Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation?

[JD]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

BTW, I don't think judging the sigificance of a fictional universe should hinge on the radar of the masses. There is much about the genre that is regarded as "classic", has lasting power, but the masses are dimly aware of it at best.

That is not the sole guage upon which we should judge these things, IMO.

Just look at John Carter. The Barssom series is one of the most important in Sci-Fi history, but the awareness for the movie has shown that most people have never heard of it.

 

[stonester1]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Exactly.

 

[FPAlpha]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Important in what way?

Star Trek has inspired many to pick up an engineering/space related profession (go to NASA and ask the guys who were there in the 70s and 80s) and Star Wars revolutionized movie technology and the space adventure storytelling.

I don't know if there has been an "important" SF universe since then but basically there are few who even fit the mold with having a developed universe.. the most recent i can think of is Stargate.

Now the story of Mass Effect is awesome and i can't wait to have the game in my hands in about 2 weeks but i don't think it's important in the grand scheme. As others have said go to the street and ask around who James T Kirk is, the starship Enterprise, Darth Vader or the Force but no one outside of gamers and those interested in pop culture will know what the Normandy is, who Cmdr. Sheppard is and what the Reapers are.

It'll be a long time, if ever, before a show/franchise emerges that makes itself known across the world and inspires people like the big two have.

 

[Kelso]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

If all you want to do is get off the citadel, I can give you a quick walk through right here and now: -

Thanks!

 

[RoJoHen]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Honestly, the backstory is pretty impressive, but for me, the gameplay left a lot to be desired. I almost feel that this game would have been better as a point-and-click adventure game, a genre suitable for narrative heavy games. It is some impressive world building though. I think that this series could do as well as a TV series as a game.

I played it for an hour and could not believe how little I had accomplished. I agree about the gameplay. Stopping every 5 seconds to have a conversation with random characters is not my idea of a fun time. I've never gone back to play it again, so I can't even comment on the backstory or the universe in which the game takes place.

 

[Mr Light]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

There's combat missions and there's dialogue missions... when you're in a city or something yeah you're just talking, but then you go on a mission and it's all action.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Honestly, the backstory is pretty impressive, but for me, the gameplay left a lot to be desired. I almost feel that this game would have been better as a point-and-click adventure game, a genre suitable for narrative heavy games. It is some impressive world building though. I think that this series could do as well as a TV series as a game.

I played it for an hour and could not believe how little I had accomplished. I agree about the gameplay. Stopping every 5 seconds to have a conversation with random characters is not my idea of a fun time. I've never gone back to play it again, so I can't even comment on the backstory or the universe in which the game takes place.

It's weird. I'm kinda the opposite. Yeah, I love the combat. It's penty of fun, but the real flavor of the game and the world comes from the dialogue. The things I truly look forward to are not the next big battle, but the next chance to interact with the world, and decide what kind of person my Shepard is.

 

[Skywalker]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

I think those who struggled with ME1 might find ME2 easier to get into. There's still plenty of dialogue and such (these are roleplaying games, after all), but the action and gameplay are both huge improvements over ME1's. My ideal game would probably be ME1's story with ME2's action/gameplay, and maybe ME3's leveling system (which seems to give you more options than ME2's but isn't as complicated as ME1's).

 

[Owain Taggart]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Honestly, the backstory is pretty impressive, but for me, the gameplay left a lot to be desired. I almost feel that this game would have been better as a point-and-click adventure game, a genre suitable for narrative heavy games. It is some impressive world building though. I think that this series could do as well as a TV series as a game.

I played it for an hour and could not believe how little I had accomplished. I agree about the gameplay. Stopping every 5 seconds to have a conversation with random characters is not my idea of a fun time. I've never gone back to play it again, so I can't even comment on the backstory or the universe in which the game takes place.

It's weird. I'm kinda the opposite. Yeah, I love the combat. It's penty of fun, but the real flavor of the game and the world comes from the dialogue. The things I truly look forward to are not the next big battle, but the next chance to interact with the world, and decide what kind of person my Shepard is.

Heh, for me, it was the combat I had trouble with. I thought it was poorly implemented. What made it hard for me was the interface and how it was difficult to figure out which weapons or items were better than the ones you were using due to the dumbed down interface. So, I'd often die and wonder why or what I needed to do to improve myself if the interface wasn't properly conveying that information. So, while the game had a great universe, I feel the gameplay itself was deeply flawed. Didn't mind stopping and talking to people, but that's because I've come to expect it out of Bioware.

 

[The Lensman]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

No, Mass Effect is not the "next Star Wars". Neither was Avatar, Treasure Planet, or any other sci-fi film, or game that claimed to be so. The "next Star Wars" was Harry Potter.

What made Star Wars "Star Wars" wasn't the sci-fi or pseudo sci-fi setting. What made it "Star Wars" was the cultural impact and Mass Effect is a non existent blip in that regard.

I'm not even a big Harry Potter fan, but that had the closest cultural impact to Star Wars since Star Wars. People keep missing that because they assume that the "next Star Wars" is going to be "sci-fi".

It wasn't.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Sensing some amount of rebuke aimed at author of article. OP not author of article. Author of article not present to debate points. Journalist? Blogger? Makes big statement. Nice for web traffic. More fleshed-out than a lot of other similar pieces. Mass Effect more credible than Halo, Gears of War, appeals more to classic space opera niche. Genre reconstruction. Shouldn't take article seriously, not massive social statement.

 

[Yevetha]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Wasnt ME inspired by some books?

 

[Mr Light]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

There's a *LOT* of "parallels" between Mass Effect and Babylon 5. That's what I thought was cool when I first played ME, it was like Babylon 5 The Video Game

 

[HotRod]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Mass Effect has a little bit of everything and ALOT of a few things. Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Aliens, Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, Starship Troopers, the list goes on..... The fact that Bioware managed to take the best elements from each of these and make it work in such a terrific way IS something they should be commended for. In just a few years they have managed to flesh out a galaxy that is just as deep as any of the big sci-fi heavy hitters.

I look foward to what will come with Mass Effect 4 now that Shepards story will be finished and we can start a new narrative. The future is wide open for Mass Effect, and with the movie in pre-production, its mainstream exposure can go nowhere but UP!

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Sensing some amount of rebuke aimed at author of article. OP not author of article.

Correct. I only had come across it on the web.

Makes big statement. Nice for web traffic.

Shouldn't take article seriously, not massive social statement.

Yes the title is a bit over the top but deals with what universe created should be the most important in modern scifi universes?

No, Mass Effect is not the "next Star Wars"

Not as in ME is the next best franchise. Not just which universe itself has been given the most thought and would allow for the storytelling within that universe that would seem the most important location?

I think the Alien movies universe is interesting but not epic. The Total Recall universe is interesting as well as Judge Dredd. None of them span an epic huge universe though.

The "next Star Wars" was Harry Potter.

Which is not what this thread is about. The Harry Potter series of novels and movies are fantasy and not sci-fi but instead is about wizards, witchcraft, & magic. I think The Lensman thought we were instead having a discussion on

the closest cultural impact to Star Wars since Star Wars.

which this thread is not. That is a good topic for a thread though.

What franchise has had the closest cultural impact to Star Wars since Star Wars?
Essentially:
What has become the "next Star Wars"?
So here I made a thread.

What franchise has had the closest cultural impact since Star Wars?

 

[RAMA]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Wow, surprised to see my thread revived about Mass Effect! Yeah, I've come to the conclusion that though it's pretty popular in game land it probably has nowhere near the impact of SW, ST, etc. No movie ever materialized, and although i came close to trying to play it, I still never really get the sense the games can replicate a good linear storyline and milieu...that may be my bias of course,since I'm not even close to being a "gamer". I'm still going to keep an eye out on this one in the future.

 

[PsychoPere]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

No movie ever materialized [...]

Legendary Pictures acquired the rights only in May 2010. As of July 2011, the film is being worked on (BioWare's ME Executive Producer Casey Hudson and screenwriter Mark Petrosevich appeared at SDCC).

 

[-Brett-]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Wasnt ME inspired by some books?

It was inspired by a lot of things. I've been reading Reynolds Revelation Space series, and find myself reminded of Mass Effect pretty regularly.

If by inspired by you mean based on, no. The first tie-in book made it onto the shelves before the game did, but it was still written because of and based on the then upcoming game.

 

[Yevetha]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

Does Revelation Space has a sgip calle the Quib Quib?

 

[marillion]

Re: Is 'Mass Effect' "The Most Impt. Sci-Fi Universe of Our Generation

As a completely clueless observer who has only seen the tv commercials but never played the games or know anything about them, I'm all in... Some of the spots are obviously CGI (like the kid playing with the spaceship toy on the farm), but some of them look so real they could be an actual movie... I was really impressed.. Either way, it has me and my son excited to play the game.