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[Deleted member 81567]

Is IGN's review going to be posted earlier than the others?

 

[Derrick01]

One thing I've found is that there aren't as many "Let's give you a choice, but end up making you do exactly what we asked to begin with" choices in this game. Bioware has seemed to clean those up.

But I think there needs to be a bit of clarification here.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but I think it bares repeating. Nearly every combat sequence will have extremely limited choices, including in general dialog. And a lot of them seem to be major "check points" that determine how the rest of the mission will play out.

In the exploration sections, there are just as many dialog "choices" as before. But these are the general conversation pieces that you would expect to find in previous ME games in hub locations.

I'm getting kind of confused now because so many people are saying different things.

So in the combat parts, aka the story or side missions, they took out most of the talking and instead limited the talking to the mostly optional hub world? That feels like they're making an even bigger divide between the action and rpg parts instead of melding them together better.

 

[shinobi602]

Is IGN's review going to be posted earlier than the others?

Monday

 

[Deleted member 81567]

Monday

EST or PST?

 

[quaere]

The 'main' conversation lines are better done as a result, though - you've all probably seen the clips of Shepard and Vega sparring - that's one of them - and even in places like the Citadel it involves a great deal more walking around and cinematic direction to the scenes. In this case, I feel it's a worthwhile swap.

Yup. If you thought the entire first level from the demo was cringe inducing (and I agree), you probably concluded that Vega scene would be the same. It's not, I actually liked it. The "cinematic" and "emotional" has been dialed up as expected, but contrary to what you might think for the most part it's for the better.

 

[i-Lo]

One thing I've found is that there aren't as many "Let's give you a choice, but end up making you do exactly what we asked to begin with" choices in this game. Bioware has seemed to clean those up.

But I think there needs to be a bit of clarification here.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but I think it bares repeating. Nearly every combat sequence will have extremely limited choices, including in general dialog. And a lot of them seem to be major "check points" that determine how the rest of the mission will play out.

In the exploration sections, there are just as many dialog "choices" as before. But these are the general conversation pieces that you would expect to find in previous ME games in hub locations.

So in essence, ME3 is a third person shooter with planet hopping and inventory/resource management.

I think to a degree I saw this coming. It's the finale and it can only go so many ways. That could be a reason why the choices are so limited, i.e. to force the player down to conclusion the way Bioware sees it (or wants the player to see it).

 

[Karak]

Well, thats disappointing.

I wouldn't be too disappointed. Some will find more to like than myself, or less.

I can say my disappointment lies a great deal their delivery. Whatever changes they THINK they made to improve the games playability has made many parts of it suffer a shotgun effect. With good bits and bad bits all mixed in together. So though a mission may be tighter, the majority of the game is not combat and those parts seem to artificially suffer. There is this MASSIVE divide between the roleplaying, action, and delivery.

If I didn't know about ME 1 and 2 I would say the game is lacking about 6 months of polish. That is not even including the bugs. That's just to tighten it up and actually make things make sense. To say that some of the story bits are all over the place is an understatement. It feels to me like they wanted too much, which resulted in some really skewed issues that crop up. Then maybe when they went back to fix things, they seemed to have been lost at times. Its just strange. It doesn't feel like Bioware if that makes sense? It feels more like someone took their license. For example the handling, explanation, and just general feel of time between 2 and 3 is horridly handled. Like 3rd grade writing. But then you get some stuff with Admiral Hackett that is written very well. Then it drops back down to really poor writing for another mission or 2.

Again real wasted potential here, or as the gamestore owner who let me play it said, "This is straight up B roll shit at times."

 

[shinobi602]

EST or PST?

Not sure exactly what time.

 

[sarcoa]

So Mass Effect 3's ME2 importer failed to recognize/carry over the physical features of both my Shepards. All of my choices and data carried over, but for my man shep it dumped a random face and my femshep said "couldnt load data" or something and went to default. Has that been reported anywhere else?

 

[i-Lo]

I wouldn't be too disappointed. Some will find more to like than myself, or less.

I can say my disappointment lies a great deal their delivery. Whatever changes they THINK they made to improve the games playability has made many parts of it suffer a shotgun effect. With good bits and bad bits all mixed in together. So though a mission may be tighter, the majority of the game is not combat and those parts seem to artificially suffer. There is this MASSIVE divide between the roleplaying, action, and delivery.

If I didn't know about Me 1 and 2 I would say the game is lacking about 6 months of polish. That is not even including the bugs. That's just to tighten it up and actually make things make sense. To say that some of the story bits are all over the place is an understatement.

Again real wasted potential here, or as the gamestore owner who let me play it said, "This is straight up B roll shit at times."

They delayed the game for six months and the demo showed animations that became laughing stock. I am guessing those 6 months went more into MP than improving the SP.

 

[i-Lo]

So Mass Effect 3's ME2 importer failed to recognize/carry over the physical features of both my Shepards. All of my choices and data carried over, but for my man shep it dumped a random face and my femshep said "couldnt load data" or something and went to default. Has that been reported anywhere else?

Tell me, when this happened, did you get to redesign Shepard altogether (incl. change of gender)?

 

[Derrick01]

They delayed the game for six months and the demo showed animations that became laughing stock. I am guessing those 6 months went more into MP than improving the SP.

Or DLC, since the main team needed to be doing something in that time if they weren't tightening the game up. Main team wasn't handling the MP side at all.

 

[APZonerunner]

For what it's worth, I think the game got 100 times better post tutorial. The opening, the Earth Mission - I felt it was kind of flat. This game's 'Horizon' equivalent really nails it, I think, and the subsequent first major mission is great, too. The Citadel is also so much like the ME1 version; it rocks.

 

[RyanDG]

I'm getting kind of confused now because so many people are saying different things.

So in the combat parts, aka the story or side missions, they took out most of the talking and instead limited the talking to the mostly optional hub world? That feels like they're making an even bigger divide between the action and rpg parts instead of melding them together better.

I'll try to clarify (from my perspective).

At the times the game has you forced to have your gun out, you shouldn't expect a lot of talking, and when there is talking, you shouldn't be expected to be make a lot of choices (most of it will be entirely scripted) until you get to specific 'check points' in the mission that seem to branch the missions (or mission results). I don't think this is too unsimilar to Mass Effect 2 honestly, but there were times in Mass Effect 2 (and 1 for that matter) that you are able to holster the gun and talk to people (such as the opening sequence on Eden Prime in ME1), something that you really shouldn't expect in ME3.

In the hub areas, you have just as many dialog options as previously.

 

[sarcoa]

Tell me, when this happened, did you get to redesign Shepard altogether (incl. change of gender)?

Yeah at that point I could physically remake whatever Shep I wanted. Not sure about gender change As I didn't really look for it.

 

[shinobi602]

For what it's worth, I think the game got 100 times better post tutorial. The opening, the Earth Mission - I felt it was kind of flat. This game's 'Horizon' equivalent really nails it, I think, and the subsequent first major mission is great, too. The Citadel is also so much like the ME1 version; it rocks.

Yeaaaa, come on 2 more days...

 

[Karak]

They delayed the game for six months and the demo showed animations that became laughing stock. I am guessing those 6 months went more into MP than improving the SP.

Oh ya Hmm. I don't know.

If I was asked whcih I would rather have fixed, the bugs present in the 360 version or better writing, I would have to say the writing then. The bugs, aside from the many battles I won because the enemy stuck to a rock, could mostly be ignored. I play ME for roleplaying and the divide that is present really is an immersion breaker to me sadly.

 

[EatChildren]

So Mass Effect 3's ME2 importer failed to recognize/carry over the physical features of both my Shepards. All of my choices and data carried over, but for my man shep it dumped a random face and my femshep said "couldnt load data" or something and went to default. Has that been reported anywhere else?

Yes. It appears ME3 collects facial data directly from generated ME2 face codes, rather than taking raw data like ME2 appears to do with ME1. The problem here is that anybody with a long standing ME1 Shepard, that they used in ME2, won't have a face code. Importing a ME1 Shepard into ME2 retains your physical attributes, but gives you a busted default Shepard face code, if any face code at all. So, when ME3 tries to import one of these ME1 original characters, it can't read the face as there's no generated face code.

This guide should help people find out what their ME1 imported character's face code is, so when ME3 fails to read it they can plop this in and get it back.

EDIT: You can't 'fix' writing in the same way you can bugs. Once writing has been drafted, re-written and finally approved, that's it. Casting begins, script is recorded, and dialogue is edited and cut into the game, animated accordingly. You can't go back and fix that writing. It's done.

 

[shinobi602]

I'll try to clarify (from my perspective).

At the times the game has you forced to have your gun out, you shouldn't expect a lot of talking, and when there is talking, you shouldn't be expected to be make a lot of choices (most of it will be entirely scripted) until you get to specific 'check points' in the mission that seem to branch the missions (or mission results). I don't think this is too unsimilar to Mass Effect 2 honestly, but there were times in Mass Effect 2 (and 1 for that matter) that you are able to holster the gun and talk to people (such as the opening sequence on Eden Prime in ME1), something that you really shouldn't expect in ME3.

In the hub areas, you have just as many dialog options as previously.

Pretty much how ME1 and ME2 were.

 

[Confidence Man]

One thing I've found is that there aren't as many "Let's give you a choice, but end up making you do exactly what we asked to begin with" choices in this game. Bioware has seemed to clean those up.

Weren't those just opportunities to flesh out your character rather than event-diverging choices? If they got rid of all those little moments that would be pretty lame.

 

[Karak]

For what it's worth, I think the game got 100 times better post tutorial. The opening, the Earth Mission - I felt it was kind of flat. This game's 'Horizon' equivalent really nails it, I think, and the subsequent first major mission is great, too. The Citadel is also so much like the ME1 version; it rocks.

It feels like we are playing different games. The Citadel isn't like the Me1 version at all. Its a series of boxes with almost no verticality or exploration. It's all from the elevator or the new taxi system from the Normandy. Did you find steps or something? Everywhere I went were 3-4 boxed rooms directly accessed from the elevator There aren't even ramps or steps or connection betweens levels at all that I could find. Can you skip the elevator because I looked but for every place I went it was pretty much. Level by level access from the elevator. This would be good news if I somehow missed it.

 

[derFeef]

I'll try to clarify (from my perspective).

At the times the game has you forced to have your gun out, you shouldn't expect a lot of talking, and when there is talking, you shouldn't be expected to be make a lot of choices (most of it will be entirely scripted) until you get to specific 'check points' in the mission that seem to branch the missions (or mission results). I don't think this is too unsimilar to Mass Effect 2 honestly, but there were times in Mass Effect 2 (and 1 for that matter) that you are able to holster the gun and talk to people (such as the opening sequence on Eden Prime in ME1), something that you really shouldn't expect in ME3.

In the hub areas, you have just as many dialog options as previously.

Thanks, so it's all good to me from the sound of it

 

[RyanDG]

Pretty much how ME1 and ME2 were.

Yep. Generally speaking, it really isn't too different from the previous games. The only thing that causes a bit of an issue, is the visual divide of always having the gun out during combat sections. I know it's not a huge deal, but it does take some time to get used to because it puts you in a specific mindset in game and really does affect the way the two sections (exploration vs combat) feel a bit disjointed.

But overall, once you get over that initial disconnect, I really don't see it as being too dissimilar to the previous mass effects.

 

[Karak]

I'll try to clarify (from my perspective).

At the times the game has you forced to have your gun out, you shouldn't expect a lot of talking, and when there is talking, you shouldn't be expected to be make a lot of choices (most of it will be entirely scripted) until you get to specific 'check points' in the mission that seem to branch the missions (or mission results). I don't think this is too unsimilar to Mass Effect 2 honestly, but there were times in Mass Effect 2 (and 1 for that matter) that you are able to holster the gun and talk to people (such as the opening sequence on Eden Prime in ME1), something that you really shouldn't expect in ME3.

In the hub areas, you have just as many dialog options as previously.

I actually agree with a bit of this. But the "clean up" that they did removed a massive amount of the roleplaying itself. They basically did what you said. Removed many choices and made the ones you do make happen sparingly even on RPG mode... I guess you could say this feels like ME2 RPG lite lite lite

 

[ScreenSplitter]

I actually agree with a bit of this. But the "clean up" that they did removed a massive amount of the roleplaying itself. They basically did what you said. Removed many choices and made the ones you do make happen sparingly even on RPG mode... I guess you could say this feels like ME2 RPG lite lite lite

In terms of choices, I really think ME3 shouldn't be the game with tonnes of choices... it's about seeing how your choices from ME1 and 2 have impacted the final fight, which is what I think it's always been about.

 

[Psychoward]

I wonder if this is just to get near the ending, and then the last quarter of the game goes apeshit with choices?


I can hope.

 

[Karak]

In terms of choices, I really think ME3 shouldn't be the game with tonnes of choices... it's about seeing how your choices from ME1 and 2 have impacted the final fight, which is what I think it's always been about.

...We aren't talking about those. We are talking about simply even talking choices. Not "Go and die for me" choices Cause I agree with you there. Hopefully they begin to handle those decisions better in the narrative beyond what has occurred so far.
I am very excited for MP though. Even if I am not a fan as much as past games of the SP game, I am all over the MP. Until I get tired of being crushed

 

[DTKT]

I wonder if this is just to get near the ending, and then the last quarter of the game goes apeshit with choices?


I can hope.

Yeah, about that...

 

[APZonerunner]

It feels like we are playing different games. The Citadel isn't like the Me1 version at all. Its a series of boxes with almost no verticality or exploration. It's all from the elevator or the new taxi system from the Normandy. Did you find steps or something? Everywhere I went were 3-4 boxed rooms directly accessed from the elevator

Well, I suppose there's more to 'feel' - for me, anyway - than the layout. You're right in the sense that it's more compact; split into five distinct areas, but rather than feeling like one or two 'slices' of the Citadel, I feel like in this game, like ME1, it represents it all and what it stands for and is better. I've really enjoyed running around there doing side quests to help build up war assets - and that felt like ME1 again to me.

There's a mission which involves you scanning signals to gather evidence, and it's almost identical, structure wise, to that credits-siphoning mission on the Citadel in ME1. There's a quest or two like the one in ME1 that had you sorting out the Consort's 'indiscretion' with the Turian soldier - contextually not the same, but in gameplay terms, definitely - things like that. The Citadel in ME2 was somewhere I went to buy shit and to do a few Loyalty missions.

 

[Psychoward]

Yeah, about that...

D;

whyyyyyyyyyyyyy

 

[ashbash159]

So annoyed. I played through and finished Lair of the Shadow Broker for the first time just moments ago. I'm 360 experience points from being level 30. The only missions I have available are the Firewalker missions. I went to do one. Got 4/5 research and then I die. Have to start from the beginning. Fuck that.

Is there any other way of getting 360 experience points in ME2?

 

[i-Lo]

I regret playing as MenShep. I now want FemShep. And I thought all this trouble with importing would allow for tabula rasa as far as character creation is concerned.

 

[Karak]

Well, I suppose there's more to 'feel' - for me, anyway - than the layout. You're right in the sense that it's more compact; split into five distinct areas, but rather than feeling like one or two 'slices' of the Citadel, I feel like in this game, like ME1, it represents it all and what it stands for and is better. I've really enjoyed running around there doing side quests to help build up war assets - and that felt like ME1 again to me.

There's a mission which involves you scanning signals to gather evidence, and it's almost identical, structure wise, to that credits-siphoning mission on the Citadel in ME1. There's a quest or two like the one in ME1 that had you sorting out the Consort's 'indiscretion' with the Turian soldier - things like that. The Citadel in ME2 was somewhere I went to buy shit and to do a few Loyalty missions.

Ok. I was seriously stressing out thinking I had missed something vital. I see what you are saying, they made it more than just a floating store. Sadly that divorce of structure versus gameplay hits me pretty hard, separated levels by elevator and such. But I don't expect space Skyrim Not yet at least.

 

[Green Yoshi]

Monday

Does the embargo end on monday?
The Metacritic page of ME3 still look very empty. ;-)

 

[shinobi602]

Does the embargo end on monday?
The Metacritic page of ME3 still look very empty. ;-)

I believe IGN can post their review up on Monday and everyone else's embargo ends Tuesday.

 

[Bisnic]

Ok. I was seriously stressing out thinking I had missed something vital. I see what you are saying, they made it more than just a floating store. Sadly that divorce of structure versus gameplay hits me pretty hard, separated levels by elevator and such. But I don't expect space Skyrim Not yet at least.

Even if ME1 had stairs... i always used the "taxi" there for faster traveling. They probably realized most people did too.

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Even if ME1 had stairs... i always used the "taxi" there for faster traveling. They probably realized most people did too.

Wait there were other ways of getting around other than the space cab?

*validating what you just said*

 

[Karak]

Even if ME1 had stairs... i always used the "taxi" there for faster traveling. They probably realized most people did too.

Potato patato.

 

[Confidence Man]

I actually agree with a bit of this. But the "clean up" that they did removed a massive amount of the roleplaying itself. They basically did what you said. Removed many choices and made the ones you do make happen sparingly even on RPG mode... I guess you could say this feels like ME2 RPG lite lite lite

Terrible.

 

[Green Yoshi]

So annoyed. I played through and finished Lair of the Shadow Broker for the first time just moments ago. I'm 360 experience points from being level 30. The only missions I have available are the Firewalker missions. I went to do one. Got 4/5 research and then I die. Have to start from the beginning. Fuck that.

Is there any other way of getting 360 experience points in ME2?

If you didn't already make this: Check all planets, there are some you can land on for N7 side quests.

 

[Sotha Sil]

Ok. I was seriously stressing out thinking I had missed something vital. I see what you are saying, they made it more than just a floating store. Sadly that divorce of structure versus gameplay hits me pretty hard, separated levels by elevator and such. But I don't expect space Skyrim Not yet at least.

Thank you for killing my enthusiam. The hype was a tad overwhelming. I will now go in expecting the worst, which is a very good thing in this case.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

There is a song in the game that sounds exactly like the Inception trailer music
Baaaaaaaaaaaaa

Yeah well, that's an entertainment trend anyway. Any michael bay movie for instance.

Technically Sovereign's theme from ME1 already had the blazers in it too btw. So it's nothing new in particular.

 

[Karak]

Thank you for killing my enthusiam. The hype was a tad overwhelming. I will now go in expecting the worst, which is a very good thing in this case.

Oh come on my good man. Don't let it be killed. As I said, each to their own. Others have posted to slather it with untold buttery love. With all things it all matters how YOU enjoy it. I admit bugs and bad dialogue bother the shit out of me. Just 2 pet peeves for me. But you are right having a healthy attitude towards a game just being a game is always good.

But ya...no Space Skrim hahahahaha.

 

[Psychoward]

Oh come on my good man. Don't let it be killed. As I said, each to their own. Others have posted to slather it with untold buttery love. With all things it all matters how YOU enjoy it. I admit bugs and bad dialogue bother the shit out of me. Just 2 pet peeves for me. But you are right having a healthy attitude towards a game just being a game is always good.

But ya...no Space Skrim hahahahaha.

To be fair, bugs and bad dialog would make it more like Space Skyrim.

 

[Sotha Sil]

Oh come on my good man. Don't let it be killed. As I said, each to their own. Others have posted to slather it with untold buttery love. With all things it all matters how YOU enjoy it. I admit bugs and bad dialogue bother the shit out of me. Just 2 pet peeves for me.

But ya...no Space Skrim hahahahaha.

No, seriously, your posts pretty much confirmed most of my fears. So... Thanks, in a way.

 

[HarryHengst]

Ok. I was seriously stressing out thinking I had missed something vital. I see what you are saying, they made it more than just a floating store. Sadly that divorce of structure versus gameplay hits me pretty hard, separated levels by elevator and such. But I don't expect space Skyrim Not yet at least.

Thats fine, because Skyrim bored me to tears, despite its open world. :lol I rather have smaller environments with tightly controlled gameplay than what Skyrim offered.

 

[i-Lo]

I actually agree with a bit of this. But the "clean up" that they did removed a massive amount of the roleplaying itself. They basically did what you said. Removed many choices and made the ones you do make happen sparingly even on RPG mode... I guess you could say this feels like ME2 RPG lite lite lite

I went from being absolutely stoked to get this game to wondering if I should just sell it shrink wrapped when my preorder shows up. It's definitely a knee-jerk reaction but I feel like I'll be playing, "just another" TPS with a few extra bells and whistles. Also can't shake the feeling that integrating MP to improve the game's longevity may have cost them the single player experience. It's as if they were so intent on making game's appeal universal and attain record breaking sales (for ME franchise) and profits that they stripped the game of its original essence.

 

[shinobi602]

Oh come on my good man. Don't let it be killed. As I said, each to their own. Others have posted to slather it with untold buttery love. With all things it all matters how YOU enjoy it. I admit bugs and bad dialogue bother the shit out of me. Just 2 pet peeves for me. But you are right having a healthy attitude towards a game just being a game is always good.

But ya...no Space Skrim hahahahaha.

Looks like I have nothing to worry about lol.

The bugs in both ME1 and ME2 never bothered me at all (and ME1 was atrocious for glitches) and I thought the dialogue in ME1 and ME2 was excellent. Guess I'm good

 

[ashbash159]

If you didn't already make this: Check all planets, there are some you can land on for N7 side quests.

I think I've done all the planet anomalies. That's according to a list of all the anomalies available that I found on the internet.

Any other options? I really really don't want to do the firewalker missions.

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Anyone who was expecting Space Skyrim is ever so slightly an idiot.