Mass Effect 3

[Bones]

just finished it and I don't know what to think, I hate it as much as I love it, kinda predictable since whole last mission takes an obvious direction so you know from the very beginning how it will end but I won't spoil it, I'll wait until more people finish it ;)

As for technicals, I'm really disappointed TBH ... graphically there is little to none improvement over ME2, cover system works quite dumb and everything looks over contrasted - especially shadows are way to dark, in some places you can only see whole person black with only visible eyes ... looks kinda creepy. I love what Bioware did with sounds ! Music is also great (gotta love main piano theme which can be heard in various areas like escaping earth or final mission)

Characters seems to be the only thing that was improved, here I can agree with Shadowknight.

Normandy is now stupidly redone ... just look at the minimap of the CIC deck  how could they fit that wardroom there !?
Lighting is nice, ME2 Normandy was elegant, ME3 feels now more like military ship.

Locations are cool, skydomes sucks big time, they are clearly 512x512 maps...

I really like dynamic life onboard Normandy, team/crew mates now move from time to time throughot the ship so don;t expect Garrus to sit in main gun battery control room calibrating stuff all the time there was even a joke in one of the dialogs about him calibrating weapons everytime we spoke to him in ME2, nice one :

I wonder how Bioware's gonna make a continuation of ME franchise after ME3

[Shadowknight1]

There were several references to Garrus's calibrations.

I haven't finished it yet, but oh well.  As for the war-room, I can easily see how it could be in there.  All they did was rip out the armory and the conference room and rearranged everything.

And the ship really had a kind-of...unfinished look to it, especially in the CIC.

[Killallewoks]

Yeah the ship appears to have been canniblaised and all the polish took out of it. Though the game is highly enjoyable, wish I could scan safley without the threat of a Reaper attack. 

[Shadowknight1]

Okay, someone just pointed this out to me.  There is a good reason for the somewhat un-polished look.  The Normandy wasn't exactly ready, they were still getting it ready to be Anderson's mobile command center.

Also, can anyone get a good resolution screencap of the Normandy at FTL loading screen?

[Bones]

uh-oh , I don't think so, just look at the mini map it looks ridiculous, while the CIC is running through the centre line of the ship the war room is much more to the port side, but then again in Halo, Pillar of Autumn became a 4 km long trench run instead of around 1 km long ship so this doesn't bite at all.

Acually I really like that unfinished look to it, makes it look overstuffed with stuff, I only wish they had put the Normandy into more action.

 

[Mario]

I'm planning on getting the game soon and have a save game ready to import my character. But I have to ask (no spoilers please though), whats with the ending(s) and some kind of petition to alter the game ending? According to some of my friends, the ending is a "train wreck"....

[TheConstable6]

Not going to lie, I was not pleased with the endings...

Not too disappointed though, because I didn't think they could top ME2 (and didn't expect them to,) and because...it's Mass Effect, and it's still brilliant and beautiful and suchlike  :angel

[Shadowknight1]

uh-oh , I don't think so, just look at the mini map it looks ridiculous, while the CIC is running through the centre line of the ship the war room is much more to the port side, but then again in Halo, Pillar of Autumn became a 4 km long trench run instead of around 1 km long ship so this doesn't bite at all.

It still fits in the silhouette of the Normandy.

And honestly, I haven't beaten it yet, but the endings depend on galactic readiness, and also whether or not you destroyed or kept the Collector Base.  I like that.  A game where giving a crap about the people you run across helps you in the long run.

I still wish that I hadn't saved after head-butting that stupid reporter b*tch.  If you go full Paragon and actually talk to her, she can be a war asset.

[Bones]

I was tempted to tell her to GTFO but then I looked at her again and thought she might look nice on board the Normandy, I was surprised she's a war asset Also I was happy to get my fav engineers (yes yes, it's Ken and Gabby) back on ship.

Just started another campaign, this time it's a Fem Shep and this time I'll try to pick different ending (last time I picked synthesis ending - green beam)

Now that I read about 20 topics on bioware forums about how ending I don't understand why it was hated so much  personally I feel they are almost perfect (almost because one huge detail ruins it a little bit)

Also I've noticed I've imported wrong ME2 save file in the first place  now I'm playing with my latest save (all DLCs played) I wonder if it will change anything

[Shadowknight1]

I was tempted to tell her to GTFO but then I looked at her again and thought she might look nice on board the Normandy, I was surprised she's a war asset Also I was happy to get my fav engineers (yes yes, it's Ken and Gabby) back on ship.

I let that reporter on board because she seemed interested in the truth.  When that other reporter immediately questioned my decision to leave Earth and come to the Citadel...well, after all of her insinuations over the other games, she definitely deserved another beat-down.  I wish that I'd known she was a War Asset if you brought her around to your side though.

EDIT: Just watched the cutscene of what happens if you side with the geth against the quarians, which I knew I wouldn't have the heart to do, and the scene thoroughly convinced me of that.  Poor Tali.

EDIT 2: BTW, encountered a funny glitch during the Ex-Cerberus Scientists mission.  Jacob turned to Liara to say how good it was to see her again, which was funny cause she had apparently vanished at that very second.  Must've stolen Kasumi's stealth.

[captain_obvious]

I ran into a little glitch in the Normandy cockpit. Just stand behind Joker and little to the right towards EDI then talk to one of them.  You seem to get rooted to the spot and can't move or turn.  A reload is the only way to fix that from what I can tell. 

I'm going to give the mp a go.  Just for the hell of it (and maybe just maybe to get galactic readiness up a bit.  Mine is still stuck firmly at 50% across the board, effective strength is only just above 3k and I'm right before the assault on the Cerberus base.  Yes I did pretty much every single side quest I could find)

[Bones]

ran into it few times, that tought me to quick save right before entering cockpit doors

[captain_obvious]

Good god that multiplayer is glitchy! I've been getting the walking dead glitch all afternoon. 
Have any of you guys run into it?

[moed]

I have a question: I just bought Mass Effect 2 and will be getting ME3 soon. I've never played ME1.

Do I (or should I) get ME1 for story continuity or could I just skip it and get a "good enough" gist of all the goings on in the Mass Effect universe with ME2 & 3?

[Killallewoks]

I have a question: I just bought Mass Effect 2 and will be getting ME3 soon. I've never played ME1.

Do I (or should I) get ME1 for story continuity or could I just skip it and get a "good enough" gist of all the goings on in the Mass Effect universe with ME2 & 3?

ME1 is probably vital to understanding what happens in 2+3, also you get to and see stuff which helps add to the story continuity later on.

[Bones]

yeah I would recommend you to play ME1 first (story and you would have a chance to see how massively ME2 was improved over ME1 ) besides it's really cheap and easy to get ;)

[Shadowknight1]

I have a question: I just bought Mass Effect 2 and will be getting ME3 soon. I've never played ME1.

Do I (or should I) get ME1 for story continuity or could I just skip it and get a "good enough" gist of all the goings on in the Mass Effect universe with ME2 & 3?

Depends on what system you have.  If you're getting it for PS3, then you can't get ME1 and just have to go through the comic to call it "good enough".  But if you're going Xbox or PC, then probably.

[TheConstable6]

Good god that multiplayer is glitchy! I've been getting the walking dead glitch all afternoon. 
Have any of you guys run into it?

I had it a lot the first two days but it's kinda receded

[Shadowknight1]

I haven't really done much of the multiplayer.  Heck, I was going to give it a try last night, but I got kicked for some reason, so I just booted up single-player.

BTW, I read that if you beat ME3 through New Game+, you unlock a secret ending.

[captain_obvious]

I had it a lot the first two days but it's kinda receded

Lucky you! I'm running around unable to do any damage (biggie), go up ladders (no biggie), use ammo crates (biggie), revive anyone (biggie) or do anything useful! (BIGGIE).
Meh, STO STFs it is!