The concept of a “favorite game” is strange, much like a favorite is. We all have favorite foods, favorite movies, favorite songs, favorite colors, but that doesn't mean those things are all we'll ever want to eat, watch or listen to or wear again. The truth is that we rarely have unconditional favorites – it depends on context, mood, season, time of day, time of life. But when someone asks you your favorite, you sound like a demanding jerk when you say this. Instead, I'll say that Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game.
It's my favorite game in most contexts, in most moods, most of the time. I'm not sure I'd commit to a replay too often now, with my last being Legendary Edition, but it might also be my most replayed game from my younger years. This isn't a consistent task considering it's a near prerequisite that this iteration also includes Mass Effect and Mass Effect 3.
Mass Effect has a point to prove
Mass Effect 4/5/the next one (I'll be with 4) are already under pressure. BioWare has had a series of Mass Effect bugs in Andromeda, Anthem and most recently Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Although the latest game on this list did better critically and commercially than its villainous counterparts, it was still far short of the universal acclaim that the studio was accustomed to during the Mass Effect and Dragon Age trilogy.
This may be partly due to the harsh and disruptive environment it was launched into, but it has also moved in its own way by going back to what made the series great and missing out on broader appeal, there the brand missed and also lost their hardcore support.
This leads to a difficult position. It's too late to change course wholesale, and Andromeda is no longer a look from a new studio that's overloaded, Anthem is no longer an ill-advised live service experiment. These seem to be the norm for New BioWare, and Mass Effect is now tasked with breaking a three-game series, with a growing number of the audience expecting it to be the fourth flop. Mass Effect 4 won't get the benefit of the doubt without any real guilt. And yet the most enjoyable part of the Veilguard was when it acted like a mass effect with rapid motorcycle detonation combat through the eyes of a hero.
The recent Renegade/Paragon tease seems to come from this frustration with Mass Effect 2 coming back. Given the Age of the Dragon had become increasingly closed off from its origins, it was generally considered the “pure” Age of the Dragon, Mass Effect with the formula fixed for 2. its size flows through 3 and Andromeda. Mass Effect 4 is expected to do the same to match 2. 2. But this is such a high bar that it feels like the dice are loaded against the mass effect from the start.
BioWare can thrive beyond its golden age
I could write about why Mass Effect 2 is so great for its quinceanera, and I've praised the game's individual elements many, many, many times. I have more to say about it, but I find it impossible to think about Mass Effect 2, and I'm not immediately worried about Mass Effect 4. It seems impossible that any game with it can match my affection – only Baldur's Gate 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2 have joined the pantheon of my “favorite games” over the past decade. Nostalgia has a strong pull.
But we don't need Mass Effect 4 to be as good as Mass Effect. 2. To simply end Bioware's dry spell is enough. This may be a difficult question, but all it really needs to do is stay true to its own traditions. Meaningful decisions. Different ways. Strong characters. Explosive game. If it were that easy to write down, every game would have them, but this is Bioware's family tree. It doesn't require characters on the level of Garrus, Wrex and Liara, although this one is seen as and the other two also appear.
Maybe Bioware's golden age is gone. Maybe that's okay. I liked the Veilguard more than most, but still appreciated that it was very flawed in some ways, and most of its strengths came from its similarities to Mass Effects. Now the mass effect just needs to stabilize the ship. I love Mass Effect 2, but it's in the past. With Mass Effect 4, I hope the series can still have a future.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
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Opencritical
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Top Critic Rating:
87/100