Mass Effect Review
I have a neighbor, Alberto, who's really into horse racing. He reads a mountain of racing literature, does meticulous research into all of the top breeders, and knows the bloodline of Secretariat by heart. For a long time it was his dream to go to Louisville, Kentucky and witness the Kentucky Derby.
This year Alberto was fortunate enough to get tickets, airfare, and lodging to his sacred event, and he choose to take me along with him. Alberto owed me a favor after I rigged it so he could get free porn. We had a good time down there, ate some good food, drank a couple of drinks, and got rejected by some women, good times aplenty.
Then the day of the Kentucky Derby came. We got some nachos and a Mint Julep, and took out seats. Alberto was in a state of utter bliss, a state I hoped to get to as I ordered another Mint Julep. Then the race started, and the race ended. Afterward, I had a question for Alberto, "Is that it?"
"What do you mean"
"Is that it? That's all we came to see?"
"Yes amigo, wasn't it great?"
"Not really."
"What do you mean not really?"
"I- I just don't see-"
"What?"
"The point. I don't see a point to all of this."
"I knew you wouldn't get it."
"Yeah, I don't get it. I don't see the point in horse racing. That's why I'm asking you to explain it to me."
At that point Alberto shut down and stayed that way for the rest of the trip and for some time afterward. We are talking again, but our friendship has definitely been hurt.
A couple of days after I returned from Louisville, I started playing Mass Effect. I played it for a couple of hours every day, drilling further and further into it, eventually finishing the game. However, throughout the game I was asking myself, "Is this it? Is that all there is? Where is the point?"
Don't get me wrong, the game is beautiful, easily approachable, and was moderately enjoyable. It was just listless, unmotivated, and dull at points. I was going through missions with no real sense as to why I'm doing this and what this has to do with anything. I wish that for one minute during this game that I was enthralled in any way, but I simply was not.
