Mass Effect - I don't get it.

landsleaving

Just tried for the second time to play Mass Effect (1) since 2 is supposed to be so good, and I'm finding it to be fairly average at best. It's like a few different games pasted together or something.

It's fun exploring I suppose, but often I haven't a clue where to go and spend ages guessing (yes I know there's a map) and combat is either insanely easy or near impossible.

Am I missing something? I know a lot of people love it and I loved KOTOR and Jade Empire, so I really want to give this a chance, but I'm on Noveria, about 3 hours in, does it need more time to get going or something? Because right now I don't know if it's worth the effort

humanji

To be honest, if you're coming from Biowares otehr games, Mass Effect is a bit of a disappointment. It's a lighter RPG than their other games and always seemed more combat focused. But the characters and storylines are what lift it up. I say give it a while and see if the characters grow on you.

Shiminay

I loathed and despised the first Mass Effect. Pointless running around the Citadel early on and I just switched it off after getting nowhere. I have been told that this was the tutorial stages and I didn't even start the game properly, but I simply wasn't interested.

ME2 however, I love, which is strange There's a lot less dicking around, the locations aren't needlessly huge and impressive - it's a good mix of action and adventuring for me.

super_furry

It's only OK - nowhere near as good as KoTOR or Dragon Age. I'm about 15 hours into it and it's just about holding my attention.

Fnz

landsleaving wrote: »

often I haven't a clue where to go and spend ages guessing (yes I know there's a map) and combat is either insanely easy or near impossible.

Use the journal as a guide. It will list your available quests and tell you where you need to go.

Weapon combat improves as you level up - feeling more like a proper shooter as you level up and acquire better weapons.

What class did you choose? Iirc, people have found certain ones difficult to 'live with'.

I remember enjoying Mass Effect overall when I played it on release. Going back and replaying it now, I'm finding a little difficult. There are many flaws with it. The later combat is one positive. The combination of story, dialogue mechanic and atmosphere (great score) is what does it for me. If you're not enjoying those aspects, perhaps you should just skip on to the sequel.

Coriolanus

I thought the same first time I played it through, as a soldier.

On the advice of a friend, I played it again through as a Vanguard and had a lot more fun.

dammitjanet

Honestly I loved Mass Effect, but i can understand why it's not everyones cup of tea. I love KOTR, I'm so annoyed that old republic didn't come to the consoles (my PC is crap).
I bought dragon age day one and it's looking pretty on my shelf til i next get holidays off work, i just want to get sucked into that game

silvine

I loved RPGs and really liked KNOTR. Mass Effect didn't deserve all the hype though. The graphics were bland, the AI poor and the missions cut and paste. The plot was good though. As for the second game, from what I've seen so far they've improved almost every aspect.

Genghiz Cohen

Mass Effect is not an RPG as some would claim it.
It is in fact a WAS, a Walking Around Simulator.

super_furry

And a waiting in lift simulator.

Captain Chaos

super_furry wrote: »

And a waiting in lift simulator.

I rather the slow lifts from the first game with the character conversations and galactic news then the very long loading screens of ME2 giving the same gameplay tips over and over.

Have to say though, Mass Effect 1 and 2 would have to be my highest and second highest rated games on the 360. The 1st is still the better game overall (imo) and as it built up the universe story wise and set the stage to work off of while the second is setting up the story for the third. It's almost like the Matrix movies, just hope they are not too alike and stuff up the third installment.

pokergraduate

really hate this game, il stick to MW2!

Fnz

Nevore wrote: »

I thought the same first time I played it through, as a soldier.

On the advice of a friend, I played it again through as a Vanguard and had a lot more fun.

Is there any difference between having tech/biotic powers on your character and, say, rolling with a crew who have those powers available to you anyway?

Both playthroughs of the original were as the soldier class. Your entourage seems pretty weak when it comes to weapon combat so I don't like depend on them for much else than their 'magic'.

Coriolanus

Fnz wrote: »

Is there any difference between having tech/biotic powers on your character and, say, rolling with a crew who have those powers available to you anyway?

Both playthroughs of the original were as the soldier class. Your entourage seems pretty weak when it comes to weapon combat so I don't like depend on them for much else than their 'magic'.

Well, you get to use them in a targetted way, which makes their impact much more effective I found. I used to roll with Garrus and Ashley in the party, who're pretty decent shooters once levelled a bit but their main use I found was a suppression fire. It was pretty slick, steamrolling through the bases, those two keeping the enemy pinned and Shepard making a mess of things with grenades and powers.

Fnz

Nevore wrote: »

Well, you get to use them in a targetted way, which makes their impact much more effective I found.

You mean it behaves differently to when you have a party member unleash the attack? I have things set up in such a way that my posse will use defensive abilities under their own gumption but I have control over their offensive ones. Their attacks really just feel like an extension of my own abilities.

Coriolanus

Fnz wrote: »

You mean it behaves differently to when you have a party member unleash the attack? I have things set up in such a way that my posse will use defensive abilities under their own gumption but I have control over their offensive ones. Their attacks really just feel like an extension of my own abilities.

No, I meant it in the sense that you're better at choosing targets, but I see you work around that.
I don't like micro managing, especially in combat, so that approach doesn't work for me. Much prefer my party to be fire and forget

Fnz

I don't really like micro-managing either - I'll have to try the 'fire and forget' method.

Usually, if the option's there, I gotta do it if it means being more efficient.

Chairman Meow

Kharn wrote: »

I loathed and despised the first Mass Effect. Pointless running around the Citadel early on and I just switched it off after getting nowhere. I have been told that this was the tutorial stages and I didn't even start the game properly, but I simply wasn't interested.

ME2 however, I love, which is strange There's a lot less dicking around, the locations aren't needlessly huge and impressive - it's a good mix of action and adventuring for me.

Id hate to be palying ME2 without finishing ME1. Youd have no clue of half the characters and the story would make little sense

landsleaving

Chairman Meow wrote: »

Id hate to be palying ME2 without finishing ME1. Youd have no clue of half the characters and the story would make little sense

That's why I'm sticking with ME1 till I finish it. I'm enjoying it slightly more since getting a bit further, but the amount it makes you do again when you die is driving me mad. I opened a locked door on Peak 15 and got massacred by robot guard things and thrown back to about half an hour's play earlier. I thought the days of that were over. Also in a game like that I should be rewarded for exploration, not blown to bits.

Might try starting again as a vanguard... but on the other hand I could just keep plugging away till it's over.

The story is good though so far, especially the extra bits and pieces like the Krogan disease, the amount of detail is great.

Fnz

landsleaving wrote: »

I'm enjoying it slightly more since getting a bit further, but the amount it makes you do again when you die is driving me mad. I opened a locked door on Peak 15 and got massacred by robot guard things and thrown back to about half an hour's play earlier. I thought the days of that were over. Also in a game like that I should be rewarded for exploration, not blown to bits.

Auto-saves mightn't be working out for you but you can manually save as often as you like.

AlmightyCushion

Nevore wrote: »

No, I meant it in the sense that you're better at choosing targets, but I see you work around that.
I don't like micro managing, especially in combat, so that approach doesn't work for me. Much prefer my party to be fire and forget

Ditto. Really don't like micro-managing stuff which is probably why I'm having such a hard time adjusting to dragon age after playing mass effect 1 and 2. It seems to require much more management that the mass effect games.

ShiverinEskimo

Loved Mass Effect 1 in spite of the mako levels. Loved the customisation and sense that you were really improving your entire squad with armour etc.

Mass effect 2 I love for the lack of the mako levels (saying that the planet scanning gets old fast), improved gunplay etc. but I miss the customisation, the stumble-upon mini missions on the citadel etc. (there's about 3 mini missions in each hub in mass effect 2) and I really didn't give a ****e about my team this time around as much as the first one.

In saying that I can't stop playing Mass Effect 2 at the mo - and I can't wait for the third and final installment.

landsleaving

Fnz wrote: »

Auto-saves mightn't be working out for you but you can manually save as often as you like.

That seems to lob me back just as far regardless of where I save.

z0oT

I actually liked the first one quite a lot. It did indeed have some serious issues with combat and the side mission were just the same old 3/4 buildings recycled again and again, but I think the main story made up for most of the shortcomings. I too started it off as a soldier and then went back and played through as a Vanguard, needless to say it was a lot more fun the second time round.

The second I think is a good bit better. The combat works better and your squad members aren't as annoying as they were in the first one, also the side missions are much better and actually worth completing this time.
I don't think the story is as epic as the first but it still had me really looking forward to Mass Effect 3 when I completed it a few days ago.

anonymous_joe

Picked this up on the cheap on Steam at the weekend.

It's not that bad.

Nowhere near as good as Dragon Age, or the brief bit of ME:2 I played in my mate's, but it does a job.

super_furry

I'm really struggling to bring myself to finish it at this stage. I'm

on Ilos looking for Saren and its just pretty tedious. Certainly not in the league of Dragon Age.

Is Mass Effect 2 noticably better and would I be missing out on much now if I just went straight to it and abandonned the first one?

ShiverinEskimo

super_furry wrote: »

Is Mass Effect 2 noticably better

If you're finding the first one tedious then you might prefer ME2 as it's more combat based than conversation/exploration.

and would I be missing out on much now if I just went straight to it and abandonned the first one?

In terms of storyline - plenty. Finish ME1. It's at the very least an Epic story.

kmick

I gave my copy of ME1 to two of my friends and they both hated it. I think they would hate the follow up as well. I love it though - its everything I like in a game. I loved KOTOR as well though and that was not for everyone. Bioware do what they do well but like smelly French cheese you either love it or hate it.

super_furry

I loved KoTOR too. I think my problem is that I played ME1 after Dragon Age and it just seems so boring by comparison.

witnessmenow

super_furry wrote: »

And a waiting in lift simulator.

When i was a young'n my uncle gave me this game called wing comander 3, now that was a waiting in lift simulator!

The game had like 6-7 cds and every time you entered the elevator you would need to change the disc and it would load for 10mins!

super_furry

Should have played it on the 3DO! Man I loved that game - just downloaded Wing Commander IV for the PSP but it's not the same.

landsleaving

How did this end up about wing commander...????

Finished Mass Effect today and started on 2, it was worht the effort in the end, the story turned out pretty good, although it was way too easy after doing a few side missions. Won't ever play it again or anything, but it was enjoyable once the story became a hook.

2 is a lot better so far in terms of gameplay anyway, so if the story is as good it should be excellent. I hope it is anyway