Topic: Pure Xbox Game Club - Halo 2 (Nov)

@ralphdibny @themightyant ohh I adore Mako too! Was really surprised when realized out internet disliked it so much (the one in Andromeda is even better)

@Balta666 Yes it was one of the things I really liked about Andromeda. On the whole I though thar was an OK game overall, with too much jank/not enough polish, but a bad Mass Effect game. Didn't live up to the lofty legacy. It then got ripped to shreds by 'fans' that expected much better.

Much like Star Wars, Star Trek, (is it all the space series fans?) a vocal part of the fandom is the worst thing about it. Yet don't get me wrong. I wanted much more too, I just wasn't going to bitch and moan about it ad nauseum, or send death threats, like my life depended on a game.

@themightyant Andromeda deserved the backlash on the way it was brought to the market but I disagree when people criticize its characters and narrative (it is actually my second favourite in the series after the OG)

P.s: I waited to play it after all bugs have been fixed

I've just navigated Casbin (sanctuary planet, illegal to land on, full of Geth) successfully with the Mako. I think advertising for the Mako should have the slogan:

"Arguably, nothing is impossible." 😅

It just takes a certain amount of patience and skill to boost yourself over to flatter bits of mountain. Mainly patience I suspect! But I like the feeling when you successfully land a horizontal boost while facing more or less vertically.

@Balta666 that's for Mass Effect 2 though right? I'm still playing the first one. I'll have to hit you up for some guidance when I eventually get around to number 2!

@ralphdibny yes, that is for the second one. Be my guest

I'm getting through Mass Effect, I think I'm nearing the end. I haven't done a lot off side mission/task except for scanning all the keepers and the moon mission
Anyway here is my male shep. I'll post my full impressions when I finish soon.

@lookupmore oooo interesting, what's your inspiration? If any?

Love the new profile pic btw, I might've mentioned it but I got that t shirt in the end, love it!

Captain Kirking it... 😂

(That's not what me shepherd normally looks like, the situation just forced her into pulling a really weird face 😅)

Ive always though of mass effect andromeda as good game just not a good mass effect game. going open world really seemed to hurt it and just made it a clear icons off a map Ubisoft style game.

The mako missions in the first mass effect were the worst part of the trilogy so they decided to make an entire game based on that, baffling

@ralphdibny @themightyant Mass Effect 2, although streamlined is an absolute marvel. Chock full of stories and it's damn fun. I'm just holding out for my last 2 crew members!

Mass effect 1 set the stage. I still love it tbh and I do miss the in-depth RPG mechanics and Ive missed an SMG and a couple of power ups in ME2. That's not much of an issue in ME1. But Ralph you HAVE to play the next one. It's one of, if not THE best games of all time. The writing, graphics, missions. Everything just comes together in a big way. I'm playing it now and am around 60% through, unlike ME1 it doesn't get old. Better than every modern game bar possibly Spiderman.

@themcnoisy I will, I will! I need to tick off a couple other half finished games first but I will definitely play Mass Effect 2. I am even considering doing a renegade run once all is said and done though I'm not sure how I'll feel once I've finished ME3!

@ralphdibny @themcnoisy I'll hold off my full updated views on ME2 until I have finished it, but generally I agree with the gist of your point. At the time of release it was in my top 5, maybe even top 3, games of all time and anyone with even a passing interest in these types of games should 100% play it.

It did have some flaws. I wasn't a fan of the reduced RPG mechanics, weapon selection was hard with no stats - you were meant to actually use them to try them all and see which you preferred I think, though with no practice range or similar this was harder in practice. The Citadel felt smaller with less places to explore, The loss of the Mako was a blow it made you feel less like an explorer, it's replacement planet scanning was woeful, and there were other smaller issues. And yet it rose way above all these - in the whole scheme of things - minor complaints to be one of the best games of all time.

Will be interesting to see how I feel now once done twelve years later.

controversial opinion here but mass effect 2 is my least favourite of the trilogy. It has very little main story with only 5 main missions

@trev666 That is a bold take i've genuinely never heard! Though you are entitled to your view, of course.

BTW ME1 only had around 5 main missions. (Prologue/Eden Prime, Feros, Noveria, Virmire, Ilos, Citadel). There was also Therum (find Liara) but that was very short and one dimensional by comparison, more of a tutorial on Mako/planets.

I'll be interested to see how I feel after a replay and playing them back to back.

how do you tag spoilers on here?

@themightyant You will love it. All the dlc is included such as the lair of the shadow broker and firewalker. When I originally played ME2 I thought it was great, the remaster with everything included is special.

@trev666 when did you last play it? Yes the main story pillars have only 5 missions - but you need to run at least 12 others without loyalty missions. That's 17 decently sized missions without any side content. Which as we all know, you probably will do.

Oh yeah, top tip. Go fem-shep. If you haven't tried it before it's the only way I can play the trilogy now.

@themcnoisy i finished the trilogy last month and ive probably completed it 10+ times.

Just because mass effect 2 puts barriers in that make you play recruitment missions to get the next main mission to pop up doesnt make those missions main missions as they do not advance the main story.

I compare the mission structure in ME2 to when games put a level cap before you are allowed to do a mission

@themcnoisy Thats another thing about mass effect that i have controversial opinion of, I dont get all the love for being femshep Ive found it makes very little difference to you playthrough apart from you romance options