Mass Effect
 

I don't know if I've ever been as obsessed with something as I am with Mass Effect.

Has anyone here played them? If so, do you love them as much as I do? And if the answer to that is yes, are you even able to contain your excitement for Mass Effect 3? March is just too far away. I don't know if I'll make it.

I've never invested nearly as much time into a game (or even a series. I've definitely played ME more than I've played Pokemon or something) in my entire life. I've played through as every class on both games, and am currently playing through even more as the better classes but on harder difficulties and as a different heroic alignment. I just can't get enough of the universe. The atmosphere. The characters.

I'm officially obsessed.

It's okay dude (dudette?). I feel you. Having an intergalactic lesbian relationship with a bald alien chick is one of the highlights of my video gaming career. Unfortunately I traded in my 360 before II came out, so I've only played the first game. Whenever I get another 360 I'm gonna have to play through all three games.

:O ME2 is probably even better than ME1. There aren't many things that can compare to the feeling you get when going through the ME2 finale. You definitely need to gt your hands on a new 360 asap.

I`ve played ME1 and ME2 they`re good games but I`m definitely not obssessed with them either.

Personally I liked KOTOR better but to each his own I suppose.

This series is completely awesome. Played through it as a good Vanguard. So pumped for the next game.

And yes, ME1 doesn't even begin to compare with ME2. You need to get that game ASAP.

To be honest, Mass Effect bores me. Maybe I'm playing it wrong, but it's just not a very exciting RPG, coming from someone who likes both Sci Fi and RPGs. And the dialogue system is annoying to no end.

I like it, but I have no idea why. The story is just typical Bioware recycling based on standard sci-fi norms, the plot twists aren't as good as the people say they are, most of the characters are badly-made and unoriginal, and the gameplay's terrible in both games. But there's something that compels me to it, despite everything I hate about it. I think it's probably the deep relationships between the few good characters in the game and you (by me I mean FemShep, not ManShep).

Since you felt the need to specify, I'm gonna assume that you're actually a dude. But you do that too? I always make my character a chick in any game I play.

Yeah, I always make female characters when possible. I just think that strong female leads are better than strong male leads. Esecially so for FemShep, who's better than ManShep in pretty much every way except she can't have Miranda.

I know what you mean. I mean, I like having something nice to look at when traveling somewhere, but I also just like my female characters better for some reason.

Having female characters just seems odd to me in games like this for some reason.

I can play as bith genders with no trouble, but I like a bit of girl power sometimes. As long as they aren't just a sex object. I hate playing as a sex object.

I completed the original Mass Effect and loved it. I was playing through it again and went straight to Novaria and, for whatever reason, was unable to defeat Matriarch Benezia. I got tired of the constant cut scene and having to listen to her, so I just shelved it. I think I beat her first time on my original playthrough, so f'uck knows what that was about. Really great game, though.

I've not played ME2 yet though. Can't wait, and can't wait for ME3 either.

I definitely think Noveria should be the last place you go before the Virmire attack (in order: save Liara, take care of Feros, THEN Noveria).

I mean, the game still scales Benezia to your level so it's not like you can grind and get high above her, but you're still a lot stronger and have a lot more powers at your disposal that you can manipulate if you save it for last.

My stategy for dealing with Benezia involves shooting her with a very damaging weapon. A lot of powers aren't very useful on her (she was a preparation for the useless biotics of ME2, I guess) and once you can damage her, it's best to just shoot as quickly as possible, as she doesn't take a lot of effort to bring down considering her damage output, which is the last thing you want to be on the end of. I dunno, I never find Mass Effect's bosses to ever be difficult really. The only tough ones that spring to mind are Hock's gunship with Kasumi's mission (because it takes ****ing forever, and if you make one mistake you're back at the start) and maybe the final boss for Grunt's recruitment mission, because fighting a YMIR mech and respawning Krogan on Insanity is not nice.

The Praetorian is almost impossible in Insanity. How can you not mention that? o.O

The first fight, I mean. The second time is a little easier.

I've noticed with ME difficulty that it's either way too easy or ridiculously hard. For the Grunt recruitment boss on Veteran I literally just ran up to her and beat her to death without firing a single bullet (I was laughing really hard), and on Hardcore I could barely even finish the prologue in the first one.

Oh my bloody hell I completely forgot about that one. And the moment on the Derelict Reaper where you have to fight two Scions at once. And the moments where you have to fight Harbinger and Scions at the same time. Okay, I'll revise it:

-Insanity on ME1 isn't too dificult. The trick is to get as much money as you can early on in the game to hit the high mark and get Spectre weaponry. There's a few enemies that are an absolute pain to fight (Armatures take forever to kill) and the cover system's so awful that you have to be quick dispatching the weaker enemies, but as long as you know what you're doing you'll get through with plenty of time.

-ME2's Insanity system is easier in some ways (the lack of shield regen and rock-paper-scissors style barriers means that basic enemies are far simpler to deal with), and combat improvements such as cover in nearly every single battle and more offensive powers mean that with caution it's far easier to win. However, there are those moments where you are doomed to spend hours failing before getting lucky and scraping through a boss fighr with no ammo left. The Praetorians (I actually think the second one's harder because you have to fight more enemies alongside it and there's no circular cover) and select boss fights (the three YMIR mechs in Garrus' loyalty mission spring to mind) provide ridiculously difficult moments to complete. There's also less margin for error with enemies like Harbinger or biotics, as if they manage to get one hit on you, you're good as dead.

This is fairly accurate. Also, on Insanity, Husks are absolute nightmares. Enemies that shoot at you as cake, since the cover system is so easy to manipulate, but any enemy that approaches you (Husks, Abominations, the Praetorian), are just so difficult on ME2 Insanity.

That's why I hate Harbinger so much. He's one of the few enemies that tries to get close to you, but he also shoots you if you try and engage him. You just basically have to draw his fire and hope that your squadmates survive to spam Warp on him.

Anyway... Who romanced Liara? I'm not sure if alien love is taboo or not, but conwidering that she's a blue lady with tentacles for hair, she's pretty irresistable.

I thought almost everybody romanced Liara lol

Tali and Miranda are the most popular ones for ManSheps, and FemSheps are more often than not romancing Garrus and Liara. It depends really. The thing you notice about the romances in Mass Effect is that they all seem to appeal to an individual's preferences. Just to name a few, Miranda's the standard ridiculously attractive femme fatale, Tali's the jailbait cutesie-pie, Liara's the awkward smart girl, Kaiden's the good-natured hunk, Thane's the troubled poet and Jack's the punky BDSM girl.

My male Shepard fucked up the relationships in both games, but I am determined to get laid in the 3rd one. It's just like real life lolz

This upsets me though because I could see them adding a pregnancy to the story in the third one, but unfortunately I will be robbed of that experience if they do.

Well, in Mass Effect 1 anyway I'm pretty sure Liara is the most common. In ME2 it's definitely Miranda because, I mean, come on.

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That's why.

I went with Tali. Because she is the only one that I would even be vaguely interested in... in real life, that is. The others all have glaring personality defects and/or are raving lunatics.

Tali is fun, nice, and down to earth.

I just don't like the way Tali talks :X

I really hope they show us what Quarians look like in ME3. Or else I will always have to sit and wonder.

They'll never show us what Quarians look like. It's up to your imagination.

Wait a minute. Tali the Quarian chick? You can date her in the first one?

No, but you can in the 2nd one. In the first one you're limited to Ashley/Kaidan and Liara. In the second one, literally almost every major squad member (and even a non-squad member...Chambers) is romance-able. Yes, if you're a female, you can romance Garrus. I've done it. It was nice.

Sweet. I've always felt that video games needed to be more like cheap dating sims. I'll just send a quick shout out to Seasons of the Sakura.

lolz.

Also, Bioware is promising more relationship options in ME3. Maybe even same-sex stuff, but that will just be weird with all of my Sheps that have kind of established themselves as straight. Or maybe they can be bi. As I always say, the sky's the limit.

I want ManShep and Mordin romances. Actually, James Vega's probably gay, now that I think about it.

Well, I was thinking more along the lines of FemShep and Miranda.............

...................................amirite?

Honestly, I just wan Legion. Ah, the feel of its cold, dark steel in a dimly lit factory... Pure bliss.

...

What?

Oh god yes. Now that would be a romance worth pursuing.

Speaking of FemShep, anyone seen her updated face for ME3?

I don't think I have, actually. I'm fairly curious to check that out.

http://cdn.gamerant.com/wp-content/u...epard-Wins.jpg

She looks quite similar to Karen Gillan, who is my biggest crush of all time, so as you can guess, I'm happy.

Too many freckles. Eh.

So Jessica Chobot is being introduced as a new character in Mass Effect 3.

http://cache.g4tv.com/ImageDb3/29141...-character.jpg

She looks kind of like a wax sculpture of Snooki that's been left out in the sun.