Tell Me Another Story About the Shepard… It’s N7 Day

Today is N7 Day. November 7th to most, but for fans of BioWare‘s Mass Effect, it’s a day to celebrate one of their favorite games.

The games first release was November 20, 2007 and while the gameplay doesn’t exactly stand up to the other two games (released January 26, 2010 and March 6, 2012), it still played an important part of what would be the games finest: the story.

Most Mass Effect fans are happy to share that BioWare has created one of the most immersive and story driven games players have ever seen. Even Commander Shepard himself, Mark Meer, noticed the connection fans seemed to make early on.

[blockquote]”Mass Effect has such a devoted fan base …They are very dedicated and very passionate about the game. When I first met Seth Green, he mentioned that he’d never seen this kind of emotional connection to a game, especially for such a young franchise.”[/blockquote]

Today is a day of celebration of the game, and BioWare has since used the date to announce upcoming projects. Fans that have been eagerly awaiting any news about the new Mass Effect game may have to wait a bit longer though and hold onto the small teaser that was shown at E3 2014. Today BioWare will be running a live stream at 10AM PT/1PM EST and will likely be discussing a re-release of the trilogy for current gen consoles.

In the meantime, this is a day for fans to celebrate. As a Mass Effect fan myself (yes, I even have tattoos I love it so much), it’s a chance to revisit a game that was so easy to fall in love with. What’s so special about it, anyway? What sets it apart?

I’ve already spoken on the storyline and a big part of that storyline is the emotion it tends to provoke. As Commander Shepard, you are fighting a threat so big, it’s almost impossible to fathom. The human species is in danger of being wiped out, and Shepard and his or her crew are the only ones that may have a chance at stopping it.

It’s not a short game by any means; first you have to collect your teammates, spend time getting to know them and fighting for their loyalty. You learn about their pasts and the hardships they’ve had to face and sometimes, Shepard even falls for one of his/her crewmates.

The ability to have a relationship in the game is a step up from the usual games we see like this; some relationships even span the entire three games and have to be started in the first game and diligently carried through the two others. This provides a connection to the games AI like we have rarely seen before. You can choose to have a partner of any sex and any race, making your choices diverse and not limited to a relationship with someone of the opposite sex.

We see Shepard at his/her best and worst; the leader of the team can experience loss and the pain can be seen in the characters face. A particularly heartbreaking moment (SPOILER) comes at the beginning of Mass Effect 3, when the Commander watches a little boy be rescued, only for the ship to be shot down by Reapers. The pain and hurt is immediately clear in the characters face and I think that’s what helps us as players connect even more.

Alright, I’ll even admit that the story has made me cry, especially when (SPOILER) Anderson, a man who has been like a father figure to Shepard, dies.

In a fight for the survival of humanity, one thing is apparent. Shepard will do anything it takes to make sure that the threat is stopped, by any means. The player even has the choice of renegade (bad) or paragon (good) or even somewhere in between. It’s how Shepard reacts in certain situations that builds the character the way you want them to be built, and not as dictated by the game. This also ensures your story may be different than anyone else’s, making the gaming experience unique.

It’s no wonder why people still play the trilogy today, why the ratings for the game are so high, and why fans choose to spend hours making their very own cosplay costumes to show how much they love the game.

Mass Effect is an incredible game with a loyal fanbase. If you haven’t tried it yet, there’s no better time to get on board than N7 Day.