SomedayTheFire
Member
But people have been asking for this for years now.
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Early impressions from RPS for ME:A. It's... not good
- Thread starter Kumquat
- Start date
GHG
Member
Wait, you can't command your squad like you could in previous games?
Move & attack commands, yes, but no power wheel as far as I'm aware.
Bad project management / something went wrong at Montreal / new engine, new studio / EA lost their patience after 5 years and shipped it
GHG
Member
So no pause combat to dish out specific commands?
I only played about the first 10 hours of ME 1 and the strategic side was one of my favourite bits. Oh well, I think I'll just play the trilogy in my backlog instead of getting this.
Sanctuary
Member
It didn't just improve the combat. It improved almost everything else (that was kept), and then ME3 was a regression in a lot of ways, which includes the combat. It might have been better in that regard on a technical level, but prior to the DLC, too much of the actual encounters were just the same peek-a-boo shooting galleries.
The AI is better though, and they achieved faster and more dynamic combat. Goals accomplished. That one of the characters did a stupid thing once doesn't matter really, as far as I can see the AI improvements they did achieve in combination with the overall stronger abilities your companions gets now (Cora gets Charge and a shield boost, two very very powerful abilities even in the hands of an AI) puts their usefulness roughly on par with the weaker (ability-wise) and dumber (AI-wise) but more easily micro managed characters of the previous games.
ME3 on insanity was not perfect, vanguard was far too easy and risk free and combo explosions were OP.
They were actually using a Geth Dark Energy array to violate causality and get real-time images. Do keep up!
I don't think bioware have a very strong grasp on relativistic travel.
Octavianus
Banned
Sounds about right to me.
"blah blah space magic"
Woo-Fu
Banned
Sounds like the writing in Andromeda, according to this early impression.
dr_rus
Member
The sole fact that there is something about them actually LOOKING at PLANETS in Andromeda from Milky Way says all I need to know about the "sci" part of this game.
Here's how a planet which is 40 light years away looks:
Andromeda is 2000000 light years away.
"Enhance."Here's how a planet which is 40 light years away looks:
Andromeda is 2000000 light years away.
Familienoberhauptvogel
Banned
We are talking about 200 years into the future with a jumpstart into the interplanetary age. Not that ME has ever been a beacon of sci in sci-fi.
At least mass relays had half decent explanations as to how they defy physics. I'd love to see how they explain this in-universe.
Exploratory
Banned
The EA Access thread has more positive impressions than negative impressions.
Wow, is this spot-on...
Andromeda feels like the game that we would be excited for at launch, point out how inferior it is to what proceeded it on release day, enjoy it for what it is, and all agree that it was nice to have something to whet our appetite...but we really need a proper sequel now.
Ivory Samoan
Gold Member
There are far more positive impressions than negative ones...many many more, the echo chamber likes to embrace the few that are bad, and pile up on them. RPS's other preview by Holly was overwhelmingly positive....yet no mention of that or it's own thread.
I've played more of Andromeda than the previewer, and I wholeheartedly disagree on most of his points (the CC could of been better though, Ian Frazier has confirmed it's getting an update via patch though).
It feels like Mass Effect in all the ways that matter: the mystery is back too; which has been missing since ME1.
Rudimental
Member
Unless multiple people who's opinion I normally agree with tell me that the beginning is just some annomaly and the rest of the game isn't such an abject horror in terms of writing, story and characterization then I think it'll be a way down the line $10 purchase if at all. The opening bits that people have been allowed to stream just look so bad and there are so many other good games out there.
Put a mass field on that and voilaThe sole fact that there is something about them actually LOOKING at PLANETS in Andromeda from Milky Way says all I need to know about the "sci" part of this game.
Here's how a planet which is 40 light years away looks:
Andromeda is 2000000 light years away.
But honestly, they also managed to travel those 2000000 light years in 600 years. It's a sci fi game, things that are impossible now are possible in their future, that's not quite where my suspension of disbelief breaks.
Overall is that a really minor issue compared to the other stuff
Jack The Nipper
Banned
I think different people have thier own ideas. Unless you are one of them or something.
I love Zelda and it gets tens but knowing what the game is on feel I wouldn't like a lot of it.
I also felt I wouldn't like mass effect but for reasons no one has said in this thread. Well atleast on the preciew side. People have said it here.
You may live it. I'm not sure where animation matters.
You can always expect frame issues and visual issues from bioware imo
I don't want the huge world's or mission designs of those world's from what I have seen and been saying for weeks now. I decided to hold off as soon as ign showed the planets a week or so ago.
You may love the game the point is people listen to others opinion which isn't you anyways. I would give rainbow six a solid 8.5 out of 10 and that is well above many reviews of it.
Point is, they have thier own opinion unless you let them influence you which is possible for many. I never take that much from most reviews. I watch videos and take key gameplay or design ideas that may be said to know if I'll like it or not. Seeing praise about Zelda never made me feel I would like it knowing it's open, lacks proper dungeons and asks you to collect tons of items to cook and store etc. Seems backwards for a game. Seems redundant and forced time wise.
Play the game and see if it's the game for you.
I mean, if you bury your head in the sand everything coming from outside sounds like echo I guess.
First it was: "RPS is teh clickbaitz!"
Then GiantBomb, PC Gamer and Gamespot (which are pretty positive, mainstream outlets btw) among others started to chime in, and now it is: "this particular thread I visit is all mostly positive!". I wonder if we'll get another Uncharted 3 review thread scenario once those come out.
First it was: "RPS is teh clickbaitz!"
Then GiantBomb, PC Gamer and Gamespot (which are pretty positive, mainstream outlets btw) among others started to chime in, and now it is: "this particular thread I visit is all mostly positive!". I wonder if we'll get another Uncharted 3 review thread scenario once those come out.
SmartWaffles
Member
I can't see the game getting 80+ after actually playing it.
Watching the Giantbomb steam and wow does this game look really undercooked. Not that I had any expectations, Mass Effect 3 didn't really leave me wanting more. I really enjoyed the first game, second I could appreciate it for being a good mainstream game. I'll just continue to think good thoughts about the first one and skip this.
dr_rus
Member
The problem is that anything you can "see" is by default limited by the amount of information which reach you where you are. So unless they've actually traveled to Andromeda for that reconnaissance (via a wormhole or mass field or whatever) there is really no way to see any planet there from where we are beyond the somewhat dubious possibility of saying that there even is a planet near some star in Andromeda. This won't change 200 or even 2000 years into the future.
FTL travel doesn't break suspension because it's theoretically possible at least. Seeing "golden worlds" in Andromeda from Milky Way is not. And that's even disregarding the fact that what they were seeing is what happened 2000600 years ago by the time they arrive there.
I don't think this is accurate. FTL in Mass Effect, according to a quick google, does not occur via the warping of space-time (which is the theoretical avenue that people have proposed IRL, per my memory). Instead, it occurs by lowering the mass of the ship, and thereby somehow dodging relativistic effects and limitations. Basically, Mass Effect operates in a universe where relativity is wrong. In our universe, c is the speed limit, no matter what your mass is. If you could somehow reduce a starship to 0 mass, it would travel at the speed of light, and not faster.
From there, you can hand-wave your way to FTL scanning of whatever you want.
Well I mean you could go even harder science magic and say that there is a currently undetectable energy that everything gives off that travels way way faster than light that we can observe from a galaxy away.
Nevermind that read back twice as stupid as when I was writing it.
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
I had a bad feeling about this game ever since I heard the word "Pathfinder" in the first story trailer. Bioware is just going through the motions at this point. I'm sure the game will be okay at the very least but even though the chosen one trope is certainly not exclusive to Bioware, the way they stroke the player's ego in every one of their games is really getting old for me.
Add to that the hilarious dialogs and animations on display in the giantbomb video and now I think I'm just going to buy Nier instead.
Add to that the hilarious dialogs and animations on display in the giantbomb video and now I think I'm just going to buy Nier instead.
tearsintherain
Member
ME1 & 2 are two of my favorite games, had MEA on pre order and was pretty jazzed about jumping in after just finishing Horizon Zero Dawn last night.
So boot up the 44 gig EA Access trial today morning and play for 3 hours. Usual fun in character creation, I create nightmare fuel clown faced killer and off we go. Story starts a bit wonky, like some really, really, really basic science facts seem to be ignored (Andromeda is 2m light years away... which means stuff you observe is 2m years old...) but thats fine, exploring a planet is pretty cool and fun. A bit weird that my dad is an N7 and kicks serious ass and I just feel like a red shirt NPC who literally does nothing while everyone else kills stuff.
The writing is wretched. Beyond wretched. Just horrible cliches, cringe dialogue, and inane dopey comments. Every new NPC I meet is more annoying than the last. Combined with terrible voice acting, insanely bad face animations and models, and a real lack of emotion so far in the story and I just don't even want to finish playing out the remaining 6 hours on my trial, let alone buy the game.
Pre order cancelled. I don't know what went wrong with this game but I hope Bioware does a strong post mortem and figure out what this massive gap is between the studio that made classics like KOTOR, Baldurs Gate, and Mass Effect and this game.
So boot up the 44 gig EA Access trial today morning and play for 3 hours. Usual fun in character creation, I create nightmare fuel clown faced killer and off we go. Story starts a bit wonky, like some really, really, really basic science facts seem to be ignored (Andromeda is 2m light years away... which means stuff you observe is 2m years old...) but thats fine, exploring a planet is pretty cool and fun. A bit weird that my dad is an N7 and kicks serious ass and I just feel like a red shirt NPC who literally does nothing while everyone else kills stuff.
The writing is wretched. Beyond wretched. Just horrible cliches, cringe dialogue, and inane dopey comments. Every new NPC I meet is more annoying than the last. Combined with terrible voice acting, insanely bad face animations and models, and a real lack of emotion so far in the story and I just don't even want to finish playing out the remaining 6 hours on my trial, let alone buy the game.
Pre order cancelled. I don't know what went wrong with this game but I hope Bioware does a strong post mortem and figure out what this massive gap is between the studio that made classics like KOTOR, Baldurs Gate, and Mass Effect and this game.
It's surprising that people who are so hyped for the game that they are willing to pay extra to play it early even if for a few hours are more willing to accept its faults?
It was 5 dollars to decide if a 60 dollar purchase was worth it...
Well, reached the end of the trial. I've still got half of the allotted time left to check out the side stuff, but I'm not exactly in a hurry for "Pathfinder, go solve every problem we have". Bioware still seems unable to decide between "go save the world" and "deliver mail for my neighbour" type of content.
And the NPCs...
And the NPCs...
How many games start out janky and poorly written but blossom into wonderful experiences? If anything, I think outlets like Kotaku are being too forgiving.
LOL
It's like someone hit random in the character generator and figured it's good enough. I don't know why they insist on making such fancy hair when it looks so crappy
I don't think poor writing improves, especially as a lot of developers leave the beginning of the game for last.
However, there is a possibility that the story itself improves. Maybe they rushed the beginning of the game?
benicillin
Banned
I mean I've heard from a few people that the story takes a while to find it's groove but it does get better, so there's always that possibility.
ToysAndMoreClub
Member
I will give the story a shot, even if it starts slow. This is supposed to be an entire new Trilogy, so it is understandable if it takes a little while to find its groove.
If this was a standalone game, then I would judge it harshly.
If this was a standalone game, then I would judge it harshly.