Sci-fi tends to have a problem; quite often it gets so wrapped up in the spectacle, it tends to avoid the actual substance. Mass Effect's universe is all about substance. If a movie is to be made, it needs to focus not just on creating a visually stunning experience, but also needs to craft a tale that's just as plot-heavy and weighty as the games. While the choice element of the games naturally gets taken away by having a movie, there's absolutely no reason not to have emotionally involving sections where the viewer will genuinely have feels. The games felt grounded and believable enough to have these moments; for best effect, so should the movies. If the movie is to follow the plot of the games, we need to see the moments that really defined that experience. How about when Commander Shepard had to decide to sacrifice the council for the greater good at the end of the first game, or the decision to destroy an entire race in the third game? There's always a fear that the movie will completely forgo the plot of Mass Effect in favour of a big budget space epic; it can do this, but there's got to be a balance, and it's got to ultimately feel just like the games to succeed. If they manage to pull both off, this could very well end up being the new sci-fi movie franchise to watch out for.
Dan Curtis is approximately one-half videogame knowledge, and the other half inexplicable Geordie accent. He's also one quarter of the Factory Sealed Retro Gaming podcast.
