Mass Effect 3

[LightSpectra]

The first one is kind of mediocre in my opinion, though the second half of ME1 is much better than the first (especially the ending, which is absolutely epic). It's worth playing through because ME2 is much better in terms of plot, dialogue and characterization; also the gameplay and side quests are much more fun.

 

[mechaerik]

I completely agree with LightSpectra.

 

[Dachs]

Regarding Shepard's status as a Spectre:

In Mass Effect 2, if you imported a save where the Council was saved, Shepard could go to the embassy and have his Spectre status reinstated. I always did this. My question is, if you don't do this, what happens in the two cutscenes where Shepard calls himself a Spectre? (When dealing with the quarian accused of pick-pocketing on the Citadel, and dealing with the mob boss during Thane's loyalty mission.) Does he still call himself a Spectre if you don't get reinstated? If so, will having done that be a thing that's imported into ME3?

I'm fairly sure that if he isn't re-Spectre-fied, he just says he's a former Spectre. It sounds like something that could be carried over into ME3.

Yes, she says "former" Spectre. And yes, that is flagged for import into ME3.

So I figure this might be the place to ask: I bought Mass Effect 1 and 2 from the recent Steam sale, since I've always had a bit of a thing for Bioware games and Mass Effect 2 was getting such great reviews. I've tried and tried and tried with the first game but I've had to admit defeat about halfway through because it's just so tedious and awful. If I don't like the first one, is it still worth trying with the second? If so, is it worth slogging through the rest of the first game to get up to speed or does the second one stand alone okay?

The first one is kind of mediocre in my opinion, though the second half of ME1 is much better than the first (especially the ending, which is absolutely epic). It's worth playing through because ME2 is much better in terms of plot, dialogue and characterization; also the gameplay and side quests are much more fun.

I agree with LightSpectra about more or less everything except that I don't think the ending of ME1 is that great (I think it's a little trite with the sole exception of one fight, the battle in the exhaust fields, which is both fun and cool). I basically treat ME1 as a kind of necessary evil for playing ME2, because importing your file makes ME2 into an even better game.

 

[mechaerik]

I basically treat ME1 as a kind of necessary evil for playing ME2, because importing your file makes ME2 into an even better game.

Quite. If you start a ME2 game without importing, the game acts as if you played ME1 as a Renegade without doing any side quests.

And it gives Udina the job instead of Anderson. Really, that alone makes me play through ME1, but if you want to go straight to Mass Effect 2, more power to you.

 

[LightSpectra]

I keep trying to do a good playthrough of ME1 to prep myself for a perfect import to ME3 but I keep getting sidetracked because I hate ME1's Citadel so much. But really, that game gets much better in the second half; I remember saying "wow" out loud on the last part of Ilos, and then it gets even more tense after that.

 

[Dachs]

I keep trying to do a good playthrough of ME1 to prep myself for a perfect import to ME3 but I keep getting sidetracked because I hate ME1's Citadel so much. But really, that game gets much better in the second half; I remember saying "wow" out loud on the last part of Ilos, and then it gets even more tense after that.

The sheer narminess of the VAing during the Battle of the Citadel is ridiculous. When I made my imports, I muted the game from about the end of the Ilos Trench Run to...um...the end. Good times!

Of course, in the second game they had that advertisement on the Citadel for that Battle of the Citadel movie with [even more narmy] [deliberately bad] acting, which I thought was a nice touch. It's great when devs show meta-awareness.

 

[mechaerik]

]Of course, in the second game they had that advertisement on the Citadel for that Battle of the Citadel movie with [even more narmy] [deliberately bad] acting, which I thought was a nice touch. It's great when devs show meta-awareness.

I'd love to see that get brought up again in ME3. If you're playing a male Shepard, you might even hear:

"Citadel, starring Conrad Verner as Commander Shepard"

 

[LightSpectra]

The sheer narminess of the VAing during the Battle of the Citadel is ridiculous. When I made my imports, I muted the game from about the end of the Ilos Trench Run to...um...the end.

But that's partially what made it so good. Mass Effect 2 deals with complex themes and has moral ambiguity, so sophisticated voice actors is more appropriate; whereas Mass Effect 1 was just like an extended action movie, so the grand finale's haminess just heightened the mood.

I'd love to see that get brought up again in ME3. If you're playing a male Shepard, you might even hear:

"Citadel, starring Conrad Verner as Commander Shepard"

That's brilliant

 

[PhroX]

I dunno which ME I like more to be honest, it rather depends on my mood. As LightSpectra said, ME1 is more of a straight up action movie type game, but sometimes, that's what I want. Complexity and depth is all well and good, but sometimes it's better just to have Shepard blowing the hell out of robots from outer space in an epic manner

As an aside, I've been playing through both again recently (actually, in the last few months I've gone though all of Bioware's games again, partly to see how much of my love for the older ones was nostalgia and how much was genuine (BG2 is far and away the best) and partly cos I had nothing better to do), and was reminded how stupid the whole "loyalty" system in ME2 seems to be. Everyone in the galaxy has one massive issue - usually an unresolved event in the past causing mental problems - and when it's dealt with, they're best friends forever...It would've been so much better if Bioware had added more variety to the system. Even if just to mix up the ways in which characters became loyal - some through missions like it is now, others by your actions over the course of the game. Garrus and Tali could even start loyal, with the possibility of losing that status later...

 

[mechaerik]

Well, they may be loyal, but they do have huge personal issues to resolve.

Basically, i feel the loyalty mechanic doesn't really represent loyalty per se, but rather a total commitment to the mission.

 

[LightSpectra]

I think the whole mechanic was fine, it's just "loyalty mission" is a misleading term; they're already loyal, Shepard's just helping them resolve an issue that's distracting them from the mission and leaving them anchored with regrets. If they die in the end, it's because they couldn't keep focus, in a sense. Samara doesn't want to live because of her guilt; Mordin is confused about his role in the galaxy; Miranda, Thane and Jacob are dwelling on their families; Tali is anxious about what her people would say; Grunt's puberty is disrupting his performance; Jack's too mentally unstable; Kasumi and Zaeed have no real attachment to Shepard yet; Legion's team-work algorithms aren't optimized until he goes on a mission with Shepard; and Garrus is unnerved because he thinks he failed his previous team.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Kasumi and Zaeed have no real attachment to Shepard yet; Legion's team-work algorithms aren't optimized until he goes on a mission with Shepard;

Sounds like loyalty issues to me.

 

[LightSpectra]

Sounds like loyalty issues to me.

Zaeed and Kasumi are the only actual mercenaries on your team. For Legion, how is it a matter of loyalty that you need to practice at something before you're good at it?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

The allegiance of a mercenary is important, is it not? You are correct about Legion though. Although I might have been even more wrong in attempting to anthropomorphize Legion.

 

[Dachs]

I dunno which ME I like more to be honest, it rather depends on my mood. As LightSpectra said, ME1 is more of a straight up action movie type game, but sometimes, that's what I want. Complexity and depth is all well and good, but sometimes it's better just to have Shepard blowing the hell out of robots from outer space in an epic manner

You got plenty of that in ME2... For every mission like Thane's or Mordin's or Garrus' loyalty missions where there's lots of Talking and Working Out Issues, you get plenty of stuff that just involves shooting things and watching big things blow up. Haestrom? The Suicide Mission (the epitome of epic finishes, incidentally, even if you don't like fighting the Terminator)? Hell, Horizon?

Plus, what's "straight up action movie" about ME1's combat compared to ME2's?

 

[PhroX]

Plus, what's "straight up action movie" about ME1's combat compared to ME2's?

No running out of ammo

 

[Dachs]

Ha. Yeah, maybe, if that had made the combat more fast-paced (which it didn't )

 

[mechaerik]

Casey Hudson has confirmed that ME3 will have multiplayer (coop rather than competitive) on Twitter.

 

[Maniacal]

Meh. Unless the gameplay is revolutionary I'm not going to really care about ME3 multiplayer. As it is in ME2 the gameplay was just good enough that I enjoyed it but nothing I'd really care to play without the characters and story.

EDIT: Information here:
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/323/index/8481789/1

Hi Everyone

Today BioWare and the Mass Effect 3 team are very pleased to announce 4 player co-op multiplayer missions and the Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system for Mass Effect 3 on the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.


4 player co-op multiplayer

Join your friends in the all-out galactic war to take Earth back. The universe of Mass Effect expands with the addition of new co-op multiplayer missions, playable over Xbox Live, PSN and PC internet. Players can choose from a variety of classes and races, form an elite Special Forces squad, and combine their weapons, powers and abilities to devastating effect as they fight together to liberate key territories from enemy control. Success in multi-player will have a direct impact on the outcome of the single player campaign, giving players an alternative method of achieving ultimate victory against the greatest threat mankind – and the entire galaxy – has ever faced.

Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War

As a bonus to the campaign, BioWare is introducing the Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system, a new way for players to manage and experience the galactic war from multiple fronts, including a new 4-player co-op mode. The key to saving the galaxy is the “Galactic Readiness” level, measured by Commander Shepard’s ability to apply
every possible asset – people, weapons, resources, armies, fleets – in the final battle against the Reapers. Players can impact their game’s Galactic Readiness level in multiple ways via the Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system, including multiplayer. Other platforms and interfaces will be announced in the coming months. It is important to note that the system is entirely optional and just another way players can have control over your game experience – it is still possible to achieve the optimal, complete ending of the game in Mass Effect 3 through single-player alone.


F.A.Q.

Why include 4 player Co-op multiplayer in Mass Effect 3?
Being able to explore and fight alongside your friends in the Mass Effect universe has always been something we thought would be fun and compelling, and many players have asked for it for a long time as well. Mass Effect 3 is the best place for us to introduce multiplayer through co-op because of the premise of the game – all out galactic war.


Why only 4 player co-op? What not a versus mode?
We have always maintained that we would only add multiplayer into the Mass Effect series if it made sense and did not compromise the power of the single player campaign. Fighting together against a common threat was the multiplayer experience that made the most sense for Mass Effect 3. The way we have designed co-op as a wayto take control of key conflict zones in the galaxy is a natural extension of the premise of Mass Effect 3.


Why did you decide not to include it as a part of the main campaign?
Our priority and focus with Mass Effect 3 has and always will be to deliver a complete and satisfying single player experience.


Does the addition of co-op multiplayer missions impact the scope or quality of the single-player experience?
No. A dedicated team from our recently formed BioWare Montreal studio has been focused on creating the multiplayer game features while the main game continued to be developed by the team in BioWare Edmonton. Both teams are integrated under the same leadership group that produced Mass Effect 1 and 2, led by Casey Hudson. BioWare remains dedicated to delivering one of the most amazing single-player campaigns gamers have ever experienced.


How did developing multiplayer impact the single player game?
BioWare is dedicated and focused on delivering an engaging, fun, and action-packed experience for Mass Effect 3, one that lives up the BioWare standard. To reach that level of quality, last year BioWare opened a studio in Montreal that is home to designers, programmers, engineers, and other developers. Both studios work together as partners, lead by the core Mass Effect team, unified in a single vision. Under the direction of Casey Hudson and other team veterans, both studios make contributions to both the single player and multiplayer modes in Mass Effect 3. Rest assured that no compromises were made to either of these modes in the development of Mass Effect 3.


Which characters can I play in co-op multiplayer? Can I play as Commander Shepard?
Commander Shepard’s part in the war will take place in the single-player campaign, as will that of other beloved characters in the franchise such as Garrus, Ashley, and Liara…these characters do not appear in the multiplayer missions. In multiplayer, players will create custom characters to fight on different and unique fronts in the war. This will include the ability to play as favorites like Turians, Krogans, Asari and more… each with their own unique set of abilities.


What if I don’t like multiplayer – will my experience be negatively impacted?
Mass Effect 3 is a complete, standalone game that will deliver a satisfying story experience, even if you choose not to try multiplayer. The Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War system and all of the individual components are meant to complement that amazing game and can be enjoyed on their own or as part of the Galaxy at War experience.


What if I am not good at / do not like multiplayer? Will my readiness rating go down?
ME3 is a story about a war against overwhelming force where the most you can hope for us survival. The more you do to fight that war, the more you can change that story into a more optimistic one. You can reach the highest levels of success in the single player experience alone, but Galaxy at War gives you alternative ways to get there. It’s about choice, and allowing players to find their own ways to stay immersed in the Mass Effect universe.


Will you be adding any additional maps or modes through DLC?
We can’t comment on specifics right now, but can confirm that we are planning on having DLC for Mass Effect 3.

Do save games from ME1 or ME2 impact the co-op multiplayer missions?
No.


Do characters level up in co-op multiplayer? What is the progression system?
Character progression, weapon upgrading and leveling up is present in co-op. We’ll release more information on this topic in the months leading up to launch.


Is there more info about the other platforms of Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War?
We are not going into details about the other components of the Galaxy at War at this time except to say we are designing each to make sense for that platform. Each component will be able to affect a player’s “Galactic Readiness” level in a different way. Again, participation in any or all ME3:GaW elements is entirely optional.

 

[Rub'Rum]

I kind of wish there were RPGs you could play in coop. Like the good old Secret of Mana where a friend could grab the second controller and just control one of your allies. It would be amazing to experience a game like Skyrim with a friend. Even if it's just 2 players coop, and that you can't really go far from each others (must stay in one area), and that one leader is in control of conversation and quest choices and the other one spectates these sequences.