Mass Effect - The Hope Effect of Shepard

Pixeljudge published a new editorial for Mass Effect about Commander Shepard.

Saying that hope is a running theme in the Mass Effect series is about as dull of a statement as saying the sun is warm; it's so obvious it's barely worth commenting on. Or rather, it would be if you were to look at the series as a whole and only consider it in the context of the greater narrative. The last ditch, desperate grasp at something far more noble, far more powerful and far more painful than petty victory. The vain hope for survival despite the cold, unshakeable certain that there can be none.

The idea is powerful, that much is undeniable, but still nothing of any great significance as a subject to explore on its own merit. It’s better suited to being part of a greater analysis of hope as a storytelling device in narratives in general, as opposed to just a part of Mass Effect itself. But, see, this is not the only example of hope throughout the series. It is the most obvious, yes, and the most dramatic certainly, but it is far and away from being the most powerful representation that BioWare wove into the rich tapestry of their sci-fi epic.

See, everything Shepard does, because they are the lynchpin here, every action, every decision, every interaction brings its own kind of hope. The multitude of seemingly insignificant scenes that play out through the series, each and every one of them, has its own dreams of much greater things built up around it. The writing staff at BioWare have crafted such a finely tuned narrative, constantly reinforcing this sense of “Shepard being able to affect destiny or inspire acts of greatness,” that when you really sit and think about it, suddenly everything doesn't seem so lost after all.