Mass Effect

[rabid_san]

Not even a month away from it's release and not thread so far.



So, who is getting this game?


Having played "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" and "Jade Empire" all the way through quite a few times I just can't wait to get my hands on BioWare's new master piece.

Actually the announcement of this game practically made my decisoion to go with the Xbox360 last year and not the PS3.

The new gameplay (conversationwheel) with less text to read but actually be part of a conversation as you can listen to others or abruptly cut them off in mid sentence, the new fighting system - not so much roundbased but even mre action-orientated, the sheer depth of customization possibilities, diefferent ways to play ... and of course the big story (read the book, although it was poorly written, the world and setting is marvelous) make this game a big winner for everyone who enjoys a good story, action and RPGs.

Who's with me here?

[Neo]

I'll be getting this on the day of release. Do love me a good Sci-Fi epic, and Mass Effect looks to be pretty epic.

[Smike]

This is definitely on my must buy list, for sure. The recent showing of some sexual stuff is kind of a drawback, as I'd have to play it alone and at night as opposed to showing it off to my dad and sister, but I'm still going to be getting it. It'll probably be more of a birthday thing as opposed to Christmas though, as it's not really time sensitive without any online modes.

I've been watching it out of the corner of my eye since it was announced - as I don't want to be spoiled by anything, but I knew I wanted it right away.

[Sunshine]

Rock Band is the only game this year I'll be buying first day. If it weren't for that game taking a huge chunk of my wallet, Mass Effect would be next in line. Loved the KOTOR series, probably the best single player experience I've ever had in a game.

Oh and there's boobies!

[rabid_san]

alright.

OXM (official xbox magazine) gave it a straight ten ...

h*ttp://www.consolewars.eu/news/18580/oxm_10_punkte_fuer_mass_effect/

-> credit to consolewars.eu

a good apetizer

[Sunshine]

English, please...?

[rabid_san]

jeez, I just wanted to show the pic ...

the german stufff don't matter.

[rabid_san]

oh, there were some lucky bastards in Australia!


EBGames received a shipment of the game early along with an eMail from the bosses to sell them immediately ...

so quite a few copies are already out there in the Outback ...


---


In the US some K-Mart stores already have sold copies last week.



Isn't breaking the releasedat by such a margin a fine-worthy misconduct?


well, another week or so till the rest gets to play!

[rabid_san]

So IGN has reviewed the game ...


seems to have some of the old BIOWARE flaws like in KOTOR and Jade Empire ... unballanced combat, sometimes stupid AI and slowdown paired with some clipping.

YET the stroy and character interaction is top notch as always ...


overall score a 9.4


http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/833/833640p1.html

[Sunshine]

The slowdown has never bothered me in the KOTOR series. It was always overshadowed compared to the story and gameplay of those games. But in ME, I'm kinda worried now about the combat. I remember in KOTOR, you could take off pause times completely and pretty much just fight like an actual action game but this game looks like it takes more strategy to plan out fights and whatnot. I'll look into it eventually but not completely convinced yet. I'll probably get it when I have enough time to play it. Often times, I buy a game that takes time to play (ie. Oblivion) and not find enough time and it ends up ruining the entire experience because you don't even remember what happened the last time you played.

[rabid_san]

exactly Sunny,

neither di the flaws hinder my fun with the predecessors ...


and I totally agree you need time for playing games like that.
WIth KOTOR I had to pause in the middle of it for a certain amount of time and I never could drag myself back to finishing it, as most of what had happened was forgotten in the break.

It took a year before I had myself ready to start over again ... and this time I could finish it and was totally hooked.

With Jade Empire I was prepared better ... luckily.

As for Mass Effect- I'll take a day off when I get my copy so that I have Fri-Mon to get through at least once ...

[rabid_san]

Does anybody have the game already?

Since I'm having mine shipped to me from UK ... screw the German dubbed version I want original voice actors ... it'll take another week or so ... *sigh*


Any thoughts so far?

[rabid_san]

So, after investing over 80 hours since I got the game and playing through it twice with multiple variations in between I must say


fucking WOW the best RPG experience I have ever witnessed!



the story, the cinematics, the characters ... and the ending.


just beautiful. One of the best endings in video game history period. I'm not gonna get into the details, but some choices you have to make to get to the end ... it really works on you and the ending sequence after the final battle just gives you goosebumps.


GET THIS GAME - Game of the year on xbox 360 IMO.

BTW the "bugs" which were noted ... I haven't had any problems with any - thewre are close to none - and far less than in Jade Empire or KOTOR

[T-dog]

Yep gotta agree with you... I played it once, mostly played the main quest tho, because I wanted to play the game and finish it quickly because once school starts I wont have time to play it... It was an amazing experience, and definatly one of the best RPG games I've played, if not the best hehe... Hmm, as far as game of the year goes.. That's leaving me stuck between call of duty and mass effect :P... I cant decide between both. Prolly end up going with Mass Effect I suppose.

[Philly]

God wow. I absolutely love this game. The best video game I have ever played, and thats saying a lot. I have yet to beat it once, but this is definatly the best story ever told in a video game.

[Sunshine]

I dunno, the story has only been okay so far. Then again, I've only gotten to the third planet and I hear there will be KOTOR-like twists to look forward to so I shall hold my tongue till then.

But yeah, I'm starting to get ticked off by the combat system. At first it felt pretty revolutionary to implement shooter gameplay with RPG elements but it doesn't feel good to shoot for some reason. Maybe it's a personal thing as I don't like pausing the game to strategize every fight. It'll grow on me though.

[Snowman]

You know how you can have sex with the asari consort? Well I heard that if you character is a woman and you do it then you get a lesbian achievement.

...I'm sorry but that should just show you how awesome the game is.

[Sunshine]

Haha, I already did it and no achievement was unlocked! The scene was definitely disappointing too... :(

Edit - Ahh, there's an achievement for completing the romance sub-plot. I think there's another sex scene in there as well.

[rabid_san]

yip just keep working towards the end ...

[rabid_san]

Alright, to get the level 60 and playthrough on insanity difficulty achievements I sped through the game and beat it in exactly 5 and a half hours on insanity ...

top that!

[rabid_san]

ok, so who has played through "Bring Down The Sky" yet?

I've beat it the paragon way ... cool DLC I must say. And the good you get for killing those Batarian bitches are really sweet!


More please *g*

[Neo]

Uh, I have the DLC, but I havent played it yet... I've spent all my time playing Lost Odyssey!

[rabid_san]

Me too - we see each other quite often, don't we *g*

Yet Friday I found the 90 minutes to complete it. it's really worth it IMO

[AFalseSinn]

I destroyed Mass Effect the first week I had it. Loved it...Tried to play it thought again as a bad guy (beat it good guy duh) but it was to soon.

I lent it to Karver, so I havent had the chance to get the new stuff and destroy that to ha.
Also been snipering people on COD4 online. Thus....fuck ME for now haha.

[Neo]

LOL.

All I have to say is hahahaha! I cant get to the DLC until I start my career again and continue it. I'm at Yllos(sp?) The planet where you cant backtrack any more cos you get immediately transported into the middle of the Citadel during Sovriegn and Sarens assault.

Damn.

Well, I've started again and I'm at Eden Prime. I've done the game the Paragon and Renegade way and I swear I got everything cept the codex entries. I even found stuff I never saw from my first playthru, like a Rachni colony. Now to wait until I become a Spectre inductee and take control of the Normandy to get to the DLC. Curses.

Also, there is a rumour about more installments for Mass Effect to come. And, I've been told that the DLC isnt new material at all, it was in the game all along, they just edited it out of the final build.

...

One more thing... The end sequence is AWESOME. I love it so much. Specially when Joker simply cuts off the ship that has the Council on it. I loved killing those jerks the first time around, haha.

[Neo]

Sooo... I just got to the asteroid and I am fairly certain it was in the game to begin with, and they just left it out of the final build. However, that is not what I came to say...

I get there, watch the cutscenes and use biotics on the Batarians and the hounds(cant remember the name of the species) and get to another cutscene where the guy explains all the things you could do, the contless lives you have to save and what not... The cutscene plays and the loading screen pops up and stays on screen for almost 5minutes before stopping completely, i.e. freezing up. Anyone else had any problems with the DLC?

[One Stratusfied Customer]

MEGA BUMP!

Ok, so as I mentioned somewhere else before... I'm playing Mass Effect again, I played it casually the first time and was pretty neutural good/bad. I'm doing this now mostly to get a bad ass character to play through with in the sequel. I need some questions answered please...

1) If I'm an ass can I still get the romance thing with Ashley? Should I be mean to everyone but nice to her? What about the two timing with Liara?

2) I'm trying to do EVERYTHING this time round, the only thing I can't do is when I go to "Debris" on planets it says "Electronics skill to low" or something like that. How do I get that up? Is it worth going back to all the one's I've left? What do they gain you?

3) I'm a Vanguard and untrained with Sniper and Assault Rifles. Does this happen at some point? I thought it did last time but I forget.

4) I want my team to be Ashley & Liara, with me being Vanguard (Biotic & Combat) that would mean no technical attributes at all. Anyway around this?

5) I don't want to waste time building Kaiden because I'm gonna let him die eventually. How close is this to the end though? Is it worth using him up until then?

[TheMainMan25]

MEGA BUMP!

Ok, so as I mentioned somewhere else before... I'm playing Mass Effect again, I played it casually the first time and was pretty neutural good/bad. I'm doing this now mostly to get a bad ass character to play through with in the sequel. I need some questions answered please...

1) If I'm an ass can I still get the romance thing with Ashley? Should I be mean to everyone but nice to her? What about the two timing with Liara?

2) I'm trying to do EVERYTHING this time round, the only thing I can't do is when I go to "Debris" on planets it says "Electronics skill to low" or something like that. How do I get that up? Is it worth going back to all the one's I've left? What do they gain you?

3) I'm a Vanguard and untrained with Sniper and Assault Rifles. Does this happen at some point? I thought it did last time but I forget.

4) I want my team to be Ashley & Liara, with me being Vanguard (Biotic & Combat) that would mean no technical attributes at all. Anyway around this?

5) I don't want to waste time building Kaiden because I'm gonna let him die eventually. How close is this to the end though? Is it worth using him up until then?


LOL Zombie Thread.

1. If you're mean to Ashley, forget it. You can't really two-time because if you romance both they will me you choose.

2. If you're a Vanguard you can't get your electronics skill up. You have to have someone in your party that has the electronics skill (Vakerian, Tali).

3. As a Vanguard, you will get a Prestige class after a certain point in the story. If you select Shock Trooper I think that you get an assault rifle talent....I think. If not, you can select it if you run through the second time.

4. No

5. Depending on if you've done all of the side quests, and DLC the part where you have to choose who lives is on Virmire, which is the second to last planet. Keep Kaidan on the ship. He brings nothing to your team.

[One Stratusfied Customer]

1. If you're mean to Ashley, forget it. You can't really two-time because if you romance both they will me you choose.

2. If you're a Vanguard you can't get your electronics skill up. You have to have someone in your party that has the electronics skill (Vakerian, Tali).

3. As a Vanguard, you will get a Prestige class after a certain point in the story. If you select Shock Trooper I think that you get an assault rifle talent....I think. If not, you can select it if you run through the second time.

4. No

5. Depending on if you've done all of the side quests, and DLC the part where you have to choose who lives is on Virmire, which is the second to last planet. Keep Kaidan on the ship. He brings nothing to your team.

1. Yeah, I knew you couldn't go all the way with both. So I gotta be nice to who ever I wanna do then. Both basically the same storyline?

2. I tried doing it with the most technically high team I could make (Tali & Kaiden) but still "Electric skill too low"

3. This is my second time through, maybe I missed that option.

4. I didn't think so. What team would you think best? I worked out Tali & Wrex give me all even stats, but I don't like either of them. Is tech really that important or d'ya think I'd do fine using Ashley & Liara as a team?

5. Kaiden was bringing some tech stat as I prefer him to Wrex or Tali. I guess I'll shelve him though.