Finally got a chance to listen to this, it was a pleasant surprise! Ya'll are right in that even though you aren't experts, just talking about your own experiences helps us begin to think about our own shit and how to deal with it. I only wish you would start doing this podcast regularly again. If Shift+F1 can keep going, so can Danswers! Even if just for a few times a year.
Man, he's tearing through everything with just the pistol. For those worrying about them missing upgrades or not using abilities, who cares. He doesn't need them.
I have mixed feelings about this. Let me try to put them into words:
I like that you guys are getting a away from traditional reviews and trying different stuff. It fits what the site is and it's been a long time coming.
That said, I wouldn't call this a review. I think that's why a lot of people are getting hung up on this first version of the format. They see the word "review" and see a score attached to it so they expect your traditional written, well thought out "review" of sorts. I say just get away from reviews and scores entirely.
I'm worried that this will have a negative impact on the Quick Look and Bombcast discussions. For example, it felt odd that the QL didn't feature Brad or Jeff for one of the biggest games of the year. I get the feeling they weren't on it because they had been on here already.
I like the idea that others have mentioned here of having someone play the game while others grill the "reviewer". Then you can have the opposite coast do the classic Quick Look to get a different perspective.
You can even have whatever this new format is not be afraid to talk spoilers to differentiate itself even further from the other content. Some of my favorite discussions you all have is when you get into the nitty gritty of games and talk of the moments that make or break a game.
@fngbomber: But many of the Citadel quests take you to these planets and include actual dialogue choices. Not to mention the one on the moon (no "spoilers") that gives you access to specializations. I agree that a lot of that stuff gets boring to look at, but the quests themselves can be relatively interesting.
True, but the ratio between bland, repetitive encounters to interesting dialogue choices is terribly skewed. I didn't even know about those specializations because I gave up on that mission after they wanted me to clear out the exact same bunker three times.
I started a new playthrough myself along with this series with the intent of seeing all that I could and getting the most out of the game, but now I realize why I skipped all of that stuff in my original run.
Oh boy, we aren't gonna get anywhere if they keep exploring all the planets. Trust me, 90% of the side-quests in this game are filled with awful, cookie cutter type design. You know that mine you went into with the monkeys, well like 50% of the side planets has one just like it; the rest have base buildings with the exact same layout. Not trying to backseat game or anything, just letting you know that most of the side stuff (specifically the side planets) makes a long series longer with no worthwhile benefit. However, I do recommend doing the side quests that take place within the Citadel or the main mission planets because they involve more dialogue interaction, which is the bread and butter of this trilogy.
Pro tips: Others have already mentioned this, but I feel it bears repeating. The Shield Boost ability doesn't work as Alex thinks it does. It's more of a quick shield regen, best used when you're out of shields.
The ability Vinny was calling "overshield" is called Barrier which gives you extra biotic shields and is good for all around survivability. I believe your class can unlock it and I recommend doing so.
FNGbomber's comments