Mass Effect: Is there any point in me playing it.

[Mutie]

Hey folks, now bare with me a second while I elaborate. I'm a pretty picky gamer these days, mainly due to my lack of time which can be used on extensive single player pieces (my favorite breed of game) and, as a result, pride myself in playing said games to their full extent. Now, Mass Effect has been on my "HOLY CRAP JUST PLAY IT" list for a while and has even been sitting on my shelf since September. I've finally got round to booting it up again and have made some good progress, my main issue is with the DLC content for the series as a whole.

I currently have the Bring Down the Sky DLC for MS1 as I got the Xbox Classics edition, but can't get the rest as I don't have an XBL Gold account, mainly cause I'm not a big multiplayer and don't see the point in pay for the connection when I can get updates through an Ethernet. This, combined with the revelation that a considerable sum of DLC for MS2 is PS3 exclusive (try saying that while you're high) had me considering switching over to the Play Station for this series. But then I found out that MS1 is Xbox exclusive, and I would definitely want to continue my save file from each previous chapter. This, along with the hearsay that the Downloadable Content as a whole helps flesh out the world and (in MS3s case) understand the controversial ending, I am left with this simple question: What's the bloody point!? And honestly, is there even a way of me experiencing the entirety of the Mass Effect franchise, short of building a PC rig? I though I'd finally found something by Bioware that I actually enjoyed...

 

[IndomitableSam]

I'm currently replaying. I just finsihed 1 again and have done a couple missions on 2. SInce it's been years, I lost my info for Bring Down the Sky (apparently not even available anymore?) so I don't have it. Miss it, though. There was a nod back to it in 3, as I imported a save I had from... when I had it. I also have no DLC aside from the Cerberus Network for ME2. I always thought I'd buy it later, but now I don't really want to give EA my money. I still love the games, but I'm not paying them any more for DLC I can just go read about.

Also - for the ME3 extended ending, everyone gets it for free as it just came out. It should prompt you to download it? (I play PC.) At least it's free for a little while, anyway. I would think for 2 Kasumi, Shadow Broker and The Arrival were for all platforms, too. Pretty sure they are. Those are the only important ones, I'm told.

So, yeah, go ahead and play. You don't really need DLC, and the important stuff is on all consoles as it is. No worries there.

 

[Smeggs]

Now that the Extended Cut endings for ME3 are out, you may as well do it. Just make sure to download the EC endings first, so that you need not experience the overly-horrendous originals. The series won't be spoiled for you like so many others.

 

[NewYork_Comedian]

Now that the Extended Cut endings for ME3 are out, you may as well do it. Just make sure to download the EC endings first, so that you need not experience the overly-horrendous originals. The series won't be spoiled for you like so many others.

What he said. I want to play it but the shitty DRM, sorry, the even shittier DRM they had for it back in 2008 i.e. you can only install the game 3 times and you have to buy a new copy of it, got to me and now I will have to buy it all over again.

 

[skywolfblue]

Get the ME1 on xbox.
Get ME2 & 3 for the PS3. The PS3 version of ME2 comes with a little "review" sections where you can set up all the major choices just as if you had made them in ME1.

Doesn't seem that hard to me.

You don't really ~need~ the DLC. Sure the Shadow Broker DLC from ME2 and the Ending DLC for ME3 are pretty neat and add a lot, but they're not really ~required~ to play / enjoy / or understand the games.

 

[pilouuuu]

Just play ME 2 and ME 3. They're fun games! ME1 is dated. Just be sure to play ME3 Extended Cut.

 

[AD-Stu]

I'd just stick with the XBox.

You won't miss a thing by not getting the other DLC pack (Pinnacle Station) for ME1. It has zero effect on the story, only adds about an hour of play time and is almost 100% combat focussed.

As far as I know PS3 didn't actually end up with any exclusive DLC, and if they did it won't be important. For a while there it was the only platform to have the origin story pack, but all that was really was a way for PS3 players (who'd never been able to play ME1) to "generate" a ME1 save file to import into the game. Since you've actually played ME1 it's not an issue.

 

[Ruzinus]

" a considerable sum of DLC for MS2 is PS3 exclusive"

? I have never heard this before. Zaeed, Kasumi, Arrival, LotSB, and Overlord are all available on 360.

I think what you heard is that some of the stuff that was DLC for 360 was put on the PS3 disc, as it had been out long enough for some of that to appear before it was ported.

 

[Mutie]

Hmmm... With all this information in mind, I might finish up ME1 on't Xbox and then move over to PS3 (even though I hate using it for RPGs). It'll be easier to get DLC stuff in general and I was gonna redesign my character anyhow (same person, better graphics). How detailed are the options when it comes to inputting your decisions and such from ME1? I tend to invest a lot of time in such games, and tend to become attached to the characters...

(It seems some of my info was incorrect when in came to PS3 exclusive DLC, just ignore all that)

 

[number2301]

Stick with XBox, it has all the DLC and you can play the series they way it was meant to be played, by carrying your save right through from ME1. I don't know specifically what options the PS3 things gives you, but it can't possibly match everything you did.

You can completely redesign your Shep in ME2, even down to class I believe so don't worry about that.

As for the DLC, you don't need Live Gold to get it, but you should get basically all of the quest and character related stuff (skip the extra weapons and appearance packs). I was gonna try list all the good stuff but I won't bother. Just get all of it.

 

[Ruzinus]

Stay on 360. Only the biggest stuff can be switched around in the review, and some of the little stuff will come back.

 

[Murmillos]

If you have to play ME1, do so on a PC, much better on a PC then Xbox. 2 and 3 are just fine on the Xbox.

 

[Gitty101]

Stick with the 360 version and just play the series. ME1's DLC is laughable, in ME2 only Lair of the Shadowbroker is worth shelling out for and for ME3 the EC DLC is highly recommended but not essential.

Despite the original endings I still enjoyed my experience as a whole. You shouldn't allow other people's hyperbolic reactions to determine whether you wish to experience a series or not.

 

[Eric Morales]

I've played through all three games, both WITH some DLC and with no DLC and either way, I thought I had a complete experience. All the DLC packs seem to add something without being essential to the experience (though to be fair, some add more than others).

Events in Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival both get refrenced a fair amount in ME3, but again, but characters generally do a good job of giving you the gist of what happened so you don't feel lost.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

Through it all, ME2 is still my favorite game of all time, even though 3's ending was a buzzkill.
So, yes, play it.
All playable things are on equal ground, PS3, Xbox, and PC all have the same DLC for the same price.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

SInce it's been years, I lost my info for Bring Down the Sky (apparently not even available anymore?)

It's included with the Steam edition, but other than that, I haven't even heard of any expansions for the first game before I got it on PC.

 

[ZorroFonzarelli]

Like virtually everyone, I hated the Mass Effect 3 ending, but to understand why it was so bad you had to have an amazing experience for 2.95 games.

Mass Effect will give you that amazing experience, and at the end of the day, despite all the angst, the journey was well worth it.

Few will tell you differently.

 

[headcrabgordan]

Don't it is an overrated series that got popular by shear luck, it is bland predictable and the moral choice system is hypocritical and contrived. There are much better space games for much cheaper. Dead space and Dead space 2 are much more enjoyable and if you have a ps3 resistance and the rachet and clank games are infinitely more original and entertaining. also all of those games have little or no dlc and on computer the dead space games come with all the dlc for free.

 

[LetalisK]

Get the ME1 on xbox.
Get ME2 & 3 for the PS3. The PS3 version of ME2 comes with a little "review" sections where you can set up all the major choices just as if you had made them in ME1.

Doesn't seem that hard to me.

You don't really ~need~ the DLC. Sure the Shadow Broker DLC from ME2 and the Ending DLC for ME3 are pretty neat and add a lot, but they're not really ~required~ to play / enjoy / or understand the games.

Unfortunately the review doesn't address all the decisions that are carried over, only the major ones. Though I guess if one doesn't care about the minor decisions, review ftw.

OT: Yes, play ME1. And then if you enjoy that, play ME2. And then ME3.

 

[bullet_sandw1ch]

Don't it is an overrated series that got popular by shear luck, it is bland predictable and the moral choice system is hypocritical and contrived. There are much better space games for much cheaper. Dead space and Dead space 2 are much more enjoyable and if you have a ps3 resistance and the rachet and clank games are infinitely more original and entertaining. also all of those games have little or no dlc and on computer the dead space games come with all the dlc for free.

you're kidding me, right? all of those series are good for maybe one playthrough, you can play ME 1-3 many times over with different results. also, as an individual game, none of the ME's are shockingly great, as a series they are probably the best space action/drama series ever released.