Mass Effect - Bioware - 360

[schild]

So, I'm pretty sure I like it. My biggest gripe (which oddly, isn't the elevators) is probably the amount of flavor dialog. There's just... tons of it. I like good dialogue as much as the next guy (obligatory Deus Ex reference), but there's so much here that it makes you compelled to investigate even the simplest conversation, which mostly results in wasting time. When there's something important it's always HEY HEY LOOK AT ME :NEON_SIGN:. Which makes things easier I suppose. But not for the completist.

I like the combat as it is definitely Resident Evil 4 lite. I like that vast majority of the alien racers. Garrus and Tali are who I keep around the most, their dialogue is pretty spiffy when in elevators (I think it's important to pick characters who don't drive you nuts, especially when in the Citadel). The upgrade system is neat, though I didn't notice it until, oh, 2 hours in. Manuals? Heh. Really though, I can't help but compare it to Oblivion, and in that way, it's so above and beyond what BethSoft gave us that I can't help but play through it. Probably won't get many replays as my time with games these days gets lessened, but what I've played has made me put everything else aside for it.

Girls need more, better hairstyles. Otherwise, the future holds nothing for "hot chicks."

Yea, I'm playing a chick. What of it?

-

Buy it.

[schild]

Ok.

I see how it's going to be.

I just died doing something, it kept giving me experience and then asked me to reload. I lost 6 hours of quests.

I thought we were past this?

[sidereal]

No savepoints?

[Samwise]

YOU RACK DISSIPRIN!

[Rasix]

I said this on the phone.  It's all your fault.

What kind of maniac relies on auto-save systems? Who games for 6 hours straight without thinking it's a good idea to save once in a while? Your 360 could explode.  You could have a power outtage.  Was I the only person that had triple digit saves?

Future hints: it tells you when it's auto saving.  And it really only auto saves at the beginning of planets or during a handful of key moments. You're going to want to save more often around combat anyhow, when snipers or rocket attacks can make short work of you.  It didn't save here because you were just doing a bunch of minor side quests.

Anyhow, now that you've done it, you could get through all of those quests in less than 2 hours.  Just hit X through all of the dialog and use the tram system heavily.

Edit: Heh, my saving OCD could be a bi-product of never having more than 2 hours to game at a time.  I can rarely afford to lose half an hour anymore.

[Phildo]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Sucker.

[Lt.Dan]

I said this on the phone.  It's all your fault.

What kind of maniac relies on auto-save systems? Who games for 6 hours straight without thinking it's a good idea to save once in a while? Your 360 could explode.  You could have a power outtage.  Was I the only person that had triple digit saves?

Future hints: it tells you when it's auto saving.  And it really only auto saves at the beginning of planets or during a handful of key moments. You're going to want to save more often around combat anyhow, when snipers or rocket attacks can make short work of you.  It didn't save here because you were just doing a bunch of minor side quests.

Anyhow, now that you've done it, you could get through all of those quests in less than 2 hours.  Just hit X through all of the dialog and use the tram system heavily.

Edit: Heh, my saving OCD could be a bi-product of never having more than 2 hours to game at a time.  I can rarely afford to lose half an hour anymore.

By that I could imagine you writing your posts in notepad and pasting them in.

[Miasma]

By the time I finished the game I was at save #600 something, I'm kinda OCD about that.

[Velorath]

By the time I finished the game I was at save #600 something, I'm kinda OCD about that.

Pretty much the same way here, but then I also read in advance that the auto save kinda sucked.

[Tannhauser]

I got so wrapped up in playing that I forgot to save and lost over an hour of time myself.

My saves averaged around 50 for both playthrus.

[HaemishM]

By the time I finished the game I was at save #600 something, I'm kinda OCD about that.

It's an artifact of gaming so much on the PC. When you have the chance to save manually, you save that motherfucker. That's the one thing that annoys me a bit about most console games, they don't allow you to save anywhere, anytime. I hate save points.

[Morfiend]

That's the one thing that annoys me a bit about most console games, they don't allow you to save anywhere, anytime. I hate save points.

Its showing again that you dont have a current gen console Haemish. I would say 60% or more of the games I play on 360 let me save when ever I want.

[HaemishM]

I was actually thinking of Metroid Prime Corruption for the Wii, which doesn't let you save anywhere anytime, but only at your ship or at save points. Now whether that qualifies as next-gen or not depends on how many schilds  you have on the "HATEZ WII" chart.

[schild]

Metroid has been doing that since what, the gameboy? Super Nintendo?

It doesn't count as next-gen because the mechanic is NEARLY 15 YEARS OLD.

[Riggswolfe]

Metroid has been doing that since what, the gameboy? Super Nintendo?

It doesn't count as next-gen because the mechanic is NEARLY 15 YEARS OLD.

Or because the Wii isn't next gen. I want one but let's be honest, it's sort of 1.5 to the other platforms 2.0. (and yes I'm aware we're well past the 2nd generation of consoles, I'm just too lazy to actually figure out what gen we're on, 5th or something crazy like that I think.)

[Morfiend]

Metroid has been doing that since what, the gameboy? Super Nintendo?

It doesn't count as next-gen because the mechanic is NEARLY 15 YEARS OLD.

Or because the Wii isn't next gen. I want one but let's be honest, it's sort of 1.5 to the other platforms 2.0. (and yes I'm aware we're well past the 2nd generation of consoles, I'm just too lazy to actually figure out what gen we're on, 5th or something crazy like that I think.)

Yup, the only part of the Wii that is current gen is the controller.

[LK]

You also have to turn auto-save on for it to work.  They allow you to disable it.

[schild]

Guys.

I just realized the biggest problem with the game.

The distinct lack of bacon salt.

[Yegolev]

Respondent opinion.  I'm probably ten hours in and I just found another side quest on the Citadel.  I love this game.  It's next-gen KOTOR.  I don't see the Oblivion connection at all.  You even have a squadmate with the same voice as Carth Onassi, for fuck's sake.  It's like KOTOR version four with all the gay-ass Star Wars shit removed and replaced with a mixture of every sci-fi ever, which I mean as a compliment.  Babylon 5, Star Trek, Star Wars, it's a great mix and so far the things I can do are great.  I don't want to spoil but having the option to shoot a bad guy just because I don't like him is awesome.  Me rikey.

[Bunk]

Put me on the list of the people with several hundred saves. Oh and Schild, its ok that you are playing the girl. Hell, this is one of the first voiceover games I know of that lets you play either gender with full voices for each. For anyone who didn't know, in addition to them reusing Carth's voice actor, the actress that voiced Bastila Shan is the one doing the female Sheppard (without the required Starwars Universe English Accent)

[Strazos]

I thought it was familiar. Ashley is awesome.

And of course is KotOR 3. It even has its own Mission....er, Blue Girl....whatever.

[Azazel]

I'm in two minds about this game. It seems like it would be a better fit for the PC, and also like it's fucking long. And I find longer game sessions more comfy on the PC as well. Also, KOTOR3 is all well and good, but a big part of the appeal of KOTOR for me was the glow-sticks and general Star Wars universe done in a non-shitty way in a videogame. I'll probably wait till it's discounted in the 360's Greatest Hits catalogue.

[Tebonas]

Funnily it was improved by the removal of the Kotor-corset. They had total control of the universe and the story and did quite well without being tied down by some sort of canon. The story they did wouldn't have worked in an already established universe.

[Mazakiel]

I'm in two minds about this game. It seems like it would be a better fit for the PC, and also like it's fucking long. And I find longer game sessions more comfy on the PC as well. Also, KOTOR3 is all well and good, but a big part of the appeal of KOTOR for me was the glow-sticks and general Star Wars universe done in a non-shitty way in a videogame. I'll probably wait till it's discounted in the 360's Greatest Hits catalogue.

Honestly?  I wished it had been longer.  Alot of the length for me was ultimately driving around in the damn Mako.  The parts I was into the most, the plotty missions and stuff, especially the main arc, way way too short.  I'd have preferred one or two more times to face off against Saren and really make the rivalry something more than, "Oh hey.  I have a rocket sled!" and "I'm back, bitch!  And so's my sled!" 

[Azazel]

Well, I haven't played it, but games that I'll actually finish before I lose interest or get distracted by other shiny things are a bonus in my view. Games that are too long tend to get put to one side for awhile, and when that's happened you can really only pick them up again if they're mindless (Doom3, most FPS games) or close enough to mindless (GTA-games).

The first N64 Zelda got put aside for a little while, not because it was bad, just because I took a break from it. When I came back to it, I had no fucking idea what I had done or needed to do or what the fuck was going on. ME seems like it may fall into that particular realm for me.. especially without the Star Wars.

Tebonas - That was the thing about KOTOR - they set it what? 2000 years before Ep1? That gave them enough freedom to do whatever they liked with the Star Wars universe since they were establishing their own world and universe that only had to have a certain amount of connection to the established canon. Also, bonus points to you for being able to spell canon correctly. (for serious).

[murdoc]

I've never finished a Bioware game, but I will definitely finish Mass Effect. This game is great. I hate saving and shutting down the 360 whenever I get a chance to play.

[Sky]

I'll probably wait till it's released for the PC.

FIFY.

I finished KotOR twice and played through most of KotOR2 before deciding I'm going to wait fifty years for Team Gizka to finish the Restoration Project. I'll be surprised if Gizka is done before Mass Effect hits the PC, even though it took foooorever to get Jade Empire.

Hey, I need to finish Jade Empire! Cool beans.

[Bunk]

I've never finished a Bioware game, but I will definitely finish Mass Effect. This game is great. I hate saving and shutting down the 360 whenever I get a chance to play.

Outside of Bioware games, I hardly ever finish RPGs. Oddly, with Bioware the only ones I never completely finished were the Baldur's Gate series.

[Strazos]

Outside of Bioware games, I hardly ever finish RPGs. Oddly, with Bioware the only ones I never completely finished were the Baldur's Gate series.

BOOOO! Heathen.

I can understand not finishing Baldur's Gate 1....But the second was fucking Great. And Epic.

[Azazel]

I'll probably wait till it's released for the PC.

FIFY.

I finished KotOR twice and played through most of KotOR2 before deciding I'm going to wait fifty years for Team Gizka to finish the Restoration Project. I'll be surprised if Gizka is done before Mass Effect hits the PC, even though it took foooorever to get Jade Empire.

Hey, I need to finish Jade Empire! Cool beans.

Are they going to release it for the PC? For some reason I assumed they weren't. If they do that's a definate wait.

Gizka have really seemed to slow down as they got closer to finishing it over 2007. With 8 issues left (4 being tweaks and 4 being minor) I'd have hoped they perhaps could have gotten them done in the last 2 months, or at least the next update will be the release one...

[caladein]

First off, PC port = .  Second, I hope that said port is at least as moddable as the KotORs were.  The lack of mods to play around with is probably why I couldn't muster a second playthrough of Jade Empire.

[murdoc]

I don't tend to finish any RPG's since they take too damn long. I can only think of 2 off the top of my head that I played from beginning to end.

I finally left the Citadel got back around to doing the main quest around the 7hr mark. Too much time spent scanning keepers and searching for missing marines. Only came across one quest (some sort of issue with Scientists) that kicked my ass so many times, that I just left and decided to do it later when I got geared up a bit more.

I've only been on 3-4 different planets and so far the Mako parts aren't as bad as I thought they would be. I actually don't mind sitting on a mountain top, shelling a mercenary encampment from afar.

[Yegolev]

Mass Effect and Jade Empire shouldn't be mentioned together.  Mass Effect is way better.  As for length, I am only playing the main story while my wife is awake but I can easily spend an hour exploring some planets or doing side missions.  There is a shit-ton of side missions, and I love it.  The story-mission worlds are clearly marked, so you can beeline or avoid as you see fit.

My wife and I are both very impressed with the incredible depth put into the world.  If you're someone that enjoys getting into a new sci-fi universe, you'll love this.  Tech details, race histories, planetary environments, they are all incredibly detailed.

Ashley Williams sucks.  I hate that bitch.  I roll with Tali and Wrex, or Garrus and Wrex if I know there's only fighting going on.  Problem is, if I encounter something on a planet like a probe and it tells me I don't have the engineering skill to scavenge from it, when I go get Tali and come back it only lets me bypass with omnigel.  Not that I'm low on omnigel but it's the principle.

My only complaint about Mass Effect is a big one: the item interface sucks krogan balls.  It's a huge failure.  If you guys get a PC version, hopefully something will be done about it.

[SnakeCharmer]

So, after 2 or 3 weeks of looking at the ME box sitting on my desk, I finally cracked the seal and gave it some serious game time.  

I think I'm the only one that is extremely disappointed in the game:
1)  Too much dialogue and cutscenes that drag the game down as far as pace of play is concerned  
2)  I can't jump over ledges or walls that don't come to my knees??
3)  Weird shadow graphics (glitches?).  Even on a HD TV, it looks like the spray paint option on MS paint was used
4)  Driving / fighting in the Mako is an exercise in frustration
5)  First game I've ever had to read the manual to figure out all the options and controls
6)  Too many load screens that hiccup the game too often
7)  Not enough autosave points

[Yegolev]

It's worth noting that if you expect Mass Effect to be a PC-ish RPG before you boot it up, your list isn't something to worry about.  Instead you'll bitch about the UI and lack of logs and combat numbers.  If you are expecting a console FPS, then it's a valid list of complaints.  Not trying to put words in your mouth, but I think your expectations set you up.

About the Mako, practice makes perfect, also I think it gets tougher as I level up.  Not sure since I have gotten pretty good at avoiding the thresher maw loogies.