Mass Effect the First - Evolution problem

[Ziame]

Hi!

So, recently I decided "yay, Mass Effect 3 - gotta start the marathon".

Yet, after playing ME2 and, especially, ME3... I just can't bring myself to it. I mean, I can't play the damn first game in the series.

Don't get me wrong now - I adore dialogues, cinematics, everything, from graphics through music to characters, but there's one thing I cannot get past.

COMBAT. Jesus, it sucks. After playing ME3 I realised that the damn thing just plain sucks, sticks out like a sore thumb on otherwise great game. I've passed the game multiple times and never has it occured to me that it's bad (maybe cause I never really got to play Gears of War).

And now, I am sitting here, staring blankly at the M icon... and I just can't get myself to play it.

How many of you are there, people who faced the same wall? Speak up!

 

[Zhukov]

Yeah, much the same here.

I found the combat in ME1 little more than tolerable the first time through. After playing the sequels it feels like a chore.

My advice is to play vanguard and take biotic squad mates (Wrex and Liara work best) since biotics are crazy overpowered in ME1. That way you can power through it as quickly as possible. Just bowl everything over with the biotic abilities and shoot them before they get back up.

 

[Indecipherable]

Thirded.

To be honest, it was about two reasons though.

First, as you mentioned, the combat sucks. It's just really, tragically bad.

Secondly, because of the ending of ME3, which I won't get into.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Yeah, cover-based shooting is pretty boring when you can't teleport into dudes' personal space with a shotgun.

 

[Cranky]

IF you don't play Vanguard or Infiltrator in the first game, it's damned boring. But the true thing that pisses me off about ME1 is the long-ass moving back and forth for sidequests. And wasting hours in the Mako.

 

[370999]

Pretty much. Mind you out of the few Bioware games I've played the combat has at best been an entertaining diversion and never for me, the game's strength.

 

[Esotera]

I thought the first game was the best, combat may have been a bit dodgy, but at least it wasn't cover-based, and the infinite ammo was way more futuristic than cryoammo and all that rubbish. Everything else in it was better, as well.

 

[Ziame]

I thought the first game was the best, combat may have been a bit dodgy, but at least it wasn't cover-based, and the infinite ammo was way more futuristic than cryoammo and all that rubbish. Everything else in it was better, as well.

Well, we are opposed to each other then. Also, the overheat bug... :<

Though I'd love to have ammo in ME3 made purchasable instead of ammo-power (pretty much like they made it in multi =_=)

 

[Esotera]

Well, we are opposed to each other then. Also, the overheat bug... :<

Though I'd love to have ammo in ME3 made purchasable instead of ammo-power (pretty much like they made it in multi =_=)

I thought it was a feature, not a bug? Or did it just become one? Ammo powers were cool, but they weren't as cool as infinite ammo (and those weird grenades things that you can throw and remote detonate)

 

[Ziame]

Well, we are opposed to each other then. Also, the overheat bug... :<

Though I'd love to have ammo in ME3 made purchasable instead of ammo-power (pretty much like they made it in multi =_=)

I thought it was a feature, not a bug? Or did it just become one? Ammo powers were cool, but they weren't as cool as infinite ammo (and those weird grenades things that you can throw and remote detonate)

I mean, there was this bug, that when you had one of the achievements (I forgot which), your weapon could overheat and stay unusable (your, or your squadmates')

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

It wouldn't be a bad idea to remake ME1 with ME3 gameplay (and graphics). I actually tried playing ME2 after ME3 and combat felt too slow. It turns out that new rolling around feature + all those weapons and weight system makes the combat even more awesome. It wasn't a huge leap like from ME1 to ME2, but it is still a significant upgrade.

One thing that happened because of the new rolling feature is that levels were bigger. They had to make them bigger for us to be able to roll around. And bigger levels is something Mass Effect always lacked. It wasn't so noticeable in ME1, but damn, Mass Effect 2 was just a narrow corridor shooter. Awesome, but narrow. Mass Effect 3 fixed that by introducing enough room to roll around. And level design was gorgeous IMO (think Sanctuary, Thessia and Monastery for example). Well, until London. London was one of the worst level designs I've ever seen in a video game.

 

[DustyDrB]

I don't mind it. Biotics are fun in the first game. Singularity was great for crowd control. You could follow up Pull with Throw and send enemies flying off-screen (it's especially fun in the last part of the game).

I do think it is pretty crap on Insanity, though. You die more quickly (try taking a hit from a rocket drone. See what happens), which is perfectly fine. But they also gave enemies a ridiculous amount of health. And they compound that with copious amounts of enemies who use Immunity. It makes for some annoying fights where you just shoot for days at one enemy, tossing in the occasional Warp/Neural Shock/Whatever. Hardcore mode is perfect in Mass Effect. Insanity sucks.

I can appreciate the first game for what it is. It has two big problems for me:
-Insanity
-The Mako. Yes, I will take planet-scanning over the freakin' Mako any day. I used to not hate it so much. But I've played the game at least a dozen times now, most of which were pretty complete playthroughs. Familiarity has bred contempt.

 

[Shavon513]

After the biotic bombs that you can accomplish n ME2 and 3, playing ME1 again would be a chore. The thing i can't get past however, is not the combat, but the ending.

 

[FilipJPhry]

The biggest complaint I have is resources. It's what Yahtzee described: "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH" I'm okay with most other things, but driving that damned vehicle on planet after planet is what's preventing me from playing ME1 ever again.

Another thing is the Resident Evil series. Mostly the mechanics of the first 2 games. The terrible camera angles and inventory system.

 

[Fuhrlock]

Personally it doesnt spoil me1 for me since I played all the games in the series for the story and not the gameplay (which isn't bad it's just not fantastic). In ME1's defence while it's alot slower based, I appreciate the overheat system the extensive weapon mods and the fact I could crouch outside of cover. Seriously ME2+3 why cant i get Shep to crouch near some cover without his/her back becoming glued to it.

So yeah I can still enjoy ME1's gameplay but even if I didn't I could still enjoy it for the story (overall I probably enjoyed ME1's story the most but that's a whole other discussion).

 

[Jynthor]

ME1 is still my favourite ME game to date. I have finished it at least a dozen times. And while it has gotten a bit boring for me(Especially the Citadel... Screw that place) the combat doesn't bother me.

You should try a Bastion Sentinel, give him the Assault Rifle skill, pop Barrier and start wrecking shit up. It's fun and you don't even have to use the lame cover mechanics!

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Haha, I started a marathon too in the run-up to the third game. Hadn't played the games through on the PC before then. But after that I found out how much the Mako truly sucked, how much I hated micromanaging everything and how much I hated how slowly it took me to get anywhere (on foot and in terms of trundling across planets).

Combat, not so big an issue, but the sequels definitely improved on all these things. They have much more replay value for me.

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

Mass Effect the first is infinitely better than its sequels. You are all mad. MAD!

 

[chimeracreator]

They definitely cleaned up combat and improved it every game, but the ending of the third means that I doubt I will be reinstalling it or playing any game in the series again anytime soon.