I realise this is ostensibly an arts blog, so right off the bat I will say that I endorse the idea of video games as art. Moving on...
Recently, IGN published its picks for the Top 100 Modern Games. The category was specifically designed to recognise that, despite the lasting popularity of classic titles like Ocarina of Time and Super Mario, most modern gamers are either too young to be interested in those old titles, or old enough to have already played through them. That left IGN with the worthwhile task of picking the best of the current generation. (Interestingly enough, IGN saw fit to include a number of free-to-play and iOS games, including Angry Birds).
IGN's choice for best game overall is Mass Effect 2, developed by Edmonton-based BioWare for the Xbox 360 (and later ported, with some major problems, to PS3*). IGN is not alone, either: aggregate review site Metacritic places Mass Effect 2 twelfth, but only two points behind #1 Grand Theft Auto IV. Gamesradar ranks it the #10 greatest of all-time, superseded only by Half-Life 2, Shadow of the Colossus (my personal #1), a Mario game, a Zelda, a Metroid, GTAIV, Chrono Trigger, Tetris, and Portal.
The greatest game
Mass Effect 2 is the middle entry in a galaxy-spanning trilogy of sci-fi titles, which concludes next year with the release of Mass Effect 3. The game features Commander Shepard - male or female, depending on your own character creation - and his/her quest to stop the evil Reapers from destroying the universe. Like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, BioWare's last great success, it is an action RPG, in which story, character, and player choices are more important than gameplay. In addition to deciding gender and appearance, your character has a customizable personal history, and his/her decisions have major repercussions not only within the current game, but also its sequel(s).
The Mass Effect Dialogue Wheel. "Paragon" options are at the top. "Renegade" at the bottom. You can be a real jerk in this game if you want to.
This last point is what makes the Mass Effect series so special: a decision to, say, spare the life of an enemy in Mass Effect 1, might have that character reappear in Mass Effect 2 either as a new ally, or engaged in even worse behaviour. There are also a few major plot branches in each installment, leading to some heart-wrenchingly difficult decisions for the player. These can range from deciding which teammates to leave behind, pursuing a romance, or split-second decisions on the fate of the galaxy itself. There's no video game experience quite like it: playing through Mass Effect 2 and seeing repercussions from Mass Effect 1 is something truly special. Who knew you could regret a choice made in a virtual world?
Canuck Pride
Anyway, all of this is to say that, as Canadians, we should do more to recognise BioWare. Unlike film and television, where Canada plays a lesser fiddle (way lower than second) to American programming, BioWare has (almost) single-handedly made Canada the king of the video game medium. (Here's to Canadian music, though! Bet you didn't know the #1 selling album of the 1990s was Shania Twain!)
On that note, I'm not sure what exactly Casey Hudson, Ray Muzyka, and the rest at BioWare have earned. At the very least, they should be due for the Order of Canada. For now, let's get them into the public eye!
Notes
There are lots of other great game companies in this country, too, so kudos to Next Level (Punch Out!), the Canadian divisions of Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia), Capcom (Dead Rising 2), Rockstar (Bully, as well as Grand Theft Auto IV's PC conversion), EA (Need for Speed, NBA Jam), and the many others out there.
*The big issue with the PS3 port of Mass Effect 2 is that there is no PS3 Mass Effect 1. This means that all those major decisions from the earlier game are missing, and the experience is less personalised. BioWare did release an interactive digital comic that allows players to make some major choices, but the smaller ones are overlooked, and the nuance missing from the 15-minute comic book experience.
