Dont hand me garbage and tell me its Mass Effect Mass Effect: Paragon Lost initially promises to be a delightful addition to the Mass Effect universe but it ultimately falls flat delivering a lackluster experience thats more mush than substance. The film attempts to cater to diehard fans but instead it feels like an uninspired meal that left me lamenting not tears of joy but tears of sorrow. While I was never the biggest fan of James Vega from Mass Effect 3 you might want to brace yourself for this review. Vega was introduced too late in the trilogy to make a significant impact and his character development was lacking. To genuinely connect with him would require more backstory or additional content such as DLC to flesh out his narrative. In contrast characters like Garrus had three games to develop a rich interconnected journey. The compromise here is to create an animated film to expand Vegas backstory through transmedia a strategy that worked so well for Halo 5: Guardians right? So what sets Paragon Lost apart? Stop me if youve heard this one before: a group of space travelers in the Mass Effect universe tackles a problem at a colony. The plot feels like a side quest that should have been part of the game as DLC. Fans of the series will recognize this as a tired formula and for newcomers its anything but revolutionary. Despite its potential Paragon Lost doesnt offer anything new or noteworthy and it barely scratches the surface of Vegas character or the broader universe. Instead of enriching the Mass Effect lore it simply adds to the filler content presenting a journey from point A to point B without any substantial plot twists or thoughtful worldbuilding. The films grandiose adventure is nothing more than uninspired scifi schlock a generic anime that fails to capture what makes Mass Effect special. The film primarily focuses on Vegas early days as an Alliance marine involving him and his team in a missing person case at a colony. The standard love interest and the twist involving the Collectors abductions contribute to a plot that is predictable and uninspiring. Theres nothing particularly exciting or original here its a narrative weve seen before and done better. Production I.G. known for its work on Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. has unfortunately not lived up to its reputation with Paragon Lost. Despite their past successes including Moribito and PsychoPass the animation in this film is lifeless and generic. The films visual style appears to have been produced on autopilot lacking any distinctiveness or flair. The films overall look could easily be mistaken for something from the early 2000s with a grainy filter added for good measure. The collaboration between Funimation and Production I.G. seems to have lacked clear direction. Imagine a conversation like this: Funimation: Help us make an anime based on the hit video game Mass Effect okay? Bye? Oh and we have a few writers already so dont worrythis will be a great collaboration Production I.G.: K...cool well get right on it. Wait when do you need this? We might be busy with other projects right now. Well get to Paragon Lost though just hang tight. The lack of direction and transparency between the two companies likely contributed to the films downfall. In comparison 20th Century Fox provided Creative Assembly with three terabytes of concept art for the Aliens movie ensuring they had ample material to work with. In contrast Paragon Lost lacks the same level of commitment and effort. The animation unfortunately has no redeeming qualities. If you put a grainy filter over the film and claimed it was from the 2000s Id believe it. The art direction is bland and uninspired. Even the plot seems unsure of its identity pretending not to disrupt the continuity of the Mass Effect universe while simultaneously disregarding established lore. Production I.G. has previously delivered highquality work with series like Ghost in the Shell and Blood+ so its perplexing that Paragon Lost appears to be a project that was handled with less care. The animation quality is reminiscent of the most generic anime shows from the 2010s. The soundtrack while attempting to echo the electronic vibes of Mass Effect 3 feels forced and incongruent with the films overall tone. Its worth noting that Freddie Prinze Jr. was the only actor to reprise his role from the game. The recasting of Captain Anderson and Admiral Hackett was noticeable and disruptive. While these roles are relatively minor true fans will find the voice replacements jarring breaking the immersion and consistency expected from the series. The characters in the film are predictable and uninspired. The squad follows the typical new meat tropefresh recruits who have undergone training but lack combat experience. None of the characters leave a lasting impression and Vegas love interest feels shoehorned into the plot. This attempt at creating an emotional connection falls flat as it seems like a forced inclusion rather than an organic part of the story. The films potential to explore Vegas history is squandered resulting in a product that feels more like an insult than an homage to the franchise. In retrospect Paragon Lost seems like a missed opportunity. With the involvement of Funimation Production I.G. and even writers from Star Wars: The Clone Wars there was a chance to create something meaningful. However the result is far from ambitious. The film is a forgettable piece of fanfiction that does a disservice to the Mass Effect brand. Its disheartening to see such talent wasted on a project that could have been better integrated into the game itself. A more fitting approach might have been to develop it as interactive DLC which could have redeemed the story and characters. Fans who enjoy this film likely have either a lower standard for anime havent watched enough to make informed comparisons or enjoy it ironically though its hard to see why given the lack of redeeming features. No matter how others might praise it Paragon Lost is the most generic addition to the Mass Effect universe. It was a wasted opportunity that should never have progressed past the concept stage. In my view it would have been better suited as a comic as it fails to take advantage of the anime format. Its not even worth recommending as a standalone film for nonfansits simply devoid of substance. Everyone should give this film a hard pass. The only redeeming aspect was observing the development process which sadly didnt result in a worthwhile final product. Avoid watching or supporting this train wreck if you must at least get the Bluray for the DLC and sticker as that might offer more value than the film itself. Paragon Lost fails to resonate with fans and is unlikely to make an impression on anyone else. Paragon Lost? More like Paragon Lost my interest. Ill see myself out now.