AdmiralCheez wrote...
MOST of the ME2 cast contributed very little to ME2's main story. We could have had just Miranda (pro Cerb), Jack (anti Cerb), Mordin (other side of genophage conflict), and Legion (other side of geth conflict). But everyone else had great character arcs, which, in my opinion, WERE ME2's story. I liked having them aboard, and busting up Omega, hunting down Sidonis, fighting my way through Haestrom, and gettin' sassy with the quarian admiralty board was hella fun.
I'd include Tali because of what she brings to the Migrant fleet, and Thane for bringing in new light to the Hanar as well as a new species, but most of the ME2 cast was largely wasted space. A Batarian from the Hegemony would have made a fascinating addition to the plot as well as a character opportunity.
ME2's story 'works' in so much that it's not about the story at all. The Collectors are the background to everyone's totally unrelated stories.
Characters have to contribute to the story to be warranted. They're simply too much an investment to do otherwise. A character can have merit based on their addition to the storylines (the VS), their function as a plot device (Liara), their expansion of the lore (Vega as the 'new guy' viewpoint to introduce/reintroduce many things), or seeking the approval via a certain reaction from the audience (lust, from Miranda in ME2).
Awesome bro points and throwing a bone to ME1 players wasn't "seeking approval via a certain reaction from the audience?"
Er, I'm saying that's exactly what it was. But I'm also saying that that's
all it was. That Garrus is less about what he adds to the story than his popularity.
I honestly think that the revenge vs forgiveness/mercy vs justice plotline that Garrus brought to the table was one of the most powerful and interesting diversions ME2 offered. It made me think, but more importantly, it made me feel. That made a difference in the story for me and for a lot of people that never even touched ME1.
Maybe, but it also came at the cost of regressing his ME1 development, in which Garrus was the young, somewhat immature/undecided padawan being shaped by Shepard before becoming his own, independent adult with an ingrained approach towards things, either by the book or direct solution.
ME2 laughed at that, had Garrus do the same thing regardless, and turned him into a dependent subordinate with a confidence crisis who never regained that independence. Your milage may vary, but I found the ME1 Garrus far more interesting for what he promised to become than what ME2 turned him into.
Like I said, over half of ME2's squadmates could have been cut (and you may have thought it a better game for it), but I personally liked that they were included. The squad was the reason I enjoyed ME2 so much.
Characters don't have to be cut, however. You can make them more relevant to the story, or the story more relevant to them.
Take Garrus: what if Garrus wasn't a vigilantee, but the Council's own investigator into the Terminus abductions who got caught up by his compassionate Renegade nature? Garrus could have been tied directly into the story in a way that didn't regress his character (by having him abandon his development path in ME1) or abandon his ME2 theme.
I'll make a case example. Let's change the 'and Garrus got fed up with that **** and quit.'
Paragon!Garrus returned to C-SEC after the fall of Sovereign, and quickly went up the ranks with his dedication and belief in the properness of sensible due process. Never losing sight of what was important while keeping within the rules, Garrus was a rising star. When Human colonies began vanishing, Garrus recognized the patterns and didn't let the issue drop. Though Citadel jurisdiction ends at the Terminus, Garrus was able to dig up a long-forgotten provision of 'hot pursuit', and successfully argued that it allowed C-SEC to investigate even inside the Terminus. Garrus received a tentative sanction to go to Omega and investigate.
While investigating the Human disappearances from Omega, Garrus couldn't help but be appaled by the lawlessness around him, and how it hurt the weak. If Omega had no law, he would begin bringing some: he used his C-SEC contacts to set up a PMC, registered it on Omega with Aria, and began arresting and extraditing criminals, using his legal PMC to send them to C-SEC. ArchAngel grew a following even as he grew distracted from his original mission, and ended up being betrayed and cornered, his PMC destroyed.
Renegade!Garrus reapplied for Spectre candidacy after the fall of Sovereign, and soon got it. Soon gaining a reputation for pragmatic and direct solutions, Garrus never forgot that what he did, he did to bad people who hurt good people. When Human colonies began vanishing, Garrus recognized the patterns and didn't let the issue drop. Though Spectre status ends at the Terminus border, Garrus was able to get permission to conduct his own, unsupported investigation.
While investigating the Human disapearances from Omega, Garrus was appaled by how the strong of Omega preyed on the weak. On impulse he interevened one day in a crime, taking down the perpetrator, and gradually did more and more the more he saw. Without picking a fight with Aria he began taking down the worst of the worst, the criminals who affected not only Omega but also Council space. Garrus's private crusade gathered a gang of followers even as he lost sight of his original mission, and Archangel grew ever more active before being betrayed and cornered, his informal team destroyed.
Both of these put Garrus back in the same position to be with Shepard in ME1, with the same revenge story line, without negating the distinctions or characterization of ME1. Garrus's P/R influencing still matters (and let's say the 'I quit' vigilante was if you never recruited him), and now Garrus is more relevant to the story by offering some token support from the Council towards Shepard's mission: either a C-SEC officer or a Spectre is a member of Shepard's team, which only adds to the impressiveness of the collection.
That may have worked, but then I wouldn't have got to shag him.
Us female gamers have perverse sexual desires to fulfill too, you know.
Don't worry, see above.
EDIT: Okay, did I kill all the typos? Please tell me I killed all the typos.
You didn't kill all the typos.
It's typoes.
Retour en haut
