Character Development

Over the past three weeks I have spend a large amount of my time writing very long blogs to which I am sorry for, on the Mass Effect series, starting with my thoughts on the series ending to how I got into the series and why I have enjoyed it so much.

While writing last week’s blog I touch on in very little detail the character development that takes place within the series and that a series can only survive if it can find a balance between the characters, world and story. An example of this that I would like to use would be any television show you watch, the main reason that you watch these shows is for the story and its characters and over time if those character don’t show any change or the story stays the same you will at some point become bored with the show and leave. If the show runners are able to create a balance between these two facts you will then be able to bring more people in to the series and give those that are watching a reason to return to the show the next time it comes back on and Mass Effect has done this very well.

The one thing that I would like to point out before I go on, is that once a series reaches its conclusion on its own terms you have to have created something within that time frame to give those that have invested time into your show a reason to come back and re-watch it even though they may already know the outcome. Examples of this would be the story and characters from Babylon 5, the comedy and relationship of Chuck and the story of Battlestar Galactica 2003. As you can see from my examples, each show I have listed also has a reasons as to why I would go back and revisit them.

As I have stated a moments ago Mass Effect has found a way in which to create this balance while at the same time giving those the chance to invest in the story and its characters. For me the first game created balance between the two very well, while the second game forced more on character development and the final game going more into story development.

I know that a large amount of the fan base will disagree with me but that is a topic for another time, today I just want to have a look at the characters themselves. The one theme that always come up in both the original and the second game is that you spend a large amount of your time talking to your crew members about their past and getting to know them, but the way in which the game makes sure you are not being over loaded with information is by only telling you so much before stopping and then only carrying on after you have completed another mission. Each time you interact with them you find out a bit more information about them while at the same time discover how they got to where they are now, plus you also get this feeling that you are helping them with their past.

By the time you arrive at the third game the character development that has taken place in the previous two games slows down so that the story can take a more centre stage but also allowing for those characters to grow and come to terms with their own actions.

The way in which the series gets you involved with the characters is to try and get you to sympathise with them along with allowing you to try and find apart of you within these characters. A great example of this would be Mordin Solus, when you first meet him you discover that he is a doctor who wants to give back to the galaxy before he dies. As you start to get to know him you find out that he worked for his races Special Forces while at the same time improving upon the Krogan genophage that was created by his race long ago. By this point you discovery that he is helping to create genocide on another race and that his reasoning behind all of it is statistics, when you do meet up with him in Mass Effect 3 you discovery that he has decided to help cure the genophage because he wants atone for what he has done, I won’t spoil what happens next but in just two games you end up caring what happens to him and that in some way you have had a hand in making him realise the error of his ways.

Another great example would be Thane, when you first go looking for him all you know in advance is that he is a contact assassin but just after a few moments of seeing what he can do you get this picture that he is a ruthless killer while being a very holy person as heart. Just like with Mordin when you finally do start talking to him you discover that he has an incurable disease that is killing him and that he wants to connect with his son and make up for lost time.

Again there a more character within the series than those that I have just spoke about and each one is completely different from the next but it is the way in which the writers have been able to create these characters so that we can relate ourselves to them while caring about who they are and what happens to them. This to me is good writing and this is just one of the reasons this series will stand the test of time and why so many will come back to it again and again, if it wasn’t for the story or the characters themselves I don’t think this game series would have been as successful as it is.

Until Next Time