Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

Just started up the ME3 demo for single player.

I know this is probably the E3 build, but after how smooth DA2's presentation actually was, i was expecting better. Animation is very janky in early scenes, but smooths out in dialog branches later. Combat has the same kind of problem, its clunky and unresponsive in the first section of the demo, but cleans up rather well in the second section.

Just as an example, when you go into Cover mode, Shepard won't unstick from what he/she is hiding behind no matter how many times I press A. Pretty annoying.

Also, they've officially added a Baby Mode to the series. OK, they call it Story Mode but I'm still pretty insulted that this is an option from the start of the game rather than something unlocked after you beat it. Yes, I know I don't have to use it, but still, it just reeks of EA's focus testing and Bioware's desire to "lower the barrier of entry."

I'm all for making games accessible, but I'm against them being made with idiots in mind. When Nintendo let people use Super Guide, they at least had the dignity to make the player feel slighted for using it, whether it was tacking a bronze start to your permanent record, making you haul ass to a Sheikah Stone by which time you could have figured out a Zelda puzzle or depriving you of a level's rewards for taking the easy way out in DKCR. I'm sorry, but people should be insulted for taking this way around the game and if Bioware has any sense, they'll at least dock the player several achievements for going this way.

Still, I'd prefer the gamer feel insulted for using this mode even more.

Then there's the polar opposite - Action Mode. This one increases the action, but automatically chooses dialog branches for those that don't want to think about Paragon/Renegade/Origin/Command style past the character creation mode. In other words that whole idea about having choices and relationships matter over the course of three games? This mode throws out that idea for people that want to skip cutscenes.

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As for online co-op, unless you bought Battlefield 3 new you're SOL until friday, impressions are being posted and so far it reads like when Bioshock 2 tried the multiplayer thing.

[jenova_9]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

Isn't there a RPG mode besides Story and Action modes?

I heard RPG mode is just like ME1 and ME2 dialogue choices and stuff, mew.


Also gamer style mode is separate from difficulty level, so people choose what they prefer.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

Yes there is the proper Roleplaying mode, but just imagine how much sooner ME3 could have come out if they didn't waste time on this other crap. I test drove Story Mode, it's almost God Mode. It's nigh impossible to lose your shields. You'd never need to take cover when you can tank a Atlas.

Options are nice, but we dont need modes for stupid people.

[jenova_9]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

I guess, mew! That is kind of like adding bridges over spiked pits.

[Taskmage]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

I don't understand why you're offended about how other people might decide to play the game. It's not like you'll now have to put up with stupid people invading your single-player experience and you know random multiplayer matches were going to be full of retards and assholes anyway, so what difference does it make to you? I also find it weird that you complain about the possibility that the release date might have been pushed back on a title you've been pointedly unenthusiastic about.

I haven't fired up the demo yet, myself, so I'll assume your other criticisms are valid. I've been waiting for my wife to get some free time at the same time as me so we can sit down with it for the first time together.

[jenova_9]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

I played both demo parts on rpg, and have positive reaction! It still is Mass Effect, mew.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

I don't understand why you're offended about how other people might decide to play the game. It's not like you'll now have to put up with stupid people invading your single-player experience and you know random multiplayer matches were going to be full of retards and assholes anyway, so what difference does it make to you? I also find it weird that you complain about the possibility that the release date might have been pushed back on a title you've been pointedly unenthusiastic about.

I have been pointedly unenthusiastic about the direction Bioware has gone in since they joined EA. I still think their stories and presentation are good, but I never thought they shit gold bricks every day and I don't think they that they grow in the right directions. They seem to care more about keeping some dumb frat jock happy than focusing on the promises they've made with the series. I won't deny that a shift to multiplatform probably screwed a little with that focus, but they've become a little too preoccupied with expanding their appeal when they're already selling millions of copies of games. I'm not going to treat them like they have a gun to their head and have starving children to feed when they've expanded to five studios.

They make an MMORPG without the "massive" part, "fix" things about Dragon Age that don't need fixing, diminish the "consequence" part of choice in DA2 and the rich, developed NPC allies are now becoming a thing of the past for them. That last point might be fine for Mass Effect, but its not so cool for Dragon Age. Those are just the big points, too, I'd also point out that their morality schemes later games are a bit more primitive than the games that got their start on. I can let Star Wars Jedi and Sith get away with such a simple worldview, but it still kind of sucks that the smuggler who doesn't believe in hokey space magic and ancient space religions gets pulled into it now. I'd forgive their obsession if there was just a neutral ground, but their games tend to punish it on the character development end.

I think everyone would love Shepard even more if there was that space to be an Adam Jensen or a Han Solo, to be that guy that could stay in the middle. You can have a pre-defined character with a voice that can go three or four ways, but that was proven with JC Denton thirteen years ago.

I actually do like the Dragon Age and Mass Effect games in concept and story, its just I feel Bioware being under EA has greatly diminished their potential. How are these games even going to be playable next gen with them being so dependant on online connections and now mulitplayer? EA does seem to like shutting down servers after a certain point and they can't keep them up forever just for these games.

I wouldn't have hunted down a Platinum Hits copy of Mass Effect today if I totally hated Bioware, but I do think they're going the wrong way and I'm not alone in the idea of being totally done with them once ME3 ships. There are plenty of other great western RPG studios out there.

[Raydeus]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

The first Mass Effect barely got away with a lot of the good stuff, but they did have to cut out content to comply with their new overlords. And DA:O was barely able to keep a balance between EAwood movies and the old Bioware style.

It just went downhill from there.

[Taskmage]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

@BBQ Ok, I can respect that. I had interpreted your position differently. I would disagree on a couple minor points but they're not even worth mentioning to quibble over.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

I guess I just object to the "Story Mode" in that I don't like the "game" part of a video game being diminished so story can take the forefront. As I said, I wouldn't object to the feature if it was something earned and unlocked for completing the game. When I played Catherine last year, I did skew down to Easy (Very Easy was too insulting) to make my way through the game to the additional endings that I couldn't just reach from the final day. Catherine technically has eight endings and I'm not going to be as jazzed the seventh time around as the first time on standard or harder difficulties.

Story should never become so important that the game gets left behind, otherwise video games aren't anything special compared to other media.

The one thing I can give the multiplayer element is that you do finally get to create your own character for the Mass Effect universe. If they do go forward with ME4 as rumored, I can only hope they ditch a fixed protagonist for a creation all the player's own. The various races of the series are a strong point and its kind of a shame we've been restricted to being a human so far. Next time, they should let people be able to choose Asari or Krogan and others. They can totally slap a filter over voices if the protagonist absolutely must still speak.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

OK, sooooo, the combat in multiplayer actually feels like what the combat in single player actually should be, so that's actually weird but in a good way. Maybe with any luck the actual campaign is this polished.

There are a couple of weird things about it and the SP - too many functions are mapped to the A button - or on PS3, the X button. Cover functions, switching cover, runnning and evasive rolls are all mapped to this one button and sometimes the game just doesn't seem to grasp the context you're going for. Aside from that, the multiplayer is actually surprisingly solid... for a tacked on addition we didn't need. Whoever this other team is that made this could teach Bioware a great deal about game design for combat.

[Taskmage]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

Control ambiguity was a big problem I had with ME2. W+Space to dash to cover, space to take cover, but also W+Space to vault over cover. Dozens of times in frantic combat I'd hit space one too many times or with slightly the wrong timing related to context, and I'd either not take cover at all or worse take cover and then leap out into enemy fire, which spells LOL ur ded on Insanity difficulty.

Glad to hear multiplayer is looking good. It's not a feature I was expecting to get a whole lot out of, but it sounds like I'll have to make a point of giving it a go.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

There are some odd DLC things that affect multiplayer, such as separate upgrades for a Collector assault rifle, but you'd have to be out of your kind to buy them all. Also is that really necessary for a weapon that eats ammo and requires the enemy to sit perfectly still, which is something they're not likely to do?

It will cost you around $870 to get Mass Effect 3's DLC -Destructoid

[Taskmage]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

For BW to ever sell me on a weapon pack, they would have to create something that substantially altered the gameplay. I feel like I missed out a little with the Geth energy shotgun DLC in ME2, because it actually behaves significantly differently that other weapons in its class and opens up new possibilities for builds and tactics. That's content. There was another DLC for a submachine gun that was simply more accurate and thus strictly better than the packed-in options. That's just paying for performance which gets a big "no thank you" from me.

Really though, the packs that add missions and characters are already overpriced. In the future I'm going to wait for a review from a friend that says something's on a Shadow Broker level of quality before I pick up any add-on content. The weapon packs are an even worse value. Something crazy would have to happen before I shelled out for one.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Mass Effect 3 co-op multiplayer trailer! Special Forces!

Well, to be fair, Kasumi: Stolen Memories did land you the Shuriken, which is just a great all-around submachine gun. The add-on itself, aside from Kasumi and the gun, was the worst heist mission in the history of gaming. I mean, really, if you're going to do a heist mission, you have to nail the scope of it. Oblivion did and so did GTA: San Andreas. Stolen Memories was terrible.

I'll never for the life of me underetand what was so great about the actual game content of Shadow Broker. I know its a bigger deal in terms of story, but the layout of the mission itself was nothing special. Just a half hour of duck-and-cover with a respec as a reward - so long as you pay for that respec in Element Zero each time after the first time.