The Mass Effect Series - worth it?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 33
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Hey, apologies if this has already been done, but i was wondering if anyone can give me their opinion.

I'm a pretty avid gamer (generally play story focussed games i.e. metal gear, red dead, l.a. noire, final fantasy, heavy rain etc) but until recently I had never given Mass Effect a chance.

I'd read reviews and recently saw everyone online discussing the supposed controversial ending of Mass Effect 3 and I thought I'd give it a shot.

I'm currently playing the first game in the series, and I'm struggling to get "into" it. I don't know if it's the genre (sci fi games arn't generally my thing) or whether it's actually too vast (although I'm a huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series) - but i just can't seem to like Commander Sheperd, and I'm finding myself almost not bothered about his story.

Should I keep going? Does it get better?

Thanks guys!
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Comments

  • Danger CloseDanger Close Posts: 3,281
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    ME is one of my favourite game series. Loved all 3 games and got DLC for all. Great characters and story. Can't wait to see where they go for the next ME.

    I didn't care for Shepard at first. But I found myself getting into it about half way through ME1 and having taken my male Shep through a 5 year journey the character is a big part of my gaming life. My fem Shep is still in ME1 as I got sidetracked by other games.

    How far in are you? Current mission?
  • circlebro2019circlebro2019 Posts: 17,560
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    you will love it

    i am not the biggest rpg player in town but i have compelted ME 1 and 2 and i own 3, it has a great world and characters to engage with.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 33
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    Awesome, thanks for the feedback guys.

    I am only a couple hours in. I've just off'd Matriarch Benezia (chose this as my first real mission after being given the ship).

    It just normally doesn't take me this long to get into a game - but yeah I definitely want to give it a proper chance. Especially how you said your Cmmdr. Shep was in your gaming life for 5 years - that's so awesome to have a memory of a character like that. I love games that evoke real emotion, and I'm hoping eventually I will find ME will provide. :)
  • Yo Omars CominYo Omars Comin Posts: 1,555
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    I'm pretty much in the same mind. Big gamer, but never tried this out, though I have been meaning to.

    I'm sort of holding out and hoping it becomes one of the Games for Gold scheme that Microsoft are running.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,895
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    It is amazing. The first mission of ME1 is a little off putting but on the whole its good. ME2 is outstanding. Possibly my favourite X360 game. Story, characters, massive world it is unrivaled to me. ME3 is also amazing to a point. The game feels huge by boy the ending is a letdown (though apparently if you get some dlc it makes it better...)
  • GormondGormond Posts: 15,838
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    Yeah they are all great with the second one being my fav :D
  • kendogukkendoguk Posts: 13,800
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    One word yes!
  • General LunacyGeneral Lunacy Posts: 735
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    The second one was magic, one of the best games on the system imo, with some great moments.

    The third isn't bad. Stick with it.
  • BesterBester Posts: 9,698
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    Favourite gaming series. Ever.

    I'll qualify this by saying that I absolutely hated the ending to the trilogy. Hated it. However, it's still a series that's worth playing, and playing time and time again. The very nature of the game means that multiple playthroughs are equally as rewarding.

    Not so important with the first game, but definitely for the other two - get the DLC. As fantastic a game as the second one is, the DLC 'Lair of the Shadow Broker' is arguably the best mission of the game. Equally, with the third game, make sure you get the 'Citadel' DLC. If you enjoy the ending to the trilogy then it's a fun addition. If you hate it, like I do, then it's everything that the ending to the game isn't.

    If there's one gaming series that I'll hold on to until I hang up my controller for good, then it'll be Mass Effect. It's THAT good.
  • bitebugbitebug Posts: 3,372
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    Absolutely :)
  • AmbassadorAmbassador Posts: 22,332
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    Buy it purely for Wrex's one liners
  • Conor the BoldConor the Bold Posts: 1,813
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    Yes.

    The Combat mechanics undergo a continual improvement, ME1 is a great concept and story, held back a little with the driving missions.

    ME2 is the best overall with improvements in mechanics over 1, but a ridiculously good plot, script, acting, depth, set pieces.

    ME3 is the most polished and up to a point the story really works - but it's hamstrung by the single self inflicted biggest problem, that BioWare committed to ending the shepard's story arc as a trilogy.
  • Danger CloseDanger Close Posts: 3,281
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    Yes.

    The Combat mechanics undergo a continual improvement, ME1 is a great concept and story, held back a little with the driving missions.
    ME2 is the best overall with improvements in mechanics over 1, but a ridiculously good plot, script, acting, depth, set pieces.

    ME3 is the most polished and up to a point the story really works - but it's hamstrung by the single self inflicted biggest problem, that BioWare committed to ending the shepard's story arc as a trilogy.

    The Mako is probably the worst vehicle in any game, ever.

    As for ending Shep's story, I think that was a good decision. They planned it from the very beginning and stuck to their guns. After ME became a hit they gave us DLC to flesh out the story and universe even more.
    Now in ME4/Next ME we'll get a new protagonist with a whole new story and new secondary characters.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 33
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    I'm pretty much in the same mind. Big gamer, but never tried this out, though I have been meaning to.

    I'm sort of holding out and hoping it becomes one of the Games for Gold scheme that Microsoft are running.


    I picked it up recently for around £3-4 on Xbox Live (ME1) ;)

    So judging by the feedback from you guys I should definitley stick with it! It does feel a little slow at first, but I am determined to play all three and not just skip through to ME2 or 3 - because my experience wouldn't be the same.

    Also I find the squad/equipment section a little complex and under-explained. It may just be me, but I had to sit for a good few minutes and work everything out, not only could you change armour, but you could upgrade it etc.

    I'm not the kind of person who needs to have their hand held through games, but a little more of an explanation would have been a nice touch.
  • SpeedloaferSpeedloafer Posts: 2,407
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    The only thing that bothered me on ME1 was the searching of the planets it was far too tedious. They improve on that in 2,
  • Danger CloseDanger Close Posts: 3,281
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    41m33 wrote: »
    I picked it up recently for around £3-4 on Xbox Live (ME1) ;)

    So judging by the feedback from you guys I should definitley stick with it! It does feel a little slow at first, but I am determined to play all three and not just skip through to ME2 or 3 - because my experience wouldn't be the same.

    Also I find the squad/equipment section a little complex and under-explained. It may just be me, but I had to sit for a good few minutes and work everything out, not only could you change armour, but you could upgrade it etc.

    I'm not the kind of person who needs to have their hand held through games, but a little more of an explanation would have been a nice touch.

    Squad selection depends on your character. My male Shep is a pure Soldier. So I had a Biotic and a Techie. Kept with Liara and Kaiden for the majority of playthrough 1 and then Tali and Wrex on Pt 2.
    Keep the squad balanced and there's no problem.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 29
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    Best series of this generation. Epic.
  • AmbassadorAmbassador Posts: 22,332
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    The Mako is probably the worst vehicle in any game, ever.

    Oh thats a bit harsh. Aside it's guns that don't really aim properly, the fact it's booster just sort of flips its over, the way it gets stuck a lot and can't really climb any hills, oh don't forget how slow it is and its terrible turning circle and the fact it can literally be on fire before repairing itself somehow....the Mako is an excellent vehicle
  • BesterBester Posts: 9,698
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    Ending Shepard's story at the end of the trilogy was fine. All on-board with that. How they did it? I don't want to go into specifics for fear of derailing the thread into spoiler territory, but suffice to say, it fooking sucked. IMO.

    OP, when you get to the third game, make sure you download the free 'Extended Cut Ending' DLC. It makes the ending marginally more tolerable.

    The Mako - gash. Hated it on my first play. Could just about put up with it on subsequent plays as it never seems quite as bad as when I first used it.

    The first game is more RPG than subsequent games. You won't have to bother with the inventory system after ME1, and the customization of things like armour and weapons changes too, for the better. Someone mentioned above, the combat mechanics improve dramatically across the three games.

    Don't get me wrong, the first game is utterly brilliant, but it's not without it's flaws (most outlined already in this thread). Stick with it though, later missions like Ilos and Virmire and just brilliant.

    The second game is arguably my game of this generation. I must have played that through about 20/25 times (at 40 hours apiece).

    The third game, well, has that ending, but even so, it's a great game. Better in some ways than the second game, worse in others. I probably cared more about Shepard in that game than in either of the others.

    Seriously, stick with it. :)
  • AmbassadorAmbassador Posts: 22,332
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    I'll stick this in spoilers for benefit of someone who hasn't played
    I thought the jump from Sheperd being with Cerberus to being under house arrest was poor. I know there were books and films etc but I haven't seen those and if you didn't play the DLC with the Batarian relay, it makes zero sense.

    I'd love to have seen the breakup between Shep and the Illusive Man as the start of ME3, but I understand why they went with the invasion but the story of everyone leaving Cerberus and not being dead (since Cerberus in ME2 had such wide ranging resources etc, yet EVERYONE managed to escape or was let to go on?) Makes no sense

    It'd have been interesting to see why they all left Cerberus, as if you played renegade you kept the Reaper to advance the hopes of Cerberus and humanity, you were almost pals with the Illusive Man. Miranda was devoted, he saved her, he gave her info on Oriana. It's annoying

    I think we were cheated a bit with Harbinger. First Reaper created yet we got almost nothing on it. No big ending, just a report that. It'd been nice if Harbinger was the Reaper Shep kills on Quarian homeworld . Harbinger made the deal with the Shadow Broker, Harbinger wanted Sheperd yet they ignore it!

  • Danger CloseDanger Close Posts: 3,281
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    Good points, Mr Ambassador. You're spoiling us. :D
  • whoever,heywhoever,hey Posts: 30,992
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    I got it free after the Sim City messup, only played it for 5 mins.
  • mikey86ukmikey86uk Posts: 5,657
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    GO BUY IT NOW!!

    Sorry.........Yes its worth it!
  • BesterBester Posts: 9,698
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    Ambassador wrote: »
    I'll stick this in spoilers for benefit of someone who hasn't played
    I thought the jump from Sheperd being with Cerberus to being under house arrest was poor. I know there were books and films etc but I haven't seen those and if you didn't play the DLC with the Batarian relay, it makes zero sense.

    I'd love to have seen the breakup between Shep and the Illusive Man as the start of ME3, but I understand why they went with the invasion but the story of everyone leaving Cerberus and not being dead (since Cerberus in ME2 had such wide ranging resources etc, yet EVERYONE managed to escape or was let to go on?) Makes no sense

    It'd have been interesting to see why they all left Cerberus, as if you played renegade you kept the Reaper to advance the hopes of Cerberus and humanity, you were almost pals with the Illusive Man. Miranda was devoted, he saved her, he gave her info on Oriana. It's annoying

    I think we were cheated a bit with Harbinger. First Reaper created yet we got almost nothing on it. No big ending, just a report that. It'd been nice if Harbinger was the Reaper Shep kills on Quarian homeworld . Harbinger made the deal with the Shadow Broker, Harbinger wanted Sheperd yet they ignore it!


    Seeing as we're already in spoiler territory;
    ME3 was originally intended to open with the trial. The trial was supposed to have served as a good introduction to the new players that they implored to join the series in the marketing for the game. Sadly, they didn't think that the impact was sufficient, so ditched it in favour of the invasion.

    The first mission, and the last mission, are two of the biggest problems with the game. The invasion should be epic, instead, being the opening mission it simply serves as the instruction show-and-tell, effectively being little more than a walk across some buildings with the occasional jump, ladder climb or melee. As an actual mission, very poor.

    The final mission - great idea, severely fooked up execution. You'd spent the entire game amassing war assets which ultimately serve no purpose other than to feed into the calculation of whether or not you had access to all the choices at the end. Rendered almost completely pointless when they lowered the bar for getting the best ending, thus making it almost impossible not to be able to get it. No
    real visible recognition of your assets during the assault in London, little more than a corridor shooter, and a fantastic idea in the beam-run, rendered almost pointless due to not being able to die during it. Worse still, this still isn't the worst part of the ending. Instead that's the "pick your own morally dubious war-crime". Genocide (destroy), genetic rape (synthesis), enslavement (control) or the middle finger (refuse). Why did you just accept the Catalyst's logic? Why couldn't you attack the basis of its flawed rationale? Instead Shepard comes across as the intergalactic Forrest Gump by just buying into it.

    Not even mentioning just how many of the choices you make eventually prove completely pointless.

    Despite this, I still love the game, and even moreso the series. Just a shame that after all the build up, there are some fundamental flaws that undermine the game and prevent it from being the classic finale that the series deserved.
  • Conor the BoldConor the Bold Posts: 1,813
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    The Mako is probably the worst vehicle in any game, ever.

    As for ending Shep's story, I think that was a good decision. They planned it from the very beginning and stuck to their guns. After ME became a hit they gave us DLC to flesh out the story and universe even more.
    Now in ME4/Next ME we'll get a new protagonist with a whole new story and new secondary characters.

    Actually thinking about it... I actually don't mean Shepard - I should say the Reapers. Given the size of the Tasks in ME1, ME2, to wrap up the gargantuan task pf defeating thousands of reapers with one piece of McGuffin...?

    No.

    No.

    No. No. No...

    And I'll take issue with "they planned it..." only in the very loosest, George Lucas sense :). They committed to it being a trilogy, but I think it's clear with how they resolved it, that it wasnt planned all that well.
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