- Joined
- September 16, 2011
- Messages
- 791
I recently started up a save in Mass Effect 3 to check out the extended endings. They didn't really change a whole lot but provided more information and gave you another ending option to select. Since I liked the ending as it was, I was okay with what they did, but that's not what this topic is about. This is about discussing the games. Discussing what you liked or disliked about each game, what you thought they improved in the series and what changes were for the worse, and how the story changed or evolved with each iteration (and whether those changes were good).
Mass Effect - the original is still my favorite in the trilogy. It definitely had some rough edges. Controls were kind of odd, though no problem once you became accustomed to them. The Mako was awful. However, I thought the story was more exciting in the original than any of the other games, and you choices seemed to have the most impact. The first game seemed to be mostly about the struggle between humanity and the other races. While the reapers were still a largely unknown entity, the game seemed to insinuate that humanity was unique from all other races in the universe — and that uniqueness could be the key to humanity's salvation.
Mass Effect 2 — probably the best reviewed and most well-liked in the series, but is my least favorite. It felt more linear and less open-ended than the original. Controls were improved, though it was frustrating that they were changed after I had become used to the original's. The introduction of ammo clips felt odd and a lot of the character building options of the original were pared down. It was clear that Bioware had some goal of making the game appeal more to the action-shooter crowd, and the game was vastly improved in that area. However, battles felt claustrophobic and just about every time I entered a corridor littered with random random boxes that felt out of place but provided cover, I knew I was in for some shooting. While I was fine with the darker theme, the setting and story also felt very inconsistent with the first game. I hardly remembered anything about Cerberus in the first game and they were center-stage in the second. How they went about starting the game also seemed a bit unneccessary. I couldn't help but shake the notion that they were abandoning the idea of humanity's ascent as a key component to the universe's survival (confirmed in the third when your goal is to unite the races to fight together). Renegade/paragon choices felt less like grays and more good/evil (also rubbed me the wrong way how pro-cerberus options were often linked to renegade selections — renegade should be going about things your own way). However, NPC's and companion interaction was very well done, major hubs were vastly improved, and the game's suicide mission felt as if it was looming throughout the game and ended the experience on a very positive note.
Mass Effect 3 — let's ignore the controversy surrounding the ending for a while, shall we? I thought Mass Effect 3 was the second best of the series. The only reason I didn't like it as well as the first was because the first showed promise of a storyline which I found more appealing, and I think was ultimately dumped in favor of a different direction. However, the third game is the most polished of the three and took a lot of the great elements of the first, combined them with what worked in the second (namely shooting elements), and then improved it in other ways. The shooting felt much less confined in the third game, which was a breath of fresh air after the second. Your decisions in the first two games have a pretty strong impact on how the second game plays out (again, ignoring the ending). On the flip side, there seem to be less choices available, providing more paragon/renegade only type of options without giving you a variety of other more neutral options (the first game did this the best). Sometimes it was more difficult to identify with Shepard than in previous games as you would select one option which would lead to a lengthy cutscene where several of his actions/lines were dictated from the one line you selected, whereas in previous games, it felt you had more control. That being said, I quite enjoyed the cinematic experience and found the third game to be a fitting end to the trilogy. As for the ending, I stand by what I have stated before — that it was thoughtful and not entirely inconsistent with a somewhat unknown and spiritual connection to the Reapers history. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.
I hope Bioware continues to make games related to the Mass Effect universe and my character's journey. I also hope other studios can follow suit and make franchises with branching sequels, hopefully improving on what Bioware has started. Anyone have any suggestions for cinematic games in the vein of Mass Effect?
Mass Effect - the original is still my favorite in the trilogy. It definitely had some rough edges. Controls were kind of odd, though no problem once you became accustomed to them. The Mako was awful. However, I thought the story was more exciting in the original than any of the other games, and you choices seemed to have the most impact. The first game seemed to be mostly about the struggle between humanity and the other races. While the reapers were still a largely unknown entity, the game seemed to insinuate that humanity was unique from all other races in the universe — and that uniqueness could be the key to humanity's salvation.
Mass Effect 2 — probably the best reviewed and most well-liked in the series, but is my least favorite. It felt more linear and less open-ended than the original. Controls were improved, though it was frustrating that they were changed after I had become used to the original's. The introduction of ammo clips felt odd and a lot of the character building options of the original were pared down. It was clear that Bioware had some goal of making the game appeal more to the action-shooter crowd, and the game was vastly improved in that area. However, battles felt claustrophobic and just about every time I entered a corridor littered with random random boxes that felt out of place but provided cover, I knew I was in for some shooting. While I was fine with the darker theme, the setting and story also felt very inconsistent with the first game. I hardly remembered anything about Cerberus in the first game and they were center-stage in the second. How they went about starting the game also seemed a bit unneccessary. I couldn't help but shake the notion that they were abandoning the idea of humanity's ascent as a key component to the universe's survival (confirmed in the third when your goal is to unite the races to fight together). Renegade/paragon choices felt less like grays and more good/evil (also rubbed me the wrong way how pro-cerberus options were often linked to renegade selections — renegade should be going about things your own way). However, NPC's and companion interaction was very well done, major hubs were vastly improved, and the game's suicide mission felt as if it was looming throughout the game and ended the experience on a very positive note.
Mass Effect 3 — let's ignore the controversy surrounding the ending for a while, shall we? I thought Mass Effect 3 was the second best of the series. The only reason I didn't like it as well as the first was because the first showed promise of a storyline which I found more appealing, and I think was ultimately dumped in favor of a different direction. However, the third game is the most polished of the three and took a lot of the great elements of the first, combined them with what worked in the second (namely shooting elements), and then improved it in other ways. The shooting felt much less confined in the third game, which was a breath of fresh air after the second. Your decisions in the first two games have a pretty strong impact on how the second game plays out (again, ignoring the ending). On the flip side, there seem to be less choices available, providing more paragon/renegade only type of options without giving you a variety of other more neutral options (the first game did this the best). Sometimes it was more difficult to identify with Shepard than in previous games as you would select one option which would lead to a lengthy cutscene where several of his actions/lines were dictated from the one line you selected, whereas in previous games, it felt you had more control. That being said, I quite enjoyed the cinematic experience and found the third game to be a fitting end to the trilogy. As for the ending, I stand by what I have stated before — that it was thoughtful and not entirely inconsistent with a somewhat unknown and spiritual connection to the Reapers history. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.
I hope Bioware continues to make games related to the Mass Effect universe and my character's journey. I also hope other studios can follow suit and make franchises with branching sequels, hopefully improving on what Bioware has started. Anyone have any suggestions for cinematic games in the vein of Mass Effect?
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- Joined
- Sep 16, 2011
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