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[Minion101]

Play on easy and blaze through it in 15 hours.

 

[KKRT00]

Now matter how atrocious the inventory was in X360 It's amazing no one thought about that during the development or even playtesting.

And yet Diablo 3 doesnt have those either and no one is complaining


I dont think Mass Effect had good UI, but its completely playable and fast. Combat system was also more mature than ME 2, just lacks more unique skills. It was definitely more fun to combine skills in ME 1 for me, than in ME 2, mostly because of global cooldowns and ability to make tank char with high resists or hp regeneration. It was also nice that You needed to use certain skills for certain enemies to kill them easily, like for example Neural Shock for Krogans.

Mako Defense Force here.

(Are there even ten of us?)

I like how it felt like you were exploring worlds, which was the whole point of the game at that time. Yes, there wasn't much to do on them, and yes, a lot of it was reused, but there were a few instances that made it all worth it. A couple glorious views which I won't spoil.

Really made me feel like I was out in the galaxy, which is something ME2 and ME3 dropped the ball on to such a large degree.

Here!

 

[spuit*11]

Mako Defense Force here.

(Are there even ten of us?)

I like how it felt like you were exploring worlds, which was the whole point of the game at that time. Yes, there wasn't much to do on them, and yes, a lot of it was reused, but there were a few instances that made it all worth it. A couple glorious views which I won't spoil.

Really made me feel like I was out in the galaxy, which is something ME2 and ME3 dropped the ball on to such a large degree.

Reporting in.

Some of my favourite parts of the game came from racing around with that wacky old buggy.

 

[jbueno]

I had a great time playing it on 360 on HDD, despite its technical issues. I have no interest in the sequels after reading impressions, but I do want to do a second run on PC.

 

[Typographenia]

Mako Defense Force here.

(Are there even ten of us?)

There should be millions of us! : (


I can definitely understand why someone would feel averse to how ME1 plays, but I just can't bring myself to favor 2/3 over it. The game just hits all the right chords with me, and the jank makes the retro scifi vibe feel even more authentic in some cases.

 

[Mr_Zombie]

And yet Diablo 3 doesnt have those either and no one is complaining

You just had to pick on Diablo 3

Mako Defense Force here.

(Are there even ten of us?)

Count me in. I love Mako. I hate fighting with that thing, but riding around the planets? Yes! And that OST!

 

[Bisnic]

What I posted in a previous LTTP thread:

Just finished my second playthrough of Mass Effect. I originally played through it three years ago but it fell along the wayside and I never got around to Mass Effect 2 even though I enjoyed ME1 quite a bit at the time.

My plan was to get my current character, male/paragon/vanguard up to level 60 (at 56 after two playthroughs) then play through the game once more with a female/renegade/some other class before finally importing both of these characters and playing through Mass Effect 2. Now I'm second guessing that plan...I'm not sure I have the stamina to force my way through the game one more time. Double suck: unfortunately I initially bought the game before I built a decent gaming PC so I'm stuck with the Xbox version.

The game is waaaaay more janky and rough around the edges than I remember. There are so many places where it just didn't hold up during my second playthrough...

Combat: It's usually awkward, sometimes boring and occasionally completely fucking broken. The AI is generally atrocious. Combat in the Mako is a fucking joke...the shield recharges so absurdly slowly that certain sections of the game I had no choice but to drive forward, take down one Geth Colossus, drive back, wait 5 minutes for shield to recharge, rinse, repeat (playing on Hardcore difficulty).

Dialogue: The writing is hit and miss but the bigger problem is that 90% of the dialogue choices are completely meaningless. Half the time Shepard says something only vaguely related to whatever I chose as his response. Or whatever he says could have applied to any of the three choices presented to me.

The pacing sucks: The first quarter and last quarter of the game are actually pretty engaging and interesting. The main reason I don't want to replay it is the complete snore of the middle 50% - I don't know if I can raid those hot labs or whatever one more time without completely losing interest.

The Xbox version blows: Every cutscene has texture pop-in, the inventory system is a total mess and the framerate tanks constantly. The performance, in general, is fucking atrocious.

The biggest surprise, though, was how all over the place the production values are. I mean jeez, for such a hyped-up, high budget production it's poorly stitched together in a huge number of ways. The same animations are repeated constantly. Every character you engage in dialogue makes the same awkward jerky movement with their head and right hand no matter what they're talking about. At this point I can mime it exactly. And they all exit the frame in the exact same awkward, jerky fashion every damn time.

The cutscenes are generally well done but it's way too obvious when the game switches between the cutscene engine and the gameplay/dialogue engine.

And what's the deal with the architecture and interior design in Mass Effect's universe? They build giant, towering structures and fill them with two boxes and a small computer. This struck me at the point where I was raiding ExoGeni's headquarters. What the fuck kind of company is headquartered in a building like this? What do they do all day with their gigantic, empty concrete rooms? How does one run a business out of that?

Even the Citadel doesn't make sense. The consulate for an entire species is one person at a desk in a giant empty room. What the hell?

It's not even worth getting into the elevators. Elevators everywhere. I'm exploring a ruin that's tens of thousands of years old. Gotta take an elevator to go deeper inside. Huh? Stupid.

Anyways, I really want to see some of the moments in the game as an evil female (and I've heard the female VA is quite good) but I don't know if I have the gut to do all that hot labs nonsense one more time. And this is before I even begin playing Mass Effect 2.

EDIT: oh yeah and the side quests are mostly boring nonsense so the game itself ends up feeling pretty linear. Overall, I give it a 7.5/10. Maybe an 8. Maybe.

Seems like some of your issues (mainly combat and shitty xbox version) would be fixed by playing ME2 and ME3. No elevators too, its all loading screens now to get from one floor of the Citadel to another. Never thought about that architecture design you mentioned, but now that you mention it... it does feel empty sometimes in ME1. Buildings and cities are a little more busier and lively in the sequels thankfully.

But you will still see animations being reused(although its not as bad in ME3 i think) and your dialogue issue still exist of course. Can't say about pacing, it never really bothered me.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

There's almost no point in playing ME1 after 2 and 3. It has the best story, but you are already spoiled.

 

[KKRT00]

You just had to pick on Diablo 3

Recent game with big inventory management.
I couldnt pick any new Mass Effect game, because there is no inventory anymore, they fixed it by removing it ...

 

[kai3345]

Still the best Mass Effect game by far

 

[Coldsnap]

Mass Effect 1 is the best in the series. It has such a great story and is very focused. I feel like two and especially three lost focus of the story they started in the first game.

 

[Zeliard]

Best game in the series, and along with Dragon Age it marked the end of the old Bioware before they turned into a mass-market chasing arm of EA.

Heh, Mass Effect 1 is clearly a part of the new Bioware. A grossly dumb-downed pseudo-RPG with schizophrenic gameplay and a weak plot that was was ultimately popular and sold well, and thus became a successful IP. Some would point to Jade Empire as the beginning of the end, but that game at least had the decency to be self-assured and consistent in what it was striving to do. If the RPG is going to be trash and you obviously want the game to be a shooter of some sort, then at least concentrate on one so the both don't suffer, and Bioware understood that with ME2 and 3. The plot in all three games is pretty bad, with the saving grace story-wise being the characters.

DA: O was originally a PC exclusive and was later announced as coming to consoles, because moniez. It ended up okay since Bioware at least treated PC and consoles as the vastly different beasts they are, but was problematic in many ways, and featured some of the worst examples of DLC and pre-order bonuses we've seen this gen.

KOTOR was a fairly good game but bested by the rushed KOTOR 2 pretty handily. Baldur's Gate 2 is one of the greatest games ever made. Bioware is resting their laurels mostly on that; they're a fairly mediocre dev, taken as a whole.

 

[DerZuhälter]

Here we go again.

If you come for the shootbang ME3 > ME2 >>> ME1

If you come for RPG and story ME1 >>>>>ME3 > ME 2

Yes ME1 combat feels wonky, but yes the combat feels also more RPG'y. Constantly had to stop time assess situations, pick the appropriate weapons + mods/ammo and powers. The streamlining might have been fine for some in ME2/3 but to me combat in these games felt too much like standard TPS, especially with regenerating health in ME2. Every place looked artificial with conviniently placed chest high walls for combat. Ugh.

 

[UnluckyKate]

I'm on Virmire again and Soverign just said to my face the the Citadelle and the relays aren't prothean (I knew he said that here) but he said that it is reaper legacy.

How come no one (I didn't) got that earlier ?

 

[Sir Garbageman]

Clunky as hell but still my game of the forever.

 

[Patryn]

I'm on Virmire again and Soverign just said to my face the the Citadelle and the relays aren't prothean (I knew he said that here) but he said that it is reaper legacy.

How come no one (I didn't) got that earlier ?

I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying that you hadn't previously picked up that he said that the Citadel and Relays were made by the Reapers? Because, yeah, that's what he's saying.

And I'm afraid most people got that at the time. There was a lot of discussion about that.

 

[Mr_Zombie]

I'm on Virmire again and Soverign just said to my face the the Citadelle and the relays aren't prothean (I knew he said that here) but he said that it is reaper legacy.

How come no one (I didn't) got that earlier ?

nvm, misread what you said

 

[UnluckyKate]

I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying that you hadn't previously picked up that he said that the Citadel and Relays were made by the Reapers? Because, yeah, that's what he's saying.

And I'm afraid most people got that at the time. There was a lot of discussion about that.

I totally skimmed that part. I always though that you are introduced to the Citadelle and Relays being Prothean tech, then you discover it's older when you learn about the prothean being exterminated by the Reapers. I never understood that Sovereign said clearly that it was reaper made.

This change everything. Everything.

 

[Hasphat'sAnts]

I play up to the Thorian then go to a save starting with Virmire. It's the best way to play this game.

 

[News Bot]

The soundtrack was pretty haunting during some of the side-quests...

Then it got really fucking annoying when a vast amount of the side-quests were the exact same thing. Exact same planets. Exact same building. Exact same hallways. Exact same boxes. Exact same textures. Exact same doors. It just feels incredibly tedious. Despite this, a lot of the side-quests had interesting stories behind them which added to the overall mythos of the series, which is the only reason I even bother with them.

Biotics were nigh-on worthless also. Lets not get started on that fucking Mako or the planet traversing in general.

Still love it, but it's incredibly flawed. ME2 and ME3 improve the combat but lack the pacing and interesting side-quests. ME2 maintains a great story with an impressive atmosphere and a memorable cast. ME3 was just... lifeless, with only a handful of redeeming qualities.

 

[Captain Ganz]

The soundtrack was pretty haunting during some of the side-quests...

Then it got really fucking annoying when a vast amount of the side-quests were the exact same thing. Exact same planets. Exact same building. Exact same hallways. Exact same boxes. Exact same textures. Exact same doors. It just feels incredibly tedious. Despite this, a lot of the side-quests had interesting stories behind them which added to the overall mythos of the series, which is the only reason I even bother with them.

Biotics were nigh-on worthless also. Lets not get started on that fucking Mako or the planet traversing in general.

Still love it, but it's incredibly flawed. ME2 and ME3 improve the combat but lack the pacing and interesting side-quests. ME2 maintains a great story with an impressive atmosphere and a memorable cast. ME3 was just... lifeless, with only a handful of redeeming qualities.

You're joking right? ME2 didn't have a story. It made you play through a series of unrelated quests for the same character cliches we've seen a thousand times. At least in Mass Effect 3 the story moves along and you see actual consequences for your actions for the first time in the whole series.

 

[nel e nel]

I don't understand what you mean. Are you saying that you hadn't previously picked up that he said that the Citadel and Relays were made by the Reapers? Because, yeah, that's what he's saying.

And I'm afraid most people got that at the time. There was a lot of discussion about that.

Yeah, the thing is though, that the codex never acknowledges this revelation. I'm working on a fresh trilogy run (just about to cure the genophage in ME3...or am I? mwahahahaha!) and I noticed that the Citadel entry in the codex stills states: "Supposedly constructed by the Protheans..."

So to everyone who gave me shit in the ME3 threads and used the codex to defend their stance that the entire Milky Way had to have been destroyed at the end...THE CODEX IS FALLIBLE!!! I AM AVENGED!!! /shakesfistatair

Also, my personal analysis of the trilogy:

ME1 = film noir
ME2 = Dirty Dozen
ME3 = standard save the universe adventure (or beating the odds)

 

[Papercuts]

Here we go again.

If you come for the shootbang ME3 > ME2 >>> ME1

If you come for RPG and story ME1 >>>>>ME3 > ME 2

Yes ME1 combat feels wonky, but yes the combat feels also more RPG'y. Constantly had to stop time assess situations, pick the appropriate weapons + mods/ammo and powers. The streamlining might have been fine for some in ME2/3 but to me combat in these games felt too much like standard TPS, especially with regenerating health in ME2. Every place looked artificial with conviniently placed chest high walls for combat. Ugh.

I'm in it for shooting, RPG, and story. Mass Effect 1 is a shitty RPG and a shitty shooter, but has a good story and boring characters. It's the worst ME to me from any way I look at it.

 

[ronito]

If you come for RPG and story ME1 >>>>>ME3 > ME 2

Yes ME1 combat feels wonky, but yes the combat feels also more RPG'y. Constantly had to stop time assess situations, pick the appropriate weapons + mods/ammo and powers. The streamlining might have been fine for some in ME2/3 but to me combat in these games felt too much like standard TPS, especially with regenerating health in ME2. Every place looked artificial with conviniently placed chest high walls for combat. Ugh.

Really? Is that a testament how good you think ME1 is or how bad ME2/3 are?
I don't get a lot of the RPG feeling from ME1. Mainly because most of the sidequests have been utterly not worth it.

Then it got really fucking annoying when a vast amount of the side-quests were the exact same thing. Exact same planets. Exact same building. Exact same hallways. Exact same boxes. Exact same textures. Exact same doors. It just feels incredibly tedious. Despite this, a lot of the side-quests had interesting stories behind them which added to the overall mythos of the series, which is the only reason I even bother with them.

Biotics were nigh-on worthless also. Lets not get started on that fucking Mako or the planet traversing in general.

I have to agree on both these points. Sidequests are dull to the point of irrelevance and biotechs? I have yet to really make use of one. I probably should have in the beginning when I was dying all the time but now? I don't need them.

 

[xJavonta]

Yeah Mass Effect one was good at the time, but it doesn't hold a candle to ME2 or ME3.

A lot of people prefer how deep it goes into the RPG elements and the sheer amount of exploration available in it, but when it comes down to gameplay mechanics, ME2 and ME3 destroy it.

I tried playing through the trilogy again. I got as far as the first Mako mission in ME1 before closing it and deciding to use a save file editor so I can just start from ME2. The Mako missions just killed it for me.

That being said, this is just my opinion so take it as you will haha

 

[Taruranto]

Meh, i don't understand how ME2 and 3 are superior to 1 in gameplay terms.

Are corridors that fun?

 

[Derrick01]

I'm in it for shooting, RPG, and story. Mass Effect 1 is a shitty RPG and a shitty shooter, but has a good story and boring characters. It's the worst ME to me from any way I look at it.

There's no way you can say the others are better RPGs. No possible way at all.

 

[Goldenroad]

ME 1, 2 and 3 are all just one in the same to me. I just play though them as though they were meant to be played as one game. There are high points and low points throughout the games, but each game is integral to the others and I don't dislike any of them. I think they made the combat a bit better throughout the series and ME3 certainly looks the prettiest, but the game is really about characters and this ME universe and no game series has ever nailed that aspect of video games before and I can't picture anyone doing it better than Bioware any time soon.

 

[Goldenroad]

Play on easy and blaze through it in 15 hours.

My last playthrough I did in under 3 hours. Helps if you're Lvl 60 already, but if you just want to hit the story beats you can easily beat that game in one sitting.

 

[UnluckyKate]

There's no way you can say the others are better RPGs. No possible way at all.

Actually... in many ways, i prefer ME3 as a rpg. ME1 had more freedom in character progression but it was really redudant and small upgrades. ME2 was way to dumbed down but ME3 was great : every power had their use and interesting upgrades.

Same goes for weapon mods. It's not has deep as ME1 but it worked much better because guns felt actually different. Also, characters in ME3 had really good writting and interactions are better, maybe because of all the history and the fan service in the writting.

Mass Effect is a good but very experimental game with many big flaws in it's game design or pacing.

ME2 or 3 are much more enjoyable overall and satisfying mainly du to an amazingly better combat system

 

[cheststrongwell]

I love ME1. Even the Mako parts. Inventory system sucks though.

Not being able to use a controller on the PC versions is awful.

 

[someday]

ME1 was by far my favorite of the series, warts and all. I played through it 5 or 6 times and that cannot be said for the last 2 games of the series. I absolutely loved that game. The exploration of the Citadel, the planets, hell, the universe. I missed that in ME2 and 3. That magic was gone.

Also, the Adept does start off seemingly weak, but I found it to be the strongest after you've acquired a few more levels. My insanity run used the Adept and it was a piece of cake. But, it starts off weaker than the others.

 

[Jibbajabbawockky]

I don't know why in games where you can easily quicksave, people complain about checkpoints. It's just sort of a rule that you spam quicksaves in an RPG.

 

[Last Hearth]

Bioware should never have listened to the whiners and gotten rid of the Mako.

Planetary exploration was an awesome part of the game and contributed greatly to the entire games' ambiance. It actually felt like there is a whole galaxy out there.

ME2 and ME3 had only set pieces and felt much smaller in comparison.