"James told me there's an old saying here on Earth. "May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. Not sure if Turian Heaven is the same as yours...but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there, meet me at the bar. I'm buying." -Garrus Vakarian This has been such an amazing retrospective series. The Mass Effect Trilogy changed my life when I first played it in 2017, and I am still proud to see how it can inspire people. A lot has changed for me since then, and I still have a lot to learn. The world has a lot of problems. Especially the past 2 years, but thanks to Mass Effect, I do know there is a future worth believing in.
Shepard sitting in the rubble: I did it Garrus. The Reapers are dead. I just hope Edi and the Geth are waiting for us in that bar. ???: They're waking up! Shepard: *See's EDI but with skin.* WTF! *falls out of bed Garrus: Knew that would happen. Tali: I told EDI that the Crucible might take out all synthetics just to make sure. EDI: And I informed the Geth of Tali's prediction and they made precautions to protect themselves and me from the crucible. This is still the body you know of but with a layer of almost life like synthetic skin. Adams: But the Normandy is your body. Ken: No that is Edi's body. Gabby: Nope it's both. Jack: Can we focus on the fact that Shepard survived falling into orbit again? Jacob: Wait that's Edi? Vega: Yep. That's Robocop. Edi: But I am fully synthetic not a cyborg Ashley/Kaiden: It's a nickname. Edi: I know that. It makes no sense given the context of the movies Wrex: Probably best to not question it. Hurry up and recover so we can go shoot something Shepard. Grunt: He he he. Liara: Is that all you two think about? Sinmara: Yes. Yes it is. Cortez: I mean they are Krogon Traynor: *quietly* All these legends in one room and I'm one of them now... Asari: The Queen wishes you a swift recovery. Geth Prime: Shepard Commander we wish you a swift recovery. Miranda: I'd appreciate it if you would not crowd my patient Chakwas: Shepard needs rest you can talk to them later Jeff: Yeah besides we all have jobs to do. Vega: Sitting on your ass doesn't count there glass bones Kasumi: Hey Shep. I brought you some flowers. Before you ask no I didn't steal them. *Cloaks* Zaeed: Yeah hurry up and recover. Galaxy needs it's hero to keep kicking ass. Javik: Primatives. Recover quickly and rejoice Commander. You've done what not even my people could. Mass Effect Best Destroy Ending(Maxed out War Assets)
Mass Effect was the first game franchise to make me shed real tears. Nothing, not the ending to ME3, not the lackluster story of Andromeda, will ever make me forget that. BioWare struck upon something truly special with this trilogy and I won't ever forget how it stuck with me and changed my approach to life.
Well I’ll agree with you this much at least. For all of Mass Effect 3’s faults, it has some of the best written, emotional gut punches that I have ever experienced from a video game!
The Quarian mother leaving behind a message for her son and husband to find after the Geth kill her, the excellent voice acting made me cry. She made it feel real.
Seriously, ME Trilogy is rare art, a creative masterpiece that can make you think, agonize, soul-search, rage, laugh and cry. I've never experienced anything like it. Thanks for putting together this tribute. And a HUGE thanks to the Bioware team that created it.
@@solicitr666How is ME2 a masterpiece, and ME3 isn't lmao It's literally the exact same game, just a bit rushed near the end. Arguably even better, because ME2 was basically a side-quest.
@flammifer451 Well, just for one point, ME2 has possibly the greatest endgame in all of videogaming, and ME3's is hideously bad. There are others, but "what's wrong with ME3 would be a whole essay. Suffice it to say that ME3 represented a technical upgrade but a writing downgrade.
@@solicitr666 Eh, the ending in its current state is perfectly passable. And the writing downgrade started with ME2, though (imo) it's still ranging from "decent" to "amazing", with a couple of weird decisions. Narrowing an otherwise solid game to the last ten minutes of the series' all-time low point just isn't right. There are a lot of things "wrong" with ME3, but don't pretend that ME2 was any better. The nonexistent main plot? The post-IFF installation mission, where you play as Joker? The Arrival DLC? The omnipresent mercs? The fucking Firewalker? Come on. The only ME I'd call a "masterpiece" is ME1. It has some of the best storytelling in the whole medium, although the gameplay was, and still is, pretty shitty. Mass Effect is a deeply flawed series, which doesn't make it less awesome. The last entry of the main trilogy came out more than 10 years ago, and we still haven't seen a game as grand and ambitious, as ME was. It is a miracle that it simply exists.
@@flammifer451 The "exact same game?" Oh, no, not at all. Not even remotely.. Mass Effect 3 lost the plot, completely, right from the start. Really from before the start back to Arrival and even the final cutscene of 2 (Walters' only contribution despite his Lead Writer credit). But that part is too often overlooked by all those who think it;';s just really neato-keen to fight the Reapers head-on. Which makes absolutely zero senxszse and craps all over the established lore. But never mind- Dude! A giant thresher took a Reaper down! Way kewl!. Meh. ME2 was quite the opposite of a "side quest." It's only seen that way by those who think the point of the series was to fight the Reapers head-on. Certainly it madkes way more sense then the damn Star Kid and his dumb three-way magic choice! But in addition it had structure and theme. 3 had none. 2 had a meaningful game currency in Loyalty; 3 instead gave us dreary War Assets, gaming-by-accounting - and then used those to impose endless dreary fetch quests (a disease which would really infect Inquisition a couple of years later). ME2 was about parenthood. What was ME3 about, besides the shallow fun of kicking the ass of a previously near-untouchable enemy which had to be demoted several orders of magnitude to allow it? Sorry, I like my Reapers beyond my comprehension, not killable with an M-920 Cain. Tell me, WTF were the Reapers doing in the Milky Way at all? When you realize that question can only be answered by tossing out the established lore, then you'll realize the whole thing makes no sense, not just the ending. So they could just motor into the Milky Way from deep space on FTL without a relay any time they wanted? And could not only do so at the end of Arrival, but then hang out for six months and nobody noticed? ME3 is an assemblage of moments. Some of them are very good, especially Tali's and Mordin's (thank God their writers stuck around). But the parts don't add up, there's no structure, no theme, just "this happened, and then this happened" until you've fetched enough trinkets to start the attack on Cerberus.... oh, yeah, there's THAT entire nonsensical subplot..... So, yeah, some of those moments are amazingly bad, from the crappy Kai Leng and his plot armor, to TIM's amazing villain upgrade.... he had supposedly broken open the piggy bank to fund Lazarus and the Normandy, but now he's running fleets of cruisers??? Obviously Walters didn't ask EDI questions after Joker took the blocks off her..... Sorry. ME3 has fun missions. It has emotional scenes. From a technical and game mechanics standpoint it's a definite upgrade over 2 (I especially appreciate the Reputation mod to the P/R system). But the whole is less than the sum of its parts, and what should be the payoff is a ripoff. But, at least, it did lead to Citadel.
Gotta point out, Rachni Queen actually only becomes Reapers’ pawn if you do kill her. She is then revived and cybernetized by them and deceives you in her quest in ME3. If you spare her, however, she will retain her own consciousness and it’s possible to have her as an ally.
Hackett remarking on how the rachni scuttling about the crucible and simultaneously scaring the shit out of everyone whilst also just improving shit is one of ky favourite offhand remarks in the entire trilogy. It's so small but its such a nice final note when you consider where the rachni were as a species at the start of the trilogy.
But when you initially meet the Rachni Queen in 3, they are being controlled by the Reapers for every player, regardless of your past choice. If they weren't already killed previously, then yes you can free them, wheras the alternative they never remain a reliable war asset and kill Crucible crew. Thank you for watching otherwise!
I belive that if you cure the genofage and let free de rachni Queen theres some balance between them and in the galaxy, they are both dangerous badly guided.
@@Onishiro She's a thief, hiding and underhanded methods is kinda her thing, in the end she have our backs and don't ask to be put in suicidal mission like Jacob does (also does way more than Jacob in ME3, literally saving the hanari world and race, finding impossible ressources behind enemy lines for the crucible all the while find money for refugees on her spare time, she may not be a soldier ready to die, but that's why she's way more efficient than one)
@@Onishiro Boring, useless biotic """soldier""" who only uses barrier vs best thief in the galaxy who has the best skills in ME2 for insanity clears. The elusive jacob glazers are sad sights.
I was 15 when I first played Mass Effect and now I'm 30 and just started playing the legendary edition last week. Mass effect is easily still one of if not my favorite game series of all time.
I'm a 66 yr old gamer who only discovered video games 10 years ago, and I've sunk an embarrassing amount of time into them since! I just finished the ME Legendary Edition for the second time....and shed tears at the end. For all the 'it could have been better' it's an amazingly epic experience and, with one exception, stands out as my favourite game of all I've played thus far. Thank you for this round up of the whole ME trajectory, you put a LOT of work into this, I can tell, and for someone who has only known ME as the Legendary Edition it was really interesting and expanded my understanding of the series. All I can say is, shame on EA for forcing this rush job of ME3. EA has been a blight on the games industry in many ways. Also, some of the consequences you showed (Tali and Miranda dying, for example) I had no idea was even possible! Now I'm going to have to play it again and experience some of the more difficult scenarios that can arise from making bad choices.
@@Mr.Unfairpersonally. I sided with the quarians but supported legions individuality. I was disappointed with rewriting the heretics, but understood their self preservation. Quarians deserved their home world but it was the wrong time to do so. So I saved both.
If I may suggest your next games saga to delve into, I would say you should play the Metal Gear Solid games. Very good story, incredible characters and nanomachines!
Ruined by the fact it isn't actually the original line. It was 'do these units have Souls?' It's a small change, but flips the context on its head - the Geth never originally viewed themselves as individuals nor wanted to in the tropey Pinnociho style. It changed when they fired the old Legion/Grth writer and gave it to someone else, and the Geth cha get motives and started wanting to be individuals rather than the previous goal of becoming a giant interconnected being, ala a Reaper style mega structure.
This feels like a real professional documentary but with the passion of a true fan. Thank you. You are a legend. These videos are brilliant and their legacy on this youtube platform will be about greatness.
Having been a Mass Effect fan since ME1 launched, this video REALLY moved me. The editing is SUPERB and the commentary BRILLIANT and fair. I honestly never understood the hatred for the endings, esp. post EC. My original reaction to them before the EC was being baffled more than anything else. I then used headcanons to fill in the blanks and the EC only made that decision richer. No game, save RDR2, has ever DESTROYED and yet UPLIFTED me the way ME3 has. I cried, I laughed, I smiled through tears...I got terrified, pumped, heartbroken...ALL OF IT. And tbh, I enjoyed MEA for being more light hearted, despite it having its fair share of sad moments as well. Ryder was...like a RELIEF after the ANGUISH Shepard had to endure. Commander Shepard is still my fave protagonist of all time though, only Arthur Morgan even APPROACHES that level in my opinion. I subbed and will watch your other content now. THANK YOU. This was an AMAZING treat. I'll admit, I was dreading the endings portion of it but you rose above the clickbait and hate & that I deeply respect. BRAVO!!!
I shed literal tears. You are damn talented, and I can tell you put a lot of work into it, thanks for making these. Think you'll ever do a Dragon Age ones?
Thank you for your comment and for tuning in to the video 🙂 To be honest, I'm not sure about Dragon Age. I desperately need to finish playing them, but I've enjoyed what I've played of Origins so far. And it might be fun to talk about a fantasy series on here for once :)
Why does everyone pretend that ME3's ending was the only thing wrong with it? What about the fact that Cerberus occupies 60% of the campaign, despite the fact that the game was advertised as the War-against-the-REAPERS? Or how the ME2 characters that we came to know and love were reduced to mere tokens of what they once were? Or how the strength of your shields are determined by your fitness level rather than by your suit as ME1 established? Or how health and melee strength are separate instead of united like in the first two games? And where are the Abominations, Scions, and Praetorians among the Reaper forces? Shepard forced to feel sorry for an idiotic kid and lose to a joke of a villain space-ninja.
@@NostalgicGamerRickOShay I honestly hated how Cerberus took up most of the story because they wanted to show Kai Lang, it was also a missed opportunity cause they could've had it where you convince a majority of Cerberus members to join your side I know they do in the game but you have no saying and they automatically join whether or not you played the previously game as they are the default war assets you get in the start of the game. I do agree the whole star kid was a stupid idea, if they wanted to show the kid then they could've had it where you save the kid and the whole point of the game is to stop the Reapers but also take care of the kid and influence him to do right or wrong depending on your choices then at the end he will help you in some way. Probably a stupid idea but its a little better than having him dead and Shepard going into depression mode because of it, its so cliché.
@@justinportillo3996 That also reminds me, about HALF of all the side-missions are simply, "launch probe = completed". I SO WANTED to go groundside to retrieve the sacred texts for the Batarians and launch a rescue mission for their governor. And Shepard getting depressed for the kid makes NO SENSE for Renegade Shepard, and Paragon Shepard should be dreaming of the squad and crew that he has lost in the past, such as Pressley, the Virmire casualty, whoever died on the Collector base; Kelly or Squadmates, AND, the final dream should be about you probably losing your Love-Interest, NOT THE STUPID KID.
Dude. I remember that day like it was yesterday - I am approaching the fucking Harbinger, I am ready to roll, I cant wait to kick this motherfucker ass, my excitement is beyond any possible measure...and then...we all know...I have never been so disappointed in my entire life and I've never bought any EA/BioWare game after this.
The legendary edition game ne something I never thought I could experience again. The feeling of playing these games for the first time again but through the lense of this new generation of fans.
The Mass Effect series was always about Shepard’s journey with his companions in my opinion, which is why I treat the Citadel dlc as the real ending. A final wholesome farewell. Great video man, love seeing your content!
And that's a big part about why that DLC works so much I think! Well after we've played the game, nothing matters more to us than that extra time with the friends we fought and bled alongsise with. Thank you for watching!!
@@ArTorrPresents There's a mod out there called the "Citadel Epilogue" by Audemus that moves the Citadel DLC to after the final battle although if you get an ending where Shepard dies, it's a bit of a stretch unless you use a happy ending mod that was made by the same author.
5:10 The Audio team created a masterpiece with Leaving Earth. The 600+ BioWare team deserve their laurel's for story, game design, visuals, and gameplay, but the Audio team wrapped everything up with a neat bow. I had an inkling you were gonna use this track in the intro and you used it well. It is the most “we’ve already lost” sounding music of all time in videogames. This track just fits so well with a game intro that just shoves us into the fight, much like the intro campaign mission in Battlefield 1. You're scared. You're helpless. You're running from a behemoth beyond your understanding. You don't even need the visuals, this song alone tells you how terrifying the Reapers are. 6:42 Those 4 notes alone tell you the scale of the fight ahead. and so beautiful that I even bought a piano and began to learn just so I could play it as well. And the way you incorporated it into the title of your vid is great. ~2 hours of analysis of a game that certainly left its mark on what videogames can do.
I got chills watching the intro to this. Some of the finest editing and narration on this channel so far. Thank you for all your hard work on the trilogy of videos. You can feel your passion for creation in every word with these retrospectives, and I'm so happy you find genuine joy by making these.
This was an incredible tribute to the series and everything that I loved about it. Especially in terms of the weight of the series and the ethical choices it presents. Thank you for giving true respect to the depth of Mass Effect! I was shocked after finishing the first time this year to see so little in depth commentary out there, so your work extra appreciated.
You know, I've watched a LOT of Mass Effect retrospectives and deep dives. But this one is probably the best. You've said everything I've thought about 3 and the series' lasting impact on storytelling in games, world building, combat, and games as a whole, but, perhaps, most importantly, the impact it had and continue to has on us - the people who experienced everything it had to give.
It hurts that I can see what they would've done with ME3 if they had the dev time needed, because it's so promising. Imagine a version of the space battle where each fleet you've earned shows up in the cinematic. Imagine a version of the final mission where your decisions in the trilogy and the assets they created altered gameplay sequences, making areas easier or harder. Imagine crossing paths with past companions, and having them temporarily help you before your paths diverge again. There's the groundwork for a version of the ending that surpasses even the Suicide Mission, and I lament that I'll never see it.
That would've been amazing. Honestly, we didn't need the star child. Just the last mission being the sum of our effort and a simple pass/fail on beating the reapers would've satisfied everyone.
Using the various fleets / war assets would also have allowed a kind of final boss fight vs Harbinger, where Shepard needs to activate a targeting mechanism WHILE fighting off reaper ground forces and dodging Harbinger's beams. Your war assets would increase the damage of the fleets, distract reaper ground units (like Blood Packs or human/asari commandos), and potentially saved / failed to save teammates during cutscenes.
@@pax6833 Which is literally what they did (kinda) in Dragon Origins' final mission, with a fight on several parts and each time you can call reinforcement that changes depending on who you manage to get on your side on each main mission
Once more Mass Effect makes me cry. I guess I'll be 60 and still gonna cry. No game has showed me so much emotion and raw humanity in a enjoyable experience. I remember when ME3 released and a friend of mine in school screamed at my face "SHEPPARD DIES!! THE ENDING SUCKS!!!" and it would be years until I actually played. Such a beautiful world that truly shaped my taste in games as it changed the industry itself, one that I learned to love so much that got me pursuing it as a college degree. Thank you for your beautiful trilogy of videos on a truly unique franchise. I look forward for the next endeavors in your channel. Keelah Se'lai.
I never cared that Shephard died. It was just how inconsistent the entire ending was that got to me. But that’s what happens when multiplayer gets shoved into a game that doesn’t need it, then the game gets rushed out to market.
Every video you make manages to hit me in a way I never thought possible. Your style, editing, music, performance, it's all just utterly flawless, it's like watching a movie about a show or game I love. There's no one else like you, ArTorr. I can't thank you enough for covering a series that I hold so near and dear, and I can't wait to see what's next. I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite video essayist on the Citadel.
I cannot believe for someone who is capable of creating such an amazingly beautiful video; where you take us on this truly powerful and indescribable journey of emotions; reaching such a EPIC conclusion and credit transition; to then... immediately show your face and start yapping on, just as the credits start to roll and hijack the most important part of any video of this caliber. You NEED to give your audience a chance to soak everything they've just experienced, to reflect, and to just be in the moment. This cannot achieved as it currently stands. All it needs is a quick edit; just have credits roll re-centered and just put your "address to the audience" in text at the last portion or so of the credit roll, it'll be a nice touch and look good. The background of earth will no longer be blocked a fantastic visual during credits, and the music also now uninterrupted. This is such a nice video man, PLEASE it really deserves this.
I've never thought about it that way. It's just my go-to format for ending a video. Thank you for your feedback, seriously. Will pay better consideration for that credits segment in the future.
@@ArTorrPresents Thanks man, I truly appreciate your reply and your consideration. This video really speaks to my heart. You are truly an amazing storyteller and speaker. The music, the way you talk, the way you analyse, is powerful. Watching that conclusion, I never felt more alive... that could save a life. I know it certainly inspired me to keep on living. Today was actually my 5th time watching it since discovering it a couple of weeks ago. Thank you Parkes
Mass Effect is a literal love letter to Science Fiction. Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, V, Earth Final Conflict, Gene Roddenberrys Andromeda... man when I tell you how I was so emotionally invested in these games it was a sickness. And still, I refuse the cure if one was ever produced
I really wish that EA gave BioWare a much larger time-window for the development of the third game. Imagine how much more they could've been able to achieve, and how fair it would've been to the development team to avoid crunching. You can only but wonder how much this could've shaped the whole experience and the ending into one of the most impactful video-game series ever. A real shame. Even so, the team did a fantastic job in just two years. Say what you will about the ending, but the journey was worth it. Mass Effect 3 is filled with powerful emotional moments and has the best soundtrack in the entire series, hitting you like a bulldozer in so many instances; it is, to this day, the only game that made me cry for real. What an amazing video. So well pieced together and well written! Definitely one of the best Mass Effect 3 documentaries I've ever had the pleasure to watch.
It's hard to put into words why Mass Effect 3 is my favourite game. There is definitely more wrong with it than the previous two. You can feel lack of development time, nowhere more so than in the very linear first act and rushed ending - but it captured the relationships between our characters more richly than ever ME1 may have had the best story, ME2 may have had the best crew, but ME3 had by far the best interaction, the best dialogue. At its core, that's why I keep coming back to Mass Effect, and why I always look forward to Mass Effect 3.
Just one small thing. You said the salarians kept the krogan females in their "brutal depths" or something like that. I feel important to point out that the salarian made as much as they could to save the female krogan. They were not in any "brutal" situation. It was Maelon's cure what was killing them.
Mordin giving his life and the 11th hour to save a people he previously worked to doom, because someone else would have gotten it wrong, is such a powerful moment
Man, the writing of this video had me enthralled right from the start. What a fun video; I still remember purposely stopping at Priority: Earth in my playthrough of ME3 because I didn't want to finish it out with the 3-color choice, and instead leave it at the fun memory of playing the Citadel DLC and the journey leading up to it. While I only played ME2 and ME3, I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to sully my experience with the choice. I'll always wonder how ME3 could have gone down if things were different, but I enjoyed the memories I made with what it is now. Except Kai Leng. He's not part of those memories. He can go sod off with that cereal-eating ass of his. EDIT: your use of the halo infinite song at the tail end of the conclusion hit hard and good for me, what a great choice (to me) to close out the video with
I’ve waited months for this video, and it absolutely did not disappoint. This has to be the best retrospective of the series I’ve ever seen, and absolutely encapsulates my love for this series, this world and these characters, even though I am part of the new generation who started with the Legendary Edition. Thank you so much for putting so much time and talent into these videos; despite its missteps, Mass Effect has become my favourite video game series of all time, and this is just cemented my appreciation for the trilogy even further. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch Femshep and Liara fall in love for the fourth time, since they’re the reason I bought the game in the first place.👍❤️
Udina taking over as consular made complete sense to me, in the second game Anderson talked about how he goes to all the meetings and parties for him. It just made sense he managed to socialize his way up through doing the work for others to see.
ME3 was the first game in about 20y of gaming that made me cry. I was so upset about Mordin's and Legion's deaths that I needed to sit for a bit with the game paused to process it.
My first exposure to Mass Effect as a franchise came somewhere around 2014. I'd never even heard of it until I bought a small lot of xbox 360 games on ebay and it came with ME3. The front cover captivated me enough to pop in the disc before I even touched the games I originally bought the lot for, and after creating my first Shepard I was in the game for hours. I was never entirely sure what to make of some aspects of the game, especially the ending, but I loved every minute of that first playthrough regardless. A few months later I managed to get my hands on a copy of ME2 and played the daylight out of it, as well as 3 after I finished for the first time. I had terrible wifi at the time but after hearing so many good things about Lair of the Shadow Broker I couldn't help but buy it. It took two entire days of nonstop downloading until I could finally play it and the heat that my xbox gave off during it actually faded the printing on the disc itself. All of that was worth it when I finally played one of Mass Effect's DLCs for the first time, though. About half a year after that I finally bought the first Mass Effect, and the minute I booted it up everything else that I'd seen from the sequels just clicked. When I finally finished my first sequential playthrough of the Mass Effect trilogy it became clear that this was the greatest story ever told in my eyes. Nothing past, present, or future could ever shake Mass Effect's place as the greatest piece of media ever in my mind, and that holds true even today. From someone who got on the hype train extremely late and in reverse order, the joy I felt when people I'd been urging for years to play through the trilogy finally picked it up and enjoyed it when the Legendary Edition came out last year was and still is beyond comparison. I am in awe that new people are still picking up this 2007 game and finding the same appreciation for it that I do, it's a very rare feeling. TLDR: I first played ME in reverse order and I'm happy new players are enjoying it today.
Love this retrospective so much!!! As a fan who only played the games through the legendary edition a couple months ago and is now currently on a fourth playthrough, these games mean the world to me. I was somehow able to.keep all.my squad alive in me2 and thus my citadel dlc experience felt whole and I remember leaving that apartment after the dlc for the final time and standing beside all my friends and family that we've made along the journey and almost shedding a tear as I knew we were about to go into a hellscape we wouldn't survive. Thank you bioware for this amazing series and thank you for these great retrospectives that give justice to the greatest gaming trilogy of all time.
For all its failures, this game managed IMO the two most emotional moments in the entire series : - The sadness and awe of Leaving Earth - The sheer awesomeness, redemption, sacrifice and heroism of Mordin's death The real disappointment is that the last moments with Anderson should have been up there.
At last... I've been waiting for this. Your videos are perfect to listen to while I'm at work. So this will be my listen tomorrow. Thank you for doing the whole of my favourite trilogy
Amazing video, as usual. Completely worth the long wait for it. Brings back nostalgic feelings of being a 14 year old at Gamestop in early 2008 who failed to get Gears of War and went home with ME1 instead, completely unaware of the universe I was to set foot in. It certainly was a wild ride, and this trilogy holds a special place in my heart for story telling and character development. ME1 especially is a game I never get tired of playing again every so often and have to 100% it every time. What's even more impressive is that I still sometimes find new things I had no idea about before (most recent on my LE playthrough was that there's an underground door entrance to Saren's base on Virmire rather than just through the catwalks). I really hope the developers working on ME4 watch this video, or better yet all three videos, and take it into account for the new game. You hit many key points and decisions that made the trilogy so unforgettable and memorable, despite its shortcomings. They will be literally treading on holy gaming ground by touching and expanding the trilogy and its characters. I just really hope they do it justice as it deserves. Once again, fantastic video. The best to analyze in detail each game I've seen. It's unbelievable the insane quality and work you put into these. Also, Liara is the best.
Bar none this is now my favourite ME analysis video, and not just because it contained so many points I've been yelling at people for a decade (lol). Really thoughtful work. You should for sure be proud.
Mass Effect 3 was interesting experience for me since I gave up on my first playthrough after I killed the Quarians. I didn't think it would go this way since it was what was normally the Paragon choice on the Dialogue wheel, and since Tali was my favourite character losing her and her race was a big hit that put me off the game until Legendary Edition came out. By that point I knew how bad the ending was but I was loving the game up until I heard the word "The Crucible isn't firing" and that elevator appeared. My mind was checked out and I didn't care what was going on. It's just everything before that point in ME3 is some of my favourite moments in gaming, and I love this video focusing on that aspect of the game. Just looking at the War asset screen is such a powerful thing for me, even the smallest change I like to check in on. Not to mention Morddin's sacrifice even though I already played it before hit me even harder the second time since I liked him even more as a character. It wasn't until later thinking on it that I realized why I (and I think others) dislike the ending so much, there is no epilogue. Sure the extended cut tries but it doesn't do much. Before Legendary Edition came out I played Fire Emblem Three Houses another game I love but have issues with but part of what made me like the game was that every character that lives is given a written epilogue. Heck they have different ending's depending on who they're paired with. Add some kind of epilogue to our core cast and while it wouldn't fix all of ME3 it would make me enjoy the ending since I just wanna know how the crew of the Normandy and my squad did after the war.
I *LOVE* old Asimov clips, and his books. There are so many lessons we can take from his Robots and Foundation series. It’s *WILDLY* underrated in that respect.
I will agree with you that the post launch DLC’s - Omega, Leviathan, and Citadel really did a lot of heavy lifting in saving the third game for me. The Mass Effect 3 of the legendary edition is probably the purest and best way to experience the game as all the content feels much more naturally intergrated. Loved these retrospective vids you’ve done on the franchise, they were awesome!
I truly hope this vid makes its way to some of those original dev team members. This is such a beautiful and complete capture of what this series means to so many of us
Yo man, who gave you the right to make me sob like this?! Seriously, these vids are the most incredible love letter to this game series and I appreciate you giving them the due respect they deserve. I played these games in 2014 when they were a boxset so I was lucky not to have to wait between them and was warned by a friend that the ending of 3 was on the disappointing side, but I don't remember being upset about it. I took it for the possible metaphors they were and I was in love all throughout the series and I remember crying through the big emotional scenes. When Legendary came out it was like coming home to old friends and I cried during all the same scenes and then some. Thank you for putting in the time and effort for these videos! They made me more emotional than I care to admit.
Holy smokes the dark singularity plot line would have been a fantastic twist that preserved the mystery of the reapers while also elucidating a relatable motivation.
I could stomach losing Shepard so long as in the next game there is plenty and I stress..PLENTY of references to Shepard and His/Her sacrifice. It kills me when a character does so much then basically gets forgotten about. Like no I wanna see vastly improved AI Shepards around the galaxy, ships, places, and things named after them, give me some stories and songs about them too. Statues and memorials. If they do that I can forgive a new protagonist and crew being the center of attention. Just do not shove the Saviour of the Galaxy under a rug.
Just like the Mass Effect trilogy, this documentary (this video is much more than a review and nothing you say can convince me otherwise) brought me to real tears. I played the games without looking up any reviews, played every DLC with joy (especially the Citadel DLC), and was moved beyond words. This documentary was so affirming and enjoyable. Excellent writing, superb editing, amazing voiceover, and the best mix of compliments and criticisms. Thank you!
It's videos like this that remind me why Mass Effect is my favorite video game franchise- and just straight up one of my favorite stories- of all time. I hope the return of Mass Effect can also be a return of the magic of the first trilogy. Also, I was waiting for Oblivion to start playing, and of course it was the finishing touch! Ha. Great editing, wonderful writing, masterful video. Loved it.
Again... a moving, deep and rich exploration of a beloved mainstay in our more recent culture. I am never surprised, but always impressed; my expectations exceeded each time I enjoy your productions with the well written, balanced and delivered documentary. Exploring the scope of this franchise, in all parts, the investment of time taken for the two (or more) replays you have captured and presented to us on film. The editing, the cuts between hundreds if not thousands of hours painstakingly assembled to weave and paint us a tapestry that illustrates your thoroughly explored points of view. The final production an awesome showcase of your accumulated talent and effective, powerful film production in their own right. The crafting and care never eludes my eyes and the fact that it appears seamless and polished for the untrained eye, only highlights the skill and dedication you have evolved in your time making these productions. Going back as far as I can remember. Thank you again for this moving and thoughtful piece. I am envigored and inspired to explore, with a clean slate, this trilogy and relish the beauty of perhaps one of the best if not the best Bioware franchise that shaped an age and stories that followed from new artists the world over.
The Mass Effect trilogy is one of the things I will eagerly remember for the rest of my life. Thank you for taking me down memory lane with these amazing videos.
Damn near cried towards the end there. The contrast of ME3's ending and the Citadel DLC reminds me of a line from Angel that's been with me for years now, "f there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today. [...] Because, if there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world."
Had my first experience with mass effect in the legendary edition and I have to say it was amazing. Getting to mass effect 3 and completing that game is something I will never forget. This trilogy is by far one of the best stories ever told in video games. Truly happy to have gotten to play this wonderful story ❤
I still remember the feeling I had when I beat ME3 the first time after getting it day one. I got a terrible ending (which I always do the first time around) but I didn't feel accomplished, happy, or excited to get a better ending, I honestly felt sick, depressed, and just tired. And didn't touch the game until the extended cut came along. That said the Extended Cut did help but that feeling of disappointment will always be there. Also, Destroy is the only correct ending and I will die on this hill.
Dude this series was incredible. Your style of writing is insane this was all such a high quality retrospective on the series it felt like I was relieving it. You deserve way more views on these I'll be checking more of your work!
I'm probably in the minority, but I didn't mind the ending. It wasn't insanely good or anything, but it still got an emotional response out of me and I think that's important. I got the trilogy, started it, left it alone for a year, and then came back to it one spring break and didn't stop until the credits rolled. Playing it all in one go may have contributed to the fact that the ending wasn't ruined for me, and it's without a doubt my favorite storied game of all time.
Thank you so much for taking your time to show how truly special me trilogy was.. wow knowing all the behind the scenes action makes the fact that the game pulled off a lot of what they promised and tried to deliver is truly stunning.
WOW, what an amazing video. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Going to replay these amazing games after your incredible run-through of part 3. First though, I have to go watch your Part 1 and 2 videos. Again, great job!!!!!
These videos are masterpieces. Don't know if you're going to do Andromeda, but I'm glad you finished your analysis of the trilogy. If I'm to be honest, my most sour experience with 3 wasn't the ending, but the "black hole" glitch that kept me from playing for a month and a half. The endings were not the ending I had hoped for, but the extended cut addressed most of my issues. At any rate, I played ME3 around 18 times back in the day, exploring all the different outcomes of your choices, and losses throughout the trilogy. Mass Effect remains easily one of my favourite IPs. ME3 was brilliant aside from the ending, and the trilogy is legendary. I can acknowledge mistakes were made, and opportunities were missed, but I won't let that diminish my love for this franchise, or the characters I met along the way.
Whatever there is about Mass Effect.. you put it all together in 3 amazing videos, and I hope you do if for ME4/5 as well. I first played MEA because I didn't knew ME existed.. couldn't understand all the hate about MEA. But after playing The Legendary Edition, I understood everything. I've lost hope in Humanity before. But people like you, restore my faith. Keep up this awesome work. Stay safe, but not only you, but also everyone reading this
No amount of beautiful games and stories is worth pain, crunch, fear and despair real people go through everyday for it EA managers that don’t care about anything but money are villains in this whole story, period
Honestly, I think that people were very entitled to expect bioware to make an choice based ending that accounts for absolutly everything. The most important thing they had to achieve with ME3 was to make the choices we made previously be acknowledged - and bioware absolutly did that. I think the ending we have now is enough, and closes everything nicely - giving you a choice on how this journey ends. It's also the best they could do with the time they had. The trilogy was never about the final 30 mins of the ending, it was about the journey, and an ending that allows you to seal this story in the way you most identified with. I think what they achieved with Mass Effect 3 is incredible. One of the most epic, heartfelt and thrilling final acts to an incredible sci fi saga. Thank you Bioware. Take your time - I can't wait for the next one.
Just to add, ArTorr, thank you for this video essay. It's incredibly well articulated and the analysis is thorough and impactful. I can't imagine taking on such a huge project to talk about such a rich game with so many characters to describe. Amazing work!
Just two simple fixes for me would make this game nearly the best. 1. Make James only like 16-18 years old, and have him in the duct (rather then the other kid that is starchild) but saved by Shepard rather then die. But still have Shepards dreams seeing James die as a looming possibility. 2. Replace the Starchild silhouette with the who died on Virmire. Anyways this was a great video and Mass Effect 3 is still a wonderful game/trilogy that hasn't been replicated yet. The Suicide Mission is still the best set piece in a game ever for me.
ArTorr seems to have this incredible skill to make near enough anything sound so incredible and grand scale as well as connecting it to real life events and its something I aspire to achieve. I loved the mass effect trilogy, I feel terrible for the conditions that the team was subject too and think its incredible that even under those conditions they created such insanely Well made characters. And so I look forward to the next game in the series with cautious optimism
As a day one Mass Effect fan, an ME2 super fan, and a bit of an ME3 apologist - this video and the whole trilogy of videos you guys made does so much justice to the franchise 🙏🏾
Watching this after completing DA: failguard and crying. None other games than Mass Effect trilogy affected me that much, not even DA: Origins. Thank you so much for this beautiful video!
EA kills every franchise it touches. 9/10 when a sequels fails is the fault of the producer wanting the devs to do more in less time. Publishers only understand quarterly release. Devs only understand CODING. The latter should tell the former what is feasable in how long. Not the other way around.
You have encapsulated what I love about this series, its a piece of art and so are your documentaries, looking forward for more content, congratulations, you have an amazing talent.
Mass Effect Trilogy was and is my favorite game series. I played the whole trilogy in 2012 before the extended cut, but after the DLC it redeemed itself for me, and I've been a fan since then. I replay them every two or three years, and the experience is always magical. Even for me, 3's ending is heartbreaking not because of writing incompetency, but because it shows that saving the world isn't always ending in happiness. I always feel empty after I finish the trilogy because I already start to miss the games. Thank you, Bioware, thank you Mass Effect, and thank you, commander Shepard. Thank you for this masterpiece of the art that it's impact still lingers in our hearts.
You really bring justice to the phrase "Documentarian". Please continue to do your best. I'm proud to see fellow documentarians as talented as you covering games, shows and such
As a player who played the original games as they were released, then to play them back to back on insanity in the LE. I can say i appreciate this series as one of the greats. Your videos on ME have been heart warming. Thank you.
Watched this while going to work. Got to reminisce about some my favorite gaming memories..shed a tear or two. I applaud your dedication to analyse such a colossus of a series and your talent to turn such beautiful phrases describing this masterpiece. Hats off to you sir.
Such an amazing analysis on a truly stunning Trilogy. Words cannot describe the feelings i have for the Mass Effect. If only i could ... relieve it again .. Never give up. That is what Mass Effect taught me. To all N7 fans have a nice day !!
This was an incredible video, the utilisation of the score was so well executed and your editing skills are phenomenal… I even cried when you used “I’m proud of you”. Thank you for such a great video.
My introduction was Legendary Edition. I was 7 at the time of the first game and 11 at the time of the third. LE came out when I was 20 and my God, did it wrench at my heartstrings. Yes, Mass Effect 3 fails in its 11th hour, stumbling to the finish line and making most of your choices (or illusion of choice) for nothing, such as unlocking EDI's humanity and answering the Geth's 300 year old question only to kill all inorganic life to stop the Reapers in the destroy ending, or becoming exactly like the Illusive Man in the control ending, or "uplifting" the galaxy against their will just like the salarians with the Krogan in the synthesis ending, I still love it. Shepard is the glue that holds the Normandy's band of misfits together. And for me and my Shepard, Tali was the beating heart behind the man with the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders. Garrus was the best friend that always had my back. Liara was the eternal optimist while Javik was the grounded realist. Kaidan/Ashley was always that grim reminder that your choices have consequences. EDI and Joker were that hope for what I was fighting for and James Vega was the unwavering determination to knock the Reapers down a peg. Despite its flaws, I'd say a good 95% of the trilogy is phenomenal. It's just that last 5 or so minutes and a few choices in between (like romancing Jacob Taylor) that weaken it.
Your video essays on the classic ME trilogy have earned you my subscription. These games have been some of my absolute favorites in my recent memory, alongside such incredible games as FreeSpace 2, Warframe, Breath of the Wild, and - as cringy as this sounds - Genshin Impact and Honkai StarRail. I'm currently going through my 4th or 5th playthrough of ME and ME2 and my second full trilogy playthrough (Thanks, Legendary Edition) and I've also been listening to the Mass Effect Lorecast on Spotify - and I'm glad that 10 years later the sting of what ME3's ending did to players hasn't fully worn off but it's not as harsh as it once was. (And, for the record, I chose Synthesis as my ending for my first ME3 playthrough.) Here's to hoping that the next Mass Effect lives up to the hype. Keelah Se'lai.
I know that this is an unpopular opinion, but ME3 is my favourite of the trilogy, the first and so far only game that made me tear up (and still does), the gameplay is so satisfying and allows me to get as creative as I want with any class and weapon combination that I can come up. It is the one I get more excited to replay and The Citadel Shore Leave DLC was the perfect send off to the trilogy. I even liked the ending I first got because it was Destroy with Shepard surviving so in my head cannon my Shepard survived and retired with Tali in the Silversun Strip apartment and are living from the royalties from the vids.
Amazing video! I might not be entirely objective, since I love this series so much, but this gotta be one of the most well-made videos on this platform I've ever seen. Keep up the great work.
I loved 99% of my time with ME3, if it wasn't for that last 1%, this game would have been my favourite in the entire series. Although, I also think it's commendable that Bioware made that 99% within the span of 2 years. It's also a shame that they weren't given enough time to fully stick the landing. This video is amazing. Especially the way you weave between key moments and themes of the main story and seamlessly implemented the many outcomes into the video's storytelling was incredible. And the editing, snippets of cinematic gameplay, dialogue and cutscenes really hammered home the emotions that the game wanted to invoke that I honestly felt like I was reliving ME3. like WOW!
I was the only one standing amidst my ME 3 group when we all finished it that said: It ended the only way it could. I stand by that. Some problems have no solution.
it was a war of annihilation against all the organic life in the galaxy, the people who wanted a "happy ending" usuarly forgot that, there is no happy ending for the people who fought the war, like we can see in real war of annihilation, like the easter front in WW2
"James told me there's an old saying here on Earth. "May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
Not sure if Turian Heaven is the same as yours...but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there, meet me at the bar. I'm buying."
-Garrus Vakarian
This has been such an amazing retrospective series. The Mass Effect Trilogy changed my life when I first played it in 2017, and I am still proud to see how it can inspire people. A lot has changed for me since then, and I still have a lot to learn. The world has a lot of problems. Especially the past 2 years, but thanks to Mass Effect, I do know there is a future worth believing in.
"Go out there and give them hell. You were born to do this"
"Goodbye Garrus...and if I'm in that bar and you're not, I'll be looking down. I'll always have your back."
Shepard sitting in the rubble: I did it Garrus. The Reapers are dead. I just hope Edi and the Geth are waiting for us in that bar.
???: They're waking up!
Shepard: *See's EDI but with skin.* WTF! *falls out of bed
Garrus: Knew that would happen.
Tali: I told EDI that the Crucible might take out all synthetics just to make sure.
EDI: And I informed the Geth of Tali's prediction and they made precautions to protect themselves and me from the crucible. This is still the body you know of but with a layer of almost life like synthetic skin.
Adams: But the Normandy is your body.
Ken: No that is Edi's body.
Gabby: Nope it's both.
Jack: Can we focus on the fact that Shepard survived falling into orbit again?
Jacob: Wait that's Edi?
Vega: Yep. That's Robocop.
Edi: But I am fully synthetic not a cyborg
Ashley/Kaiden: It's a nickname.
Edi: I know that. It makes no sense given the context of the movies
Wrex: Probably best to not question it. Hurry up and recover so we can go shoot something Shepard.
Grunt: He he he.
Liara: Is that all you two think about?
Sinmara: Yes. Yes it is.
Cortez: I mean they are Krogon
Traynor: *quietly* All these legends in one room and I'm one of them now...
Asari: The Queen wishes you a swift recovery.
Geth Prime: Shepard Commander we wish you a swift recovery.
Miranda: I'd appreciate it if you would not crowd my patient
Chakwas: Shepard needs rest you can talk to them later
Jeff: Yeah besides we all have jobs to do.
Vega: Sitting on your ass doesn't count there glass bones
Kasumi: Hey Shep. I brought you some flowers. Before you ask no I didn't steal them. *Cloaks*
Zaeed: Yeah hurry up and recover. Galaxy needs it's hero to keep kicking ass.
Javik: Primatives. Recover quickly and rejoice Commander. You've done what not even my people could.
Mass Effect Best Destroy Ending(Maxed out War Assets)
"Forgive the insubordination but your boyfriend has an order for you: come back alive. It'd be an awfully empty galaxy without you."
Did you all really forget the line that comes after this?
"We're a team, Garrus. There's no Shepard without Vakarian. So you better remember to duck."
I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite video on the Citadel.
i’m pretty sure you’re captain pike
to broken Eggs,
impersonator of the great Sheppard Commander,
the bot-AI are here to soon make an Omelette !
My favourite video about my favourite game about my favourite hero. ME:LE is a masterpiece. What a gift. Thank you Bioware. x
Mass Effect was the first game franchise to make me shed real tears. Nothing, not the ending to ME3, not the lackluster story of Andromeda, will ever make me forget that. BioWare struck upon something truly special with this trilogy and I won't ever forget how it stuck with me and changed my approach to life.
Same, and I only played it for the first time with LE...
I cried at Thanes death scene as if I lost a family member
Well I’ll agree with you this much at least. For all of Mass Effect 3’s faults, it has some of the best written, emotional gut punches that I have ever experienced from a video game!
"Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong..." 😭
The Quarian mother leaving behind a message for her son and husband to find after the Geth kill her, the excellent voice acting made me cry. She made it feel real.
Seriously, ME Trilogy is rare art, a creative masterpiece that can make you think, agonize, soul-search, rage, laugh and cry. I've never experienced anything like it. Thanks for putting together this tribute. And a HUGE thanks to the Bioware team that created it.
Well, only in the same sense as the Godfather Trilogy: two masterpieces and an also-ran.
@@solicitr666How is ME2 a masterpiece, and ME3 isn't lmao
It's literally the exact same game, just a bit rushed near the end. Arguably even better, because ME2 was basically a side-quest.
@flammifer451 Well, just for one point, ME2 has possibly the greatest endgame in all of videogaming, and ME3's is hideously bad. There are others, but "what's wrong with ME3 would be a whole essay. Suffice it to say that ME3 represented a technical upgrade but a writing downgrade.
@@solicitr666 Eh, the ending in its current state is perfectly passable. And the writing downgrade started with ME2, though (imo) it's still ranging from "decent" to "amazing", with a couple of weird decisions.
Narrowing an otherwise solid game to the last ten minutes of the series' all-time low point just isn't right. There are a lot of things "wrong" with ME3, but don't pretend that ME2 was any better. The nonexistent main plot? The post-IFF installation mission, where you play as Joker? The Arrival DLC? The omnipresent mercs? The fucking Firewalker? Come on.
The only ME I'd call a "masterpiece" is ME1. It has some of the best storytelling in the whole medium, although the gameplay was, and still is, pretty shitty.
Mass Effect is a deeply flawed series, which doesn't make it less awesome. The last entry of the main trilogy came out more than 10 years ago, and we still haven't seen a game as grand and ambitious, as ME was. It is a miracle that it simply exists.
@@flammifer451 The "exact same game?" Oh, no, not at all. Not even remotely..
Mass Effect 3 lost the plot, completely, right from the start. Really from before the start back to Arrival and even the final cutscene of 2 (Walters' only contribution despite his Lead Writer credit). But that part is too often overlooked by all those who think it;';s just really neato-keen to fight the Reapers head-on. Which makes absolutely zero senxszse and craps all over the established lore. But never mind- Dude! A giant thresher took a Reaper down! Way kewl!. Meh.
ME2 was quite the opposite of a "side quest." It's only seen that way by those who think the point of the series was to fight the Reapers head-on. Certainly it madkes way more sense then the damn Star Kid and his dumb three-way magic choice! But in addition it had structure and theme. 3 had none. 2 had a meaningful game currency in Loyalty; 3 instead gave us dreary War Assets, gaming-by-accounting - and then used those to impose endless dreary fetch quests (a disease which would really infect Inquisition a couple of years later).
ME2 was about parenthood. What was ME3 about, besides the shallow fun of kicking the ass of a previously near-untouchable enemy which had to be demoted several orders of magnitude to allow it? Sorry, I like my Reapers beyond my comprehension, not killable with an M-920 Cain.
Tell me, WTF were the Reapers doing in the Milky Way at all? When you realize that question can only be answered by tossing out the established lore, then you'll realize the whole thing makes no sense, not just the ending. So they could just motor into the Milky Way from deep space on FTL without a relay any time they wanted? And could not only do so at the end of Arrival, but then hang out for six months and nobody noticed?
ME3 is an assemblage of moments. Some of them are very good, especially Tali's and Mordin's (thank God their writers stuck around). But the parts don't add up, there's no structure, no theme, just "this happened, and then this happened" until you've fetched enough trinkets to start the attack on Cerberus.... oh, yeah, there's THAT entire nonsensical subplot..... So, yeah, some of those moments are amazingly bad, from the crappy Kai Leng and his plot armor, to TIM's amazing villain upgrade.... he had supposedly broken open the piggy bank to fund Lazarus and the Normandy, but now he's running fleets of cruisers??? Obviously Walters didn't ask EDI questions after Joker took the blocks off her.....
Sorry. ME3 has fun missions. It has emotional scenes. From a technical and game mechanics standpoint it's a definite upgrade over 2 (I especially appreciate the Reputation mod to the P/R system). But the whole is less than the sum of its parts, and what should be the payoff is a ripoff. But, at least, it did lead to Citadel.
Gotta point out, Rachni Queen actually only becomes Reapers’ pawn if you do kill her. She is then revived and cybernetized by them and deceives you in her quest in ME3. If you spare her, however, she will retain her own consciousness and it’s possible to have her as an ally.
Hackett remarking on how the rachni scuttling about the crucible and simultaneously scaring the shit out of everyone whilst also just improving shit is one of ky favourite offhand remarks in the entire trilogy.
It's so small but its such a nice final note when you consider where the rachni were as a species at the start of the trilogy.
But when you initially meet the Rachni Queen in 3, they are being controlled by the Reapers for every player, regardless of your past choice. If they weren't already killed previously, then yes you can free them, wheras the alternative they never remain a reliable war asset and kill Crucible crew. Thank you for watching otherwise!
@@ArTorrPresents Yeah, but then you lose Grunt's forces.
I belive that if you cure the genofage and let free de rachni Queen theres some balance between them and in the galaxy, they are both dangerous badly guided.
Yes but you lose Arlak Company, a company of Krogans of mixed clans, an example for the Krogans as a whole to emulate.
"At the cost of some of the bravest fighters the galaxy had ever seen" and then that cut to Jacob really cracked me up lol.
Get in the vent Jacob! Hooray!
Man was ready to go from day 1 despite running from the fight briefly. Kasumi on the other hand? Coward.
@@Onishiro She's a thief, hiding and underhanded methods is kinda her thing, in the end she have our backs and don't ask to be put in suicidal mission like Jacob does (also does way more than Jacob in ME3, literally saving the hanari world and race, finding impossible ressources behind enemy lines for the crucible all the while find money for refugees on her spare time, she may not be a soldier ready to die, but that's why she's way more efficient than one)
@@Onishiro Boring, useless biotic """soldier""" who only uses barrier vs best thief in the galaxy who has the best skills in ME2 for insanity clears.
The elusive jacob glazers are sad sights.
I was 15 when I first played Mass Effect and now I'm 30 and just started playing the legendary edition last week. Mass effect is easily still one of if not my favorite game series of all time.
same timeline for me, i'm starting to believe i didn't fully appreciate it back then
Same, it's one of the game i know i will always revisit, at that point playing it is like visiting an old friend
I'm a 66 yr old gamer who only discovered video games 10 years ago, and I've sunk an embarrassing amount of time into them since! I just finished the ME Legendary Edition for the second time....and shed tears at the end. For all the 'it could have been better' it's an amazingly epic experience and, with one exception, stands out as my favourite game of all I've played thus far. Thank you for this round up of the whole ME trajectory, you put a LOT of work into this, I can tell, and for someone who has only known ME as the Legendary Edition it was really interesting and expanded my understanding of the series. All I can say is, shame on EA for forcing this rush job of ME3. EA has been a blight on the games industry in many ways. Also, some of the consequences you showed (Tali and Miranda dying, for example) I had no idea was even possible! Now I'm going to have to play it again and experience some of the more difficult scenarios that can arise from making bad choices.
I gotta ask what did u think of the quarian geth conflict, who were u siding with or were u anti war as far as retaking the home world?
@@Mr.Unfairpersonally. I sided with the quarians but supported legions individuality. I was disappointed with rewriting the heretics, but understood their self preservation. Quarians deserved their home world but it was the wrong time to do so.
So I saved both.
If I may suggest your next games saga to delve into, I would say you should play the Metal Gear Solid games. Very good story, incredible characters and nanomachines!
@@cvzanikos1 I think that's what I went with too.
"Does this unit have a soul" is one of the most heartbreaking lines in any video game
Ruined by the fact it isn't actually the original line. It was 'do these units have Souls?'
It's a small change, but flips the context on its head - the Geth never originally viewed themselves as individuals nor wanted to in the tropey Pinnociho style. It changed when they fired the old Legion/Grth writer and gave it to someone else, and the Geth cha get motives and started wanting to be individuals rather than the previous goal of becoming a giant interconnected being, ala a Reaper style mega structure.
@@Canadish definitely a low point of me3.
@@Canadishits a shame tbh
This feels like a real professional documentary but with the passion of a true fan. Thank you. You are a legend. These videos are brilliant and their legacy on this youtube platform will be about greatness.
Having been a Mass Effect fan since ME1 launched, this video REALLY moved me. The editing is SUPERB and the commentary BRILLIANT and fair. I honestly never understood the hatred for the endings, esp. post EC. My original reaction to them before the EC was being baffled more than anything else. I then used headcanons to fill in the blanks and the EC only made that decision richer. No game, save RDR2, has ever DESTROYED and yet UPLIFTED me the way ME3 has. I cried, I laughed, I smiled through tears...I got terrified, pumped, heartbroken...ALL OF IT. And tbh, I enjoyed MEA for being more light hearted, despite it having its fair share of sad moments as well. Ryder was...like a RELIEF after the ANGUISH Shepard had to endure. Commander Shepard is still my fave protagonist of all time though, only Arthur Morgan even APPROACHES that level in my opinion. I subbed and will watch your other content now. THANK YOU. This was an AMAZING treat. I'll admit, I was dreading the endings portion of it but you rose above the clickbait and hate & that I deeply respect. BRAVO!!!
I just played the LE trilogy a few weeks ago. Yeah I was surprised to hear about all the furore.
I shed literal tears. You are damn talented, and I can tell you put a lot of work into it, thanks for making these. Think you'll ever do a Dragon Age ones?
Thank you for your comment and for tuning in to the video 🙂 To be honest, I'm not sure about Dragon Age. I desperately need to finish playing them, but I've enjoyed what I've played of Origins so far. And it might be fun to talk about a fantasy series on here for once :)
The Reaper sound before they fire their beam weapon will be burned into my brain until I die.
Was it a perfect ending? No but man did it have some amazing moments and story points.
Why does everyone pretend that ME3's ending was the only thing wrong with it? What about the fact that Cerberus occupies 60% of the campaign, despite the fact that the game was advertised as the War-against-the-REAPERS? Or how the ME2 characters that we came to know and love were reduced to mere tokens of what they once were? Or how the strength of your shields are determined by your fitness level rather than by your suit as ME1 established? Or how health and melee strength are separate instead of united like in the first two games? And where are the Abominations, Scions, and Praetorians among the Reaper forces? Shepard forced to feel sorry for an idiotic kid and lose to a joke of a villain space-ninja.
@@NostalgicGamerRickOShay I honestly hated how Cerberus took up most of the story because they wanted to show Kai Lang, it was also a missed opportunity cause they could've had it where you convince a majority of Cerberus members to join your side I know they do in the game but you have no saying and they automatically join whether or not you played the previously game as they are the default war assets you get in the start of the game. I do agree the whole star kid was a stupid idea, if they wanted to show the kid then they could've had it where you save the kid and the whole point of the game is to stop the Reapers but also take care of the kid and influence him to do right or wrong depending on your choices then at the end he will help you in some way. Probably a stupid idea but its a little better than having him dead and Shepard going into depression mode because of it, its so cliché.
@@justinportillo3996 That also reminds me, about HALF of all the side-missions are simply, "launch probe = completed". I SO WANTED to go groundside to retrieve the sacred texts for the Batarians and launch a rescue mission for their governor. And Shepard getting depressed for the kid makes NO SENSE for Renegade Shepard, and Paragon Shepard should be dreaming of the squad and crew that he has lost in the past, such as Pressley, the Virmire casualty, whoever died on the Collector base; Kelly or Squadmates, AND, the final dream should be about you probably losing your Love-Interest, NOT THE STUPID KID.
Dude. I remember that day like it was yesterday - I am approaching the fucking Harbinger, I am ready to roll, I cant wait to kick this motherfucker ass, my excitement is beyond any possible measure...and then...we all know...I have never been so disappointed in my entire life and I've never bought any EA/BioWare game after this.
@@NostalgicGamerRickOShay yeah like you never had any some sort of connection with him and they act like you need to care about him
The legendary edition game ne something I never thought I could experience again. The feeling of playing these games for the first time again but through the lense of this new generation of fans.
The Mass Effect series was always about Shepard’s journey with his companions in my opinion, which is why I treat the Citadel dlc as the real ending. A final wholesome farewell.
Great video man, love seeing your content!
And that's a big part about why that DLC works so much I think! Well after we've played the game, nothing matters more to us than that extra time with the friends we fought and bled alongsise with. Thank you for watching!!
@@ArTorrPresents There's a mod out there called the "Citadel Epilogue" by Audemus that moves the Citadel DLC to after the final battle although if you get an ending where Shepard dies, it's a bit of a stretch unless you use a happy ending mod that was made by the same author.
5:10 The Audio team created a masterpiece with Leaving Earth. The 600+ BioWare team deserve their laurel's for story, game design, visuals, and gameplay, but the Audio team wrapped everything up with a neat bow. I had an inkling you were gonna use this track in the intro and you used it well. It is the most “we’ve already lost” sounding music of all time in videogames. This track just fits so well with a game intro that just shoves us into the fight, much like the intro campaign mission in Battlefield 1. You're scared. You're helpless. You're running from a behemoth beyond your understanding. You don't even need the visuals, this song alone tells you how terrifying the Reapers are. 6:42 Those 4 notes alone tell you the scale of the fight ahead. and so beautiful that I even bought a piano and began to learn just so I could play it as well. And the way you incorporated it into the title of your vid is great. ~2 hours of analysis of a game that certainly left its mark on what videogames can do.
I got chills watching the intro to this. Some of the finest editing and narration on this channel so far. Thank you for all your hard work on the trilogy of videos. You can feel your passion for creation in every word with these retrospectives, and I'm so happy you find genuine joy by making these.
Absolutely. And I am always grateful to have yall tune in 😁
What was that clip at the beginning? It was bone chilling 😳 listening to his predictions, especially given the state of the world in 2024 😢
I hate that Shepard couldn’t slap the council members and screaming at them “I TOLD YOU SO!”
This was an incredible tribute to the series and everything that I loved about it. Especially in terms of the weight of the series and the ethical choices it presents. Thank you for giving true respect to the depth of Mass Effect! I was shocked after finishing the first time this year to see so little in depth commentary out there, so your work extra appreciated.
Thank you! I'm glad this has resonated for you 😃
Not mentioning Clint Mansell for ME3 Leaving Earth contribution is borderline criminal.
You know, I've watched a LOT of Mass Effect retrospectives and deep dives. But this one is probably the best. You've said everything I've thought about 3 and the series' lasting impact on storytelling in games, world building, combat, and games as a whole, but, perhaps, most importantly, the impact it had and continue to has on us - the people who experienced everything it had to give.
It hurts that I can see what they would've done with ME3 if they had the dev time needed, because it's so promising.
Imagine a version of the space battle where each fleet you've earned shows up in the cinematic.
Imagine a version of the final mission where your decisions in the trilogy and the assets they created altered gameplay sequences, making areas easier or harder.
Imagine crossing paths with past companions, and having them temporarily help you before your paths diverge again.
There's the groundwork for a version of the ending that surpasses even the Suicide Mission, and I lament that I'll never see it.
I know. These sponser companies really fuck up a lot.
That would've been amazing.
Honestly, we didn't need the star child. Just the last mission being the sum of our effort and a simple pass/fail on beating the reapers would've satisfied everyone.
Using the various fleets / war assets would also have allowed a kind of final boss fight vs Harbinger, where Shepard needs to activate a targeting mechanism WHILE fighting off reaper ground forces and dodging Harbinger's beams. Your war assets would increase the damage of the fleets, distract reaper ground units (like Blood Packs or human/asari commandos), and potentially saved / failed to save teammates during cutscenes.
I wanted to fight alongside heavily armed Elcors
@@pax6833 Which is literally what they did (kinda) in Dragon Origins' final mission, with a fight on several parts and each time you can call reinforcement that changes depending on who you manage to get on your side on each main mission
These reviews have been so well thought out and detailed I am glad to finally be watching one of my most anticipated videos of the year
Once more Mass Effect makes me cry. I guess I'll be 60 and still gonna cry. No game has showed me so much emotion and raw humanity in a enjoyable experience. I remember when ME3 released and a friend of mine in school screamed at my face "SHEPPARD DIES!! THE ENDING SUCKS!!!" and it would be years until I actually played. Such a beautiful world that truly shaped my taste in games as it changed the industry itself, one that I learned to love so much that got me pursuing it as a college degree.
Thank you for your beautiful trilogy of videos on a truly unique franchise. I look forward for the next endeavors in your channel. Keelah Se'lai.
I never cared that Shephard died. It was just how inconsistent the entire ending was that got to me. But that’s what happens when multiplayer gets shoved into a game that doesn’t need it, then the game gets rushed out to market.
Every video you make manages to hit me in a way I never thought possible. Your style, editing, music, performance, it's all just utterly flawless, it's like watching a movie about a show or game I love. There's no one else like you, ArTorr. I can't thank you enough for covering a series that I hold so near and dear, and I can't wait to see what's next. I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite video essayist on the Citadel.
I appreciate your kindness, thank you so much 🙂
I cannot believe for someone who is capable of creating such an amazingly beautiful video; where you take us on this truly powerful and indescribable journey of emotions; reaching such a EPIC conclusion and credit transition; to then... immediately show your face and start yapping on, just as the credits start to roll and hijack the most important part of any video of this caliber.
You NEED to give your audience a chance to soak everything they've just experienced, to reflect, and to just be in the moment. This cannot achieved as it currently stands.
All it needs is a quick edit; just have credits roll re-centered and just put your "address to the audience" in text at the last portion or so of the credit roll, it'll be a nice touch and look good. The background of earth will no longer be blocked a fantastic visual during credits, and the music also now uninterrupted.
This is such a nice video man, PLEASE it really deserves this.
I've never thought about it that way. It's just my go-to format for ending a video. Thank you for your feedback, seriously. Will pay better consideration for that credits segment in the future.
@@ArTorrPresents Thanks man, I truly appreciate your reply and your consideration.
This video really speaks to my heart. You are truly an amazing storyteller and speaker. The music, the way you talk, the way you analyse, is powerful. Watching that conclusion, I never felt more alive... that could save a life. I know it certainly inspired me to keep on living.
Today was actually my 5th time watching it since discovering it a couple of weeks ago.
Thank you Parkes
Mass Effect is a literal love letter to Science Fiction. Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, V, Earth Final Conflict, Gene Roddenberrys Andromeda... man when I tell you how I was so emotionally invested in these games it was a sickness. And still, I refuse the cure if one was ever produced
I really wish that EA gave BioWare a much larger time-window for the development of the third game. Imagine how much more they could've been able to achieve, and how fair it would've been to the development team to avoid crunching. You can only but wonder how much this could've shaped the whole experience and the ending into one of the most impactful video-game series ever. A real shame.
Even so, the team did a fantastic job in just two years. Say what you will about the ending, but the journey was worth it. Mass Effect 3 is filled with powerful emotional moments and has the best soundtrack in the entire series, hitting you like a bulldozer in so many instances; it is, to this day, the only game that made me cry for real.
What an amazing video. So well pieced together and well written! Definitely one of the best Mass Effect 3 documentaries I've ever had the pleasure to watch.
It's hard to put into words why Mass Effect 3 is my favourite game.
There is definitely more wrong with it than the previous two. You can feel lack of development time, nowhere more so than in the very linear first act and rushed ending - but it captured the relationships between our characters more richly than ever
ME1 may have had the best story, ME2 may have had the best crew, but ME3 had by far the best interaction, the best dialogue. At its core, that's why I keep coming back to Mass Effect, and why I always look forward to Mass Effect 3.
Just one small thing. You said the salarians kept the krogan females in their "brutal depths" or something like that. I feel important to point out that the salarian made as much as they could to save the female krogan. They were not in any "brutal" situation. It was Maelon's cure what was killing them.
Mordin giving his life and the 11th hour to save a people he previously worked to doom, because someone else would have gotten it wrong, is such a powerful moment
Man, the writing of this video had me enthralled right from the start. What a fun video; I still remember purposely stopping at Priority: Earth in my playthrough of ME3 because I didn't want to finish it out with the 3-color choice, and instead leave it at the fun memory of playing the Citadel DLC and the journey leading up to it. While I only played ME2 and ME3, I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to sully my experience with the choice. I'll always wonder how ME3 could have gone down if things were different, but I enjoyed the memories I made with what it is now.
Except Kai Leng. He's not part of those memories. He can go sod off with that cereal-eating ass of his.
EDIT: your use of the halo infinite song at the tail end of the conclusion hit hard and good for me, what a great choice (to me) to close out the video with
Thank you, I appreciate your thoughts and am glad you enjoyed the video :)
I love that this is a story instead of an essay
That is always my priority 👍
I’ve waited months for this video, and it absolutely did not disappoint. This has to be the best retrospective of the series I’ve ever seen, and absolutely encapsulates my love for this series, this world and these characters, even though I am part of the new generation who started with the Legendary Edition. Thank you so much for putting so much time and talent into these videos; despite its missteps, Mass Effect has become my favourite video game series of all time, and this is just cemented my appreciation for the trilogy even further.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch Femshep and Liara fall in love for the fourth time, since they’re the reason I bought the game in the first place.👍❤️
So glad it was worth the wait and that it captured your feelings on the Trilogy! Thank you for watching 😃
i didn't feel disappointed. I picked the Destroy ending and obliterated the Reapers. Job Done.
Udina taking over as consular made complete sense to me, in the second game Anderson talked about how he goes to all the meetings and parties for him. It just made sense he managed to socialize his way up through doing the work for others to see.
ME3 was the first game in about 20y of gaming that made me cry. I was so upset about Mordin's and Legion's deaths that I needed to sit for a bit with the game paused to process it.
Mordin’s death struck me hard, he was such a lovable fleshed out character.
Glad to see more recent Mass Effect videos, this franchise doesn't get talked about enough.
Give me the Story of 1, game play of 2 and the customization of 3 when they make the next game and I'll die a happy man.
My first exposure to Mass Effect as a franchise came somewhere around 2014. I'd never even heard of it until I bought a small lot of xbox 360 games on ebay and it came with ME3. The front cover captivated me enough to pop in the disc before I even touched the games I originally bought the lot for, and after creating my first Shepard I was in the game for hours. I was never entirely sure what to make of some aspects of the game, especially the ending, but I loved every minute of that first playthrough regardless.
A few months later I managed to get my hands on a copy of ME2 and played the daylight out of it, as well as 3 after I finished for the first time. I had terrible wifi at the time but after hearing so many good things about Lair of the Shadow Broker I couldn't help but buy it. It took two entire days of nonstop downloading until I could finally play it and the heat that my xbox gave off during it actually faded the printing on the disc itself. All of that was worth it when I finally played one of Mass Effect's DLCs for the first time, though.
About half a year after that I finally bought the first Mass Effect, and the minute I booted it up everything else that I'd seen from the sequels just clicked. When I finally finished my first sequential playthrough of the Mass Effect trilogy it became clear that this was the greatest story ever told in my eyes. Nothing past, present, or future could ever shake Mass Effect's place as the greatest piece of media ever in my mind, and that holds true even today.
From someone who got on the hype train extremely late and in reverse order, the joy I felt when people I'd been urging for years to play through the trilogy finally picked it up and enjoyed it when the Legendary Edition came out last year was and still is beyond comparison. I am in awe that new people are still picking up this 2007 game and finding the same appreciation for it that I do, it's a very rare feeling.
TLDR: I first played ME in reverse order and I'm happy new players are enjoying it today.
I did destroy ending. Because I hoped. I hoped in surviving. And I was right.
Love this retrospective so much!!! As a fan who only played the games through the legendary edition a couple months ago and is now currently on a fourth playthrough, these games mean the world to me. I was somehow able to.keep all.my squad alive in me2 and thus my citadel dlc experience felt whole and I remember leaving that apartment after the dlc for the final time and standing beside all my friends and family that we've made along the journey and almost shedding a tear as I knew we were about to go into a hellscape we wouldn't survive. Thank you bioware for this amazing series and thank you for these great retrospectives that give justice to the greatest gaming trilogy of all time.
For all its failures, this game managed IMO the two most emotional moments in the entire series :
- The sadness and awe of Leaving Earth
- The sheer awesomeness, redemption, sacrifice and heroism of Mordin's death
The real disappointment is that the last moments with Anderson should have been up there.
At last... I've been waiting for this. Your videos are perfect to listen to while I'm at work. So this will be my listen tomorrow. Thank you for doing the whole of my favourite trilogy
Absolutely. I hope yoi enjoyed the video!
Amazing video, as usual. Completely worth the long wait for it. Brings back nostalgic feelings of being a 14 year old at Gamestop in early 2008 who failed to get Gears of War and went home with ME1 instead, completely unaware of the universe I was to set foot in. It certainly was a wild ride, and this trilogy holds a special place in my heart for story telling and character development. ME1 especially is a game I never get tired of playing again every so often and have to 100% it every time. What's even more impressive is that I still sometimes find new things I had no idea about before (most recent on my LE playthrough was that there's an underground door entrance to Saren's base on Virmire rather than just through the catwalks).
I really hope the developers working on ME4 watch this video, or better yet all three videos, and take it into account for the new game. You hit many key points and decisions that made the trilogy so unforgettable and memorable, despite its shortcomings. They will be literally treading on holy gaming ground by touching and expanding the trilogy and its characters. I just really hope they do it justice as it deserves. Once again, fantastic video. The best to analyze in detail each game I've seen. It's unbelievable the insane quality and work you put into these.
Also, Liara is the best.
Despite the ending, this was my favourite Mass Effect. Uniting the galaxy against overwhelming odds and a cold devilish enemy.
Bar none this is now my favourite ME analysis video, and not just because it contained so many points I've been yelling at people for a decade (lol). Really thoughtful work. You should for sure be proud.
Thank you 🙏
Mass Effect 3 was interesting experience for me since I gave up on my first playthrough after I killed the Quarians. I didn't think it would go this way since it was what was normally the Paragon choice on the Dialogue wheel, and since Tali was my favourite character losing her and her race was a big hit that put me off the game until Legendary Edition came out.
By that point I knew how bad the ending was but I was loving the game up until I heard the word "The Crucible isn't firing" and that elevator appeared. My mind was checked out and I didn't care what was going on. It's just everything before that point in ME3 is some of my favourite moments in gaming, and I love this video focusing on that aspect of the game. Just looking at the War asset screen is such a powerful thing for me, even the smallest change I like to check in on. Not to mention Morddin's sacrifice even though I already played it before hit me even harder the second time since I liked him even more as a character.
It wasn't until later thinking on it that I realized why I (and I think others) dislike the ending so much, there is no epilogue. Sure the extended cut tries but it doesn't do much.
Before Legendary Edition came out I played Fire Emblem Three Houses another game I love but have issues with but part of what made me like the game was that every character that lives is given a written epilogue. Heck they have different ending's depending on who they're paired with. Add some kind of epilogue to our core cast and while it wouldn't fix all of ME3 it would make me enjoy the ending since I just wanna know how the crew of the Normandy and my squad did after the war.
An Epilogue could only have been a good addition to the game, I don't see that suggestion thrown around as often.
Never expected to get water in my eyes over a ME retrospective, but here I am because this was such an amazing series and still is.
I *LOVE* old Asimov clips, and his books. There are so many lessons we can take from his Robots and Foundation series. It’s *WILDLY* underrated in that respect.
I will agree with you that the post launch DLC’s - Omega, Leviathan, and Citadel really did a lot of heavy lifting in saving the third game for me. The Mass Effect 3 of the legendary edition is probably the purest and best way to experience the game as all the content feels much more naturally intergrated. Loved these retrospective vids you’ve done on the franchise, they were awesome!
I truly hope this vid makes its way to some of those original dev team members. This is such a beautiful and complete capture of what this series means to so many of us
While the ending was the very definition of Anti-Climax, the trilogy was magical! Excellent work on all these videos, love 'em!
Yo man, who gave you the right to make me sob like this?!
Seriously, these vids are the most incredible love letter to this game series and I appreciate you giving them the due respect they deserve. I played these games in 2014 when they were a boxset so I was lucky not to have to wait between them and was warned by a friend that the ending of 3 was on the disappointing side, but I don't remember being upset about it. I took it for the possible metaphors they were and I was in love all throughout the series and I remember crying through the big emotional scenes. When Legendary came out it was like coming home to old friends and I cried during all the same scenes and then some. Thank you for putting in the time and effort for these videos! They made me more emotional than I care to admit.
Holy smokes the dark singularity plot line would have been a fantastic twist that preserved the mystery of the reapers while also elucidating a relatable motivation.
I could stomach losing Shepard so long as in the next game there is plenty and I stress..PLENTY of references to Shepard and His/Her sacrifice. It kills me when a character does so much then basically gets forgotten about. Like no I wanna see vastly improved AI Shepards around the galaxy, ships, places, and things named after them, give me some stories and songs about them too. Statues and memorials. If they do that I can forgive a new protagonist and crew being the center of attention. Just do not shove the Saviour of the Galaxy under a rug.
Just like the Mass Effect trilogy, this documentary (this video is much more than a review and nothing you say can convince me otherwise) brought me to real tears. I played the games without looking up any reviews, played every DLC with joy (especially the Citadel DLC), and was moved beyond words. This documentary was so affirming and enjoyable. Excellent writing, superb editing, amazing voiceover, and the best mix of compliments and criticisms. Thank you!
Cheers, thank you for checking out the videos!!
Can spell Reaper without EA
It's videos like this that remind me why Mass Effect is my favorite video game franchise- and just straight up one of my favorite stories- of all time. I hope the return of Mass Effect can also be a return of the magic of the first trilogy.
Also, I was waiting for Oblivion to start playing, and of course it was the finishing touch! Ha. Great editing, wonderful writing, masterful video. Loved it.
Again... a moving, deep and rich exploration of a beloved mainstay in our more recent culture. I am never surprised, but always impressed; my expectations exceeded each time I enjoy your productions with the well written, balanced and delivered documentary. Exploring the scope of this franchise, in all parts, the investment of time taken for the two (or more) replays you have captured and presented to us on film. The editing, the cuts between hundreds if not thousands of hours painstakingly assembled to weave and paint us a tapestry that illustrates your thoroughly explored points of view. The final production an awesome showcase of your accumulated talent and effective, powerful film production in their own right. The crafting and care never eludes my eyes and the fact that it appears seamless and polished for the untrained eye, only highlights the skill and dedication you have evolved in your time making these productions. Going back as far as I can remember. Thank you again for this moving and thoughtful piece. I am envigored and inspired to explore, with a clean slate, this trilogy and relish the beauty of perhaps one of the best if not the best Bioware franchise that shaped an age and stories that followed from new artists the world over.
The Mass Effect trilogy is one of the things I will eagerly remember for the rest of my life. Thank you for taking me down memory lane with these amazing videos.
And thank YOU for watching them!
52:48 those convos the girl has with the c-sec turrian in the refugee bay breaks me every single time
YESSSS, they are so honest and sad. The NPC storytelling in BioWare games is honestly one of my favorite things about their games.
Mass Effect trilogy, with all the memorable characters and relationships will always have a special place in my heart, thanks for making this video
Damn near cried towards the end there.
The contrast of ME3's ending and the Citadel DLC reminds me of a line from Angel that's been with me for years now, "f there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today. [...] Because, if there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world."
This is as much a masterpiece as the game itself....well done as always sir..well done :)
Had my first experience with mass effect in the legendary edition and I have to say it was amazing. Getting to mass effect 3 and completing that game is something I will never forget. This trilogy is by far one of the best stories ever told in video games. Truly happy to have gotten to play this wonderful story ❤
I still remember the feeling I had when I beat ME3 the first time after getting it day one. I got a terrible ending (which I always do the first time around) but I didn't feel accomplished, happy, or excited to get a better ending, I honestly felt sick, depressed, and just tired. And didn't touch the game until the extended cut came along.
That said the Extended Cut did help but that feeling of disappointment will always be there.
Also, Destroy is the only correct ending and I will die on this hill.
Dude this series was incredible. Your style of writing is insane this was all such a high quality retrospective on the series it felt like I was relieving it. You deserve way more views on these I'll be checking more of your work!
I'm probably in the minority, but I didn't mind the ending. It wasn't insanely good or anything, but it still got an emotional response out of me and I think that's important. I got the trilogy, started it, left it alone for a year, and then came back to it one spring break and didn't stop until the credits rolled. Playing it all in one go may have contributed to the fact that the ending wasn't ruined for me, and it's without a doubt my favorite storied game of all time.
Thank you so much for taking your time to show how truly special me trilogy was.. wow knowing all the behind the scenes action makes the fact that the game pulled off a lot of what they promised and tried to deliver is truly stunning.
WOW, what an amazing video. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Going to replay these amazing games after your incredible run-through of part 3. First though, I have to go watch your Part 1 and 2 videos. Again, great job!!!!!
These videos are masterpieces. Don't know if you're going to do Andromeda, but I'm glad you finished your analysis of the trilogy.
If I'm to be honest, my most sour experience with 3 wasn't the ending, but the "black hole" glitch that kept me from playing for a month and a half. The endings were not the ending I had hoped for, but the extended cut addressed most of my issues. At any rate, I played ME3 around 18 times back in the day, exploring all the different outcomes of your choices, and losses throughout the trilogy.
Mass Effect remains easily one of my favourite IPs. ME3 was brilliant aside from the ending, and the trilogy is legendary. I can acknowledge mistakes were made, and opportunities were missed, but I won't let that diminish my love for this franchise, or the characters I met along the way.
Thank you for checking out the videos! Andromeda is a maybe. Not super enthused about looking into it, but that could change.
Whatever there is about Mass Effect.. you put it all together in 3 amazing videos, and I hope you do if for ME4/5 as well. I first played MEA because I didn't knew ME existed.. couldn't understand all the hate about MEA. But after playing The Legendary Edition, I understood everything. I've lost hope in Humanity before. But people like you, restore my faith. Keep up this awesome work. Stay safe, but not only you, but also everyone reading this
Thank you for tuning in :)
No amount of beautiful games and stories is worth pain, crunch, fear and despair real people go through everyday for it
EA managers that don’t care about anything but money are villains in this whole story, period
Honestly, I think that people were very entitled to expect bioware to make an choice based ending that accounts for absolutly everything. The most important thing they had to achieve with ME3 was to make the choices we made previously be acknowledged - and bioware absolutly did that. I think the ending we have now is enough, and closes everything nicely - giving you a choice on how this journey ends. It's also the best they could do with the time they had. The trilogy was never about the final 30 mins of the ending, it was about the journey, and an ending that allows you to seal this story in the way you most identified with.
I think what they achieved with Mass Effect 3 is incredible. One of the most epic, heartfelt and thrilling final acts to an incredible sci fi saga.
Thank you Bioware. Take your time - I can't wait for the next one.
Just to add, ArTorr, thank you for this video essay. It's incredibly well articulated and the analysis is thorough and impactful. I can't imagine taking on such a huge project to talk about such a rich game with so many characters to describe. Amazing work!
Just two simple fixes for me would make this game nearly the best.
1. Make James only like 16-18 years old, and have him in the duct (rather then the other kid that is starchild) but saved by Shepard rather then die. But still have Shepards dreams seeing James die as a looming possibility.
2. Replace the Starchild silhouette with the who died on Virmire.
Anyways this was a great video and Mass Effect 3 is still a wonderful game/trilogy that hasn't been replicated yet. The Suicide Mission is still the best set piece in a game ever for me.
Thank you for watching!! I agree with both fixes. Much more creative way to incorporate James.
Replacing the Star Child with an Avatar of the Reapers would be better.
@@ArTorrPresents Thank ya too, you've been doing great videos. Hope ya enjoy the holidays. Ya earned a vacation.
ArTorr seems to have this incredible skill to make near enough anything sound so incredible and grand scale as well as connecting it to real life events and its something I aspire to achieve. I loved the mass effect trilogy, I feel terrible for the conditions that the team was subject too and think its incredible that even under those conditions they created such insanely Well made characters. And so I look forward to the next game in the series with cautious optimism
Your videos are so well made, you're definitely my favorite channel now! Thank you!
edit: re-installing Mass Effect now
As a day one Mass Effect fan, an ME2 super fan, and a bit of an ME3 apologist - this video and the whole trilogy of videos you guys made does so much justice to the franchise 🙏🏾
Watching this after completing DA: failguard and crying. None other games than Mass Effect trilogy affected me that much, not even DA: Origins. Thank you so much for this beautiful video!
EA kills every franchise it touches.
9/10 when a sequels fails is the fault of the producer wanting the devs to do more in less time.
Publishers only understand quarterly release.
Devs only understand CODING.
The latter should tell the former what is feasable in how long. Not the other way around.
You have encapsulated what I love about this series, its a piece of art and so are your documentaries, looking forward for more content, congratulations, you have an amazing talent.
Mass Effect Trilogy was and is my favorite game series. I played the whole trilogy in 2012 before the extended cut, but after the DLC it redeemed itself for me, and I've been a fan since then. I replay them every two or three years, and the experience is always magical. Even for me, 3's ending is heartbreaking not because of writing incompetency, but because it shows that saving the world isn't always ending in happiness. I always feel empty after I finish the trilogy because I already start to miss the games. Thank you, Bioware, thank you Mass Effect, and thank you, commander Shepard. Thank you for this masterpiece of the art that it's impact still lingers in our hearts.
You really bring justice to the phrase "Documentarian". Please continue to do your best. I'm proud to see fellow documentarians as talented as you covering games, shows and such
As a player who played the original games as they were released, then to play them back to back on insanity in the LE. I can say i appreciate this series as one of the greats. Your videos on ME have been heart warming. Thank you.
Watched this while going to work. Got to reminisce about some my favorite gaming memories..shed a tear or two.
I applaud your dedication to analyse such a colossus of a series and your talent to turn such beautiful phrases describing this masterpiece.
Hats off to you sir.
Such an amazing analysis on a truly stunning Trilogy. Words cannot describe the feelings i have for the Mass Effect. If only i could ... relieve it again ..
Never give up. That is what Mass Effect taught me.
To all N7 fans have a nice day !!
I needed this, i needed closure
Thank you
This was an incredible video, the utilisation of the score was so well executed and your editing skills are phenomenal… I even cried when you used “I’m proud of you”. Thank you for such a great video.
My introduction was Legendary Edition. I was 7 at the time of the first game and 11 at the time of the third. LE came out when I was 20 and my God, did it wrench at my heartstrings.
Yes, Mass Effect 3 fails in its 11th hour, stumbling to the finish line and making most of your choices (or illusion of choice) for nothing, such as unlocking EDI's humanity and answering the Geth's 300 year old question only to kill all inorganic life to stop the Reapers in the destroy ending, or becoming exactly like the Illusive Man in the control ending, or "uplifting" the galaxy against their will just like the salarians with the Krogan in the synthesis ending, I still love it.
Shepard is the glue that holds the Normandy's band of misfits together. And for me and my Shepard, Tali was the beating heart behind the man with the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders. Garrus was the best friend that always had my back. Liara was the eternal optimist while Javik was the grounded realist. Kaidan/Ashley was always that grim reminder that your choices have consequences. EDI and Joker were that hope for what I was fighting for and James Vega was the unwavering determination to knock the Reapers down a peg.
Despite its flaws, I'd say a good 95% of the trilogy is phenomenal. It's just that last 5 or so minutes and a few choices in between (like romancing Jacob Taylor) that weaken it.
I just got done with an insanity playthrough of the entire trilogy. This almost makes me want to go play it again.
I’m clad that i subscribe and waited for this video. Your ME video trilogy is one of my favorite on this platform.
I don't take that lightly. Thank you!
Your video essays on the classic ME trilogy have earned you my subscription. These games have been some of my absolute favorites in my recent memory, alongside such incredible games as FreeSpace 2, Warframe, Breath of the Wild, and - as cringy as this sounds - Genshin Impact and Honkai StarRail. I'm currently going through my 4th or 5th playthrough of ME and ME2 and my second full trilogy playthrough (Thanks, Legendary Edition) and I've also been listening to the Mass Effect Lorecast on Spotify - and I'm glad that 10 years later the sting of what ME3's ending did to players hasn't fully worn off but it's not as harsh as it once was. (And, for the record, I chose Synthesis as my ending for my first ME3 playthrough.) Here's to hoping that the next Mass Effect lives up to the hype. Keelah Se'lai.
This has been my most anticipated video of the year. It's currently 3 AM here in South Africa. But damn it was worth the wait
Woo!! Glad to hear; thank you for tuning in!
I know that this is an unpopular opinion, but ME3 is my favourite of the trilogy, the first and so far only game that made me tear up (and still does), the gameplay is so satisfying and allows me to get as creative as I want with any class and weapon combination that I can come up. It is the one I get more excited to replay and The Citadel Shore Leave DLC was the perfect send off to the trilogy.
I even liked the ending I first got because it was Destroy with Shepard surviving so in my head cannon my Shepard survived and retired with Tali in the Silversun Strip apartment and are living from the royalties from the vids.
Amazing video! I might not be entirely objective, since I love this series so much, but this gotta be one of the most well-made videos on this platform I've ever seen. Keep up the great work.
I loved 99% of my time with ME3, if it wasn't for that last 1%, this game would have been my favourite in the entire series. Although, I also think it's commendable that Bioware made that 99% within the span of 2 years. It's also a shame that they weren't given enough time to fully stick the landing.
This video is amazing. Especially the way you weave between key moments and themes of the main story and seamlessly implemented the many outcomes into the video's storytelling was incredible. And the editing, snippets of cinematic gameplay, dialogue and cutscenes really hammered home the emotions that the game wanted to invoke that I honestly felt like I was reliving ME3. like WOW!
I was the only one standing amidst my ME 3 group when we all finished it that said: It ended the only way it could.
I stand by that.
Some problems have no solution.
it was a war of annihilation against all the organic life in the galaxy, the people who wanted a "happy ending" usuarly forgot that, there is no happy ending for the people who fought the war, like we can see in real war of annihilation, like the easter front in WW2
@@Miguel-jr3gbMy only complaint was that curing the genophage was a choice! It should be mandatory!