Star Trek is a very influential show, and so I’ll be looking at a few other TV show episodes, movies and games inspired by Star Trek as part of the Trekathon.
First up is *Mass Effect 2*. The best Star Trek game ever made (even though it’s not a Star Trek game).[^1]
In fact, *Mass Effect 2* might be one of the best games ever made. It succeeds on every level: gameplay, plot, acting, graphics, sound.
Personally, I think that the plot and characters are the main thing that keeps me coming back. *Mass Effect 2* is incredibly selfish, having more strong well define characters in one game that you normally see in a year of releases. As I played I found myself becoming very attached to the characters I recruited for my crew. And that makes the ‘suicide mission’ dynamic of the game, where any character can die in the final act, one of the tensest gaming experiences I’ve ever had. This is’t a case of a mistake causing you to lose a life, it’s a case where a mistake causes a friend you’ve been playing the game with for hours to die.
It’s also the best sequel ever. I finished *Mass Effect 1* recently, and the links between the games are deep and complex. Many of the decisions that you made in *Mass Effect 1* have some sequel or another here. Other games have tried to do this, but this is the first time it’s been successful.
But finally, *Mass Effect 2* is the first the real role playing game. Plenty of games before have aped the mechanics of role playing games. But this is the first time when playing a game that I found myself trying to put myself into the mindset and position of my character in order to make decisions. And the game gives you enough freedom that you feel that you really are making choices, rather than being railroaded down the game developer’s chosen path.
I wish I had the time right now to start playing the game again, just to try and go in another direction and build another character.
[^1]: OK, quite a few people say that it’s Star Wars, not Star Trek. To respond, I’d say: it’s set in our future, not ‘a long time ago’, it involves a small set of discrete identifiable alien species, and you have a focus on your ship and crew rather than any mystic religion. Sounds like Star Trek to me.