Mass Effect Impressions

[hartey]

this is going to be one of the important games in a while simply because of the character interaction that they are developing. The holy grail of story driven games has been to get the player emotionaly involved with the character and the system they are employing allows you to not just pick what you say but how you say it. You are just giving a couple of words to show you different emotional responces and you choose how you want him to act. Coupled with the brilliant facial animations it should be one of the deepest story driven games so far this gen.

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by hartey

this is going to be one of the important games in a while simply because of the character interaction that they are developing. The holy grail of story driven games has been to get the player emotionaly involved with the character and the system they are employing allows you to not just pick what you say but how you say it. You are just giving a couple of words to show you different emotional responces and you choose how you want him to act. Coupled with the brilliant facial animations it should be one of the deepest story driven games so far this gen.

Welcome to the forums, hartey...

Yes, I'm looking forward to the game, all the previews I've seen and the stuff form the official site, have made the son-in-law and I eagerly await the release.

[Ulfang]

I pre-ordered mine some time ago. Should arrive in the post tonight. Dammit so many games to play and not enough time in the day!

[Loki[D.d.G]]

Originally Posted by Ulfang

I pre-ordered mine some time ago. Should arrive in the post tonight. Dammit so many games to play and not enough time in the day!

Makes you wish there are more than 24 hours in a day doesn't it?

Another BioWare game with brilliant reviews. Can't wait to play it.

[Ulfang]

I'm really enjoying ME. Good storyline, great graphics and fells very much KOTOR to me but without the Star Wars theme lol. The gameplay feels similar and the way tou manage your equipment, upgrades, skills etc. I've not played too far as yet as I tend to play the PC the most and the 360 is on the 42" downstairs which the wife watches her TV on (dammit I knew there would ge a reason why I'd regret getting married lol) so can only play on it at limited times unless I move the 360 upstairs but then I'd have to slum it on a 28"

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by Ulfang

I'm really enjoying ME. Good storyline, great graphics and fells very much KOTOR to me but without the Star Wars theme lol. The gameplay feels similar and the way tou manage your equipment, upgrades, skills etc. I've not played too far as yet as I tend to play the PC the most and the 360 is on the 42" downstairs which the wife watches her TV on (dammit I knew there would ge a reason why I'd regret getting married lol) so can only play on it at limited times unless I move the 360 upstairs but then I'd have to slum it on a 28"

Same feelings here....
I'm having to fight with my son-in-law over time....he's got his hands on it and has played his character up to level 14....looks like a huge game...noticed that he's still getting the hang of using his team...
oh well, while he's playing, I'll just go back to Morrowind...
or play some more Assassins Creed....

[Ulfang]

Originally Posted by BlueSky

Same feelings here....
I'm having to fight with my son-in-law over time....he's got his hands on it and has played his character up to level 14....looks like a huge game...noticed that he's still getting the hang of using his team...
oh well, while he's playing, I'll just go back to Morrowind...
or play some more Assassins Creed....

I'd kick him out ... if the daughter complains kick her out too! Your happiness comes first after all

I've not gotten too far into the game think i'm only level 5 or so and spent what seems like an age exploring the Citadel and gathering information. Is it just me or is the Codec you have to store all the info you find on other races likes the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy?? It spreaks to you with all the info on Races you've collected. You don't even have to read ... just listen!! Great stuff!

Don't mention Assassin's Creed. I was just getting into it when I got Mass Effect! Now I can't even spare the time to play that

[BlueSky]

@Ulfang

I should.......but instead I got them interested in playing the Wii....so I had some time to play....I'm just in the Citadel also....man its huge....
so far so good...still running into some Oh Wow look at that moments...

Assassins Creed....wonderful world....about 2/3 through the game and still having fun....

Actually thinking about buying another Xbox for Xmas so everybody could play Mass Effect.......

[Ulfang]

I'm still in the Citadel but think i'm close to finishing the quests there so can move on soon hopefully. It's annoying having to choose only two characters to accompany you. I keep having to drop people I like so I can bring new characters in. I have Wrex and the Asari gal at the moment but had to drop Garrus which I wasn't too happy about.

I just wish Shepard had some charisma. He's a bit boring isn't he... a stiff I'd say

I'm not too far into Assassin's Creed (still not done my first Assassination) due to the fact I got Mass Effect

[BlueSky]

With time on my hands this holiday and the house quiet....
spent hours playing and was taken by just how much this game owes to KOTOR.
Gameplay, the way you equip and upgrade and level up, all are very like the KOTOR series...
At the moment my character is a level 9 and only visited 2 systems out of the many systems available....still getting a little used to the combat....many reloads......
so many choices in dialog...and actions...will be playing on and off for quite awhile..

[Revans mask]

I personaly think Mass Effect beats the hell out of Starwars Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2. I feel that the makers just thrown scenes in kotor 1, then took alot of time making the game good with a history and romance. Kotor 2. Hell no, I want my money back.

With a good review, Mass Effect kick ass.

[XKilimanjaro]

I've heard a lot of good things about Mass Effect, but I've heard a lot of bad things too. It seems like Mass Effect is one of those games where you either hate it or you love it...what I'm most iffy about is the battle sequences, which apparently aren't very good.

For anyone who already owns the game, do you think it is a good buy?

[Faust]

Originally Posted by XKilimanjaro

I've heard a lot of good things about Mass Effect, but I've heard a lot of bad things too. It seems like Mass Effect is one of those games where you either hate it or you love it...what I'm most iffy about is the battle sequences, which apparently aren't very good.

For anyone who already owns the game, do you think it is a good buy?

Mass Effect is, essentially, a Science Fiction themed RPG with a combat engine that plays like a squadron game. I mean by this that you get to improve abilities and customize your character. Most importantly to me, there is an engaging story and world that your actions effect. Here's my 2 cents worth on the game:

Pros: Engaging core story. The main quest and missions central to that main quest are very well done. The character interactions are solid and well worth your time, as well.

The game is gorgeous. The graphics are simply beautiful. The mythology crafted for the Mass Effect world is as engaging as any game I've played, as well. The alien races are cool and unique. The technology is well thought out. Interplanetary politics are as infuriating as you'd imagine them to be. It's a fun world that is easy to get lost in. I can definitely see the Mass Effect universe making great subject matter for novels, comics, and other things, as well as video games.

Cons: The exploration aspect of the game is a bit tedious and not that much fun after your first few hours of doing it. The "side quests" are simply redundant and not fully fleshed out. But, again these are an optional part of the game. I'd do as many of them as you find interesting, then move back to the main story.

The game only has one real "city" too. It's a well done city that you'll enjoy. However, if you're like me and really enjoy visiting and exploring cities in video games, the game will never feel quite as cool as it does at the very early on point in the game you visit the massive Citadel.

Don't get me wrong, you'll visit merchants in other places and some colonies. And, the ones that are part of the core game are very well done and interesting. However, don't expect a lot of side quests in them. The majority of your exploration will not be in cities, but, rather, on unchartered worlds which feel barren and can grow redundant.

I've heard the game criticized for its inventory system, quite a bit. It isn't the best in the world, but it didn't bother me as much as it did other people. You get used to it.

Somewhere in Between: Combat. I've never played games like "Call of Duty", so the shooter action took some getting use to. Combat gets to actually be fun, but there is a learning curve. My experience was that it starts off hard, but as you gain more powerful, it grows fairly easily (typical for Bioware games...). Still, expect to die a lot early on. And, if you like replaying games, I've heard the higher difficulty levels (beyond normal) add the need for increased tactics to the game.

All in all, I think it's worth picking up. It's a solid game. If you enjoyed Bioware's other efforts such as Jade Empire and KoTOR, you'll like Mass Effect. If you like sci-fi or just a good central story, you'll like Mass Effect. My hope is that when they do Mass Effect 2 (it's suppose to be part of a trilogy), they'll put together more polished areas and have less dull side missions in recycled areas. Still, I'm enjoying the game (particularly the "game world") and I'll pick up the sequel, if they are still planning on making it.

[Lady Dragonfly]

I am playing the PC version (my hero - a custom-made eye-candy male soldier, spacer, sole survivor).

I haven't progressed far enough to comment on the whole story (I am exploring the uncharted worlds), but obviously it is once again about saving the world (aka the galaxy), single-handedly. Shepard's background causes a few comments from some NPCs, but that's about it.

The dialogues are decent (without much depth or insight) but unskippable. At least, ESC button does not work. So, you are forced to enjoy a prolonged spiel even if you accidentally choose the dialogue option you've already explored. If that happens, it's time for a bathroom break or a trip to your fridge.
To my embarrassment, I more than once caught myself admiring facial animation instead of listening to whatever was being said, anyway.

The world is very much KOTOR-like plus excellent graphics (positive) plus overwhelming pseudo-scientific-technological-super-duper-mumbo-jumbo Codex (negative, imho) minus Pazaak (gambling in ME is mind-numbing, so - negative). Very little humor (whether this is positive or negative is up to you).

Questing is easy: get an objective; your journal entry will tell you what to do; your map will show you where to go. Done. Vene, vidi, vici.
So far, I am unimpressed with the side-quests.

Combat - expect a hefty dose of "WTF is going on?" kind of emotion, especially in the beginning. A rather long learning curve. Incomprehensible NPC management… oh, I am sorry, Squad Member management during combat. Surprisingly, level scaling is virtually unnoticeable, so no big deal. Verdict: negative, unless you are a trigger-happy FPS fan.

Inventory - as bad as it gets. Supernegative. On the bright side: apparently no weight or room restriction.

Merchants - huh? 70,000 for a regular suit of armor?!

Overall, my first impression: a good game for a 14-years old (mentally). A sci-fi shooter with RPG elements.

-----

The note on the back of the game manual:

"Don't let technical issues stop you from saving the galaxy."

The game freezes and crashes to desktop A LOT. Oh, and the loading time is unbelievably long. It might not stop me from saving the galaxy, but it certainly makes the process of saving painful.

[Nightmare]

I'm currently about halfway through the game right now on the Xbox. I like parts and I dislike some parts. The universe Bioware created is incredibly detailed and very interesting...and yet many of the places you actually go aren't. At some points the game is an excellent mixture of KotOR and Deus Ex, but at other times, the bad parts of KotOR start to show through. You can really only roleplay two characters here...there's no real middle ground, or some like a Chaotic Good type of choice from D&D.