Author Topic: MASS EFFECT - MAF'S EARLY IMPRESSIONS (Read 7873 times)

MrAngryFace · « **on:** November 24, 2007, 06:49:11 AM »

Mass Effect is boring. The games personality is as sterile as the environments that are rendered before me. I can't interact nearly as much as I should be able to, and the dialogue choices are largely uninteresting, but still skippable so whatever. Im sure there will be a plot twist as per all Bioware console efforts, but there are honestly only so many ways a plot can twist, and when youre expecting it to twist the whole time its less of an OMFG and more of a THERE WE GO.

The main character is a walking puppet that says predictable tough guy/girl things in a fairly monotone voice. All of the cinematics are the usual bioware propped up corpses with talking head sequences complete with well animated faces. If I were watching hardball this would be fine, but after watching cutscenes in Assassin's Creed I am disappointed. Why can't I hold conversations with my team aside from them telling me to stfu and get back to work.

KOTOR had an advantage, it was the first. But now we're past KOTOR2, Jade Empire, two games that kinda fizzled. Mass Effect really does nothing different from these games except abandon the super broken/troublesome combat of Jade Empire for a low-rent GRAW combat system that is a nice diversion, but like most Bioware titles, the "stuff between the story".

Sure, its challenging in parts, and sure, there are some interesting characters, but none of it seems to come together so far. Granted i've played maybe 2-3 hours total so far, but....this shits really bland. I've watched too much sci fi maybe to be impressed by the visuals or the concept. It'll probably be better than Jade Empire in the long run, and maybe on par with KOTOR2. Without the lore of a license like star wars, whats left over is a pretty generic setting with cookie cutter bioware characters passable combat and a story that will no doubt provide impact at the exact moment they intended, but never anywhere else.

One could break down Assassin's Creed to its base components and call it out as repetitive, but it executes those elements well. Anything original in Mass Effect is under layers and layers of blah. Who knows maybe the game changes 8 hours in, but as i've said before, if there's going to be bad in your game, put it in the second half. It is not my responsibility to trudge through bad to get to good.

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #1 on:** November 24, 2007, 07:38:40 AM »

Which i've played

I wish Bioware would figure out that the console market cant suffer reused assets like the PC market did.

bork · « **Reply #2 on:** November 24, 2007, 09:29:35 AM »

Quote from: dcharlie on November 24, 2007, 07:26:37 AM

i like the story so far, but yeah - this screams "KOTOR KOTOR KOTOR KOTOR!"

With better combat and more interesting characters. But then, I never played much of KOTOR, nor did I play much of Jade Empire, so maybe that's why I love this so much.

y2kev · « **Reply #3 on:** November 24, 2007, 01:05:27 PM »

Quote from: dcharlie on November 24, 2007, 07:26:37 AM

i like the story so far, but yeah - this screams "KOTOR KOTOR KOTOR KOTOR!"

Understandably. KOTOR really featured everything Bioware was good (and bad at) at refined into a console space. Four years later, is anyone surprised they have improved upon their strengths (and marginally improved or even made worse) their weaknesses?

ME is really fantastic. If you at all liked Bioware's conversation tree skills but felt they were robotic or poorly written, Mass Effect takes it to the next level.

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #4 on:** November 24, 2007, 01:06:36 PM »

Not sure they improved anywhere except the visuals, but even there is unused potential in terms of animation. They turned the Dialogue Tree into a Dialogue Wheel, whoop. The conversations are at typical bioware level. THE VA work is professional, if I were to give it a compliment, but that doesnt make what they say any better.

y2kev · « **Reply #5 on:** November 24, 2007, 01:25:23 PM »

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 01:06:36 PM

Not sure they improved anywhere except the visuals, but even there is unused potential in terms of animation. They turned the Dialogue Tree into a Dialogue Wheel, whoop. The conversations are at typical bioware level. THE VA work is professional, if I were to give it a compliment, but that doesnt make what they say any better.

You didn't actually speak in KOTOR other than what you said. The element of the wheel kind of randomizing what you will say is neat.

But I will say it would have been better if they left that interrupting stuff in the game.

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #6 on:** November 24, 2007, 02:18:14 PM »

But now the supporting cast doesnt really interact at all from what i've seen. And randomizing is neat in concept, but it doesnt really affect anything for me thus far.

Ill try and play more tonight.

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #7 on:** November 24, 2007, 02:38:19 PM »

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 06:49:11 AM

"Without the lore of a license like star wars"

Star Wars sucks. KOTOR was a good game in spite of its Star Wars license, not because of it. I'm only 3 hours in but already the Mass Effect universe is about a hundred thousand million times more interesting than anything George Lucas ever farted out of his mouth.

Hitler Stole My Potato · « **Reply #8 on:** November 24, 2007, 02:44:16 PM »

Quote from: Synthesizer Patel on November 24, 2007, 02:38:19 PM

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 06:49:11 AM
"Without the lore of a license like star wars"

Star Wars sucks. KOTOR was a good game in spite of its Star Wars license, not because of it. I'm only 3 hours in but already the Mass Effect universe is about a hundred thousand million times more interesting than anything George Lucas ever farted out of his mouth.

I agree 100%. I'm only just at the beginning myself but I'm already more engrossed with this than I ever was with KOTOR, and I really liked that game (well, at least I liked it after you left Taris). ME is just balls to the wall impressive, imo.

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #9 on:** November 24, 2007, 03:01:46 PM »

Quote from: Synthesizer Patel on November 24, 2007, 02:38:19 PM

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 06:49:11 AM
"Without the lore of a license like star wars"

Star Wars sucks. KOTOR was a good game in spite of its Star Wars license, not because of it. I'm only 3 hours in but already the Mass Effect universe is about a hundred thousand million times more interesting than anything George Lucas ever farted out of his mouth.

Fuckin' agree on all front. I have yet to actually play Mass Effect yet, but from the video I've watched, it looks sooooooo much cooler than Star Wars.

TVC15 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 24, 2007, 03:03:11 PM »

I don't agree. I am totally in awe of the universe, and the manpower that must have gone on in order to creater something so immersive, from a story and universe-building perspective. So much detail has gone into every facet of the universe. It appears that considerable effort even went into fleshing out the non-important races. And when I talk about the story, and universe building, I'm not even talking about the drop dead gorgeous and insanely detailed visuals, nor the quality of the voice acting.

Sure, if you don't particularly care about the story, if you are looking for a game that is (logically) more game than TV show or movie, I can understand your disappointment. That said, being a Bioware gamer, I was more than prepared for this being something that was a bit more story and presentation intense than most games, and being that story is so tossed off in, oh, 90% of games, despite gargantuan budgets, I was more than ready to accept one. It's been since Icewind Dale that we have even had a smidgen of Bioware-y goodness, and even longer since we have been in the presence of Bioware the Storyteller. One game ever half a decade is hardly too many. Mass Effect may lean a bit too much on the story and presentation side of things, but after playing it, I wish more people did. At least this well. There is a vast difference between Mass Effect and the cut scene-driven story-telling of FF games.

Also, the gameplay is a sure improvement over Jade Emprie and Kotor. Less RPG-y and mre for everyone, while still giving RPG fans a good bit of what they want. There are some serious deficiencies, in particular when it comes to AI, but luckily the main character is NOT AI, and your brain is always more than enough to make up for the computers occasional Jotaro-esque distinguished mentally-challenged. It's no Infinity Engine game, but what is?

My only heavy complaint in the game so far goes to the WTF-y inventory, which due to more patience than should be necessary, I have mostly figured out.

It's tough to crown favorites this year, what with so many bona fide classics coming out. Mass Effect, as it stands, a game that sets new precedent for quality storytelling, naturally has a good chance of being my overall favorite. Mario Galaxy, Assassin's Creed, you're both incredible, but Mass Effect scratches gaming itches that come up in reality so rarely that I forgot I even had them. If you care about science fiction, or storytelling, Mass Effect gets my highest possible recommendation.

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #11 on:** November 24, 2007, 03:05:22 PM »

YOU TELL HIM KEITH

oh and:

/agree

I haven't been this engrossed in a game since, like, Jesus. I can't even think of a baseline for comparison.

bud · « **Reply #12 on:** November 24, 2007, 03:06:54 PM »

''generic setting?'' not really--it's actually much better than something out of a star wars game. it reminds me of some sci-fi flicks which i liked. and i haven't played the game, but the only thing that really bothered me in all the videos was the voice acting. it's like the actors just went in their booths and read a couple of lines and just got it over with. booooooring.

edit: the soundtrack is fuck awesome. it's kinda like what you'll find in older sci-fi movies, and it's refreshing, well, kind of, since it doesn't go all orchestra like most games tend to nowadays. hot stuff.

TVC15 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 24, 2007, 03:13:20 PM »

The soundtrack made me say "holy shit." It's not super in your face awesome, more of an atmospheric soundtrack, but it's still incredible.

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #14 on:** November 24, 2007, 03:13:27 PM »

Lol you people will love anything these days.

MCD · « **Reply #15 on:** November 24, 2007, 03:44:27 PM »

Or maybe the game isn't for you, MAF.

as for me, i am fine with AC for now.

y2kev · « **Reply #16 on:** November 24, 2007, 04:19:04 PM »

ME's Normandy theme sounds like total awesomeness. It kind of made me think X-Files meets 2001, but I'm not totally sure where to place it.

TVC15 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 24, 2007, 04:24:09 PM »

The scene where

spoiler (click to show/hide)

you become a spectre

[close]

was totally boner inducing.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I don't normally care for the Inspirational Speech scenes in these movies and shows, but both of them in ME were SPLOOGEWORTHY and so well done

[close]

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #18 on:** November 24, 2007, 05:01:08 PM »

Haha oh man, the 'isnt for you' argument.

demi · « **Reply #19 on:** November 24, 2007, 06:45:31 PM »

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 03:13:27 PM

Lol you people will love anything these days.

I know rite

MCD · « **Reply #20 on:** November 24, 2007, 06:50:57 PM »

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 05:01:08 PM

Haha oh man, the 'isnt for you' argument.

$:-\$

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #21 on:** November 24, 2007, 07:01:23 PM »

jesus, I finished the first area and made it to the galaxy map

booooooooooooooooooner

TVC15 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 24, 2007, 07:32:27 PM »

Where are you going first, Patel?

MCD · « **Reply #23 on:** November 24, 2007, 07:48:23 PM »

OST: http://www.sendspace.com/file/b45a69

TVC15 · « **Reply #24 on:** November 24, 2007, 07:49:23 PM »

OMG thank you!

MCD · « **Reply #25 on:** November 24, 2007, 08:50:39 PM »

Sure.

mirror: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OCKCV150

trying to find more hosts here...

Eduardo24 · « **Reply #26 on:** November 24, 2007, 10:09:06 PM »

Wasn´t ID made by Black Isle?

TVC15 · « **Reply #27 on:** November 24, 2007, 10:15:05 PM »

Was it? For whatever reason I thought Bioware. Oh well.

bork · « **Reply #28 on:** November 24, 2007, 10:36:48 PM »

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 03:13:27 PM

Lol you people will love anything these days.

Didn't you have a hard-on for NARUTO?

hyp · « **Reply #29 on:** November 24, 2007, 11:27:18 PM »

sokay maf, we still love you.

mass effect

demi · « **Reply #30 on:** November 24, 2007, 11:36:20 PM »

It is pretty boring. The UI is all shades of fucked. Equipment and inventory is fucked too. I'm sighing more than I am gasping. Get me? Fo real.

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #31 on:** November 24, 2007, 11:42:54 PM »

MARIO GOTY!
NO WAIT! ROCK BAND GOTY!
NO WAIT MASS EFFECT GOTY!

I'm still playing the damn game but its lacking quite a bit in the whole INTERACTION department. There's even less than KOTOR so far. Also have to go to a menu screen to go to the map is lame, gimme hotkey button goddamnit.

TVC15 · « **Reply #32 on:** November 24, 2007, 11:46:04 PM »

I already covered its place in the GOTY rankings, even with a caveat. It's going to take time to process things, and I am sure I will only know what the best is in a few months. Nobody could really blame me for being indecisive when there's so much great shit coming out.

To you:
[youtube=425,350]_rwnvDHSPBk[/youtube]

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #33 on:** November 24, 2007, 11:47:02 PM »

You could maybe be like umm, reserved and sensible

TVC15 · « **Reply #34 on:** November 24, 2007, 11:52:11 PM »

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 11:47:02 PM

You could maybe be like umm, reserved and sensible

Which is what I am being. I said it could be one of my favorites. Saying anything else at this point would be premature.

Himu · « **Reply #35 on:** November 25, 2007, 12:39:36 AM »

Mass Effect rules, MAF is wrong, the end.

I'm not a big fan of KOTOR but Mass Effect is jizzum in game form.

Himu · « **Reply #36 on:** November 25, 2007, 12:59:29 AM »

Quote from: Jim Shorts on November 24, 2007, 01:06:36 PM

Not sure they improved anywhere except the visuals, but even there is unused potential in terms of animation. They turned the Dialogue Tree into a Dialogue Wheel, whoop. The conversations are at typical bioware level. THE VA work is professional, if I were to give it a compliment, but that doesnt make what they say any better.

Except that, I don't really call any rpg ever that has a main character where you can choose all of his/her's dialogue and they actually say it acted out. In this regard, Mass Effect's presentation is a step above most rpgs, western or not.

My complaints are minor. I wish all the planets didn't look the same. I wish there were crowds in the cities; I wish there were a variety of life forms and stuff on each new rock I land on; I wish there more to these planets I land on than mountains, but other than that...I'm good.

And omfg McDragon THANK YOU

TVC15 · « **Reply #37 on:** November 25, 2007, 01:21:38 AM »

The thing is, what the characters say is better than in previous Bioware games. The way the story is told and you are dipped into the world is via dialogue immersion. The world opens up to you by the things you see and the things said to you. There's not even an opening Star Wars text crawl to give you the basics. From the moment the game starts, you are in the wild, and the game does a fucking incredible job of unveiling the world to you. While it is there, the exposition is kept to a minimum, so it's a few hours, not a few minutes like most games, until you know what is going on, until you know the story of the universe, until you know the hierarchy of races, until you know how the council and government works, untl you learn the backstory. You have to figure out everything on your own, and there's not a better way to do that than the dialogue system. No reading convenient text documents. Fuck, no reading the dialogue!

And when operated correctly, the dialogue happens and is timed like a real conversation. Going the extra mile, the camera angles and voice acting sell the whole thing like a TV show. Gamers that aren't patient beasts and those that don't give a fuck about storytelling might be unimpressed, but to me, this is a step forward for the medium. I'm not the most patient gamer on earth, but we don't get games with this level of storytelling that often. Before this, the high watermarks in storytelling in games went to Bioshock and Assassin's Creed, and this is so far beyond those games in storytelling that I kind of giggle that I considered them tops.

The Bioware morality system has even been changed up a bit with the, uh Maverick and Paragon system, which I like. It's not like I have to stick to one moral category, nor do I have to worry about being "in the middle" and thus getting no benefits. It's a logical extension to a simple system. It could be better, but for the second iteration of this system, I think it is a good step up from the simplicity of Jade and KOTOR.

DJ_Tet · « **Reply #38 on:** November 25, 2007, 01:40:49 AM »

Sounds great, I've been looking forward to this game since it was announced. I'm a little surprised it's been out a week and I still don't have it, but with so much great stuff coming out this past month I wouldn't have time to play it. Likely will pick it up this week though and might get to play a little. Is it fast paced or will I need/want to set a few hours aside to really get into it at first? KOTOR was my favorite game of last gen and I liked JE and KOTOR 2 as well, so obviously I'm digging your impressions TVC.

Himu · « **Reply #39 on:** November 25, 2007, 02:26:09 AM »

I have to say that the characters just feel so human. Even the alien characters.

Himu · « **Reply #40 on:** November 25, 2007, 02:28:52 AM »

Quote from: TVC 15 on November 25, 2007, 01:21:38 AM

Before this, the high watermarks in storytelling in games went to Bioshock and Assassin's Creed, and this is so far beyond those games in storytelling that I kind of giggle that I considered them tops.

System Shock, Silent Hill 2, Grim Fandango, any thing Tim Schafer really, Planescape Torment.

Hitler Stole My Potato · « **Reply #41 on:** November 25, 2007, 03:16:17 AM »

Quote from: Himuro on November 25, 2007, 02:28:52 AM

System Shock, Silent Hill 2, Grim Fandango, any thing Tim Schafer really, Planescape Torment.

Dreamfall. Seriously, best videogame story ever as far as I'm concerned.

Himu · « **Reply #42 on:** November 25, 2007, 03:26:05 AM »

I've wanted to play that game. Is it backwards compat? I liked the longest journey well enough, but didn't find it spooge worthy.

Grim Fandango is my favorite game story.

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #43 on:** November 25, 2007, 03:36:47 AM »

Blah blah, wtf kids.

Hitler Stole My Potato · « **Reply #44 on:** November 25, 2007, 03:49:24 AM »

Quote from: Himuro on November 25, 2007, 03:26:05 AM

I've wanted to play that game. Is it backwards compat? I liked the longest journey well enough, but didn't find it spooge worthy.

Grim Fandango is my favorite game story.

Yeah it's backwards compatible and I wasn't a big fan of The Longest Journey myself. Too much Grimms fairytale bullshit and not very interesting in general, imo. Dreamfall is a total revision of the series. Ragnar Tørnquist went back and jetisoned all the stuff that just didn't work and really thought about creating a real story arc. Dreamfall is much, much darker and much more complex than TLJ ever was. It's really some amazing story telling. It's very much a middle chapter though, so don't go into it expecting much of a conclusion. Infact the game probably raises more questions than it answers. Some people can accept that, some can't.

TVC15 · « **Reply #45 on:** November 25, 2007, 03:56:08 AM »

I tried to play the first one on PC, but I couldn't get past the bad graphics

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #46 on:** November 25, 2007, 05:00:58 AM »

interesting to hear about Dreamfall. I love the first half of TLJ but I felt it just totally fell apart by the end. oh well, at least it wasn't syberia.

in ME I explored a few non-plot planets, I'll start a plot planet tomorrow. still loving it to absolute death despite MAF's whinging

demi · « **Reply #47 on:** November 25, 2007, 05:16:43 AM »

I think I prefer KOTOR... and I don't even like that game really

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #48 on:** November 25, 2007, 12:36:23 PM »

Demi knows whats up!

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #49 on:** November 25, 2007, 02:43:39 PM »

I was playing last night and noticed my character never says what I select, some dumb and nicer variation of. Bullshit.

bork · « **Reply #50 on:** November 25, 2007, 08:39:14 PM »

"Chicken Joe?" Jesus, that's awful MAF, I'm sorry. :'(

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #51 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:05:22 PM »

I take back what I said about Mass Effect. The combat is worse than I could have known. Friendly AI is dumb even when directed to places of cover, and the real time combat is baffling. Who knows what the giant purple blob that made me lay on the ground while people shot me in the face was all about.

demi · « **Reply #52 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:06:41 PM »

Yeah the GRAW gameplay is soooooooooooo bad

Originally I had set it up so I would tell them what abilities to use, but I was like - if you won't fucking listen to me, you're on your own, shitheads. Just don't get in my way!

demi · « **Reply #53 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:07:52 PM »

This is probably the worst recent BioWare game yet.

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #54 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:09:18 PM »

Im trying to take this ship from some terrorists and I walk in and I try to direct my people but there's like ONE arrow for them both, so they both clumsily stumble around the wall I want them to take cover in, then I peer around the corner and fire a few rounds then this purple sshit hits me and I lay on the ground while my team goes "OMG SHEPARD! OMG!" Then I die.

Whats worse I was so pissed I accidently deleted the only autosave the game makes and lost 3 hours progress. So this games shelved. Smart shit bioware.

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #55 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:26:36 PM »

user error

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #56 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:32:23 PM »

Why am I even ALLOWED to delete an autosave?

Excuse me, the ONLY autosave

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #57 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:39:12 PM »

it was a test

you failed

MrAngryFace · « **Reply #58 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:41:27 PM »

Oh synth, forever a lame

demi · « **Reply #59 on:** November 25, 2007, 11:42:11 PM »

This Galaxy Map is a big lie too. Here I'm thinking I'd have tons of worlds to explore, when each of these clusters seems to only have one explorable planet, and the rest are either there to be surveyed or read about, with no option to land.

Shame on you, BioWare

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Author Topic: MASS EFFECT - MAF'S EARLY IMPRESSIONS (Read 7873 times)