I played through the Mass Effect series for the first time last week. ... It was the most fun I've had out of video games in a long while. I am now spreading the gospel to my brothers.
Play through the series with all the DLCs and side quests. Believe me, without them the game is just 50% worth. I play the series once every 1, 2 years doing all the dlcs and side quests following a guide which you can find online for the missions order. Just.. amazing. Still, I always shed a few tears when I get to the end...
The quiet ambience and lack of music during some isolated locations were an awesome change of pace. You can't have cool music always. It felt like I really was just creeping around in this small corner of space, lost and all alone... Except for my man Wrex
This game has atmosphere. The music, the visual design, and the writing came together for that. From epic battles to claustrophobic corridors; Star Wars to Alien, it was all there. It had issues for sure, but I am disappointed that all of the ambience and mood was lost in the later games.
He's not complaining that there's no music, but rather that the sound design has it's quirks. You can have background noise of the machines and things like that. Sometimes you are in a big storehouse or alien building and it sounds like you are in a small, empty room.
Of all the things Mass Effect did differently, perhaps my favorite feature was the absence of ammo. Having weapons that simply overheat or need to recharge let them focus on other things, and I thought it was fantastic. A shame they did away with it.
@Char Aznable At least they did try an in universe explanation as to why thermal clips are a thing and overheating is bad. And part of it was to stop people cheering the game with weapons that didn't overheat. Forcing you to think about combat and how best to employ abilities and limited ammo. What they did badly was place ammo every 2 feet so you never really ran out for more than 1 weapon
@@JJJBunney001 it was just a very bad explanation. The weapons in Mass Effect are basically rail guns using a mass effect field rather than electromagnetism. The logistics alone of supplying an army with thermal clips/ammo make the whole thing stupid when that problem was overcome. This is where Mass Effect 2 really started to drop the ball in terms of its storytelling. Everything, literally everything in 1 was painstakingly explained with in universe reasons which they back peddled on in ME2 to appeal to the action shooter crowd that probably weren't interested in reading the hours of codex back lore and so never appreciated what made Mass Effect 1 so brilliant and unique. Yes it's janky as fuck as a game, but my god is it one of the best sci-fi stories and universe's ever created. It was streamlined and mainstreamed in 2 and for that reason I could never truly get into it.
@@chrisgriff901 Mass Effect 2 is responsible for most of the series problems. Went unbelievable action oriented, Cerberus and the entire main plot of that game feels like a complete waste of time. It definitely feels like some EA rep was saying "wow you know what would be cool a suicide mission where your crew dies!" and they turned a whole game into that idea and it falls so flat.
Actually is not that bad in 2, so ive come to know, ive been playing on normal cause im doing a full paragon/liara romance route, and ammo drops are aplenty for me, might be just legendary edition, but idk, i dont feel like im running out of ammo often on 2, and makes me really want to hit my shots, and is FAR more satisfying learning a limited ammo weapon
It's pretty funny how both KOTOR 1 & 2 and Mass Effect have clunky fighting mechanics/gameplay. I personally like both for what they are, and it seems with the passage of time, some people feel they are kind of meh. I think we can all agree that where all 3 of these games truly shine is in the other half of gameplay, interacting with characters, choosing/shaping your destiny, and learning more about the universe in which you find yourself in. KOTOR 1 & 2, and Mass Effect 1 may be somewhat clunky when it comes to fighting, but where they stand the test of time is the immersion you get as the main character, and the building of the universe and characters around you. At least, that's my take on it! Well done, Ray! Looking forward to seeing how people like our Podcast ;)
I think the KOTOR's play like baby's first RPG rather than clunky, they are rather simplified, they feel weird if you expect real time action (which i totally did btw, advertising/reviews were misleading for someone who doesn't know the genre), but once you are understand RPG combat they are rather straightforward. ME1 however is a somewhat poorly balanced and odd combination of real time shooting and stats, worth it because of the universe.
The Act Man Let me tell you what, I seldom agree with you on halo stuff, but on this I agree wholeheartedly. Now get back to halo so I can disagree with you some more:)
Mr. Buttcheeks dude your name is "Mr. Buttcheeks" and your making gay jokes? do you know how easy it would be to make fun of your ass opps my mistake, your buttcheeks?
You really mischaracterized the Saren suicide sequence. In order to see the scene at all, you either need to invest heavily into charm/intimidate or do multiple playthroughs (10 skill point minimum). It's hardly the intended ending. More importantly, the suicide isn't Shephard just talking to Saren and then him deciding to off himself. Rather, it's the culmination of the seed of doubt Shephard plants into Saren on Virmire. If you don't charm/intimidate him on virmire, there's no suicide. It's actually pretty damn important characterization. Saren isn't some big bad evil dude, he's the idealization of Mass Effect Renegade. He's ultimately a good person, but he's also willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, and Sovereign managed to brainwash him.
true. Same thing goes for most great moments in this game. There's no feeling like the one you get once you ended the geth/quarian conflict without committing genocide against one of the two parties :D
Yes I was thinking the exact same thing. Also on the audio subject, he said at one point (on one of the uncharted world missions) all you could hear was the track and the sound of your footsteps which felt dry. I disagree, I believe it sounds isolated and creepy and makes you think ‘something fucked up is going on here’
I think they handled Saren with a lot more intelligence and thought than they handled the Illusive Man's arc. I think it was a bit contrived almost to have him walk Saren's path again, I think it would have been better if he just *disagreed* with Shep on how to deal with the Reapers rather than have him be indoctrinated. I think it may have been more interesting if they made Shephard in many ways follow Saren's path. Which I suppose he kinda does if he goes Renegade, but it would be nice imo if even Paragon shep had to make some similar choices.
...same as jenkins video just before the flood kicks in in halo ce... ends with noise, shaky camera, zoomed in like 80s/90s tv series/commercials, attacked by an overwhelming unknown force... good shit.
I like the Mako in the same way I like a really dumb german sheperd. It looks good, it's funny when it constantly rolls over, and it can bite your fucking hand off.
I loved the Mako too, even though it wasn't the Halo level of vehicular combat, it was really cool that you could drive around the levels. It's shame that all other such sequences were on rails in the other installments.
@@silver_desperado Year old comment, but what the fuck do you mean???? 💀 Games have been copying the competition since the fucking Atari days lmfaooooooooo
@LeadFaun Thanks. I'm ordering it now. I am a sucker for a good story so Mass Effect's being regarded as one of the best in video game history is enough of a pull.
tbh Dark Souls is the best game I've ever played. Mass Effect is my favorite. There's a slight twist in the way that Mass Effect has some flaws I can forgive (gameplay) but changed my gaming perspective forever even though I've played it only two years ago being a 20yo grown man. On the other hand, Souls games are just perfection but can't take over that special spot the ME trilogy has in my heart.
Considering the Andromeda fiasco, I wish Bioware would release the first trilogy and all its DLCs in one bundle for this console generation, correcting some physics and texture issues. These games were storytelling masterpieces.
i think they should release remastered version on all of the games, starting from the first to *all* platforms, not just consoles. The first one is already 12 years old, there are kids playing games that weren't even born yet when it came out! God, that makes me feel very old...
@Comic Sans Nope, no ME1 for PS3. And for the 2 you are forced to start by default with a biggot Shepard that destroyed the Destiny Ascension, put a human at the head of the coucil, and never got laid. Not ideal.
@@SCDJMU icewind and planescape have nothing to do with bioware though Both were made by the team that would EVENTUALLY become obsidian AKA BLACK ISLE STUDIOS
I love the soundtrack of Mass Effect! And honestly: I liked the ambient music from the side-missions. Because combined with the silence or lack of sound-effects it created a tense and creepy atmosphere
For sure, I don't know what he was talking about there tbh. To me it always felt like a conscious decision rather than some limitation of the technology.
Agreed. Whenever that ambient soundtrack played while I was exploring some adrift freighter, every fiber of my being just told me to finish the mission and get the hell off that ship.
This happens to me as well. The documentary-like music plus the dossier of every planet makes everything feel adventurous and exciting. It's hard not to fall in love with the Mako, mainly because of this.
@Char Aznable you know i was thinking just that, i just replayed ME1 and dragon age, its only in hindsight you realize just how far vidya has fallen recently and that it has been covered by fancy graphicical fidelity to cover its lack of any substance
@Char Aznable really? that is a fascinating way of looking at it, to educate and immerse, i was just playing Dragon Age origins and whoa the dialog choices put modern games to shame, in depth conversations written by real humans showing emotion progression and character and not some husk of political drivel that biowere became
When you go to stop the Rogue AI on the moon, find out this video that the binary actually says 'help' then in game 2 (SPOILERS) you find out that EDI was this rogue AI...... mind = blown.
@@tanners9912 nope, rogue A.I, the alliance was working on it in secret because its illegal, which is why Hackett wanted Shepards help. Also it is 100 percent EDI on the moon in her earliest iteration
Mass Effect 1 was clunky and the combat was pretty bad, but the world-building and characters were unparalleled. It was a completely original and new universe, yet the lore felt as deep and rich as Star Wars and DnD.
HorkBork M I think the combat is everything everyone criticizes it for, yet it's soooo rewarding to start off shooting around a 2 mile radius with constant need for cool down, to almost no cool down, pin point accuracy and mass damage. When it comes to the world in this game, it's definitely a great building block, but I feel like the reuse of textures and layouts make the game boring. ME2 took the world and made it something incredible. From the revamped Citadel to the seedy Omega, there's just something special about the lighting and style of the settings and what it symbolizes. I'm about to start ME2 again after a while, so maybe I'm wrong, but that doesn't seem likely... haha
@@jamesjones2002 have you heard that the original trilogy is being remastered for next gen maybe even ps4 and Xbox one?! They also announced that a new Mass Effect game just started development! To be honest, I am more excited for the first Mass Effect to be remastered.
@@DANRYX considering their talking about the next gen i doubt we will get one on ps4 or xbox 1 maybe the next gen will get a remaster and as for another mass effect title i doubt we will considering how bad andromida was followed by anthem i think bio ware is lost in the blob that is ea and will only continue to go downhill and i dont even have high hopes that a remaster would be good theyd probubly try to jam micro payments and multiplayer in it
@@jamesjones2002 their announcement states that ME 1,2,3 and all dlc for 1 and 2 is included, nothing about 3s MP dlc. And yes, Bioware officially announced that they just started preproduction for a new ME title. I'm not even holding my breath for a ME sequel to be honest, I just want to experience the original trilogy remastered and hopefully the original graphics with an upscale in resolution is an option too. I'll forward you a link on it, if you're interested.
I've only recently finished mass effect 1 after buying the bundle in the steam sale. Loved it, so i started playing mass effect 2 and i've only recently had access to the galaxy map in the ship. So far i'm feeling weirded out. While the graphics are a huge improvement, for some reason it doesn't have the feel of the first game. Maybe it's just me.
i have the same feeling you have, i feel that mass effect 1 was alot more suspenseful/mysterious story wise. and i felt more immersed in the world because of it.
give it a few hours, it took me a week of on and off playing to really get pulled in, I only finished it for the first time a few weeks ago. The absence of familiar squad mates can be off putting at first but persevere and you won't regret it
Funny, I think it shows the desperation and final hope against hope of the Protheans that maybe, just maybe, they could give the next civilization the chance they didn't have, and die without ever knowing.
Hah, nice. Just startying the vid, hoping we agree on the "Intent Dialogue wheel" being good In ME1/2 and trash in everything else. Oh, wow, plenty of flaws you reminded em of that I'd forgotten.
14:00 The Witcher 3 had the same issues in some instances, most notoriously when the option to shove someone turned into you breaking his fucking leg Wouldn't be an huge issue if it didn't block out an entire quest line and change the outcome of a war
I used the hit-and-run strat - literally CC the big goliath robots by tapping them, back up, snipe. Tap, back up, snipe. IS IT FUN? No. DOES IT WORK? Reliably. lol
I do exactly the same thing because at higher difficulties, being surrounded by 4 Geth Armatures is dangerous so I just continuously move and run them over, firing the cannon over and over
Am I the only one that enjoyed ME1's combat despite it's obvious flaws? I mean, the sequels made improvements but they also stripped away a lot of the depth and uniqueness of the first game. Mass effect 1 played more like an rpg, and the sequels played more like gears of war.
Couldn't agree more. Mass Effect 2 felt like a massive step backwards with combat and story. I was so disapointed when I realised that I couldn't hoster my gun and the series became Gears of War.
Thanks for calling out the sphere on Eletania. That was my favorite piece of alien strangeness in the Mass Effect franchise, and I keep hoping they'll hit that mark again with some future title.
UGGHHH! Just the music... 30:38 And the way Jack summed it up, "You hear it, and you're in the Mass Effect universe immediately. There's nothing like it." Couldn't have said it better. And Vigil at 31:46 is, in my opinion, even moreso the track that instantly sends me back to Shepard's world. Like this gripping, haunting feeling of nostalgia to the highest degree. I'm starting to feel depressed...so bittersweet. A fantastic game series that I was so attached to. Am still attached to. I've never felt a more emotional attachment to any game before, in fact. The characters, the story, the romance, the gameplay (which, to me, was really fun!)... I'm so sad that the Shepard/Normandy story is over. Revisiting the games for another play-through just isn't the same as that first experience. The first version of the story you get. The first time you romance your most beloved crew mate. The first time you see the culmination of all the choices you've made through the years. I'm just so glad I got a good ending in ME3. The Reapers were destroyed, Shepard survived, his love interest survived, the majority of the Normandy crew survived...the extra scenes from the extended cut essentially alluded to the fact Shepard would be reunited with everyone. My ending was quite good, indeed, suggesting that Shepard and everyone would continue living on in happiness, unlike the endings many people received. But it's still so dang bittersweet. I wish there was more to experience. /sigh
I'm certain many people have felt the same. But after that you realize it's something special because it ended like it did, instead of letting it die from disappointment syndrome.
so true, all of what you said. There has never been anything like it since, sadly I don't think there will ever will be. So much nostalgia and memories associated with this game, its music, characters, and experiences... All these years later brings all kinds of feelings rushing back.
I hate to break it to you, but... That music at 30:38 was based around a PRESET sequence in a software synthesiser by Arturia - you can use it yourself and not pay any royalties to those who created Mass Effect because they did not create it. Reminds me of how Mark Morgan sampled large pieces of work for the original Fallout music and people thought he was a genius...
I disagree with the use of the word "dumber". Definitely, the gameplay is a little bit more streamlined, but I never thought to the point of it being blatantly in your face. The suicide mission mechanic is still as of today one of the smartest things ever made in a video game, and has been influential in games today. I do agree with you saying "aggressive", though. The gameplay is louder and faster. :)
The Therapist Productions again, I'm not sure that's fair. The idea behind the loyalty function is that none of your team are leaving unresolved personal issues behind, allowing them to be clear-headed in the face of certain death, and not getting emotionally unstable because of some family issue that they never resolved. I thought this worked really well because it encouraged me to get emotionally attached to them, and heightened the tension that you might lose one of you made the wrong choice. But what you suggested sounded very interesting, and I would love to see something like that!
Mass Effect 1 was a great RPG...all others became shooters with some RPG aspects, and the four edition seems the most action oriented of franchise... Most people like that way, but I really miss the original style...
The RPG elements were nothing but a hinderence in 1. It did t add anything meaningful. There always was a flat out best choice, making the 'costumization' pointless.
As a completionist , I describe Mass Effect in 3 words: Though Provoking Chore. The combat and side missions are quite the chore to get through, but its the story and the characters that make it worth it.
I don't see the repetitive lines as a negative point, mainly because they're so hilarious. Hearing an enemy yell "YOU WILL DIE!", as he/she repeatedly sprints out in the open just to die by crossfire and then seeing their twin-silbling do the exact same thing while yelling "YOU WILL DIE!" just never seizes to make me giggle. But the combat is indeed clunky as fuck. At least it works, so it doesn't bother me too much to stop playing. Great analysis overall, this might be the closest to objective critique I've ever seen. Hats off. EDIT: And I didn't even know ME had any DLC. Holy shit, you never stop learning.
while the game play of the ME1 was clunky at best, I still think it was still the best in the overall series. Yes game play became really fast paced and we'll designed in the later series, but it sacrificed it's overall space opera, story telling and RPG elements. The later series forgo their storytelling in more of streamline approach of an action RPG. That's just my thoughts though. which I came to realize is a very vocal minority in the community.
halfhalo33 idk if its a minority or majority but I agree with you friend. You really feel the sense of exploration and wonder when playing this game. Though it might feel tedious to some, it just increases the immersiveness for me and actually makes the galaxy feel big rather than small and connected like later games.
frankly the lack of space exploration was the weaker part of the later entries in the franchise. i kinda liked the silence of those worlds it felt like you were really an explorer
ill be honest. i reallllly don't like the gameplay of ME1, im playing it now and its just super clunky all over. ive been way too spoiled with the faster mechanics of the later games. In ME1 enemies are either completely braindead or they become crackshots and do massive damage. your squad mates may as well not be there because they die so much standing out in cover when i tell them to sit by a wall or get stuck behind some random clutter and dont want to follow me... your medigels are on recharge. i used to get motion sick when Shepard bounces around when moving. the makos awkward control. i could go on, if i wasn't so invested in the story id probably pass on it but i wanna complete the last game ive never finished yet. the many crashes ive had dont help it either. but you have to start from somewhere in a series, im glad they made improvements
ionic0 It's weird, because certain elements of the gameplay design are super satisfying. Weapons feel and sound great, powers are satisfying to use, and yet the whole experience feels strangely weightless and inconsequential. I think it has something to do with how you don't see the effects of your weapons on your enemies besides their health bar. Mass Effect 2 made some much needed improvements on the receiving end of your arsenal, adding blood and sparks and other visceral effects to give combat weight, and the results speak for themselves.
Where are you at with the story/time investment? I just recently replayed ME1, ME2, and am working on 3 right now. I had the most issues with ME1's combat during the first... 5 hours (out of a 14 hour run). I did a lot of side missions before tackling the main story, so I can't give you a barometer based on that. Anyway, after that 5 hour mark, I started getting decent guns whose accuracy didn't bloom to half the screen or overheat after 10 shots. I hate to make the "it gets better after X hours" argument, but that's what happened in my experience. That's not to say the combat isn't super dated, though. I eventually just figured out how to work with it. But if you're a fan of the Mass Effect series, I encourage you to keep going. I started the playthrough thinking I was gonna hate ME1, but I came out of it with a better appreciation of the game... and a better understanding of the many rough, unpolished edges it has.
QU67 to me I can get into mass effect 1 and 2 instantly on new playthroughs but mass effect 3 takes me a while to get into(I've played it multiple times to the end) it has a strong start and great game play but there just something that I couldn't play it for more than a hour if I'm feeling it
Pro tip: Using the Mako to get a large enemy down to low health and then finishing it on foot gives you a LOT more experience than finishing it off inside the Mako. ME1 is one of my favorite games of all-time. It opened my eyes to the world of RPGs and storytelling in games, and I absolutely adore it. It has a lot of small problems, which totaled together definitely detract from the experience, but I will maintain that it's still overall the best game in the series.
Mass Effect 1 had more enemy variety and was not on-rails cover shooting. Even if the combat was far from great, the game made up for it with the more immersive world building, dialogue, and actual ROLE PLAYING.
Oh, And I forgot to add one thing about MAKO. It's supposed to be that floaty and defying laws of physics: it's mass is greatly reduced by mass effect fields, so it probably really weights as much as it would if it was made from styrofoam.
Honestly, I think that they designed the vehicle and then came up with the explanation for it handling like a rocket-powered, indestructible cardboard box after the fact.
I played Mass Effect for the first time ever last week (super late I know) I just beat it yesterday and it was seriously one of my favorite games now. The worlds are so sick, the visuals, just the lore in general is amazing. I love that there is so much to learn in the game whether it's about certain planets, races, etc. I don't know why I didn't play this game earlier but I'm glad I did last week. It's a sick sick game and I can't wait to play it again and also play the sequels.
One of my favorite game series of all time. Truly epic and legendary. I got legit depressed when it came to an end. I wanted more Shepard/Normandy goodness! Heck, I'm still sad that it's over. I still want more. I'm hoping Andromeda will help to fill that void. I miss my Normandy crew and Commander! T.T
I can't tell you how many times i played the Armax Arsenal Arena on my 3rd play-though.. I went kicking and screaming to the Cerberus base because i didn't want it to end..
Thanks to Legendary Edition I was finally able to finish Mass Effect 1, I finished 2 & 3 many times but Mass Effect was really rough around the edges for me to be patient.
So I guess a remake would be out of the question for this trilogy? Don’t get me wrong, it’s irreplaceable and unique, and to change it would mean rewriting everything and it wouldn’t be the same I imagine: but I’d love to see it with today’s resolution. It would be gorgeous
Absolutely loved the first Mass Effect. The universe was just so interesting. I know it didn't have great combat but i will always have positive memories looking back to it. Great analysis dude.
ME1 was "sonic-ally muted"? What? It's sonic-ally the best. The ambient, electronic, atmospheric BGMs are a highlight of the game and were notable by their absence in the later games.
Currently playing this properly for the first time ever, finished my soldier playthrough last night and started a Hardcore engineer before going back to soldier to do insanity, what have I been missing ♥
Tyrone Brownmelon or good if such ideas proliferate into other studios and up the gaming experience across the board (wishful thinking I know). I am more hopeful EA break under its own weight and Bioware escapes to be its own entity again. I'm no fan of corporate takeover of culturally relevant groups. Do consider the natural turnover any organization will experience and the new contexts and ideas fresh minds can bring, alongside solutions to prior iterations defects and inefficiencies (ie better calibrations). It is questionable how things will roll now that EA owns Bioware outright but we won't know for a while. I only hope it breeds elite creative minds who branch out and contribute depth to the game dev community while not suffering at the hands of greedy corporate empires.
Look at what happened with Inifinity Ward though. Half of the company either quit or got laid off and they came back together to form Respawn and made Titanfall. It seems unlikely but perhaps something similar will happen with the employees that left Bioware.
Casey Hudson came back to Bioware so that's some good news. And they promised a future mass effect game taking place in the milky way again on Twitter.
Can't guarantee as its gameplay is something I endure rather than play, but I desperately want a KOTOR 3, so perhaps I'll do on a video on that series someday.
That's interesting, I always though that KOTR had really special gameplay. I always loved Halo 2's campaign over Halo 1, but your review made me see how Halo 1's first half is probably superior to Halo 2. I'm even more fascinated by the concept of a KOTR video now.
The Vigil was the moment that sold me on the franchise and the universe as a whole, and didn't let go until one fateful day in 2012. And I think you summed it up really well at the end there. It was a rough game, with a very "wooden" combat system that aged poorly. And yet, as the following iterations improved that action part, I felt less and less of that inviting universe in favour of cool action scenes. Even though I didn't dislike ME2 (many of my friends coming from the same DnD background did), it was just missing some beats that at the time I couldn't quite put my finger on.
Mass Effect 2 stripped too many rpg elements and was significantly more linear. It also has far too few weapon types. It's pathetic how much was lost between this and ME2 in that area. ME3 and MEA thankfully fixed this by having a ton of weapons. The later games also drastically changed the tone which is another thing I don't like. They are missing something and it irritates me.
2007 was such a great year for gaming. Bioshock, The Orange Box, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Super Mario Galaxy, God of War 2 and Uncharted. But Mass Effect remains my favorite of the bunch in 2007 and it’s very special to me. I had just graduated High School in 2007 and my parents got me an Xbox 360 for Christmas that year with Mass Effect and Bioshock being the first games. Was excited for Bioshock, but I didn’t know anything about Mass Effect. It started slow at first but I very quickly got immersed into the world. The characters, the universe, the atmosphere and the music stuck with me. I quickly fell in love with Garrus, Wrex and Tali. Even side characters like Kirrahe, Chorben, and Lorikqui'in stuck with me. I still get chills beating the game and hearing M4 Part II during the credits. I still love that song. Great in depth video!!!
Everyone always brings up the Reaper reveal on Virmire as the highlight, but my most memorable moment is the conversation with Vigil on Ilos. Like, yes, the Reaper conversation was cool, but it didn't beat the reveal of who the Protheans were and how they worked to stop the Reapers, even when they knew all hope was lost for *themselves*, but not for future sentient life in the future. It had, to me at least, more emotional resonance beyond the mere shock of what Sovereign was. A band of scientists belonging to an ancient civilzation giving hope to an unknown future civilzation, even if they couldn't give hope for themselves.
I'm currently playing through the ME trilogy for the first time via the new legendary edition. I just finished ME1 so now I'm back here to watch this documentary edit: after watching the gameplay portion of the video and comparing the things discussed their to my experience in the remaster, I can say that both the HUD and the mako have now been fixed, though the odd phrasing of the dialogue wheel and not having access to the journal while in the galaxy map are still a thing.
ME1 is my favorite from the trilogy. Something about its atmosphere gave the eerie sense of a civilization that was unknowingly at its end, juxtaposed with a sense of calm sterility.
Well done video! Love how you crafted this video with depth similar to the style of the game, but made it where it didnt feel overwelming or annoying to listen to for the whole sitting. Especially love the final point you hinted back to in regards to Me1's most powerful asset being the universe which I feel many people glance over. I always am happy to see more channels like this you push forward conversation on games. Bless up! *subbed
1986's Legend of Zelda is older still, and there are still older games that befit the description of ARPG. But they've had the label applied to them retroactively. The ARPG genre label was created for Diablo. And an ARPG isn't an RPG with real-time combat, but is an Action game with some traditionally RPG-associated elements added in for some additional depth. www.1up.com/features/what-happened-action-rpg.html "Of course, even then, the notion of Diablo-as-pure-RPG left some people with a stomachache. And so the world arrived at a compromise by giving Diablo its own genre: The action RPG... today, the term "action RPG" brings to mind Diablo and its descendants almost exclusively: Loot-driven games powered by randomization and the mouse-clicking power of the human index finger, such as Titan Quest and Torchlight" www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-28-the-moment-diablo-and-the-action-rpg-genre-were-born "The moment Diablo - and the action-RPG genre - were born" @ 28:10 (or a bit earlier) David Brevik, co-creator of Diablo, talks about the creation of the ARPG genre: ua-cam.com/video/VscdPA6sUkc/v-deo.html
As i rewatch the video again i find it interesting just how many of the things you say about ME1 could apply to cyberpunk 2077 as well. Mainly the segment about preproduction and the games development being a land of compromise with tech being built up as the game progressed, eventually resulting in a game whose main focus is its universe, the part about the game being made up of three main loops, those being combat, exploration and dialogue with combat being majorly propped up by its sense of progression, and the part at the end about how the games best moments arent combat or exploration but just talking to people and learning about the universe. Youve kinda put into words why i love both of these games/series so much which i really wasnt able to pin down and do myself. Its all about the world and the people in it and for whats it worth i feel cyberpunk may be the first time since i played the original mass effect that ive seen worldbuilding and characterization that are this masterful.
This is the perfect example of pinnacle work between two artists who can define a singular experience from Sam Hulick's galaxy map theme to Jack Wall's Vigil theme (ME menu track and Vigil cinematic segment) both are so flawless in opening this sense of a vast/endless universe and to this day, both songs are the best pieces of music that I have ever experienced in a game. I must also state that the overall mix of both their talents throughout this games was a perfect match. Thanks for covering this in your video! EDIT: the original trilogy is confirmed to be remastered for next gen consoles and PC as well as a new Mass Effect game just entered preproduction as of a few days ago!
Honestly I don't get why more RPGs don't just outright pause the gameworld while you're choosing a dialogue option. I feel like that would make conversations feel a lot more believable if the break between characters speaking doesn't actually happen in-universe.
Oh man you forgot to mention that the weapons have a heating system instead of using a certain amount of limited ammo. I loved that system cause it forced me to use different weapons.
How does easily managing an overheating system make you use more weapons than straight up running out of ammo? If you like the overheating system more than by all means enjoy it, but I have rarely been forced to change weapons because of overheating. If I do it's because an enemy used sabotage.
I need you to analyse my life so that I know how to improve myself
MOOD FM : MF DOOM You will probably be dead by the time he finishes it.
haha just kidding
this might be the easiest comment to troll, but has just one (now two) comment and isn't even mean.
No it isn't.
DrTheKay I disagree. Responding to praise with gratitude and appreciation is normal.
DOOM is the shit.
You joker. Mass Effect was released in 2007, are you trying to tell me that was ten years ag.....OH GOD.
David Patterson I feel like a Promethean
Yes lol
I was just starting college...this game cost me a class or two.
David Patterson es verdad once años atrás...
Marth Promethean is from Halo4 and 5 but I know what you meant! "prothean"
The music is some of the best in sci-fi.
easily.
I'm pretty sure every game in the genre today takes inspiration from this score. I could listen to that synth exploration music all day.
Mass Effect and Halo.... Easily have the best music in games imo
Every time I start mass effect 1 I sit there listening to the main menu theme for a few minutes. I love the soundtrack.
damn right
I played through the Mass Effect series for the first time last week.
...
It was the most fun I've had out of video games in a long while.
I am now spreading the gospel to my brothers.
thank you brother
Play through the series with all the DLCs and side quests. Believe me, without them the game is just 50% worth. I play the series once every 1, 2 years doing all the dlcs and side quests following a guide which you can find online for the missions order. Just.. amazing. Still, I always shed a few tears when I get to the end...
Ha ha same, i just finished it this week.
I wish I could erase my own memory and replay the trilogy without knowing what is around the corner.
@@lilEddY28 Same here Male Para Fem Ren 1-2 a year and it feels like losing a friend at the end every time
The quiet ambience and lack of music during some isolated locations were an awesome change of pace. You can't have cool music always.
It felt like I really was just creeping around in this small corner of space, lost and all alone... Except for my man Wrex
@Aleksa Petrovic
I like the theory that Tali is a goat. I don't need to see her face, it can stay in the helmet!
This game has atmosphere. The music, the visual design, and the writing came together for that. From epic battles to claustrophobic corridors; Star Wars to Alien, it was all there. It had issues for sure, but I am disappointed that all of the ambience and mood was lost in the later games.
He's not complaining that there's no music, but rather that the sound design has it's quirks.
You can have background noise of the machines and things like that.
Sometimes you are in a big storehouse or alien building and it sounds like you are in a small, empty room.
Of all the things Mass Effect did differently, perhaps my favorite feature was the absence of ammo. Having weapons that simply overheat or need to recharge let them focus on other things, and I thought it was fantastic. A shame they did away with it.
@Char Aznable At least they did try an in universe explanation as to why thermal clips are a thing and overheating is bad.
And part of it was to stop people cheering the game with weapons that didn't overheat. Forcing you to think about combat and how best to employ abilities and limited ammo. What they did badly was place ammo every 2 feet so you never really ran out for more than 1 weapon
@bones At the same time though martial characters could get pretty underwhelming when biontics could just stun lock anything that doesn’t fly.
@@JJJBunney001 it was just a very bad explanation. The weapons in Mass Effect are basically rail guns using a mass effect field rather than electromagnetism. The logistics alone of supplying an army with thermal clips/ammo make the whole thing stupid when that problem was overcome. This is where Mass Effect 2 really started to drop the ball in terms of its storytelling. Everything, literally everything in 1 was painstakingly explained with in universe reasons which they back peddled on in ME2 to appeal to the action shooter crowd that probably weren't interested in reading the hours of codex back lore and so never appreciated what made Mass Effect 1 so brilliant and unique. Yes it's janky as fuck as a game, but my god is it one of the best sci-fi stories and universe's ever created. It was streamlined and mainstreamed in 2 and for that reason I could never truly get into it.
@@chrisgriff901 Mass Effect 2 is responsible for most of the series problems. Went unbelievable action oriented, Cerberus and the entire main plot of that game feels like a complete waste of time. It definitely feels like some EA rep was saying "wow you know what would be cool a suicide mission where your crew dies!" and they turned a whole game into that idea and it falls so flat.
Actually is not that bad in 2, so ive come to know, ive been playing on normal cause im doing a full paragon/liara romance route, and ammo drops are aplenty for me, might be just legendary edition, but idk, i dont feel like im running out of ammo often on 2, and makes me really want to hit my shots, and is FAR more satisfying learning a limited ammo weapon
It's pretty funny how both KOTOR 1 & 2 and Mass Effect have clunky fighting mechanics/gameplay. I personally like both for what they are, and it seems with the passage of time, some people feel they are kind of meh. I think we can all agree that where all 3 of these games truly shine is in the other half of gameplay, interacting with characters, choosing/shaping your destiny, and learning more about the universe in which you find yourself in.
KOTOR 1 & 2, and Mass Effect 1 may be somewhat clunky when it comes to fighting, but where they stand the test of time is the immersion you get as the main character, and the building of the universe and characters around you. At least, that's my take on it!
Well done, Ray! Looking forward to seeing how people like our Podcast ;)
The Act Man Ok first, I just subscribed to you as well so it's cool to see you here. And also a prodcast? I need a link or the name of it Act Man!
I think the KOTOR's play like baby's first RPG rather than clunky, they are rather simplified, they feel weird if you expect real time action (which i totally did btw, advertising/reviews were misleading for someone who doesn't know the genre), but once you are understand RPG combat they are rather straightforward.
ME1 however is a somewhat poorly balanced and odd combination of real time shooting and stats, worth it because of the universe.
The Act Man
Let me tell you what, I seldom agree with you on halo stuff, but on this I agree wholeheartedly. Now get back to halo so I can disagree with you some more:)
Yo Act Man I read this in your voice
...until the very end of the trilogy. When it was revealed 99% of your overall decisions didn’t matter
Never clicked on a video so fast.
That was my response to his DOOM video lol
Mip Mup same
fk u
Mr. Buttcheeks dude your name is "Mr. Buttcheeks" and your making gay jokes? do you know how easy it would be to make fun of your ass opps my mistake, your buttcheeks?
Darth Gamer fuck u bitch
You really mischaracterized the Saren suicide sequence. In order to see the scene at all, you either need to invest heavily into charm/intimidate or do multiple playthroughs (10 skill point minimum). It's hardly the intended ending.
More importantly, the suicide isn't Shephard just talking to Saren and then him deciding to off himself. Rather, it's the culmination of the seed of doubt Shephard plants into Saren on Virmire. If you don't charm/intimidate him on virmire, there's no suicide. It's actually pretty damn important characterization. Saren isn't some big bad evil dude, he's the idealization of Mass Effect Renegade. He's ultimately a good person, but he's also willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, and Sovereign managed to brainwash him.
true. Same thing goes for most great moments in this game. There's no feeling like the one you get once you ended the geth/quarian conflict without committing genocide against one of the two parties :D
Yes I was thinking the exact same thing. Also on the audio subject, he said at one point (on one of the uncharted world missions) all you could hear was the track and the sound of your footsteps which felt dry. I disagree, I believe it sounds isolated and creepy and makes you think ‘something fucked up is going on here’
@@UltimateFeudEnterprise Agreed, I got the same feeling from that errie background music.
I think they handled Saren with a lot more intelligence and thought than they handled the Illusive Man's arc. I think it was a bit contrived almost to have him walk Saren's path again, I think it would have been better if he just *disagreed* with Shep on how to deal with the Reapers rather than have him be indoctrinated. I think it may have been more interesting if they made Shephard in many ways follow Saren's path. Which I suppose he kinda does if he goes Renegade, but it would be nice imo if even Paragon shep had to make some similar choices.
amen
You know, Jenkins dying was more or less a joke? The named him after Leeroy Jenkins
Reminds me of the character from the flood cutscene in halo ce
@@psychomantis1926 its a direct reference. halo reference starts a bit earlier, when you watch a video of the reaper attack on eden prime on normandy.
...same as jenkins video just before the flood kicks in in halo ce... ends with noise, shaky camera, zoomed in like 80s/90s tv series/commercials, attacked by an overwhelming unknown force... good shit.
@@whitecocksmatter oh yeah, never thought about that
@@psychomantis1926 That was before Leroy Jenkins was even around.
The Sovereign reveal is the best scene in the entire series in my opinion.
Nah, It's meeting Vigil on Ilos.
@@mikaelhauk You're forgetting about the dancing turion, mate.
ME3, the reaper child on the citadel contradicted what you were told from Sovereign in the first game, pretty sad.
Fuck yeah, I got chills interacting with Sovereign. It was so epic
"I am the Harbinger or your destruction. This conversation...is over."
Has it really been 10 years since ME1? Jesus.
Right? I feel so old now ;-;
Almost. It was released on November 20, 2007.
I know right.... hahaha
*_sighs_*
More than that now 😱😵
17 years now ;-;
I loved almost everything about ME, including the MAKO and combat.
I like the Mako in the same way I like a really dumb german sheperd. It looks good, it's funny when it constantly rolls over, and it can bite your fucking hand off.
Oh and don't forget that it can glitch out and send you to the moon.
I loved the Mako too, even though it wasn't the Halo level of vehicular combat, it was really cool that you could drive around the levels. It's shame that all other such sequences were on rails in the other installments.
Mako... I liked wrecking Geth bases using it.
Oh yeah i know what you mean, Goompa stomping Geth and Pirates was the best.
This makes me seriously mourn the old glory days BioWare.
Ivory Samoan this is back when games took more creative liberties and not just copy what competitors are doing.
This shitty game is more EA than Bioware. The very good loyalty missions don't compensate for the fact that the rest of the game is complete shit.
I guess I’m getting to relive what you all felt cause I’ve gotten these games a decade late and I’m enjoying every second of it.
@@silver_desperado Year old comment, but what the fuck do you mean???? 💀
Games have been copying the competition since the fucking Atari days lmfaooooooooo
Be on the look out for Archetype Entertainment. Headed up by old guard Bioware including Drew Karpyshyn.
Easily one of the best games I've ever played
Worth playing for the first time in 2018?
@LeadFaun
Thanks. I'm ordering it now. I am a sucker for a good story so Mass Effect's being regarded as one of the best in video game history is enough of a pull.
Can I import my story choices from the first game to the second without xbox online?
LateNightGaming - Video Game News & Entertainment i
tbh Dark Souls is the best game I've ever played. Mass Effect is my favorite. There's a slight twist in the way that Mass Effect has some flaws I can forgive (gameplay) but changed my gaming perspective forever even though I've played it only two years ago being a 20yo grown man. On the other hand, Souls games are just perfection but can't take over that special spot the ME trilogy has in my heart.
Considering the Andromeda fiasco, I wish Bioware would release the first trilogy and all its DLCs in one bundle for this console generation, correcting some physics and texture issues. These games were storytelling masterpieces.
i think they should release remastered version on all of the games, starting from the first to *all* platforms, not just consoles. The first one is already 12 years old, there are kids playing games that weren't even born yet when it came out! God, that makes me feel very old...
You can get the Mass Effect Trilogy on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.
@@alaric_ I feel like a living dinosaur.)
it happening
@Comic Sans Nope, no ME1 for PS3. And for the 2 you are forced to start by default with a biggot Shepard that destroyed the Destiny Ascension, put a human at the head of the coucil, and never got laid. Not ideal.
kotor, Mass effect 1 and 2 and dragon age origins were the golden age of bioware
perhaps but lets not forget about placescape:torment, baldurs gate and icewind dale.
shame how things turned out in the end
@@SCDJMU icewind and planescape have nothing to do with bioware though
Both were made by the team that would EVENTUALLY become obsidian
AKA BLACK ISLE STUDIOS
Agree, but ME2 was the omen of the end-of-times
Inquisition is also right up there.
I love the soundtrack of Mass Effect! And honestly: I liked the ambient music from the side-missions. Because combined with the silence or lack of sound-effects it created a tense and creepy atmosphere
Skyhunter Yes
For sure, I don't know what he was talking about there tbh. To me it always felt like a conscious decision rather than some limitation of the technology.
Agreed. Whenever that ambient soundtrack played while I was exploring some adrift freighter, every fiber of my being just told me to finish the mission and get the hell off that ship.
This happens to me as well.
The documentary-like music plus the dossier of every planet
makes everything feel adventurous and exciting.
It's hard not to fall in love with the Mako, mainly because of this.
Mass Effect 12+ years.
What the hell? How is this still my favorite in the series? Life is too short.
@Char Aznable pretty crazy how much you can see the quality changes over the games, the writing especially
@Char Aznable you know i was thinking just that, i just replayed ME1 and dragon age, its only in hindsight you realize just how far vidya has fallen recently and that it has been covered by fancy graphicical fidelity to cover its lack of any substance
@Char Aznable really? that is a fascinating way of looking at it, to educate and immerse, i was just playing Dragon Age origins and whoa the dialog choices put modern games to shame, in depth conversations written by real humans showing emotion progression and character and not some husk of political drivel that biowere became
When you go to stop the Rogue AI on the moon, find out this video that the binary actually says 'help' then in game 2 (SPOILERS) you find out that EDI was this rogue AI...... mind = blown.
@@tanners9912 you find out edi is hannibal at the end of the third game
In ME3 EDI straight up tells you it was her on the moon.
@@ajcossey wow. Thank you for the update. Maybe I should replay ME3 finally
@@tanners9912 nope, rogue A.I, the alliance was working on it in secret because its illegal, which is why Hackett wanted Shepards help. Also it is 100 percent EDI on the moon in her earliest iteration
hi im commander shepherd, and this is my favorite video on the citadel
That outro song still gives me chills.
What is it called?
@@Masternaldo M4 Part II by Faunts
When you realize that this "10 Years Later" video was posted almost 5 years ago...
God I miss the original ME and I just replayed it with my fiancee late last year haha. Such a quality experience, no matter how clunky it is.
Every time I replay it, it takes me back to those classic RPG’s with a little twist to them.
Mass Effect 1 was clunky and the combat was pretty bad, but the world-building and characters were unparalleled. It was a completely original and new universe, yet the lore felt as deep and rich as Star Wars and DnD.
HorkBork M I think the combat is everything everyone criticizes it for, yet it's soooo rewarding to start off shooting around a 2 mile radius with constant need for cool down, to almost no cool down, pin point accuracy and mass damage. When it comes to the world in this game, it's definitely a great building block, but I feel like the reuse of textures and layouts make the game boring. ME2 took the world and made it something incredible. From the revamped Citadel to the seedy Omega, there's just something special about the lighting and style of the settings and what it symbolizes. I'm about to start ME2 again after a while, so maybe I'm wrong, but that doesn't seem likely... haha
Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic. I may or may not need to replay this game now.
lol were would be the fun in not replaying it
watching this jusf makes me want to replay it lol
@@jamesjones2002 have you heard that the original trilogy is being remastered for next gen maybe even ps4 and Xbox one?! They also announced that a new Mass Effect game just started development! To be honest, I am more excited for the first Mass Effect to be remastered.
@@DANRYX considering their talking about the next gen i doubt we will get one on ps4 or xbox 1 maybe the next gen will get a remaster and as for another mass effect title i doubt we will considering how bad andromida was followed by anthem i think bio ware is lost in the blob that is ea and will only continue to go downhill and i dont even have high hopes that a remaster would be good theyd probubly try to jam micro payments and multiplayer in it
@@jamesjones2002 their announcement states that ME 1,2,3 and all dlc for 1 and 2 is included, nothing about 3s MP dlc. And yes, Bioware officially announced that they just started preproduction for a new ME title. I'm not even holding my breath for a ME sequel to be honest, I just want to experience the original trilogy remastered and hopefully the original graphics with an upscale in resolution is an option too. I'll forward you a link on it, if you're interested.
Is it a coincidence you sound like you're Turian? LOL. Thanks for this.
Darius Greasley he does kinda sound like Garrus😂😂
High praise indeed! :)
Vocal fry, medium resonance, some nasal tones despite full use of diaphragm. He’s a genuine war bird.
@@BrainDedd96 "I'm Garrus Vakarian and this is my favorite comment on the citadel"
Can't unhear
And now it's been FIFTEEN (15) years, and it STILL holds up (graphics aside).
Time sure flies
I've only recently finished mass effect 1 after buying the bundle in the steam sale. Loved it, so i started playing mass effect 2 and i've only recently had access to the galaxy map in the ship. So far i'm feeling weirded out. While the graphics are a huge improvement, for some reason it doesn't have the feel of the first game. Maybe it's just me.
Brandon Tea is it because of the lack of exploration?
xavier wooten nah, i disliked playing the mako in the first game.i think its the organization shepard is apparantly working for now
i have the same feeling you have, i feel that mass effect 1 was alot more suspenseful/mysterious story wise. and i felt more immersed in the world because of it.
give it a few hours, it took me a week of on and off playing to really get pulled in, I only finished it for the first time a few weeks ago. The absence of familiar squad mates can be off putting at first but persevere and you won't regret it
Brandon Tea Mass Effect 3 is awsome
“Vigil” almost brings tears to my eyes, it’s so subtly beautiful. It conveys the vastness of space and the humble “smallness” of humanity.
Funny, I think it shows the desperation and final hope against hope of the Protheans that maybe, just maybe, they could give the next civilization the chance they didn't have, and die without ever knowing.
First time playing, Felt the same thing. This game is amazing!
Can you please do this for the second and third part. I really enjoyed it but I can't wait until 2022 for the analysis of the third part :-D
Already being worked on.
+Raycevick Can you share a timeline? Are you planning on getting them out before ME:A releases?
That's the plan. It'll be tough, but I think its possible.
+Raycevick Good luck! Looking forward to it.
Hah, nice. Just startying the vid, hoping we agree on the "Intent Dialogue wheel" being good In ME1/2 and trash in everything else.
Oh, wow, plenty of flaws you reminded em of that I'd forgotten.
14:00 The Witcher 3 had the same issues in some instances, most notoriously when the option to shove someone turned into you breaking his fucking leg
Wouldn't be an huge issue if it didn't block out an entire quest line and change the outcome of a war
My mako strategy is to first snipe with Mako cannon, then I hop out when health bars get low and use my actual sniper to maximize on xp gains
I used the hit-and-run strat - literally CC the big goliath robots by tapping them, back up, snipe. Tap, back up, snipe.
IS IT FUN? No. DOES IT WORK? Reliably. lol
I do exactly the same thing because at higher difficulties, being surrounded by 4 Geth Armatures is dangerous so I just continuously move and run them over, firing the cannon over and over
Thanks to changes to the LE version now a days you can just run all the geth over with the Mako and still get full xp lol.
Am I the only one that enjoyed ME1's combat despite it's obvious flaws?
I mean, the sequels made improvements but they also stripped away a lot of the depth and uniqueness of the first game. Mass effect 1 played more like an rpg, and the sequels played more like gears of war.
I found it pretty enjoyable on PC rather than with a controller.
Typickoopakid I absolutely agree. I don't really see how people see ME2 as the best of the 3
Typickoopakid I preferred the ME1 combat to that of the other games.
Couldn't agree more. Mass Effect 2 felt like a massive step backwards with combat and story. I was so disapointed when I realised that I couldn't hoster my gun and the series became Gears of War.
I liked it a lot, but then again, apparently I tend to like clunky combat systems that everyone else hates: Kotor, ME1, Dragon Age Origins
The Krogans were scary as fuck in the first game. Too bad they were pussified in the later ones.
Ah I guess you didn't play on Insanity then ;?)
the Krogan are stronger in ME2 damage wise, they just do not have OP skills anymore
One punch Krogans.
All I have to say is, Kureck or Gatatog Uvenk on Insanity, oh shit.
Unless you are a soldier, then you can just hit the adrenaline button and win
Holy fuck, I literally just checked this channel a second ago.
Thanks for calling out the sphere on Eletania. That was my favorite piece of alien strangeness in the Mass Effect franchise, and I keep hoping they'll hit that mark again with some future title.
It must have inspired some of the alien monuments in No Man's Sky. Awesome alien strangeness indeed!
Mass effect 2 and 3 still look pretty impressive to this day
"Forcing you to hit F5 every room like you're playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R..." Ahh, memories.
HELL YEA! I don't care if I've never played it I'm watching anyway cause I know this series is gonna be quality.
the second one is free on origin, you should try it :)
You should play it. This is my favorite game series of all time.
Thanks for that comment about it being free on origin, just grabbed it!
If you're interested in the series, pick it up. I've been doing a run of ME1, 2, and 3 and I gotta say I really enjoyed replaying ME1.
I played the trilogy for the first time last year and I think it really holds up today and worths a try by anybody who likes story driven games.
UGGHHH! Just the music... 30:38 And the way Jack summed it up, "You hear it, and you're in the Mass Effect universe immediately. There's nothing like it." Couldn't have said it better. And Vigil at 31:46 is, in my opinion, even moreso the track that instantly sends me back to Shepard's world. Like this gripping, haunting feeling of nostalgia to the highest degree. I'm starting to feel depressed...so bittersweet. A fantastic game series that I was so attached to. Am still attached to. I've never felt a more emotional attachment to any game before, in fact. The characters, the story, the romance, the gameplay (which, to me, was really fun!)... I'm so sad that the Shepard/Normandy story is over. Revisiting the games for another play-through just isn't the same as that first experience. The first version of the story you get. The first time you romance your most beloved crew mate. The first time you see the culmination of all the choices you've made through the years. I'm just so glad I got a good ending in ME3. The Reapers were destroyed, Shepard survived, his love interest survived, the majority of the Normandy crew survived...the extra scenes from the extended cut essentially alluded to the fact Shepard would be reunited with everyone. My ending was quite good, indeed, suggesting that Shepard and everyone would continue living on in happiness, unlike the endings many people received. But it's still so dang bittersweet. I wish there was more to experience. /sigh
I'm certain many people have felt the same. But after that you realize it's something special because it ended like it did, instead of letting it die from disappointment syndrome.
so true, all of what you said. There has never been anything like it since, sadly I don't think there will ever will be. So much nostalgia and memories associated with this game, its music, characters, and experiences... All these years later brings all kinds of feelings rushing back.
I hate to break it to you, but... That music at 30:38 was based around a PRESET sequence in a software synthesiser by Arturia - you can use it yourself and not pay any royalties to those who created Mass Effect because they did not create it. Reminds me of how Mark Morgan sampled large pieces of work for the original Fallout music and people thought he was a genius...
God I love the Uncharted Worlds track! Makes me feel like a part of the universe.
Yes so true. Novaria is also awesome. Such a great Soundtrack
halo wars 2, 1 week later?
shouldnt it be 1 week before?
Halo 6, 1 year early.
Mass Effect 2 is like Mass Effect 1 on steroids. Less fat, more muscle, but ultimately dumber and more aggressive.
James Carmichael That is the best description of Mass Effect 2 I've heard so far
J S Oh thanks. :)
I disagree with the use of the word "dumber". Definitely, the gameplay is a little bit more streamlined, but I never thought to the point of it being blatantly in your face. The suicide mission mechanic is still as of today one of the smartest things ever made in a video game, and has been influential in games today. I do agree with you saying "aggressive", though. The gameplay is louder and faster. :)
mass effect 1 felt like the draft for mass effect 2.. and then EA destroyed ME3 and Andromeda
The Therapist Productions again, I'm not sure that's fair. The idea behind the loyalty function is that none of your team are leaving unresolved personal issues behind, allowing them to be clear-headed in the face of certain death, and not getting emotionally unstable because of some family issue that they never resolved. I thought this worked really well because it encouraged me to get emotionally attached to them, and heightened the tension that you might lose one of you made the wrong choice. But what you suggested sounded very interesting, and I would love to see something like that!
Mass Effect 1 was a great RPG...all others became shooters with some RPG aspects, and the four edition seems the most action oriented of franchise...
Most people like that way, but I really miss the original style...
The RPG elements were nothing but a hinderence in 1. It did t add anything meaningful. There always was a flat out best choice, making the 'costumization' pointless.
I still remember that moment when I realized Sovereign was a reaper. I was so astonished I felt like I was speaking to a god lmao
Still the best Mass Effect game.
I still vastly prefer the skills in Mass Effect than it's sequels.
Mass Effect 1 is by far the most interesting of the 3.
Ammo types and grenades becoming powers was a level of dumb down I thought was unacceptable.
Yeah I too enjoy repetitive stat wank.
As a completionist , I describe Mass Effect in 3 words: Though Provoking Chore. The combat and side missions are quite the chore to get through, but its the story and the characters that make it worth it.
Funny because I felt this way about the curiously well received ME2
"The Reapers can't be stopped!"
"Yes, they can!"
"We can't stop them!"
"Yes, we can!"
"Ok." *Blows brains out*
It is shephard breaking the brainwashing and when that happens saren understands what he has done. I would off myself too
I don't see the repetitive lines as a negative point, mainly because they're so hilarious.
Hearing an enemy yell "YOU WILL DIE!", as he/she repeatedly sprints out in the open just to die by crossfire and then seeing their twin-silbling do the exact same thing while yelling "YOU WILL DIE!" just never seizes to make me giggle.
But the combat is indeed clunky as fuck. At least it works, so it doesn't bother me too much to stop playing.
Great analysis overall, this might be the closest to objective critique I've ever seen. Hats off.
EDIT: And I didn't even know ME had any DLC. Holy shit, you never stop learning.
33:19 that "subtle ambiance and footsteps" always creeped me out.
while the game play of the ME1 was clunky at best, I still think it was still the best in the overall series. Yes game play became really fast paced and we'll designed in the later series, but it sacrificed it's overall space opera, story telling and RPG elements. The later series forgo their storytelling in more of streamline approach of an action RPG. That's just my thoughts though. which I came to realize is a very vocal minority in the community.
halfhalo33 idk if its a minority or majority but I agree with you friend. You really feel the sense of exploration and wonder when playing this game. Though it might feel tedious to some, it just increases the immersiveness for me and actually makes the galaxy feel big rather than small and connected like later games.
halfhalo33 I preferred the gameplay of mass effect 1.
frankly the lack of space exploration was the weaker part of the later entries in the franchise. i kinda liked the silence of those worlds it felt like you were really an explorer
The MAKO was awesome
ill be honest. i reallllly don't like the gameplay of ME1, im playing it now and its just super clunky all over. ive been way too spoiled with the faster mechanics of the later games. In ME1 enemies are either completely braindead or they become crackshots and do massive damage. your squad mates may as well not be there because they die so much standing out in cover when i tell them to sit by a wall or get stuck behind some random clutter and dont want to follow me... your medigels are on recharge. i used to get motion sick when Shepard bounces around when moving. the makos awkward control. i could go on, if i wasn't so invested in the story id probably pass on it but i wanna complete the last game ive never finished yet. the many crashes ive had dont help it either. but you have to start from somewhere in a series, im glad they made improvements
Yeah, it certainly has a lot of rough edges in gameplay design, that's for sure.
ionic0 It's weird, because certain elements of the gameplay design are super satisfying. Weapons feel and sound great, powers are satisfying to use, and yet the whole experience feels strangely weightless and inconsequential. I think it has something to do with how you don't see the effects of your weapons on your enemies besides their health bar. Mass Effect 2 made some much needed improvements on the receiving end of your arsenal, adding blood and sparks and other visceral effects to give combat weight, and the results speak for themselves.
I know the feeling. It's sad when a game doesn't age well, isn't it?
Where are you at with the story/time investment? I just recently replayed ME1, ME2, and am working on 3 right now. I had the most issues with ME1's combat during the first... 5 hours (out of a 14 hour run). I did a lot of side missions before tackling the main story, so I can't give you a barometer based on that.
Anyway, after that 5 hour mark, I started getting decent guns whose accuracy didn't bloom to half the screen or overheat after 10 shots. I hate to make the "it gets better after X hours" argument, but that's what happened in my experience.
That's not to say the combat isn't super dated, though. I eventually just figured out how to work with it. But if you're a fan of the Mass Effect series, I encourage you to keep going. I started the playthrough thinking I was gonna hate ME1, but I came out of it with a better appreciation of the game... and a better understanding of the many rough, unpolished edges it has.
QU67 to me I can get into mass effect 1 and 2 instantly on new playthroughs but mass effect 3 takes me a while to get into(I've played it multiple times to the end) it has a strong start and great game play but there just something that I couldn't play it for more than a hour if I'm feeling it
11:09 I can't believe I just watched ten seconds of mass Effect combat without hearing "ENEMIES EVERYWHERE"
Mass Effect : Legendary Edition - 1 day later
Pro tip: Using the Mako to get a large enemy down to low health and then finishing it on foot gives you a LOT more experience than finishing it off inside the Mako.
ME1 is one of my favorite games of all-time. It opened my eyes to the world of RPGs and storytelling in games, and I absolutely adore it. It has a lot of small problems, which totaled together definitely detract from the experience, but I will maintain that it's still overall the best game in the series.
I do this in borderlands 2
*WE HAVE TO GO TO ILOS*
Anyone else watching these Mass Effect videos for like...the fifth time?
Yep.
Only 2nd time now but I for sure will come back at least once more 😀
Would you consider doing a video on Valve's Half life? I would love to hear what you have to say on the development process and why it's so popular.
Now there's an idea...
Raycevick God yes
You are welcome people
Would love to hear about that
I'd like to see that! I also might like to see an analysis video on borderlands. But half-life first definitely.
i know its crazy but i liked the combat in the first game the most
Wespa64 you kidding me that combat system was broken
Wespa64 I liked the combat in the first game more than the second game.
ChyroBeast theres honestly more variety in the encounters in me1 then me2 since u cant stay in cover forever and instantly win the fight
Ew
Mass Effect 1 had more enemy variety and was not on-rails cover shooting. Even if the combat was far from great, the game made up for it with the more immersive world building, dialogue, and actual ROLE PLAYING.
Oh, And I forgot to add one thing about MAKO. It's supposed to be that floaty and defying laws of physics: it's mass is greatly reduced by mass effect fields, so it probably really weights as much as it would if it was made from styrofoam.
Honestly, I think that they designed the vehicle and then came up with the explanation for it handling like a rocket-powered, indestructible cardboard box after the fact.
@@OniLink96 When in doubt, a wizard did it uhhhhh i mean... it's done with the mass effect
I played Mass Effect for the first time ever last week (super late I know) I just beat it yesterday and it was seriously one of my favorite games now. The worlds are so sick, the visuals, just the lore in general is amazing. I love that there is so much to learn in the game whether it's about certain planets, races, etc. I don't know why I didn't play this game earlier but I'm glad I did last week. It's a sick sick game and I can't wait to play it again and also play the sequels.
The Mako sections were always my favorite. Hate how they removed it, but I understand that it wasn't everyone's cup of tea.
Same
it wasn't the mako it was the shitty terrain you had to drive on
ME1, i liked the Mako and they removed it.
ME2, i liked the mining and they removed it.
ME3, yeah we all know that story.
ME:A, "kill it fire!!"
Just found your channel and it's exactly the thing I need in my subscription feed, great work mate!
Amazing content to watch on my Saturday afternoon. Your channel's one of the best.
Kyriolexical Dino
One of my favorite game series of all time. Truly epic and legendary. I got legit depressed when it came to an end. I wanted more Shepard/Normandy goodness! Heck, I'm still sad that it's over. I still want more. I'm hoping Andromeda will help to fill that void. I miss my Normandy crew and Commander! T.T
I can't tell you how many times i played the Armax Arsenal Arena on my 3rd play-though.. I went kicking and screaming to the Cerberus base because i didn't want it to end..
Agreed . Plus don't forget all that dam ore left over. You could build an entire new civilization now.
Thanks to Legendary Edition I was finally able to finish Mass Effect 1, I finished 2 & 3 many times but Mass Effect was really rough around the edges for me to be patient.
ME1 is the best Mass Effect. It has its own identity, a unique look and feel (retro futurism). They changed all that for 2 and 3.
Can I import my story choices from the first game to the second without xbox online?
@@kpjlflsknflksnflknsa Yes.
@@kpjlflsknflksnflknsa yes just have both games installed
so true. I tried 2 and 3, but they can't be compared to 1.
So I guess a remake would be out of the question for this trilogy? Don’t get me wrong, it’s irreplaceable and unique, and to change it would mean rewriting everything and it wouldn’t be the same I imagine: but I’d love to see it with today’s resolution. It would be gorgeous
Absolutely loved the first Mass Effect. The universe was just so interesting. I know it didn't have great combat but i will always have positive memories looking back to it. Great analysis dude.
ME1 was "sonic-ally muted"?
What? It's sonic-ally the best. The ambient, electronic, atmospheric BGMs are a highlight of the game and were notable by their absence in the later games.
Currently playing this properly for the first time ever, finished my soldier playthrough last night and started a Hardcore engineer before going back to soldier to do insanity, what have I been missing ♥
I also started it for the first time a month ago, currently on my second ME3 straight playthrough. ME1 got me really hooked.
Rewatching this in 2019 shows just how far Bioware have fallen with Anthem.
Just wait until rewatching it in 2025
Too bad all the talented people left bioware.
Tyrone Brownmelon or good if such ideas proliferate into other studios and up the gaming experience across the board (wishful thinking I know). I am more hopeful EA break under its own weight and Bioware escapes to be its own entity again. I'm no fan of corporate takeover of culturally relevant groups.
Do consider the natural turnover any organization will experience and the new contexts and ideas fresh minds can bring, alongside solutions to prior iterations defects and inefficiencies (ie better calibrations).
It is questionable how things will roll now that EA owns Bioware outright but we won't know for a while. I only hope it breeds elite creative minds who branch out and contribute depth to the game dev community while not suffering at the hands of greedy corporate empires.
Look at what happened with Inifinity Ward though. Half of the company either quit or got laid off and they came back together to form Respawn and made Titanfall. It seems unlikely but perhaps something similar will happen with the employees that left Bioware.
And now EA bought Respawn completely. Time for those devs to move on again.
Casey Hudson came back to Bioware so that's some good news.
And they promised a future mass effect game taking place in the milky way again on Twitter.
If you are doing Mass Effect, would you also consider Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic?
Can't guarantee as its gameplay is something I endure rather than play, but I desperately want a KOTOR 3, so perhaps I'll do on a video on that series someday.
That's interesting, I always though that KOTR had really special gameplay.
I always loved Halo 2's campaign over Halo 1, but your review made me see how Halo 1's first half is probably superior to Halo 2.
I'm even more fascinated by the concept of a KOTR video now.
It's not a fault of the game itself, I just have a personal hatred of dice rolls and turn based/pseudo real time combat.
Just curious, how do you connect the two games? They're both sci-fi?
Both made by Bioware.
The Vigil was the moment that sold me on the franchise and the universe as a whole, and didn't let go until one fateful day in 2012.
And I think you summed it up really well at the end there. It was a rough game, with a very "wooden" combat system that aged poorly. And yet, as the following iterations improved that action part, I felt less and less of that inviting universe in favour of cool action scenes. Even though I didn't dislike ME2 (many of my friends coming from the same DnD background did), it was just missing some beats that at the time I couldn't quite put my finger on.
Mass Effect 2 stripped too many rpg elements and was significantly more linear. It also has far too few weapon types. It's pathetic how much was lost between this and ME2 in that area. ME3 and MEA thankfully fixed this by having a ton of weapons. The later games also drastically changed the tone which is another thing I don't like. They are missing something and it irritates me.
2007 was such a great year for gaming. Bioshock, The Orange Box, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Super Mario Galaxy, God of War 2 and Uncharted.
But Mass Effect remains my favorite of the bunch in 2007 and it’s very special to me.
I had just graduated High School in 2007 and my parents got me an Xbox 360 for Christmas that year with Mass Effect and Bioshock being the first games.
Was excited for Bioshock, but I didn’t know anything about Mass Effect.
It started slow at first but I very quickly got immersed into the world.
The characters, the universe, the atmosphere and the music stuck with me.
I quickly fell in love with Garrus, Wrex and Tali. Even side characters like Kirrahe, Chorben, and Lorikqui'in stuck with me.
I still get chills beating the game and hearing M4 Part II during the credits. I still love that song.
Great in depth video!!!
Everyone always brings up the Reaper reveal on Virmire as the highlight, but my most memorable moment is the conversation with Vigil on Ilos. Like, yes, the Reaper conversation was cool, but it didn't beat the reveal of who the Protheans were and how they worked to stop the Reapers, even when they knew all hope was lost for *themselves*, but not for future sentient life in the future. It had, to me at least, more emotional resonance beyond the mere shock of what Sovereign was. A band of scientists belonging to an ancient civilzation giving hope to an unknown future civilzation, even if they couldn't give hope for themselves.
Opens video at 3 AM... 45 Minutes.
OOOH BOI SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!
I'm currently playing through the ME trilogy for the first time via the new legendary edition. I just finished ME1 so now I'm back here to watch this documentary
edit: after watching the gameplay portion of the video and comparing the things discussed their to my experience in the remaster, I can say that both the HUD and the mako have now been fixed, though the odd phrasing of the dialogue wheel and not having access to the journal while in the galaxy map are still a thing.
ME1 is my favorite from the trilogy. Something about its atmosphere gave the eerie sense of a civilization that was unknowingly at its end, juxtaposed with a sense of calm sterility.
Can you do an Assassin's Creed 10 years later?
The Greatest Fascist 👍👁👍
Well done video! Love how you crafted this video with depth similar to the style of the game, but made it where it didnt feel overwelming or annoying to listen to for the whole sitting. Especially love the final point you hinted back to in regards to Me1's most powerful asset being the universe which I feel many people glance over. I always am happy to see more channels like this you push forward conversation on games. Bless up! *subbed
"System Shock invented the RPG/Action hybri--"
Yyyyyyyyikes. Ultima Underworld says "How the hell are ya?"
Good catch. I should've phrased it differently. My bad.
1986's Legend of Zelda is older still, and there are still older games that befit the description of ARPG. But they've had the label applied to them retroactively. The ARPG genre label was created for Diablo. And an ARPG isn't an RPG with real-time combat, but is an Action game with some traditionally RPG-associated elements added in for some additional depth.
www.1up.com/features/what-happened-action-rpg.html
"Of course, even then, the notion of Diablo-as-pure-RPG left some people with a stomachache. And so the world arrived at a compromise by giving Diablo its own genre: The action RPG... today, the term "action RPG" brings to mind Diablo and its descendants almost exclusively: Loot-driven games powered by randomization and the mouse-clicking power of the human index finger, such as Titan Quest and Torchlight"
www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-28-the-moment-diablo-and-the-action-rpg-genre-were-born
"The moment Diablo - and the action-RPG genre - were born"
@ 28:10 (or a bit earlier) David Brevik, co-creator of Diablo, talks about the creation of the ARPG genre:
ua-cam.com/video/VscdPA6sUkc/v-deo.html
It's the 'welknown' one that made it more mainstream, I'd say. Never heard of Ultima Underworld.
As i rewatch the video again i find it interesting just how many of the things you say about ME1 could apply to cyberpunk 2077 as well.
Mainly the segment about preproduction and the games development being a land of compromise with tech being built up as the game progressed, eventually resulting in a game whose main focus is its universe, the part about the game being made up of three main loops, those being combat, exploration and dialogue with combat being majorly propped up by its sense of progression, and the part at the end about how the games best moments arent combat or exploration but just talking to people and learning about the universe.
Youve kinda put into words why i love both of these games/series so much which i really wasnt able to pin down and do myself. Its all about the world and the people in it and for whats it worth i feel cyberpunk may be the first time since i played the original mass effect that ive seen worldbuilding and characterization that are this masterful.
This is the perfect example of pinnacle work between two artists who can define a singular experience from Sam Hulick's galaxy map theme to Jack Wall's Vigil theme (ME menu track and Vigil cinematic segment) both are so flawless in opening this sense of a vast/endless universe and to this day, both songs are the best pieces of music that I have ever experienced in a game. I must also state that the overall mix of both their talents throughout this games was a perfect match. Thanks for covering this in your video!
EDIT: the original trilogy is confirmed to be remastered for next gen consoles and PC as well as a new Mass Effect game just entered preproduction as of a few days ago!
This is so sad to watch now as we sit on the edge of bioware's annihilation. Like looking at photos of a close friend who died.
That's a great comparison.
Simply put ME1 is a RPG with Shooter elements. Unlike Me2+ Shooter with RPG elements. ME1 is HANDS DOWN the absolute best of the series.
Id say ME1 is more an adventure with rpg and shooter elements, theres not much role playing potentual
First Mass Effect is best Mass Effect.
I think 2 was better.
Almost 20 years now ..
I hope legendary edition still has the soul of this trilogy in 2021. I don't trust EA
Honestly I don't get why more RPGs don't just outright pause the gameworld while you're choosing a dialogue option. I feel like that would make conversations feel a lot more believable if the break between characters speaking doesn't actually happen in-universe.
Glad to see someone else who watches Lorerunner. He's kind of underrated and I really like his commentary, similar to yours.
Biiig hype for Legendary Edition
Vigil is the single best video game soundtrack/ambience track ever.
Bruh mass effect looking better than fallout 76...
Loved ME1 combat, I had a fully soldier speced shepard who would rip and tear in melee. I also killed the last boss with nothing but my rifle butt.
I took out several of the first game's thrasher maws on foot.
It's good to see that a lot of gameplay issues (not all, the cover system is still particularly garbage) were fixed in mass effect legendary edition
Getting saren to kill himself was based af
Oh man you forgot to mention that the weapons have a heating system instead of using a certain amount of limited ammo.
I loved that system cause it forced me to use different weapons.
How does easily managing an overheating system make you use more weapons than straight up running out of ammo? If you like the overheating system more than by all means enjoy it, but I have rarely been forced to change weapons because of overheating. If I do it's because an enemy used sabotage.
@@JohnSmith-rw1rf Cause you have to cycle your weapons...