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[derFeef]

There's no exploration, character development has no impact on how anything plays out, level design is 100% linear, the only hub in the game is terrible, etc..

It's a competent shooter but it sucks ass as a RPG.

The only reason I cared to suffer through the dumbed down gameplay was to see the conclusion and get all the answers, and that was an utter waste.

The Citadel is terrible? I fucking love it.
Man, I have to stop reading this thread, I can't stop to think that people just hate it for the sake of it as it seems so weird to me.

"I'm Garrus Vakarian and this is my favorite spot on the Citadel!"

I love all the in jokes they threw in. I'm completely enamored with this game. I've put over 25 hours in and I haven't even

Spoiler

met with the Quarians

yet. I daresay that this might be my favorite game ever. The character interaction with the crew is absolutely perfect, the combat is tight, great customization, and the side missions are actually really fun. All of the priority missions have been great so far and have really put the scope of the conflict into perspective. The war asset system is also incredibly addicting.

I'm also shocked at how many little things from previous games get brought up in here. Minor sidequests from ME2 lead into minor ones here. DLC and other choices have big consequences and the cameos so far have been really well done and haven't seemed forced. Simply incredible.

YES!

 

[Zeliard]

level design is 100% linear

Again, just demonstrably wrong. The level PROGRESSION is mostly linear but the combat sandboxes are fairly open and far better than in the previous games. You should go back and play ME2 if you want to see what linear combat levels look like. It's a big improvement this time even if it isn't appreciated or taken advantage of by some players.

 

[Tagg9]

I made it to the mission on

Spoiler

Tuchanka where you go to the tower to spread the genophage cure

. It literally killed me to

Spoiler

have to shoot Mordin. I was really hoping there would be another option, but it had to be done.

I totally regretted it afterwards. I'll make a different decision on my second playthrough.

The game is simply AWESOME so far!

 

[CrazyDude]

Again, just demonstrably wrong. The level PROGRESSION is mostly linear but the combat sandboxes are fairly open and far better than in the previous games. You should go back and play ME2 if you want to see what linear combat levels look like. It's a big improvement this time even if it isn't appreciated or taken advantage of by some players.

Hell, ME1 was very linear as well.

 

[JonCha]

Played it for TEN HOURS today after it arrive (haven't played for that long in one sitting in years) and loving it so far. The only major downer from me is when the

Spoiler

multiplayer environments pop up as missions in the game, which felt rushed.

 

[Derrick01]

Hell, ME1 was very linear as well.

The combat areas were at least. You'd do your exploring outside and then go into a tiny trailer and fight, using cover with conveniently chest high crates. That criticism for ME3 isn't fair at all if you're comparing it to ME1.

 

[Confidence Man]

Again, just demonstrably wrong. The level PROGRESSION is mostly linear but the combat sandboxes are fairly open and far better than in the previous games. You should go back and play ME2 if you want to see what linear combat levels look like. It's a big improvement this time even if it isn't appreciated or taken advantage of by some players.

I'm not talking about combat sandboxes, I'm talking about how there's no variation in how you complete objectives based on how you've developed your character. If there were doors to hack that led through different areas allowing you to avoid encounters for example, or like in ME2 where you could reprogram the mech to take enemies out in the Archangel mission, or use dialogue to make encounters play out differently, but there's not one instance of this kind of variety. There's only one path to follow through any mission, only one way to handle it, and that's shooting your way through.

Of course the problem is they've removed any skills that don't relate to combat abilities, so the dumbed-down system can't really support that kind of gameplay anymore.

Even so there are plenty of things they could've done. Like when you meet

Spoiler

Kirrahe

in the demo level, why not have him ask for help clearing out another part of the base, than opens up a new route or leads to another weapon or upgrade? Even something as simple as that would have alleviated the feeling that I'm just playing a Gears of War level with some choose-your-own-adventure moments.

 

[Cheech]

The online in this game is surprisingly good. I dig how it affects the outcome of the sp campaign. It's fun as hell and addictive too.

Haven't gotten this much bang for my buck in awhile. What an awesome game.

 

[Coxswain]

The Citadel is terrible? I fucking love it.

I'm pretty sure that's coming from a person who thought that the ME1 "Giant white box with nobody in it and nothing to see on it" Citadel design was a better one.

 

[heliosRAzi]

I've been hearing how awful it is from people who refuse to even play the game. At this point I stopped caring what others think. For all I know, they probably have zero context to its meaning or purpose. I know this, the first 10 hrs of this game have been a surprise coming in with no expectations and now I'm sitting on the edge of my couch. last 5 minutes won't take change that.

I've played and beaten the game and the endings sour me on going back to play through them again.

 

[Trokil]

I don't see how the last 5% of the game makes the other 95% awful.

There is more than just the ending. All the gameplay issues are also a big part. There are so many gameplay go goes in there. It is incredible for a company like Bioware.

But, if it is only about the ending. After 5 years don't you think 5 minute deus ex machina ending is just a little bit stupid.

Your played for 5 years and for the ending, Bioware just takes you away the controller and does a...

Ain't that cute. But it's wrong.

 

[Confidence Man]

I'm pretty sure that's coming from a person who thought that the ME1 "Giant white box with nobody in it and nothing to see on it" Citadel design was a better one.

As opposed to tiny grey boxes filled with NPCs 90% of whom you don't interact with?

 

[BannedEpisode]

Maybe my standards have lowered but im digging the game for what it is.

You guys have some very strong opinions about this.

 

[Cheech]

Maybe my standards have lowered but im digging the game for what it is.

You guys have some very strong opinions about this.

Perhaps they're bitter about FF13-2 bombing.

ME3 is the first game since Skyrim where I can say I'm getting my 59.99 worth and a whole lot more.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

As opposed to tiny grey boxes filled with NPCs 90% of whom you don't interact with?

Would you rather they cut out the 90% you don't interact with and just have this giant city with twelve people in it?

 

[Zeliard]

Hell, ME1 was very linear as well.

ME1 had a lot of issues that people seem to like to gloss over in their lambasting of ME2 and 3, holding ME1 as an example of a game that somehow did those things right. It's particularly sad that its RPG mechanics are held up in any sort of regard. ME1 has some of the most ineffective and poorly thought out RPG mechanics to ever grace a game.

It's understandable that people are upset that ME2 chose not to work on those and instead went more in a shooter direction, but it isn't understandable that ME1 is defended in its own right when it comes to stuff like combat. And exploration, too. Doesn't anybody remember how disappointed people were in the planets at the time? We were promised that planet-hunting would be a huge part of the game ("Hundreds of planets!"), and it turned out to be the shitty Mako and skyboxes. But apparently after ME2 and 3 they did it right in ME1, somehow. It was terrible then and it's still terrible now.

I'm not talking about combat sandboxes, I'm talking about how there's no variation in how you complete objectives based on how you've developed your character. If there were doors to hack that led through different areas allowing you to avoid encounters for example, or like in ME2 where you could reprogram the mech to take enemies out in the Archangel mission, or use dialogue to make encounters play out differently, but there's not one instance of this kind of variety. There's only one path to follow through any mission, only one way to handle it, and that's shooting your way through.

That was extremely rare in ME2 as well; almost every mission you had was completed by shooting your way through it. It's just that the combat in that game, while functionally solid for the most part, had plenty of glaring holes that Bioware took steps to shore up with ME3 - the super-linear levels, the slow and cumbersome movement. They also greatly encouraged movement by making enemies aggressive and able to ferret you out of cover much more effectively. Bioware took several steps to make the shooting aspect much more enjoyable, and that's clearly what they were always going to do.

This isn't Fallout: New Vegas, a masterful game, but a very different one. That game is much closer to your classic RPG. ME3 is, as far as the gameplay, a heavy shooter. This is why I posted pre-release that the people destined to be disappointed by ME3 are those who view it as a strict RPG - particularly the combat - instead of the obvious shooter that ME2 was and ME3 would undoubtedly be. It's a lesson in expectations, really.

I looked forward to a solid shooter, and what I got was a surprisingly impressive one. A true Mass Effect RPG has never existed, so why expect one now?

 

[firehawk12]

It's Binary Domain with a slightly more interactive story.

Really, if it weren't for the ME1 characters and their fanservice, people's opinion of the combat situations and how the game actually plays would be a bit lower.

 

[mxgt]

There's no exploration, character development has no impact on how anything plays out, level design is 100% linear, the only hub in the game is terrible, etc..

It's a competent shooter but it sucks ass as a RPG.

The only reason I cared to suffer through the dumbed down gameplay was to see the conclusion and get all the answers, and that was an utter waste.

Linearity works well in this game

It's not like ME1 was open world, the majority of it was as linear as ME2 and 3 are.

 

[Uno Venova]

It's killing me I don't have this yet. Tomorrow!

 

[Trey]

Didn't reach the ending, but my enjoyment of this game has been pure, and the ending can't take that away. Anyone who tries to tell me I will suddenly dislike the game because of the ending can hold that.

 

[Coxswain]

As opposed to tiny grey boxes filled with NPCs 90% of whom you don't interact with?

Yes. The ME3 Citadel looks genuinely crowded in some areas, and is filled with background chatter. It effectively communicates the idea that it's supposed to be an important place at the center of a galactic community. Even the backgrounds that are outside of the playable space communicate a proper sense of the immense scale of the Citadel as a place, as well as some sense of activity and life in that you see constant traffic moving around through the air.

The ME1 Citadel was a giant white empty box with nothing in it.

 

[Psychoward]

It's Binary Domain with a slightly more interactive story.

Really, if it weren't for the ME1 characters and their fanservice, people's opinion of the combat situations and how the game actually plays would be a bit lower.

Nah, I absolutely love the powers and stats.

 

[Confidence Man]

Would you rather they cut out the 90% you don't interact with and just have this giant city with twelve people in it?

Because those are the only options? The Citadel in the first game had plenty of NPCs hanging around and actually communicated the scale of the place in a way that ME2 and ME3 utterly fail at.

 

[firehawk12]

Nah, I absolutely love the powers and stats.

The thing I remember about this game are the moments with Wrex, Garrus, and maybe Liara/Mordin/Thane/Jack. The actual combat encounters? I only remember some massive frustration at some strange moments in the game.

 

[Tess3ract]

Don't want this game to end. Would someone tell me how far through the game I am please?

Spoiler

Just got told by the Asari councilor to go to her homeworld for something to help understand to the cruicble

80% done

 

[Perfect Cha0s]

I looked forward to a solid shooter, and what I got was a surprisingly impressive one. A true Mass Effect RPG has never existed, so why expect one now?

Yep, Mass Effect has never been a strong RPG, but it used to be a mediocre shooter.

 

[Red Blaster]

ME3's Citadel feels like a shopping mall.

 

[Trey]

Because those are the only options? The Citadel in the first game had plenty of NPCs hanging around and actually communicated the scale of the place in a way that ME2 and ME3 utterly fail at.

I taxi'd everywhere in ME1, so ME3 is about on par with that experience. It's definitely more crowded and lively.

 

[Jedeye Sniv]

Oh man Grissom Academy, that was fucking awesome!

Spoiler

Seeing Jack again was great and she looks hot as fuck right now. I had EDI along too and the line was great "Hey EDI, looking more "sex bot" than "sex toy"" lol so cool. And then seeing David from the DLC was an unexpected treat, I actually teared up a little at his line "I've been counting. Counting the days you've extended my life" aww shit son, that hit me hard. Amazing mission, especially having read Ascension.

 

[See You Next Wednesday]

Again, just demonstrably wrong. The level PROGRESSION is mostly linear but the combat sandboxes are fairly open and far better than in the previous games. You should go back and play ME2 if you want to see what linear combat levels look like. It's a big improvement this time even if it isn't appreciated or taken advantage of by some players.

No, none at all.
Game is linear as shit. The "combat sandboxes" are the exact same as ME2.
Small-medium rooms with knee high cover placed all over. Everything is sickeningly linear & to top it off, much smaller in scale than the previous two games.

 

[LogicStep]

So my EMS is at 4340. How much do I need for the best ending? I'm getting tired of playing MP.

 

[derFeef]

Oh man Grissom Academy, that was fucking awesome!

Spoiler

Seeing Jack again was great and she looks hot as fuck right now. I had EDI along too and the line was great "Hey EDI, looking more "sex bot" than "sex toy"" lol so cool. And then seeing David from the DLC was an unexpected treat, I actually teared up a little at his line "I've been counting. Counting the days you've extended my life" aww shit son, that hit me hard. Amazing mission, especially having read Ascension.

Meeting him was great, just having finished

Spoiler

Overlord

two weeks ago it's still stuck in my memory so it was a nice moment. This game is fantastic.

No, none at all.
Game is linear as shit. The "combat sandboxes" are the exact same as ME2.
Small-medium rooms with knee high cover placed all over. Everything is sickeningly linear & to top it off, much smaller in scale than the previous two games.

The things you describe made like 30% of my playthrough yet, so "everything" is wrong.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

There is more than just the ending. All the gameplay issues are also a big part. There are so many gameplay go goes in there. It is incredible for a company like Bioware.

But, if it is only about the ending. After 5 years don't you think 5 minute deus ex machina ending is just a little bit stupid.

Your played for 5 years and for the ending, Bioware just takes you away the controller and does a...

Ain't that cute. But it's wrong.

You know what would be great? If you actually articulate what you didn't like about the game instead of making vague statements and posting a completely random picture that doesn't have any signifier for context.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Spoiler

GarrusxTali was amazing

"You're so mean...and I'm ok with that

How is that everything Garrus says is awesome?

 

[mxgt]

Linearity complaints make absolutely no sense

Do people not remember ME1 being really linear outside of the horrendous mako exploration or the empty citadel that you used fast travel to get around in anyway?

 

[CrazyDude]

No, none at all.
Game is linear as shit. The "combat sandboxes" are the exact same as ME2.
Small-medium rooms with knee high cover placed all over. Everything is sickeningly linear & to top it off, much smaller in scale than the previous two games.

Coming off playing both ME1 and 2, they were just as small in scale and sometime even smaller in place than ME3. ME1 were full of very narrow corridors just like ME2.

 

[See You Next Wednesday]

Hell, ME1 was very linear as well.

Mass Effect 1 was almost a open sandbox game in comparison to this game.

 

[Derrick01]

No, none at all.
Game is linear as shit. The "combat sandboxes" are the exact same as ME2.
Small-medium rooms with knee high cover placed all over. Everything is sickeningly linear & to top it off, much smaller in scale than the previous two games.

I don't recall climbing anything in ME2. That alone opened much more combat possibilities on both sides. Plus there were several areas including the DLC one that were much larger than the combat areas of ME1 and 2.

 

[Coxswain]

No, none at all.
Game is linear as shit. The "combat sandboxes" are the exact same as ME2.
Small-medium rooms with knee high cover placed all over. Everything is sickeningly linear & to top it off, much smaller in scale than the previous two games.

You haven't played Mass Effect 1 and 2.

Edit: Both of those maps are linear as shit - and the actual combat spaces in them afford far less opportunity for mobile, interesting combat than pretty much any major mission in ME3.

 

[SpudBud]

Let's not forget the ME1 sidequests that would heavily reuse geometry. How many missions took place in the same prefab buildings?

 

[derFeef]

Mass Effect 1 was almost a open sandbox game in comparison to this game.
http://guides.gamepressure.com/masseffect/gfx/word/73895046.jpg
http://guides.gamepressure.com/masseffect/gfx/word/73624968.jpg

When people pull up map layouts I know that they have gone too far, jesus christ.

edit: No offense, but I feel sorry. For me it's all about the look, mood and feel. I don't care if anything is linear inbetween, everything does not have to be super sandbox with endless amount of choices. Hell, such things mostly hinder the enjoyment of some games for me as it looses the narrative pretty easy.

 

[Zeliard]

The Citadel is enormous enough in the lore that they'd have to build an entire game solely there to even begin to do it any justice. The Citadel in ME3 has some decently open spaces, especially vertically, and the numerous views you get of the outside help to communicate its sense of scale.

I agree it's not particularly ideal. The number of separate floors as opposed to a contiguous environment may be a technical limitation.

No, none at all.
Game is linear as shit. The "combat sandboxes" are the exact same as ME2.
Small-medium rooms with knee high cover placed all over. Everything is sickeningly linear & to top it off, much smaller in scale than the previous two games.

This is just wrong, I'm sorry. I literally went through ME2 right before I started ME3 and there is a fairly significant difference. Far more flanking routes and more verticality in ME3, and this goes for almost every mission.

I try to flank pretty much all of the time, and I constantly move, especially since the enemies can both shoot through cover and remove you from it in various ways. It's extremely rare that I just sit behind a piece of cover and attack what's right ahead. I place my guys in strategic positions and go for pincer attacks. The level design allows for that much more than it used to.

I think the MP is to thank for the improvements in ME3's combat, like the bigger levels, the greater fluidity, and the faster pace in everything. These things make sense for multiplayer and they also work well for single.

My big beef with the combat is that Use, Rolling, Cover, and Sprint are all tied to the same button. Somewhat understandable on console with their limited buttons, but they really should have allowed PC players to bind that shit separately.

 

[Dysun]

The ending sucked but I still love the game. It doesn't ruin it

I just finished 10 minutes ago

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Linearity complaints make absolutely no sense

Do people not remember ME1 being really linear outside of the horrendous mako exploration or the empty citadel that you used fast travel to get around in anyway?

But exploration and big towns = RPG!

Everyone knows that!

 

[d1rtn4p]

Wow, where to start with this game...

I so miss the exploration and discovery of ME1. Stumbling upon some vacant city while driving the MAKO and discovering an important chained mission was so awesome. In this game, I just feel like I walk down a path and upgrades/missions are handed to me kind of like a drive-thru. All they had to do was make the artifacts and resources count for something, and the MAKO could have continued to be a prominent part of the series.

And that space exploration...At least there was some anticipation of discovery in ME1/ME2, but in this game, it's just points you right where to go. The citadel: garbage. I'm only ten hours in thus far, but really I'm just trying to get through it as quickly as possible to finish the story (which has been mostly cringe worthy up to this point I must say sad where they took this series.

 

[mxgt]

Mass Effect 1 was almost a open sandbox game in comparison to this game

1 or 2 alternating paths that offer absolutely no variation is your argument?

Really?

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Mass Effect 1 was almost a open sandbox game in comparison to this game.

The thing about comparisons is that you need to make them.

Linearity complaints make absolutely no sense

Do people not remember ME1 being really linear outside of the horrendous mako exploration or the empty citadel that you used fast travel to get around in anyway?

But exploration and big towns = RPG!

Everyone knows that!

Let's not forget the ME1 sidequests that would heavily reuse geometry. How many missions took place in the same prefab buildings?

And yet, everyone blasted DA2 for this while they praised ME1 for its "RPGness".

I'm just trying to get through it as quickly as possible to finish the story (which has been mostly cringe worthy up to this point I must say sad where they took this series.

What's sad is that people willingly wasted $50-$80 with the full intention of blasting the game.

 

[LuchaShaq]

They should add 40 stories of slums on the citadel with npcs that have nothing for you just for the people complaining.

Ya know because when the reapers are coming I want to go to the ghetto of the galaxy and chill wasting time.

 

[Trokil]

You know what would be great? If you actually articulate what you didn't like about the game instead of making vague statements and posting a completely random picture that doesn't have any signifier for context.

Ok, what did i not like:

One hit wonders all around. You can empty a room almost completely, but still, if there is Banshee left, even with 5% life, she can still port to you, kill you instant with full life and full shields and you can do nothing about it.

The Melee fighting is crap. There is absolutely no benefit to it. If it would have been made like in Uncharted, it would have felt good. But it feels stiff and strange. You also have not enough control to actually use it.

The cover system sucks. Compared to Gears or Uncharted it is terrible. I doesn't work. You take cover if your squad is to close to a wall, if he dies. Sometimes you just don't take cover. Sometimes you do, even if you didn't want to. I played both Gears and Uncharted on very difficult modes, but it never felt so random like in Mass Effect.

The endings are against everything the player has done. Bioware just takes over and explains within 5 minutes, why you have sucked for 5 years and now you can decide which ending you will hate most.

 

[Moaradin]

Are people honestly saying ME3 is more linear than ME1? Lol. ME3 has layers and more flanking routes than anything in the previous games.