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A look back at Mass Effect 1 Pre-Release builds
- Thread starter TheUnsunghero26
- Start date
Rei no Otaku
Member
He's not the only one because I liked it too. ME3 is my favorite game in the series.well then you are the only onebut good for you.
XANDER CAGE
Member
BioShock Infinite went through a lot of interesting changes since its original unveiling, too. I'm still sad we didn't get a variation on the Lincoln head scene. It's always fascinating to see games that are revealed before everything is finished.
I remember being disappointed that the bar scene from the demo wasn't in ME1.
I remember being disappointed that the bar scene from the demo wasn't in ME1.
The Power Of Snap
Member
Mass effect 1 was amazing in the art department!
anexanhume
Member
RPG is not some ossified classification. Definitions evolve and cross over. It still very clearly had choices, customization and loot. They just lost the D20.
Spazznid
Member
Playing ME1 today on PC is leagues better than 2 & 3 in terms of pretty much everything but story. I personally like the Gameplay better in 1, as well, though many will disagree.
Pop-O-Matic
Banned
The fuck? The main narrative of ME2 was the worst of the trilogy. It felt like they took the plot of a DS or iOS spinoff and tried to turn it into a main series entry.
TheUnsunghero26
Member
Yeah... I always thought it would have been cool if ME2 focused on the Batarians. That way it could have done some interesting stuff with your choices from the end of the game (Humans as a member of the council or an all human council) and Bring Down the Sky.
ME2 had a story!?
Yes the combat maybe not be as good as ME2/3 But since you don't spend 90% of the game in combat like ME2/3 it does not affect the overall experience, which is awesome. I actually played ME2/3 before ME1 due to being a PS3 player and i was kind of sad to see the direction they went with.
Fruitster
Member
Mass Effect 1 was such a great experience. As a game it was janky at times, technically is was messy but no game this gen beat it for me in terms of getting lost in the atmosphere, the characters and the story. The pre release stuff wowed me at the time and looking back I very much felt the game lived up to the vision. Mostly.
I'm new be nice
Member
I wish they had found a way to expand on the uncharted worlds concept from the first game and make it better rather than just scraping it. Driving around on barren planets was one of my favorite things from the first game even if it was kind of fucked up. It just felt so realistic, like I actually was exploring a mars like planet.
This is exactly why it's too bad.
Thanks for posting these vids and observations OP. I remember when I though ME was going to be the best thing ever. Then after swooning over the first it slowly slipped away from what I loved about the series. I hope the exploration element is brought back, refined and expanded in someway.
Is that from the Prima art book? Must pick that up at some point when I find a copy that doesn't cost a fortune.
Is that from the Prima art book? Must pick that up at some point when I find a copy that doesn't cost a fortune.
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
Mass Effect was really effective since it managed to weave a story larger than the one it was telling. The twist with the Reapers really payed off because the ending felt really good, like you wanted to go kick Reaper butt. But, as we know that whole fore-shadowing really meant collecting resources and picking your favorite color.
I still have problems playing anything but the first game and I hope that whatever comes out of Mass Effect 4 they try to capture the feel of the 1st game. Because that was the best of Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Battlestar: Galactica all rolled into one.
I still have problems playing anything but the first game and I hope that whatever comes out of Mass Effect 4 they try to capture the feel of the 1st game. Because that was the best of Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Battlestar: Galactica all rolled into one.
I'm playing through ME for the 7th or 8th time at the moment. That E3 demo was so amazing that I watched it several times. It was the game I brought a 360 for and before ME3 came out it was the game I would go back and play cause I wanted to see the differences. It was the first game I played pre-release as it was at an Australian gaming conference and I played it all the way past getting a mako so I played it quite a bit that day. The more time rolls on the less amazing ME feels and the more I notice the flaws and just wish there is a way to skip large sections of the game but the story especially that ending is so great I don't think anything can or will top it for me.
Servizio
I don't really need a tag, but I figured I'd get one to make people jealous. Is it working?
Xbox Magazine's initial reveal of Mass Effect actually listed a lot of intended features that never made it into the retail game. I think I only ever found an old forum post doing a bullet point list of that article, and the only thing I definitively remember from it was 'As you play, your armor will take and retain damage' So your armor would get scuffed and bullet ridden as you played.
There was also something about the Citadel; I think it was called something else too.
There was also something about the Citadel; I think it was called something else too.
exmachina64
Banned
How so? You could switch squadmates in Dragon Age.
Better look at the old galaxy map.
Not as many clusters, but I wonder if the plan was to have almost every planet visitable in each system?
Heh, never noticed the "Sole System" typo before...
Shame, most stuff didn't make it in the final version. Saying that though, the original is among my favourite games ever (I still really enjoyed the sequels though despite the emphasis on action). Everything from Virmire to the end hasn't been topped this gen IMO.
Chock full of incredible moments...
Chock full of incredible moments...
The good part of ME1 was the characters, not the piss poor combat.
HoodWinked
Gold Member
Humans are special.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Playing ME1 today on PC is leagues better than 2 & 3 in terms of pretty much everything but story. I personally like the Gameplay better in 1, as well, though many will disagree.
Eh Nope! I played and seriously enjoyed playing Mass effect 1 on pc for the first time recently and while I can say I enjoyed the combat more than Mass Effect 2 (as janky as it was) I certainly didn't consider it better than Mass effect 3.
Mass effect 3 combat actually has a fairly decent amount of depth, though you wouldn't really understand or know about if you played through it once and dropped it. Of course I say it was a flaw of the game that they didn't covey it well or at all. But the combat in ME1 makes me cringe at the thought of going back to it after playing a fair amount of Mass effect 3.
Correction ME2 had Side-Story.
exmachina64
Banned
Better look at the old galaxy map.
Not as many clusters, but I wonder if the plan was to have almost every planet visitable in each system?
I never saw this before. Looks a lot better than what we got.
Freezasaurus
Member
This.
I mean, I wasn't a fan of the ending, like the other 800,000 people weren't, but I didn't let it ruin the entire experience for me.
TheUnsunghero26
Member
Re-posting this video. I know it's off screen, but is anyone else really impressed by the graphics? The lighting in particular at 0:20.
Also does anyone have another link for this video from GameSpot? Seems to be the only one that doesn't work and I'm curious to see what it was.
Also does anyone have another link for this video from GameSpot? Seems to be the only one that doesn't work and I'm curious to see what it was.
Okay, first off, that's a BIG "but."
Secondly, while the actual shooting gameplay is much better in 2 and 3, the RPG systems within ME 1 are way more interesting, and just better. I don't hate the last two games like a lot of people seem to do, but they're definitely a step down in terms of being an RPG.
EDIT: And yes, the pre-release stuff for ME 1 was all amazing. I'm still very happy with the game we got, but a lot of those features in the earlier builds need to come back. Interrupting conversation, for one, was a fantastic idea.
iLLmaticV3
Member
I remember that bartender conversation blowing me away. I was instantly sold after that showing. Was a little upset it wasn't in the final build, though.
LukasTaves
Member
No, it was always UE3. Ue3 itself however, changed a lot from what it was when they announced it to what was shipped with Gears 1. The lighting was completely different.
Jake Tower
Banned
I agree, if you take ME2's overall plot into account it was weak in itself, and weak as it related as a bridge between 1 and 3.
However, the Dr. Phil in Space stories of recruiting your crew and their loyalty missions is probably one of the best examples of 'episodic content' we've ever seen, and the lower stakes nature of the missions really seemed to fit better in the universe.
I'm lucky I guess - I loved ME1 for its amazing ending, Sovereign and the incredible depth and design of a new Sci-fi universe. Despite the atrocious combat, mako or pointless randomly generated worlds.
I loved ME2 for the improved combat, the best characters Bioware has even written and the best ending sequence of any RPG I've played for years. Despite the story not moving forward one iota or the ending making little rational sense.
I even loved ME3 for the multiplayer, and up until the last 20 minutes the superb combat and 'the gang is back together' feel. First game that ever made me cry I'm embarrassed to say.
But god damn that ending. God damn it to hell.
I loved ME2 for the improved combat, the best characters Bioware has even written and the best ending sequence of any RPG I've played for years. Despite the story not moving forward one iota or the ending making little rational sense.
I even loved ME3 for the multiplayer, and up until the last 20 minutes the superb combat and 'the gang is back together' feel. First game that ever made me cry I'm embarrassed to say.
But god damn that ending. God damn it to hell.
Kill Your Masters
Member
Looking back at anything related to ME1 makes me sad. While I liked the sequels, they also always felt a bit too different from the first, something just went missing. The vibe and feel was never the same.
Kadayi
Banned
I think all three of the games had their flaws. ME1 had a great story line, but the inventory management system was overly convoluted, the combat at odds with your supposed military prowess, and they could of easily stripped back 50% of the planetary exploration side quests and been none the worst for it.
The strength of ME2 for me was very much in the writing & the companion character story arcs more than the over arching plot narrative. The combat I preferred to that of first game, but they went too far by removing inventory almost entirely.
With ME3 the overall story was a wash. Much like ME2 is contains some great character moments (Mordin ) , but 'dat ending' with all its inherent narrative problems was hard to get over (the same way a bad dessert can ruin a good meal). I also don't think they helped themselves by cutting back on cinematic interactions. In ME1 & ME2 anytime you talked to a character it would take you into a cinematic exchange where you as the player drove the conversation, but in ME3 a large portion of the time unless it was story-line specific you'd instead get a passive voice over exchange play out whilst you stayed in third person looking like a tool ( Drunk Tali example here: - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWbAEw3VETs). I suspect it was a necessary move to keep costs down as well as game size, but in large part it robbed you as the player as to a sense of ownership of the conversation Vs being an observer. I think it also (naturally) led to the expectation that when you were in a cinematic cut scene you could direct things, which made the rug pull at the end doubly frustrating.
On the positives I think they did a fantastic job with the combat in ME3. It worked extremely well in the base game, esp combining all of the powers, and the multi-player was great fun, and overall they hit the right balance with respect to inventory management nicely between the overboard nature of ME1 Vs the lack of in ME2.
Going forward I think my main concerns with the franchise are that AAA games are a reflection of the limitations of the technology at the time of their conception, and what can be achieved within those limits inherently impacts both world building and narrative accordingly. With ME4 likely coming to Xbone & PS4 (and hopefully PC) I'd hate to think that those old generation constraints might somehow feed through and hamstring the opportunity space for the series.
The strength of ME2 for me was very much in the writing & the companion character story arcs more than the over arching plot narrative. The combat I preferred to that of first game, but they went too far by removing inventory almost entirely.
With ME3 the overall story was a wash. Much like ME2 is contains some great character moments (Mordin
) , but 'dat ending' with all its inherent narrative problems was hard to get over (the same way a bad dessert can ruin a good meal). I also don't think they helped themselves by cutting back on cinematic interactions. In ME1 & ME2 anytime you talked to a character it would take you into a cinematic exchange where you as the player drove the conversation, but in ME3 a large portion of the time unless it was story-line specific you'd instead get a passive voice over exchange play out whilst you stayed in third person looking like a tool ( Drunk Tali example here: - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWbAEw3VETs). I suspect it was a necessary move to keep costs down as well as game size, but in large part it robbed you as the player as to a sense of ownership of the conversation Vs being an observer. I think it also (naturally) led to the expectation that when you were in a cinematic cut scene you could direct things, which made the rug pull at the end doubly frustrating. On the positives I think they did a fantastic job with the combat in ME3. It worked extremely well in the base game, esp combining all of the powers, and the multi-player was great fun, and overall they hit the right balance with respect to inventory management nicely between the overboard nature of ME1 Vs the lack of in ME2.
Going forward I think my main concerns with the franchise are that AAA games are a reflection of the limitations of the technology at the time of their conception, and what can be achieved within those limits inherently impacts both world building and narrative accordingly. With ME4 likely coming to Xbone & PS4 (and hopefully PC) I'd hate to think that those old generation constraints might somehow feed through and hamstring the opportunity space for the series.
Great thread, so many details that I did not know.
I would add a teaser trailer that I have always thought it fits better with the third part than the first one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbIuOU4l1Pw&feature
I mean, that kind of scene we never saw it in the actual game, right? I know it is not a gameplay trailer but still I found it weird and makes me think that maybe they had another plot in mind.
And after reading the post on that other forum, it is clear the sequels were rushed...
I would add a teaser trailer that I have always thought it fits better with the third part than the first one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbIuOU4l1Pw&feature
I mean, that kind of scene we never saw it in the actual game, right? I know it is not a gameplay trailer but still I found it weird and makes me think that maybe they had another plot in mind.
And after reading the post on that other forum, it is clear the sequels were rushed...
Matt Attack
Member
I can't even think of a series that's impacted me as much as Mass Effect. They're all fantastic games, but I've always considered ME2 in particular as one of the greatest games I've ever played.
And can I say how glad I am they changed Shepard's default armor color? I'm usually one for brighter colors, but that white armor... doesn't work.
And can I say how glad I am they changed Shepard's default armor color? I'm usually one for brighter colors, but that white armor... doesn't work.
Obviously combat seems poor now as systems became better. But it wasn't shooter centric like it became in Mass Effect 2 and 3.
Plus, having infinite ammo albeit hampered by cool down meant you couldn't always blast away, had to rely on biotic powers, grenades etc.
There were times in Mass Effect I genuinely had to think how I'm going to get past these Geth on Feros etc.
It felt like a true exploration and RPG with far reaching decisions. The only series became too sterile after. I rarely felt challenged or have that sense of wonder. What exactly are these Reapers? Who were the Protheans? What is in the Terminus systems.
The collector ship mission in ME2 reminded me of Mass Effect 1, plus going on Omega for the first time, the Mordin mission etc.
I don't know, maybe Mass Effect 3 has tainted my view. I was fine with what Mass Effect 1 and 2 had achieved story wise, art wise, exploration and level design.
Plus, having infinite ammo albeit hampered by cool down meant you couldn't always blast away, had to rely on biotic powers, grenades etc.
There were times in Mass Effect I genuinely had to think how I'm going to get past these Geth on Feros etc.
It felt like a true exploration and RPG with far reaching decisions. The only series became too sterile after. I rarely felt challenged or have that sense of wonder. What exactly are these Reapers? Who were the Protheans? What is in the Terminus systems.
The collector ship mission in ME2 reminded me of Mass Effect 1, plus going on Omega for the first time, the Mordin mission etc.
I don't know, maybe Mass Effect 3 has tainted my view. I was fine with what Mass Effect 1 and 2 had achieved story wise, art wise, exploration and level design.
Blue Ninja
Member
Mass Effect 1 blew me away the first time I played it, but I hardly kept up with all the pre-release materials. I only started paying attention when I saw the launch trailer at E3 07, and read the novel that summer, too. Was pretty cool seeing everything I remembered reading about coming back in some form or other.
Honestly though, Mass Effect 2 is the ultimate Mass Effect game for me. Yeah, it lost some of Mass Effect's great ideas and systems, but the game was so fluent and cinematic that it just fucking blew my mind. The Collector Ship mission mentioned above is something that always comes to mind when I think about it, just so awesome.
Honestly though, Mass Effect 2 is the ultimate Mass Effect game for me. Yeah, it lost some of Mass Effect's great ideas and systems, but the game was so fluent and cinematic that it just fucking blew my mind. The Collector Ship mission mentioned above is something that always comes to mind when I think about it, just so awesome.
This is one of the greatest videogame trailers ever in my opinion.
I would love to see a live action movie based on this teaser rather on the entire series.
Cheese Raptor
Banned
The sad part is how little the graphics changed compared to gears 3. Granted its an exclusive, but still.....
TheUnsunghero26
Member
Another update.
From Hold The Line's forums. This is how the mission to get Liara was originally going to go.
I guess there's a reason why Liara's mission is so much shorter than Noveria and Feros. I think I remember hearing that the building from Bring Down the Sky was supposed to part of the mining colony where you'd save Liara.
"The Final Hours of Mass Effect 3" is a good read, and contains things about all 3 games. They first started working on ME1 in late 2003, it was code named "SFX". Microsoft was eager to publish the trilogy after the success of KoTOR. They show the proposal sheet that Casey Hudson had done up, it refers to the console as "Xbox2" and one of the features that was cut was the ability to trade equipment over Xbox Live. The targeted release date was 2007, about 3.5 yrs after this sheet was made. This is pretty funny now considering EA wanted ME3 in 2011, only a year after ME2, shows the difference between Independent BioWare (well if you can call being published by Microsoft that) and EA owned Bioware.
This making of video shows a short clip of Eden Prime with the old combat design and UI at around 6 mins in.
And lastly, this unused audio clip might blow some peoples minds.
From Hold The Line's forums. This is how the mission to get Liara was originally going to go.
I guess there's a reason why Liara's mission is so much shorter than Noveria and Feros. I think I remember hearing that the building from Bring Down the Sky was supposed to part of the mining colony where you'd save Liara.
"The Final Hours of Mass Effect 3" is a good read, and contains things about all 3 games. They first started working on ME1 in late 2003, it was code named "SFX". Microsoft was eager to publish the trilogy after the success of KoTOR. They show the proposal sheet that Casey Hudson had done up, it refers to the console as "Xbox2" and one of the features that was cut was the ability to trade equipment over Xbox Live. The targeted release date was 2007, about 3.5 yrs after this sheet was made. This is pretty funny now considering EA wanted ME3 in 2011, only a year after ME2, shows the difference between Independent BioWare (well if you can call being published by Microsoft that) and EA owned Bioware.
This making of video shows a short clip of Eden Prime with the old combat design and UI at around 6 mins in.
And lastly, this unused audio clip might blow some peoples minds.
anexanhume
Member
I liked that one of them had to die. Made it feel that things were actually at stake.