Mass Effect 3

[Dachs]

Where the hell is Dachs?

Around. I spent spring break binging on ME3 and Saints Row the Third. Now I have a decent internet connection again.

I doubt I have much interesting to say, other than the fact that the endings were executed worse than the script implied (although the script was incomplete there), and that there's been a lot of cut content already discovered that provides slightly more context for it (cut because...I don't know?). Hell, there are lines in the actual leaked script that apparently didn't make it into the game that explained significantly more. (They also directly clash with some of the things that are said in the actual game, so sadly, they appear to have been superseded. Oh well.) At this point, I've largely resigned myself to the endings and play the 99% of the game that doesn't suck ass.

Spoiler Indoc Theory :

I've had some reads over the various indoc theory threads on BSN over the last several days. Kraz brought it up via Origin with me last week but didn't really go in depth into what it was - actually misrepresented it a little - but when I actually read about it, my initial impressions were basically confirmed: a whole lot of wishful thinking. BioWare has as good as confirmed that you don't need some solipsistic headcanon here; the endings you see are the endings you get, unless they release some DLC to change them.

In my opinion, it'd be far better just to do a simple Broken Steel-style retcon.

 

[kramerfan86]

The endings are awful, just awful. The game outside of the last 10 minutes though was one of the best I had ever played though. The story was amazing, the game play possibly my favorite of the series, and it just did such a good job building tension and playing on your emotions. I just cant understand how they chugged along pouring out such a masterpiece then tacked on a misplaced trainwreck of an ending.

 

[Maniacal]

The musical score really helped the game a lot. Even in the ending the music didn't stop giving it everything it had.

 

[Rub'Rum]

The musical score really helped the game a lot. Even in the ending the music didn't stop giving it everything it had.

The soundtrack to Mass Effect games has always been a selling point for me. Sets such a perfect "space exploration" mood. Actually, I haven't played the 3rd game yet, and I'm sort of worried that sense of wonder isn't so much present since it seems heavily focused on war.

 

[kramerfan86]

The soundtrack to Mass Effect games has always been a selling point for me. Sets such a perfect "space exploration" mood. Actually, I haven't played the 3rd game yet, and I'm sort of worried that sense of wonder isn't so much present since it seems heavily focused on war.

As much as the ending sort of soured it for me the wonder was still there because you are going off and going to all these planets that you have heard about for 2 games now.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

Who here plays Multiplayer on PC? my Origin Name is thomasberubeg, if you want to add me.

 

[Maniacal]

Eh, I kind of got bored of the multiplayer during the pre-release demo. it would be nice if there was more than one type, horde mode is only entertaining for so long.

 

[kramerfan86]

I havent even tried multiplayer, i did far too much gears of war 3 horde mode to jump in and do a different game's horde mode. Plus mass effect detached from the epic storyline just seems like a "whats the point?" situation.

 

[Dachs]

Who here plays Multiplayer on PC? my Origin Name is thomasberubeg, if you want to add me.

I'll probably start playing again this week, now that I'm possessed of a decent Internet connection. But you've already got me on Origin.

 

[Disgustipated]

So I've never played Mass Effect games, but after reading a good review in our local newspaper (they review console games), I am tempted. The review highlighted all the talking (I'm one of those freaks that like more talking than action) in the game. I would be getting the PC version (I'm assuming the game is out on PC right?). Is the game like Dragon Age 1 or Dragon Age 2 (I prefer 1 of course)? Is it like Fallout 2 (and to a lesser extent New Vegas) where you can get through situations without violence? I like lots of options in my games (even though I often choose the violent route ). And finally, do I need to play 1 and 2 to get into this game?

 

[Dachs]

You don't need to play 1 and 2 to get into the game, strictly speaking, but I'd strongly, strongly recommend it. Especially 2.

There are some situations you can get through without violence, especially in the second game, but by the third game they're fairly few and far between. Which isn't surprising, since you're fighting a galactic war against eldritch machine abominations. Not a whole lot of room for negotiation there. The games also don't really give options for stealthily sneaking past enemies. They kinda-sorta tried it with one of the DLC for the second game but it wasn't really implemented very well.

All the games are out on PC and Xbox 360. The second and third games are out on PS3.

Dragon Age 2 was more like the Mass Effect games than Dragon Age: Origins was. The dialogue system is basically the same, at least, and you have a non-silent protagonist. I'd say that the inventory system in ME3 is better than either Dragon Age game's, and combat of course is a shooter, not glorified DnD/KotOR combat.

There are a fair amount of options, although most of them tend to have little gameplay consequence. You can make Big Decisions going as far as the genocide of entire species, but those decisions don't change the actual missions much (except in a few rare cases).

 

[Maniacal]

While there is lots of 3rd person shooter combat in all three games, there is just as much if not (especially in the first two) time spent walking around and talking to people. It is totally worth picking up all three games and starting from the beginning although the gameplay differs a bit between games as features are improved or scrapped.

The first two can be picked up for as little as $4.99 on sale, ME3 only just came out two weeks ago though so it will be a while until it goes on sale.

 

[Akka]

Well, due to its terrible ending, the sales of ME3 have been dropping like a stone, and the prices ares already going down.

Just play ME1 and ME2, and by the time you finished them, ME3 will be much cheaper
(though ME3 requires Origin, i.e. invasive DRM, so I'm opposed to pay for it just as a matter of principle)

 

[Disgustipated]

eww, don't like that DRM. I may eventually play the ME games down the line somewhere (maybe in a couple of years).

I don't want to ask about the ending, but I'm curious how bad the ending can possibly be. Is it as bad as KOTOR 2 ending? I actually like KOTOR 2 (although not as much as 1), but I do admit the ending dragged my overall impression of the game down. But I don't regret buying it. The ending wasn't bad bad, it just felt extremely rushed out the door. So without going into detail with plot spoilers, generally is it as bad as KOTOR 2 ending?

 

[Dachs]

The ending of ME3 is mostly a problem not because it was rushed but because it nonsensically fails to explain most of the things that have happened in previous games, and the things that it does explain are poorly explained. One of the choices you can make does not make any sense. Some of the things that happen after you make your choice do not make sense. That's the bare-bones, no-spoilers version.

The weird part is that the rest of the game is very well done. In particular, it is very self-aware. There are even mentions of community memes (albeit in very minor contexts, such as extra dialogue with your team). What made the ending bad for a lot of people wasn't just that it didn't make sense, but that it was an ending that didn't make sense coming after an excellent game.

Some people are also unhappy that the ending is not an incredibly happy Return of the Jedi ending, but those complaints can be safely dismissed.

Ray Muzyka, one of the two founders of BioWare, has already stated (earlier today) that there will be content added to the ending. We don't know what it will entail.

 

[Dreadnought]

The games also don't really give options for stealthily sneaking past enemies. They kinda-sorta tried it with one of the DLC for the second game but it wasn't really implemented very well.

Well, I was on spring break when ME3 was released, so I did a ME1-ME2-ME3 playthrough in sequence.

In order to power through the second game, I, as an infiltrator, cloaked through literally about 90% of the game and beat it in a few hours. While not stealth per say, there's a fair bit of such gameplay involved.

 

[Dachs]

Well, I was on spring break when ME3 was released, so I did a ME1-ME2-ME3 playthrough in sequence.

In order to power through the second game, I, as an infiltrator, cloaked through literally about 90% of the game and beat it in a few hours. While not stealth per say, there's a fair bit of such gameplay involved.

There is a difference between "using Tactical Cloak to kill enemies" and actually not engaging enemies because you sneak past them. You can do the former. You cannot do the latter.

Also, if you only took "a few hours" to play through ME2, you must've gotten one hell of a bad end by skipping loyalty missions. Due to cooldown times and the fact that you weren't armed with the Viper from the get-go, Cloak actually reduces your ability to clear a room quickly compared to, say, a Soldier using Adrenaline Rush. Unless by "a few" you mean "between twenty and thirty-five"...

 

[Starhemberg]

I will buy it when it is released on steam

 

[Rub'Rum]

I will buy it when it is released on steam

... with the "proper ending" DLC included.

 

[TheLastOne36]

I don't buy that the ending was intended by Bioware. I believe this is all a marketing plot to bring out a DLC that will cost a further 10$.

I've collected my thoughts on the ending from time to time(I've been avoiding this thread due to spoilers), thought I'd repost here.

Spoiler :

I feel cheated. I've invested way more than 100+ hours (because I have more than 1 playthrough) and the ending just sucked. I would have been 100% satisfied if I got on the citadel, shot the Illusive Man, and sat next to Anderson watching the crucible screw over the reapers.

As for the kid, I am starting to understand it. Shepard is indoctrinated, or atleast partly, due to long exposure to reaper technology throughout the series. The kid was the Harbinger all along. This is why at the beginning Anderson didn't see the kid, and when he 'snapped' Shepard out of the indoctrination, he turned back and the kid was gone, as well as why nobody saw and helped the kid get up onto the shuttle before it exploded. This also explains why Shepard has dream sequences of the kid throughout the game and why he appears as this figure in the ending in the citadel.

The colors of the choices were purposely wrong. The reapers do not wish to be destroyed, therefore the paragon options include controlling the reapers or doing the synthesize and destroying the reapers appears as renegade.

After seeing this image... I kinda think Shepards been knocked out right infront of the beam and is hallucinating and/or being indoctrinated.

There might just be a DLC with an ending where Shepard is brought up to the Citadel. Come to think of it, how did Anderson get into the citadel? He wasn't there in the run and we didn't see anyone run into the beam, and the English guy was like '! Nobody made it through! Retreat!' etc.

Afterwards, I decided to check out an internet rumor regarding the kid in the citadel's voice. You can hear Shepards voice on the kid, find a video on youtube of the ending, put on headphones and listen, then take the left side of the headphones out and you will hear male shep on the right side, and likewise with Femshep in the alternate side. The kid is inside Shepards mind, it is not real.

If all that I said is false and the ending is what it is, I'll be damned. But otherwise, it seems to me they've planned all this out.