I want to break down how the clubs of Mass Effect, from Chora’s Den to Purgatory, subtly tell the story of people outside of Shepard’s orbit. Not the orchestral main motifs or the adrenaline-fuelled thrashing of battle music, but the music within Mass Effect. Throughout countless articles written about this trilogy, there’s one aspect of the story-telling that has been oft-overlooked-the music. I should know, I have played through the whole trilogy twice in two months. Some of the characters you meet, choices you make, and their implications on the galaxy as a whole can stick with you well beyond the credits rolling, and it can make you want to come back for more.
The Mass Effect Trilogy represents storytelling at its most grandiose by effortlessly integrating a whole galaxy’s worth of lore through environmental storytelling, captivating codex entries, overheard conversations, and the trials and tribulations of Commander Shepard and the crew of the SSV Normandy. When Mass Effect: Legendary Edition released on May 14th, 2021, audiences both old and new were once again reminded of the colossal narrative powers that BioWare once possessed.
