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GAF Plays: Mass Effect series (unmarked spoilers)

Just finished my marathon weekend session of Mass Effect 1, still a wonderful game, but looking back, it's easy to see the game's faults. I had little interest in doing the side missions as I mentioned earlier, but all in all, I still love the game, and know how much it made me love the series. I still adore the exposition on Ilos, the conversation with Vigil, really great stuff.

Just started Mass Effect 2 as well, that intro is still incredible. I think I'll take a bit more time with Mass Effect 2 over the next couple weeks and do everything to get set for 3.
 
ShaneB said:
I had little interest in doing the side missions as I mentioned earlier
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I used to have distinct loathing for the game because it forced me to play all those damnable Mako missions to get the squadmate achievements. I was glad after I got those that I could ignore them upon future playthroughs.

Now, the only side missions (outside of the main worlds) I bother with are the VI moonbase one, the Cerberus side plot, Garrus and Wrex' personal quest, and the crazy biotic nutjob camp.
 
Trey said:
I used to have distinct loathing for the game because it forced me to play all those damnable Mako missions to get the squadmate achievements. I was glad after I got those that I could ignore them upon future playthroughs.

Now, the only side missions (outside of the main worlds) I bother with are the VI moonbase one, the Cerberus side plot, Garrus and Wrex' personal quest, and the crazy biotic nutjob camp.
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Heh, those side missions are actually the same ones I did. lol
 
Getting near the end of my ME2 playthrough for import/my version of canon. I think all I have left is Thane and Samara's loyalty missions, Project Overlord, LotSB and Arrival (to do after the suicide mission).

God, 90% of the ME2 sidequests are insanely dull. No real dialogue or anything. Just literally a corridor shooter at those points. Occasionally you have something different but they are mostly an arena or two. Also, I did the M44 Hammerhead missions last night, PRETTY SURE the M44 VO is the same VO for Garrus or something.
 
Sober said:
Getting near the end of my ME2 playthrough for import/my version of canon. I think all I have left is Thane and Samara's loyalty missions, Project Overlord, LotSB and Arrival (to do after the suicide mission).

God, 90% of the ME2 sidequests are insanely dull. No real dialogue or anything. Just literally a corridor shooter at those points. Occasionally you have something different but they are mostly an arena or two. Also, I did the M44 Hammerhead missions last night, PRETTY SURE the M44 VO is the same VO for Garrus or something.
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That is something I agree with. Most of the N7 missions are beyond forgettable in ME2. Pretty much the only one I don't forget is the crazed VI/virus/whatever that is a string of three N7s that connect.

All the rest... meh. At least a bunch of the ME1 side missions had some personality to them.
 
Trey said:
I used to have distinct loathing for the game because it forced me to play all those damnable Mako missions to get the squadmate achievements. I was glad after I got those that I could ignore them upon future playthroughs.

Now, the only side missions (outside of the main worlds) I bother with are the VI moonbase one, the Cerberus side plot, Garrus and Wrex' personal quest, and the crazy biotic nutjob camp.
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I've done every mission in both games and I agree that having to use the Mako over and over again just become a major nuisance. Drive here, clear out this base, rinse, repeat. But I loved the game and its universe (and its combat) so much that I kept playing.
 
Patryn said:
That is something I agree with. Most of the N7 missions are beyond forgettable in ME2. Pretty much the only one I don't forget is the crazed VI/virus/whatever that is a string of three N7s that connect.

All the rest... meh. At least a bunch of the ME1 side missions had some personality to them.
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I was going to say, for however similar and monotonous the side missions are in ME1, they were pretty interesting storywise. They may have all been that same Mako over Olympus' jagged edge to yet-another-fricking tetris block base or Tatooine hovel with stacks of boxes inside, but there were some memorable side plots.

ME2 was a clear step up in presentation of the side missions overall though. Variable storylines, unique locations, ran the gamut of combat scenarios, and even had some laughable attempts at platforming and puzzles.

ShaneB said:
Heh, those side missions are actually the same ones I did. lol
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N7 brothers to the end.

ProXimity said:
I've done every mission in both games and I agree that having to use the Mako over and over again just become a major nuisance. Drive here, clear out this base, rinse, repeat. But I loved the game and its universe (and its combat) so much that I kept playing.
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Yeah. I remember how many times I thought to myself "ugh, this shit again." But there I was, knocking those missions out like clockwork. I'm sure I was on the brink of madness at that point. But the universe does have that charm. It's not even a particularly novel sci-fi story, but I sure listened to every voiced entry of the codex.

<3 Mass Effect.
 
My paragon Shepard has a hard decision to make: venture through the Omega 4 relay with only half loyalty to save my crew, or allow half my unimportant crew to be eaten by a Terminator.

He was suppose to be a deity with everything handed to him, but now he has a difficult decision to face!
 
Patryn said:
That is something I agree with. Most of the N7 missions are beyond forgettable in ME2. Pretty much the only one I don't forget is the crazed VI/virus/whatever that is a string of three N7s that connect.

All the rest... meh. At least a bunch of the ME1 side missions had some personality to them.
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I've always liked the ME2 N7 mission where you're all alone on a crashed ship barely hanging from a huge cliff.

But i think what hurted the N7 missions more is that you never meet another human/alien being where you actually engage in conversation. Its all monsters, geths and mercenaries to kill with an objective in the end.

Thankfully all the other ME2 missions aren't like that.
 
I started my Mass Effect 2 playthrough yesterday. I haven't done the Helena Blake quest in ME1 but I'm thinking to do it and restart ME2. Right now I recruit Mordin and Garrus. So I'm only 3 hours in the game. I missed a few spots in the opening mission(Freedom Progress). So I am asking: Should I restart ME2?


And I totally agree with the sidemission of ME2. Even the main quest are dumb. No different approach to a mission. You do the same always again. Go to point XY, talk to recruit #1, he can't leave until you defeat enemy xy.
 
I forgot how good the character dialogue in ME2 is, especially Mordin. I loved learning about his backstory about the special task group and krogan genophage. I also learned more about Aria's backstory and how she took over Omeha (I never did talk to her after doing the Patriarch sidequest on my first playthrough, for some reason).
 
Moaradin said:
I forgot how good the character dialogue in ME2 is, especially Mordin. I loved learning about his backstory about the special task group and krogan genophage. I also learned more about Aria's backstory and how she took over Omeha (I never did talk to her after doing the Patriarch sidequest on my first playthrough, for some reason).
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Yeah Mordin was great, disappointed he's not a main feature of ME3.
 
Moaradin said:
Mordin will be insanely important to the ME3 main plot with the genophage and all. I'm sure he'll be directly involved in weither the Krogans help Shepard or not.
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Don't expect too much from him in ME3. After all, he could be dead for some players.

Or replaced by Mordan, his unknown twin.
 
Moaradin said:
Mordin will be insanely important to the ME3 main plot with the genophage and all. I'm sure he'll be directly involved in weither the Krogans help Shepard or not.
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Oh it's not side of things I'm disappointed about, just wanted to have him on my team. Mordin and Miranda were my A-Team :(

It's ok though since I can now revert to ME1 god status with Garrus and Wrex, shooting up the galaxy with ma boiz!
 
Sephiroth503 said:
Oh it's not side of things I'm disappointed about, just wanted to have him on my team. Mordin and Miranda were my A-Team :(

It's ok though since I can now revert to ME1 god status with Garrus and Wrex, shooting up the galaxy with ma boiz!
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I thought Wrex was just going to be a temporary squadmate? Someone prove me wrong!
 
Resumed my Mass Effect 2 Insanity playthrough with my lv 30 Solider. I have a sleight left-drift on my left analog controller and it's really starting to annoy me. Sometimes I take cover and Shepard ducks and moves to the left immediately. I'm trying to outfit myself with Biotics and Tech to make a well rounded team, why does Garus insist on not using his Sniper Rifle? I had to take him off the team because he just doesn't listen to what I say.

Finished up the Shodow Broker DLC and it was really good. I wonder if this will translate to anything in ME3?
 
Playing Mass Effect 1 and 2 back to back has quickly reminded me what I love and hate about each game.

In ME2, I'm happy with the gameplay changes, everything feels tighter and solid, the guns actually feel powerful with feedback, and the simplification of the power skills just makes things quicker instead of spending time in menus.

But it's what Mass Effect 1 got right, that just feels off in 2. Saren was a god damn badass, with one of my favourite music themes in recent years, so ominous. The threat of a single Reaper in Sovereign was truly terrifying, that conversation on Virmire I still love so much, that voice! The world and story just felt richer, I cared a lot more about it. The sense of discovery was there, figuring it all out. Exploring the citadel and its citizens was great fun. It was just the repetition of the side missions that dragged out my replay.

In 2, I just don't care at all about the Collectors. It just feels like a placeholder enemy to give me something to fight against while everyone takes about the Reapers. I guess all in all it's just that it's so much damn fun, that's all that matters.
 
ShaneB said:
Playing Mass Effect 1 and 2 back to back has quickly reminded me what I love and hate about each game.

In ME2, I'm happy with the gameplay changes, everything feels tighter and solid, the guns actually feel powerful with feedback, and the simplification of the power skills just makes things quicker instead of spending time in menus.

But it's what Mass Effect 1 got right, that just feels off in 2. Saren was a god damn badass, with one of my favourite music themes in recent years, so ominous. The world and story just felt richer, I cared a lot more about it. The sense of discovery was there, figuring it all out. Exploring the citadel and its citizens was great fun. It was just the repetition of the side missions that dragged out my replay.

In 2, I just don't care at all about the Collectors. It just feels like a placeholder enemy to give me something to fight against while everyone takes about the Reapers. I guess all in all it's just that it's so much damn fun, that's all that matters.
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I love that cutscene on Virmire when you fight him, where you're down on the ground and he just jump out of his flying platform and quickly walk toward you like a badass before grabbing you by the throat, with awesome music in the background.
 
Trey said:
It's not even a particularly novel sci-fi story, but I sure listened to every voiced entry of the codex.
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The main story doesn't do a lot for me. It's not a whole lot different than something like the Borg plot from Star Trek. But the depth and intricacies of the Mass Effect universe is what is really compelling to me. It's almost Tolkienesque.

rayner said:
Finished up the Shodow Broker DLC and it was really good. I wonder if this will translate to anything in ME3?
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And thus the problem with important story DLC in a game that carries over to the sequel. I'd bet 90% of all ME2 players didn't play LotSB, which means it will be difficult to do too much with it in ME3. The only possibility is that Bioware imputes the events of LotSB onto players that didn't play through it, but that might be kind of strange and hard to explain.
 
Recently re-bought ME2 in order to finally play through the DLC before ME3 comes out. LotSB was nice and substantial, but I was disappointed by Arrival. For some reason I had it in my head that Overlord was supposed to be a ripoff and Arrival had a nice amount of content, but I guess it's the reverse. I could have just watched a LP or read a summary of Arrival. Oh well. Guess I'll buy Overlord now.
 
Finally got a No One Left Behind run under my belt. I had all the assignments right and still lost Mordin so I had to do it over with Mordin in my final party.

Feels good, man.

Bring on 3.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
Finally got a No One Left Behind run under my belt. I had all the assignments right and still lost Mordin so I had to do it over with Mordin in my final party.

Feels good, man.

Bring on 3.
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I remember doing my perfect run, had Garrus as the 2nd team leader and when the door closes and he got shot I was like "Oh S*?!$^?&"

But Garrus is boss so he took that bullet and lived.
 
TangoAlphaLima said:
And thus the problem with important story DLC in a game that carries over to the sequel. I'd bet 90% of all ME2 players didn't play LotSB, which means it will be difficult to do too much with it in ME3. The only possibility is that Bioware imputes the events of LotSB onto players that didn't play through it, but that might be kind of strange and hard to explain.
Click to expand...


I don't think they'll really care much. Anybody who hasn't played Arrival will find ME3's intro as confusing as hell, so no harm in putting in some LotSB things.
 
Bisnic said:
I love that cutscene on Virmire when you fight him, where you're down on the ground and he just jump out of his flying platform and quickly walk toward you like a badass before grabbing you by the throat, with awesome music in the background.
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Yeah, that is a terrific moment and a hell of a confrontation, and that music at its apex is incredible.
 
So I'm currently replaying ME2 as a secondary character, and I was thinking of letting a crew member or two bite the dust just to see what changes in ME3. Just wondering who you think would make the biggest impact being dead going into 3?

I was thinking Miranda maybe has more plot importance than some of the others, with Cerberus and all. Not sure how ME3 will work out the character thing, if they will just have stand ins if they are dead or not, but I wanted to have some significant differences in my two files.
 
JohnTonne said:
Just wondering who you think would make the biggest impact being dead going into 3?
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Minor ME3 spoilers for those wishing to stay totally in the void:
Isn't Garrus a teammate again in ME3? If so, he'd probably be on top of the list. Tali too, right? Anyway, anyone who is a teammate likely has a bigger impact on the ME3 story.

It's easy to think of characters that will have no impact on ME3. Zaeed and Kasumi are at the top of that list. Then maybe Grunt and Samara/Morinth (greater than 50% chance of this character to be dead, considering you have to choose one to begin with, then make it through the suicide mission). Not sure if Jacob or Jack will have any role in ME3 either.

In no particular order: Miranda, Garrus, Tali, Mordin, Thane, and Legion.
 
TangoAlphaLima said:
Minor ME3 spoilers for those wishing to stay totally in the void:
Isn't Garrus a teammate again in ME3? If so, he'd probably be on top of the list. Tali too, right? Anyway, anyone who is a teammate likely has a bigger impact on the ME3 story.

It's easy to think of characters that will have no impact on ME3. Zaeed and Kasumi are at the top of that list. Then maybe Grunt and Samara/Morinth (greater than 50% chance of this character to be dead, considering you have to choose one to begin with, then make it through the suicide mission). Not sure if Jacob or Jack will have any role in ME3 either.

In no particular order: Miranda, Garrus, Tali, Mordin, Thane, and Legion.
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Spoilers from videos(no leaking script stuff)
Pretty sure i saw Jacob in one of those mini videos Bioware released this month. And i saw artwork of Jack a few months ago.
 
It's still annoying that they switched around the 'zoom out' and 'exit' buttons in the Galaxy Map in ME2. Coming off of ME1, I've gotten used to press X to zoom out, and all of a sudden BioWare's trolling me by having it exit the map instead.

Same with switching around the position of Save and Load. I still make mistakes to this day.
 
I forgot to mention that Twin Peaks scarred my brain so fucking much that the onscreen strip club in Shadow Broker made me jump up and yelp.

So fucking horrifying.
 
Hello fellow ME players! I was wondering if someone could help me with something.

I just picked up ME1 again for a hardcore run and I feel kinda lost with all the equipment I have.

Could someone possibly suggest me the best weapons and their upgrades to use?
That way I could have the best performance possible and remove the old, useless equipment I won't need since I'm already maxed out at 150 items. I'm a soldier btw, if that makes any difference.
 
Looks like the CDN updates are about to start again:

chris priestley said:
We are 2 weeks from the launch of Mass Effect 3 and this marks the return of the Alliance News Network updates. Starting today you will see the new updates when you play Mass Effect 2. Also now, you can get the Alliance News Network updates through Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/AllianceNewsNet

Make sure you check the feeds regularly to get your updates from the Alliance News Network.
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http://social.bioware.com/forum/Mas.../Alliance-News-Network-Returns-9381295-1.html
 
Hypertrooper said:
GambleMike tweeted that people should play the ME2 dlc before starting ME3. And I asked him if bring down the sky would have any impact, he responded it will. I hope it won't be only a mention.
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Guess I stand somewhat corrected regarding Kasumi not being important at all. Regardless, I highly doubt any of the choices made in the DLC will have a big impact on ME3. Maybe mentioned, possibly some small side missions related to those stories, but I'm not expecting much.
 
Good thing I'm going through all the DLC again. Planning on finishing the Suicide Mission, then doing Overlord as a big "fuck you" to Cerberus, Lair of the Shadow Broker to get Liara ready and Arrival to piss on Harbinger's hologram.
 
@lochnessmunchys Due to Xbox 360 Games on Demand policy a digital download for ME3 will not be supported on X360

;_;...

Would somebody please explain this policy issue to me, please? It's probably why we never got a GoD version of ME2.

Bet it has something to do with them being on multiple discs.
 
Sai said:
@lochnessmunchys Due to Xbox 360 Games on Demand policy a digital download for ME3 will not be supported on X360

;_;...

Would somebody please explain this policy issue to me, please? It's probably why we never got a GoD version of ME2.

Bet it has something to do with them being on multiple discs.
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2 discs would be my guess.
 
I enjoyed the ME3 demo a lot, so I decided to give the series another chance. I never grew fond of ME1, and after 7 hours realized I wasn't really having fun playing it. Now, I've picked up ME2 and the improvements are phenomenal. It's actually fun in minute to minute gameplay, and, even though it's RPG-Lite, the impressive exposition are still there and there's a more cohesive and variant artistic style that makes it harder to leave your seat.

There are still many hours to devote, but I'm having a blast so far.
 
I had never really talked to Legion that much. I couldn't help but laugh when he talks about the tests they were running on organics. The one with the stars that when viewed from a certain point form a goddess, and the shitstorm that it caused when they released the information. Also when you prod him about why he's wearing Shepard's armor "Data not found." And walked in on him doing the robot. :)
 
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