[360] Mass Effect
- Thread starter Duck Dodgers
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TurnDragoZeroV2G
Regular
Going by the AI problems (dumb enemies and allies getting themselves killed when they're being shot, AI being FAR too happy to bum rush and allies being too incompetent to stop them as they dance around like F'ing ballerinas, etc.), the mismatching planet icons (solar system view) and planet pictures (planet view), as well as the horribly monotonous uncharted worlds (prefab is okay, but NOT when that applies to the entire base, instead of just hallway sections and room shape/size) with mundane looks about them (needs vegetation, more animals, etc. on habitable worlds, and more things going on, like magma flows and rivers on worlds where those are applicable)... it seems fairly apparent that the game did not get the time it needed to be the product it could have have been.
Not that I'm blaming anybody. They had their deadlines, and the scope obviously exceeded the time they had for everything. Hardly an exception in the games industry. And I'm still very satisfied with my collector's edition purchase. If they can fix the above things, get that tactical battle system better implemented (detachable camera, controlling each teammate separately...), and get more cities/bigger bases on more worlds (even if many non-main-story worlds are all prefab-shops, prefab hallways, etc., just uniquely connected, honestly... though unique looks would obviously be far better), the next two games could be absolutely incredible... hopefully, having done the first game, the next ones will have more time for those fixes, refinements of the system, and content creation.
(and I can't forget that asinine auto-save system...)
A solid 9.0... out of 10. Roughly. I still have more playthroughs that need doing, so that may go up or down a little depending on how much I've found I've missed (choices with real consequences, character backstory, etc.)
Not that I'm blaming anybody. They had their deadlines, and the scope obviously exceeded the time they had for everything. Hardly an exception in the games industry. And I'm still very satisfied with my collector's edition purchase. If they can fix the above things, get that tactical battle system better implemented (detachable camera, controlling each teammate separately...), and get more cities/bigger bases on more worlds (even if many non-main-story worlds are all prefab-shops, prefab hallways, etc., just uniquely connected, honestly... though unique looks would obviously be far better), the next two games could be absolutely incredible... hopefully, having done the first game, the next ones will have more time for those fixes, refinements of the system, and content creation.
(and I can't forget that asinine auto-save system...)
A solid 9.0... out of 10. Roughly. I still have more playthroughs that need doing, so that may go up or down a little depending on how much I've found I've missed (choices with real consequences, character backstory, etc.)
The game saved every other time it loaded an area, basically. When the loading screen came up, there would be a few second save in there too. Saving was very quick, so it didn't annoy me that it saved a lot.
Yeah I'm definitely with you with regards to most of that. Especially with how boring and mundane the side missions usually are... I accepted the "prefab" bases as logical, but they also certainly do represent cookie-cutter map design. Certainly could've used more planet surface variety too, as you said, but what they did there was still interesting. Where was everyone's "favorite" Speedtree middleware though!?
BTW, I was fascinated by the reindeer things with hands on that one planet.....The squad AI needs major work. Commands often do nothing, and very frequently the AI buddies shoot into walls instead of enemies. They get themselves killed all the time, even when I order them to take cover. You basically have to manually tell them to go to a waypoint if they can't figure out how to take cover. Other times they won't even shoot at all. While you are backpedaling because a Krogan is bearing down on you planning to pulverize your (relatively) scrawny self, frantically ordering them to target him, they just stand and stare at a wall. I've found that they actually can be very helpful if you lock them in place with a lot of space in front of them to openly target things. Still, other times, they can do quite well on their own. It's hard to tell when they will or won't "function".
I didn't notice the planetary mismatches...
You could probably at least notice the different stars/suns. For example, they didn't account for binary stars or blue/red giants in the system view when you could see them while on-planet.
The animated sun flares were pretty nice, just staring up at the sky though.
DuckThor Evil
Legend
I finally bought this on friday and I briefly tested it saturday at my brothers house and yeah felt like a winner from the get go. I have to wait until tuesday to put some serious hours into this, and I post further expressions later. This game proved to be quite costly for me. Some ahole scammed 50 euros from me few weeks ago, and now I bought it from a store for 65 euros... It better be good :smile:
TheMightyPuck
Newcomer
I liked KOTOR and the first 2/3 of KOTOR 2 better than ME but I played them on PC so that might be skewing my feelings. ME is still good and the gameplay is very similar to KOTOR.
This game finally pushed me into a 360 purchase. Really enjoying it so far. But I tell you what it can be tricky spotting enemies on a SDTV, but it still does look pretty. I'll be picking up a Bravia after Christmas so should be looking a lot better after that.
Well done Bioware, you guys are legends. Bring on KOTOR3!
Really enjoying it so far. But I tell you what it can be tricky spotting enemies on a SDTV, but it still does look pretty. I'll be picking up a Bravia after Christmas so should be looking a lot better after that.Well done Bioware, you guys are legends. Bring on KOTOR3!
Oboro Shogun
Newcomer
I love this game so much that I barely tore myself away to write this. I love the grain filter despite it's luke warm reception by many. Other than a lack of sparkling polish (texture loading, framerate and tearing, which doesn't bother me) this game has visual up there with Uncharted! Gotta go swashbuckle the universe more.
This game finally pushed me into a 360 purchase.
Well done Bioware, you guys are legends. Bring on KOTOR3!
I highly recommend the Bravia. I have a 52xbr4 and Mass Effect's galaxy map stops people on the street below my window!
Just finished this game, took about 24 hours of playtime. Fantastic game and great end sequence as well. Game of the year for me! Normally I ebay any game when I'm done with it but I think I'll keep this one around, might replay it at some point and make different choices along the way. Great stuff Bioware, now bring on ME2
DuckThor Evil
Legend
Just finished this game, took about 24 hours of playtime. Fantastic game and great end sequence as well. Game of the year for me! Normally I ebay any game when I'm done with it but I think I'll keep this one around, might replay it at some point and make different choices along the way. Great stuff Bioware, now bring on ME2
Hey! I could have wrote the exact same thing.... Except my playthrough took about 26.5 hours and I don't use ebay
Anyways what an astonishing game it was! I Think I'll play it through again very soon. The framerate was a joke at times, but the amazing story and the storytelling makes up for it, very addicting game, just this saturday I put 14 hours into it. These Bioware rpg's really put most other games to shame really.
If you like scifi stuff and enjoyed Kotor, Star Control 2 etc. DO NOT PASS THIS BY!
I cannot wait for the sequel(s)
Played it for about 7 or so hours now, its KOTOR with good graphics and a fancy new speech three minus the lightsabers.
And by that i mean its pretty much exactly like KOTOR, sure the action might be in real time this time, but from what i have seen so far, KOTOR design shines through everywhere.
not that KOTOR was a bad game or anything..
And by that i mean its pretty much exactly like KOTOR, sure the action might be in real time this time, but from what i have seen so far, KOTOR design shines through everywhere.
not that KOTOR was a bad game or anything..
I'm really liking this game too, and I don't care for RPGs (never played any of the KOTOR games). The only aspect I don't like are all the damn side missions I feel obligated to go on for everyone. I hate the Citadel for this reason (it was a let down after the action on Eden Prime). I'm about to go to some other worlds now, so hopefully the action will pick up again.
One thing I just noticed the other night is you can replay the whole game with the same character you previously finished the game with, with all his upgrades intact. So I can start over with my level 41 character! I was going to start a new character but instead I'll just use the same guy and get him maxed out to level 60
That will let me use all the upgrade points on charm and intimidate which I hear is what you need to see some of the alternate conversations and outcomes. The first time I went to the citadel after restarting, both of my crew mates had 61 upgrade points to distribute, sweet I believe the game will upgrade the AI to compensate, but it still will be cool to max my character out as I hear you'll be able to use him on Mass Effect 2.
DuckThor Evil
Legend
One thing I just noticed the other night is you can replay the whole game with the same character you previously finished the game with, with all his upgrades intact. So I can start over with my level 41 character! I was going to start a new character but instead I'll just use the same guy and get him maxed out to level 60
Whoah... I have to try that out too with higher difficulty. I had a soldier character on level 45 and I could have easily finish the last mission alone, the guy was ridiculously powerful compared to the enemies. The hardest part for me was the fight against
the Matriarch, which I had to try quite a few times
I completed quite many side missions and thought they were mostly fun I didn't do "silly" missions like planting a bug for that reporter etc, but I did land on many planets and searched some minerals too. I hope Bioware does something to the inventory system for the sequel though. It's very clumsy to manage and with the 150 item limit you have to manage it. For example changing upgrades to omni gel is annoying as when you go down through the upgrades to the older ones and convert them to omni-gel the cursor goes back to the newest upgrade and again you have to cycle down...
When you get new items, there should also be: reduce everything to omni-gel, as often you had to do that manually and I would say that the majority of the upgrades are going to get converted anyways. Some other flexibility here and there would have been welcomed too. Then there is the part that the omni-gel is basically useless meaning that most of the loot you'll be getting is also useless. So some work needs to be done on that front.
I have to say though that the story and its telling, the dialogy, the overall atmosphere and true ability to affect the storyline and having to make few really hard decisions (there were few moments that I had to stop and really think about what I should do) really set this game (and Bioware rpg's in general) so much apart from the rest of the pack.
It's nice to get a game that feels like it's designed for you.
edit: how much information have they said about the sequels BTW? The setting for them atleast is absolutely phenomenal! :smile:
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If you play on hard the AI scales everything up to compare with your level, the actual enemy AI thought is just as dumb.
Yes, but the "Hard" mode in ME is not so hard more a "normal" mode…
And I'm not a hardcore gamer didn't finish GeOW in insane or halo3 in legendary…
Have to test "hardcore" mode in 2008
I'm thinking that some ones, in actual game decision, are afraid that game seems to hard…
Did you see me say anything about "hard" mode on ME being hard in real life?
But i agree, ME is easy on any difficulty after you get some decent stuff, unless you leved up your characters all wrong.
Yeah I know what you mean. It's interesting to see people who haven't played KOTOR before discover the gameplay style. I really thought KOTOR was revolutionary too when it was a new experience for me. So if this is new for someone, I can totally see it being a kick ass experience. Especially compared to 360's other options.
I couldn't help but slip into a sort of KOTOR by-the-numbers mode though. The games really do play absolutely the same except for the combat style. The beginning of the game didn't really stir the KOTOR vibe, but getting to the Citadel after that sure did. And, like you say, it's not really a bad thing. It's a proven gameplay design, after all. But it definitely didn't overwhelm me with amazement over innovation. It's evolved KOTOR. Too bad the combat engine is so buggy though (stupid AI buddies). And I thought some of the areas weren't nearly fleshed out enough.
One thing that I really do like about Bioware is that they know how to write and their voice acting directors (or whatever) are shockingly better than those of say Two Worlds or The Witcher.
