Is it worth playing the Mass Effect trilogy for the 1st time in 2024?

[kapisi]

ME 1 is enjoyable despite its many faults.
It tries to do many things, and fails at most.
The shooting is clunky, the cover mechanic sometimes feels suddenly forgotten (in some places there's no viable cover despite the game basically requiring it - you could argue this adds realism but it honestly feels more like oversight).
Or the cover is there but the UI glitches and you just CAN'T crouch under it.
Enemies sometimes get stuck under a box or something and do nothing.

The RPG elements are barebones, you can only play as Shepard after all.

The inventory couldn't have been messier if they tried.

The balance is all over the place.

The Mako sections can be infuriating and often the planets just feel empty.

Then again, sometimes you realize, they would feel exactly like that. They are planets, massive chunks of rocks and chemicals, as the database entries explain for each of them.
Every little portion of this game, even with its flaws, adds a little something to the whole.
As I said before, the atmosphere is absolutely nailed - and no, sorry, I won't just go listen to the score tracks on youtube. It's a great score, but it's linked to the game and its aesthetics. That's where it works.

I'm playing a modded Legendary Edition and all in all it's pleasant to visit those places again.
ME 2 has vastly superior gameplay (I had a lot of fun with that one, to be totally honest), so I don't mind too much if other aspects go a bit on the background.
In ME 1 you get in the mood, and in ME 2 you float things and shoot them.

Go to one of the uncharted worlds, exit Mako, slowly look around and listen to background ambient. Peak Mass Effect right there.

 

[Skinwalker]

I got to the hub that's controlled by blue space sluts, and while I still find the origins of this species to be highly sus (a gay writer deciding to have an all-female species of squid-headed nymphs who procreate with everyone else in the galaxy), I do appreciate that they put some effort into characterizing them as having different personalities (and colors? lots of purple and gray ones in this place, I thought they're all blue). It's not just slight variations on the same girlboss character. I can't believe I am praising Biowhore for not being woke.

Also, this game is way bigger than I thought.

 

[BruceVC]

I got to the hub that's controlled by blue space sluts, and while I still find the origins of this species to be highly sus (a gay writer deciding to have an all-female species of squid-headed nymphs who procreate with everyone else in the galaxy), I do appreciate that they put some effort into characterizing them as having different personalities (and colors? lots of purple and gray ones in this place, I thought they're all blue). It's not just slight variations on the same girlboss character. I can't believe I am praising Biowhore for not being woke.

Also, this game is way bigger than I thought.

Did you install the various Alien adult porn mods? You havent had the real ME experience until you do that

 

[Iucounu]

It's also impossible to overstate how impressive the graphics seemed back when the game was released.

seemed like photo realistic graphics at the time

Granted my current monitor is much bigger than what was available back then. But ME1 is nowhere near Crysis or Stalker Shadow of Chernobyl, that were also released that same year.

Crysis was a meme for a long time, and not much of an actual game. I think it's what you'd call a "tech demo."

I don't think Crysis has great art direction (unlike Stalker), but graphics quality (level of detail, lighting etc) seems way beyond ME1. Other than that Crysis is a solid shooter, with revolutionary physics for its time and simple but effective writing.

I'd argue that ME1's graphics upon release were considerably better than Stalker's. Especially considering human and alien facial animations (which still kind of hold up), atmospheric lighting, and environment diversity. Also its art direction was really good -- far better than the sequels -- which left a good impression. ME1 was a visually charismatic game upon release.

I might agree about facial animations (but aren't those only in cutscenes?). Your spaceship interior looks good as well, but most other locations are nothing special, neither in terms of graphics quality art direction or even imagination.

 

[Skinwalker]

Oh. A guy from a new kind of species I had never seen before joined my crew. A reptilian assassin with enormous eyes. I like him. Might be my favorite crew member. Why did they wait so long to let you unlock him?

Also, getting the Barrier ability for my Vanguard Shepard was a game-changer. Insanity just got a whole lot easier.

 

[Frozen]

Have you probed Uranus?

 

[Skinwalker]

Have you probed Uranus?

Yes. It was depleted.

 

[HumanMaleFighter]

Today I will remind them.

 

[Drakortha]

I just bought the Legendary edition a few days ago. I've never played 2 or 3, and I only played Mass Effect 1 back in 2007. So I didn't remember too much about it.

Just blasted my way through it the past 2 nights. Main story felt satisfying enough that I ignored mostly all of the side quests and characters, as I felt like it might mess up the pacing if I let myself get side tracked. I think my only mistake was doing Feros after Virmire. It was very anti-climatic and slowed the story down. I'm not sure if that was the correct order I was supposed to do the missions or I got it wrong.

Definitely got a lot of Halo vibes from some of the levels and story beats, too. I suspect the success of Halo 1 really influenced this game. Not that it's a bad thing. They wanted to make an RPG with a more satisfying gunplay. While it definitely feels dated it's not bad at all.

Onto Mass Effect 2 now and I completed the first mission. Massive improvement in visuals and gunplay already. Feels like they were granted a much bigger budget. I've read that the main storyline doesn't have as much urgency as the first game. So I might explore more of the side content in this one.

 

[Old Hans]

I just bought the Legendary edition a few days ago. I've never played 2 or 3, and I only played Mass Effect 1 back in 2007. So I didn't remember too much about it.

Just blasted my way through it the past 2 nights. Main story felt satisfying enough that I ignored mostly all of the side quests and characters, as I felt like it might mess up the pacing if I let myself get side tracked. I think my only mistake was doing Feros after Virmire. It was very anti-climatic and slowed the story down. I'm not sure if that was the correct order I was supposed to do the missions or I got it wrong.

Definitely got a lot of Halo vibes from some of the levels and story beats, too. I suspect the success of Halo 1 really influenced this game. Not that it's a bad thing. They wanted to make an RPG with a more satisfying gunplay. While it definitely feels dated it's not bad at all.

Onto Mass Effect 2 now and I completed the first mission. Massive improvement in visuals and gunplay already. Feels like they were granted a much bigger budget. I've read that the main storyline doesn't have as much urgency as the first game. So I might explore more of the side content in this one.

mass effect 2 is fun, but the story feels like one of those filler x-files episodes where Sully and Mulder are investigating werewolf sightings, and in the grand scheme of things, it's totally meaningless

 

[mastroego]

except fun is one of the main goals of playing
I maintain that ME1 and ME2, perhaps unintentionally, somewhat complete each other.
Can't say much about ME3 ATM, perhaps mods can help there

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

I don't remember anything about 2, but I do remember things about 3. Not all of them bad. In fact, I think I enjoyed 3 quite a lot, and found the whole thing about the ending to be exaggerated. I didn't even had dlcs. The ending makes sense for the story they were telling.

However 2 is basically a standalone game. There's more of 1, and even 1's DLC, in 3 than 2.

 

[Skinwalker]

I'm surprised I still haven't come across an interaction with an Elcor that goes something like this:

Elcor: (Deception) This chip will increase your biotics strength by 100%, human, for a million credits it's a real bargain.
Shepard: Wait, did you just identify your own sales pitch as a deception?
Elcor: (Desperate bluff) I take offense at these accusations, perhaps I shall take my business to the Eclipse mercs instead.
Shepard: You're really not doing yourself any favors.
Elcor: (Hopeless attempt at emotional manipulation) Please disregard the emotive prefix, my translator unit seems to be malfunctioning after my accident.
Shepard: Yeah, I think I'll be going now.
Elcor: (With profound despair) There's plenty of other potential customers, you just missed out big time, human.

 

[mastroego]

I took it they consciously added the qualifiers?

 

[Skinwalker]

I took it they consciously added the qualifiers?

In one of the shops at the Citadel, there's an Asari with her Elcor boyfriend (

) whose prefixes get more and more extravagant, until she accuses him of hacking his voice module.

Blue space slut: "Did you hack your voice module to put whichever qualifiers you want?!"
Elcor: "(With such profound sincerity that any doubt would be deeply insulting) No."

 

[The Decline]

I played through the legendary edition trilogy last year. I had played 1 and 2 before, but not 3. I didn't bother with the standard 3 and just used one of those overhaul mods. Wasn't bad.

 

[Nano]

It's also impossible to overstate how impressive the graphics seemed back when the game was released.

seemed like photo realistic graphics at the time

Granted my current monitor is much bigger than what was available back then. But ME1 is nowhere near Crysis or Stalker Shadow of Chernobyl, that were also released that same year.

Crysis was a meme for a long time, and not much of an actual game. I think it's what you'd call a "tech demo."

I'd argue that ME1's graphics upon release were considerably better than Stalker's. Especially considering human and alien facial animations (which still kind of hold up), atmospheric lighting, and environment diversity. Also its art direction was really good -- far better than the sequels -- which left a good impression. ME1 was a visually charismatic game upon release.

Obvious fanboy.

 

[Iucounu]

I took it they consciously added the qualifiers?

In one of the shops at the Citadel, there's an Asari with her Elcor boyfriend (

) whose prefixes get more and more extravagant, until she accuses him of hacking his voice module.

Blue space slut: "Did you hack your voice module to put whichever qualifiers you want?!"
Elcor: "(With such profound sincerity that any doubt would be deeply insulting) No."

I can't remember that Asari with Elcor boyfriend from the vanilla game, does it come from the remaster or a DLC?

 

[Skinwalker]

It's in ME2 from the Legendary Edition, that's all I know about it.

 

[Skinwalker]

The Shadow Broker quest was retarded. I can tell it's DLC by how disconnected it is from the main game. Waste of a good concept.

 

[Qarthadqart]

As far as mods go, I like the MassFPS mod for LE1.



There's a version for LE2 as well, but I haven't tried it.

 

[Old Hans]

playing through me3 now, and oh my goodness, this is the most atrocious quest log ever designed by humans

 

[Drakortha]

Played through 2, now onto 3. Combat gets even better.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

I can tell it's DLC by how disconnected it is from the main game. Waste of a good concept.

it promises unlimited power overwhelming through knowledge and blackmail, all it brings is a mail or two.

It's in ME2 from the Legendary Edition, that's all I know about it.

rather confident it's not in vanilla. probably they heard how well received was citadel dlc and tried to add some stupid stuff to all the other games.

 

[Iucounu]

It's in ME2 from the Legendary Edition, that's all I know about it.

rather confident it's not in vanilla. probably they heard how well received was citadel dlc and tried to add some stupid stuff to all the other games.

Replaying ME2 now, I only found one Asari trader at the Citadel (the one selling space hamsters). There's a large vacant space next to her, so I guess she's still single in the original game...