The Effects of Mass Effect

findyourinnergeek.ca -- I wanted my first piece to be on a subject that I love and believe in…gaming. More specifically the Mass Effect series from Bioware. Now as most gamers are probably aware, Mass Effect 3 has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. If any of you are members of Raptr then you can find my little rant on that topic on the Mass Effect 3 dashboard under the thread ‘Mass Effect blamed for Connecticut school shooting: fans defend video games’. This isn’t going to be another chapter on the idiocies of the ill-informed though. This piece is about my love for the Mass Effect trilogy and the effect it has had on me as a gamer.

[crxss]

mass effect 2 was an extremely powerful game for me. making, i guess, my expectations for 3 unrealistic.

[NYC_Gamer]

Mass Effect 1 was the best and really thought part 2&3 would raise the bar but they failed

[fossilfern]

I Agree 100%! I still enjoyed ME2 but I didnt like the direction it was going and ME3 just solidified my fears and it eneded up turing into a poor mans GoW with RPG elements stripped to the bare minimum.

[deletingthis34675334]

That is the new BioWare for you. They completely abandoned their fans and pandered to the MTV/ADD crowd with ME3 and DA2. As it looks BioWare probably received the most hate among gamers of any studio this year. Serves them well. Fail company is fail.

[grifter024]

I agree with both of you. I can play Mass Effect 1 every day and not get tired of it, I've already put in 100hrs into 1 and still play it.

2 and 3 were a big let down, yes I couldn't put either game down (I didn't even beat 3 I just got to the FOB at the end and turned it off to not get mad at the ending) but there is something different about them compared to 1.

I don't know how people can say that 2 is better than 1 every time Mass Effect is talked about, almost everything they say was done better in 1 besides the graphics and screen tearing issues.

[greatcrusader44]

SPOILERS
I consider Mass Effect 1 art. I know many will disagree with me and bring up its many problems like graphical glitches and bland uncharted worlds (though each had a unique, beautiful sky), mako controls, etc. But no game, even the sequels, made a universe feel so alive and realized.

The atmosphere was amazing and the art style and film grain gave the universe a dark disturbing feeling, that IMO space should feel considering how unknown it is. The visions from the beacon, Sovereign conversation, Vigil (Song and AI), the recording on Illos with the awesome voice (ALL IS LOST...ALL IS LOST!) Etc. So much about this game I loved.

I was genuinely scared of the Reapers, billions of Space Cthulhus (I took Sovereigns words that their numbers will cover the sky of every world to heart) who come from the dark of space and kill everything for no reason (til ME3 tried explaining it *shutters) and I remember when Sovereign docked onto the Citadel I get goose bumps thinking any second billions of him could pour out and destroy galactic civilization in mere seconds. Hell I still get goose bumps even though I know now how exaggerated the Reapers forces were.

Anyway sorry for the novel but I just had to say this, I'm sure a lot of people think ME is overrated but its one of my fave of all time.

[SonyStyled]

i never understood mass effect. watched my boyz play for a while and played a little bit myself. i dont see what the hype is all about

[ChickeyCantor]

You don't play a little bit. That doesn't make sense where you have to play trough a complete story.

Mass effect is clearly story driven. Something you failed to appeal to.

[Knight_Crawler]

Mass Effect is a very story driven game where you have to look for stuff and interact with people in order to fully understand the story - unlike most games where the story is giving to you by CGI cut scenes, this games makes you work fr answers.

One does not simply play MGS 4 an expect to understand the story, same concept with Mass Effect.

[tigertron]

I just completed my first PS3 play through today after completing it on the PC a couple of years ago and I have to say it is still the best Mass Effect. I actually had a quick go on ME2 and 3 to remind myself of how ME has changed.

Although there were improvements in the graphics department and the combat may have been improved, but it's not hard to see how the series was in decline i.e. a more stream lined experience, no Mako exploration, auto dialogue, lots of loading screens.

I hope ME4 takes the best features of all the games. I would like Shepard to return though, but I know that's not going to happen. :(

[Tetsujin]

There is a way where he survives, however I hope they at least have more elaboration on him surviving along with everyone else. I do feel what your saying though, I didn't like how you make this character only to die at the end.

Unless it's some time later, and even then I hope some of the original cast is there.

[Summons75]

I loved the first mass effect and the smoother combat of mass effect 2, but 2 and 3 didn't feel the same as the first mass effect did.

[Double_O_Revan]

I remember spending hours mixing and perfecting the weapon and gun configurations for every party member in ME1. It let me play the way 'I' wanted to play. The other 2's upgrade systems were pretty linear.

[phantomexe]

I just finshed ME1 myself and it was great but ME2 great idk. None the less the series as a hole was amazing.

[swice]

Yes, it was an amazing hole.

However, as a whole, the series is misguided, starting with EA.

[Tetsujin]

I like all 3 games equally; outside tech issues I'd vote it one of the top series this gen.

[djslapdash]

I started with ME2 then ME3 on the ps3. I recently got ME1 on the ps3 and can honestly say. I am glad the direction the developers chose. The storyline, yes, was exceptional and made my understanding of ME2/ME3 more complete. But the game play mechanics in ME1 really disrupted my experience. The combat system was awful, compared with ME2/ME3. Although there were more rpg elements in ME1 than the rest, i found it laborious. I mean i must of had about 20 items in my inventory that was the same weapon.

The power weapons in me1 were really under developed compared with me2/me3. in me1, when i used a power weapon like singularity, i thought, is that it. It definitely was not like the singularity i saw in me2/me3.

[greatcrusader44]

The combat in Future ME games were def different and more fun, but in a weird way I prefer ME1s. Mass Effect 1 was a completely seem less game. There weren't combat sections, mako sections, RPG sections, loading screens etc. It was all seemless.

The times combat was used was because in the certain area you were in there were people going against you (obvious I know) and your shep had to pull out a weapon and shoot them, then you can put your weapon away and investigate or move on. When you land in mako you can get out and walk on foot if you want. I hope I'm explaining what I mean right.

In the sequels everything was split up. There were hubs (where you knew you were completely safe unlike ME1), combat sections, Hammerhead sections, loading screens. The seamlessness of ME1 enhanced the atmosphere and made it more real.

I respect your opinion though, especially if you first played me2/3 and fell in love with the universe regardless of its broken up game play, which is only notable because ME1 was seem less, and wouldn't bother you if you hadn't played it.

[TheDivine]

I remember playing this not knowing what it was about. First thoughts were how loose, clunky, and ugly it was. I gave it a shot down the road after I beat everything else and after I figured out how to play and explored the citadel it clicked. The story was what sucked me in. It was amazing in spite of the graphics, combat, and glitches. 3 and to an extent 2 lost that magic.

[brich233]

My Mass effect scores.

Mass Effect 1 8.5
Mass effect 2 9.5
Mass Eddect 3 8.0

[FreakyFox]

Mass Effect 1 was the best, 2 and 3 lost the exploration side of things , but gained better combat.

And the team customization in ME1 was also somthing that was greatly missed in 2 and 3.

Take the best from these 3 and apply it to a rich story in the next Mass Effect and we are going to have one beast of a game.

[TEZ-RaViNlUnAtIk]

I never played the first one but I played through a majority of number 3 and I have to say I've never been so mind numbingly bored in all my life!!! Terrible game!!!

[V1ncent1Zer0]

Tez

Do u think if you saw Return of the Jedi first and not the previous two films at all, you would've enjoyed star wars...?