So. I'm a lurker. Compulsive, actually. All the talk about ME3 and Arrival and what may or may not be in them has me thinking about what I loved so much about Mass Effect in the first place. Because nothing they do in Arrival, or in ME3 (or even in ME2 – yes, Horizon, I'm looking at you) can change it. Take that, Bioware!
The lovely LT was my first video game crush. And, I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been drinking the Kaidan Kool-Aid since just after Eden Prime. That smile? I remember thinking … “Did he just … ? Nah …it's a video game. Where's my sniper rifle? I need to shoot something.”
Then, while getting perpetually lost on the Citadel. “Hey, there's a viewpoint! Maybe if I can look around, I'll figure out where the hell I-- … What was that? Did my LT just accidentally flirt with me? He's so delightfully awkward. More, please! Nahh … forget it. It's a video game. Let's go rough somebody up!”
Of course, after that, I found myself popping down to the mess area after every mission to see if he'd talk to me again, and thinking, “Am I actually looking forward to all the real people in my house going the heck to sleep so I can flirt with this gorgeous collection of pixels in peace? Yes. Yes, I am. And, forget the sniper rifle. Don't the Geth just have some sort of collective OFF switch? That would get me back to Kaidan so much faster! Seriously. Could this actually happen? In a video game? I love Bioware!”
Virmire? Sorry, Ash. Considering how many times I've sacrificed you at Kaidan's altar, I have a very squishy spot in my heart for you. But … Boom!
Then the Normandy gets locked down by the stupid Council, and I have about three seconds to be pissed about it before … “Holy crap, it's a cut-scene! There he is. Oh, pleaseohpleaseohplease … He's helping me up … omg, it's actually-- … Damnit, Joker! You couldn't have waited thirty seconds to tell me that? I swear, next time I'm on the bridge, I'm going to smack you on the back of the head and break your neck ...”
I must admit, I never liked my cabin much before the cruise to Ilos. However, despite my early predictions to the contrary, it could happen in a video game. And it did.
Then, I reloaded. And it happened again.