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Calgary Journal Article on Mass Effect

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About a month ago I was asked by an old friend and journalism student to provide some opinions and statements on Mass Effect and its handling of gamer choice.  Decent piece was turned out and I’m happy to be a part of it.  Check it out if you aren’t sick of my stupid opinions on Mass Effect yet.

FULL Article Link

… In between bites of his hamburger, I sat in silence as Travis unloaded the entire plot of the game. For the uninitiated, the plot revolves around Commander Shepard and his crew who are in a desperate race against rogue agent Saren, who tries to destroy galactic civilization by bringing about the return of the mechanical species known as the Reapers.

As someone who had grown up surrounded by science fiction, I was intrigued by the almost “Star Trek”-like qualities of the game: galactic civilization, a lone ship with a brave crew against overwhelming odds, etc. I needed to play this game.

To get a different perspective on the appeal of Mass Effect, I spoke to Paul Fleck, an editor at www.GameGuiders.com. Fleck is a lifelong gamer who has worked for the site for four years.

While Fleck acknowledges the appeal of the science fiction/fantasy aspects of the series, he says it is also because of strong writing and character development.

According to Fleck, while “Mass Effect” isn’t the first game to include the audience, it’s the game’s vast universe that appeals to many. …

Also, I was lucky enough to join Nathan Rohr and Sean Booker on their video game podcast Top Down Perspective for a Mass Effect 3 spoiler fest.  Check that out while you’re at it.