Hey duders!

First thread I've started here. For the majority of this generation I only had a PS3 but I recently built myself a personal computer. I've always wanted to play the Mass Effect games because I'm pretty sure I'd think they're rad. So much so that I bought the first game on Steam for myself but it never ran on my old laptop.

So my question is, should I play the trilogy on the PS3 or the PC. The PS3 trilogy goes for like 40-45 bucks on Amazon and I assume that includes some of the DLC. Obviously I already have the first game on PC, but with 3 only being on Origin, getting my saves to transfer across games seems like it could be a hassle. The money part of it isn't the most important, I'm just wondering what the best way to play them will be.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Check to see if you can play the PC version with a controller, if you can and you've got a nice comfy setup with your computer I'd definitely get it for PC. Graphics will be better, more customization, no lag or texture pop in. IMO the game plays better on a controller, playing across the whole trilogy with DLC is easily over 100+ hours so personal preference, but I wouldnt want to be hunched over a keyboard with a computer screen 10 inches from my face the whole time.

It doesnt really matter though, some of the best games of all time right there so you're in for a treat regardless.

DLC worth purchasing:

Lair of the Shadow Broker

Arrival

Kasumi

Zaed (However its spelt, the british bounty hunter guy)

Leviathan

From Ashes (or whatever its called, the one that gets you the extra companion in ME3)

Omega (Not as worth it as the others, but I enjoyed it, looks gorgeous, especially if you enjoyed Omega from ME2)

After you beat the game download Citadel for ME3, its like a big hilarious fan fiction and a nice way to say goodbye.

If the PS3 version is anything like the 360 version then this is a game that you do not want to play on consoles because of framerate. This isn't the normal PC gamer complaint of "it's not 60, so it sucks!" No, Mass Effect's framerate on the 360 jumps back and forth all the time. It's completely unstable and particularly jarring, and even when the framerate is OK the game is pretty stuttery.

So... yeah. Mass Effect is one of those games that should be played on PC if you have the means. I completed it twice on 360 long before getting it on PC, so it's not impossible but it's not always pleasant either.

As for transferring saves, I doubt that EA and/or Bioware made it a hassle to transfer saves from a Steam or disc install of Mass Effect 1 and 2 to an Origin install of 3. I think they're the exact same kind of saves stored in the exact same place.

EDIT: One more thing - you cannot play the PC version with a controller. It's a mouse-and-keyboard only game.

The framerate on the PS3 version of Mass Effect (I) is SO MUCH BETTER than 360. The port studio used a newer version of Unreal and fixed a lot of problems. It still has some weird stuff, but so does the PC version. Mass Effect 2 is great on PS3, and they patched it to take the save import from ME1. Mass Effect 3 has some serious frame rate issues right at the beginning on PS3 (big cinematic moments right at the beginning means you get frame rates in the teens), but it smooths out as you go further into the game (it becomes a shooter...).

I enjoyed it on PS3. I HATED the PC controls, and using a gamepad makes so much more sense in this series than mouse+keyboard.

Trilogy is missing the Arrival DLC that ties ME2 to ME3 (ME1 DLC is all bad), which is annoying. The DLC isn't good, but it ties the games together. ME3 DLC that is needed for Trilogy are From Ashes and Leviathan. After you beat ME3, go back and play the Citadel DLC (also separate). It's the best coda to the series.

I own PC version of ME1 and ME2 and all 3 on the Xbox.

ME1 on the PC doesn't natively support gamepads. You can kludge something together but I didn't find it worked all that well. The mouse and KB controls are pretty decent though. I think they are better than the gamepad controls because you usually do not have to pause the game with the action wheel to fire off powers. It's even better in ME2 on the PC - ME2 on the PC is an honest to god action game with no pausing required.

The 60fps on a decent PC is also a big advantage. No framerate hitches mid-combat.

Major downside for the series on the PC: Origin-only for ME3 and that's a deal breaker for some people.

If you don't mind playing with mouse and keyboard then go pc, but there is no controller support. It's the only reason i never got it for pc myself

Hmm yeah well if you've already started playing ME1 on your Steam, and your PC can run it well, then I say go ahead and get 2 and 3 for PC. There are framerate and minor graphical issues in all ME games on PS3 I found.

I thought graphics would be the only concern, but glancing over the other comments it looks like Origin and gamepad support might be other factors to consider? If only graphics were a concern, then PC by a longshot (as is usually the case).

Regardless I played the ME games on PS3 and enjoyed them very much. You're in for a real treat regardless of how you play the game!

Play them on PC. There are no save transfer issues. If there are it is simple enough to copy a file to a different folder.

Looks like I'm leaning towards the PC. The main draw of the PS3 would be the ease of just playing through them without worrying about any save stuff or different platforms (Steam vs. Origin). I haven't used Origin before, but I doubt I'll have any real issues with it. Luckily I asked this question right after ME2 was on sale on Steam this weekend haha.

I'd say PC is the way to go if you can get it to run all three games. I had absolutely no problem running two at its highest settings when that came out, and I didn't even have a great gaming PC, while I could play the original, but it froze on me, so I never beat it. I never got three on PC. I played them mostly on 360. The first Mass Effect (on 360 at least) has one of the worst frame rate problems of any current-gen titles I know of, but the other two are fine, and I believe that's probably true for the PS3 versions as well. Check out Eurogamer when it comes to the original Mass Effect if you're interested from a visual perspective. It only compares 360 to the PS3 version, but what really matters is just how well the PS3 version runs compared to the 360 version, since we know if you have a good enough PC, you'll do just fine with it there.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-mass-effect-PS3-face-off

I might suggest PS3, if only for controller support. The ME games don't support gamepads on PC, and those games really were built around that control scheme.

Only Mass Effect game I've played on the PS3 was the PSN version of Mass Effect 2. If you really love long loading times (nearing one minute between each floor) on the Normandy, then go for it.

Also, regarding saves: no issue at all on the PC versions. The games know where to pull your saves from, even across different digital distributors since they save in the same place in your Documents folder.

@ntm: Yeah I'm not worried about being able to run the games at all. I have a 4670k and am gonna be getting a 770 with the price drop they just announced.

@andrewb: That's the other thing I'm concerned about. While I don't have any issue with mouse/keyboard, I'm certainly more comfortable with a controller.

PC than.

Welp I just started downloading it to Steam. Any tip/tricks for a first time player?