Time and Temporality in the Mass Effect Series

Abstract

This article discusses the role of time in the narrative of the Mass Effect games, employing tools derived from narratological approaches to literature. On the level of the story line, time functions as the engine of the narrative arc by opposing cyclical and linear temporality. On the level of the storyworld, characters and the narrative universe are endowed with a temporal extension into past and present beyond the scope of the main story line, which increases player immersion. On the meta-narrative plane of possible worlds, the player has considerable control not only over the decisions the main character takes but also the order in which events occur—as such, the player oversees an important part of the narrative itself.