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PC Gamer ranks bests and worsts of Mass Effect
- Thread starter The Artisan
- Start date
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
2>3>1
People got it right.
..and to anyone saying 3 sucks.. I think you are either full of it or somehow played a different game.
People got it right.
..and to anyone saying 3 sucks.. I think you are either full of it or somehow played a different game.
Absolutely. Tying the weight of your loadout to your power cooldown was a genius move. It opens up a lot of different ways to approach the game, which is felt the most in multiplayer mode.
all truths. ME1 is painful to go back and play now.
soundscream
Member
Yep
Diprosalic
Banned
ME1 is the only one i consider decent.
chrominance
Member
I'd love to see some numbers on what the gender split for the Mass Effect franchise is in general, because my anecdotal evidence says Mass Effect (and Bioware games in general) tend to have a much healthier female fanbase than most games. In general, of course, the survey methods would suggest you shouldn't take the results very seriously (in addition to the gender split, it's also a self-selecting audience and possibly somewhat biased towards Twitter users, potentially even people in the author's social network).
I can kind of see why ME1 is considered the worst by a majority of people. ME3 was actually pretty decent to me, outside of the ending. Also, I think ME3's issues are actually more about the franchise in general, rather than the game itself--issues like how some long-running storylines get resolved with "you got assets for the war effort!" or how some characters get one side story and then basically never get heard from again because they could have potentially died in previous games and so couldn't be included in significant setpieces going forward. These are complicated issues and the solutions, short of throwing more resources and time into brute-forcing additional content, aren't obvious. ME1, meanwhile, has some clunky mechanics that got fixed in later installments, so you can easily compare and contrast.
John Kowalski
Banned
Lol, poor Vega.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
Mass Effect 2 really is the best one though.
Mass Effect 3's multiplayer is crazy fun. I agree with the praise there.
Mass Effect 3's multiplayer is crazy fun. I agree with the praise there.
plasmawave
Banned
ME1 > ME3 (excluding the ending) > ME2 (one of the most overrated games of all time. The plot is completely irrelevant to the whole saga).
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
People who skipped ME3's multiplayer did themselves a disservice, and failed to expose themselves to the heights of the series combat system.
They also missed out on krogan warhammering.
They also missed out on krogan warhammering.
It also has some of my favorite moments in the series. The Mordin sendoff is so good.
This is truth. I put in hundreds of hours into ME3 MP across 360 and PS3.
never got the fucking hurricane.
Coffee Dog
Banned
ME1 > ME3 > ME2
ME2 is the jack of all trades, master of none. But it's easily the most consistent entry and has the least amount of terrible, so it makes sense that it's the most popular.
Mass Effect 3 took the clunky combat of ME2 and polished the hell out of it while adding RPG elements. Even though the vast majority of the story is as limp as ME2's (and there are large stretches that are worse) it's by far the most fun combat wise.
ME2 is the jack of all trades, master of none. But it's easily the most consistent entry and has the least amount of terrible, so it makes sense that it's the most popular.
Mass Effect 3 took the clunky combat of ME2 and polished the hell out of it while adding RPG elements. Even though the vast majority of the story is as limp as ME2's (and there are large stretches that are worse) it's by far the most fun combat wise.
jediyoshi
Member
What is the exact mechanical qualifier that constitutes something being an 'RPG element' or having 'plot'? Or is that short hand for not liking it so it not existing?
staticneuron
Member
I agree but then again I do not judge a game in a connected series in isolation. I compare the entries to each other. I like ME2 as a sequel.
I do like the fact that by the end of ME1 I created a weapon that would never overheat therefore I never had to let go of the trigger button in the boss battle. That was fun.
Every now and then you have to spend a goddamn hour managing your inventory.
Solid Samus
Banned
I'd go ME1 -> ME2 -> ME3, personally, but I love each of these games almost equally and I value them individually for wholly different reasons.
Mass Effect 1 hit when I was still in high school (maybe even middle, shit) and at that time, hard sci-fi novels were my preferred mode of escapism, even beyond gaming. The first Mass Effect blew my fucking mind when I finally gave it a chance. It also blew up my first Xbox 360 and introduced me to the wonderful world of opening that shit up and fixing it your own damn self, a hobby I've become much more skilled at in recent years. I loved the game because it presented a consistent and cohesive universe in which the possibilities were endless, and in which it was made clear that you were just a tiny, insignificant ant fighting against the ebb and flow of destiny itself.
ME2 upped the ante on the 'fighting against destiny' theme considerably. Even though the story it told was a much smaller 'slice' in the grand scheme of things than either its predecessor or successor were, I loved how it focused on the characters, seeing as how the universe around them had already been sufficiently fleshed out in the first game and through minor details given in the second.
ME3 just comes and flips the script and makes it seem like you're meekly, desperately trying to dodge the inevitable, and your only hope all the while is to build upon the failures of those who preceded you. It's an angle that very few games have tackled to such effect, and I really appreciated just plain not knowing whether or not the galaxy would survive, and not even knowing what to think, even if the ending ultimately didn't live up to that feeling with its insane deus ex machina.
Mass Effect 1 hit when I was still in high school (maybe even middle, shit) and at that time, hard sci-fi novels were my preferred mode of escapism, even beyond gaming. The first Mass Effect blew my fucking mind when I finally gave it a chance. It also blew up my first Xbox 360 and introduced me to the wonderful world of opening that shit up and fixing it your own damn self, a hobby I've become much more skilled at in recent years. I loved the game because it presented a consistent and cohesive universe in which the possibilities were endless, and in which it was made clear that you were just a tiny, insignificant ant fighting against the ebb and flow of destiny itself.
ME2 upped the ante on the 'fighting against destiny' theme considerably. Even though the story it told was a much smaller 'slice' in the grand scheme of things than either its predecessor or successor were, I loved how it focused on the characters, seeing as how the universe around them had already been sufficiently fleshed out in the first game and through minor details given in the second.
ME3 just comes and flips the script and makes it seem like you're meekly, desperately trying to dodge the inevitable, and your only hope all the while is to build upon the failures of those who preceded you. It's an angle that very few games have tackled to such effect, and I really appreciated just plain not knowing whether or not the galaxy would survive, and not even knowing what to think, even if the ending ultimately didn't live up to that feeling with its insane deus ex machina.
I agree me3 has tighter gameplay, but the game has too much combat. Each room has obviously designed chest high walls that it becomes too predictable when and where combat will happen. Me2 felt very mysterious to me. There was some pre release info that really made it seem shit could go bad at any time. It never quite got to that point, but me2 kept me playing, me3 did not.
Im not a fan of the "another wave!" formula either. I felt some battles just dragged. I rember a side mission that just wouldnt end. I really enjoy the characters and world of mass effect. Me3 just didnt have a good balance of that. They kinda backed themselves in the corner design wise because the plot has so much urgency to it that it does not lend it self to traditional world building and character exposition.
Im not a fan of the "another wave!" formula either. I felt some battles just dragged. I rember a side mission that just wouldnt end. I really enjoy the characters and world of mass effect. Me3 just didnt have a good balance of that. They kinda backed themselves in the corner design wise because the plot has so much urgency to it that it does not lend it self to traditional world building and character exposition.
Omega Kirby
Member
Yup, could barely play ME1, it was that boring
ME2 was just amazing
ME2 was just amazing
Coffee Dog
Banned
ME2 doesn't have a plot. It's a series of short character vignettes (something Bioware does well) hung on a very loose narrative of the collectors attacking. There's like 4 story beats total.
Welfare
Member
Have to agree with that game ranking. 2 > 3 > 1
2 was my first, tried playing 1 after but found it really boring, got the Trilogy collection and forced myself to play in order, and while the RPG elements are probably the best in the series, I felt 3 did better in a lot of areas, but even that still fell short of what I liked in 2.
All 3 are really good though and the wait for Andromeda is a bitch.
2 was my first, tried playing 1 after but found it really boring, got the Trilogy collection and forced myself to play in order, and while the RPG elements are probably the best in the series, I felt 3 did better in a lot of areas, but even that still fell short of what I liked in 2.
All 3 are really good though and the wait for Andromeda is a bitch.
Skellig Gra
Member
Its definitely 1>2>3 for me. 1 was the most RPG like and actually put the gun play to use with open world stuff, 2 had that ridiculous end sequence where you could make so many wrong decisions. 3's only saving grace was the excellent multiplayer.
The original Mass Effect was glitchy, slow and stiff. Driving the Mako around on randomly generated terrain, trying to collect ID Tags and mineral samples was by far the worst experience of last generation gaming across the board. It probably had the best storyline in the trilogy, but the least personality. Wrex aside, everyone had more interesting dialogue in ME2. The party is definitely more varied and interesting to interact with, at any rate.
I do understand why people take issue with ME2 being more of a shooter, as some RPG aspects were watered down, but ME1 is objectively a far more flawed video game than it's sequels.
I do understand why people take issue with ME2 being more of a shooter, as some RPG aspects were watered down, but ME1 is objectively a far more flawed video game than it's sequels.
bobawesome
Member
Mass Effect 1 as the worst? Ohhhhh-kay.
ImaLemming
Member
I'm currently working on Mass Effect 3 so I can't comment on that one, but I did like ME2 more than ME1. The loyalty missions did a better job of fleshing the characters out by showing instead of telling whereas ME1 had the endless text dumps, the enemy pool seemed more varied than ME1's endless robot army, Joker no longer felt like the only character with a sense of humor, and they took out those optional missions which are treks through the same facility with the shelves moved around.
However, I much preferred the tank to scanning planets, and ME1 felt more open, what with letting you run around the Citadel instead of selecting your destination from a menu. As for the shooty bits, my opinion of Mass Effect 1 might be a bit marred by the fact I chose to be a Vanguard? NOT a good idea for your first time at Mass Effect.
(I switched over to Infiltrator for ME2 and quickly fell in love with the sniper rifle and the Incinerate ability)
However, I much preferred the tank to scanning planets, and ME1 felt more open, what with letting you run around the Citadel instead of selecting your destination from a menu. As for the shooty bits, my opinion of Mass Effect 1 might be a bit marred by the fact I chose to be a Vanguard? NOT a good idea for your first time at Mass Effect.
(I switched over to Infiltrator for ME2 and quickly fell in love with the sniper rifle and the Incinerate ability)
Vanguard is actually super fun in 2 and 3 since you gain the phasing charge move.
"Short vignettes hung on a very loose narrative" is also a pretty apt way of describing ME1 as well. Only instead of character-focused missions, you're planet hopping while on Saren's trail, with each planet having its equivalent of a "monster of the week".
The character vignettes also tied into larger plot points of the ME universe, namely the genophage on Tuchunka and the Geth/Quaren conflict, both of which played a major role in ME3. Far from having "no plot".
velociraptor
Junior Member
ME2 > ME3 > ME1
As gamers, I feel we are lucky to be blessed with the series that is Mass Effect. It will go down in history as one of the greatest RPG series to ever grace us alongside the Deus Ex games.
As gamers, I feel we are lucky to be blessed with the series that is Mass Effect. It will go down in history as one of the greatest RPG series to ever grace us alongside the Deus Ex games.
By virtue of being human(fuck romancing aliens) as well as appearing in the first game, she has my vote.
ME1 had janky combat, but also the best feel to it. It really captured the sci-fi magic it was aiming for.
ME2 had the tighest gameplay, but lost a lot of the first ones atmosphere. And it kind messed up the flow of the trilogy story arc.
ME3 was, besides the terrible ending, just more of ME2, but with less enemy variety and focused more on fan-pleasing elements than actully solving the story or even fighting the Reapers.
ME2 had the tighest gameplay, but lost a lot of the first ones atmosphere. And it kind messed up the flow of the trilogy story arc.
ME3 was, besides the terrible ending, just more of ME2, but with less enemy variety and focused more on fan-pleasing elements than actully solving the story or even fighting the Reapers.
Pegasus Actual
Member
ME1 > ME3 > ME2. Yeah the combat mechanics in ME1 aren't great, but I don't love the direction the other games went. If you ask me combat should have been some XCOM shit, oh well.
I like you.
Skellig Gra
Member
I wouldn't take issue with you putting 2 above 1, but putting 3 above 1 is just insane to me. The whole mechanic the game is based on has no bearing on the outcome of the game, that is the definition of flawed.
It is sad that many people still haven't gone through ME1 and seen how it changes things in ME2. That was the defining evolution of gaming last generation after motion controls and why so many people were outraged with the enading of ME3.
ME1 leaned a lot on the KotoR games before it really evolved into its own style. It was most noticeable when choosing your powers and all of Noveria felt like you were walking around a KotoR level.
RandomSeed
Member
I'd call Mass Effect 2 my perfect game, except for...
the stupid outfits
the bugs/glitches
the typical Bioware stuff that at this point I'm fed up with now
the stupid outfits
the bugs/glitches
the typical Bioware stuff that at this point I'm fed up with now
MrTroubleMaker
Gold Member
me too
ScaryShark
Banned
Played Mass Effect 1 again for trophies a few months ago (first time since 360 release) and it hasn't aged great. Feels very small and lifeless compared to the next two. Character interactions aren't close to as meaningful and interesting as they would become. The 'RPG' mechanics that people always praise in that game are very basic and I kept wondering if I was missing something about them despite being extremely thorough and doing all of the content. I was surprised by how I didn't dislike the Mako stuff as much as I thought I did and would this time.
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