Normandy (Mass Effect)
Normandy | |
---|---|
Mass Effect vehicles | |
First appearance | Mass Effect |
Last appearance | Mass Effect 3: Citadel |
Information | |
Affiliation | Systems Alliance Navy Cerberus (ME2) |
Captain | Captain Anderson (ME prologue) Commander Shepard |
Combat vehicles | M35 Mako (ME) M-44 Hammerhead (ME2) UT-47 Kodiak (ME2 and ME3) |
Auxiliary vehicles |
|
General characteristics | |
Armaments | Mass accelerator cannon (SR-1) Thanix cannons (SR-2) Both variants: GARDIAN point-defense lasers Javelin disruptor torpedoes |
Propulsion | Tantalus drive core Four antiproton thrusters |
Length | 170 metres (560 ft) (SR-1)[1] 216 metres (709 ft) (SR-2) |
Width | 96 metres (315 ft) (SR-2) |
Height | 24 metres (79 ft) (SR-2) |
The Normandy-class SR
The Normandy has been praised by critics for its visual design, level design, and its appearance in the original Mass Effect trilogy, where it plays a pivotal role in the war against the Reapers and their servants.
Characteristics and service history
Normandy SR-1
The Normandy derives her name from the
Normandy SR-2
With great labor and elaborate secrecy, Normandy SR-2 was built by Cerberus to be a larger, more powerful vessel upon the original's destruction. Envisioned with a more hospitable interior design based on the layout of the original (with five decks compared to SR-1's three), more crew-oriented comforts and civilian accommodations (like leather seats, a small kitchen area, and two observation decks, one of which contains a bar) are available. She features greater space in living quarters, research laboratory, observation deck, and cargo bay. She now possesses shuttles that can be used for more precise landings the spacecraft cannot attempt. The list of upgrades is numerous, which the player has the option of researching and applying in the second and third games. Combined with her speed and maneuverability, Normandy is now capable of significant offensive feats, equipped with Javelin disruptor torpedoes, point-defense lasers, and the Thanix cannon, a Reaper-based weapon. She's even defensively great, thanks to the addition of kinetic barriers, deflective armor, and stronger shielding. Finally, Normandy is also given an onboard AI in the form of the "Enhanced Defense Intelligence", colloquially referred to as "EDI", who later becomes a squad member in Mass Effect 3.[2][3] EDI coordinates many of the ship's combat functions, assisting, and even supplanting human piloting if needed.
Cerberus's many alterations produced a craft nearly double the original's size and mass, now armed and armored with even more sophisticated tech. All this required an even larger Tantalus drive core to compensate. This new core is housed within a sphere which holds
The Normandy SR-2 first enters service in 2185, two years after the end of Mass Effect. The Illusive Man had Cerberus build the SR-2 for the newly-revived Commander Shepard and his/her team to aid them in their mission to stop the Collectors' galaxy-wide campaign of human abductions. The ship's communicator was modified to provide instantaneous contact with the Illusive Man. As part of the final mission of Mass Effect 2, the severity of the damage Normandy receives while fighting the Collectors is heavily dependent on how many upgrades the player managed to research and purchase for the ship.
In Mass Effect 3, Normandy, while not receiving any major modifications, undergoes a further retrofit in 2186; although the retrofits are not completed in time before the Reaper invasion, she is repainted in the Alliance Navy colors of blue and white after reentering the hands of the Systems Alliance on Earth following the events of Mass Effect 2: Arrival, becoming more like a military vessel once again.[3] In spite of her relatively small size compared to other starships in the series, Normandy continues to be touted as the fastest, most advanced, and most iconic vessel of the Alliance fleet. She led the charge of united Citadel alien races in the Battle for Earth at the game's finale.
M35 Mako
In Mass Effect, the SR-1 carries the
M-44 Hammerhead
In Mass Effect 2, the SR-2 carries the M-44 Hammerhead, a hovering infantry fighting vehicle that functions as a replacement to the Mako. It is only usable in the DLC missions Firewalker and Overlord, and does not play a main story role, nor does it return in Mass Effect 3.
UT-47 Kodiak Drop Shuttle
In Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, interplanetary flight personnel carriers stored in the SR-2's cargo bay are two UT-47 Kodiak that can be used to make landings the new Normandy could not attempt. The A-model shuttles are employed significantly more in Mass Effect 3, where they (along with the ship) are retrofitted to Alliance specs, repainted in Alliance colors, and are now armed with mass accelerator cannons on both sides of each craft. The Kodiak is nicknamed "Combat Cockroach" by Alliance marines because of its durability and looks.
Development
The idea of the Normandy as a mobile hub which transported the party from planet to planet was inspired by the
The destruction of the Normandy SR-1 early in Mass Effect 2 allowed the team freedom to review and amend her design.[4] Ease of navigation of the ship's interior as well as a sense of familiarity for returning players were prioritized as the SR-2 is supposed to feel like a more technologically advanced version of the SR-1, albeit with increased space and rooms for up to one dozen squad mates that Shepard could recruit in Mass Effect 2.[4] A "muscle car" element to the ship's painted exterior was considered in order to give Normandy a more aggressive feel than a typical spaceship or fighter craft.[4] Customization options for Normandy's exterior, which could have gone up to five levels, were ultimately cut as scenes in outer space would not benefit from graphical quality produced by pre-rendering. Other elements which have been adjusted include the tail fins, the placement of the engine core, and the size of the wings in proportion to the fuselage.[4] The final look for the Normandy SR-2 is a sleeker exterior, a larger interior with multiple floors, and her cockpit layout had been overhauled to improve recognition.[4] For Mass Effect 3, the design team wanted to convey the sense that Normandy had been captured and studied by the Alliance; red and blue color changes were originally thrown into concept to show that the ship is always in high alert as it is operating during wartime.[4] A subplot involving an assassin or saboteur breaking into Shepard's quarters was considered during production, but was ultimately cut from the game's final release.[4]
Merchandise
Dark Horse created a 6 1/4" scale model of the Normandy SR-2 in 2011.[7]
Dark Horse Direct created a 14" replica of the Mass Effect: Normandy SR-1 and Mass Effect: Cerberus Normandy SR-2 [8]
Reception
The Normandy was praised from a design standpoint, with Andy Kelly of PC Gamer stating that her "hard 70's sci-fi edge" looks "cool", as well as "cold and functional". However, he also noted that her interior ambiance changed in subsequent games, becoming more warm and inviting after she was rebuilt by Cerberus, and again becoming colder and less comfortable in its final incarnation.[3] Edge magazine stated that both Normandy vessels were "remarkable", and that the ship's main power lies in character interactions. The ability to optionally explore the ship and speak to crew members was a "crucial" point due to the game's emphasis on choice.[2] Alex Donaldson of RPG Site stated that he found few hub areas "as memorable and special" as the Normandy SR-1, calling it "integral to the player's view of the Mass Effect universe".[9]
EDI has been discussed within the context of her role as the AI personification of the Normandy SR-2. PC Gamer lauded EDI's characterization as an AI character and discussed her gameplay utility of being an actual spaceship as part of her role as a squadmate.[10][11]
Legacy
Kat Bailey of
SSV Normandy SR-1, the first iteration of the ship, is featured as an easter egg in the science fiction survival game No Man's Sky as part of a crossover event in May 2021.[13]
Further reading
- Sheehan, Jason (May 28, 2021). "Reading The Game: In 'Mass Effect,' The Story Starts With The Spaceship". NPR. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
References
Footnotes
- ^ officially Systems Alliance Space Vehicle Normandy Stealth Reconnaissance
Citations
- ^ Edwin Evans-Thirlwell. "Mass Effect 3: how MGS, Concorde and Final Fantasy influenced the Normandy". Official Xbox Magazine. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ a b "Mass Effect's Normandy is far more than a space-age touring car". gamesradar. 2015-07-20. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ a b c Kelly, Andy (2014-05-06). "On The Level: The Normandy, Mass Effect". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-59582-768-5.
- ^ McAloon, Alissa (2017-12-12). "Why BioWare decided to create Mass Effect instead of Star Wars: KotOR 2". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ "In Mass Effect, Shepard's spaceship nearly had ASS written on the side". VideoGamer.com. 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ Mitchell, Richard (2011-05-03). "Mass Effect's Normandy SR2 is ready to dock (on your desk)". Engadget. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ "Dark Horse Direct". Dark Horse Direct. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
- ^ Donaldson, Alex (2015-11-07). "Spotlight: SSV Normandy SR-1". RPG Site. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ "The RPG dream teams". PC Gamer. June 9, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ Wes Fenlon (December 14, 2016). "The Mass Effect companions, ranked from worst to best". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ Bailey, Kat (2019-05-01). "Borderlands 3 Borrows a Surprising Amount From Mass Effect, And It Works". USgamer. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
- ^ Fahey, Mike (May 21, 2021). "Hey, They Got Mass Effect In Our No Man's Sky". Kotaku. Retrieved May 22, 2021.