[Playing…] Mass Effect 3

Here I am again with a new game friends. Well, perhaps not so new, given that it is already a few years old and has some controversy behind it. Today I come to talk to you about the end of a franchise that, in my opinion, is possibly the best Space Opera that has emerged on consoles and that has nothing to envy of the greats of cinema or television; I am referring to Mass Effect 3.

I want to clarify that I am not going to be objective and I do not pretend to be objective either. This will be my opinion of the game and I respect all those who have opinions contrary to mine. Nor do I intend to be controversial or make spoilers, so I will not go into details of the story, either of this one or the previous two or the expanded universe.

Let's start at the beginning, what is it? Mass Effect?. Good, Mass Effect It is a franchise created by Bioware (Dragon Age, Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights) emerged in 2007, initially in Xbox 360 (although later ported to the rest of the platforms, becoming multiplatform from 2) in order to alleviate what seemed to be the lack of rights to make the third part of the Knights of the Old Republic, set in the universe Star Wars. Thanks to this, Bioware created a universe that was much more logical and closer to Star Trek in some aspects that Star Wars.

We are facing a hybrid between RPG and Third Person Shooter. It may seem like a bizarre mix, a nutty and chorizo ​​sandwich, but the truth is that it works very well, as other examples that have similar approaches demonstrate, such as Deus Ex: Human Revolution. In the game we can use both different types of firearms and a series of telekinetic powers or technological abilities that, combined, give rise to impressive battles with a strong strategic component.

Made with a fireproof and polished Unreal Engine 3, looks impressive, although it comes with bugs endemic to this engine as standard, such as late loading of textures and glitch Crazy things like getting stuck in walls or strange movements of inert bodies. Another very important element is the soundtrack, the work of Clint Mansell, which has already left an imprint on the collective unconscious of both players and any science fiction fan that will take many years to erase. Topics like Uncharted World either Leaving Earth They are common in the iPod of any geek who prides himself on understanding soundtracks.

The main protagonist is Commander Shepard, who is joined by a cast of characters of different races and genders, each one more charismatic. We are dragging characters from previous chapters, who despite repeating in some or all of the installments do not decline or stop offering the game. Except in the last one, to which they have added a character that cannot be flatter because it would be in 2D: James Vega, a kind of Mexican Swarzennegger. It's ironic how some NPCs (characters controlled by the game) have been given more background and personality than a cast member. It doesn't hurt so much because he's just one of many and each of the rest slings soups into him, some being as emblematic as the protagonist. Additionally, in this latest installment we will have cameos from characters who have been part of the team in previous games and are not in this one, which help ensure that the feeling of continuity does not decline.

Because continuity is something fundamental in this saga. It is not a game to play isolated from the rest. At the beginning of each game since 2 they allow you to import your previous game, which will make all the actions performed in previous games, big or small, and your own character continue the adventure. Even the blatant DLC's that bled 2 by cutting a piece of the ending, will be part of the plot with winks, messages or quests added.

The game's story continues directly after 2. The Reapers have arrived in the galaxy and are destroying every known civilization. La misión del Comandante Shepard es simple: acabar con ellos y evitar la extinción. Para ello tendrá que forjar alianzas, pulir antiguas rencillas y odios y liberar la galaxia de las garras de los monstruosos alienígenas cibernéticos. Para hacerlo no sólo hará falta jugar la historia, sino que el multijugador cooperativo que incluye el juego (al más puro estilo horda de Gears of Wars) incrementará los efectivos de los que dispondremos en la batalla final.

La trama principalmente se centrará en cerrar arcos argumentales que se han ido abriendo a lo largo de la saga. Y lo hace muy bien. Si bien el final es algo polémico, el juego debe mirarse como si fuera un final por entero. No debemos quedarnos con la media hora final, no es justo para un juego de este calibre.

En definitiva, nos encontramos ante un juego que termina una saga de las más influyentes no solo de la generación, sino posiblemente de la historia actual de los videojuegos. El final del viaje del Comandante Shepard es el culmen de una aventura que empezó en 2007 y que a muchos nos ha dejado marca. Su impresionante apartado técnico, su banda sonora y la historia que cuenta lo convierten en un juego de diez. Aquellos que seáis fans de los juegos de rol occidentales y de la ciencia ficción estáis obligados a jugar no solo a este, sino a la saga completa. Subid a la Normandía, el viaje no ha hecho más que comenzar.