Posted November 22, 2007 It's very absorbing, i really like it! Played it for about 2 and half hours before realising what the time was! Graphically nice as well, not outstanding but very clean and clynical in places. The story is great though and the combat is nice and easy to control as well. Picking your facial features etc..was excellent. Very impressed so far, hopefully it won't drag on much later though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2007 Its good ... gonna take awhile to get used to allllll the menus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2007 Rob Rob Rob when will you ever learn huh?!? Chris you dont understand. shopto.net was my first port of call until it said there were no more pre-orders on the limited edition. you know there importance to me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 22, 2007 I'd have cancelled the order an bought the game down town tomorrow. The web ain't much (if any) cheaper than Tesco/Sainsburys. I've picked up Halo 3, Assassin's Creed and Orange Box from Sainsburys for cheaper than any of you bought them off the web for (Halo 3 and Assassin's Creed were £34.99, Orange Box was £24.99, i got em cheaper than that due to 15% staff discount). Admittedly they don't do the Limited Editions, but surely Gamestation ain't that much more for them than the web? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 It's all a bit solemn and slow at the moment, not much spectacle. Hopefully it's just building atmosphere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 It's all a bit solemn and slow at the moment, not much spectacle. Hopefully it's just building atmosphere. I believe it is. Well i hope so.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 I'm stuuuuuck! Anyway, the game is awesome. I thought the menus would be really annoying but they're not. I'm confused about one or two things (like how sometimes a random purple shield will glow around me), but I'm sure a bit of play time will sort that out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 I've had this since yesterday, didn't play it yesterday though, played SMG and Mario & Sonic instead, started it today, first impressions are good and it's a game I'll probably play on and off inbetween other releases. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 I gave in a bought this...naught me. A couple things annoy me from 45 minutes of play. Sometimes I have no idea how I lost health. (Does the controller even rumble?) Textures not loading quick enough. (Kind of annoying, destroys the immersion a bit) The shading on the faces is a bit crap sometimes. (No biggie) The cover system isn't fluid enough. (i.e. I don't want to manually crouch to hide behind a low wall) Most importantly, after playing Assassin's Creed, Commander Shepherd has the campest walk I have ever seen!! (Seriously, everyone should walk a bit like Altair) I love the dialogue system and I'm already loving the story, especially after reading the novel!! Sarin is just as nasty as I imagined!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 Most importantly, after playing Assassin's Creed, Commander Shepherd has the campest walk I have ever seen!! I agree with all except this. Then again my Commander Sheperd is female. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 I think I'll have to get this for Christmas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 I've just finished a seven hour or so play session. It's good. Very good. The technical quibbles (loading textures, load hang ups and what not) are minor distractions at worst and much of the time are blink-and-you-miss-it-events. Some of the details of the story are a little hard to follow at first, but just go with the flow and you'll be right up to speed by the time you first leave port. The in-game codex of course is there if you want it, in all it's fully narrated glory. The story so far is fun and involving with just the right amount of cheese on top and the characters involved are all genuinely and very effectively portrayed. The voice acting is simply superb (Marina Sirtis not withstanding) and even minor characters are fascinating to interact with. Visually it's an absolute feast. From the pristine white corridors of the citadel to the blasted, lava choked wasteland of an alien planet, the sheer scope of it all is impressive. Planet exploration levels stretch for miles, and station bazaars and ports are teaming with a variety of colourful species and characters. I think it's a testament to the game that I spent at least five hours simply playing through the story and side quests on the citadel, exploring and interacting with other characters, and the only dull moment was when I forgot where the docking port was once I was done. The combat is a bit of an oddity, being what feels like an unlikely marriage between the Ghost Recon and Final Fantasy combat systems. As soon as you understand it though, it feels like the most natural thing in the world. Pick your party wisely, keep a cool head, remember to use the full range of your abilities, and you can easily overcome any given combat situation. I will say that the AI is a little off, sometimes blasting the same rock they shelter behind for example, but generally your party proves that it isn't just there to make up the numbers. Summing up initial impressions, while Mass Effect isn't completely perfect, it's vast scope and ambition unfolding before me is a spectacle I simply haven't seen before on any medium or platform. The technical foibles may slightly annoy some, but those won't stop you even slightly from enjoying the full glory of this space epic. Blue boobies here I come! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 Is it possible to go back to your ship after landing on a planet, or changing your party members? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 23, 2007 Is it possible to go back to your ship after landing on a planet, or changing your party members? To get back to your ship while on a planet, go to the map screen and hit the X button. You can redeploy with a different party line-up from there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 In the demo videos couldn't you pause the combat and tell your people where to go?? Can you still do that? If so how?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 I was wondering that, too... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 I was wondering that, too... Yeah, its driving me a bit mad cos the combat is a bit too hectic sometimes... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 I know what you mean, I haven't found that system to exactly place your guys. The video that showed that is more then a year old, I can only assume they cut it. If you just tell them to take cover behind stuff in real time, they'll keep themselves pretty safe. Just remember to keep hitting and holding RB - gives you thinking space as you activate your next round of abilities. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 I keep losing health really quickly....and dying...Can someone give me some tips on health and armor and stuff?! I'm a Vanguard if that helps. Also how do I train myself to use a lancer?? Edit: The combat is awful. The auto save points are set in horrendous places. I'm really hating the combat. Its alright when you are in a corridor but as soon as you are pinned down you are f*cked. I really wish they had kept that pause/team placement thing. I'm loving and hating this at the moment... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 Is Nilus supposed to die by the way? Lol. Or was I too slow and let him die? I can't see him not dying because the story after involves you trying to get evidence against Saren. But... Oh I dunno. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 Is Nilus supposed to die by the way? Lol. Or was I too slow and let him die? I can't see him not dying because the story after involves you trying to get evidence against Saren. But... Oh I dunno. Yes, there's nothing you can do to save him. Once you get the evidence you need and convince the council, you're promoted to Spectre to go after him. I keep losing health really quickly....and dying...Can someone give me some tips on health and armor and stuff?! I'm a Vanguard if that helps. Also how do I train myself to use a lancer?? My advice is to hit cover straight away, then you can shoot over and around what you're sheltered behind, nipping out to take quick shots and returning before the enemy can target you. As a general tip, remember that this still fundamentally an RPG you're playing. If you don't make sure that you and your team are equipped with the best skills, armour and weapons you have, things are going to get tough. Taking time out to pick the best possible upgrades and supplements for each piece of equipment could make the difference. As a Vanguard, you can't train with Assault Rifles, just pistols and shotguns, alongside your biotic abilities. No matter what class you go, you'll have to utilise your full arsenal to survive many encounters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 Yeah I got past your mild spoiler... I still just found it strange. Anyway, I'm loving the game, I'm think I've got to grips with most things. Apart from the option to turn weapons into those gel things, what's with that? Also, on the equipment menu I didn't know I had the ability to put weapon and ammo upgrades on the weapons. I knew I would have the ability to do this, but it didn't say anything on the menu as to what button to press to I assumed it was something you unlocked/learned. I just stumbled on it basically... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 Anyway, I'm loving the game, I'm think I've got to grips with most things. It could have done with decent tutorial. I still haven't really used a lot of stuff, and have no idea to "train" myself for the machine gun and sniper rifle. So I'm stuck with just a shotgun and a pistol. And I've yet to properly use Bionics. I found an odd glitch with the conversation thing. There was a converations against some guards, the convo went well and they said "We'll ignore you if you'll ignore us" (someone had asked if you could not kill them). Then the people in my part shot them. I just found it really odd. For some reason the best combat tactic so far is shooting from afar with a shotgun. Which is odd. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 I'm finding my favorite part of the game is actually the dialogue and the main story. I've gotten to grips with the combat a bit more but I really think they made a mistake taking out the whole pause thing. I hate it when you are suddenly thrown into a fight and you are surrounded by enemies and you get killed by some bionic wave out of now where AND THEN the check point was before the conversation you had so you have to do all that again. I am really enjoying it but I really think it could have done with a bit more product/user friendly testing. I genuinely had to think about whether I wanted to kill the queen and destroy an entire species. One of the best bits of the game so far I think. In the end I decided to let the queen go....hope that doesn't come back and bit me in the arse! I love all the politics in the game and anything to do with the council. I also love the references to the book when you press the captain dude about him and Sarin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted November 24, 2007 What I love most is how different the ways you progress are depending on your choices. Recently I decided rather then doing all the dialogue/help me side quest kerfuffle, just to hack straight to my objective thorugh a secure area. Of course I should have known that this would just to turn everyone against me, and I had to just murder everyone on the station. I died shortly after which was mildly annoying, but it gave me the opportunity to play again and try something different, and it was completely different - this time I actually killed some bad guys, got a bit of extra story and helped a few dudes out, and I feel better for it. It's just fantastic to know that your choices in a game actually make a difference for once. Now I know fully what the conversation with Cpt Anderson was trying to tell me: That choices actually have to be made now, and how you make them will define who you are. Also, Liara really knows how to fuck people up. Right, and royally. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
