The Art of Mass Effect/A Galaxy of Details

The following contains the text found within the fourth part of The Art of Mass Effect, published in 2007. The commentary was written entirely by Casey Hudson.

A Galaxy of Details

Minute details might be the last thing one would think of in the production of an epic videogame, [sic] but artists must design and build countless small objects to complete the illusion of a functioning world. Some of these objects have an obvious appeal, such as the arsenal of futuristic weapons strapped to Commander Shepard's armor. Others, like beds and computer stations, simply provide context and functionality to each area in the game, while reinforcing Mass Effect's sleek and futuristic art style through their unique designs.

Geth Rifle

The primary weapon for geth troopers was designed to have a similar look to their starships, a long curving appearance that resembles an organic exoskeleton. Like all weapons in Mass Effect, the geth rifle folds down to a compact shape for storage.

Geth Drone

The drones were built and controlled by the geth, so they bear similar features-the [sic] single blue eye light and vaguely metallic surface.

Hex Barriers

This concept shows how the hex barriers were originally meant to be projected from stationary objects. This was later simplified by having the geth create the barriers directly.

Geth Heavy Drone and Flyer

The geth heavy drone (top) provided a fast-moving enemy, while the flyer (below) was designed to give normal geth troopers a raised platform for attacking the player. Ultimately, Saren would be the only character to use the flyer.

Geth Tower

Incorporating shapes from other geth-made devices, these simple towers provided a high location from which to snipe.

Geth Armature

The geth have evolved into many distinct forms. To create the particularly large and dangerous enemies for Mass Effect, a four-legged giant was designed. The head-mounted turret was removed late in development to allow for omni-directional aiming.

Electronic Equipment

Mass Effect's design sense is particularly prominent in the equipment and appliances that detail the environment. Sweeping arcs meet straight lines to form elegant geometry that seems functional but futuristic.

Mining Gear

While the solar array (below) and drill (above) were primarily decorative, the barrier was heavily used to provide cover during combat.

Pleasure Pod

The asari Consort makes use of these pods for privacy and comfort, but they were originally meant to hang from the ceilings of the Citadel's seedier establishments to showcase exotic dancers.

Generic Appliance

Sometimes objects without an obvious purpose are required, so designers can place them in the environment for players to use as interactive objects of tactical cover during combat.

Space Debris

Objects like the escape pod (middle) and the downed satellite (bottom) created opportunities for discovery and exploration on Uncharted Worlds.

Living Quarters

Because players are free to explore a wide range of environments in Mass Effect, objects had to be built to detail everything from the exotic to the everyday. Even futuristic versions of desks, chairs, and shelves had to be made to flesh out the homes, offices, and living quarters of various characters.

Human Helmets

One of the most difficult designs turned out to be the human helmets. Because all human armors would share the same basic helmet design and the helmet would frame the characters' faces when they speak in close-ups, it was extremely important that the design was functional and visually appealing.

To ensure that the characters' faces would be seen even while wearing a helmet, a clear visor and a chin guard that did not obscure the mouth were chosen.

Pistols

Numerous variations on pistol designs were developed to find a balance between futuristic design and present-day notions of firepower. To create a look that's unique to Mass Effect, all weapons have two barrels, one atop the other.

Grenades

Since grenades in Mass Effect can fly in straight lines, they were given a compact disc-like shape.

Rifles

In keeping with Mass Effect's heavy use of circular arcs, the upper body of the rifle is defined by a long curve. While some designs ignored this principle they still applied the double-barrel weapon design (top). The use of arcs is also prominent on the sniper rifle (bottom).

Shotguns

Though the mechanism would work entirely differently in the year 2183, a short-range, scatter-shot weapon was considered to be a valuable weapon for a Spectre's arsenal.

Omni-Tool

Designers felt that using technology-based attacks in combat was as important as using conventional weapons. The omni-tool allows characters to manipulate a holographic interface to instantly release these attacks, in addition to activating such non-combat capabilities as hacking electronic locks.

Mass Relays

Throwing a starship across the galaxy is no small feat, and Mass Effect's writers and artists had to come up with a believable way to do that. Even after the pseudo-science was worked out, it was still unclear how they would visually realize it. Some ideas for mass relays were elaborate and mechanical, while others were more monolithic.

The final design used heavy rotating rings to create the sensation of building power. Its tuning-fork shape appeared to focus the tremendous energy into a straight beam that could project a starship many light-years across the galaxy.

The Art of Mass Effect Navigation

← Previous part		Next part →
The Art of Mass Effect/Transport		The Art of Mass Effect/Alien Worlds