I just want to get a feel of the general consensus here on the Escapist. My opinion is as follows:
Mass Effect: Pros
- Every single line of dialogue was a dialogue option, and you had more options for dialogue than in later games.
- You had a strong, core cast of squad mates, consisting of Wrex, Garrus, Liara, and Tali. What? What do you mean humans? They don't exist.
- You get to kill one of those boring, annoying, nonexistent human squad mates.
- You have more graphics options, great for my crappy 4 year old PC.
- The RPG elements were deeper and more substantial: more customization.
- The Mako is FUN. I know it's impossible to steer and is armored with paper mâché, but it's FUN, and added much needed exploration and gameplay variety.
- The story was interesting and that's what the game focused on the most. That and universe building, which really helped the later games.
Mass Effect: Cons
- Regardless of the graphics settings, the game is married to the concept of freezing, and is having an affair with screen tearing.
- Humans suck.
- Unskippable opening cutscene. Seriously, I never liked that cutscene.
Mass Effect 2: Pros
- There is a large pool of much more interesting and fun characters, most importantly: better humans. Even Jacob.
- The ending of the game is a damn equation: That's just awesome.
- The deepening of the universe's lore with things like TIM and Legion.
- Almost all of the loyalty missions were fun on a bun.
- It looks pretty.
- Introducing the 'interrupts', which were great fun. At least the renegade ones were. Headbutting Krogan, how cool is that?!
- Planet Scanning
Mass Effect 2: Cons
- Less dialogue options.
- You don't get to repeat certain conversations.
- The game is hardly an RPG.
- The Run/Interact/Cover button is bollocks.
- Where's the Mako?
- Planet Scanning
Mass Effect 3: Pros
- Barring certain ME1 characters, the squad, even Vega, is interesting and fun.
- NPC interactions.
- Kalros.
- The best characters get better endings than the game does.
- A wealth of possible outcomes for the galaxy... at least if you ignore the endings.
- Buddy moments with Garrus Vakarian.
- Fun multiplayer.
Mass Effect 3: Cons
- Day One DLC.
- SEVERE lack of dialogue options.
- Its RPG elements are still laughable, especially the quest log.
- Garrus isn't a LI for male Shepards.
- The game was rushed, and it shows.
- The Ending. Enough has been said about the ending already, so I'll just leave it at: I hate it, I hate the Extended Cut, and even if they made it thematically consistent with the rest of the series, I want a Star Wars ending. (or at least a destroy option that doesn't kill the Geth. WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?)
So ultimately I feel that the first game in the series is the best one, because it had a heart. In fact it shows how much the last two games have lost when Liara proves to be the only (non-Garrus, because I'm a male Shepard)LI that you can actually care for.
Mass Effect: Pros
- Every single line of dialogue was a dialogue option, and you had more options for dialogue than in later games.
- You had a strong, core cast of squad mates, consisting of Wrex, Garrus, Liara, and Tali. What? What do you mean humans? They don't exist.
- You get to kill one of those boring, annoying, nonexistent human squad mates.
- You have more graphics options, great for my crappy 4 year old PC.
- The RPG elements were deeper and more substantial: more customization.
- The Mako is FUN. I know it's impossible to steer and is armored with paper mâché, but it's FUN, and added much needed exploration and gameplay variety.
- The story was interesting and that's what the game focused on the most. That and universe building, which really helped the later games.
Mass Effect: Cons
- Regardless of the graphics settings, the game is married to the concept of freezing, and is having an affair with screen tearing.
- Humans suck.
- Unskippable opening cutscene. Seriously, I never liked that cutscene.
Mass Effect 2: Pros
- There is a large pool of much more interesting and fun characters, most importantly: better humans. Even Jacob.
- The ending of the game is a damn equation: That's just awesome.
- The deepening of the universe's lore with things like TIM and Legion.
- Almost all of the loyalty missions were fun on a bun.
- It looks pretty.
- Introducing the 'interrupts', which were great fun. At least the renegade ones were. Headbutting Krogan, how cool is that?!
- Planet Scanning
Mass Effect 2: Cons
- Less dialogue options.
- You don't get to repeat certain conversations.
- The game is hardly an RPG.
- The Run/Interact/Cover button is bollocks.
- Where's the Mako?
- Planet Scanning
Mass Effect 3: Pros
- Barring certain ME1 characters, the squad, even Vega, is interesting and fun.
- NPC interactions.
- Kalros.
- The best characters get better endings than the game does.
- A wealth of possible outcomes for the galaxy... at least if you ignore the endings.
- Buddy moments with Garrus Vakarian.
- Fun multiplayer.
Mass Effect 3: Cons
- Day One DLC.
- SEVERE lack of dialogue options.
- Its RPG elements are still laughable, especially the quest log.
- Garrus isn't a LI for male Shepards.
- The game was rushed, and it shows.
- The Ending. Enough has been said about the ending already, so I'll just leave it at: I hate it, I hate the Extended Cut, and even if they made it thematically consistent with the rest of the series, I want a Star Wars ending. (or at least a destroy option that doesn't kill the Geth. WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?)
So ultimately I feel that the first game in the series is the best one, because it had a heart. In fact it shows how much the last two games have lost when Liara proves to be the only (non-Garrus, because I'm a male Shepard)LI that you can actually care for.