It's pretty much the standard "Hero's Journey" storytelling trope that has been used in almost every Fantasy / Sci-fi movie and other medie since the invention of the genre. Cant really rip on bioware for adhering to an age old formula that works and people apparently love:
Agreed. However, the manipulation of the standard trope and form matters and can elevate your worn-out trope to new heights.
The form cannot exist without meaning (content), just as meaning cannot exist without form. Both interweave. Don't really want to get into that, simply because my knowledge of the English language may hamper what I may attempt to convey.
In any event, the Lord of the Rings, an undeniable milestone in the genre, which spawned countless epigones is a just a collection of myths. It's the path of creation, every act of creating a new entity is a direct result of already known and established entities. As I said, one can only manipulate the sum of one's experiences and imagination. Take Spec Ops: The Line as an epitome of how you can manipulate the form to extract and convey hitherto unknown (or just not discovered before) meaning. Without spoilers, the game virtually ruins every other game experience where you hero is a witness of drastic events and is involved in manslaughter (like in most games actually) - they just do not seem relevant and authentic in comparison to what Spec Ops accomplished.
As I said, the form and presentation of meaning of both DA and ME falls flat in my opinion, despite tremendous potential. In both sagas the fates of the respective worlds are at stake, yet everything is served in a light-hearted, inconsiderate mood. For instance, the hero decides whether to doom or save a particular race without any consideration and second thoughts - one minute of conversation, a few lines of inappropriate dialogue and viola.
I do realize that this is the accusation which applies to the vast majority of video games, unfortunately.
Still, to refer back to what DaemionMoadrin said earlier, yes, there are variations of archetypes, unless a entirely new one appears. To paraphrase a certain knowledgeable guy, we cannot invent nothing new until we invent it.
Peace.
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