The Essential Truth of Mass Effect (*SPOILERS* Mass Effect 1)

[@ExaltedMarch]

OK, corrections time: - I said ExoGeni "created" the Thorian but I meant they uncovered it and tried to create a mind control method based on the Thorian. - I said Benezia is found in the Hot Labs, but it's actually Rift Station; originally you think she's in the Hot Labs, but she's not. - Benezia doesn't actually have a financial stake in ExoGeni, Saren does, but Benezia is acting as his executor. - I said "nuance" instead of nuisance when talking about Sovereign and how he regards Shepard. I recorded this all in one take immediately following a 50+ hour work week - I tried my best lol. As always I appreciate your time and support. Let me know your thoughts on the video overall!

[@efxnews4776]

When you mention that "sometimes even hope needs a disguise" i imediatly remember one ep. from the series Love+Death+Robots called Beyond the Aquila Rift (wich is based in the short story of the sci-fi author, Alastair Reynolds). That ep literally messed with my mind, and your sentence pulls me straight to it. What is hope actually? For most of us is have a good life and die a good death. Thats precisly what that ep conveys. Also, a lot of folks mention that this ep has some serious Mass Effect vibes (and some say it is like Mass Effect and Dead Space have a child). In this story, the monster is the rocket, and the rocket is the monster a total subversion of the concept, and i dare to say, a subversion of a lovecraftian monster, sometimes our worst fears, are our ONLY salvation! If you didn't watch this series, you should, at least for this ep, is worthed the entire series. About Mass Effect.... One of the greatest things of the the trilogy, is that the very first aliens we found, are the turians, who imediatly start a war with us, at the end of the trilogy turian and humans are best buddies forever, and this is represented by Shepard / Garrus friendship, a really honest and beautfull friendship "theres no Shepard without Vakarian" (theres no humans without turians). The monent i loved Mass Effect was when Shepard become a Spectre! That moment was awesome! I feel like i really earned something, that i have to work hard to get it, that moment i was: WOW! And yes, was at the citadel.

[@killermonkey1258]

I see "the monster and the rocket" everywhere I look in science fiction now. I even noticed The Expanse has an episode called "the monster and the rocket". That whole show, and the books, have so many parallels with Mass Effect its crazy. The ME1 codex even mentions that the larger ships have decks perpendicular to thrust to use thrust as linear artificial gravity, like in the Expanse. Thanks, for making this great video.

[@Rainbowhawk1993]

So good to have you back, bro. Perfect video to wet out appetites for Legendary Edition!

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thanks! Glad to be back

[@thomasjackson3833]

This video is way too good to have under 1,000 likes

[@GhilDirthalen]

Just finally got to watch- Glad to see you posting again! You've always had such a thoughtful way of talking about the series, and this was no exception. Excited to see if you will talk about the other two games as well~

[@ExaltedMarch]

Heh - just wait till I do The Essential Truth of Dragon Age...

[@GhilDirthalen]

@@ExaltedMarch "Fantasy plucks from within us our deepest fears and hopes, and shows them to us in rough disguise: The Dragon and the sex scene." -Dragon Age fans, probably.

[@ExaltedMarch]

@@GhilDirthalen *scribbles in notebook madly*

[@ccompson2]

Hope and dreams sometimes also require change. Drastic and painful change even. And this can seem unattainable, and sometimes we need to disguise it and acclimate ourselves to get what we want.

[@LuisSmith-p7n]

How does this video and the channel NOT have hundreds of thousands of views already?! This guy is amazing and is very knowledgeable. Originally heard about Exalted March from Ghil's channel, I enjoy both of their channels

[@ExaltedMarch]

You're very kind. Thanks for watching!

[@tebbet1678]

You're really good at taking nuanced ideas and relaying them in a very understandable and entertaining way. Awesome stuff Jordan ! I'm so excited to play through the trilogy again now !!!

[@Mungojerryjuice]

I got into mass effect from listening to you talk about it on split the veil. I only played MELE but i love it and its now one of my favorite series ever. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@franciscovazquezjr4550]

Oh boy a new Exalted March video. *grabs popcorn*

[@RiverMeTimbers353]

I first played mass effect when I was 10 and a lot of the nuanced subtleties and thematic implications completely went over my head. Great video essays like this always expand my perception of these works of art. Thanks for the wonderful video, Jordan! Now, it’s time to play through the entire series again in preparation of the remaster release…

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thanks for sharing. Helping people take that closer look at Mass Effect was exactly why I wanted to do this video.

[@chronickitsch]

I’d love to see an “Essential Truth” vid for each Mass Effect game including ME:A. This sort of thematic breakdown is so refreshing against the backdrop of reddit opinions, which are so often just toxic. I get that ME:A is hated for its release date jank, it’s lack of support, and it’s narrative pitfalls but in recognition of that I’ve never been able to finish a playthrough of Andromeda without getting the feeling that there’s still something redeemable about it.

[@pskatoy]

What an great video, love to hear/see these types of videos. And it was a perfect apetizer for the coming gaming marathon this coming weekend

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thanks very much. Making it has gotten me super hyped for Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

[@wren9541]

Every time you post a video, it makes my day :)

[@ExaltedMarch]

I’ll try to post more often!

[@Hexentric8]

OMG glad to see you making new videos again! So excited to see what else you give us Jordan! Great vid tho! 🙂

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thank you thank you. I can’t promise anything yet but the ‘essential truth’ idea could be done with a few other franchises.

[@efxnews4776]

Mass Effect is even better than Alien, because the monster isn't only a beast that only knows how to kill, but a monster do to it's motivations. Folks need to remember that Shepard had a meeting with the reaper creators, the Leviathans, and they despite their arrogance, aren't exactly "monsters". Much like all other aliens in the galaxy, even some that are feared as monsters like the rachni, they do have their motivations but are willing to talk and compromise when needed. The rachni itself is a good example of an alien species that has all the characteristics of nightmare monsters, but, they also have their motivations, like when the rachni queen beg to Shepard let her live, is a weird creature indeed, but not an evil creature.

[@quesocoatl21]

34:03 Weren't her people indoctrinated? That's what I got from the "sour note" talk. Sovereign attempted to summon the other Reapers, failed, and used the Rachni as cannon fodder.

[@zaneex4043]

Great video really opened my eyes

[@forceghostyoda9705]

Stuff like this makes schoolwork more bearable, thanks.

[@ExaltedMarch]

I have to pay it forward for all the hours that FudgeMuppet and MattyPlays and Noah Caldwell-Gervais have gotten me through work overtime hours haha. So you're welcome!

[@ducky36F]

And yeah that point on Andromeda is so true. In that first mission when you really feel you’re in an alien universe is amazing. Then next thing you know oh no all the galaxy is already settled by people we already know and the new aliens become very familiar very quickly.

[@burningbronze7555]

And it lacks the stage presence of a monster.

[@SvenTviking]

But that actual game play was light years ahead of the original trilogy, which was appallingly bad. It shocked me how awful the legendary edition game play was after not playing ME since I bought my PS4. Everything on the X button is a recipe for disaster.”

[@vrivrari]

Was anticipating this, since you mentioned it on the podcast :D

[@nunya_bizniz]

Content on another level. Can't give enough compliments. 👍

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thank you so much, appreciate the kind words.

Already saved it for later. Will be a treat to watch while eating pizza xD

[@two2truths]

Hope you exercised after that pizza

[@lillianricketts7705]

That intro was beautiful and poetic I could listen to it on loop

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thank you so much!

[@virabelasan7565]

Great job, and this is a fantastic video! I cannot wait to see more! As for video suggestions, maybe you could do some lore videos. I think this might be useful for people who are entering the series. Also I would love to see videos like this for Mass Effect 2/3. Other than that keep up the great work!

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thank you! Fun fact the original plan was to do this breakdown for all three games at once since the themes play out in the whole trilogy but it was just too big. A script is already started for ME2 but it takes quite a while with so little free time! Maybe some shorter videos before then.

[@virabelasan7565]

@@ExaltedMarch Honestly you could make videos that are just reading a character bio that is 1 minute and I would watch!

[@Yarazin]

Nice to see a new vid, I have missed your MEA vids especially.

[@Lady_Eleven]

Yesss thank you this is just what I wanted to watch before Legendary!

[@SimplyStuart94]

He's back!

[@KuyaAyanGG]

Something cool in Mass Effect 1 is that you can actually have different companion banters based on who you have in your current party; one member can provide either approving or disapproving insights on a morally ambiguous choice such as letting the rachni queen live or killing her. For example, Ashley can be approving to let the Rachni Queen live when Wrex is also in the party but she can be disapproving if Liara is the other member in the party.

[@vladboch]

Great deconstruction of ME1's plot, thanks!

[@Emma-vd2pz]

yessss jordan, you finally uploaded :)))))

[@itcouldbelupus2842]

I love videos like this.

[@Arauto_Kagnos]

Wonderful analysis!

[@robbieotoole6541]

Best damn video ever jordan !! Do more!!!

[@FlukasMcDoogle]

So Benezia is not in Hot Labs... but she isn't. Damn. That's a rough way to lose a game of Hot or Not... Welcome back, my friend. Good video.

[@EVandeScheur]

Longtime fan of your Split the Veil podcast and with LE really love diving deep into your Mass Effect content. The ideas you present here are all new and amazig to me and Id love to watch more. Althought, and I hope this advice isnt taken the wrong way, in case you work through a script Id take some more time on textual editing. Especially the opening was sometimes really confusing to follow due to all the repition in your words and lines. I think a quick, final look at a text, asking if certain lines or repetitive words really add something to the point youre making, would really make your arguments stand out even better!

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thank you for watching. I love the feedback and honestly I think you're right. In my recent tips videos that I've done I've tried to work on making things more streamlined and hopefully improved a little. I always appreciate feedback. Feedback from people watching my videos has helped me tremendously through the years.

[@Billmaster115]

After watching this is realised something about our companions. Kaiden is the hope for a paradise behind the mountain, Ashley is the fear of monsters. Garrus is the monster that becomes your best friend and stands by you no matter what, Wrex is the monster that everyone fears and with good reason and he hates this fact. Tali’Zorah echoes the contempt of the past and echoes hatred and anger for her monsters; Liara looks forward and does not hate her monsters, she pity’s them and echoes redemption and forgiveness, but in ME2 she represents how far one can fall and how one can be brought back. The companions can change based on the Commander’s choices and words; Ashley learns to look at her monsters and sees friends and accepts them, while Kaiden can become a Xenophobe. Garrus embraces the part of his culture that cares only for results, but he can learn to see that the means are just as important as the ends. Tali’Zorah can let go of the past and move forward by understanding and accepting the Geth. Liara becomes somewhat bitter and vengeful between ME and 2, but you can break through that and bring her back. Wrex, while still a monster, can either embrace this fact and become what everyone fears or evolve past that and become something more than what they were made to be.

[@marloaleman9539]

In my High School class in September earlier not one of the most hardest thing to do when your scared it's just to give it a shot and see what happens it might end up surprising you if you get through it when I was 13 years old in high school

[@marloaleman9539]

As a child I thought that Alien was a great science fiction movie

[@lorzl1287]

Loved this video 🙂

[@ducky36F]

Yeah I so ready for MELE

[@XytaVuramee]

Subscribed

[@LuisManuelLealDias]

I think everyone who loves Mass Effect in this conceptual fashion could do a lot worse than taking a little time and play Freespace and Freespace 2, games from the late 90s, which kind of go to the exact same conceptual spots that Mass Effect does. In fact, I think there's a lot of plagiarism happening here, but the good kind of course.

[@LuisManuelLealDias]

btw, I really loved this video. A very interesting take, I had never heard about the "rocket and monster" thing, which is really good.

[@lennynull-funf-zehn5416]

hold up... Did Jordan just post a Video? Nah... Can't be. I'm dreaming

[@SvenTviking]

The essential truth is that the ending choices are shit, you cannot have Shepherd survive with all his companions no matter how well you play, and it’s completely unnecessary. Why can’t you have the Synthesis ending by flicking a switch or pushing a button? Why does the Citadel AI need Shepherd to die in order to achieve synthesis? There is no good or logical reason bar “They wrote it that way”. Bioware was heavily criticised for this shit choice and they basically doubled down on the crap choice they gave the player. They could have fixed it in the legendary addition (as everybody hoped) but they didn’t. Can you imagine being THAT stupid and THAT arrogant? To have people paying for and playing your game for years and then giving them an ending that utterly sucked and they hated? And when given the opportunity to fix that, refusing. I wonder if George RR Martin played Mass Effect?

[@quesocoatl21]

About Synthesis and Shepard dying: Shepard is used as the source of the "new DNA" because Shepard up to that point has if you pay attention to ME2 upgrades been physiologically modified he was brought back to life with synthetic implants and presumably nanites and his body was further upgraded by synthetic implants he needs to sacrifice himself to give the galaxy those alterations because he's basically the baseline for merging synthetic and organic systems.

[@KravMagoo]

I find it so amazing and perplexing that people complain deeply about characters having plot armor in stories...but when it comes to ME, there is RAGE that Shepard doesn't have plot armor. His sacrifice IS THE WHOLE POINT. Him living IS A TRAGEDY. You are literally STEALING his opportunity and experience of eternity by "making" him survive as a human. He has full conscious awareness of the entire galaxy forever...he earned that, and you literally want to take that from him. Truly, deeply sad. The one thing I have come to realize in listening to years of complaining and negative reactions to ME's storyline, is that the people who "play" as Shepard and NOTHING LIKE Shepard.

[@TheHunchy101]

LIIIIIIIIIKE!!!! Like like like like like 👍

[@jordan-mn6yy]

Idk about all that doo hickey. I just know ME1 has simple combat that feels rewarding with progression and exploration. While every other game always tries to be super tryhard, with artificial difficulty spikes just to get you to rage. There is a hidden agenda for games to provoke this rage response, that's why (pvp games) and ME2 is an all around downgrade from a mechanical pov regarding the combat. The equation to making a satisfying experience isnt rocket science, its very simple but the hidden agenda always gets in the way bc for whatever reason we're not allowed to have good things. I have my suspicions but even though the culprits are very obvious most ppl are too lazy to think for themselves and see who is doing his to them. We are in a dark ages and under oppression, but since they cant identify it they outsource for their controllers to tell them what it is. The oppressor is not gunna tell you they are the ones doing it, unless its to their subconscious cause then they can get away with it.

[@frascobarrantes6598]

Nice video man. I'm curiously playing ME for the first time right now, after DA2 made me shun at anything with the Bioware tag, and I'm actually enjoying it a lot. But now hearing all the philosophical discussion you're making, it's only correct to insist that you play the Descent: Freespace duo (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeSpace_2). You can buy both on steam and play both from the FS2 engine. The whole discussion you're making, from ME, Freespace did it in what I think was a better way 8 years before ME came out. And after you do play it... do get vids out about it. I'll be waiting for that. "There are a few of us left. We know we will soon be gone. And so we can see our fate as others will see it. There will be little legacy. No great expressions of what we once were. Our technology, our achievements if ever they are seen again will spawn none of the awe that filled our conquests. We know our fate. We are being eliminated. When we traveled subspace, the cosmic destroyers took note. When we conquered and colonized in galaxies where we had no place the destruction and the anguish and the loss were the clarion call of our doom. And so the destroyers came for us." - Freespace: The Great War, 1998.

[@ExaltedMarch]

Thank you for sharing! People have recommended Freespace 2 before but your mentioning it again may get me to try it someday!