Dragon Age or Mass Effect

[Wolf Kanno]

That's a rather snobbish way to look at things. Her father is an absolute monster, possibly the most evil man in all of Mass Effect. It wasn't just "daddy didn't care", it was "daddy is a psychopath who made me as a vanity project. I have no reason to exist except to feed a sociopath's ego."

The fact is, Miranda has problems but you overblow them. Her problems aren't as big as Tali's or Wrex's? True, that's why she isn't wallowing in them. She's not spending all her time and effort going 'woe is me." She's functioning as a high-level scientist and operative for a group she believes in. She has her own cause she's fighting for. So while her issues are comparatively minor, she isn't actually as fixated on them as Jack or the others. They simply weigh down her feelings of self-worth. She does things, a lot of things, like reviving Shepard for one, but she feels no pride in them because of how she was created.

It's a wholly different situation to the others. Comparing them is apples and oranges and isn't fair to any of them.

It is comparing apples to oranges but in this case, I like my apples more than oranges. I'm simply explaining why I don't care for the character, cause she was just kind of there for me and her story just comes across a bit selfish compared to the characters who are dealing with serious issues that have far reaching consequences, but are complex enough to not have a simple answer. The reason why Miranda or Jacob never interested me is because their stories are pretty cut and dry which would be nice in most other games but they have the general misfortune of being stuck in the same game as Tali, Wrex, and Mordin who are wrestling with some serious ethical sociopolitical issues so I'm sorry if I wasn't "feeling it" but her problems and characterization never jelled with me and I rather spend time on people who have more interesting problems.

Also Wrex doesn't really whine about his issues, he simply states the facts because he gives off this demeanor of having accepted all this bulltrout awhile back and he only talks about it if you keep pressing him about it. Yes he actually cares but you have to prod his "I don't give a trout" facade to see who he really is.

This might be one of the reasons why I actually preferred ME1's way of doing characterization because it involved your character doing some actual digging and prodding of the cast to actually get anything out of them. Most of the characters you recruit are not the same people you wind up with by game's end because you spent time to really learn about them and the issues that bothered them. Whereas ME2 kind of made their conflict more front and center which kind of killed some of the magic of conversing with people. I know it's still there but most of the really cool info is saved for the loyalty missions instead of being opened up by actually just spending time with them. Again, ME1 felt a bit more organic in it's approach to storytelling while ME2 has that in-your-face Hollywood approach. Nice to see the production values and acting but I kind of liked the way it was handled before.

[Madame Adequate]

I honestly felt ME1 sold the Reapers and about the only thing ME2 really expands on them is where they come from but their purpose and story are frankly sold to you better in ME1. Hell the whole indoctrination thing alone was a more interesting concept than the Collectors.

I want to emphasize this because it's 100% how I feel. The Reapers in ME1 were scary. We didn't know much about them, except that they were able to somehow subvert the loyalty of an extremely skilled specter. What we learn about them doesn't improve that knowledge much except that he's not the only one, they are clearly capable infiltrators, and they are up to something huge.

Then Virmire happens and holy trout the whole planet is one of the best parts of any game I've ever played, but when you meet Sovereign, he's not smurfing around. He's actually intimidating. You have no idea how you're supposed to beat him. The game culminates in using an entire combined fleet to take out one single Reaper, and you barely succeed, with huge losses.

Through most of ME2 I just felt pretty 'meh' about the whole thing. The smaller conflicts I got involved with, like sorting out trout on Omega, was much more interesting than the overall plot, to me. ME3 did a similar thing but I felt it worked much better, because holy trout Reapers are now invading we better get everything together or we're done.

[Formalhaut]

Through most of ME2 I just felt pretty 'meh' about the whole thing. The smaller conflicts I got involved with, like sorting out trout on Omega, was much more interesting than the overall plot, to me. ME3 did a similar thing but I felt it worked much better, because holy trout Reapers are now invading we better get everything together or we're done.

Mmm, ME3 definitely gave you an increasing sense of dread and fear as you played through the game.

[Madame Adequate]

I wasn't at all impressed with the opening half hour of the game but god damn once you hit Menae does it pick up, and it stays picked up. The ending might have been a letdown but it wasn't for lack of atmosphere or scope.

[Freya]

I've finally convinced the BF to try the Mass Effect games. He's SUPPOSED to be starting the first one today while I'm at work but he's been dragging his feet about it. He's not a Console player and that's what I have them on so he's been reluctant to play it because he's all PC master racing me all the time.

If I can get him hooked on those i'ma make him play the DAs as well.

[Bubba]

I've finally convinced the BF to try the Mass Effect games. He's SUPPOSED to be starting the first one today while I'm at work but he's been dragging his feet about it. He's not a Console player and that's what I have them on so he's been reluctant to play it because he's all PC master racing me all the time.

If I can get him hooked on those i'ma make him play the DAs as well.

I've been intrigued by the Mass Effect trilogy for so many years. It ticks pretty much every box for me in things I'd want in a game. I generally hate first-person shooters but I love third-person shooters. Obviously I have a love for RPGs as well. Also, space.

Now I've finished my survivor difficulty playthrough of The Last of Us, I need a new main console game. I'm a little embarrassed that I've never played a Bioware game and the new sub-forum is getting me excited to play some. Maybe I should pick up the ME trilogy for my PS3?

[Formalhaut]

Go for it!

[Freya]

Yah! They sell it as a whole collection on ps3. The first one is a bit slower with the gameplay, but don't let tbat deter you. It's a RPG with shooter elements while 2 and 3 are shooters with RPG elements.

[Madame Adequate]

Yeah get it imo

[Bubba]

On it!