Unofficial Mass Effect Thread, Someone had to do it Options

[Zarrexaij]

I'm sure many of you have heard of Mass Effect, a hybrid action RPG by Bioware. It obviously also has many science fiction aspects, taking place in the future and space. You take on the role as Commander Shepard, and can costumize your character's appearance, gender, and class. On your missions you can have two people with you, and your squad eventually grows to be about six people max. It has recieved an overhwelmingly large amount of positive reviews, many close to near-perfect. In my opinion, it has one of the best storylines of any game to date, and an original one to boot. I'll be damned if it doesn't end up with oodles of awards.

I rented this and I'm hoping to get it for Christmas. It's one of my favorite games, below Half-life and Half-life 2 (and the various episodes). Its dialogue is amazing, and it's a damned pretty game.

If we're going to discuss Mass Effect, I'll ask anyone to post in this thread to follow a rule or two:

1. If you're going to post a spoiler, please mark it well.
2. This thread isn't here to discuss the infamous sex scenes inappropriately (you know "LULZ THAT SECKS SCENE WUZ AWSUM!") I know you're all most mature than that, but from what I've seen in other forums this needs to be posted.

That's pretty much it for now. If I think of new rules or this thread requires more, I'll add some.

[Lord Revan]

Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many YouTube videos about Mass Effect are the same exact scene. Anyway, I'd give Mass Effect a 4.8 out of five overall. The series can really go far if Bioware can continue to deliver the next two games with equal amounts of quality.

I can give a more in-depth review later, but I've got school in the morning so I've got to go to sleep.

<<Add-On>>

Mass Effect has a great cast of characters and voice actors for them. [trying to avoid spoiling for now]

Spectres-

Commander Shepard: You can be male or female, your actions will affect humanity's relations with the other council races. You must stop Saren from finding a Prothean artifact known only as the Conduit, and discover the horrifying revelation about the Protheans and those who came before. [Male voice actor: /Female Voice Actor: Jennifer Hale]

Saren Arterius: A veteran Spectre agent, Saren is one of many aliens who believe humanity is expanding its influence and territory too quickly, taking over. Unfortunately, he's the only one of those aliens who can actually do something about it. The Geth are following his lead, though their goal is unclear, and there are also other figures backing Saren directly or indirectly. (You actually start to feel sorry for the misguided sod by the end.)

Party Members- (These are my prefered ones, most of them are alien.)

Garrus Vakarian- A turian C-sec (Citadel Security) officer who crosses paths with you while investigating your claims of Saren's treachery. He's head-strong, and dislikes C-Sec's insistant adherance to strict protocol and procedure (red-tape).
His skills are similar to those of an infiltrator, he can use assault rifles and sniper rifles with great skill. Garrus is likely to become a Spectre agent himself one day.

Liara T'Soni- Out of all the party conversations, I enjoy Liara's the most. Maybe it's because I sometimes have trouble talking to people, but Liara is one of the characters I can relate to the most (I haven't met my biological father or mother).
She's a scientist, but gameplay-wise Liara is the most powerful biotic in your group. She's the daughter of Matriarch Benezia, who is allied with Saren for unknown reasons.

Tali'Zora Nor'Rayya- A young Quarian woman, the best tech specialist in your party. Tali is currently on her Pilgrimage, her people's rite of passage into adulthood, which is why she is not with the Migrant Fleet with the rest of her people.
She comes to Citadel Station after tracking down a Geth unit and finding incriminating evidence against Saren. Tali puts her pilgrimage on hold in order to help you stop Saren from achieving his goals. Her father is a member of the Admiralty Board, a group who can exercise some power within the democratic Migrant Fleet.

Urdnot Wrex- One of the last of the Krogan Battlemasters, Wrex has given up hope that his racewill avoid extinction. The Krogan were neutered at the end of their rebellions against the Council, but their infirtility is not the real reason their dying out.
Wrex has some of the funniest dialog in the game, most of it is dry sarcasm but funny all the same. Wrex is originally sent to kill Fist, an agent of the enigmatic Shadow Broker whose turned on his master to help Saren.

Non-Player Characters (out of party)-

Ambassador Udina- The human representative on Citadel Station, he is a seasoned politician. His ambitions are for humanity not only to have a seat on the Council, but for a human to become a Spectre agent. He occassionally butts heads with the Council when they refuse to act on humanity's behalf.

Cpt. Anderson- CO of the SSV Normandy prior to Shepard's induction into the Spectres. He's a veteran from the First Contact War with the turians, and shares a mutual loathing of the Spectre Saren (whom he has a history with). Anderson is the only person outside of the Normandy who empathizes with and completely supports Shepard's endeavors against Saren and the Geth.

Joker- The helmsman of the SSV Normandy, your ship. Joker is by far the funniest character in the game, pretty much all of his lines cabn bring a smile to your face. His nickname was given to him by one of his flight instructors because he never smiled in academy.
He is the best at his juob in the entire Alliance Fleet, despite his condition, Vrolik's Syndrome (the bones in his legs are hollow and can snap if too much force is applied to them).

Matriarch Benezia- over 1,000 years old, Benezia is in the third stage in her life (the matriarch stage). As a matriarch, she is a mentor to her people. Asari matriarchs are among the most powerful individuals in the galaxy, and for whatever reasons (a hidden insight to Saren's plan paying off, or madness) she has allied herself and many of her followers with Saren and the Geth.

The Citadel Council- The central body of government for all who reside in Citadel Space. They do not wield aboslute power, racial governments still have authority over their respective people and territory, but when the Council makes decisions, they tend to have affect on the entirety of Council Space.

The Council has the interest of all races in mind, they refuse to make decisions on anything but solid proof. There is one representative from each Council Race, asari, turian, and salarian. Humanity, along with volus, elcor, and hanar make up the assosiate races, who have embassies and representatives to voice their interests to the council, but not a real position of power.
Each councilor represents his/her race's position in terms of galactic politics, the turians are the primary military force, salarians gather intelligence and forge alliances, and the asari act as mediators and diplomats.

Species-

Geth- Synthetic life-forms first created by the Quarians for cheap labor over three hundred years ago. Geth blur the line between organics and robots, they believe in a higher power, and are capable of limited thought. They can share brainpower by being in proximity of one another.
Geth became a danger when an anonymous unit apporached a Quarian overseer and began asking questions only a self-conscious being could think of (why am I here, what is my purpose?). The Quarians realized that the Geth could become a future threat.

In response, the Quarians began to detsroy their creations, but the Geth did not stand idly by to be terminated. The Council races intervened and the Geth were driven out but not destroyed. Though the Quarians had been an assosiate race for many generations, the Council stripped them of their embassy and condemned them for creating the Geth.
The Geth have "evolved" since then, from the humanoid Geth Troopers, to the agile Geth Hoppers, to the lumbering Armatures, they have become more dangerous than ever. Now, they are hostile to all organic life forms, but they have remained behind the viel for three hundred years, that won't last.....

Krogan- A reptilian race of powerful warriors. Early krogan history consisted of never-ending struggles between warring clanships. Their homeworld is locked in a state of nuclear winter in the aftermath of a global use of nuclear weapons.
The krogan are the toughest soldiers in the galaxy, resistant to extreme temperature, radiation, and more resiliant against physical damage. They were culturally up-lifted by the salarians, who convinced them to fight for the Council against the invading Rachni (hive-minded insectoid creatures with space-faring technology).
The krogans' rapid reproductive rate allowed them to fight back against the Rachni, but they didn't stop when they'd pushed them back, the Rachni were driven to extinction by the krogan. Afterwards, the krogan continued to expand (even taking over worlds that were held by their allies). The "Krogan Rebellions" lasted for centuries before the salarians found another species, the turians, to help them stop the krogan expansion.
The rebellions ended with the entire krogan population being almost completely sterilized (only 1 in 1,000 births is successful), now extinction seems inevitable, especially since no krogan would bother to find a cure when it's in their nature to fight, not solve-problems.

Turian- A raptor-like race of sentients, the turians are known for their determination and work ethic. They are organized into a military hierarchy, nearly every turian inlists into the military when they come of age. Turians don't maintain concepts like skirmishes or fiegns, total war is their style.
Because of their nature and military might, they make up the bulk of Citadel Space's defense fleet. For every single human dreadnaught built, three asari and five turian dreadnaughts are made. Turians believe in getting the job done comepletely, they will sacrifice hundreds in a rescue effort if one of their own is left behind.

[I'll add to this in the afternoon]

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Dec 4 2007, 03:15 AM

[Zarrexaij]

Oh, I would.

I'm hoping they do dialogue and romance better the second time around.

[milanius]

Post deleted for violating thread rules.

This post has been edited by milanius: Dec 7 2007, 11:55 AM

[Lord Revan]

You just had to quote that, didn't you? Anyway, I'm starting a Mass Effect fan-fiction starring Garrus, Tali and the geth, three years after Mass Effect. If anyone's interested, then check it out.

[milanius]

Post deleted for violating thread rules.

This post has been edited by milanius: Dec 7 2007, 11:55 AM

[Zarrexaij]

Umm, you haven't played it, so why are you talking about something you have absolutely no idea about?

I'm tired of KOTOR comparisons, too. It's not Star Wars, and before anyone says anything KOTOR2 was made by Obsidian, not Bioware.

This post has been edited by Zarrexaij: Dec 7 2007, 02:29 AM

[Lord Revan]

@Zarr- Yeah, I know, KOTOR 2 was alright, not addictive or particularly noteworthy.

@Milanius- In the game, the line is said more jokingly than literally. You say it as though, that's the only option you have at the time. I believe it was against the rules of the thread (which Zarr set down) to reference the sex scenes in anything but passing. The squad system in ME is more akin to SW: Republic Commando (and no, I won't begin comparing them because one's a FPS, squad-based tactical war game and the other is a premiere RPG with squad-based combat).

@Zarr- ME has the potential to equal or surpass the popularity (for the gaming community) for StarWars. It's a fresh new series, I wish people would stop critizing little details and just enjoy it.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Dec 7 2007, 02:47 AM

[Zarrexaij]

I'm just saying that because I see KOTOR2 vs Mass Effect comparisons ALL THE TIME at the Mass Effect forums. It's a bit maddening, especially with all the people going "Obsidian did that, not Bioware!"

Yeah. I never experience all the "game breaking glitches" a lot of people have complained about. It's a great game, but it isn't perfect. It just needs a little balancing (especially with the economy, sheesh) and a little more dialogue with better quality. But like I said, it's a great game. Like DnD in space, almost. That's what it felt like to me.

Except without the "Law vs Chaos" and "Good vs Evil" crap that comes with DnD. It's only acceptable in DnD.

This post has been edited by Zarrexaij: Dec 7 2007, 03:02 AM

[Lord Revan]

On those forums, I am Lt. Sev, Liara Fan and infiltrator enthusiast. Who are you?

[Zarrexaij]

I don't have an account over there. Well, I do, but I can't use it until I register a Mass Effect. I have to own Mass Effect before I do that.

[Lord Revan]

No, you can post in the non-spoiler (general discussion) forum. You have access to the spoiler forum, but you just can't post in it until you register.

[Renee]

I just ordered a Mass Effect Trilogy set from eBay!, and just wanted to bump this ancient thread so I can add my gaming impressions. Should get the set by Feb. 13. 🔫

It'll be interesting playing something than a totally open-world game. From what I understand ME is more linear, which is fine. It's been years since I played a linear game, but it'll be fun to try something different for a change. Plus, I've heard (and the OP states) that the story is supposed to be top-notch.

[ghastley]

It is always easier to create a top-notch story when the player can’t interfere with it. You may find your in-game choices restricted.

That doesn’t mean I played this one, just a general observation.

[Renee]

Mmhmm, that's what I've heard, too: More choices than Bethesda games, more consequences, but more limits to story, as well. It's fine. I've always been curious about Mass Effect.

Gotta think of a witty first name which goes with Shepherd. Amanda Shepherd? (A man to shepherd) yeah that might work.


This post has been edited by Renee: Feb 8 2023, 05:59 PM

[SubRosa]

I played the first ME game. It was ok. Nothing spectacular though. I tried the second game but could not get past the beginning, due to a choice they made in who the player is forced to work for. I never bothered with any more after that.

The gameplay is simple. So it is easy to play. You don't really have much in the way of choices. There is a good and a bad approach, and that is about it. I don't really remember there being a whole lot of difference between them, aside from whether you say nice things or mean ones. It is a lot like Knights of the Old Republic in that respect, which was also made by the same company: Bioware. So I think that is where they got that from.

It plays a lot like KOTOR or the old Neverwinter Nights 1 game, just with updated graphics. You start in what is essentially the tutorial dungeon. After that the world opens up a bit with four places you have to go. You pick the order, but you have to go to all of them regardless. Then you get the endgame which you are locked into. It is a standard format that Bioware always seems to use.

[Renee]

The gameplay is simple. So it is easy to play. You don't really have much in the way of choices. There is a good and a bad approach, and that is about it. I don't really remember there being a whole lot of difference between them, aside from whether you say nice things or mean ones.

Really? So I wonder why (in the old Beth forums) a number of gamers would drop in to tell how bad Bethesda is with story, choices, and consequences. "Beth needs to take lessons from Bioware" they would say.

I'm not saying I agree with this, I have no idea what a Bioware game is like. Just saying I remember all those comments. This is one of the reasons I want to try Mass Effect, just to see the differences. And get some perspective as well.

[SubRosa]

Morrowind had way more consequences due to your choices than any Bethesda game. You can literally break the main quest and be unable to finish it in Morrowind. The game lets you do that. You cannot do that in any Bioware game. They will not let you.

Even in Skyrim you usually (though not always) have choices. For example, you can join the Dark Brotherhood, or destroy it.

In a game like Knights of the Old Republic you have the choice to become a Jedi or Dark Jedi, based on if you do good things or evil ones. But the story and quests you do are all the same. It is only a question of whether you are doing it to make things better for everyone, or to serve your own selfish and cruel interests.

I have not played Mass Effect 1 in a long time, so I don't remember the differences between the good and evil routes. But I don't think there is really any change in the actual missions that take place, who you are working for or against, and the like.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

The choices in Mass Effect boil down to “do I want to be a hardass, victory at any cost and eliminate all threats kind of character, an ambassador for humanity that tries to get all of the races to work together kind of character, or a character that is somewhere in between?”. For instance, in the first Mass Effect, you can decide to either give a dangerous sentient species brought back from extinction by cloning a second chance and continue to live, or you can decide to make them extinct a second time. This seemingly small decision does have far reaching consequences that will be felt in ME3. There are other such decisions that have a ripple effect through the whole series as well.

Also, FemShep is best Shep.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Feb 8 2023, 10:35 PM

[Renee]

True. There are plenty of consequences in Beth games, not just Morrowind. Morrowind definitely gives the most free reign. No quest items, no Essential NPCs, and so on.

That's another game I might wanna try at some point: KOTOR. I bought Dragon Age long ago back in my PS3 days, but I remember not being able to get into it for some reason.

I'm definitely going to play a goodie in Mass Effect. Oooh this is gonna be fun!