Mass Effect 3

[Relius Starkiller]

Today, Tuesday, March 5th 2012 the greatest RPG saga began its final stanza. . .

And its raw as fuck.

Considering most everyone on this site is a fighting game enthusiast first and a living creature second I understand that many of you may lack the natural human emotions that should be brought to bear just by the mere mention of the words "Mass Effect" - however I'm going to assume that a least a few of you either opted to buy this instead of SFxTekken, or ideally purchased both.


Anyway you slice it, this thread is for discussion of ME3 and the series as a whole.

Here are my opening impressions from the first few hours

-Upon booting the game up I was immediately pissed off by the fact that ME3 DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE FACIAL FEATURES OF THE SHEPARD I"VE BEEN USING SINCE 2007.

- However it only took me 5 minutes to recreate the face so it really wasn't that big of an issue.

- The game is gorgeous on a high def T.v however some of the faces (Particularly Admiral Anderson) look underdeveloped. Its kind of weird that Anderson's face is so bland when a minor character like (say) Commander Bailey looks as if he could be a permanent squad member.

- The combat has taken a major leap forward. Sliding in and out of cover is handled almost as well as in Gears of War and considering that only Gears of War ever got the formula perfect and no other series has some close thats a note worthy achievement. The evasive roll was something I and many people have been clamoring for years to be added to the system and it works fantastically.

- More weapons. In ME2 I was relegated to certain types of weapons based on my class and there were only one or two variation on each gun. In ME3, I can use all guns (As a Vanguard) and I have run into no less that 6 unique weapons within my first 4 hours of play. Its not Mass Effect 1 level where every other enemy is dropping a weapon (Enemies have yet to drop one, all weapons I've found so far were in containers or lying on the ground) however its a much welcome change from the "One Gun to Rule Them All" system of 2010.

- James Vega is the first new squad member I've encountered and from what I can tell his role is to be the new guy and ask stupid questions "Shepard, why are we doing this", "Shep, do you know these people.", "Shep, why aren't we saving the world right this second?".

- Eat a dick James, we're spilling drinks on the Citadel with Jacob tonight. . .

Updates will follow, discussion is your genetic destiny.

 

[Rikuto]

Looks great on PC, the 360 version looks grainy as fuck and runs slow as shit.

I'll still play both though, for multiplayer at least.

 

[Raansu]

PC version is a lazy port. No controller support, no advanced graphics settings. AA is set to either on/off, the graphics are determined by resolution, so the textures are pretty much locked at slightly higher res then the ps3 version. Animations are wonky and I still hate the ammo system. The heat system in ME1 was better.

That being said, it's ME and I still love it, even if this game visually went backwards compared to the pc version of ME2. The new skill trees are interesting and a bit different from the simple point system from before, but still beyond simple skill system. They brought some rpg elements back, but after ME1 they just went raw shooting mechanics and most people didn't get ME for that aspect, but whatever.

 

[Relius Starkiller]

The faces in Mass Effect have always been great - The emotions conveyed on them leave much to be desired.

The environments look fantastic and, from a distance, the clothing textures look really good. . .however its when you get closer that you see that it looks like OG Xbox Halo 2 textures. This is Mass Effect so the way they game looks was never what it was about BUT if they release a high definition texture pack (a la Battlefield 3) I would not complain.

Also, I ran into that reporter chick from the previous two titles. She started asking tough questions (again) so I tried to level her with a right cross to give her some insight into how I was going to lay the smackdown on the Reaper armada. . .to my surprise she ducked the blow and came up in a south paw stance ready to throw down so I, being the thug that I am, smashed her nose in with a headbutt.

Nice guys finish last. . .thank god I'm an asshole.

 

[Matt Ponton]

PC version is a lazy port. No controller support, no advanced graphics settings. AA is set to either on/off, the graphics are determined by resolution, so the textures are pretty much locked at slightly higher res then the ps3 version. Animations are wonky and I still hate the ammo system. The heat system in ME1 was better.

Controller support has never been implemented in any of the PC versions of Mass Effect. It's a design decision they say - that they would apparently have to do UI art, code, testing for it on the PC.... not that the UI hadn't been checked on the actual Xbox 360.

 

[Tenren]

im glad to see you stood in line for ME3 and not SFxT lol

 

[Rikuto]

PC version is a lazy port. No controller support, no advanced graphics settings. AA is set to either on/off, the graphics are determined by resolution, so the textures are pretty much locked at slightly higher res then the ps3 version. Animations are wonky and I still hate the ammo system. The heat system in ME1 was better.

That being said, it's ME and I still love it, even if this game visually went backwards compared to the pc version of ME2. The new skill trees are interesting and a bit different from the simple point system from before, but still beyond simple skill system. They brought some rpg elements back, but after ME1 they just went raw shooting mechanics and most people didn't get ME for that aspect, but whatever.

You're bitching that you can't use your controller for a shooter?

And seriously if you think it's a lazy port graphically go play the 360 version. You'll weep. Unless playing at 20 fps is your thing.

 

[Relius Starkiller]

Shut up Rikuto, Mass Effect looks fine and on 360 it doesn't have any frame rate issues or slow downs to speak of.

Back on topic, 10 hours in and I ran into another reporter. I really, really wanted to knock this chicks block off because, frankly, I'm not a fan of Jessica Chobot and the report was, you guessed it, Jessica Chobot (Ya know from IGN and licking handheld gaming devices.). She wanted to come aboard the Normandy and run galaxy wide news reports on the ,mostly, wet works ops that Shep and crew run - A) That made no sense to me and B) I hate Jessica Chobot's voice, so I told her to screw off and haven't seen her "marshmallow man" face since.

Mass Effect 3 is great so far. You'll end up interacting with all of the surviving crew from the previous games, which is great because the new team leaves a lot to be desired. Outside of Garrus, who you should know everything about by now (Calibrations), the rest of the crew is "meh".

Liara has very little personality to speak of.

EDI is a robot who wants to fuck Jeff but can't because hes a cripple and shes a fucking robot.

Jivak is lifeless.

James is boring.

Again, it seems like every few missions you'll be interacting with the old cast so its not as bothersome as it could have been but, Jesus, invite these four to a Viagra fueled orgy and everyone's junk is going flaccid.

 

[Rikuto]

We were on topic.

The 360 version is ass, and anyone who defends it doesn't have a decent PC to even make the comparison.

Mass Effect looks fine and on 360 it doesn't have any frame rate issues or slow downs to speak of.

The entire game is running in slowdown. It's at less than half the frame rate of the PC version.

 

[Raansu]

It doesn't look all that great on the PC either as they did not give us high res textures, but yes watching my friend play it on the 360 it does look like ass, and it does have some serious slowdowns, especially in larger fights. Game runs at 60fps for me on the pc. The 360 version looked like it was barely running at 20 most of the time.

 

[Matt Ponton]

For those who have it on PC, my tag is the same as always. I'm trying to finish up ME2 before jumping into ME3 though.

 

[Relius Starkiller]

We were on topic.

The 360 version is ass, and anyone who defends it doesn't have a decent PC to even make the comparison.



The entire game is running in slowdown. It's at less than half the frame rate of the PC version.

"Ahh god, its slower"

I can't tell the difference and even if I could why does it matter if it runs at half speed as long as its consistent?

I can still go back to the OG xbox to play Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire - graphics, hell framerate (as long as its consistent) don't matter, its about content.

 

[Relius Starkiller]

For those who have it on PC, my tag is the same as always. I'm trying to finish up ME2 before jumping into ME3 though.

Shepard dies in ME2, so does everyone else you love.

Abandon all hope, the Reapers are coming.

 

[Matt Ponton]

Yeah I played the demo of 3 and have heard of the different endings of me2 so i'm not worried about "spoilers" in that regard. Coming into this thread is enough proof of that.

And Shepard died at the start of ME2 as well - unless that's what you were referring to.

 

[Rikuto]

"Ahh god, its slower"

I can't tell the difference and even if I could why does it matter if it runs at half speed as long as its consistent?

I can still go back to the OG xbox to play Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire - graphics, hell framerate (as long as its consistent) don't matter, its about content.

Spoken like a man used to playing on the lowest possible settings.

Just remember, PC gamers have all the same content, plus moddability, plus better control scheme, plus more than twice the frame rate, plus better textures.

So in comparison yes, the 360 version is ass. I'm sorry you had no choice in playing it, just as I'm sorry that the video game industry are lazy shits that use the cheapest possible tech to put into their consoles. But there you have it. You get what you pay for, and it isn't much.

I know that the PC version will always be superior but I would at least assume in this day and age that since nearly all major releases are optimized specifically for consoles, they could at least pump out better than 20 fps.

 

[Matt Ponton]

You guys are starting to get a bit off topic so keep it to me3 or make a new topic for what you want to talk about.

 

[Relius Starkiller]

So in comparison yes, the 360 version is ass. I'm sorry you had no choice in playing it, just as I'm sorry that the video game industry are lazy shits that use the cheapest possible tech to put into their consoles. But there you have it. You get what you pay for, and it isn't much.
I

Hey, the next time a woman walks up to you and asks "Hey do you know whats sexy? " say "No I don't know what it is but I bet I can run Mass Effect 3 at optimal settings."

I could afford a super PC, but why? Again I still go back and play my Xbox, the PS2 and the Dreamcast and all of those games look like dog shit compared to what we play today but it doesn't matter.

Now if you told me that on PC the voice work was better or that I'm missing out on major story elements, gameplay mechanics or (canonical) characters, then I might conceed.

But since its a negatory on all of that then I win.


To bring it back on topic (Because we did get off topic there Rikuto) I realized that I really don't hate the new cast, I just like the old cast better and figured that ME3 would be one last ride into the sunset with the whole crew.

Its ok though, because the little moments that you have with each of the former (and current) crew members more than makes up for the fact that they aren't always on ship and you really feel a genuwine sense of closure with each final exchange.

Also, if you're a Paragon player you're going to run into the absolute best quote in the ME trilogy about 20 hours in.

"My name is Garrus Varkarian and this is my favorite spot on the Citadel!)"

I don't have kids, but when I do, I'm going to force them to play Mass Effect.

 

[Relius Starkiller]

Hmm.. . .

What did we learn?

For all the never ending days and restless nights we thought about the ending of this great adventure?

That time is sequential?

That morality is transient?

That virtue cannot exist without violence?

That to be honest. . .is to be flawed?

That the giving and taking of love both debases and elevates us?

That the universe has answers to questions . . .WE DARE NOT EVEN ASK?

The story is simple. . .a man is put into a position, he dies. How he dies. . .thats easy.

The who and the why. . .is the complex part.

The human part. . .the ONLY, part, worth, knowing.

Thats whats important.

Thats Mass Effect.

Jesus, after DOA5 I'm finished with gaming - life is too short

 

[Raansu]

Why am I not surprised that the ending of this game was garbage...All 3 choices were terrible and all 3 endings were terrible. You are all now prepared and I have spared you all from disappointment. Then again, ME2 was pretty terrible as well so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I did all the side quests in ME3 and so much felt cut from the game. Even the side quests were lame...Most of it was "listen to people talk when walking past them then go scan a planet." The game lacked any real interaction that it was built on, and the entire game felt rushed.

I loved ME1...but ME3 was just...bad...Even the DLC mission was ridiculously short. It was barely 20 minutes long.

 

[Relius Starkiller]

The DLC mission was meant to introduce Javik into your party and, despite what I said earlier, hes one of the better characters in the ME universe.

Why? Because hes a Prothean and most had always wondered what exactly happened to them and who they were as a race. The interactions he has with Liara in particular were worth the extra scratch.

Ransuu, you're just a disagreeable person. ME3 was great and the side missions you're referencing weren't even necessary to get over a 5000 universal readiness. You could have just done all of the N7 missions and hoped online for a few games to get that.

Also, there are 16 different endings, of those 6 are distinctly different and they were influenced by so many different options thats I'd imagine that none of us got the same ending. Options from ME1 influenced that ending, romance was handled much more realistically this time, the choices were harder (Cure the Genophage, Geth or Quarian),
the gun play was much better this time around (Then again, you'd never know because you're playing with a mouse.).

"All of the endings suck." I bet you just went to IGN and watched the endings. Christ, what about the in-between? What about everything that happened in between the ending? Bad endings or no (And they weren't), ME3 was about putting the cap on the relationships you built and showing you the consequences of the actions you executed through the last 2 games.

"ME2 was terrible." Thats garbage - what, because the inventory system was nerfed? Because of the planet scanning? What about the story and the game play Ransuu? You're the only person I've ever heard say ME2 was a bad game.

What the hell kind of take is that Ransuu - stop pushing BS.

Here a question you need to answer really fast - How does Grunts N7 mission end. Describe it to me so I can believe that you actually played this game.