Rage against the machines
So I finally finished Xenoblade Chronicles. Fucker’s long — real long. Took me 103 hours start-to-finish. It’s pretty fun (wouldn’t have blown 103 hours of valuable internet swearing time on it otherwise), but that’s not what I’m here to talk about today. I’m here to talk about how, on a thematic level, it’s the exact same game as Mass Effect 3, only not so shitheaded. To save the delicate sensibilities of those who have not played one or the other game, I’ll hide the rest of my cursin’ words after a big fat jump.
Aaaaaaaand we’re back. Are you still with me? If you are, on your own head be the consequences; henceforth, every word I say should be regarded as a spoiler, unless it’s in green like this, in which case it should be regarded as me trolling you with unreadable text on my own blog. Sucka.
So fundamentally, Xenoblade and Mass Effect deal with the same concepts — coëxistence of organic and synthetic life, self-determination, a prophesied end of the world. The plot of the Mass Effect games begins with a conflict between the organic races of the galaxy and the Geth, which are a race of robots. In Xenoblade, we have the conflict between the organic races of the Bionis, and the Mechon, which are also a race of robots. Later on, in Mass Effect 2, we meet some Geth that aren’t just pop-up enemies in a giant space war, but actually have intelligence and want to live in peace with the organics, while, in Xenoblade, we meet the Machina, which is the race of robots that created the Mechon and also are intelligent and peaceful. Then in both games this potential peaceful resolution is interrupted by the imminent end of the world.
Commander Shepard and Shulk are both cast as individuals whose actions can change the predestined course of fate. Now, sure, one could say that’s pretty common in video game heroes — and one would not be wrong — but both of these games make a great big deal about it. Both of them are even standing against the exact same fate; a deus ex machina that will arrive to "reset" the state of the world by eradicating all advanced life and reseeding the world to start the next cycle. Both games refer to this as a cycle, and refer to Shepard and Shulk as the ones who can (if they so choose) break the cycle.
Mass Effect 3, sadly, is bullshit. I was sort of lukewarm on the game’s plot and ending at the time, but, as I’ve thought about it more, I like it less and less. It’s a whole lot of sad-sack moping and expressionistic lighting and drab colours and decay and death and it’s just goddamn dull. Xenoblade does the exact same plot, but sets it in gorgeous environments with characters who actually seem heroic and actually get things done, and when the main character has a moping moment we know he’ll get over it. Commander Shepard seems like he needs to get him some Zoloft.
Also, where’s the individualism in Mass Effect 3? One of the hallmarks of the series has been that the whole galaxy said Shepard was a dangerous lunatic, but he did what had to be done to save the day and ended up being a big damn hero. But in Mass Effect 3… hey, you’re just a soldier, following the orders General Spaceman gives you when he calls you on the space phone. Even all the way up to the stupid insulting ending! Here you are, saved the day, dying away at the top of the Citadel, and General Spaceman calls you up again — because I guess somehow you brought the space phone with you into the dungeon of doom — and tells you you have to go talk to God.
Curiously, you have the exact same conversation with God in both Mass Effect 3 and Xenoblade. And God gives you the exact same bullshit false choice in both games. The main difference is that, is Xenoblade — and this part’s important, so pay attention — Shulk tells God he’s not going to get stuck with that false dilemma. He refuses to play along and allow the cycle to continue with a new coat of paint; he declares that he will not choose, because people should be free to decide on their own fates and not bound by his decisions. It’s the right goddamn ending, and it doesn’t even matter that Xenoblade, as a JRPG and not a Bioware game, doesn’t permit any player interaction with the cutscene; it seems far more satisfying to have the characters handle the choice on their own and get it right than it is to be given a dialogue box with only wrong choices in it and have to pick one.
