Mass Effect Andromeda
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Don Draper
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:37 am    Post subject: Mass Effect Andromeda

I couldn't resist pre-ordering this due to my blind fanboyism of Bioware and the original ME trilogy. Unfortunately the reviews aren't so hot, but then again they sucked for Dragon Age II and I enjoyed the hell out of that.

Anyone else getting the game today?
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jonnybravo
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:46 am    Post subject:

I'll be getting it in a few weeks when I can free up some time.

With DA2, the benchmark was so obscenely high with Origins that it was difficult to follow in the latter's footsteps. There were some legitimate gripes about the game (running through the same cavern layouts, running around the same small-ish city) but overall I also found it fun.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:40 pm    Post subject:

I usually buy all the AAA rpgs but after reading reviews and watching some of the character animations I'm not so sure. The voice acting is horrific as well from what I've seen of cut scenes. I'm play Nier automata(4k on pc) right now and underneath all the Japanese weeaboo fluff it really is an amazing game.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:09 pm    Post subject:

Coming off of a visually stunning game, with great voice acting and a immersive world with a vertically challenging terrain in Horizon Zero Dawn, I found the gameplay rather lackluster in terms of character customization. If you just explore for a couple hours in it, you'll have no problems hitting the level cap by the time you hit even halfway through the main storyline quests, which left very little in the way of how you configure your character, because you'd have unlocked every single skill in all three skill trees - may not be a big deal to some, but one of my favorite things about RPG's is how you configure your character. And when a game has made it so that leveling is so easy that you unlock every single skill and you become an invincible one man army with this armor you unlock halfway through, then yeah, the game became less about utilizing your various array of weapons, but rather, dodge/roll, spam arrows. Still a great game, but to me, felt lacking on the gameplay front.

And onto MA:E, so despite the horrid reviews on graphics/animations/voice acting, I do look forward to picking it up because I am a fan of the character customization in Bioware games and a lot of these reviews don't have much negative to say in the way of gameplay.
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Don Draper
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:29 pm    Post subject:

So I just fired it up and played the first hour and honestly I don't really get all the negativity. It pretty much begins exactly like KOTOR and feels like a Bioware game. Yes customization is bad, voice acting is only OK and animations are janky, but at its core this very much feels like any other Bioware game. When have we seen good character customization and animations in their games anyways?

Besides a few differences it even maintains the artistic feel of the ME series, despite being on an entirely different graphics engine. In fact when using the predator pistol I almost felt like I was playing ME2 for a second. I dunno guys, I'm giving this my stamp of approval and I haven't even gotten out of what is supposedly the most boring part of the game.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:30 pm    Post subject:

And by customization I mean in terms of editing your looks. There are lots of weapons and armor options for Ryder.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 5:14 pm    Post subject:

It's not as good as ME3 (minus ending). Still a quality game so far but will certainly disappoint many.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:09 am    Post subject:

Playing more I am noticing that FPS drops are an issue on PS4. Hopefully gets patched.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:28 am    Post subject:

rwongega wrote:
It's not as good as ME3 (minus ending). Still a quality game so far but will certainly disappoint many.


Is that because of gameplay and story, or because it's not Shepard (along with the stellar voice acting), who is one of the most iconic game figures ever (IMO)?
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 1:23 pm    Post subject:

Shepard > Ryder IMO but the bigger difference is that Shepard has more memorable dialogue moments...the removal of Paragon and Renegade kind of makes Ryder bland in some situations.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:03 pm    Post subject:

Don Draper wrote:
Shepard > Ryder IMO but the bigger difference is that Shepard has more memorable dialogue moments...the removal of Paragon and Renegade kind of makes Ryder bland in some situations.


Oh dang, didn't know they did that. Some of the most memorable ME moments were the paragon/renegade actions, like kicking that dude out of the tower in ME2 or punching the idiot Quarian admiral in 3.
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:55 pm    Post subject:

DuncanIdaho wrote:
rwongega wrote:
It's not as good as ME3 (minus ending). Still a quality game so far but will certainly disappoint many.


Is that because of gameplay and story, or because it's not Shepard (along with the stellar voice acting), who is one of the most iconic game figures ever (IMO)?


The gameplay is fine albeit feels a little watered down in some areas. Story is maybe not my cup of tea but passable. The animations seem wonky and unfinished for sure. I'm hitting bugs like crazy though (PC).
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:11 pm    Post subject:

Might be something I pick up when it is $20 in a year or so. I could see it being one of those games I buy only play for an hour. Either way I would want to wait till it is patched. I've heard there are some game breaking glitches.

Would have been nice to have on the Switch and have it be portable, but yea I won't hold my breath for a watered down Switch version. I would gladly take a Mass Effect trilogy collection on the Switch though. I still never played ME3.
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 9:37 pm    Post subject:

Only about 2-3 hours in, the criticisms are as advertised, but it's nothing too distracting. I notice the frame drops more during cuts than I do during gameplay. I also wish there was a way to edit your characters' appearance once in game like DA:I did with the Black Emporium, because right now, my Ryder looks like a carrot on ecstasy.

Edit: Maybe I missed the memo, but I really despise the quest tracking in this, not so much how it tracks individual quests, but the fact that it only tracks quests individually, rather than having markers for each quest your participating in within the same area.


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 12:55 am    Post subject:

so can you pick between red and green and blue? or did they add yellow for this game?
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mhan00
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 11:23 pm    Post subject:

The game is okay. I kinda regret preordering it, but whatever. Fights are fun, but too sparse, imo. I'm not a fan of the planet exploration sequences with the vehicle since the map system sucks. The quest tracking system is awful as well.

The story is a little ludicrous. I almost threw my controller down in disgust when Ryder and company start talking to aliens from the new galaxy with apparently zero issues or explanation (as of yet, maybe it's coming soon, but it still wouldn't explain why Ryder doesn't wonder why these aliens from a completely different galaxy can communicate with him and are familiar with his title). I could roll with the original ME and their universal translator since the aliens of the Milky Way had interacted with each other for thousands of years, but aliens from a completely different galaxy with no common language base on a first meeting? Come on.
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Don Draper
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 5:39 pm    Post subject:

mhan00 wrote:
The game is okay. I kinda regret preordering it, but whatever. Fights are fun, but too sparse, imo. I'm not a fan of the planet exploration sequences with the vehicle since the map system sucks. The quest tracking system is awful as well.

The story is a little ludicrous. I almost threw my controller down in disgust when Ryder and company start talking to aliens from the new galaxy with apparently zero issues or explanation (as of yet, maybe it's coming soon, but it still wouldn't explain why Ryder doesn't wonder why these aliens from a completely different galaxy can communicate with him and are familiar with his title). I could roll with the original ME and their universal translator since the aliens of the Milky Way had interacted with each other for thousands of years, but aliens from a completely different galaxy with no common language base on a first meeting? Come on.


That was what hung you up? The biggest plot hole of all is why the (bleep) wouldn't the Reapers have culled Andromeda if it's so easy to get to.
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Don Draper
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 5:41 pm    Post subject:

The planet exploration is kind of like a mix of DAI and SWTOR. The sidequests are less Witcher 3 and more SWTOR planetary bonus questlines. Still an improvement over "skin 10 bears" but not sufficient for 2017 IMO.

Still very enjoyable though because combat is far and away better than SWTOR's.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 7:54 am    Post subject:

Don Draper wrote:
mhan00 wrote:
The game is okay. I kinda regret preordering it, but whatever. Fights are fun, but too sparse, imo. I'm not a fan of the planet exploration sequences with the vehicle since the map system sucks. The quest tracking system is awful as well.

The story is a little ludicrous. I almost threw my controller down in disgust when Ryder and company start talking to aliens from the new galaxy with apparently zero issues or explanation (as of yet, maybe it's coming soon, but it still wouldn't explain why Ryder doesn't wonder why these aliens from a completely different galaxy can communicate with him and are familiar with his title). I could roll with the original ME and their universal translator since the aliens of the Milky Way had interacted with each other for thousands of years, but aliens from a completely different galaxy with no common language base on a first meeting? Come on.


That was what hung you up? The biggest plot hole of all is why the (bleep) wouldn't the Reapers have culled Andromeda if it's so easy to get to.


The Reapers hung out in dark space between culling. I guess they never looked (or were programmed to) look anywhere but the Milky Way

Writing was the worst part of 3 and Andromeda. I can't help but wonder where the games would have gone if Drew Karpyshyn was the lead writer on both. There was a really interesting dark energy plot that just died after ME2 when he left the company. It was looking like that was going to be the major storyline with the Reapers, not the stupid Catalyst.
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Don Draper
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:13 am    Post subject:

DuncanIdaho wrote:
Don Draper wrote:
mhan00 wrote:
The game is okay. I kinda regret preordering it, but whatever. Fights are fun, but too sparse, imo. I'm not a fan of the planet exploration sequences with the vehicle since the map system sucks. The quest tracking system is awful as well.

The story is a little ludicrous. I almost threw my controller down in disgust when Ryder and company start talking to aliens from the new galaxy with apparently zero issues or explanation (as of yet, maybe it's coming soon, but it still wouldn't explain why Ryder doesn't wonder why these aliens from a completely different galaxy can communicate with him and are familiar with his title). I could roll with the original ME and their universal translator since the aliens of the Milky Way had interacted with each other for thousands of years, but aliens from a completely different galaxy with no common language base on a first meeting? Come on.


That was what hung you up? The biggest plot hole of all is why the (bleep) wouldn't the Reapers have culled Andromeda if it's so easy to get to.


The Reapers hung out in dark space between culling. I guess they never looked (or were programmed to) look anywhere but the Milky Way

Writing was the worst part of 3 and Andromeda. I can't help but wonder where the games would have gone if Drew Karpyshyn was the lead writer on both. There was a really interesting dark energy plot that just died after ME2 when he left the company. It was looking like that was going to be the major storyline with the Reapers, not the stupid Catalyst.


Yup. Following that Dark Energy plotline in ME2 was fun, since it wasn't thrown in your face but implied if you studied enough of the planets and surrounding lore. Drew's first book is what got me hyped for ME. When I finally pushed ME1 into my 360 in 2007 and started playing, it was like meeting a celebrity when I got to talk to Anderson and see the Citadel. Lol.
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Don Draper
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 31, 2017 3:52 pm    Post subject:

Let me just say that the more I play this the more I think it was unfairly criticized. It has its warts, but it's also got everything that made ME1 and ME2 great games. The companion loyalty missions are top notch and easily on par with the original trilogy if not better. And the world exploration is incredibly fleshed out for a Bioware game.

I'm giving this game a solid 8.5/10. Don't know if that affects anything ya'll were going to do regarding this game, but I do suggest buying it if you are a fan of the universe. I am definitely enjoying it more than the Witcher 3.
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:54 am    Post subject:

Don Draper wrote:
Let me just say that the more I play this the more I think it was unfairly criticized. It has its warts, but it's also got everything that made ME1 and ME2 great games. The companion loyalty missions are top notch and easily on par with the original trilogy if not better. And the world exploration is incredibly fleshed out for a Bioware game.

I'm giving this game a solid 8.5/10. Don't know if that affects anything ya'll were going to do regarding this game, but I do suggest buying it if you are a fan of the universe. I am definitely enjoying it more than the Witcher 3.


I picked it up and just finished the first planet. The crafting system in this one seems very deep.
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jonnybravo
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:22 am    Post subject:

Green Man gaming has it for $43.99. Pull the trigger boys?
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Don Draper
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 2:20 pm    Post subject:

jonnybravo wrote:
Green Man gaming has it for $43.99. Pull the trigger boys?


If you are planning on playing it now, then yes.
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 2:21 pm    Post subject:

DuncanIdaho wrote:
Don Draper wrote:
Let me just say that the more I play this the more I think it was unfairly criticized. It has its warts, but it's also got everything that made ME1 and ME2 great games. The companion loyalty missions are top notch and easily on par with the original trilogy if not better. And the world exploration is incredibly fleshed out for a Bioware game.

I'm giving this game a solid 8.5/10. Don't know if that affects anything ya'll were going to do regarding this game, but I do suggest buying it if you are a fan of the universe. I am definitely enjoying it more than the Witcher 3.


I picked it up and just finished the first planet. The crafting system in this one seems very deep.


It is. I'm still getting the hang of it myself, but you can make some super interesting weapons and armor.
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