Man, I remember Luna being a death trap. Specifically one of the bunkers full of those floating rocket drones who'd shred you the instant you walked 5 feet into the main room, so it took awhile of playing peek-a-boo around the door in the entry corridor since the drones would just sit there staring at the door until you entered. Get a shot off, simultaneously take a rocket to the face, retreat to recharge, repeat.
Probably would have been easier trying it later than level 20, but y'know...prestige class.
The Xbox One plays the trilogy pretty excellently in Back Compat these days (and also iirc includes the DLC)
It's still the 360 game though, right? I don't own an Xbox One so I'm not sure how it works.
Yeah, all three are. They benefit from decreased load times and for ME1 in particular a more stable framerate and less texture pop-in, at least on the One X, and 2 & 3 no longer need disc swaps, but they're still fundamentally the 360 games rather than upgraded or enhanced ports.
Also, if Microsoft's BC approach for the forthcoming Xbox Series X is what we think it is (i.e. everything BC on the One so far will be carried over as well as the One's own native library), they'll be playable on that too.
The Xbox One plays the trilogy pretty excellently in Back Compat these days (and also iirc includes the DLC)
It's still the 360 game though, right? I don't own an Xbox One so I'm not sure how it works.
Yeah, all three are. They benefit from decreased load times and for ME1 in particular a more stable framerate and less texture pop-in, at least on the One X, and 2 & 3 no longer need disc swaps, but they're still fundamentally the 360 games rather than upgraded or enhanced ports.
Also, if Microsoft's BC approach for the forthcoming Xbox Series X is what we think it is (i.e. everything BC on the One so far will be carried over as well as the One's own native library), they'll be playable on that too.
It’s too bad that Mass Effect didn’t hit later in Microsoft’s backwards compatibility efforts. It would have been slick if they’d gotten resolution improvements like Final Fantasy XIII or Mirror’s Edge.
BRIAN BLESSEDMaybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHHRegistered Userregular
They do implement emulator patches and updates for games loaded on the Xbox One. Probably not hugely regular but I do remember Mass Effect 1 running like ass at launch
They do implement emulator patches and updates for games loaded on the Xbox One. Probably not hugely regular but I do remember Mass Effect 1 running like ass at launch
It's not exactly emulation, but yeah. IIRC, Mass Effect was in the first wave of Microsoft's BC releases, and they did indeed run pretty poorly. MS reevaluated their approach and updated those early games, but they didn't get quite as much attention as later titles. For example, they actually replaced all the cutscene videoes in Final Fantasy XIII with higher resolution versions, and added new lighting effects to Mirror's Edge, in addition to adding 4K rendering to both games. Mass Effect just got the default benefits of backwards compatibility; faster loading times, fewer FPS drops and slightly better texture filtering.
I'm ok with them sitting on a REmake for a bit. The original trilogy is still pretty playable and right now I'd hate for them to get bogged down with Frostbite. RE2 was released in 1998, so more than 20 years later. ME1 was 2007, so maybe in another 5-10 years.
Ideally if they started a remake here once the PS5/XboxX is released, they could use that as a baseline. Hopefully use Unreal Engine 4/5 or something and model all 3 games after ME3 combat. I'd love to see ray tracing and such in the Normandy.
In a hypothetical remake, I’d want two major changes for gameplay
1. Take a small page from Andromeda and allow more power loadout customization. Class would be locked, and defined by its signature power, but you could pick and choose other powers. Signature moves get huge active and passive buffs so they define the playstyle, and your other powers tweak it.
2. Vehicle customization. Retool the Mako like you would your gun, letting you spec it out for speed or durability or damage. Fully integrate the Hammerhead into ME2 and make it not suck. For ME3, let us control the Normandy itself and add in space/air battles.
And three for story
1. Add loyalty-style missions to 1 and 3, with similar gameplay benefits. For example, doing something with Rana for Kaidan in ME1 or helping Garrus find his family in ME3. Companion characters are the best thing about the trilogy; the more, the better.
2. Add a way to recruit the Virmire Survivor in 2. Story-wise, it’d be pretty easy—the Alliance doesn’t trust Cerberus or you, but recognize they shouldn’t actively stop you, so they send the VS to keep an eye out.
3. More varied enemies in 3. As it stands, the binary Reaper/Cerberus fights can get a little boring. ME2 has 4 enemy types and they all fight differently enough to be interesting. My idea would be that instead of Cerberus pulling an entire military out of its ass, it hires the merc companies from 2. Then, over the course of the game, each company adds Reaper tech to their arsenal in unique ways.
There are other changes I’d like, but those would mean rewriting large parts of the trilogy. I think the ones above could go in without radically altering the existing story.
In a hypothetical remake, I’d want two major changes for gameplay
1. Take a small page from Andromeda and allow more power loadout customization. Class would be locked, and defined by its signature power, but you could pick and choose other powers. Signature moves get huge active and passive buffs so they define the playstyle, and your other powers tweak it.
2. Vehicle customization. Retool the Mako like you would your gun, letting you spec it out for speed or durability or damage. Fully integrate the Hammerhead into ME2 and make it not suck. For ME3, let us control the Normandy itself and add in space/air battles.
And three for story
1. Add loyalty-style missions to 1 and 3, with similar gameplay benefits. For example, doing something with Rana for Kaidan in ME1 or helping Garrus find his family in ME3. Companion characters are the best thing about the trilogy; the more, the better.
2. Add a way to recruit the Virmire Survivor in 2. Story-wise, it’d be pretty easy—the Alliance doesn’t trust Cerberus or you, but recognize they shouldn’t actively stop you, so they send the VS to keep an eye out.
3. More varied enemies in 3. As it stands, the binary Reaper/Cerberus fights can get a little boring. ME2 has 4 enemy types and they all fight differently enough to be interesting. My idea would be that instead of Cerberus pulling an entire military out of its ass, it hires the merc companies from 2. Then, over the course of the game, each company adds Reaper tech to their arsenal in unique ways.
There are other changes I’d like, but those would mean rewriting large parts of the trilogy. I think the ones above could go in without radically altering the existing story.
The concern with adding story stuff is getting the same voice actors and if they sound the same. Zaeed is a good example of someone who is no longer around. As much as I'd love more content to all 3, it would be really tough.
Mass Effect 1 in general is going to be tough enough to remake. Major decisions need to be made if it's going to adopt a similar combat system as ME3. Will the Mako even exist? It's only available in ME1 and that's a lot of work. If so, would they insert Mako sections to ME2/3? Would they replace the hammerhead in ME2? If it doesn't, I'd imagine they'd have to add more side missions to fill up some of the game time. Or fully flesh out all the UNC ones since they'll probably need to rework all the level's and design anyways.
But if they lose the Mako in ME1, then they also have to redo just about every single planet. (Which, to be fair, ditto if they add it back in to 2 & 3.)
The only real change I'd want would be the same galaxy map for all three games. Like, I get that you can only travel to a certain percentage in the first couple, but having the scope there I think would be neat.
And ME1 has loyalty missions of a sort. All your squaddies have a mission that's specific to them, which informs their character and gets mentioned going forward.
I only want one addition to a ME3 remake. That one quest where the ambassador tells you that the Elcor homeworld is under attack and asks that you evac Elcor warriors and civilians? The one where you're told that Elcor fight like living tanks, strapping VI-enabled cannons to their backs?
And then you get there and scan the planet from space and leave.
Lemmie land and fight alongside some Elcor warriors.
But if they lose the Mako in ME1, then they also have to redo just about every single planet. (Which, to be fair, ditto if they add it back in to 2 & 3.)
Virmire would be shorter with outdoor corridors more like ME:A. Therum likewise would have to basically be 1 new level as most of it is Mako. The parts on Ferros wouldn't be bad. I know folks really like the Mako missions but thinking back on all those parts, I can't help but think they could be way better without the driving and shooting bits and focused more on story and level design. They had some great ones in ME3 with the Geth ship and such. With a new engine, I can't help but think a dungeon dive on Therum could be really cool with puzzles and such vs just driving the Mako around.
For side quest planets unless they had a UNC mission, they could skip rendering the planet out and the focus on making the UNC missions more than a standard room with baddies.
I only want one addition to a ME3 remake. That one quest where the ambassador tells you that the Elcor homeworld is under attack and asks that you evac Elcor warriors and civilians? The one where you're told that Elcor fight like living tanks, strapping VI-enabled cannons to their backs?
And then you get there and scan the planet from space and leave.
Lemmie land and fight alongside some Elcor warriors.
I'd love this as well. I think new side missions that were focused on new NPC's and just had Shepard taking the lead conversation wise wouldn't be too bad. Mark Meer and Jen Hale are still doing work and could probably do some main character lines.
Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
0
BRIAN BLESSEDMaybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHHRegistered Userregular
I'm pretty sure people would actually riot if a remake didn't involve Hale/Meer
+16
OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
But if they lose the Mako in ME1, then they also have to redo just about every single planet. (Which, to be fair, ditto if they add it back in to 2 & 3.)
Virmire would be shorter with outdoor corridors more like ME:A. Therum likewise would have to basically be 1 new level as most of it is Mako. The parts on Ferros wouldn't be bad. I know folks really like the Mako missions but thinking back on all those parts, I can't help but think they could be way better without the driving and shooting bits and focused more on story and level design. They had some great ones in ME3 with the Geth ship and such. With a new engine, I can't help but think a dungeon dive on Therum could be really cool with puzzles and such vs just driving the Mako around.
For side quest planets unless they had a UNC mission, they could skip rendering the planet out and the focus on making the UNC missions more than a standard room with baddies.
The best part about ME1's side quest planets was rolling around in the Mako and looking up at the gorgeous skyboxes. The weirder and more alien the better.
Those were the moments where Mass Effect really felt like you were exploring a galaxy.
But if they lose the Mako in ME1, then they also have to redo just about every single planet. (Which, to be fair, ditto if they add it back in to 2 & 3.)
Virmire would be shorter with outdoor corridors more like ME:A. Therum likewise would have to basically be 1 new level as most of it is Mako. The parts on Ferros wouldn't be bad. I know folks really like the Mako missions but thinking back on all those parts, I can't help but think they could be way better without the driving and shooting bits and focused more on story and level design. They had some great ones in ME3 with the Geth ship and such. With a new engine, I can't help but think a dungeon dive on Therum could be really cool with puzzles and such vs just driving the Mako around.
For side quest planets unless they had a UNC mission, they could skip rendering the planet out and the focus on making the UNC missions more than a standard room with baddies.
The best part about ME1's side quest planets was rolling around in the Mako and looking up at the gorgeous skyboxes. The weirder and more alien the better.
Those were the moments where Mass Effect really felt like you were exploring a galaxy.
Plus finding the occasional random point of interest as you were bouncing across the map.
I think I’d take a mixed approach to updating Mako gameplay and bringing it to 2 and 3.
Sidequests specifically designed for it the way ME2’s side missions had crafted arenas. They could be linked to on foot missions the same way ME2 had linked missions.
Story missions would have both Mako and on foot sections like before, but more complex. If the Mako’s customizable, then its missions have to be deep enough to allow multiple approaches.
Have 4-6 open world settings, huge varied worlds for you to drive around and explore. Tie it into a subplot where Shepard helps establish colonies, with side quests to build/defend them. Could also be a way to better integrate the War Hero side quest and bring in Balak earlier.
I realized something this morning that bothers the shit out me.
So, the Normandy’s CIC is a “modified turian design,” since they like to observe the crew. Okay, that makes sense.
So why is the helm all the way at the end of the ship, as far from the captain as it can be and still be on the same ship?
But if they lose the Mako in ME1, then they also have to redo just about every single planet. (Which, to be fair, ditto if they add it back in to 2 & 3.)
Virmire would be shorter with outdoor corridors more like ME:A. Therum likewise would have to basically be 1 new level as most of it is Mako. The parts on Ferros wouldn't be bad. I know folks really like the Mako missions but thinking back on all those parts, I can't help but think they could be way better without the driving and shooting bits and focused more on story and level design. They had some great ones in ME3 with the Geth ship and such. With a new engine, I can't help but think a dungeon dive on Therum could be really cool with puzzles and such vs just driving the Mako around.
For side quest planets unless they had a UNC mission, they could skip rendering the planet out and the focus on making the UNC missions more than a standard room with baddies.
The best part about ME1's side quest planets was rolling around in the Mako and looking up at the gorgeous skyboxes. The weirder and more alien the better.
Those were the moments where Mass Effect really felt like you were exploring a galaxy.
I enjoyed the funny moments with the Mako at first but overall it was more annoying than anything. The skyboxes were nice, but we can get those on foot as well. Even the missions with the Mako really dropped the tension since I was in a tank. I think only the ilos part was semi difficult due to the timer and maybe fighting Thresher maws if I wasn't paying 100% attention.
But my point is not about how much we as players enjoyed them. More that if they are going to completely remake all 3 games in a modern engine, that putting all that work into the Mako sections that won't get used into ME2 or ME3, is something the upper management would need to weigh the cost of.
One of the best scene's in video gaming. Still gives me chills.
Leviathan DLC:
I liked the Leviathan DLC but I'm not sure there was any way to follow that up with the same level of intensity and awe. It definitely felt like they were working backwards and didn't really have a fleshed out reaper backstory and Leviathan was put together more following what they had on the reapers. Reapers look like cuttlefish, so the creators should be aquatic. They have indoctrination, so they should be similar.
I did like what they did, but I wonder if I would have liked it more if they just left the reapers shrouded in mystery. We don't know where they came from, only that they were tasked with balancing the galaxy.
One of the best scene's in video gaming. Still gives me chills.
Leviathan DLC:
I liked the Leviathan DLC but I'm not sure there was any way to follow that up with the same level of intensity and awe. It definitely felt like they were working backwards and didn't really have a fleshed out reaper backstory and Leviathan was put together more following what they had on the reapers. Reapers look like cuttlefish, so the creators should be aquatic. They have indoctrination, so they should be similar.
I did like what they did, but I wonder if I would have liked it more if they just left the reapers shrouded in mystery. We don't know where they came from, only that they were tasked with balancing the galaxy.
Leviathan
Yeah, I would’ve preferred no explanation. As Sovereign says, the Reapers simply are.
The setting/gameplay of Leviathan is really cool, but I hate that they turned Shepard into yet another chosen one. It doesn’t track with the relatively grounded universe—Mass Effect is a lot closer to Star Trek than Star Wars.
Worse, it diminished the companions. The trilogy is as much about Liara, Garrus, and Tali as it is about Shepard. Let them be important to the climax, too.
It’d be better if the difference between this cycle and all the rest was that there wasn’t a single dominant species instead of leaning into Great Man History.
One of the best scene's in video gaming. Still gives me chills.
Leviathan DLC:
I liked the Leviathan DLC but I'm not sure there was any way to follow that up with the same level of intensity and awe. It definitely felt like they were working backwards and didn't really have a fleshed out reaper backstory and Leviathan was put together more following what they had on the reapers. Reapers look like cuttlefish, so the creators should be aquatic. They have indoctrination, so they should be similar.
I did like what they did, but I wonder if I would have liked it more if they just left the reapers shrouded in mystery. We don't know where they came from, only that they were tasked with balancing the galaxy.
Leviathan
Yeah, I would’ve preferred no explanation. As Sovereign says, the Reapers simply are.
The setting/gameplay of Leviathan is really cool, but I hate that they turned Shepard into yet another chosen one. It doesn’t track with the relatively grounded universe—Mass Effect is a lot closer to Star Trek than Star Wars.
Worse, it diminished the companions. The trilogy is as much about Liara, Garrus, and Tali as it is about Shepard. Let them be important to the climax, too.
It’d be better if the difference between this cycle and all the rest was that there wasn’t a single dominant species instead of leaning into Great Man History.
Ending:
I certainly wouldn't mind an alternate ending that you could choose from in a remake. Starting with the assault on harbinger all the way to the end. Even if it's pretty basic like some of the youtube fan cuts or if they want to go hard into it.
I didn't like the final result stuff in Leviathan.
It seemed like we were just trading getting exterminated by giant robot cuttlefish for being mind controlled by giant organic cuttlefish.
I could be misremembering, but-
weren't the Leviathans like, absolutely terrified of what their rogue AI bot copies had become? I mean the vibe I got was that they couldn't risk spreading their influence too far as as that would reveal their hiding spot so they were content to manipulate a few squishies to keep them safe on that ocean planet.
Posts
Whittle a thresher maw down to a sliver then finish it off on foot.
Probably would have been easier trying it later than level 20, but y'know...prestige class.
I want a remake on the scale of REmake that combines all three into a seamless experience.
I want more Mass Effect.
Or on any of the current gen consoles!
The dreamer part of me has a side quest for Dad Ryder, via e-mail, but I'd take just a mention.
That'd be great, but I also don't think it's gonna happen. EA doesn't appear to be particularly interested in doing anything on the Switch.
They'd probably be gunshy anyway after that weird release of ME3 on the Wii U. Even if the Switch is a very different proposition.
Steam | XBL
It's still the 360 game though, right? I don't own an Xbox One so I'm not sure how it works.
Yeah, all three are. They benefit from decreased load times and for ME1 in particular a more stable framerate and less texture pop-in, at least on the One X, and 2 & 3 no longer need disc swaps, but they're still fundamentally the 360 games rather than upgraded or enhanced ports.
Also, if Microsoft's BC approach for the forthcoming Xbox Series X is what we think it is (i.e. everything BC on the One so far will be carried over as well as the One's own native library), they'll be playable on that too.
Steam | XBL
Frostbite probably doesn’t make that very easy, either.
It’s too bad that Mass Effect didn’t hit later in Microsoft’s backwards compatibility efforts. It would have been slick if they’d gotten resolution improvements like Final Fantasy XIII or Mirror’s Edge.
It's not exactly emulation, but yeah. IIRC, Mass Effect was in the first wave of Microsoft's BC releases, and they did indeed run pretty poorly. MS reevaluated their approach and updated those early games, but they didn't get quite as much attention as later titles. For example, they actually replaced all the cutscene videoes in Final Fantasy XIII with higher resolution versions, and added new lighting effects to Mirror's Edge, in addition to adding 4K rendering to both games. Mass Effect just got the default benefits of backwards compatibility; faster loading times, fewer FPS drops and slightly better texture filtering.
Ideally if they started a remake here once the PS5/XboxX is released, they could use that as a baseline. Hopefully use Unreal Engine 4/5 or something and model all 3 games after ME3 combat. I'd love to see ray tracing and such in the Normandy.
2. Vehicle customization. Retool the Mako like you would your gun, letting you spec it out for speed or durability or damage. Fully integrate the Hammerhead into ME2 and make it not suck. For ME3, let us control the Normandy itself and add in space/air battles.
And three for story
2. Add a way to recruit the Virmire Survivor in 2. Story-wise, it’d be pretty easy—the Alliance doesn’t trust Cerberus or you, but recognize they shouldn’t actively stop you, so they send the VS to keep an eye out.
3. More varied enemies in 3. As it stands, the binary Reaper/Cerberus fights can get a little boring. ME2 has 4 enemy types and they all fight differently enough to be interesting. My idea would be that instead of Cerberus pulling an entire military out of its ass, it hires the merc companies from 2. Then, over the course of the game, each company adds Reaper tech to their arsenal in unique ways.
There are other changes I’d like, but those would mean rewriting large parts of the trilogy. I think the ones above could go in without radically altering the existing story.
The concern with adding story stuff is getting the same voice actors and if they sound the same. Zaeed is a good example of someone who is no longer around. As much as I'd love more content to all 3, it would be really tough.
Mass Effect 1 in general is going to be tough enough to remake. Major decisions need to be made if it's going to adopt a similar combat system as ME3. Will the Mako even exist? It's only available in ME1 and that's a lot of work. If so, would they insert Mako sections to ME2/3? Would they replace the hammerhead in ME2? If it doesn't, I'd imagine they'd have to add more side missions to fill up some of the game time. Or fully flesh out all the UNC ones since they'll probably need to rework all the level's and design anyways.
And ME1 has loyalty missions of a sort. All your squaddies have a mission that's specific to them, which informs their character and gets mentioned going forward.
And then you get there and scan the planet from space and leave.
Lemmie land and fight alongside some Elcor warriors.
Virmire would be shorter with outdoor corridors more like ME:A. Therum likewise would have to basically be 1 new level as most of it is Mako. The parts on Ferros wouldn't be bad. I know folks really like the Mako missions but thinking back on all those parts, I can't help but think they could be way better without the driving and shooting bits and focused more on story and level design. They had some great ones in ME3 with the Geth ship and such. With a new engine, I can't help but think a dungeon dive on Therum could be really cool with puzzles and such vs just driving the Mako around.
For side quest planets unless they had a UNC mission, they could skip rendering the planet out and the focus on making the UNC missions more than a standard room with baddies.
I'd love this as well. I think new side missions that were focused on new NPC's and just had Shepard taking the lead conversation wise wouldn't be too bad. Mark Meer and Jen Hale are still doing work and could probably do some main character lines.
I'll be first in line if that happens.
PSN: Threeve703
Steam | XBL
Keep them, add dorky FemRyder to the mix somehow.
Sovereign's monotone mix of superiority, dismissiveness and malevolence is just fantastic.
Steam | XBL
The best part about ME1's side quest planets was rolling around in the Mako and looking up at the gorgeous skyboxes. The weirder and more alien the better.
Those were the moments where Mass Effect really felt like you were exploring a galaxy.
Plus finding the occasional random point of interest as you were bouncing across the map.
Story missions would have both Mako and on foot sections like before, but more complex. If the Mako’s customizable, then its missions have to be deep enough to allow multiple approaches.
Have 4-6 open world settings, huge varied worlds for you to drive around and explore. Tie it into a subplot where Shepard helps establish colonies, with side quests to build/defend them. Could also be a way to better integrate the War Hero side quest and bring in Balak earlier.
I realized something this morning that bothers the shit out me.
So, the Normandy’s CIC is a “modified turian design,” since they like to observe the crew. Okay, that makes sense.
So why is the helm all the way at the end of the ship, as far from the captain as it can be and still be on the same ship?
Same goes for those consoles in the neck.
I enjoyed the funny moments with the Mako at first but overall it was more annoying than anything. The skyboxes were nice, but we can get those on foot as well. Even the missions with the Mako really dropped the tension since I was in a tank. I think only the ilos part was semi difficult due to the timer and maybe fighting Thresher maws if I wasn't paying 100% attention.
But my point is not about how much we as players enjoyed them. More that if they are going to completely remake all 3 games in a modern engine, that putting all that work into the Mako sections that won't get used into ME2 or ME3, is something the upper management would need to weigh the cost of.
One of the best scene's in video gaming. Still gives me chills.
Leviathan DLC:
I did like what they did, but I wonder if I would have liked it more if they just left the reapers shrouded in mystery. We don't know where they came from, only that they were tasked with balancing the galaxy.
Leviathan
The setting/gameplay of Leviathan is really cool, but I hate that they turned Shepard into yet another chosen one. It doesn’t track with the relatively grounded universe—Mass Effect is a lot closer to Star Trek than Star Wars.
Worse, it diminished the companions. The trilogy is as much about Liara, Garrus, and Tali as it is about Shepard. Let them be important to the climax, too.
It’d be better if the difference between this cycle and all the rest was that there wasn’t a single dominant species instead of leaning into Great Man History.
Ending:
I could be misremembering, but-
Wud yoo laek to lern aboot meatz? Look here!