Bioware - Revision history

imported>Administrator: 479 revisions imported

2023-06-17T23:22:42Z

479 revisions imported

← Older revision	Revision as of 23:22, 17 June 2023
(No difference)

115.70.44.117: /* Mass Effect 2 */

2023-06-04T09:47:04Z

Mass Effect 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:47, 4 June 2023
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	Combat and RPG mechanics took a very harsh swerve; resources and weapons are ''extremely'' limited. There is more focus on straight shooting-and-cover-camping than game breaking Biotic powers with Doom 3 grade unflinching mechanical strafefest of 6 gorillion exchanged bullets by both sides. There are new "tech" powers such as a secondary synthetic solid light coating that doubles shields and acts as a SECOND armor but explodes and hurts everyone once shields are down. While somewhat disliked at the time, it was at least less janky than ME1 and easier to get the grasp of. The RPG system also took a grievous hit, but in the grand scheme of things, the new system boiled down what the old system was to what it actually provided - simply progression, with a choice of specialization at the end.		Combat and RPG mechanics took a very harsh swerve; resources and weapons are ''extremely'' limited. There is more focus on straight shooting-and-cover-camping than game breaking Biotic powers with Doom 3 grade unflinching mechanical strafefest of 6 gorillion exchanged bullets by both sides. There are new "tech" powers such as a secondary synthetic solid light coating that doubles shields and acts as a SECOND armor but explodes and hurts everyone once shields are down. While somewhat disliked at the time, it was at least less janky than ME1 and easier to get the grasp of. The RPG system also took a grievous hit, but in the grand scheme of things, the new system boiled down what the old system was to what it actually provided - simply progression, with a choice of specialization at the end.

	The DLC was very split; the major ones are spectacularly good and are generally considered some of the best for the entire trilogy (Lair of the Shadow Broker), while the smaller ones reek a bit too much of EA-style pay-money-for-guns-and-cosmetics bullshit (Firewalker Pack). Major [[rage]] ensued when one of the "DLCs" ( a full extra party member) proved to be ''actually on the discs'', indicating that it was functional at release but intentionally suppressed from the player unless you paid extra for it - in other words, [[EA\|a blatant fucking cash grab]]. Luckily all the good shit is included in the remaster.		The DLC was very split; the major ones are spectacularly good and are generally considered some of the best for the entire trilogy (Lair of the Shadow Broker - where you help Liara rescue a friend who saved you while fighting to take down the Shadow Broker and their allies), while the smaller ones reek a bit too much of EA-style pay-money-for-guns-and-cosmetics bullshit (Firewalker Pack). Major [[rage]] ensued when one of the "DLCs" (a full extra party member) proved to be ''actually on the discs'', indicating that it was functional at release but intentionally suppressed from the player unless you paid extra for it - in other words, [[EA\|a blatant fucking cash grab]]. Luckily all the good shit is included in the remaster.

	====Mass Effect 3====		====Mass Effect 3====

115.70.44.117: /* Mass Effect 2 */

2023-06-04T09:44:50Z

Mass Effect 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:44, 4 June 2023
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	Mass Effect 2 was a great game, arguably the best of the series (according to fans and critics alike). The game is more focused in scope and less open-world like, with tighter if-a-little-rudimentary combat and more emphasis on the characters in your team than the entire world. ME2 is a bit more cinematic in comparison to 1 and spends more time presenting the setting to the player. Also notable for being fucking ''huge'', being released on TWO DISCS, which was becoming increasingly rare at the time of release.		Mass Effect 2 was a great game, arguably the best of the series (according to fans and critics alike). The game is more focused in scope and less open-world like, with tighter if-a-little-rudimentary combat and more emphasis on the characters in your team than the entire world. ME2 is a bit more cinematic in comparison to 1 and spends more time presenting the setting to the player. Also notable for being fucking ''huge'', being released on TWO DISCS, which was becoming increasingly rare at the time of release.

	There was quite a change of scope of the story: You are fucking dead.		There was quite a change of scope of the story: You are fucking dead, your spaceship blown up by a then-unknown enemy.

	~~Years later your frozen corpse in space~~ is recovered by human alt-right group Cerberus and gets rebuilt a la 6 Million Dollar Man.		Your body is recovered by the human supremacist rogue black ops (or alt-right group, depending who you ask) Cerberus, and gets rebuilt over the course of two years a la 6 Million Dollar Man.

	Now Shepard must assemble an elite team of the galaxy's best mercenaries, criminals, and specialists to stop a race of aliens called the Collectors abducting entire humans colonies. ~~You're forced to work with an extremist organization from the first game~~, ~~who~~ are financing your mission and are certainly not planning to betray you when you're no longer useful. "Main" missions take a backseat to recruitment and "loyalty" missions where you acquire and secure the loyalty of your team-mates, respectively (some of whom you can still bang on your loveboat). There's even some series-essential lore and plot-changing decisions locked away in specific recruitment and loyalty missions (in particular, Tali's missions are absolutely vital regarding the geth and the geth-quarian conflict, and also set up a plot arc for a galaxy-wide threat that could upstage even the Reapers... [[Fail\|which got retconned out in the third game]]). The side quests, loyalty statuses and resource gathering are so important that now if you fuck up all three (and you can easily since money is very limited, and there are no warnings) you can die permanently at the very end unable to export the save to the third game.		Now Shepard must assemble an elite team of the galaxy's best mercenaries, criminals, and specialists to stop a race of aliens called the Collectors abducting entire humans colonies. All while Cerberus gives you a new spaceship, are financing your mission and are certainly not planning to betray you when you're no longer useful. "Main" missions take a backseat to recruitment and "loyalty" missions where you acquire and secure the loyalty of your team-mates, respectively (some of whom you can still bang on your loveboat). There's even some series-essential lore and plot-changing decisions locked away in specific recruitment and loyalty missions (in particular, Tali's missions are absolutely vital regarding the geth and the geth-quarian conflict, and also set up a plot arc for a galaxy-wide threat that could upstage even the Reapers... [[Fail\|which got retconned out in the third game]]). The side quests, loyalty statuses and resource gathering are so important that now if you fuck up all three (and you can easily since money is very limited, and there are no warnings) you can die permanently at the very end unable to export the save to the third game.

	This makes for a character-focused story that goes at the player's own pace and takes you to previously unseen, seedy parts of the galaxy. Your enemies are more often than not mercenary organizations than evil robots this time, and you tangle with the criminal underworld just as much as you do the Collector threat. Speaking of pace, the game has a surprise countdown that triggers a very nasty mission to give your ass a kick to get a move on. Twice. The plot and pace in the second game is seen "the best" for a reason.		This makes for a character-focused story that goes at the player's own pace and takes you to previously unseen, seedy parts of the galaxy. Your enemies are more often than not mercenary organizations than evil robots this time, and you tangle with the criminal underworld just as much as you do the Collector threat. Speaking of pace, the game has a surprise countdown that triggers a very nasty mission to give your ass a kick to get a move on. Twice. The plot and pace in the second game is seen "the best" for a reason.

1d4chan>SaltyMan: /* Mass Effect 2 */

2023-05-17T23:13:00Z

Mass Effect 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:13, 17 May 2023
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	Years later your frozen corpse in space is recovered by human alt-right group Cerberus and gets rebuilt a la 6 Million Dollar Man.		Years later your frozen corpse in space is recovered by human alt-right group Cerberus and gets rebuilt a la 6 Million Dollar Man.

	Now Shepard must assemble an elite team of the galaxy's best mercenaries, criminals, and specialists to stop a race of aliens called the Collectors abducting entire humans colonies. You're forced to work with an extremist organization from the first game, who are financing your mission and are certainly not planning to betray you when you're no longer useful. "Main" missions take a backseat to recruitment and "loyalty" missions where you acquire and secure the loyalty of your team-mates, respectively (some of whom you can still bang on your loveboat). There's even some series-essential lore and plot-changing decisions locked away in specific recruitment and loyalty missions (in particular, Tali's missions are absolutely vital regarding the geth and the geth-quarian conflict, and also set up a plot arc for a galaxy-wide threat that could upstage even the Reapers... [[Fail\|which got retconned out in the third game]]). The side quests, loyalty statuses and resource gathering are so important that now if you fuck up all three you can die permanently at the very end unable to export the save to the third game.		Now Shepard must assemble an elite team of the galaxy's best mercenaries, criminals, and specialists to stop a race of aliens called the Collectors abducting entire humans colonies. You're forced to work with an extremist organization from the first game, who are financing your mission and are certainly not planning to betray you when you're no longer useful. "Main" missions take a backseat to recruitment and "loyalty" missions where you acquire and secure the loyalty of your team-mates, respectively (some of whom you can still bang on your loveboat). There's even some series-essential lore and plot-changing decisions locked away in specific recruitment and loyalty missions (in particular, Tali's missions are absolutely vital regarding the geth and the geth-quarian conflict, and also set up a plot arc for a galaxy-wide threat that could upstage even the Reapers... [[Fail\|which got retconned out in the third game]]). The side quests, loyalty statuses and resource gathering are so important that now if you fuck up all three (and you can easily since money is very limited, and there are no warnings) you can die permanently at the very end unable to export the save to the third game.

	This makes for a character-focused story that goes at the player's own pace and takes you to previously unseen, seedy parts of the galaxy. Your enemies are more often than not mercenary organizations than evil robots this time, and you tangle with the criminal underworld just as much as you do the Collector threat. Speaking of pace, the game has a surprise countdown that triggers a very nasty mission to give your ass a kick to get a move on. Twice. The plot and pace in the second game is seen "the best" for a reason.		This makes for a character-focused story that goes at the player's own pace and takes you to previously unseen, seedy parts of the galaxy. Your enemies are more often than not mercenary organizations than evil robots this time, and you tangle with the criminal underworld just as much as you do the Collector threat. Speaking of pace, the game has a surprise countdown that triggers a very nasty mission to give your ass a kick to get a move on. Twice. The plot and pace in the second game is seen "the best" for a reason.

	Combat and RPG mechanics took ~~quite~~ a swerve; ~~now there~~ is more focus on straight shooting-and-cover-camping than game breaking Biotic powers with Doom 3 grade unflinching mechanical strafefest. There are new "tech" powers such as a secondary synthetic solid light coating that doubles shields and acts as a SECOND armor but explodes and hurts everyone once shields are down. While somewhat disliked at the time, it was at least less janky than ME1 and easier to get the grasp of. The RPG system also took a grievous hit, but in the grand scheme of things, the new system boiled down what the old system was to what it actually provided - simply progression, with a choice of specialization at the end.		Combat and RPG mechanics took a very harsh swerve; resources and weapons are ''extremely'' limited. There is more focus on straight shooting-and-cover-camping than game breaking Biotic powers with Doom 3 grade unflinching mechanical strafefest of 6 gorillion exchanged bullets by both sides. There are new "tech" powers such as a secondary synthetic solid light coating that doubles shields and acts as a SECOND armor but explodes and hurts everyone once shields are down. While somewhat disliked at the time, it was at least less janky than ME1 and easier to get the grasp of. The RPG system also took a grievous hit, but in the grand scheme of things, the new system boiled down what the old system was to what it actually provided - simply progression, with a choice of specialization at the end.

	The DLC was very split; the major ones are spectacularly good and are generally considered some of the best for the entire trilogy (Lair of the Shadow Broker), while the smaller ones reek a bit too much of EA-style pay-money-for-guns-and-cosmetics bullshit (Firewalker Pack). Major [[rage]] ensued when one of the "DLCs" ( a full extra party member) proved to be ''actually on the discs'', indicating that it was functional at release but intentionally suppressed from the player unless you paid extra for it - in other words, [[EA\|a blatant fucking cash grab]]. Luckily all the good shit is included in the remaster.		The DLC was very split; the major ones are spectacularly good and are generally considered some of the best for the entire trilogy (Lair of the Shadow Broker), while the smaller ones reek a bit too much of EA-style pay-money-for-guns-and-cosmetics bullshit (Firewalker Pack). Major [[rage]] ensued when one of the "DLCs" ( a full extra party member) proved to be ''actually on the discs'', indicating that it was functional at release but intentionally suppressed from the player unless you paid extra for it - in other words, [[EA\|a blatant fucking cash grab]]. Luckily all the good shit is included in the remaster.

1d4chan>SaltyMan: /* Mass Effect 3 */

2023-05-17T23:09:45Z

Mass Effect 3

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:09, 17 May 2023
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	Mass Effect 3 is the most divisive of the three games and was host to some pretty impressive [[Skub\|nerd-protests]], but was overall a decent experience with a trip at the finish line. The game starts with the BBEG, the Reapers invading the galaxy in full force, leaving it to Shepard to do the impossible (again) and find a way to stop them before they purge the current galactic civilizations. So Shepard takes the space pimp ride into the galaxy(again) and gathers critical items to stop the Reapers in a giant project while saving essential people and equipment from Reaper blockades a-la Han Solo/John Wick on steroids. (and Eezo)		Mass Effect 3 is the most divisive of the three games and was host to some pretty impressive [[Skub\|nerd-protests]], but was overall a decent experience with a trip at the finish line. The game starts with the BBEG, the Reapers invading the galaxy in full force, leaving it to Shepard to do the impossible (again) and find a way to stop them before they purge the current galactic civilizations. So Shepard takes the space pimp ride into the galaxy(again) and gathers critical items to stop the Reapers in a giant project while saving essential people and equipment from Reaper blockades a-la Han Solo/John Wick on steroids. (and Eezo)

	The game expanded the previously streamlined combat and developed it to a fine point, and the game took another face-lift graphically, though firefight distances ~~still~~ render sniper rifles unnecessary ~~like~~ ME2. The story was overall decently received with a lot of YMMV discussion about how it was handled. Some did not like how some of the plotlines from earlier games were handled, how they were ended and whether or not they even mattered in the first place. Character development takes a bit of a back-seat now that Shepard has been on-board therapist for his entire crew since ME1 and 2 - and somewhat surprisingly, the one who gets the most focus is Shepard themselves, who visibly grows closer and closer to his/her breaking point. The grimdark atmosphere is also appreciated, as the Galaxy-wide war for survival darkens every locale and populace, refugees stream into the Citadel and people start becoming desperate, raging against the dying of the light.		The game expanded the previously streamlined combat and developed it to a fine point, and the game took another face-lift graphically, though shortened firefight distances render sniper rifles unnecessary, unlike ME2. The story was overall decently received with a lot of YMMV discussion about how it was handled. Some did not like how some of the plotlines from earlier games were handled, how they were ended and whether or not they even mattered in the first place. Character development takes a bit of a back-seat now that Shepard has been on-board therapist for his entire crew since ME1 and 2 - and somewhat surprisingly, the one who gets the most focus is Shepard themselves, who visibly grows closer and closer to his/her breaking point. The grimdark atmosphere is also appreciated, as the Galaxy-wide war for survival darkens every locale and populace, refugees stream into the Citadel and people start becoming desperate, raging against the dying of the light.

	A multiplayer mode was added, which, while originally controversial, turned out to be pretty fun and challenging.		A multiplayer mode was added, which, while originally controversial, turned out to be pretty fun and challenging.
Line 87:		Line 87:
	Most of the problems with the third game were because most of the development team for the first two games (including several of the writers and head writer Drew Karpyshyn) quit partway through developing the second game or did not return to work on the third game. Their reasons for this were internal strife with Bioware as [[EA\|they were subsumed into EA, conflicts of interest and disagreement over the direction they wanted the story to go]].		Most of the problems with the third game were because most of the development team for the first two games (including several of the writers and head writer Drew Karpyshyn) quit partway through developing the second game or did not return to work on the third game. Their reasons for this were internal strife with Bioware as [[EA\|they were subsumed into EA, conflicts of interest and disagreement over the direction they wanted the story to go]].

	But all of this is not what you wanna hear about. You wanna hear about the ending, one of the most divisive events in modern gaming history. Without going into too much detail, the ending(s) for the game were immediately seen as some of the worst writing in a game to date, casually ignored most of the choices prior in the trilogy (something the devs had promised wouldn't happen) and left a ship-load of unanswered questions. The result was a several-month long campaign to have the ending changed, which eventually led to Bioware releasing a DLC that added to the original endings. It was well-received but many felt it still did not do the games justice - but at the very least it was free. DLCs for the game are considered a mixed bag - Some are quite mediocre (like Omega), while others are considered better than the base game (Citadel-with money grindable VR Combat none the less!) and [[DERP\|brought the strongest weapon in the shape of a silenced pistol]]. On that note, two story-essential arcs were initially rendered DLC ("From Ashes" where the last Prothean is found and "Leviathan" where THE source of Reapers, the oldest race in the universe is finally met, explaining the whole Reaper Cycle and its logic), but they were later integrated into the main game at no extra charge.		But all of this is not what you wanna hear about. You wanna hear about the ending, one of the most divisive events in modern gaming history. Without going into too much detail, the ending(s) for the game were immediately seen as some of the worst writing in a game to date, casually ignored most of the choices prior in the trilogy (something the devs had promised wouldn't happen) and left a ship-load of unanswered questions. The result was a several-month long campaign to have the ending changed, which eventually led to Bioware releasing a DLC that added to the original endings. It was well-received but many felt it still did not do the games justice - but at the very least it was free. DLCs for the game are considered a mixed bag - Some are quite mediocre (like Omega), while others are considered better than the base game (Citadel-with money grindable VR Combat Arena none the less!) and [[DERP\|brought the strongest weapon in the shape of a silenced pistol]]. On that note, two story-essential arcs were initially rendered DLC ("From Ashes" where the last Prothean is found and "Leviathan" where THE source of Reapers, the oldest race in the universe is finally met, explaining the whole Reaper Cycle and its logic), but they were later integrated into the main game at no extra charge.

	A bit of a whimper to end on, but no end to a good journey has ever been perfect.		A bit of a whimper to end on, but no end to a good journey has ever been perfect.

1d4chan>SaltyMan: /* Mass Effect 2 */

2023-05-17T22:33:50Z

Mass Effect 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:33, 17 May 2023
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	Now Shepard must assemble an elite team of the galaxy's best mercenaries, criminals, and specialists to stop a race of aliens called the Collectors abducting entire humans colonies. You're forced to work with an extremist organization from the first game, who are financing your mission and are certainly not planning to betray you when you're no longer useful. "Main" missions take a backseat to recruitment and "loyalty" missions where you acquire and secure the loyalty of your team-mates, respectively (some of whom you can still bang on your loveboat). There's even some series-essential lore and plot-changing decisions locked away in specific recruitment and loyalty missions (in particular, Tali's missions are absolutely vital regarding the geth and the geth-quarian conflict, and also set up a plot arc for a galaxy-wide threat that could upstage even the Reapers... [[Fail\|which got retconned out in the third game]]). The side quests, loyalty statuses and resource gathering are so important that now if you fuck up all three you can die permanently at the very end unable to export the save to the third game.		Now Shepard must assemble an elite team of the galaxy's best mercenaries, criminals, and specialists to stop a race of aliens called the Collectors abducting entire humans colonies. You're forced to work with an extremist organization from the first game, who are financing your mission and are certainly not planning to betray you when you're no longer useful. "Main" missions take a backseat to recruitment and "loyalty" missions where you acquire and secure the loyalty of your team-mates, respectively (some of whom you can still bang on your loveboat). There's even some series-essential lore and plot-changing decisions locked away in specific recruitment and loyalty missions (in particular, Tali's missions are absolutely vital regarding the geth and the geth-quarian conflict, and also set up a plot arc for a galaxy-wide threat that could upstage even the Reapers... [[Fail\|which got retconned out in the third game]]). The side quests, loyalty statuses and resource gathering are so important that now if you fuck up all three you can die permanently at the very end unable to export the save to the third game.

	This makes for a character-focused story that goes at the player's own pace and takes you to previously unseen, seedy parts of the galaxy. Your enemies are more often than not mercenary organizations than evil robots this time, and you tangle with the criminal underworld just as much as you do the Collector threat.		This makes for a character-focused story that goes at the player's own pace and takes you to previously unseen, seedy parts of the galaxy. Your enemies are more often than not mercenary organizations than evil robots this time, and you tangle with the criminal underworld just as much as you do the Collector threat. Speaking of pace, the game has a surprise countdown that triggers a very nasty mission to give your ass a kick to get a move on. Twice. The plot and pace in the second game is seen "the best" for a reason.

	Combat and RPG mechanics took quite a swerve; now there is more focus on straight shooting-and-cover-camping than game breaking Biotic powers ~~while slightly boosting the~~ "tech" powers ~~by giving them~~ a secondary synthetic ~~energy~~ coating that doubles ~~their~~ shields. While somewhat disliked at the time, it was at least less janky than ME1 and easier to get the grasp of. The RPG system also took a grievous hit, but in the grand scheme of things, the new system boiled down what the old system was to what it actually provided - simply progression, with a choice of specialization at the end.		Combat and RPG mechanics took quite a swerve; now there is more focus on straight shooting-and-cover-camping than game breaking Biotic powers with Doom 3 grade unflinching mechanical strafefest. There are new "tech" powers such as a secondary synthetic solid light coating that doubles shields and acts as a SECOND armor but explodes and hurts everyone once shields are down. While somewhat disliked at the time, it was at least less janky than ME1 and easier to get the grasp of. The RPG system also took a grievous hit, but in the grand scheme of things, the new system boiled down what the old system was to what it actually provided - simply progression, with a choice of specialization at the end.

	The DLC was very split; the major ones are spectacularly good and are generally considered some of the best for the entire trilogy (Lair of the Shadow Broker), while the smaller ones reek a bit too much of EA-style pay-money-for-guns-and-cosmetics bullshit (Firewalker Pack). Major [[rage]] ensued when one of the "DLCs" ( a full extra party member) proved to be ''actually on the discs'', indicating that it was functional at release but intentionally suppressed from the player unless you paid extra for it - in other words, [[EA\|a blatant fucking cash grab]]. Luckily all the good shit is included in the remaster.		The DLC was very split; the major ones are spectacularly good and are generally considered some of the best for the entire trilogy (Lair of the Shadow Broker), while the smaller ones reek a bit too much of EA-style pay-money-for-guns-and-cosmetics bullshit (Firewalker Pack). Major [[rage]] ensued when one of the "DLCs" ( a full extra party member) proved to be ''actually on the discs'', indicating that it was functional at release but intentionally suppressed from the player unless you paid extra for it - in other words, [[EA\|a blatant fucking cash grab]]. Luckily all the good shit is included in the remaster.

1d4chan>SaltyMan: /* Mass Effect 1 */

2023-05-17T22:01:32Z

Mass Effect 1

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:01, 17 May 2023
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	The first game in the series was excellent, with top-notch characters, setting and story. The player character is Commander [insert custom name here] Shepard who can be customized to hell and back. Humanity is new to the scene and wants more of a say in the galactic community; [[Skub\|some aliens support this, others think humanity is too greedy/selfish/domineering/impatient/etc]]. Shepard is undergoing assessment for joining a group of galactic peacekeepers called the Spectres(Think FBI agents IN SPAACE), when a race of robots attacks, prompting a galaxy-wide adventure where the player gets to experience a whole new sci-fi setting, fight aliens, slavers and monsters and bang someone on your loveboat, the Normandy. There is MUCH more to the situation than meets the eye (the mission where we see the entire story shift from an action Space Opera to a [[Yog-Sothothery\|Cosmic Horror Story]] is EXCELLENTLY DONE).		The first game in the series was excellent, with top-notch characters, setting and story. The player character is Commander [insert custom name here] Shepard who can be customized to hell and back. Humanity is new to the scene and wants more of a say in the galactic community; [[Skub\|some aliens support this, others think humanity is too greedy/selfish/domineering/impatient/etc]]. Shepard is undergoing assessment for joining a group of galactic peacekeepers called the Spectres(Think FBI agents IN SPAACE), when a race of robots attacks, prompting a galaxy-wide adventure where the player gets to experience a whole new sci-fi setting, fight aliens, slavers and monsters and bang someone on your loveboat, the Normandy. There is MUCH more to the situation than meets the eye (the mission where we see the entire story shift from an action Space Opera to a [[Yog-Sothothery\|Cosmic Horror Story]] is EXCELLENTLY DONE).

	For 2007, this installment was pretty gosh darn good; visually it's a bit rough by 2020s standards (so took on the most updates in the Legendary edition), and the gameplay is not what you'd call polished, but it's good fun still: guns have cooldowns rather than ammo, biotics are offensive wizardry, and there is "tech" which is sneaky engineer/thief stereotype stuff. A good bunch of the biotic powers can be wildly powerful and do really weird but cool things and there's a lot of powers available to most classes. It's often lauded as the most RPG-like of the Mass Effects, though it doesn't have too much in the way of choice - it's more of a "gain points to get more powerful" than a "customize your playstyle"-kind of RPG. Roleplaying-wise the game is a little weird at times, but very lovable - many characters do the "telling-you-what-you-already-would-know" thing a lot, but since it was the first introduction to the setting, it's justified. The characters are well-established, but arguably doesn't really become great until the next two games.		For 2007, this installment was pretty gosh darn good; visually it's a bit rough by 2020s standards (so took on the most updates in the Legendary edition), and the gameplay is not what you'd call polished (you can run around shooting in the Citadel and NPC's ignore you and your shots, even as enter a massive gun battle in the market), but it's good fun still: guns have cooldowns rather than ammo, biotics are offensive wizardry, and there is "tech" which is sneaky engineer/thief stereotype stuff. A good bunch of the biotic powers can be wildly powerful and do really weird but cool things and there's a lot of powers available to most classes. It's often lauded as the most RPG-like of the Mass Effects, though it doesn't have too much in the way of choice - it's more of a "gain points to get more powerful" than a "customize your playstyle"-kind of RPG. Roleplaying-wise the game is a little weird at times, but very lovable - many characters do the "telling-you-what-you-already-would-know" thing a lot, but since it was the first introduction to the setting, it's justified. The characters are well-established, but arguably doesn't really become great until the next two games.

	Many side-missions were a bit barebones. It also got two DLCs. The first one "Bring Down The Sky" was free, coming with a major bug-patch; and was fine, introducing the Batarian villain race. The second one "Pinnacle Station" was not free and was terrible.		Many side-missions were a bit barebones. It also got two DLCs. The first one "Bring Down The Sky" was free, coming with a major bug-patch; and was fine, introducing the Batarian villain race. The second one "Pinnacle Station" was not free and was terrible.

1d4chan>SaltyMan: /* Mass Effect 3 */

2023-05-04T23:39:46Z

Mass Effect 3

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:39, 4 May 2023
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	Most of the problems with the third game were because most of the development team for the first two games (including several of the writers and head writer Drew Karpyshyn) quit partway through developing the second game or did not return to work on the third game. Their reasons for this were internal strife with Bioware as [[EA\|they were subsumed into EA, conflicts of interest and disagreement over the direction they wanted the story to go]].		Most of the problems with the third game were because most of the development team for the first two games (including several of the writers and head writer Drew Karpyshyn) quit partway through developing the second game or did not return to work on the third game. Their reasons for this were internal strife with Bioware as [[EA\|they were subsumed into EA, conflicts of interest and disagreement over the direction they wanted the story to go]].

	But all of this is not what you wanna hear about. You wanna hear about the ending, one of the most divisive events in modern gaming history. Without going into too much detail, the ending(s) for the game were immediately seen as some of the worst writing in a game to date, casually ignored most of the choices prior in the trilogy (something the devs had promised wouldn't happen) and left a ship-load of unanswered questions. The result was a several-month long campaign to have the ending changed, which eventually led to Bioware releasing a DLC that added to the original endings. It was well-received but many felt it still did not do the games justice - but at the very least it was free. DLCs for the game are considered a mixed bag - Some are quite mediocre (like Omega), while others are considered better than the base game (Citadel-with money grindable VR Combat none the less!) and [[DERP\|brought the strongest weapon in the shape of a silenced pistol]]. On that note, two story-essential arcs were initially rendered DLC ("From Ashes" where the last Prothean is found and "Leviathan" where THE source of Reapers, the oldest race in the universe is finally met), but they were later integrated into the main game at no extra charge.		But all of this is not what you wanna hear about. You wanna hear about the ending, one of the most divisive events in modern gaming history. Without going into too much detail, the ending(s) for the game were immediately seen as some of the worst writing in a game to date, casually ignored most of the choices prior in the trilogy (something the devs had promised wouldn't happen) and left a ship-load of unanswered questions. The result was a several-month long campaign to have the ending changed, which eventually led to Bioware releasing a DLC that added to the original endings. It was well-received but many felt it still did not do the games justice - but at the very least it was free. DLCs for the game are considered a mixed bag - Some are quite mediocre (like Omega), while others are considered better than the base game (Citadel-with money grindable VR Combat none the less!) and [[DERP\|brought the strongest weapon in the shape of a silenced pistol]]. On that note, two story-essential arcs were initially rendered DLC ("From Ashes" where the last Prothean is found and "Leviathan" where THE source of Reapers, the oldest race in the universe is finally met, explaining the whole Reaper Cycle and its logic), but they were later integrated into the main game at no extra charge.

	A bit of a whimper to end on, but no end to a good journey has ever been perfect.		A bit of a whimper to end on, but no end to a good journey has ever been perfect.

1d4chan>SaltyMan: /* Mass Effect 3 */

2023-05-04T23:07:21Z

Mass Effect 3

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:07, 4 May 2023
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	Mass Effect 3 is the most divisive of the three games and was host to some pretty impressive [[Skub\|nerd-protests]], but was overall a decent experience with a trip at the finish line. The game starts with the BBEG, the Reapers invading the galaxy in full force, leaving it to Shepard to do the impossible (again) and find a way to stop them before they purge the current galactic civilizations. So Shepard takes the space pimp ride into the galaxy(again) and gathers critical items to stop the Reapers in a giant project while saving essential people and equipment from Reaper blockades a-la Han Solo/John Wick on steroids. (and Eezo)		Mass Effect 3 is the most divisive of the three games and was host to some pretty impressive [[Skub\|nerd-protests]], but was overall a decent experience with a trip at the finish line. The game starts with the BBEG, the Reapers invading the galaxy in full force, leaving it to Shepard to do the impossible (again) and find a way to stop them before they purge the current galactic civilizations. So Shepard takes the space pimp ride into the galaxy(again) and gathers critical items to stop the Reapers in a giant project while saving essential people and equipment from Reaper blockades a-la Han Solo/John Wick on steroids. (and Eezo)

	The game expanded the previously streamlined combat and developed it to a fine point, and the game took another face-lift graphically. The story was overall decently received with a lot of YMMV discussion about how it was handled. Some did not like how some of the plotlines from earlier games were handled, how they were ended and whether or not they even mattered in the first place. Character development takes a bit of a back-seat now that Shepard has been on-board therapist for his entire crew since ME1 and 2 - and somewhat surprisingly, the one who gets the most focus is Shepard themselves, who visibly grows closer and closer to his/her breaking point. The grimdark atmosphere is also appreciated, as the Galaxy-wide war for survival darkens every locale and populace, refugees stream into the Citadel and people start becoming desperate, raging against the dying of the light.		The game expanded the previously streamlined combat and developed it to a fine point, and the game took another face-lift graphically, though firefight distances still render sniper rifles unnecessary like ME2. The story was overall decently received with a lot of YMMV discussion about how it was handled. Some did not like how some of the plotlines from earlier games were handled, how they were ended and whether or not they even mattered in the first place. Character development takes a bit of a back-seat now that Shepard has been on-board therapist for his entire crew since ME1 and 2 - and somewhat surprisingly, the one who gets the most focus is Shepard themselves, who visibly grows closer and closer to his/her breaking point. The grimdark atmosphere is also appreciated, as the Galaxy-wide war for survival darkens every locale and populace, refugees stream into the Citadel and people start becoming desperate, raging against the dying of the light.

	A multiplayer mode was added, which, while originally controversial, turned out to be pretty fun and challenging.		A multiplayer mode was added, which, while originally controversial, turned out to be pretty fun and challenging.
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	Most of the problems with the third game were because most of the development team for the first two games (including several of the writers and head writer Drew Karpyshyn) quit partway through developing the second game or did not return to work on the third game. Their reasons for this were internal strife with Bioware as [[EA\|they were subsumed into EA, conflicts of interest and disagreement over the direction they wanted the story to go]].		Most of the problems with the third game were because most of the development team for the first two games (including several of the writers and head writer Drew Karpyshyn) quit partway through developing the second game or did not return to work on the third game. Their reasons for this were internal strife with Bioware as [[EA\|they were subsumed into EA, conflicts of interest and disagreement over the direction they wanted the story to go]].

	But all of this is not what you wanna hear about. You wanna hear about the ending, one of the most divisive events in modern gaming history. Without going into too much detail, the ending(s) for the game were immediately seen as some of the worst writing in a game to date, casually ignored most of the choices prior in the trilogy (something the devs had promised wouldn't happen) and left a ship-load of unanswered questions. The result was a several-month long campaign to have the ending changed, which eventually led to Bioware releasing a DLC that added to the original endings. It was well-received but many felt it still did not do the games justice - but at the very least it was free. DLCs for the game are considered a mixed bag - Some are quite mediocre (like Omega), while others are considered better than the base game (Citadel) and [[DERP\|brought the strongest weapon in the shape of a silenced pistol]]. On that note, two story-essential arcs were initially rendered DLC ("From Ashes" and "Leviathan"), but they were later integrated into the main game at no extra charge.		But all of this is not what you wanna hear about. You wanna hear about the ending, one of the most divisive events in modern gaming history. Without going into too much detail, the ending(s) for the game were immediately seen as some of the worst writing in a game to date, casually ignored most of the choices prior in the trilogy (something the devs had promised wouldn't happen) and left a ship-load of unanswered questions. The result was a several-month long campaign to have the ending changed, which eventually led to Bioware releasing a DLC that added to the original endings. It was well-received but many felt it still did not do the games justice - but at the very least it was free. DLCs for the game are considered a mixed bag - Some are quite mediocre (like Omega), while others are considered better than the base game (Citadel-with money grindable VR Combat none the less!) and [[DERP\|brought the strongest weapon in the shape of a silenced pistol]]. On that note, two story-essential arcs were initially rendered DLC ("From Ashes" where the last Prothean is found and "Leviathan" where THE source of Reapers, the oldest race in the universe is finally met), but they were later integrated into the main game at no extra charge.

	A bit of a whimper to end on, but no end to a good journey has ever been perfect.		A bit of a whimper to end on, but no end to a good journey has ever been perfect.

1d4chan>SaltyMan: /* Mass Effect 2 */

2023-05-04T22:43:35Z

Mass Effect 2

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:43, 4 May 2023
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	Years later your frozen corpse in space is recovered by human alt-right group Cerberus and gets rebuilt a la 6 Million Dollar Man.		Years later your frozen corpse in space is recovered by human alt-right group Cerberus and gets rebuilt a la 6 Million Dollar Man.

	Now Shepard must assemble an elite team of the galaxy's best mercenaries, criminals, and specialists to stop a race of aliens called the Collectors abducting entire humans colonies. You're forced to work with an extremist organization from the first game, who are financing your mission and are certainly not planning to betray you when you're no longer useful. "Main" missions take a backseat to recruitment and "loyalty" missions where you acquire and secure the loyalty of your team-mates, respectively (some of whom you can still bang on your loveboat). There's even some series-essential lore and plot-changing decisions locked away in specific recruitment and loyalty missions (in particular, Tali's missions are absolutely vital regarding the geth and the geth-quarian conflict, and also set up a plot arc for a galaxy-wide threat that could upstage even the Reapers... [[Fail\|which got retconned out in the third game]]). The side quests and resource gathering are so important that now if you fuck up ~~both~~ you can die ~~again~~ at the very end unable to export the save to the third game.		Now Shepard must assemble an elite team of the galaxy's best mercenaries, criminals, and specialists to stop a race of aliens called the Collectors abducting entire humans colonies. You're forced to work with an extremist organization from the first game, who are financing your mission and are certainly not planning to betray you when you're no longer useful. "Main" missions take a backseat to recruitment and "loyalty" missions where you acquire and secure the loyalty of your team-mates, respectively (some of whom you can still bang on your loveboat). There's even some series-essential lore and plot-changing decisions locked away in specific recruitment and loyalty missions (in particular, Tali's missions are absolutely vital regarding the geth and the geth-quarian conflict, and also set up a plot arc for a galaxy-wide threat that could upstage even the Reapers... [[Fail\|which got retconned out in the third game]]). The side quests, loyalty statuses and resource gathering are so important that now if you fuck up all three you can die permanently at the very end unable to export the save to the third game.

	This makes for a character-focused story that goes at the player's own pace and takes you to previously unseen, seedy parts of the galaxy. Your enemies are more often than not mercenary organizations than evil robots this time, and you tangle with the criminal underworld just as much as you do the Collector threat.		This makes for a character-focused story that goes at the player's own pace and takes you to previously unseen, seedy parts of the galaxy. Your enemies are more often than not mercenary organizations than evil robots this time, and you tangle with the criminal underworld just as much as you do the Collector threat.