Mass Effect 2
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zioburosky13 said:Simple Question:
Should I play Mass Effect?
Yes. While the plot is cliche Bioware, the execution is good.
zioburosky13 said:Simple Question:
Should I play Mass Effect?
If you do, play only the main quest. The side quests are something beyond horrible. I found the game boring without any replay value. But second part is actually very good. In my opinion download old save from here http://www.masseffectsaves.com/ and just play the second part.
Phil the Nuka-Cola Dude
Sonny, I Watched the Vault Bein' Built!
If you've already played the second one, I wouldn't recommend playing the first anymore.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good game (I've completed it 4 times); it just feels so shitty, unrefined, and poorly balanced after experiencing #2.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good game (I've completed it 4 times); it just feels so shitty, unrefined, and poorly balanced after experiencing #2.
requiem_for_a_starfury
So Old I'm Losing Radiation Signs
I have a love hate relationship with the first game, I've got both the 360 and pc versions and have taken a character through to level 60 on both platforms. All told I've finished the game eight times, and had a couple of characters I've abandoned half way through (I just can't stand Biotics).
When the game came out there wasn't much available for the 360 I was interested in so I perhaps played it more than I would have and I really like some of the art direction. Plus I was reading a lot of Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space novels at the time so the story really appealed to me. Though really what sold me on the game is just how long have I been waiting for a space adventure/shooter that would allow me to fly around visiting alien planets.
But I hate the whole concept of cinematic gaming. For me the cinematic experience means sitting back and being told a story, that doesn't gel well with gaming let alone the most interactive of gaming genres rpgs. Then there was the streamlining and slow elevator rides and lack of real consequences (for that matter a lack of real choices). I could go on about how the streamlining took away from what I used to enjoy about rpgs but to be honest it just highlighted what I don't enjoy about rpgs anymore. The pinballing between quest givers and npcs with something to say, the looting and monetary system, the false choices etc.
Mass Effects biggest failure though was the way the main story was just given to you, you are dumped straight into the thick of things literally into a race against time (though without an actual time limit). Which makes it hard to role play and justify doing the side quests. There's no sense of accomplishment, no sense of discovery which is a pity because several of the side quests look like they were originally written to give you clues to parts of the main quest.
On the other hand I can't get into Mass Effect 2, I don't mind that they've streamlined it even further getting rid of inventory management and looting almost entirely. I am worried though that they chose to remove the broken system rather than trying to fix it, it doesn't bode well for future rpgs. But why did they have to break the combat? Since that's pretty much all there is to both games you'd think they'd strive to improve it not make it worse. The new reload system doesn't make sense in universe, oh it would if all the weapons in ME never went over level 5, but level 10 weapons with the right upgrades almost never overheated unless you got hacked or were using the high explosive ammo mods. But really would you go from using a weapon with virtually unlimited ammo to having to carry a (small) cache of heat sinks which leaves you with a useless weapon once they are gone? Oh I understand why the developers changed it, they've stripped virtually every other interactive element out of the game that with unlimited 'ammo' they might as well have made it a point and click adventure. But it's still jarring and for me immersion breaking that in just two years the new weapons have become so ubiquitous. It would help if there were still some of the old style weapons around but so far every tom dick and harry dirt port street gang and lowly thug has such an abundance of heat sinks that they just leave them scattered around.
You can't crouch anymore unless standing behind cover, and duck walking is totally out and in the pc version was it really necessary to bind so many functions to a single key. Like that's never caused problems before. My biggest problem though is the new powers or lack of them. Instead of improving on my beloved infiltrator like a good sequel should do, they've stripped most of his abilities and replaced they with dumb powers like a invisibility cloak that's as effective as hiding by placing a damp dishcloth over my head. And don't get me started on the ammo powers, ammo powers? Ammo fucking powers WTF!
Plus being only able to use one power at a time (until it cools down) effectively neuters characters, no wonder they gave the Engineers, Adepts etc more weapons to use. Plus combat is so sign posted, if there's a lot of crates and low walls in an area then you just know there's a firefight with your name on it coming up.
Finally the new UI is bloody awful, no hotkeys to different sections, so small that I can barely read it and the colour scheme is just puke inducing.
When the game came out there wasn't much available for the 360 I was interested in so I perhaps played it more than I would have and I really like some of the art direction. Plus I was reading a lot of Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space novels at the time so the story really appealed to me. Though really what sold me on the game is just how long have I been waiting for a space adventure/shooter that would allow me to fly around visiting alien planets.
But I hate the whole concept of cinematic gaming. For me the cinematic experience means sitting back and being told a story, that doesn't gel well with gaming let alone the most interactive of gaming genres rpgs. Then there was the streamlining and slow elevator rides and lack of real consequences (for that matter a lack of real choices). I could go on about how the streamlining took away from what I used to enjoy about rpgs but to be honest it just highlighted what I don't enjoy about rpgs anymore. The pinballing between quest givers and npcs with something to say, the looting and monetary system, the false choices etc.
Mass Effects biggest failure though was the way the main story was just given to you, you are dumped straight into the thick of things literally into a race against time (though without an actual time limit). Which makes it hard to role play and justify doing the side quests. There's no sense of accomplishment, no sense of discovery which is a pity because several of the side quests look like they were originally written to give you clues to parts of the main quest.
On the other hand I can't get into Mass Effect 2, I don't mind that they've streamlined it even further getting rid of inventory management and looting almost entirely. I am worried though that they chose to remove the broken system rather than trying to fix it, it doesn't bode well for future rpgs. But why did they have to break the combat? Since that's pretty much all there is to both games you'd think they'd strive to improve it not make it worse. The new reload system doesn't make sense in universe, oh it would if all the weapons in ME never went over level 5, but level 10 weapons with the right upgrades almost never overheated unless you got hacked or were using the high explosive ammo mods. But really would you go from using a weapon with virtually unlimited ammo to having to carry a (small) cache of heat sinks which leaves you with a useless weapon once they are gone? Oh I understand why the developers changed it, they've stripped virtually every other interactive element out of the game that with unlimited 'ammo' they might as well have made it a point and click adventure. But it's still jarring and for me immersion breaking that in just two years the new weapons have become so ubiquitous. It would help if there were still some of the old style weapons around but so far every tom dick and harry dirt port street gang and lowly thug has such an abundance of heat sinks that they just leave them scattered around.
You can't crouch anymore unless standing behind cover, and duck walking is totally out and in the pc version was it really necessary to bind so many functions to a single key. Like that's never caused problems before. My biggest problem though is the new powers or lack of them. Instead of improving on my beloved infiltrator like a good sequel should do, they've stripped most of his abilities and replaced they with dumb powers like a invisibility cloak that's as effective as hiding by placing a damp dishcloth over my head. And don't get me started on the ammo powers, ammo powers? Ammo fucking powers WTF!
Plus being only able to use one power at a time (until it cools down) effectively neuters characters, no wonder they gave the Engineers, Adepts etc more weapons to use. Plus combat is so sign posted, if there's a lot of crates and low walls in an area then you just know there's a firefight with your name on it coming up.Finally the new UI is bloody awful, no hotkeys to different sections, so small that I can barely read it and the colour scheme is just puke inducing.
Yes despite it's problems it's fun, but skip the second game and wait and see about the third.zioburosky13 said:Simple Question:
Should I play Mass Effect?
aenemic
Sonny, I Watched the Vault Bein' Built!
I completely agree when it comes to the streamlining of weapons and combat.
as for weapons, there's only been two occasions where I had to make an active choice as for what weapon I wanted to use: a sniper rifle (because I prefered the slow hard-hitting one before the semi-automatic upgrade) and when researching several heavy weapons. everything else is just an upgrade to the previous weapon, so there really is no need at all to make a choice. I really liked the feature at first, when I thought I'd be getting tons of different guns with different characteristics. but no, it's so extremely streamlined they could just have left weapon upgrades out completely.
even though one of my biggest annoyances with ME1 was the enormous amount of weapons and upgrades I found, it was still a lot of fun tweaking your groups gear before missions. I do like the new armor customization, but I wish I could do it for each character instead of just mine.
as for combat, it's been a while so I can't recall ME1's combat perfectly, but I vaguely remember that there were more moves and more dynamic use of powers. combat IS much better in ME2, but unfortunately it's become extremely action-oriented and not at all as tactical as I first thought it'd be. as an infiltrator, all I do is cloak, headshot or empty a mag of the SMG into something. that's all. and it get's me through every single fight. I don't even give a crap what my henchmen do.
as for weapons, there's only been two occasions where I had to make an active choice as for what weapon I wanted to use: a sniper rifle (because I prefered the slow hard-hitting one before the semi-automatic upgrade) and when researching several heavy weapons. everything else is just an upgrade to the previous weapon, so there really is no need at all to make a choice. I really liked the feature at first, when I thought I'd be getting tons of different guns with different characteristics. but no, it's so extremely streamlined they could just have left weapon upgrades out completely.
even though one of my biggest annoyances with ME1 was the enormous amount of weapons and upgrades I found, it was still a lot of fun tweaking your groups gear before missions. I do like the new armor customization, but I wish I could do it for each character instead of just mine.
as for combat, it's been a while so I can't recall ME1's combat perfectly, but I vaguely remember that there were more moves and more dynamic use of powers. combat IS much better in ME2, but unfortunately it's become extremely action-oriented and not at all as tactical as I first thought it'd be. as an infiltrator, all I do is cloak, headshot or empty a mag of the SMG into something. that's all. and it get's me through every single fight. I don't even give a crap what my henchmen do.
Phil the Nuka-Cola Dude
Sonny, I Watched the Vault Bein' Built!
requiem_for_a_starfury said:My biggest problem though is the new powers or lack of them. Instead of improving on my beloved infiltrator like a good sequel should do, they've stripped most of his abilities and replaced they with dumb powers like a invisibility cloak that's as effective as hiding by placing a damp dishcloth over my head. And don't get me started on the ammo powers, ammo powers? Ammo fucking powers WTF!
What? In the first game, the Infiltrator was a completely garbage glass compared to every other class besides engineer, and was practically unplayable on insanity until you maxed immunity... and then it was just spam immunity, and hold down mouse1 with your pistol. Woohoo, fun.
Tech Powers were woefully underpowered compared to biotics, and sniping dealt way less damage per second than pistols; and that's only if you could actually get a shot off with your friendly NPCs CONSTANTLY shooting you in the back and ruining your scoped aim. Order them to go stand somewhere else and they'd IMMEDIATELY fall back into position behind you; shooting you in the ass again. What a pain in the dick that shit was.
In ME2, the Infiltrator is by far the strongest class in the game; and the cloak is easily the most versatile and ridiculously powerful ability. No other class can clear Insanity like the Infiltrator. Sentinel comes close, but that's about it.
Infiltrator > Sentinel >>> Soldier >>>>> Engineer >>>>>>>>>>>> Adept/Vanguard
I'm going to have to disagree with basically every one of your complaints. I felt the combat was much better than it was in the first game, specifically it wasn't such a boring damn grind anymore.
I don't see how you ever call the first game better.
I don't see how you ever call the first game better.
requiem_for_a_starfury
So Old I'm Losing Radiation Signs
Because it just plainly is. It was more fluid, natural, exciting. ME2's combat is boring whack a mole grind.Sander said:
requiem_for_a_starfury said:
Man, I could not force myself to finish ME once let alone eight times. On my first playtrough i came to the end but the story was so mind numbing bad that I quit. I tried to replay it several times more but I didnt go far until I got bored. While you can argue that ME1 has better combat or balance, in terms of storyline, characters and dialogs ME2 wins easily. ME2 is not a good RPG, well its hard to even call it RPG, its more of a action adventure game but its a very good action adventure game, ME1 is a bad RPG, bad action game and a bad adventure.
It's like you played the opposite games I played. Mass Effect's original combat was hide-behind-a-box-pop-out-kill. Mass Effect 2 at least requires you to pay attention to flanking enemies and suppression fire.requiem_for_a_starfury said:
aenemic
Sonny, I Watched the Vault Bein' Built!
I really don't understand why everyone is hating so much on ME1's story. sure, it's full of clichés, but what sci fi story isn't these days? when I found out about the proteans and reapers I found it to be really exciting.
aenemic said:
Personally I dislike the sci-fi genre that revolves around "everything is exactly like today but we have lazors, as well as bi-pedal aliens who behave just like humans but have slightly diffrent personality". Mass Effect 1 is just a Star Wars wannabie. Mass Effect 2 is barely diffrent, but at least it's polished more.
requiem_for_a_starfury
So Old I'm Losing Radiation Signs
They'd flank you in ME1, in ME1 you could keep moving, or find your own cover since you could duck where and when you wanted. In ME2 it's all set out for you, even where the enemy will approach from is sign posted by the layout of the combat rooms. I didn't find ME2's combat very interesting when I played Gears of War ME2's pale imitation is even more boring. At least the Gears had chainsaws on their assault rifles.Sander said:
aenemic
Sonny, I Watched the Vault Bein' Built!
Ravager69 said:
ok, I can definitely agree with that. I keep thinking "why are all other races so similar to humans and able to speak english?" all the time while playing. but I'm not judging the story based on that.
besides, even though this type of sci fi is indeed cheesy and extremely unrealistic, a sci fi world where you pretty much couldn't walk properly anywhere be? and if there would be other alien races, they'd be so different from you that you simply couldn't communicate with them, maybe not even exist anywhere near them. it is science fiction after all.
Surf Solar
So Old I'm Losing Radiation Signs
They use some sort of universal translators to understand the different languages.
Also - it is a common theory that evolution could happen very similar like ours. That means - humanoid races -
2 legs, 2 arms etc. Of course there could be other lifeforms, you have the hanar f.e. in ME.
Sure it's Scifi, but atleast they tried to make it believable.
Also - it is a common theory that evolution could happen very similar like ours. That means - humanoid races -
2 legs, 2 arms etc. Of course there could be other lifeforms, you have the hanar f.e. in ME.
Sure it's Scifi, but atleast they tried to make it believable.
Professor Danger!
Where'd That 6th Toe Come From?
Ravager69 said:
Yeah, I hate living on space ships and taking part in intergalactic battles every day. Ho hum.
Why do they all understand each other? Simple. Douglas Adams talked about it:
The babelfish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Races_and_species_in_The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Babel_fish
Seriously though, I enjoyed the story in ME... at least it had some twists and turns, and some real decisions to make.
Meh, I rather see ME as Space Opera than Science Fiction.
Realism plays a secondary role to story telling, and a degree of leniency is allowed.
Realism plays a secondary role to story telling, and a degree of leniency is allowed.