Why Should I Play Mass Effect?

[KING POJO]

(Exposition: I only have a PS3, my PC is crap)
SO Mass Effect has finally wrapped up and my cheap ass should probably take up the opportunity to play the old ones and all that.
I did play the demos, but they leaned highly on the combat which was... not enough to make me run out and buy it. XP And they just plain didn't sell the whole thing too well.
Why do people keep losing their shit over this game, then? Is it because of the story? I'm not afraid to take up a Sci-Fi story, and this series has been said to be the "Greatest Sci-Fi Story of our generation" hundreds and hundreds of times over.
Does the game have a Final Fantasy effect where it gets better the longer you play it?

OK, the real question: Why did you play the Mass Effect series?

 

[tippy2k2]

The combat in all of the games is alright, though I think that it gets better each game.

The story is where you're going to get most of the votes for "Why should I play this" and ironically, why so many are hating on the ending. I personally liked the ending but a lot of people wanted things answered and the ending just raises a lot of questions while not answering much of anything. Even if you do hate the ending, the dozens of hours that are gaming happiness is well worth getting into.

If you do pick up the series, I would strongly recommend getting all three games (so either get a 360 or find a way to get the series to work on your PC). The story is epic but it just won't mean as much to you if you skip ME1. It'd be like skipping Star Wars: A New Hope and expecting Empire and Jedi to have the same oomph...

 

[skywolfblue]

Mass Effect 1&2 aren't without a boatload of their own flaws. They were good for their time but going back you're definitely going to find their gameplay to be pretty atrocious. But, they do represent links in part of a grand space opera.

The story isn't flawless either when compared to the great works of written sci-fi, but it is remarkable for video games which have up to this point been pretty devoid of this kind of tale.

Why did you play the Mass Effect series?

- Continuation, Mass Effect has been the first series to really carry over what choices you made in the previous game and do it well.

- A whole galaxy, aside from the beginning and end you have the choice of where you want to go.

- Awesome scenery. (Probably my favorite thing, the vistas are stunning)

- Great Characters.

- Interesting Alien races with interesting situations forced upon them. A-la genophage and geth quarian war.

 

[TheCaptain]

In addition to the above, the characters and their voice acting are just great; the game is beautifully written and the way your character and the people around you evolve over the course of three games is just mindblowing. In the end there will be character's you'll want to have around, and who really make a genuine emotional impact.

I'm one of the people who're very unhappy about the ending; the disappointment about that really sits with me, but the games are actually so good that I started another playthrough, and I'm having no less fun than I had before, even though I know what's coming in the end.

About the choices you make: The games get you where you need to be in the end, and you'll do almost exactly the same missions over the course of the series regardless of your decisions. But the way those choices are adressed and constantly referred to in a way that makes it feel like you're having almost absolute freedom in your way of playing the game.

There's also a lot of detail in the background that makes the setting feel vibrant and alive; especially in part three I virtually took a tour of the ship and the "main city" after every mission to see if there was something new to see or hear.

 

[boag]

- Continuation, Mass Effect has been the first series to really carry over what choices you made in the previous game and do it well.

I was about to jump in with an interjection here with a list of games, but then I realized that ME is still the best game at reflecting choices from prior games and affecting the final outcome of the story...... even with the Ending :O

 

[Wayneguard]

The draw of mass effect is fantastic universe and the characterization. After three games, you really come to care about the various factions in the galaxy (or hate others, like the batarians) and especially come to care about your squadmates. Shepard's story is probably the least interesting part of the series.

 

[Sparklyfingers]

I haven't played ME3 yet and even when/if I do ME1 will always be my favorite. The draw of the series is the scope of it. You're not just saving the world - you're saving the frickin' galaxy. ME1 is great because you can explore different planets in a way that the other game(s) won't let you. You get a much better feel of the universe and the races inhabiting it.

In short, really, if you think you would find playing around in the galaxy killing aliens on the one hand and sexing them up on the other, start playing. Shame you only have a PS3 though.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Ok this is coming from a guy who had not play the game series yet but I do want to play it (I only got a PC and I waiting for a triliogy package).
From what I seen since it from Bioware they did Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic which I love that game and Mass Effect is a improven of that game (like the choice dialogue and the good and bad path) just without the Star Wars elements.
Each of the character look unquie each with their own complex stories and the fact that game universe look deep and vast which of course make a good story.

 

[DoPo]

I'm not afraid to take up a Sci-Fi story, and this series has been said to be the "Greatest Sci-Fi Story of our generation" hundreds and hundreds of times over.

Don't believe them, whoever is saying it. It has potential to be towards the top, though. It's definitely more decent than a lot of other stuff.

OK, the real question: Why did you play the Mass Effect series?

I heard it was going to be a trilogy. I didn't want to bother with many, many spin-offs and sequels in a series, so I got it. Another contributing factor was that the first ME was £2.50 on Steam. And finally, it was made by BioWare, which had at least some guarantee of quality. Overall, it met my expectations. Space+Plot+RPG. Not too bad.

I hear a lot of, what I classify as, exaggerations of the qualities. The setting was better than DA:O and the story is definitely better than a lot of other games out there. I can't explain it more concisely than this: It is a BioWare RPG. With a space setting.

 

[Imbechile]

Why Should I Play Mass Effect?

You shouldn't. From the combat to the story to the RPG elements it's really mediocre. There are better games out there.
Also:"Greatest Sci-Fi Story of our generation" - LOOOOL

OK, the real question: Why did you play the Mass Effect series?

I borrowed it from my friend, hoping for some fun, then ended up hooked because of all the lulz the series provides(corny B-action movie dialogue, cheesy romances, EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT(TM),...). Basically it's so bad it's good.

If you want to experience these things, then Mass effect delivers. Just make sure you don't spend much money on it.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I can't recommend it to anyone who can't play Mass Effect 1. Mass Effect 1 is a space opera. ME2 and ME3 went into a more mainstream sci-fi shooter direction. It doesn't mean they are bad games. But without playing ME1 you'll never experience the REAL Mass Effect universe. It will feel like something different, something smaller and not so epic because you didn't experience ME1 which contains a lot of important lore. ME2 and ME3 only expanded upon what was established in ME1, but without ME1 you are missing that crucial aspect of ME universe needed to fully enjoy it's universe.

 

[Laughing Man]

Hmmm I am a little bit further along with than the OP. In that after seeing all this belly aching about ME3's ending I thought that if a game can produce more whining and moaning than a boat load of hookers then perhaps I should try it out. So I bought ME1 for the princely sum of £7.99 installed it and have played it for about 8 or 9 hours.

My thoughts so far

The combat is total and utter ball gravy, I assumed that tactics and skill would be required but your squad mates are a little more intelligent than belly button fluff and the AI has a habit of rendering any attempt at tactical cover shooting useless by mindlessly running at you with all guns blazing. Yes you will try to do the tactical cover shooting thing but as I said your squad mates won't back you up, the weapons feel like they are doing nothing, and even specialist weapon choices feel redundant, I selected sniper as a weapon role only to find out that as a 'pro sniper' you have an aim that would make a one eyed bat embarrassed and for some strange reason you lose the ability to use your sniper scope when your health drops too low??

So 'tactics' have come down to, making sure my main character has the best armour, most health, plenty of health packs and then run in to any and all combat situations with my god damn pistol, because that's the only other weapon that I am trained in....

Missions and maps, yes their are loads of things to do and for the most part you seem to be left to make your own decisions on where you go and what you do but when you do find something you want to do you won't have a clue where you are meant to be going and how to get there. In other words you WILL spend a lot of time wandering around until you either stumble by accident in to the place you were meant to go to or until you enter the right area that allows you to view the map and find the destination you were aiming for.

Now let's be clear the items listed above are reason why I would drop this game in a heartbeat, to be brutally honest it is not a very good game so far the only thing that has kept me coming back is that I have played it in small bursts, quitting out when the stupid combat has annoyed me only to come back later and get past the bad guy using pure brute force, anyway the story is what is driving me at the moment. It isn't amazing, it isn't a work by Dickens but it does feel like you are making decisions, ones that I assume will actually have some say in how things play out. So just now the story is interesting enough to keep me going but if the story drops off then sorry this games a goner.

Oh and right here and right now the game isn't good enough to make me buy any of the sequels, oh and I quite like the driving sections as well, the buggy is funny to drive.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

Because 99.9% of the series is amazing.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Because if you're a fan of emotional investment in a story and it's characters, nobody does it better. It's that simple. Sure, the plot lines in themselves tend to be quite formulaic, but sometimes things become formula because they just work, and any tropes you may notice pale into insignificance beside just how much you will grow to care for your Shepard and his/her allies.

The combat in the second and third is also much better, particularly in the third, which doesn't make it quite so easy on you as 'pop in and out of cover until everything dies'.

 

[VaudevillianVeteran]

As with most Bioware games, the characters really make the game. The combat is eh, and there's a rather annoying part in the first one, but the story and such really make it. I'd recommend getting just the first and seeing if it's for you though. Understandably, this kinda of game doesn't work for everyone.