[Grubb's] Random Thoughts of the Day

[Potter]

should I play mass effect guys? If yes, should I start with the first or just start with the third?

[Pokebis]

Yes, and you have to play them chronologically.

[Fluffyumpkins]

I've never played it, but I vote no. Every Madden/Halo loving bro-gamer I work with thinks this game is awesome. These are the same people that have never heard of great games like Earth Defense Force or Shadow of the Colossus. You're the least mainstream dude in Indy. Why throw that away over Mass Effect?

[Riot]

Just because Mass Effect is popular doesn't make it bro. There's really nothing about it that makes it a bro game honestly. While the games do get better as they go and the first one is a bit clunky by today's standards, it's still way worth playing in order because it's a giant story and your actions in the first game will ripple all the way through the last one (what party members you keep/kill, big choices, etc.). Sometimes just because a lot of people like something it is actually good not just a bro thing =)

[Fluffyumpkins]

Just because Mass Effect is popular doesn't make it bro. There's really nothing about it that makes it a bro game honestly. While the games do get better as they go and the first one is a bit clunky by today's standards, it's still way worth playing in order because it's a giant story and your actions in the first game will ripple all the way through the last one (what party members you keep/kill, big choices, etc.). Sometimes just because a lot of people like something it is actually good not just a bro thing =)

Fair, but sometimes just because a lot of people like something it is actually a uber-bro mess of a game. I'm just saying that these dudes wouldn't know a good game if it punched them in their face-piece. It isn't a small time commitment either. You'll probably sink 100+ hours into it. Anyway that's it from me. Do what makes you happy.

Do what you love.

Do whom you love.

[Riot]

Just because you have buttfart co-workers who like the shooting aspect of Mass Effect and probably mash their way through all the brilliantly written dialogue doesn't make it a bad series. Look at SDP! He is a total bro and he likes DDR! Does DDR suck?

All three Mass Effect games got between 91-96 on Metacritic from all sorts of reviewers. If you like sci-fi, RPGs, third person shooters, choice-based narratives, moral choices that make an impact on the entire series and really make you think, good writing and character development, fantastic visuals, or anything in between, Mass Effect is way good.

BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT!

[Potter]

Well dues ex was the first series I played that were much more open/choice based/nice continuous writing with what you do influencing the story, I loved it and hunger for more. I'm obviously a big scifi dude. Other than that though I have a pretty small gaming background, I've always played weird fps's and have been big on the half life series. But like i said I really liked what dues ex did and I'm hoping to find some kind immersion like that, it sounds like mass effect will do it

[Fluffyumpkins]

The first Deus Ex and System Shock 2 were way too good.

Unrelated:

http://textfromdog.tumblr.com/

[Riot]

Potter please play these games and realize they get better and more streamlined. Don't worry about bothering with all the little sidequests in the first game like the Mako-driving resource-gathering unless you get really into it. Just play, try to get into the characters and the story, and play to advance the narrative. The big decisions about whether or not you kill certain people or big choices about what to do about certain races will last through the games, but all the little choices don't necessarily make a huge deal to freak out about if you're a completionist. Play for the story and the characters, and the journey will be better especially at the last game when you're basically attached to certain characters and the events get even more meaningful.

I REALLY LIKE MASS EFFECT : (

I wanna play the new Deus Ex kinda but I have so much crap to play now. Xenoblade, Nier, Diablo 3 on the way, maybe Guild Wars 2. Got PS Vita RPGs to go through too! I like RPGs so much but it's hard to get through all of them since they're all so long. That's why I started to appreciate story and getting through interesting things instead of sprawling open world sidequest type games.

[Merk]

All three Mass Effect games got between 91-96 on Metacritic from all sorts of reviewers.

Derail: Game reviews are literally shit and have no bearing at all on the quality of the game.

I have never played any of the Mass Effect games but it pleases me with delight to see its ending fall victim to the "your choices don't actually matter, press giant butan during final cutscene to see which ending you get" problem that all open-ended RPGs have. I really wish there was a developer who could take the time and write fully fleshed out alternate paths in a game that snowball into other alternate paths that result in a wildly different story and ending based on your choices but that would take a lot of effort.

Front Mission 3 is the only game that I can think of that even comes close to this and even then the choice and end result is completely binary.

[Merk]

Over the last few years, I've gotten much more fond of a focus on narrative (which is why I don't mind linearity and don't whine about games like FF13) instead of hours upon hours of random sidequests. I do like some side stuff as long as it's important, but I'm a little wary of sooo many sidequests in Xenoblade and a giant world. I always feel too inclined to have to do every little side thing because I'm a completionist a lot of times.

The problem with FF13's narrative wasn't necessarily the fact that it was linear but rather the fact that it was presented in such an anime way that it was hard to give any sort of fuck about any of the characters. The game throws you immediately into this world and starts throwing proper noun proper noun proper noun apostrophe apostrophe apostrophe at you and it's hard to grasp even what the fuck is going on in the plot. The fact that the gameplay was just awful amplified how terrible the whole FF13 package was. It is the complete opposite of Xenoblade.

Don't worry about sidequests. Just think of them as a little exp bonus and as an incentive to go out and explore. There are I think like 14 sidequests that give any sort of really, really awesome reward and even then it's a fairly minor upgrade that you don't need to do to beat the final boss. The world is pretty big but it seems a lot smaller once you start getting waypoints.

I read the review and the guy does make some points. The inventory management is probably the game's most obvious flaw and it could have certainly been better. However, I disagree with his opinion on Riki who has some of the best lines in battle and he's a good use of the obligatory cute JRPG character. The voice actor for him actually did a pretty good job in not being incredibly annoying!

[Fluffyumpkins]

http://grammarist.com/usage/literally-figuratively/

I kind of want to play uncharted 2, but I really don't like games with crouch-behind-walls mechanics.

[Merk]

I say obviously and literally way too much. I am aware of this.

It is a Merkism.

[Riot]

http://grammarist.com/usage/literally-figuratively/

I kind of want to play uncharted 2, but I really don't like games with crouch-behind-walls mechanics.

Uncharted 2 was really good!

[Riot]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... QGLtV6rulI#!

loooool