What Are you Playing Now & General Game Discussions

[Stewy]

(02-01-2022, 10:41 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: I beat Mass Effect Andromeda...   Glad i waited its pretty good story does lack a bit and most choices dont seem to really affect the game.  But now im ready to jump back into the Trilogy...   but first gotta finish up Halo Infinite.

Andromeda Thoughts:  I recently finished my second PT.  My first was during launch week before any fixes.  That means I played with the horrible walking and facial animations, plus bugs bugs bugs.  And frankly, I didn't remember 80% of the main quests or loyalty missions.  I usually have a fairly good memory for such things, but drew a complete blank on several missions.  

• As you say there is no MEANINGFUL choice in this game.  The game fools you into thinking your decisions matter in a critical way, but they never do in the end.  You end up with a decision screen where two sides are arguing their pointing dramatically, only to make a choice with both sides ignoring the decision was made at all when you go back and talk to them later. 
• Without all the glitches, bugs and animation problems, I enjoyed the game much more.  It also helped how low my expectations were NOW vs. launch week.
• The use of the graphics engine is really stellar.  I am a space geek and I loved, more than I should have, cruising through a solar system looking at the planet designs and scanning everything even if it didn't give me resources.
• When I originally reviewed the game back in March 2017, I gave it a 68.  When I re-reviewed it a couple months ago I gave it a 76.  For a shooter it isn't bad.  Great combat and gameplay, but it was a RPG severely lacking in RPG elements, a weak story and poor character development.  I don't really care if my RPG has good gameplay if the story doesn't immerse me.
  

MELE thoughts and perhaps some spoilers:
Since I assume you have gamepass and can now play MELE for free, you will get an extra special experience if you never had any or not most of the DLC before, because now you'll get them all.  Just some things to consider to help you since you like to go Insanity from the beginning.

1. Gameplay - is very different among the ME games:  ME1 run and gun (not a cover shooter), ME2 is only a cover shooter with your armor is being tissue paper.  You basically have one shot shields on Insanity, ME3 is still a cover shooter, but a better balance and you're not AS squishy - and for reference MEA is much more akin to ME1 being more of a run & Gun game with real armor/shields that can take a hit and cover as an option vs. required.
2. ME1 - Easiest of the three game on insanity especially if you Specter Specialize in Bastion which is available from the Adept or Sentinel classes.  You can solo the game on Insanity with the Bastion Spec.  Insanity is doable from the base game, but easier from NG+.  There are no difficult fights with the Bastion build, but be aware of charging Krogan and rockets, which are "crush" damage and ignore your shields.
3. ME2 is by far the most difficult of the trilogy on Insanity.  It is highly advised that you do your Insanity run from a base game and NOT NG+ because of the way you progress skills (upgrades, like Biotic damage, are unlocked as you progress) and because mob levels are based upon YOUR level.  So starting a NG+ with maxed out mobs when you're dealing with everyone of your skills at best 1/4 power is a recipe for head banging frustration.  Sentinel is by far the easiest class to do on insanity due to how tech Armor works.  Highly advisable you unlock the CAIN mini-nuclear heavy weapon before Horizon for use on the Praetorian.  This requires doing the Paragon portion of Zaeed's loyalty quest at the refinery.  Unlocking your 4th squadmate is what sends you to Horizon, so do everything, absolutely everything you can until then to get as many upgrades as you can.  The the final fight on Horizon on insanity is by far, the single most difficult fight in all four ME games.  The second toughest is the Collector Ship fight in ME2 as well.
4. ME3 - Inanity is significantly easier from NG+, but isn't required.  Biotic combos and tech explosions are now god (MEA gameplay came from ME3 Multiplayer).  All classes are equally viable for Insanity, especially if you use the Typhoon god build for Garrus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPbB4qfsA14&ab_channel=Appluq), but also only slightly less effective for any other AR user (Ashley, Kaidan, James, Javik).  The only difficult fight is the one at the end of the The Citadel DLC, which ranks as the 3rd most difficult fight in the ME universe.
   

Best ME group on the internet - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thereapersarecoming/ - tightly but not overly mod'd - just ME Universe love.