainly I wanted a badass moment but really a cruel galaxy needed little more light in it and it needs a hero like you say humanity need to be a better.
I was introduced to Mass Effect through the recent legendary edition and my God it was glorious. Having access to all the DLC and revamped combat mechanics felt great. The story was breathtaking and thanks to the citadel DLC in ME3 it really felt like the trilogy ended on a strong note
Mass effect 3 didn't have only an insulting ending. Almost the entire game was a piece of 💩💩💩
So you got to see Elanos Haliat as the turian he was meant to be, rather than the human from the original release. Nice.
@@Adrian07z hard disagree if i ignore literally just the final 10 minutes i think it's easily the strongest game in the franchise
@@noahreisner5199 I personally love the ending to ME3. It's my favorite game in the franchise.
ME1 was missing 1 dlc from the legendary edition. Where Shepard goes to compete with other top soldiers
"Organic life is nothing but a genetic mutation, an accident. Your lives are measured in years and decades. You wither and die. We are eternal, the pinnacle of evolution and existence."
Man Sovereign was such a imposing villain who had zero respect for organic life. Too bad Harbinger couldn't repeat the vibe and dread. An ever-present threat but no Sovereign.
Harbinger did just wake up, though...
@@LexYeen All I'm saying is I can remember about 90% of Sovereigns dialog from memory. And all I remember of Harbinger is ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL.
@@xevious21 His speech at the end of Mass Effect 2 if you played Arrival was awesome.
I actually prefer Harbinger. His elegant and Intellectual voice is perfect for the Leader of the Reapers. He sounds wise and more then just a scary monster
"Shepard you have become an annoyance. You fight against inevitability, Dust struggling against Cosmic Winds . This seems a victory to you a star system sacrificed. But even now your greatest civilisations are doomed to fall. Your leaders will beg to serve us." I wish he was actually used in Mass Effect 3 like he was in the 2nd game. Also it's interesting that Harbinger wanted Shepard ALIVE in the DLC. The IT theory was literally right there for them setup in that DLC lol
They believe they're the pinnacle bcuz they had tried synthesis but couldn't get it right, so for that time yeah they were the pinnacle..... Wait if they were synthesized too then they would be creatures who can live in fucking space instead of just a ship
You can fight like a krogan
run like a leopard
but you'll never be better than
COMMANDER SHEPARD
The hero in Mass Effect trilogy wasn't Shephard
@@Adrian07z who was it?
@@coulsonintahiti Marauder Shields😥
@@Adrian07z I just looked up who that was and i have to say I'll stick with Shepard.
@@Adrian07z Never forget his sacrifice. If only we hadn't mindlessly gunned him down we could have spared ourselves from the entire trilogy narratively collapsing in the last 10 minutes.
I am Commander Shepard and this is my favourite videogame series on the Citadel.
I should go.
Perfection
You shouldn't have been here in the first place
The first conversation with sovereign in Mass Effect 1 is still (to me) the greatest plot twist of all time in video gaming history.
You are entering this world where multiple species fight for power and ressources with war and politics... and then in one unexpected moment:
"RUDEMENTARY CREATURES OF BLOOD AND FLESH YOU TOUCH MY MIND FUMBLING IN IGNORACE UNCAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING"
"YOU EXIST BECAUSE WE ALLOW AND YOU WILL END BECAUSE WE DAMAND IT"
A moment that would have made Gene Roddenberry proud.
There're things to love about every game in the trilogy: 1's amazing story and world-building, 2's fantastically written dialogue and characters, 3's incredible presentation and scale, and nearly every DLC is a goddamn banger: Citadel, Shadow Broker, Leviathan, Arrival, Overlord, Stolen Memory; sheeeeesh, but 1 will always have a special place in my Dr. Heart. Thanks for making such a beautiful essay on the game that got me to see the shootie-shootie-bang-bangs on the computer as mankind's greatest art form (even if it doesn't always live up to its potential). Really excellent work, ArTorr.
Thank you brother, I share your love for the series 🤟
The scale of 3 is indeed fuckin massive if you stop to think about the fact that one guy holds the fate of the galaxy in his hands
@@SpicyDeddy Consider this simply some food for thought.
I wonder about that. Is it massive when _one_ person holds the fate of so many in their hands? Or is it only massive when said fate is held in the hands of thousands or millions (as was the case for much of the world during WW2)?
Personally I can fall to either side there. Playing as Shepard, yeah no denying that the galaxy essentially lives or dies by your actions.... but at the same time, one person can only ever do so much, regardless of the wider implications of their actions (unless we start talking about some setup where a being can truly split themselves, and I don't mean some simple shadow clone thing that so many like to use, but something like That Time I Got Reincarnated as A Slime). I think it is this dichotomy that makes this aspect of a story so appealing, be it a game, movie, book, whatever. Decisions that shape the future, but actions that are just the actions of a single person.
41:17 small correction/addition: if you help Wrex get back his family armour on Tontau, you do not need paragon/renegade points to convince Wrex and he's more likely to stand down
Those side missions help maintain loyalty
I’m still new to mass effect (haven’t finished 3 yet) but it has now become one of my favorite franchises ever. I love the characters snd the universe they inhabit. It’s all so interesting and complex.
Welcome to Mass Effect :)
It’s amazing.
Welcome to the family!
Be happy that they made ME3s ending serviceable...
Mass Effect is almost 15 years old now. I have some seriously mixed feelings about the fact that at least some of the people who have been introduced to it recently, are younger than the game. It is awesome for sure, I truly love hearing that even after this long people are still being brought into the fold, but at the same time it is just yet another reminder of how much time has passed.
I remember watching my dad play through the Mass Effect trilogy and last year I went back and played through the whole trilogy in like 2 months. Love the game and I’m loving this video so far
"If there's any vehicle that can survive being hurdled a million light years across the galaxy - it's the Mako."
I'm team James Vega on that one : "I love that tank"
ME1s opening is probably my favorite sequence in all of gaming.. the first cutscene always hypes me and made me point whenever I use a mass relay in ME1, the noise is so good and the cutscenes are so good.
In 2008, a friend and I were trading games and I saw a strange looking game in his pile. He said he couldn't get into it, I don't remember what I traded for it but I remember the day I laid eyes upon this now 16 year long (and counting) obsession.
I ended up buying the Legendary Edition on pc because of your intro just so I could finish the first game and come back to fully appreciate the rest of the video
Took me 15 years to realize Corporal Jenkins was a Leeroy Jenkins reference. It was right there in front of me.
Yeah, and his middle name is Leroy 🤣
At least he got the chickens
I've always loved Mass effect. I grew up watching my dad play copies of 1 and 2 he borrowed from a coworker, and I still remember the exact moment we saw the live-action trailer for 3 for the first time. I spent months and months religiously playing the multiplayer, and the campaign still hits as hard as it did the first time I ever finished it. For a while, these games - and the characters - were my only friends, and they still hold a certain comfort that no other game can give me.
When the Legendary Edition came out, I managed to convince my best friend to try it out, and I'm so profusely happy to say he became just as enamored by the series as I am. The hold this series retains on me after nearly two decades speaks to just how powerful these games really are, flaws and all.
I just wanna thank you for talking about this trilogy. It's unfair to call the series 'underrated', but I just don't see people speaking in depth about it as much as I'd like to haha! The depth of analysis and production value of your videos make you such an underrated creator. I especially appreciate the more neutral tone you offer, as it's easy to get bogged down in the more negative critiques of games I really just want to enjoy. Can't help but smile every time I see a new video of yours in my subscription box :)
I absolutely adore the Mass Effect Trilogy, and this is a fantastic analysis of it
Thank you!!
Absolutely brilliant video dude... it sounds corny but i cant even describe what Mass effect means for me, especially ME1. I was really in dark and depressed space when i played this series for the first time 3 years ago. This game was the only thing that gave me just a little joy and happiness in life at the time, i felt that i was Commander Shepard and not me while playing it. Big thanks for this break down of the game, means a lot to me.
Right on, my dude. Thanks for checking this out!
Man. Im late to the party on this one. But the editing of this was... well amazing. The cuts between fem-shep and shep at the end were brilliantly done. All in all everything was done amazingly.
Props to you. Can't wait for the next ones.
Incredible video, probably one of, if not my favorite ME1 review so far. I also really appreciate that intro and acknowledging the love Mass Effect has not just for sci-fi, but for cosmology and science in general. It's easy to forget amongst the amazing story and characters, but personally, I think what makes Mass Effect what it is is that desire to explore space and see the unknown, and it's nice to see someone actually appreciate that too
Glad you enjoyed it! One of my favorite things about Mass Effect is how it balances the trajectory of our real-world scientific advancements with classic sci-fi storytelling. Had to shine a light on it 👍
I've always preferred Mark Meer's voice acting as Shepard. There are lots of lines that he delivers in a very Arnold Schwarzenegger-y manner, just without the accent, like "You're working too hard" before slamming an electric blow torch into a criminal mechanic's back.
Yeah, the dry delievery gives it a very different feel than Hale's performance, that's a good comparison you made.
The tone of his voice is also much more in-line with how Navy Line Officers actually talk, so as a former CTR in the US Navy I find his voice to be the better performance.
@@jonathanoriley8260 Actually that's the reason I nearly always play a male Shepard : the voice acting and physical decisions (headbutting a Krogan style) feel so much more in line with this kind of gruff military officer.
The idea of free will being the ultimate triumph over the reapers makes shooting the hologram kid in 3 now that it has consequences (or asking too many of the wrong questions now that you can ask questions) the most thematically sound ending of Mass Effect 3
Yeah but I still hate the fact the bloody hologram controls the weapon. If it won't help just send a team of engineers to shoot it, they still must have at least a few tens of minutes before the Citadel fleets are entirely routed.
“Say goodnight Manuel” followed by the solid thud of the punch will never fail to make me laugh
I think the best thing about the alien races in mass effect is they are characterized by human ideals/traits our desire for love and wisdom the assari our desire to understand everything despite the morality the Solairians our stubborn rage the krogan and our tactical dominating minds the Turians
I love this observation
i first played the trilogy when the legendary edition came out. it really changed my perspective on games forever. i really deepdived into this world as my commander shepard every decision i had to make in game felt so real it was like I was shepard. this masterpiece of a videogame trilogy is by far the best thing i ever layed my hands on!
I just started playing Mass Effect 2 for the first time after having played ME1 for the first time. I’m loving it!
This series gets me so amped. The Mass Effect trilogy is my absolute favorite video game series of all-time and your attention to detail and presentation emphasizes that love and scale. Well done!
Thank you!! We love Mass Effect 'round here.
The scene around 5:30 with Shepard confronting garrus is something I've never seen.
I'm assuming that is a deleted scene. It's hard for me to imagine a version of mass effect where Shepard and Garrus *aren't* best friends.
God I love Mark Meer as Sheperd so damn much.
I remember coming home from school at some time during 2007, I was around 11 I think? and I remember my brother playing a game I'd never seen before, and I just sat and watched him play it for hours.
I became enthralled by Mass Effect's universe ever since that day and its definitely influenced my views on Sci-fi for the rest of my life.
Hats off for the wonderful intro! Using the historical and beautiful landscape footage to introduce humanity with combination of the Normandy reveal or ME3 ending music just hooked me right away.
This is the first video essay of yours I've watched and I'm really impressed. I think I'm going to watch more of your work now.
Thank you!! I hope you enjoy!
You're gonna be one of the big ones. With quality like this, there's no doubt.
The Vigil conversation is probably my favorite lore dump in all of gaming
A really good review of an amazing experience called Mass Effect. Really enjoyed your points and views on this trilogy.
Something what all ME fans tend to do: How I get into ME:
It started in Dead Space 3, a videogame with same publisher. There was a piece of a special armor equipment with N7 markings. I wanted to know more about it and so I learnt about ME. I was not sure if I want to commit so much time to play whole trilogy, so I first played the 3rd game ... I remember spending like 2 initial hours in Codex just to read all of the background (I avoided Googling it, because when I saw the depth in 3rd game, I started to think to play the previous 2 games so I avoided any spoilers).
As many ME fans know, things in this "default" 3rd game don't go smoothly and after the end I was wondering, if by playing the whole trilogy, I might be able to get better results. No game before, after, no book or no movie made me so involved in itself as Mass Effect did. The moral-grey situations, the choices givven to player, the consequences ... it's unique amazing experience.
Needless to say that I finished the whole trilogy 7-times, exploring the various story-routes made by different choices.
I guess its time for the 8th time, first time in Legendary edition.
I had never played mass effect before, watched about 10 minutes of this video and it was enough to convince me to give em a shot, fucking love these games now, Great Video
We LOVE that. Welcome to the Mass Effect fandom 😁
59:00+ A slight correction of Ashley: she (proudly) carries the burden of (what is generally considered) a shameful military family history, especially of conflict with turians. That shameful view of her family and it's in-service consequences have been shaping her edginess and "cautious distrust" attitude towards any stranger, especially alien. Funnily, all her predictions are spot-on.
im 19 minutes in and i just want to say thank you so much for providing subtitles. i feel like offering subtitles that arent generated by google translate is often overlooked. anyway, i'm really enjoying your commentary so far; it's the first i've seen from you. even smiled IRL when the video transitioned to your favorite location in all of sci-fi. gonna send this to my brother and best friend :)
Even if the ME trilogy wasn't my favorite game of all time I would still eat these videos up. Your narration is top notch
I haven’t even played Mass Effect and this video is giving me chills
Then you should try the game yourself. Play on easy if you want, or don't, just remember to play _your_ Commander Shepard how _you_ want.
You should. Lifetime experience.
I first played Mass Effect back at the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010. Strange to think that its been 14-15 years, depending on how you count it, since I first started my journey across the stars. Back then as a kid who just started to learn English, I couldn't fully understand everything during conversations and scenes but I remember that it was the coolest game I've played until that point.
Now, as an adult, I replay the trilogy almost every year. It has become a small tradition for me. Despite having played the games countless times, I still enjoy my time with them the same as I did the first time. I truly believe Bioware created something truly timeless with the series.
This video was expertly written and delivered, you did a great job with it. Probably the best Mass Effect video I saw on UA-cam. Thank you for the nostalgia ride....now its probably time to save the galaxy again.
I SHOULD GO.
Phenomenal! I would love to see more Mass Effect content!
"Shepard,
When I graduated from the N7 program I had the honor of meeting Admiral Jon Grissom, the man who inspired me to pursue a career in the service, and I never thought I'd feel prouder in my life.
I was mistaken.
Don't get me wrong it was a big day, and important day. But there's something about welcoming young driven people like yourself into the ranks that's also pretty damn satisfying.
Your distinguished service record may have gotten you into this program-but it was your courage, integrity, and tenacity that's enabled you to join an elite few. You represent the best of humanity, and I feel certain you'll make the galaxy a better place.
And I'm not the only one who feels this way. Becoming an N7 means the entire Systems Alliance is telling you one thing-we believe in you.
Let me end by saying this: Welcome to the team, Shepard."
-David Anderson
I remember getting Mass Effect when it first came out. I was so hyped with all the interviews, teasers, articles, and everything else. What I got managed to live up to all expectations I had, and I spent weeks locked in my room playing through it trying to get every achievement. I'm sure some of my college classes dipped because of it, but worth it.
SPECTACULAR video essay! More people need to experience this masterpiece on youtube🙌🙌🙌🙌😌
This series will forever stand as my all-time favourite games of all time.
Same!
I remember hearing basically nothing about this game but then finding an old Xbox 360 disc for ME1 and thinking "mass effect? I think I've heard of that" and loading it up. This was two years ago, and to this day remains the only game (series) to make me cry. I hope our kids will have a game series like this to play
I bought ME1 on a whim not knowing ANYTHING about it. Boy oh boy I was blown away. Tried again and again to get my friends into it but they just weren't interested. When ME2 came out they all raved about the series and I was just happy they got into it. Haha.
All that to say, ME1 is my favorite of the series. It felt the most like an RPG and it was just a damn good time.
The music for Ilos is my favourite in the first game.
It's atmospheric bliss.
"Jenkins leroying himself" what an amazing video
One of the best edits, most composed, most amazing atmospheric deep dives of any channel I've met in a while. You used nothing but concisely built sentencing without inputing "it feels like" or "I feel like"
10/10 gonna go watch me2 video now. Thank god for such quality driven content creators ❤❤
Thank you!! I put a lot of work into these so thank you for appreciating that :) and enjoy the ME2 video!
As someome with a sub list full of video game documentary content, your production and narrative are amazing and possibly the best on UA-cam that I have found. New sub. Thanks for the content.
"Tell me what your world dreams, so i understand your biggest desire..." Roland Dechain, Dark Tower from Sthepen King.
I’m only a minute in and I’m already blown away!!!! The editing the writing is just impeccable I’m speechless wow
Just finished watching your three part Legend of Clone wars series. It was amazing and as it turns out, not only did you make episodes of my favorite show, but my favorite VIDEO game. You deserve 1,000,000 Subs
great video, i enjoyed every second of it! I played Mass Effect for the first time because of the LE and I am so glad I decided to pick the game up. When you mention the fact that we aren't allowed to control other characters because Bioware wants us to feel immersed in shepherds character I finally understood why we were allowed to control other party members. But thats something I loved about the game. I never control other party members even when I can because I love fully diving into the mind of the single character i am controlling and the others having more or so a "mind" of their own. Anyways really captivating video , now onto the brilliance of ME 2!
I wanna just say, ArTorr, I've never played Cyberpunk 2077 or Mass Effect, but your style, formatting, editing, it's all brilliant. The way you weave your praise and critiques together is so unique, and I'm so happy I found your channel. Can't wait to see what you do next!
This is one the nicest comments I've received in some time. Thank you so much 😭
Just wrapping up my first run through the trilogy since ME3 First came out. You really captured the beautiful qualities of Mass Effect, and the way it pulls you into it's world.
How does this video still only have 50K views??? This video is so well made its unbelievable, i hope this doesn't discourage you from making more Mass effect videos
UA-cam algorithm isn’t that great if I just now discovered these awesome video essays.
never played or watched mass effect and i havent even started the video yet but artorr is the one creator i know that i will injoy and be fascinated by whatever he puts out whatever the topic. keep doing what your doing!
your videos deserve to have millions of views
Fantastic ArTorr! You have capture my thoughts on the series so far. Never could put these thoughts into words, so thank you for that!
Your production quality is unbelievable special. Keep it up!
The barren nature of the uncharted world’s is one of the reasons that my space nerd self loved them. Yes, you have all of these worlds to explore, but they’re desolate and lonely. Maybe there’s a remnant of something before, but it’s mostly just vast and empty even though all the relays open up to council explored space.
Just finished the Legendary Edition, 1st time playing Mass Effect. I need all game studios to play this before designing a game. It’s mandatory
Not even saying it was perfect, but this game is ahead of a LOT of AAA games coming out now
Starting Andromeda, wish me luck
@@Damonplantaseed don't do it. Believe me, I'm saving you from some horrific memories.
@@JabamiLain lollll, about 3 hours in, why did they choose this direction for the story lolll. Once I saw ELECTRONIC ARTS , the fear started to creep in. The settings are beautiful though
THIS IS MY FAVORITE TRILOGY ON THE CITADEL, EVER
Exploring barren wastelands of worlds filled with nothing was very interesting for me. The crushing loneliness of having nothing in it aside from raging winds blowing the dust from nowhere to no place felt very unnerving. The feeling that nothing will ever grow or live on that planet and that it will remain like that for the rest of eternity is very well transmitted through these uncharted worlds. I think having many of them like that was fundamental to give off the idea of exploring the unknown.
I'm still so salty I won't see a world like Mass Effect..
Perfect timing on uploading your Mass Effect video Artorr, I just finished Legendary Edition!
I adore the Mass Effect universe and particularly the trilogy. ME2 to this day remains the most impactful and emotionally invested I have ever been in any game or series before it. That game was an absolute masterpiece and I have never been so emotionally tied to a game. That final mission, i got to the point where I needed to play the finalission, but I waited 2 months before it, as I scared of losing squadmates and had not realised in 2022 that you could save all of them. So many great characters, all very different, top notch writing and back story. It was breathtaking a game and although ME3's ending was not well received by people the.initial ending seemed to me more grown up, there was a major impact after the invasion is fought off which a victory will require sacrifice
Can't believe this video has gone under the radar as it has. It captures so much the feeling of wonder and immersion that sucked me into its world the first time I played it. Brilliant work!
I am one of those who never played it until the legendary edition came out.
But it is now one of my favorite franchises ever. I have replayed them all frequently.
I did have a friend who warned me as I was progressing "you are not going to like how it ends. Just warning you". He was right lol
It's not hate. It's more just disappointment.
But up until the end, I was blown away by how good the whole trilogy was.
Your videos are excellent.
I am in awe of how well made this video is, this is a full on film about your love for this game and it was a really meaningful watch. From your editing, vocal delivery, I can really tell how much effort you’ve put into this. Really glad to have found your channel man keep it up
Man, I loved this trilogy, and your commentary on it is spectacular. Really shows how a good story can affect a person.
I'm just baffeled that your content is consistently amazing and high quality and I applaud you for doing this man
Thank you, I aim to entertain 🤟
"Humanity is determined" along with the music made me shiver all over in awe
One thing I disagree with is about Sovereign standing no chance against combined organics. First thing, it's only Alliance that fights him, all alien forces were already down. Second, it was Shepard who secured the kill. During the fight with zombie Saren, we can see that Sovereign has no trouble decimating the fleet, they even say they have to retreat, they only win after Saren is destroyed which shuts Sovereign down (for some reason). I think this is the main reason Reapers decide to get rid of Shepard immediately - he was the one who killed a reaper, not the human fleet.
Legendary series. People will remember it as a truely remarkable set of games.
Can't believe when I was around 10, in like 07 or 08, Mass Effect was part of an Xbox bundle. How lucky to stumble across it that early.
Brilliant video. Only came across your channel today. Gonna be binging a lot of your stuff. Keep it up👍🤝
That moment when the Eden prime message comes through is one of my favourite in gaming. Anderson watches, assessing. Nihlus does too, and his mandibles twitch out of curiosity, like a frown if Turians could. And Shepard, the less experienced officer glances at them briefly, as if to see what their reactions are to this that’s playing out before them. For guidance? To imitate them? It’s just so good.
Keep up the amazing work, your level of editing and writing is consistently interesting/exciting. Looking forward to what comes next
Thank you so much! 🤟
Absolutely fantastic retrospective video mate. Extremely well done. I'm completely in awe of your editing skills. Please keep doing more and more of these videos in general. Will be watching your other Mass Effect videos next. Cheers.
Hey thank you for the comment. Always working torwards something new for the channel, but kindness like yours keeps me going. Enjoy the other Mass Effect videos!
the editing in this is SPOT. ON. Very well made!
Thank you!!
I remember getting this from blockbuster when it came out, blown away though didn't finish it til years later. Now though my son 17 has finished the trilogy and is a huge fan as well it is really awesome to share with him.
That's awesome!!
Dude that was so well done. Straight amazing.
Best game I've ever played. I played 1and 2 more times than I can count. I've figured out how to save everyone. Perfect balance of paragon vs renegade. Except Kaden or Ashley. Three was awesome as well with the exception of the ending.
I remember I bought Mass Effect back in 2008 when I went to buy some other game at Gamestop, but I couldn't because it was +18, and I was 15 at the time, so I decided on Mass Effect because the cover reminded me of Knights of the Old Republic and ever since then I've probably beat the game over 20 times with most of them being 100% completion, with all squad mates; both paragon and renegade; all psych profiles and backgrounds; and with all classes. All of this has led me to believe Liara is by far the most OP squad mate if specced into right in ME1, as well as my favourite squaddie in the whole trilogy.
Mass Effect remains still my 2nd all-time favourite game, only behind Halo Combat Evolved and ahead of Bioshock. Great video, absolutely loved the analysis and even some things that went over my head after all this time. Just makes me love this game even more than I already did
You make pretty amazing videos! They really catch the essence of the topics you deal with, and the length is perfect to help me procrastinating on writing my term papers. Nice work! ;)
Excellent video essay. Looking forward to the Mass Effect 2 and 3 essays.
Joyus Expletive: The Elcor are an absolute fucking treasure.
Honestly, The Elcor are my favorite side race in Mass Effect. They talk kinda like HK-47 but with a funny deadpan and less violence.
Elcor are so good!!
Sincerely, I agree.
It's too bad that we humans are so busy fighting each other that we've forgotten to look up. Also, I would like to point out that I have recently encountered those very same emotions that I had the first time I spoke to Vigil. That was in Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker. So far, only twice. I look forward to more fantastic stories in the future.
I just found your videos and I am working through all of them, this was excellent and Ill watch the others as well. Thank you for making this
And thank you for checking out the videos! :)
Just finished the first game on legendary edition man what a ride. Gonna replay it might be one of the best story games ever. It was actually this video that got me to play it so thanks very much for that.
All this has done is remind me of how pissed I was when I finished Mass Effect 1, and loaded up Mass Effect 2 only to find that I didnt get infinite ammo anymore...
Who needd infinite ammo when u have UNLIMITED POWEERRR!!
Great video! I beat the first game again this past week and I forgot how good this was. Even with all it's flaws, I enjoyed it a lot.
Don’t care what you fools say, I loved the Mako. Was one of the main reasons I kept playing ME1 a dozen times
I found your channel thanks to your Clone Wars video. I really enjoyed your video on Borderlands 3!!
I can't wait till the ME2 video where we get to look at "that" mission!
Brother you're content is so amazing but this one is especially good, keep it up
Thank you!!
Went to check out your channel on Arken the Amerikan's recommendation at the end of his "How Liberty Dies" video. I saw this video on your front page, and ME being my favorite video game series of all time I had to watch...and I must say, this video is criminally underrated. Hopefully the algorothim picks it up soon, it deserves it!
I prefer Paragon Shepherd while I did a frew renegade option here and there but mainly I wanted a badass moment but really a cruel galaxy needed little more light in it and it needs a hero like you say humanity need to be a better.
This intro may be one of the greatest written things ever.
“Call me commander leader of the fleet, SHEPARD’S TOUCH NEVER KNOWS DEFEAT”