So my pre-ordered Mass Effect Foundation Vol. 2 came in yesterday. Having just finished it, I realize what makes the Mass Effect Universe so awesome is that nearly every story is connected to Shepard in some shape or form. Reading the books, and then the graphic novels, I've learned a lot about the Universe (and also spending time in the ME wikia app on my phone).
I hope ME1-3 will have a connection to MENext.
I call this the "richness" of the story. Stories having a past with references seem more valid to us. It's like knowing the history of a city, lets say our own city (assuming you live in one or greatly like one) - it gives us that connected feel.
Interestingly, one of our old buddies from ME2 had pretty much the opposite. Grunt, for all of his wonderful self seemed to have no past, and could not connect with Okeer. It left him full grown with no memories of his own, and he felt lost. I think it is one of the reasons he became so attached to Shepard. I think it is also why so many people really like Grunt. Our baby Krogan grew up into a lean mean killing machine with a wicked sense of humor.
The ME trilogy is ripe with these connections, and I dare say that this is why we stick to the details so well - it is how each of us as individuals integrate in the MEU. When one of those itsy bitsy details is changed, it causes strife because something that we understood and then built upon is suddenly tore out from under us.
First off, I loved how ME2 directly and heavily referenced ME1 during its early hours... then IGN had to criticize it for being hard to follow as a newcomer and the whole "ME3 is for newcomers, come in everybody!" mess started. I didn't like how ME1 or ME2 was referenced early on in ME3. It felt like ME3's perception of the events from 1 and 2 was too diferent somehow. The fact that Shepard acted different and Anderson's characterization was off had something to do with it too, I'm sure.
I still don't know what to feel about MENext, but then again, anything would be premature as I haven't gotten a feel for it as there is not even a trailer yet (and that pre-alpha from last year is nothing to judge by).
Sometimes though, I do wonder if it's time for a deconstruction of the Mass Effect IP, but I don't know. I kinda like the idyllicness of all species talking english and inter-species relationships but I do think you could make a good story out of exploring the fact that humans and aliens are biologically, culturally and... sapiently(?) unlike each other and there should've been more repercussions to that.
KOTOR 2 became one of my favorite Star Wars plots of all time because of how it deconstructed the IP and questioned the ethics behind being a Jedi or Sith and being capable of using The Force.
I'd love to see Mass Effect question its own properties a bit more but I wouldn't want it if it was corny, like Uncharted 3 was to the other two (remember Drake's existential crisis and all that? Not so convincing.) and attempting to deconstruct something is a huge risk to take.
But I'd take it any day over more mercenary plots, edgy and dark Cerberus crap or "humanity can overcome all odds, oorah" that the series has got going for it since Mass Effect 2. (Reaper plot had some decency to it, I admit though, if we can put aside the ending itself)
If this Andromeda Galaxy colonization thingy ends up referencing ME3's ending at all, I would actually love it if it was like "we stay away from Milky way because it is infected with synthesis!" but either way I don't see it making any sense, so buck it :-3
I do enjoy the extended universe; the only thing I've never read or seen so far are Deception and Paragon Lost due to poor reception and that free Joker comic which I've never got round to reading. I wish they would they would team up with Telltale so we could have Telltale Mass Effect episodes between major releases instead of Borderlands which would no only make the wait tolerable, but would be a great excuse to bring back old favorites like Wrex & Garrus and explore wider non human centric canon like the Rachni & Morning Wars, Prothean times, etc.
Guest_AugmentedAssassin_*
Mass Effect is love, Mass Effect is life.
Shepard?
I thought everything was connected to Cerberus 
Shepard?
I thought everything was connected to Cerberus
And cerberus is connected to Shepard...
Hopefully it has no connection at all to the trilogy other than the setting. That'd be ideal.
I'm sorry for your loss.So my pre-ordered Mass Effect Foundation Vol. 2 came in yesterday.
I do enjoy the extended universe; the only thing I've never read or seen so far are Deception and Paragon Lost due to poor reception and that free Joker comic which I've never got round to reading. I wish they would they would team up with Telltale so we could have Telltale Mass Effect episodes between major releases instead of Borderlands which would no only make the wait tolerable, but would be a great excuse to bring back old favorites like Wrex & Garrus and explore wider non human centric canon like the Rachni & Morning Wars, Prothean times, etc.
I thought Paragon Lost was alright, and that is from someone who generally hates anime. I expected to hate it going into it. I think it got some undeserved hate because it released a few months after ME3 and was partially caught up in the residual ending hate. It released at a time when there were still lots of angry people bent on hating anything and everything associated with Mass Effect 3. Unlike with Deception some of the complaints about lore errors were nitpicky or completely unfounded. I'd rank it a better story than the vast majority of the comics, though that isn't saying much.
Deception on the other hand deserves its reputation. It is a mess from start to finish and the complaints about lore or continuity errors are mostly legit.
I thought Paragon Lost was alright, and that is from someone who generally hates anime. I expected to hate it going into it. I think it got some undeserved hate because it released a few months after ME3 and was partially caught up in the residual ending hate. It released at a time when there were still lots of angry people bent on hating anything and everything associated with Mass Effect 3. Unlike with Deception some of the complaints about lore errors were nitpicky or completely unfounded. I'd rank it a better story than the vast majority of the comics, though that isn't saying much.
Deception on the other hand deserves its reputation. It is a mess from start to finish and the complaints about lore or continuity errors are mostly legit.
I'm glad I didn't buy any volume or issue of Foundation. I was waiting for a book that had all 13 or 14 issues in a hardback like the other comic lines have had, and sure enough the second volume of the Library Edition is just that.
I haven't read any of foundation yet, but I don't care how much hate it gets here. I'm not expecting A-grade comic writing with these just like I expected little quality from the others, I just want to learn more about the lore. And I've enjoyed the other comics so far.
I'm glad I didn't buy any volume or issue of Foundation. I was waiting for a book that had all 13 or 14 issues in a hardback like the other comic lines have had, and sure enough the second volume of the Library Edition is just that.
I haven't read any of foundation yet, but I don't care how much hate it gets here. I'm not expecting A-grade comic writing with these just like I expected little quality from the others, I just want to learn more about the lore. And I've enjoyed the other comics so far.
I have Vol 1 and Vol 2, and I love it. Yeah some the stories aren't that great... But I bought it just to add to my ME collection -- and to gain some insight on a few characters and background behind the ME Universe. The graphic novels answered a lot of my questions about Rasa, Thane, Joker, how Cerberus got Shepard's body.
Now, I plan on getting each individual comic, to add to my growing collection.
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