So how bad are Mass Effect 1's driving segments?

[Svane]

I'm thinking about giving Mass Effect a try and the only thing that worries me is all of those horror stories about how bad the driving is. Is it something that you do a lot of during the game?

Yeah it's true it's a weird driving mechanic but don't be frighting about it! It's nothing that ruins the game in any way... it's only a little irritation but that's all.

 

[alj]

You know what I liked the driving sections it was nice to explore a bit. I also liked going off up mountains you where not supposed to go and raining down cannon on peoples heads.

 

[freaper]

Bad? BAD?! Those were my favorite sections in Mass Effect, and then they removed it in ME:2

Mako power forever! What other vehicle can drive up a 85° slope?

 

[Sam Leighton]

It's definitely the worst driving in any game ever (a brick covered in flubber is the most accurate description i've heard) but there's not really enough of it to stop you from at least completing the story. If you plan on getting 100% then it's going to suck though.

 

[Woodsey]

They're not bad, they're just bleh.

 

[thahat]

If you cut out a lot of the side exploration you don't have too many, and those that you do get tend to be boring more than anything else. But it does handle like a drunk six-legged hippopotamus.

combined with a groovy lowrider caused by all the bouncing

 

[ImprovizoR]

I love The Mako and driving sequences in ME1. It's not perfect, but what is? Driving isn't like in driving simulation games of course, but it adds so much to the atmosphere. It makes you feel how huge the galaxy in ME1 really is. You shouldn't be worried about it at all. Go buy the damn game.

 

[Sunrider]

People exaggerate. It's nowhere near as bad as I've heard.

I'd rather drive the Mako for hours than play through that damn Firewalker DLC for ME2 again.

 

[flaviok79]

I'm thinking about giving Mass Effect a try and the only thing that worries me is all of those horror stories about how bad the driving is. Is it something that you do a lot of during the game?

It's not as bad as people make out, in all honesty.

There's something like 4 forced driving segments through the course of the main game, and these are just fine. There's no issue with them at all.

The problem comes in when you go exploring on random planets. Their terrain is very unfriendly in many areas and it makes driving nigh impossible. There's all sorts of hills/mountains that the thing just refuses to go up, and the handling on it is piss-poor so it's really easy to fall off when you're trying to find the sweet spot that will let you go over.

If the terrain was halfway decent, the driving would be fine. Not good by any means, but perfectly serviceable. As is, exploring the side planets is just painful.

I agree with you 100%. I even think Bioware tried to give the driving sessions an Alien feel, with low gravity and such. What really screw things up are the mountain ranges. But vehicle physics have always been Bioware's weakness, ever since Kotor and those swoop bikes. They really should hire someone from Gothan Racing or whatever.

 

[Darby]

I actually liked them. I was using an Xbox 360, and I honestly didn't find the controls bad for the vehicles. You turn the camera when you want to turn a little, like Halo, and you turn the movement stick if you want to turn a lot. I had the same doubts about the vehicle sections before I started playing it, but if you expect them to be absolutely terrible, then they're not that bad when you get to them. Don't let it discourage you from playing, Mass Effect is a great game.

 

[MordinSolus]

If you cut out a lot of the side exploration you don't have too many, and those that you do get tend to be boring more than anything else. But it does handle like a drunk six-legged hippopotamus.

It couldn't be described any better. Also, funny post.

 

[E-Penguin]

It wasnt really that bad. The problem is that the vehicle felt a bit too light. A small bump can send you flying and you can climb up 85 degree inclines.

I had no problems with it - the Mako was apparently filled with helium, but it was very difficult to overturn, and had a great deal of traction.

The Mako was very light due to having a small mass effect core. The Codex entry for it told me that.

 

[Joshimodo]

I loved them. They were ridiculous and easy. Physics don't exist in the Mako.

 

[Piorn]

I found it pretty athmospheric and exciting. A lot better than probing.

 

[Dalek Caan]

Bad? Who called driving the Maeko around on a planet bad? It was fucking awesome. It was easy to handle and fun to use. I hope its back in ME3.

 

[Carboncrown]

It controlled fine on the PC imo, and you can even almost justify the silly physics, with the fact that it uses element zero.

I actually kinda enjoyed climbing the mountains(then again, I also did that by jumpwanking in WoW) until it gets repetitive but those are just side quests.

The only real problem I had, was with the very hardest difficulty, when it gets boring and repetitive as shit when the tank-geth really don't want to die and you actually have to dodge.

Also, Mass Effect is fucking awesome.

 

[PurePareidolia]

It wasnt really that bad. The problem is that the vehicle felt a bit too light. A small bump can send you flying and you can climb up 85 degree inclines.

I had no problems with it - the Mako was apparently filled with helium, but it was very difficult to overturn, and had a great deal of traction.

The Mako was very light due to having a small mass effect core. The Codex entry for it told me that.

Yeah, I know, but I think it'd have made more sense for the ME core to be used for jumping and it just having normal physics otherwise.

 

[Little Duck]

Buy.
On.
PC.
Make.
Driving.
Tolerable (and fun).

 

[Wayneguard]

The driving isn't bad. People are just bad at it. You can't drive the mako like a tank and rush right into the thick of things. You have to skirt around the edge of battle sniping dudes off. After you get used to the movement controls, you should do just fine if you do as I said and don't rush straight into the thick of combat.

 

[Purplecoyote]

I played it on the pc and it can be a little strange when you drive it for the first time but it's a matter of getting used to it. Before you know it you'll be diving of mountains while doing many Kool-Aid Man impressions.
Don't be afraid to scale very bumpy hills as practice, it's almost impossible to get stuck. Also the guns can zoom in quite far, that's handy.