Mass Effect 3 Review

[MiracleOfSound]

I didn't say you did, I said that in the past, artists have done that. And Bioware has been very deliberate in their music selection in the past, why would they deviate from that now (not implying that you are not good, but rather that Bioware has selected every song up to this point very deliberately to produce certain outcomes, but in this case, the logic they used is not clear.)

You've completely lost me, I've no idea what you're talking about - outcomes? Music selection? 'Take It Back' is just a fan made song they asked for to have something cool for the launch.

 

[Susan Arendt]

I was really hoping this review would tell me whether or not I would like the game, but it left out a pressing question: if someone hated ME2, but loved ME1, would they enjoy ME3?

Hmm....depends on why you hated ME2, I think. Can you expand on that a bit?

I feel it changed the whole feel of Mass Effect. From the game mechanics turning from an RPG with shooter elements (I liked that I had to level up a gun skill to be effective) to a shooter with very very light RPG elements to the story turning from a hopeful and optimistic defence against horror to a dark and dreary "there is no light" feel to the environments changing from expansive (if bumpy and mountainous) alien vistas to a series of tight, largely brown corridors, ME2 didn't even feel like it was in the same genre as ME1.

The tiny bits of gameplay I saw in your review seemed to suggest ME3 draws far more heavily on ME2 than ME1, but there really just wasn't enough information to make a clear judgement on it.

Ah, ok, that helps a lot. Yes, ME3 is much more like 2 than 1. I'd go so far as to call it a shooter with an exceptional story, rather than an RPG. (That's just my personal interpretation, however. Your mileage may vary.)

I will say, though, that the story is quite bleak. It's the end of the world, after all, and the tone reflects that. It's excellent, but don't expect many moments of levity. As for the look of it, there are lots of wide-open spaces (usually full of things trying to kill you), and I found the environments to be pleasantly varied.

 

[BaronIveagh]

The logic is perfectly clear: They genuinely enjoy Gavin's work and think it's a cool way to promote their game. They had his song "Normandy" playing on a loop over their booth at PAX, they've had him on BioWare TV before. They're fans. He, likewise, is a huge fan of Mass Effect, which comes through in his songs. He also has quite a following, which gives them some bonus advertising, word of mouth, and PR opportunities with hardcore gamers. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. I fail to see the mystery here.

The problem word is relationship. It's hard to review games objectively when you have a relationship with the company, even via association.

While I understand that the staff at The Escapist is excited to play a new Bioware game, much of the site's reporting on Bioware in general is colored by this. Andy's review of one of the last trailers positively gushed with enthusiasm. I don't begrudge him that, but the problem is that it came through in his article.

One comment I've often gotten in writing P&P gaming reviews for Dark Reign is how surprised the book authors and editors are to get fairly positive reviews, because they know that I'm not easily won over, and can get rather harsh when presented with a sub standard work. Personal opinion, but I feel that the games media needs to consider being harsher with games. They hand out 8's 9's and 10's like candy, even to games that it's pretty obvious don't deserve them. And, again, before anyone freaks, this is not just an issue here or even to this specific game.

Well, that's my point, and I'm sure that people are lining up to call me all sorts of filthy names, but there you have it.

 

[Abedeus]

They didn't get rid of the planet scanning mechanic? Jesus Christ.

Personally I was most disappointed with how it seems you have to run from the Reapers pursueing instead of there being a space combat mechanic implemented.

That said, I liked the way how they did the planetary exploration and mining in ME1, they just needed to put more stuff on the planet to make it a little more exciting. Skimming through my strategy guide (I don't want too many spoilers yet, and I have yet to get a copy installed) it doesn't appear there is even a vehicle component to this one, though I imagine it could be added later.

How DO YOU have a space combat with them?

From the very demo itself, you could see that the Earth forces were utterly obliterated within first hour or so of the attack. And in ME, entire Citadel's troops had to mobilize to destroy one of those bastards.

 

[Susan Arendt]

The logic is perfectly clear: They genuinely enjoy Gavin's work and think it's a cool way to promote their game. They had his song "Normandy" playing on a loop over their booth at PAX, they've had him on BioWare TV before. They're fans. He, likewise, is a huge fan of Mass Effect, which comes through in his songs. He also has quite a following, which gives them some bonus advertising, word of mouth, and PR opportunities with hardcore gamers. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. I fail to see the mystery here.

The problem word is relationship. It's hard to review games objectively when you have a relationship with the company, even via association.

While I understand that the staff at The Escapist is excited to play a new Bioware game, much of the site's reporting on Bioware in general is colored by this. Andy's review of one of the last trailers positively gushed with enthusiasm. I don't begrudge him that, but the problem is that it came through in his article.

One comment I've often gotten in writing P&P gaming reviews for Dark Reign is how surprised the book authors and editors are to get fairly positive reviews, because they know that I'm not easily won over, and can get rather harsh when presented with a sub standard work. Personal opinion, but I feel that the games media needs to consider being harsher with games. They hand out 8's 9's and 10's like candy, even to games that it's pretty obvious don't deserve them. And, again, before anyone freaks, this is not just an issue here or even to this specific game.

Well, that's my point, and I'm sure that people are lining up to call me all sorts of filthy names, but there you have it.

But Gavin doesn't review games, so I don't understand your point. If I had been the one doing videos, you'd be right, that'd be a conflict of interest. So is your suggestion because Gavin did Mass Effect songs that I'm biased?

 

[krellen]

Ah, ok, that helps a lot. Yes, ME3 is much more like 2 than 1. I'd go so far as to call it a shooter with an exceptional story, rather than an RPG. (That's just my personal interpretation, however. Your mileage may vary.)

That pretty much tells me what I was looking for, thanks. I guess I misunderstood the latest podcast when you said your opinion had been changed on RPGs; I thought you meant it that you'd been convinced ME3 was one.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Ah, ok, that helps a lot. Yes, ME3 is much more like 2 than 1. I'd go so far as to call it a shooter with an exceptional story, rather than an RPG. (That's just my personal interpretation, however. Your mileage may vary.)

That pretty much tells me what I was looking for, thanks. I guess I misunderstood the latest podcast when you said your opinion had been changed on RPGs; I thought you meant it that you'd been convinced ME3 was one.

In the sense that your conversation choices have impact on the world (and change it), it is an RPG. But, to me, the game feels more like a shooter. There is such an emphasis on combat, and the combat is quite challenging, that I feel like it really wants you to concentrate on that aspect of the game. I won't say it upstages the plot, but I do feel like it's more to the forefront than it was before.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

The logic is perfectly clear: They genuinely enjoy Gavin's work and think it's a cool way to promote their game. They had his song "Normandy" playing on a loop over their booth at PAX, they've had him on BioWare TV before. They're fans. He, likewise, is a huge fan of Mass Effect, which comes through in his songs. He also has quite a following, which gives them some bonus advertising, word of mouth, and PR opportunities with hardcore gamers. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. I fail to see the mystery here.

Exactly. It takes a very short-sighted person to fail to realize how the song benefits both me and them, as well as being something fun and awesome for me to be involved in.

 

[lacktheknack]

Aaaaaand bracket changed again. I'M RELYING ON YOU, SUSAN.

 

[BaronIveagh]

But Gavin doesn't review games, so I don't understand your point. If I had been the one doing videos, you'd be right, that'd be a conflict of interest. So is your suggestion because Gavin did Mass Effect songs that I'm biased?

That's a loaded question, but I'll answer it anyway. While I cannot say for certain that you wrote a biased review, I can say that at some level, it does influence you, just as being around people that are excited about the game (regardless of reason) would influence you. Example: I wrote a review for Edge of the Abyss from FFG, and rather thsn sit back and mull it over for a while, I took it right into a gaming group and we went over it. This was a mistake, and you can see the difference between it, which I'm positively gushing about it, and other books where I'm more staid. This was caused by the effect of the people I had gone over it with influencing my own opinion.

Had I written it following my usual system, it would not have scored as highly.

 

[BlueInkAlchemist]

I'm looking forward to playing this. If I'm honest, the sheer amount of entitled bile and too-cool-for-this smirking hatred getting lobbed at the game makes me more skeptical of its bad points than Susan's glowing remarks make me skeptical of its good ones.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Nice to see someone point out some negative aspects as well. Mostly niggling stuff like the allied AI being dumb, and the poor lip syncing. Point out the good and the bad. Also, no encouraging theft.

 

[Susan Arendt]

But Gavin doesn't review games, so I don't understand your point. If I had been the one doing videos, you'd be right, that'd be a conflict of interest. So is your suggestion because Gavin did Mass Effect songs that I'm biased?

That's a loaded question, but I'll answer it anyway. While I cannot say for certain that you wrote a biased review, I can say that at some level, it does influence you, just as being around people that are excited about the game (regardless of reason) would influence you. Example: I wrote a review for Edge of the Abyss from FFG, and rather thsn sit back and mull it over for a while, I took it right into a gaming group and we went over it. This was a mistake, and you can see the difference between it, which I'm positively gushing about it, and other books where I'm more staid. This was caused by the effect of the people I had gone over it with influencing my own opinion.

Had I written it following my usual system, it would not have scored as highly.

No-one else in the office had the game. I had no idea that Gavin was working on a new song until I saw him tweet about it yesterday. He's in Ireland, after all, and I'm in North Carolina. I didn't have anyone to discuss the game with.

But as I've said before, you go ahead and believe what you like. You clearly have decided that because my opinion differs from yours, I was influenced in some nefarious or unethical way. People see what they want to see, and believing that someone is dishonest is more interesting than believing they're honest.

 

[BaronIveagh]

But as I've said before, you go ahead and believe what you like. You clearly have decided that because my opinion differs from yours, I was influenced in some nefarious or unethical way. People see what they want to see, and believing that someone is dishonest is more interesting than believing they're honest.

LOL

Nothing nefarious or unethical about it. It's how people's brains work. In the old days they called it being too close to the story. Science calls it the Uncertainty Principal. You influence people and events without ever knowing or realizing it, let alone deliberately setting out to do it.

 

[Susan Arendt]

But as I've said before, you go ahead and believe what you like. You clearly have decided that because my opinion differs from yours, I was influenced in some nefarious or unethical way. People see what they want to see, and believing that someone is dishonest is more interesting than believing they're honest.

LOL

Nothing nefarious or unethical about it. It's how people's brains work. In the old days they called it being too close to the story. Science calls it the Uncertainty Principal. You influence people and events without ever knowing or realizing it, let alone deliberately setting out to do it.

You've previously suggested it was at the behest of my employer, which would count as nefarious and unethical. You've offered different theories for why my review reads the way it does, discounting the most obvious one: It's how I actually feel about the game.

There's no conspiracy, no graft, no collusion. I just think it's a kick-ass game.

 

[Yureina]

Good review, though i'll admit I did wish that this game would suck so i'd feel slightly better about my refusal to buy it over principle. I don't care if EA will never know who I am: I will not be strongarmed.

As for the people here who are saying that Susan might have been bribed by EA to give this game a good review.... fuck off. Seriously. I may have wanted this game to fail for my own reasons, but I'm not going to ride the denial and bullshit train THAT far.

Maybe i'll get this game... someday... when it's not on Origin.

 

[deathbydeath]

i'm actually going to need a plot analysis before i throw down my money. I'm still paranoid after that shit they pulled in ME2

Its the same game. Right down to the planet scanning

Oh joy. Can't wait for the Spoiler Warning season, then.