Review: Mass Effect: Retribution

The Mass Effect franchise has sold millions of copies for the Xbox 360 and PC and has made Bioware a few pretty pennies. When a franchise gets to that level of popularity, it’s not surprising that a developer might look for additional ways to dig that gold mine a little deeper. Undoubtedly, that is what Bioware has been doing with its Mass Effect books (with Revelation and Ascension being the previous installments in the series and, in a different fashion, through the Redemption comic) but give them credit for an honest effort.

One of the reasons why Mass Effect has exploded into a wildly popular franchise is the careful attention to creating a rich galactic backdrop for the space opera heroics. From alien races to humanity’s own development, across a wide galaxy of planets lush and harsh, with dangers lurking just beyond the event horizon, the galactic tapestry in the background reinforces the authenticity and importance of the drama in the foreground, and this experience is well suited to exploration through further stories beyond the games.

Wisely, Bioware gave the task of writing the Mass Effect books to Drew Karpyshyn, who has been a lead writer and senior editor for Bioware and whose gaming roots go back to Knights of the Old Republic and off into the future in his current work on the Old Republic MMO. Drew Karpyshyn is in a good position to know how to mine the Mass Effect universe without creating land mines for following games, and it shows.

Mass Effect: Retribution covers a time period between the games Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. While the galaxy as a whole is slowly becoming aware of the impending threat of the looming Reaper invasion, some few individuals are trying to learn about how to fight the seemingly unstoppable Reapers. The shadowy Cerberus organization, led by the Illusive Man, is at the forefront of these efforts. Combining revenge upon David Grayson, a traitor to Cerberus (as detailed in the previous book Ascension) and the need for a test subject for the Reapers’ bio-cybernetic technology, the Illusive Man soon finds that the road to knowledge will not be easy. David Anderson, once Commander Shepherd’s boss and now humanity’s representative on the Galactic Council, and Aria T’Loak, the pirate queen and ruler of the lawless Omega space station, stand in his way.

However, let’s be honest — the main reason books like these get written is fan service, and any sale to someone beyond the fans is gravy. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, but don’t pick up Retribution thinking you are getting a timeless work of science fiction. Drew Karpyshyn does a decent job in setting the state of galactic affairs, but Retribution will make the most sense if you pick it up after you have completed at least Mass Effect 2. Another drawback is that these books can add depth and flavor to the stories of the games, but they have to stay out of the way of the major plot lines of the games. So, in the end, the fans get a fun read but one that ultimately is unsatisfying because we don’t meet any of the major characters from the Mass Effect universe and only indirectly deal with the story that keeps us coming back to Bioware for more.

Retribution does some sterling work in a two main areas. After Mass Effect 2, you might have thought that the Illusive Man was a charming, intense man whose goal in protecting humanity was as laudable as his methods could be harsh and unsentimental. After you are done with Retribution, you will know that the Illusive Man is cold-hearted and vengeful and possibly second cousin to Dr. Josef Mengele. Personally, I’m hoping Shepherd gets to put a bullet in his brain sometime before the end of Mass Effect 3.

Retribution also does an excellent job in painting a picture of the Omega station, which was probably my favorite location in Mass Effect 2, and which is a living, breathing character in its own right. Omega has the flavor of the Mos Eisley cantina, though on an immense scale, and it serves as a negative counterpart to the Citadel, nerve center for the official galactic governments. Retribution shows us that Omega has the potential for many stories and that its pirate queen ruler is fearsome, complex, surprising, and fallible. Mass Effect 4: The Pirate Queen of Omega? I can hope.

I enjoyed my time with Retribution, but then again I am a devoted fan of the series who plays through the games two or three times (at a minimum) to make sure I get the full experience of all of the characters and potential plot paths. You won’t get any amazing revelations out of Retribution, but you will get a deeper understanding of the background and enjoy a fun action-adventure story along the way. Recommended, though primarily for sci-fi and/or Mass Effect story fanatics.

Mass Effect: Retribution
By Drew Karpyshyn
Published by Del Rey Books
In paperback
$7.99 on Amazon.com