Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

[CWood2]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Just beat ME3 for the first time, and concluded the trilogy. I started with ME2, then ME1 was released. So I played that. Then, I played ME2 again and platinumed it, which was probably one of the best games I've ever played. Top 5 easy with MGS 1 and Uncharted. Then, finally, after over 40 hrs committed to each game (close to 100 on ME2), I beat ME3. Unspeakably amazing trilogy of games from a genre I would have NEVER seen myself becoming completely enamored by.

I need to think more about the ending to fully comment ...

More to come.

[Jdoug312]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Just beat ME3 for the first time, and concluded the trilogy. I started with ME2, then ME1 was released. So I played that. Then, I played ME2 again and platinumed it, which was probably one of the best games I've ever played. Top 5 easy with MGS 1 and Uncharted. Then, finally, after over 40 hrs committed to each game (close to 100 on ME2), I beat ME3. Unspeakably amazing trilogy of games from a genre I would have NEVER seen myself becoming completely enamored by.

I need to think more about the ending to fully comment ...

More to come.

Spoiler

Check out the indoctrination theory.

[CWood2]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Spoiler

Check out the indoctrination theory.

Whoa ... my brain is hurting.

Spoiler

I guess that's why I'm really struggling with the ending ... my brain hurts! I didn't get to gain a sense of accomplishment without a big boss fight, and didn't really feel in control of the ending. The 3 choices felt jarbled ... as if none of them really felt like the consequences would be different, because Shep dies and you just knew he would be the sacrificial lamb as soon as he got injured and entered the Reaper infested Citadel.

Is it a failure of the game that the trilogy ended like this? Probably not. But it's totally not what I expected. And for that ... I just need time to think.

For the record, I picked synthesis. And I almost immediately regretted it, but the game doesn't provide any feedback as to the wisdom or folly of your choice.

[RedPhazon8]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Whoa ... my brain is hurting.

Spoiler

I guess that's why I'm really struggling with the ending ... my brain hurts! I didn't get to gain a sense of accomplishment without a big boss fight, and didn't really feel in control of the ending. The 3 choices felt jarbled ... as if none of them really felt like the consequences would be different, because Shep dies and you just knew he would be the sacrificial lamb as soon as he got injured and entered the Reaper infested Citadel.

Is it a failure of the game that the trilogy ended like this? Probably not. But it's totally not what I expected. And for that ... I just need time to think.

For the record, I picked synthesis. And I almost immediately regretted it, but the game doesn't provide any feedback as to the wisdom or folly of your choice.

I found the ending to be sub par, but to be honest, it's not the first time I've been disappointed with the way an aspect turned out. I ended up getting over it pretty quickly...

[pietasterp]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Whoa ... my brain is hurting.

Spoiler

I guess that's why I'm really struggling with the ending ... my brain hurts! I didn't get to gain a sense of accomplishment without a big boss fight, and didn't really feel in control of the ending. The 3 choices felt jarbled ... as if none of them really felt like the consequences would be different, because Shep dies and you just knew he would be the sacrificial lamb as soon as he got injured and entered the Reaper infested Citadel.

Is it a failure of the game that the trilogy ended like this? Probably not. But it's totally not what I expected. And for that ... I just need time to think.

For the record, I picked synthesis. And I almost immediately regretted it, but the game doesn't provide any feedback as to the wisdom or folly of your choice.

Spoiler

I actually do think the ending, and really most of ME3 in general, was a huge failure. These are the things that bothered me the most:

- The combat and gameplay made a big leap forward between ME1 and ME2, but it seems like they didn't do anything with ME3...they added a dive/roll. Seemed like more of the same game from ME2 (which I think was far-and-away the best of the series)

- You don't really meet anyone new in ME3, and your party options are basically no larger than ME1. Real big step back in my opinion. There wasn't enough variety with your teammates, especially after the ton of characters you had to choose from in ME2, and basically there was hardly a reason to roll through the game with anyone but Shep, Garrus, and 3rd character of your choice (Liara or Tali, probably).

- The most interesting characters from prior ME's aren't even playable; I would be okay if they didn't introduce too many new characters from ME2 if you could at least have most of them in your team, but the suddenly interesting/complicated Jack is relegated to a cameo, as is Miranda, Jacob, Thane, Samara, and pretty much everyone else of mild interest from prior games.

- The single biggest issue I had with the game, though, was its total lack of follow-through on the promise of the entire trilogy, which was that your decisions made over the course of the 3 games would significantly alter the game (presumably at pivotal moments, and certainly one would expect at the end). I mean, you go through all that, 100+ hours of gaming in all likelihood, agonize over decisions going back to ME1, and then at the ultimate moment, your choices basically boil down to red explosion, green explosion, or blue explosion, and literally nothing you did in the game prior to that makes any difference. It's like it was all a big waste making all those decisions, because at most a character isn't around in subsequent games, but someone who fills that exact role is in that character's place. It wasn't even so much the ending that ticked me off (although it did because of the lack of consequences from prior decisions), but really the entire game ME3 because it felt like a rip-off. If nothing I did prior mattered, why did I bother to worry about killing Wrex, saving Ashley vs Kaiden, choosing Samara, going Paragon vs Renegade, etc. etc. etc. It was all totally and completely irrelevant in the end. And that, to me, is what makes ME3 a major failure as a capstone to the series.

At least ME3 had surprisingly fun multiplayer, which I spent an unexpectedly large amount of time with...

Having said all that, I did enjoy the series much more than I ever thought I would, and it actually got me back into non-sports gaming and RPG's in general again. I started right in on Final Fantasy XIII after I finished this series because I forgot I liked the genre when I was younger. That, coupled with the total lack of interesting football gaming options, have pretty much resulted in my not even really being a sports gamer much anymore...which begs the question what am I doing on this site?.....

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

I really need to start up another character.

[thedudedominick]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Spoiler

- The single biggest issue I had with the game, though, was its total lack of follow-through on the promise of the entire trilogy, which was that your decisions made over the course of the 3 games would significantly alter the game (presumably at pivotal moments, and certainly one would expect at the end). I mean, you go through all that, 100+ hours of gaming in all likelihood, agonize over decisions going back to ME1, and then at the ultimate moment, your choices basically boil down to red explosion, green explosion, or blue explosion, and literally nothing you did in the game prior to that makes any difference. It's like it was all a big waste making all those decisions, because at most a character isn't around in subsequent games, but someone who fills that exact role is in that character's place. It wasn't even so much the ending that ticked me off (although it did because of the lack of consequences from prior decisions), but really the entire game ME3 because it felt like a rip-off. If nothing I did prior mattered, why did I bother to worry about killing Wrex, saving Ashley vs Kaiden, choosing Samara, going Paragon vs Renegade, etc. etc. etc. It was all totally and completely irrelevant in the end. And that, to me, is what makes ME3 a major failure as a capstone to the series.

This is the part that I disagree completely with.

Spoiler

Your choices throughout the games definitely effected how all the different interactions happened throughout ME3. If you didn't gain loyalty of certain members of your crew in ME2 it ended up biting you in the *** when you had to deal with their planet/mission. Also Wrex plays a big role in ME3 if you let him live, if not then the game plays out differently. I do agree that the very end of ME3 felt a little hollow, but I thought the game itself was amazing because of those interactions from the first two games that came into the story in ME3.

[AUChase]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

It's been long enough since I played through that I think I wouldn't remember my decisions very well and could probably get a fresh playthough.

I never played ME1. I started with ME2 and then played ME3.

I watched my friend play some of ME1. I'm assuming I should just start from there this time around.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

It's been long enough since I played through that I think I wouldn't remember my decisions very well and could probably get a fresh playthough.

I never played ME1. I started with ME2 and then played ME3.

I watched my friend play some of ME1. I'm assuming I should just start from there this time around.

Absolutely. Totally different experience. I am on ME 2 after finalyl playing the original (Wrex died in ME BTW) and it is far better. I feel totally immersed in the ME universe now.

[redsrule]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

If Wrex died I would have had to turn the Xbox off so it didn't save. He's a badass in the next two games.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

If Wrex died I would have had to turn the Xbox off so it didn't save. He's a badass in the next two games.

Whenever I do a third play through.......

Spoiler

I will make sure I talk him off the ledge.

[pietasterp]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

This is the part that I disagree completely with.

Spoiler

Your choices throughout the games definitely effected how all the different interactions happened throughout ME3. If you didn't gain loyalty of certain members of your crew in ME2 it ended up biting you in the *** when you had to deal with their planet/mission. Also Wrex plays a big role in ME3 if you let him live, if not then the game plays out differently. I do agree that the very end of ME3 felt a little hollow, but I thought the game itself was amazing because of those interactions from the first two games that came into the story in ME3.

Spoiler

Good points, but I guess it boils down to what you consider substantive. I mean, there are differences in some of the side missions and what-not, but I thought if you had been a Renegade the whole time, there might be certain outcomes to the game's ending that you simply could not achieve based on how you treated everyone/decisions you made. I mean, if you saved the council or didn't save the council, that's a huge decision, yet at the game's ending it didn't make any difference. Similarly, if you were a Paragon the whole time, it seems like a different set of outcomes should not be available for the game's ending (let's say for example there was a "kill everyone/everything" outcome that was possible, but if you were above a certain Paragon level that option never became available).

In the end, I just felt like a few side missions aside, there wasn't much weight to some pretty huge decisions that got made along the way, and certain decisions meant nothing whatsoever. I mean, it'd be nice if having Ashley vs Kaiden made some huge difference at some point in the game, since that was probably one of the most significant decisions from the first game (other than Wrex and saving the Council), yet it was ultimately meaningless. Ditto Samara/Morinth). I guess every single decision doesn't have to be weighty, but the outcome of the universe didn't seem to change enough for my liking based on how huge I thought certain decisions would be.

But the game was still fun, and I'd recommend the trilogy to anyone without reservation. I didn't have such a problem with ME3 that I didn't play through the darn thing twice...

[thedudedominick]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Spoiler

Good points, but I guess it boils down to what you consider substantive. I mean, there are differences in some of the side missions and what-not, but I thought if you had been a Renegade the whole time, there might be certain outcomes to the game's ending that you simply could not achieve based on how you treated everyone/decisions you made. I mean, if you saved the council or didn't save the council, that's a huge decision, yet at the game's ending it didn't make any difference. Similarly, if you were a Paragon the whole time, it seems like a different set of outcomes should not be available for the game's ending (let's say for example there was a "kill everyone/everything" outcome that was possible, but if you were above a certain Paragon level that option never became available).

In the end, I just felt like a few side missions aside, there wasn't much weight to some pretty huge decisions that got made along the way, and certain decisions meant nothing whatsoever. I mean, it'd be nice if having Ashley vs Kaiden made some huge difference at some point in the game, since that was probably one of the most significant decisions from the first game (other than Wrex and saving the Council), yet it was ultimately meaningless. Ditto Samara/Morinth). I guess every single decision doesn't have to be weighty, but the outcome of the universe didn't seem to change enough for my liking based on how huge I thought certain decisions would be.

But the game was still fun, and I'd recommend the trilogy to anyone without reservation. I didn't have such a problem with ME3 that I didn't play through the darn thing twice...

That all makes complete sense.

Spoiler

The very end wasn't effected enough by decisions thoughout the game, but I think the side missions and the character specific missions throughout ME3 were very emotional and powerful because of the previous two games. The Legion/Tali storyling, Mordin/Wrex, and everything else was so well done. The disappointing ending didn't ruin the game as much as I thought it would for me.

[myghty]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Man, part 2 has me hooked! The main story & side stories are very well done. Everytime I want to shut it down it has me wanting to know what happens next. DAMN YOU REAL LIFE!!!!

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Mass Effect Trilogy releasing this November on 360/PS3/PC (including ME1 on PS3)

Man, part 2 has me hooked! The main story & side stories are very well done. Everytime I want to shut it down it has me wanting to know what happens next. DAMN YOU REAL LIFE!!!!

Easily my favorite in the series.