shadowwolf9

@csl316: Indeed, it was. The original was the most narratively sound, but I'd say ME3 did a better job than ME2. Not to say that it didn't do the ancillary tales well.

I'd go with any class other than Soldier and avoid FemShep. Don't be part of that silly hive mind. They love to label themselves. Honestly though, it's mostly what you want your romance options to be.

Sovereign : We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it.

- Mass Effect

I chose Mass Effect. No question. The story of Halo is sloppy at best. If reading the books gives me a better idea of the story than playing the actual game, the developers are doing something wrong. The books accompany the game franchise, not the other way around. On the other hand, I can't think of a better fleshed out story or universe this generation than Mass Effect. The original game built a firm foundation (the Vigil sequence still gives me chills) and had one of the best reveals in game history. I may be of the unpopular opinion, but I found the ending of ME3 to be very satisfying as well. Bioware may have lifted the curtain on the mystery of the Reapers, but I couldn't see it ending any other way.

The Leviathan DLC makes the universe even stronger. I personally can't wait for another installment in the series. I've had the first book sitting on my night stand for 5 years. It might be time to give it a go.

edit: I chose not to comment on AC. I like the games, but they shouldn't even be considered in this discussion.

I think the James Bond series would be fun to tackle. They could do interrogation scenes, some combat, and a whole buttload of puzzle solving and gadgetry. Plus, they have limitless content to work with!

I had a lot of fun this year. Looking it as a whole though, it was definitely a down year for games. Nothing really blew me away besides The Walking Dead. I actually just finished Max Payne 3 on PC and absolutely adored it. That game is beautiful and is simply third-person-shooters at their best.

That's another game I remembered people being down on. I just don't get it.

@project343 said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

@shadowwolf9 said:

It's so cool to hate on ME3 and other popular games nowadays. Arthur Geis was right on the most recent Rebel FM. A few people poisoned the kool aid and everyone is following along.

They destroyed the lore, released a clearly rushed and ill-thought out game with an ending that literally made no sense and continued the trend of no longer making RPG's, but dumbed down action games for the masses, thus completely alienating the original audience.

So no, I don't think it's simply a case of everyone simply "following along with a few people".

Mass Effect 2 destroyed the trilogy arc with a tangential diversion into Cerberus and the Collectors, had an awful fucking ending with one of the worst boss fights I've ever seen in a 'AAA game,' dumbed down the game with the barest of bones RPG elements in the series, and completely alienated fans of Mass Effect 1. I'm so sick of people praising ME2 and shitting all over ME3. They are both fine games, but don't you dare accuse Mass Effect 3 of being inferior from a narrative standpoint and as a signifier of a 'changed, mass-appeal-driven Bioware' when its predecessor is as bad if not worse.

I could not agree more with @shadowwolf9. It's a fucking despicable bandwagon effect.

Exactly. Personally, I'm a massive fan of the original game first and foremost. For all the praise it receives, the storytelling in ME2 was abysmal. Sure, the character development was fantastic and completely carried the game narratively, yet people treat it as some mighty beacon of gaming. I don't see how one could praise ME2 and not ME3. Both are great games, though I find ME3 to be much truer in form to the original than ME2. Here's what I said about the game two years ago on here:

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"I found the gameplay to be superior in ME2, but everything else was inferior. The story wasn't nearly as engaging or interesting, everything was completely laid out for you. You know the same about the main storyline in ME2 within the first hour as you do the last hour. Nothing changes. It did have slightly better character development, however. Bioware obviously lent much more time to that. The leveling system was streamlined to a fault. It was too bare bones and didn't require decision making.

What makes me fall in love with the Mass Effect world is atmosphere, which the sequel falls FLAT on. The majestic and grand citadel was reduced to a few corridors with merchants, you didn't get the feeling of this massive structure where the races have unified. It felt extremely isolated. The MAIN problem with ME2 is the music. I can't tell you how much I love the original Mass Effect's score. It's a mysterious, enchanting, and looming soundtrack that is a success across the board. Vigil is my personal favorite. Nothing can top the scene in Mass Effect where the Vigil AI reveals so much with that track in the background. It still gives me goosebumps. I loaded the soundtrack from my ME2 collector's edition and I can hardly recognize a track. None of them stuck with me when I played the game, they were so bland and forgetful. The original really satisfies that old school scifi itch.

While I really enjoyed ME2 and it's still one of my favorite games on the system, the changes it made were an overall disappointment, personally. Hopefully the third installment amends this and joins together the best of both games."

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Mass Effect 3 wasn't perfect in molding the best of each, but it sure made for a hell of a game. People are blinded by the massed (and questionable) adoration for ME2.

Back when I was addicted to achievements in early 2008 I pirated a few purely for the sake of racking up 1,000. Most of them were games I already owned on 360 and just wanted the PC equivalent. Regardless, I definitely don't do it anymore. It's certainly not right and I wouldn't consider someone who engages in pirating routinely as a gamer.

It's so cool to hate on ME3 and other popular games nowadays. Arthur Geis was right on the most recent Rebel FM. A few people poisoned the kool aid and everyone is following along.

Thanks, guys. @SerHulse was nice enough to give me an invite so he beat you to it! Anyway, I've played a few more matches, favoring a melee champion instead. My experience has been way better, but it may be because I surpassed the re-rollers. I just went 14-0 in a pretty big win. Definitely more fun when you get the hang of a character's mechanics.

I'll definitely give DOTA2 a go asap. I love the look of it and I'd much rather be running through Steam.