EDIT - I forgot the downside: it resets that class's level. So my level 20 Quarian Infiltrator would go back to being level 1.
It's a little worse than that from what I've read. Promotion is done on the class level, not the character level. So if you have a level 12 Salarian Infiltrator when you choose to promote your level 20 Quarian Infiltrator, both will get knocked down to level 1.
Hang on...I thought all races shared the same class level. So, in your example, the Salarian Infiltrator would be level 20, just like the Quarian Infiltrator. Or, does that only apply if you unlock XP boosts in the Recruit, Veteran, Spectre packs?
| Origin/R*SC: Ein7919 | Battle.net: Erlkonig#1448 | XBL: Lexicanum | Steam: Der Erlkönig (the umlaut is important) |
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MongerI got the ham stink.Dallas, TXRegistered Userregular
The quality of the game is a double-edged sword, with regard to the ending.
Basically, it sets up expectations so high, builds so much momentum, that when it fails at the end, it's like crashing into a wall. ME3 is like skydiving and landing wrong; everything is exhilarating until you end up breaking your leg.
Honestly, that kind of comes and goes for the entire game. It's just most overt at the end.
Even if the vast majority of the game was fantastic, it felt like the general quality of writing was super erratic in a lot of places. The sidequest with the cameos from
Jacob and the dude from Overlord,
for example, had to have been placeholder dialogue, written by interns, or placeholder dialogue that was written by interns. That entire mission felt proof-of-concept. Like "This mission is integral to the overall experience, but we don't have time to do a final pass on it. Ship it." And then you talk to him on the Citadel afterwards and suddenly he speaks like himself instead of a cardboard cutout of himself, since Citadel dialogue is handled separately.
Midway through the story,
going for the Shroud on Tuchanka, it felt like the quality of dialogue nosedived as well. That only got saved by Hot Thresher Maw on Reaper Action and Mordin's death being written decently, even if that whole bit had some mildly nonsensical implications.
EDIT - I forgot the downside: it resets that class's level. So my level 20 Quarian Infiltrator would go back to being level 1.
It's a little worse than that from what I've read. Promotion is done on the class level, not the character level. So if you have a level 12 Salarian Infiltrator when you choose to promote your level 20 Quarian Infiltrator, both will get knocked down to level 1.
Every member of every class shares the same level, if you have a level 20 Engineer all your Engineers are level 20. There is no separation based on race.
Just finished, fantastic game but can see what people meant.
So was the the catalyst some avatar for an ancient civilization who themselves ascended?
Also the final paragon/renegade choice, did you have to have it maxed out? I must only have been a couple of points off. Does it change the scene much?
Game seemed to have a lot less convo choices dictated by morality this time round.
Overall though just brilliant. Tuchanka was amazing, as was Rannoch and Legion's death.
Also the post credits scene was just great by itself, Buzz is a legend.
Couple of questions about the series as a whole.
If Wrex dies or you don't pick him up in the first game does some other Krogan take his place?
Same with Garrus, if you miss him in the first game do you just not recognise him in the second game?
I've been thinking about the ending a lot, and I'm trying to articulate exactly why I consider it so poor without allowing nerdrage to take over. These are my thoughts so far...
Essentially, the last scene of the game is going to set the emotional context for the series as a whole. Because they succeeded so well at getting the player invested in the world, narrative and characters there is a lot riding on the emotional intent of the final scene.
So, just on a basic level, that final scene has to end on a character note, since that's where the game is strongest and the largest emotional payoff will take place. The Anderson/Shepherd bit is exactly this. But that sort of ambiguity probably didn't provide enough closure, by itself- we want an epilogue, where the choices and interactions made throughout the series are given their capstone.
So what emotion to portray? I'm going to divide what I've observed people suggesting into two basic categories- the triumphant hero and the heroic sacrifice. I.e., whether Shepherd lives or dies. There are variants involving the level of bleakness and sacrifice. The nice thing about the series is that it could have had multiple endings. Perhaps Renegade players got the heroic sacrifice, because someone so brutal and driven has no purpose outside of war. Maybe Paragon players got their triumphant homecoming and house-on-Rannoch-by-the-beach, because sometimes soldiers get to come home. Or the other way around- the Paragon sacrifices himself for the greater good, while the Renegade finds themselves surprised to have survived and left with a life to live thinking back on what they did. Or all of the above and more! My point is, the last scene is critical for resolving the emotions the player (hopefully) developed around Shepherd. It could have been happy or sad, bleak or hopeful, triumphant or exhausting.
So what does the ending actually provide? Mainly...confusion. And disappointment. The Synthesis ending most of all; the other two are less problematic. But we can talk about the endings in terms of the game universe logic until the end of time. That's not really the problem. The problem is that the emotional weight of the series builds to a climactic point at the very end...and that emotion isn't discharged into something related to the character. It's not happy or sad. It's related to a McGuffin that we don't care about, rather than the characters we do care about. It's confusing and kind of dumb. The ending should not have us asking any questions (why is Joker in FTL? What the hell is up with the mystery planet? Why can't synthetics and organics get along?) but instead sated and fat. That is not to say they couldn't leave loose ends- I would personally prefer to have never known the Reaper's motivations- but that the chief goal of the final scene had to be resolution, not confusion.
I think most of the more specific complaints are just symptoms of this basic problem- the emotional core of the ending doesn't resolve any of the emotions built up over three games. And it needed to end on a note like that.
I'd lime this, as it sums up a lot of what I've been thinking and feeling over the last few days since I beat the game.
I completed all 3 endings in game to get a feel for what I'd want to be my "canon" finale. I first chose the Control ending, but wasn't entirely enamored with the outcome. I die, TIM gets at least a nod towards being on the right track, and everything is fucked? No way. So then I played the Destroy finale. I live, but the Geth and EDI and all other synthetic life is wiped out as well? Fuck that. No. FUCK THAT. I enjoyed EDI and Joker way too much to accept that. Being exhausted and a little disappointed (as noted previously), I crashed, and then the next day came back and tried the third option. I die, but the Geth and EDI live on, the Reaper's bullshit is dealt with, and the cycle should theoretically be over? I.. don't love it, but I'll accept it.
So I guess what I'm saying is that I found the answer I disliked the least, and considering how much fun, humour, joy and exhilaration I've found in this series over the years, it feels like damning an otherwise exemplary work with faint praise.
Also, why the shit do I need to 'save Anderson' (as it were) to live with a 4k rating, but he has to die outright with a 5k rating?? The better I do in the war, the worse an ending I get? (and given how much emotional punch I felt the moments with Anderson and Shepard had, I'd consider having to let him die to TIM to survive a worse ending)
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
No, you don't need it maxed, but you do need to hit every persuasion in the game before, including on Thessia. If you make it, TIM pulls a Saren.
Yeah, it did, but I didn't notice until after.
Wreav takes Wrex's place if he dies; you have to pick him up, unlike Garrus, whom you know very vaguely from meeting him in the first game even if you don't let him on your squad (you can't miss him; if you bypass him, he'll eventually come up and ask to join you, though you can refuse).
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 99% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 97% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
Then you've failed in your job as a reviewer.
Games with a high priority placed on narrative should be judged as a whole. I mean, pick your analogy: Buying a perfectly serviceable car without any wheels. Having a world-class meal at a restaurant and then having the waiter punch you in the face for dessert.
Entertainment experiences have to be taken as a whole. I'm not saying you can't still like what's there, but I'm merely saying that you can't slice and dice your sentiments about the product and say 'well 97% of it was good'. Either it's all good or it's all bad. You judge something based upon the sum total of your feelings on each part.
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 99% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
Yeah, ME3 is 19/20ths an incredible game. One of my favorites of all time, and incredibly memorable. It's a love letter to both the characters and fans. It's just the ending - the last 5 minutes - that is disappointing, especially when compared to the rest of the game itself.
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 97% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
Then you've failed in your job as a reviewer.
Games with a high priority placed on narrative should be judged as a whole. I mean, pick your analogy: Buying a perfectly serviceable car without any wheels. Having a world-class meal at a restaurant and then having the waiter punch you in the face for dessert.
Entertainment experiences have to be taken as a whole. I'm not saying you can't still like what's there, but I'm merely saying that you can't slice and dice your sentiments about the product and say 'well 97% of it was good'. Either it's all good or it's all bad. You judge something based upon the sum total of your feelings on each part.
Baloney. A game, movie, or book can have a great plot and forgettable characters, or it can have a mediocre plot and great characters, or any number of combinations of various storytelling elements. A reviewer has an obligation to note the strengths and weaknesses of the product, not look at it as a homogeneous blend of everything. Any review of Mass Effect 3 should note the amazing moments on Palaven, Tuchanka, Thessia, and Rannoch; it should also note the craptastic ending.
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 97% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
Then you've failed in your job as a reviewer.
Games with a high priority placed on narrative should be judged as a whole. I mean, pick your analogy: Buying a perfectly serviceable car without any wheels. Having a world-class meal at a restaurant and then having the waiter punch you in the face for dessert.
Entertainment experiences have to be taken as a whole. I'm not saying you can't still like what's there, but I'm merely saying that you can't slice and dice your sentiments about the product and say 'well 97% of it was good'. Either it's all good or it's all bad. You judge something based upon the sum total of your feelings on each part.
99 percent of the game was mindblowing. 1% of the game was pretty good. So yeah, I'd give it a high score.
On a slightly different note...
Can we just ban talking about the ending like we did with discussing spoilers? Nobody's treading any new ground and it's incredibly circuitous and annoying. Nobody gives a shit about how you think the ending should have been, or some clever youtube link or meme about how the ending was bad. We get it. It's just a really annoying circlejerk. Take that shit to reddit.
Let's just put two spoilers in the OP that are just a paragraph each of why the ending was good or bad and all the arguments from each side. Then you can click the one you like and nod and say "yep" and then we can talk about why everything else was fucking mindblowing and amazing.
Except for the two of you fuckers who will post to say the OP doesn't take the actions you made in the thread into account and therefore it is the worst.
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 97% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
Then you've failed in your job as a reviewer.
Reviewers have different criteria for how they review things and people have different ways of enjoying things. Not everyone is going to be turned off by the ending to the degree some of the more vocal people on the net are. It didn't ruin the game for me personally and I still consider the game one of the best I've played. I would also recommend the game to anyone I knew, still.
While I might have approved of that ChaosHat, I think people have a great need to vent about the ending after they have seen it and I am not sure it is our place to deny them that. I know I did.
Yes we are treading the same ground over and over again, but that is inevitable with a game that came out this recently.
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 97% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
Then you've failed in your job as a reviewer.
Games with a high priority placed on narrative should be judged as a whole. I mean, pick your analogy: Buying a perfectly serviceable car without any wheels. Having a world-class meal at a restaurant and then having the waiter punch you in the face for dessert.
Entertainment experiences have to be taken as a whole. I'm not saying you can't still like what's there, but I'm merely saying that you can't slice and dice your sentiments about the product and say 'well 97% of it was good'. Either it's all good or it's all bad. You judge something based upon the sum total of your feelings on each part.
Baloney. A game, movie, or book can have a great plot and forgettable characters, or it can have a mediocre plot and great characters, or any number of combinations of various storytelling elements. A reviewer has an obligation to note the strengths and weaknesses of the product, not look at it as a homogeneous blend of everything. Any review of Mass Effect 3 should note the amazing moments on Palaven, Tuchanka, Thessia, and Rannoch; it should also note the craptastic ending.
That's.... exactly my point? I'm saying that you can't pick and choose what to talk about if you're trying to give a review. It should present the good and the bad, give opinions on both, and allow the reader to assess their importance.
When I don't have anyone else on, I typically just play Bronze, because it's super easy: it doesn't matter if my teammates suck, because the content's just not very difficult anymore. I never have to do use any of my consumables (in fact, I refuse to use consumables on Bronze), and I use it as an easy way to gather the credits I need for Spectre packs. It's slow-going, but really consistent. I have about 30 medi-gels, 40 missiles, and 50+ ammo and supply packages stockpiled at this point. That way, when I do play Silver and Gold with friends, I don't hesitate at all to use that shit. I know that I've got plenty stored away, you know?
Anyway, I've been leveling my Krogan Soldier back up to 20. I've purchased, I dunno, like 10 Spectre Packages, and I still haven't found any respec cards. Feels bad, man. On the last game I played this afternoon, I knew I'd be hitting level 20, as long as I finished the game with a full extraction. It was against the Geth, which is probably the hardest matchup for a Krogan Soldier (no real effective way of dealing with shields), and my entire squad of randoms just dropped the game midway through the first round. So it started over, and it was my Krogan Soldier (Urdnot GOML), against the Geth. "Fuck it," I said, "I can handle Bronze by myself."
And as it turns out, yeah; I can handle Bronze by myself. But it was way more challenging than I expected. I had 3 of those rounds where you have to crack the signals of like four transmitters around the map. That's ... surprisingly hard to do as a guy who can't cloak. I had to run all the Pyros and Primes around to the other side of the map, then charge all the way back to channel.
Felt pretty good, anyway. Good, memorable way to hit level 20. For the second time.
ChaosHatHop, hop, hop, HA!Trick of the lightRegistered Userregular
It's just like the DLC squadmate levels of bad. We discuss it. Everyone puts their opinions out there and then we realize that there's no way to change people's mind so we get to a kind of truce between the sides, like a couple pages ago when they were talking about looking at the ending at opposite sides of the same coin. And then someone else beats it and it starts over.
Basically, we're in need of Shepard to break this cycle.
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Mr FuzmsAuckland, New ZealandRegistered Userregular
edited March 2012
on a somewhat lighter note, concerning the setting for the ending/ending itself
I like how beyond the establishing shot of Parliament/the Thames the only real way you can tell you're fighting in London is the odd red phone box here and there. Speaking as a Londoner myself, I love the idea that 200 years or whatever into the future we're still using those things.
Also it reminded me of that bit in Austin Powers when they're driving down a sunny road periodically passing a red phone box, and he says something like "You know what's remarkable? That England looks in no way like Southern California!"
And am I the only one who gets some guilty pleasure out of seeing Parliament get obliterated in the "you sucked" version of the ending?
So what kind of spinoffs can we expect in the future? Or do you think Bioware would be okay with letting the
Mass Effect franchise (The setting/history etc) end with this title??
They're totally not done. I'm pretty sure they've already implied an ME4. They can do a direct sequel since the ending paves the way for that, or do something a few hundred years out and let the chaos settle. It'll be really interesting.
It's just like the DLC squadmate levels of bad. We discuss it. Everyone puts their opinions out there and then we realize that there's no way to change people's mind so we get to a kind of truce between the sides, like a couple pages ago when they were talking about looking at the ending at opposite sides of the same coin. And then someone else beats it and it starts over.
Basically, we're in need of Shepard to break this cycle.
Being cyclical is pretty much the nature of the Mass Effect thread. It's gonna take time for people to want to talk about anything else and it's not really hindering any other discussion as far as I can tell (people are still talking about MP, other points in the game). The ending is just the issue of the day right now, and will be until the furor dies away (no idea when that will happen) or Bioware says something about it (change it, defend it, etc)
Ethereal on
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ChaosHatHop, hop, hop, HA!Trick of the lightRegistered Userregular
Maybe you can talk about the ending, but then you have to spend an equal number of words also talking about something you liked about the game.
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 97% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
Then you've failed in your job as a reviewer.
Games with a high priority placed on narrative should be judged as a whole. I mean, pick your analogy: Buying a perfectly serviceable car without any wheels. Having a world-class meal at a restaurant and then having the waiter punch you in the face for dessert.
Entertainment experiences have to be taken as a whole. I'm not saying you can't still like what's there, but I'm merely saying that you can't slice and dice your sentiments about the product and say 'well 97% of it was good'. Either it's all good or it's all bad. You judge something based upon the sum total of your feelings on each part.
99 percent of the game was mindblowing. 1% of the game was pretty good. So yeah, I'd give it a high score.
On a slightly different note...
Can we just ban talking about the ending like we did with discussing spoilers? Nobody's treading any new ground and it's incredibly circuitous and annoying. Nobody gives a shit about how you think the ending should have been, or some clever youtube link or meme about how the ending was bad. We get it. It's just a really annoying circlejerk. Take that shit to reddit.
Let's just put two spoilers in the OP that are just a paragraph each of why the ending was good or bad and all the arguments from each side. Then you can click the one you like and nod and say "yep" and then we can talk about why everything else was fucking mindblowing and amazing.
Except for the two of you fuckers who will post to say the OP doesn't take the actions you made in the thread into account and therefore it is the worst.
I dunno man, the Gurren Lagann edit was definitely worth watching. Some of the jokes being made are fantastic and worth the mild grumbling and honestly this board has been astoundingly civil about the whole affair. We've done our fair share of griping but it's stayed calm and there have been some really good discussions. It's basically the complete opposite of all the DLC whining.
We're at the point where most everyone is finishing up their playthroughs and as they wrap them up they're all going to want to talk about it. I don't see an issue as long as it stays as more or less intelligent as it has been.
TOGSolid on
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
So what kind of spinoffs can we expect in the future? Or do you think Bioware would be okay with letting the
Mass Effect franchise (The setting/history etc) end with this title??
At the very least I want a tabletop RPG.
Esspecially now that there's no more Star Wars, there's a destinct lack of space opera. Also, you could play it as medium-SciFi as well (not Hard SciFi since there is space magic).
So what kind of spinoffs can we expect in the future? Or do you think Bioware would be okay with letting the
Mass Effect franchise (The setting/history etc) end with this title??
At the very least I want a tabletop RPG.
Esspecially now that there's no more Star Wars, there's a destinct lack of space opera. Also, you could play it as medium-SciFi as well (not Hard SciFi since there is space magic).
I'd love a tabletop game. The Dragon Age RPG is not bad, I can see the same system being modified to do a good job with Mass Effect.
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ChaosHatHop, hop, hop, HA!Trick of the lightRegistered Userregular
ending but if I was a reviewer I would still give the game a very high score because 97% of the game was totally amazing. A lacklustre ending is a sour thing to deal with but everything up until that point was really, really good.
Then you've failed in your job as a reviewer.
Games with a high priority placed on narrative should be judged as a whole. I mean, pick your analogy: Buying a perfectly serviceable car without any wheels. Having a world-class meal at a restaurant and then having the waiter punch you in the face for dessert.
Entertainment experiences have to be taken as a whole. I'm not saying you can't still like what's there, but I'm merely saying that you can't slice and dice your sentiments about the product and say 'well 97% of it was good'. Either it's all good or it's all bad. You judge something based upon the sum total of your feelings on each part.
99 percent of the game was mindblowing. 1% of the game was pretty good. So yeah, I'd give it a high score.
On a slightly different note...
Can we just ban talking about the ending like we did with discussing spoilers? Nobody's treading any new ground and it's incredibly circuitous and annoying. Nobody gives a shit about how you think the ending should have been, or some clever youtube link or meme about how the ending was bad. We get it. It's just a really annoying circlejerk. Take that shit to reddit.
Let's just put two spoilers in the OP that are just a paragraph each of why the ending was good or bad and all the arguments from each side. Then you can click the one you like and nod and say "yep" and then we can talk about why everything else was fucking mindblowing and amazing.
Except for the two of you fuckers who will post to say the OP doesn't take the actions you made in the thread into account and therefore it is the worst.
I dunno man, the Gurren Lagann edit was definitely worth watching. Some of the jokes being made are fantastic and worth the mild grumbling and honestly this board has been astoundingly civil about the whole affair. We've done our fair share of griping but it's stayed calm and there have been some really good discussions. It's basically the complete opposite of all the DLC whining.
We're at the point where most everyone is finishing up their playthroughs and as they wrap them up they're all going to want to talk about it. I don't see an issue as long as it stays as more or less intelligent as it has been.
Don't get me wrong, it is very civil relative to other places, it's just boring. =/ It would be interesting if there were at least new points to talk about, but it's just all the same thing.
Just finished, fantastic game but can see what people meant.
So was the the catalyst some avatar for an ancient civilization who themselves ascended?
Also the final paragon/renegade choice, did you have to have it maxed out? I must only have been a couple of points off. Does it change the scene much?
Game seemed to have a lot less convo choices dictated by morality this time round.
Overall though just brilliant. Tuchanka was amazing, as was Rannoch and Legion's death.
Also the post credits scene was just great by itself, Buzz is a legend.
Couple of questions about the series as a whole.
If Wrex dies or you don't pick him up in the first game does some other Krogan take his place?
Same with Garrus, if you miss him in the first game do you just not recognise him in the second game?
Wreav is in charge of the Krogan if Wrex is dead and I don't know about the second question.
So what kind of spinoffs can we expect in the future? Or do you think Bioware would be okay with letting the
Mass Effect franchise (The setting/history etc) end with this title??
I really want a Mass Effect game that doesn't focus on some major galactic threat (a la Reapers). It would be awesome to have a game where you could explore some of the political intrigue. I'd adore an Origins style game (pick your species) and come at it from a non-human perspective since we've already been bombarded with being the new kid on the block through playing Shepard.
I like Turian soldier is my second favorite class now outside of vanguard. Still can decide between the Sabre or the Revenant. Leaning more toward the Sabre though, thing is like a freaking sniper rifle without the tunnel vision.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
And as soon as I finished the game and digested the ending the first thing that came to mind was, man the internet is going to be divided on that. But overall I enjoyed it.
I do have a question though. The burst destroyed the relays and the AI's and such, but the video made it seem like Earth was being scorched. And lots of Reapers were falling from the sky and blowing up. With no advanced A.I. and machines and such to help cleanup, I feel like Humans are still kind of fucked.
And I'm not sure if its because I kind of rushed and was only 70%ish done with the war effort, but the normandy is flying while out running the explosion, then I see it on some planet (which planet?) and the door slightly ajars.
Am I supposed to think Joker lived?
I think I may pick up From Ashes and start my Renegade/ thorough playthrough in a week or so.
So what kind of spinoffs can we expect in the future? Or do you think Bioware would be okay with letting the
Mass Effect franchise (The setting/history etc) end with this title??
They're totally not done. I'm pretty sure they've already implied an ME4. They can do a direct sequel since the ending paves the way for that, or do something a few hundred years out and let the chaos settle. It'll be really interesting.
Which ending, though?
I mean, one ending culminates with the life of the entire galaxy transforming into a never-before-seen perfect lifeform. How do you even make a sequel/spinoff to that? In one ending Shepard actually lives instead of dies etc.
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NocrenLt Futz, Back in ActionNorth CarolinaRegistered Userregular
So what kind of spinoffs can we expect in the future? Or do you think Bioware would be okay with letting the
Mass Effect franchise (The setting/history etc) end with this title??
At the very least I want a tabletop RPG.
Esspecially now that there's no more Star Wars, there's a destinct lack of space opera. Also, you could play it as medium-SciFi as well (not Hard SciFi since there is space magic).
I'd love a tabletop game. The Dragon Age RPG is not bad, I can see the same system being modified to do a good job with Mass Effect.
Glad to hear about the DA Rpg. Ever since I saw it I was curious about it.
I'd like for the reason I expressed earlier: giving players the tools to play in a universe that built. With just these 3 games, even with their codexes, we can really only scratch the surface of what can be offered.
Posts
Hang on...I thought all races shared the same class level. So, in your example, the Salarian Infiltrator would be level 20, just like the Quarian Infiltrator. Or, does that only apply if you unlock XP boosts in the Recruit, Veteran, Spectre packs?
Even if the vast majority of the game was fantastic, it felt like the general quality of writing was super erratic in a lot of places. The sidequest with the cameos from
Midway through the story,
Just kind of all over the place.
All right, people. It is not a gerbil. It is not a hamster. It is not a guinea pig. It is a death rabbit. Death. Rabbit. Say it with me, now.
Every member of every class shares the same level, if you have a level 20 Engineer all your Engineers are level 20. There is no separation based on race.
A space wizard did it.
Also the final paragon/renegade choice, did you have to have it maxed out? I must only have been a couple of points off. Does it change the scene much?
Game seemed to have a lot less convo choices dictated by morality this time round.
Overall though just brilliant. Tuchanka was amazing, as was Rannoch and Legion's death.
Also the post credits scene was just great by itself, Buzz is a legend.
Couple of questions about the series as a whole.
Same with Garrus, if you miss him in the first game do you just not recognise him in the second game?
{Twitter, Everybody's doing it. }{Writing and Story Blog}
I'd lime this, as it sums up a lot of what I've been thinking and feeling over the last few days since I beat the game.
So I guess what I'm saying is that I found the answer I disliked the least, and considering how much fun, humour, joy and exhilaration I've found in this series over the years, it feels like damning an otherwise exemplary work with faint praise.
Also, why the shit do I need to 'save Anderson' (as it were) to live with a 4k rating, but he has to die outright with a 5k rating?? The better I do in the war, the worse an ending I get? (and given how much emotional punch I felt the moments with Anderson and Shepard had, I'd consider having to let him die to TIM to survive a worse ending)
No, you don't need it maxed, but you do need to hit every persuasion in the game before, including on Thessia. If you make it, TIM pulls a Saren.
Yeah, it did, but I didn't notice until after.
Wreav takes Wrex's place if he dies; you have to pick him up, unlike Garrus, whom you know very vaguely from meeting him in the first game even if you don't let him on your squad (you can't miss him; if you bypass him, he'll eventually come up and ask to join you, though you can refuse).
Because that is basically the only difference.
Does this mean the ending sucks then? Cuz.. you know, Kotaku :P
Then you've failed in your job as a reviewer.
Games with a high priority placed on narrative should be judged as a whole. I mean, pick your analogy: Buying a perfectly serviceable car without any wheels. Having a world-class meal at a restaurant and then having the waiter punch you in the face for dessert.
Entertainment experiences have to be taken as a whole. I'm not saying you can't still like what's there, but I'm merely saying that you can't slice and dice your sentiments about the product and say 'well 97% of it was good'. Either it's all good or it's all bad. You judge something based upon the sum total of your feelings on each part.
Yeah, ME3 is 19/20ths an incredible game. One of my favorites of all time, and incredibly memorable. It's a love letter to both the characters and fans. It's just the ending - the last 5 minutes - that is disappointing, especially when compared to the rest of the game itself.
99 percent of the game was mindblowing. 1% of the game was pretty good. So yeah, I'd give it a high score.
On a slightly different note...
Can we just ban talking about the ending like we did with discussing spoilers? Nobody's treading any new ground and it's incredibly circuitous and annoying. Nobody gives a shit about how you think the ending should have been, or some clever youtube link or meme about how the ending was bad. We get it. It's just a really annoying circlejerk. Take that shit to reddit.
Let's just put two spoilers in the OP that are just a paragraph each of why the ending was good or bad and all the arguments from each side. Then you can click the one you like and nod and say "yep" and then we can talk about why everything else was fucking mindblowing and amazing.
Except for the two of you fuckers who will post to say the OP doesn't take the actions you made in the thread into account and therefore it is the worst.
Yes we are treading the same ground over and over again, but that is inevitable with a game that came out this recently.
That's.... exactly my point? I'm saying that you can't pick and choose what to talk about if you're trying to give a review. It should present the good and the bad, give opinions on both, and allow the reader to assess their importance.
Anyway, I've been leveling my Krogan Soldier back up to 20. I've purchased, I dunno, like 10 Spectre Packages, and I still haven't found any respec cards. Feels bad, man. On the last game I played this afternoon, I knew I'd be hitting level 20, as long as I finished the game with a full extraction. It was against the Geth, which is probably the hardest matchup for a Krogan Soldier (no real effective way of dealing with shields), and my entire squad of randoms just dropped the game midway through the first round. So it started over, and it was my Krogan Soldier (Urdnot GOML), against the Geth. "Fuck it," I said, "I can handle Bronze by myself."
And as it turns out, yeah; I can handle Bronze by myself. But it was way more challenging than I expected. I had 3 of those rounds where you have to crack the signals of like four transmitters around the map. That's ... surprisingly hard to do as a guy who can't cloak. I had to run all the Pyros and Primes around to the other side of the map, then charge all the way back to channel.
Felt pretty good, anyway. Good, memorable way to hit level 20. For the second time.
Basically, we're in need of Shepard to break this cycle.
Also it reminded me of that bit in Austin Powers when they're driving down a sunny road periodically passing a red phone box, and he says something like "You know what's remarkable? That England looks in no way like Southern California!"
And am I the only one who gets some guilty pleasure out of seeing Parliament get obliterated in the "you sucked" version of the ending?
Being cyclical is pretty much the nature of the Mass Effect thread. It's gonna take time for people to want to talk about anything else and it's not really hindering any other discussion as far as I can tell (people are still talking about MP, other points in the game). The ending is just the issue of the day right now, and will be until the furor dies away (no idea when that will happen) or Bioware says something about it (change it, defend it, etc)
I dunno man, the Gurren Lagann edit was definitely worth watching. Some of the jokes being made are fantastic and worth the mild grumbling and honestly this board has been astoundingly civil about the whole affair. We've done our fair share of griping but it's stayed calm and there have been some really good discussions. It's basically the complete opposite of all the DLC whining.
We're at the point where most everyone is finishing up their playthroughs and as they wrap them up they're all going to want to talk about it. I don't see an issue as long as it stays as more or less intelligent as it has been.
At the very least I want a tabletop RPG.
Esspecially now that there's no more Star Wars, there's a destinct lack of space opera. Also, you could play it as medium-SciFi as well (not Hard SciFi since there is space magic).
I'd love a tabletop game. The Dragon Age RPG is not bad, I can see the same system being modified to do a good job with Mass Effect.
Don't get me wrong, it is very civil relative to other places, it's just boring. =/ It would be interesting if there were at least new points to talk about, but it's just all the same thing.
I dunno, maybe I just think it's boring.
I really want a Mass Effect game that doesn't focus on some major galactic threat (a la Reapers). It would be awesome to have a game where you could explore some of the political intrigue. I'd adore an Origins style game (pick your species) and come at it from a non-human perspective since we've already been bombarded with being the new kid on the block through playing Shepard.
I like Turian soldier is my second favorite class now outside of vanguard. Still can decide between the Sabre or the Revenant. Leaning more toward the Sabre though, thing is like a freaking sniper rifle without the tunnel vision.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
And as soon as I finished the game and digested the ending the first thing that came to mind was, man the internet is going to be divided on that. But overall I enjoyed it.
And I'm not sure if its because I kind of rushed and was only 70%ish done with the war effort, but the normandy is flying while out running the explosion, then I see it on some planet (which planet?) and the door slightly ajars.
Am I supposed to think Joker lived?
I think I may pick up From Ashes and start my Renegade/ thorough playthrough in a week or so.
Glad to hear about the DA Rpg. Ever since I saw it I was curious about it.
I'd like for the reason I expressed earlier: giving players the tools to play in a universe that built. With just these 3 games, even with their codexes, we can really only scratch the surface of what can be offered.
And I wanna ride an Elcor into battle.