Most of the game is played as a shooter. There are powers, but none of them do significant damage compared to the weapons. And most of the conflicts are ultimately resolved with combat.
[360, PS3] Mass Effect 2 *(Spoiler Warning)
- Thread starter rusty
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Most of the game is played as a shooter. There are powers, but none of them do significant damage compared to the weapons. And most of the conflicts are ultimately resolved with combat.
Actually i played it purely as a shooter and i loved it.
To me it seemed like the game didn't know what it wanted to be. It is neither a good shooter or a good RPG. It is a fun little interactive sci-fi movie, albeit with a totally predictable plot that kept giving me KOTOR flashbacks. 
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Silent_Buddha
Legend
No, it's not exactly a shooter. I believe what he meant is...
ME is an RPG first, with the trappings of a shooter. In other words an RPG first, that allows a first person viewpoint. You just happen to use a gun. It could be a bow and arrow for all the difference it would make. Or magic, or whatever.
You have stats and skills that determine your chances of hitting and doing damage (RPG mechanics) and a first person viewpoint that allows you to pick your target, rather than a mouse pointer. But just as with using a mouse to pick your target. Your character skills and stats ultimately determine whether you hit and do damage.
Personally I rather liked it and didn't see any problems with the game as long as you though of it more as an RPG (which is what it is) and less like a shooter (which it isn't really).
And I hope that they DO NOT make it an actually shooter like Borderlands. And keep it more an RPG.
Regards,
SB
That's an entirely arbitrary distinction. Most of the encounters are resolved through combat, and the combat is done via shooting. I never said it was 'a shooter', but it's not 'an RPG' either. It's an amalgam, at best. The shooting part wasn't good, but that doesn't mean you can just dismiss it when describing the game.
If it did use a bow and arrow or magic or whatever, then it would be a different game, and not Mass Effect. Bioware is being very upfront about how they improved the shooting aspect for the sequel, which, along with the FPS were the main complaints the game received.
Your description fits a game like Fallout 3, which in fact worked best when played via VATS.
That you can improve your accuracy through mods and increasing your skills, but that doesn't make the game 'an RPG', either -- you still need to aim your weapon at enemies to hit them (contrast that with hou VATS works, which will even cycle through enemies you might not be aware of).
If it did use a bow and arrow or magic or whatever, then it would be a different game, and not Mass Effect. Bioware is being very upfront about how they improved the shooting aspect for the sequel, which, along with the FPS were the main complaints the game received.
Your description fits a game like Fallout 3, which in fact worked best when played via VATS.
That you can improve your accuracy through mods and increasing your skills, but that doesn't make the game 'an RPG', either -- you still need to aim your weapon at enemies to hit them (contrast that with hou VATS works, which will even cycle through enemies you might not be aware of).
Silent_Buddha
Legend
Which is exactly the same mechanic as say Diablo II where you click on an enemy with your mouse cursor. Except in this case you are clicking on an enemy with your crosshairs. The game then runs the numbers to see whether you hit or not.
Just like you can "hit" an enemy 100% of the time with your cursor in Diablo II it doesn't mean you always actually hit. Exact same thing with ME in that you could "hit" an enemy 100% of the time with your cursor (oops I mean crosshair) and it doesn't mean you always actually hit.
I'm actually disappointed that ME2 sounds like it's going for more shooter mechanics and less RPG mechanics. Ah well, don't have to buy it if it goes the way of Borderlands of a shooter with RPG trappings rather than an RPG with shooter trappings.
Regards,
SB
Play a adept…
And like I'm saying at high level you are to powerfully.
The more funny way to play ME is adept at level 0 in Insane difficulty (hardcore is good also).
@Silent_Buddha: the fact they swap the heat restriction for gun to reloading is a good example of the more shooter mechanic.
But you can apply this to other games with say, recoil. Most games these days, in fact, just because your screen is centered on the enemy, that doesn't mean you'll hit them with your shot. Saying it's 'exactly like Diablo' excludes half of the gameplay -- ME without the shooter mechanics is NOT ME. Hell, it even had a (janky) cover system.
The powers do small damage compared to guns. They pin the enemy down for a long time, but with the high-end spectre weapons you can shoot forever.
ShadowRunner
Veteran
I would say it is a shooter, and it is an RPG aswel. The two are not mutually exclusive. Since when did the combat mechanics dictate whether a game is an RPG or not? ME has more actual role-playing than most other so called RPGs, the dialog system in ME is unsurpassed IMO.
Please read the following sentence, after the bit you quoted: 'It's an amalgam, at best.' Yes, it's both.
ShadowRunner
Veteran
You stated it wasnt a RPG. To me it is a true RPG in its own right. It is also a shooter.
Youre statements suggests you see it as neither a proper shooter or RPG, which is fair enuff i just have a different view on it. Thats how i have read your comments on the game anyhow.
Youre statements suggests you see it as neither a proper shooter or RPG, which is fair enuff i just have a different view on it. Thats how i have read your comments on the game anyhow.
Check the thread again. I was responding to Silent Buddha who was saying that the game was an RPG first and foremost, and that the shooter bits are about as important as the clicking in Diablo when it comes to describing the game. What I said was: that it's not 'An RPG', to the exclusion of all other game genres, as SB was suggesting.
Silent_Buddha
Legend
Almost. I'm basically saying the shooter mechanic in ME is basically the same as a point and click mechanic in something like Diablo. That unlike an FPS (pure shooter) your skill at hitting something under your crosshairs (cursor) isn't nearly as imporant as you Character based skills and talents, and weapon based stats.
As such I don't have a problem with the first person "shooter-like" viewpoint and trappings acting more like a traditional stat based RPG than a traditional player (Real Life person playing the character) skill based FPS.
Almost all the people I see complaining are complaining because combat isn't PURELY or mostly determined by their own skill. And don't like the fact that hits/damage is computed based on their in game characters skills, talents, and equipment.
In other words, I see people complaining because it isn't an FPS. Which is what it isn't, it's an RPG with the viewpoint and trappings of a shooter.
And to another poster, yes, taken an extreme you could consider a RPG as purely role-playing only with no other considerations. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on point of view), RPGs are very much rooted in, as you put it, "Spreadsheet Based Combat Mechanics."
Even Live Action Role-Playing Games that I participate in rely heavily on those "spreadsheet" mechanics, they just happen to emphasize the role-playing (and even acting) elements more than Pen and Paper, and computer RPGs.
Regards,
SB
Shooting in ME wasn't bad just because of the 'skill not translating to gameplay'; that mostly meant longer recoil. It was bad because AI was bad, because there were no hit locations, because the cover system didn't work well, because the weapons were uninteresting and because enemies were mostly bullet sponges. There are all elements Bioware decided to include in their game. Hell, you can't even avoid combat -- you can try, for the last fight, but then the game will do you the favor of making the boss go all terminator on you in one last, unavoidable fight.
Its a RPFPS (a role playing first person shooter). Stats and skill affect the size of your reticle but you could take KZ2/Gears shooting mechanics and build the same game. The issues people have about ME's shooting mechanics parallel some of the same issues people have with GTA's shooting mechanics. The rpg elements aren't the problem, its that the mechanic itself isn't all that great.
But hey its Bioware, its not like FPS mechanics are their forte.
ShadowRunner
Veteran
Yep, the shooting mechanics certainly dont hold up well compared to the likes of gears or uncharted. As far as RPGs go though the combat system holds up pretty well to me, it is far more enjoyable than the combat in something like oblivion or biowares own dragon age, IMO of course. I dont think saying it has crappy combat does the game justice, as a shooter it is the combat system is crappy but as an RPG the system is very enjoyable in comparison to other RPGs.
I agree. Given thats its so much more than just a FPS, the underwhelming shooting mechanic doesn't really kill the game for me or I guess most people for that matter. Its easy for me to forgive ME for its lackluster shooting mechanics because its not the only leg it has to stand on. However, if ME was a straight up pure shooter without the rpg elements and the dialogue system, I would consider it a pretty crappy FPS. The same would go for GTA. Without the sandbox play, dialogue and the storyline, GTA is just a crappy third person shooter.
Silent_Buddha
Legend
Aye, if I was to look at ME as a pure shooter (FPS game), I'd certainly be sorely disappointed. And I think that's what quite a few people are doing...
Regards,
SB