scouserant23
N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 30, 2017 22:11:23 GMT
You don't have to bring up the scanner again you can just circle the planet with left analogue (console) or mouse (pc) and select the landing zone.
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N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 30, 2017 20:28:23 GMT
Are you sure the salvage counts, too? Could have swarn it doesn't, just like resources and augments don't. Im like 80% sure it counts. Could of sworn selling salvage frees up my inventory space.
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scouserant23
N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
Posts: 148 Likes: 119
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 30, 2017 20:21:29 GMT
To rank up weapons in SP you either have to level up to unlock the next rank to build in the research lab, or find in loot. Or for some weapons the only way to get them is to research and then make them in the research lab.
I think its every 5 levels unlock the next upgrade, then at some point it turns to 10 levels. The max level of a gun is 10 i believe, 6-10 unlock after you research the level V.
Every mod, every weapon, every armour piece, every stack of consumable every stack of salvage count towards your inventory.
Best to sell mods for weapons you don't use. Deconstruct all armour/weapons you don't use.
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scouserant23
N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
Posts: 148 Likes: 119
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 30, 2017 8:14:17 GMT
I don't get it in the first 2 hours you find out the golden world is ravaged by the scourge. You meet an entirely new species who seem to be killing your group on site. You also have all this wierd tech around giving you a sense of mystery especially with the cave of life. Then you have the part introducing sam properly and showcasing his abilities as he learns the remnant language before your dad dies and you nearly die from linking with sam. Straight after that you reach the nexus only to find out it can't even power itself and everyones on edge, there has also been a rebellion.
Like come on, how much more stuff do you want to have thrown at you at the very beginning of a massive game. You can provide to much which then makes it harder to keep the person involved.
Oh you also get the Tempest to round off finishing the prologue.
The intro to this game was solid. Eos is where it starts slowing down as you focus on getting the initiative off the ground.
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scouserant23
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 30, 2017 5:49:34 GMT
It's explained in game from what i can recall its part of the water purification. Someone talked about the storms bending its steel when they where explaining what it was. May have been liam in party banter not sure was about 70 hours of gametime ago
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 30, 2017 5:47:12 GMT
If they want the sequel to do better it needs another 4-5 years development. Not because it is being built up from the ground but so they can not bother trying to get it to run on XboxOne and PS4 and rather focus on Xboxs/PS4Pro or if Sony MS decide to scrap the incremental updates whatever new console they release. I do believe they'll keep this half way through life cycle upgrade though so id imagine the next upgrade after ps4 pro and xbox s will make the originals obsolete.
This way DA4 and the new IP will be released for current consoles towards the end of their life cycle. Releasing MEA2 on current hardware now in 3+ years (meaning its 6+years old) will only lead to another DAI debacle where a lot of content was scrapped because it wouldn't run on the Xbox360/PS3. I'd like to see BioWare release one game (per franchise) on each console generation so as to allow them more freedom in creating the game without working with limited hardware.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 29, 2017 9:02:46 GMT
Current news suggests the sales of MEA is horrible. My local EB games cancelled all the 'mighnight' launch event for MEA due to lack of interests. Midnight sales are loosing their appeal as gamers as a whole are shifting towards digital. Physical sales for all games are down even on consoles.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 29, 2017 4:35:45 GMT
That number however is still relatively small for a AAA title. Average costs for a AAA game now a days is well over $50-$60 million. Some, like Witcher 3, went as high as $85 million, others, like GTA V or CoD, are close to $150 million. $40 million is rather telling: it's a limited budget for a game that is not really a major focus for EA- it was probably allocated those funds specifically because of other IP being more valuable in EA's mind, such as Star Wars liscensing or Battlefield 1. Multiplayer is also going to help recoup that easily as well, so the goalpost was a bit lower compared to expectations regarding Mass Effect 3. Andromeda doesn't seem like it went over-budget, but it does seem like it needed more time and money that it was ultimately never going to get because of EA. Considering the business side of things...this is going to be a win for both studios because the risk was low and the budget was low, respectively. What is going to be tarnished is next time...will the studio get the $80 million treatment, or will it stay in the $40 million range? We saw what we can get for $40 million...what blood can we squeeze from the stone here? Point is, you can get a great triple A game out of that budget. I think there's a sense that because the budget wasn't as high as others, that's why Andromeda ended up in the state that it is in. I don't think that's true. When it comes to a game of this scope (so many conversations, different species etc) having a higher budget means a better game. More money = More writers (better quests and more of the good ones less of poor ones) More designers/animators (better animations better models/meshes for alien races) More Artists (better weapons and armour more of them, better maps and levels, better aesthetics) More programmers (better gameplay mechanics better quests etc) Granted not every big budget game ends up great, but the fact bioware gets the basics right on smaller budget games says alot. Sure it would be a risk that it would sell like hot cakes to recoup a bigger budget but it is also true that the better a game and its marketing the better it sells. Got to spend money to make money. EA have always played it safe with BioWare which shows a lack of belief in the company. You can tell BioWare want to make games that compete with Bethesda or Rockstar, CDPR in scope but their budget is always way way off. This means every game they release is effectively less polished and less "Full". Sure they get to dictate their budget but a part of me likes that they keep pushing boundaries they could just do what most developers do and make smaller games and fine tune them, but they don't they keep trying to keep up with the big boys on big budgets. EA is a business but im willing to bet that any money made off of MEA will not be reinvested back into a sequel. Under EA BioWare will get a % of the profits reinvested into a sequel but never more ergo lacking investment and rather for lack of a better term treat BioWare as a cash cow. I will say this, EA has loosened the reigns since ME3. Both DAI and MEA had more time in development so props to them not milking the cow dry. Now they need to beef (no pun intended) up the cow before milking it again. I also will say that since DAI success is a mystery maybe it actually lost money or barely broke even compared to its investment in which case i can see the hesitation to invest in MEA especially since BioWare are already making a new IP with likely a lot of money behind it (so already facing risk of investment) add to that the backlash they got on ME3 and i could understand the risk involved in investing heavily in a reboot (basically) of the ME franchise. Here is to hoping that if MEA sells well and makes 60+ million (showing the interest in ME is still there) an the next game will get a 80ish million budget to truly see what they can do with the franchise. The criticism of the budget does not take away from the game though, even though at times you can see how stretched they were. The game overall is still a good game but i doubt it will age well and wont stand the test of time.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 28, 2017 19:19:37 GMT
Maybe I'm in the minority but I feel as if the Krogan were just treated as equals among the other races within the AI... when in fact this is the species that was essentially neutered by the Milky Way council because of the threat they represented. I never got the sense the Krogan were given the same treatment thematically in MEA as they were in the OT. I'd take the Krogan over the Kett seven ways to sunday if they went head to head. So...did I imagine the entire thing were they got screwed after putting down the Uprising for the crime of being Krogan? Totally Imagined You also imagined the kett singling them out as the first species from milkyway to convert into kett because of their brute strength and evolution focusing on combat. There is totally hundreds of Krogan in the initiative and not just the one who remained to try and help her people by being a voice in the intiative.
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scouserant23
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 28, 2017 19:16:08 GMT
My PC is hardly top of the line more mid range but my loading scenes in game are relatively fast on an SDD. If i fast travel on a planet im looking at under 5 seconds. The tram loads instantly after the 2-3 second animation. Loading up a planet for the first time is around 5 seconds in game more like 5-10 from main menu. I was pleasantly surprised for the loading times on MEA they are faster than BF1/DAI which are 2 other games i have on this frostbite engine.
Specs
Samsung 800 EVO SSD 500GB I5 6600k 970GTx 16GB Ram DDR4
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 28, 2017 17:19:38 GMT
Definitely got my moneys worth after completing it starting my second playthrough now on insanity. I was worried about the bid bad guy after the initial intro of him where he walks in a huff (looked like a joke) but once he starts speaking man that guy was a grade A badass by the end i wanted him to win he'd won me over as a fan. I liked the majority of planets only one i disliked was kadara (badlands not the port) just felt like it was lacking polish compared to the others. Some good quests some bad ones main story seemed okay throughout the game kept me interested. I'm incredibly surprised the squad banter kept going right through to the end they certainly got this right, i hope they keep the cast down in future games if it means we get this much detail and content (though i'd like customisation back). Seeing different allies help at the end depending on whether you'd helped them through the game was great and rewarding not ME2 kind of rewarding as death isn't there but considering there is no potential deaths it was well done.
Overall in my 40 hour review i gave it an 8 i'd probably say by the time i completed it this was a 7.5 meaning if you like the ME universe or scifi in general and 3rd person gameplay it is a must own really. If you were unsure it is a must own once it goes on sale.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 27, 2017 19:42:12 GMT
40Million for a game of this scope would be a huge surprise for GOTY. Sure if it had a 150-200million budget it could of been a truly great game. I believe GOTY will be won by read dead redemption 2 or possibly the new shadow of mordor if it delivers. For a 40$M budget for a game of this size i believe BioWare have pulled off a solid game especially considering they lost a years development trying to do procedural planets. I just wish either of 2 things, 1 EA backed Mass Effect more and wanted it to be a flagship IP, giving it at least 100 million budget. Or 2 that BioWare stops trying to make the biggest game out there with a relatively shoe string budget. (GTAV had 100+million budget destiny over 200million think even Witcher 3 had 80million in a cheaper labour country) If they went for a smaller say 20-30 hour game 100% complete the budget would have sufficed for an epic game.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 24, 2017 0:23:20 GMT
I pretty much only go logical/professional because thats what im like irl in a work setting (i see the pathfinder role as work not a hobby). I do find that whenever death is involved i can not keep to professional/logical and always end up going the emotional route
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
Posts: 148 Likes: 119
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 14:41:14 GMT
Dropping a singularity on a fiend and using throw/lance and a shotgun, I killed him fairly quickly. I use Singularity with charge and lance and it takes about 4 biotic explosions to kill the fiend.. granted I can actually get 3-4 from the same singularity if I keep him in place, but still feels rather long, about 12 seconds. incindeary ammo is also very helpful
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 12:33:57 GMT
I use the drone a lot or the remnant drone you get from peebee. Backlash is a must for approaching enemies in open world for me as its portable cover and overload because force lightning
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 12:31:54 GMT
-2 to mechs reworded the cover option based on explanation feel free to adjust
Better Character Creator (facial features) Tools - 43 Fix the Eyes - 40 Improve facial and walking animations -38 Allow Manual Saving During All Missions (incl. prologue & main plot ones) - 26 Alternate outfits/armors for squadmates - 23 Mirror in Ryder cabin for change of hair/makeup/beard - 22 Introduce Photo-Mode - 17 Add more face presets (at least 1 pale option) - 17 Allow the option to steer the Nomad with mouse instead of keyboard (still use W and S for forward and backward) - 16 Change Squadmates' Weapons - 15 Expedite interplanetary travel - 13 Better Auto-saving - 11 Toggle 3rd person over the shoulder view of galaxy map and tempest travel - 10 Add mini-map marking enemy/ally locations/compass to HUD - 10 Casual outfits for the rest of the squad - 10 Add new Option to show helmets when Global Hazards are present for Ryder and Squadmates - 10 Add ability to increase/decrease font size- 10 Options-menu setting for HUD transparency - 10 Surgery on Nexus for facial surgery - 10 Add ability to increase/decrease font size- 10 From Fluid to Fixed Cover Option - 10 Add MP3 music player on Omni Tool to play any ME soundtrack while exploring - 9 No Backward Pistols - 8 Nomad entry animation on an options toggle - 9 Add more Vehicles or piloted mechs for Ryder with weapons - 3
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 12:22:48 GMT
Ahriman The idea was to try stick to the old school 5 sections of analysing a game. I took the liberty of adding the 2 scores you had for setting and gameplay and averaging them an your current average is 7.1 when missing the last section so a score of 6.5 for value for money would be needed for the 7 overall. Ah, sorry, didn't realize these categories are strict. Reformatted and added one, overall score rose a little. No problem will update main posts overall to match an thanks.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 12:11:55 GMT
Visuals = 7. Graphical fidelity isn't bad, but I've seen better and the comparatively cartoonish looks of some of the characters knock it down a peg for me. Going to beat the dead horse here and comment about the animations just like everyone else; half the characters I've interacted with look like they're made of wood or plastic, and the other half appear to have Parkinson's. Plus whoever was responsible for the lighting engine appears to have been huffing copious amounts of jenkem, so that doesn't really help. Audio = 7. Guns and explosions sound meaty, but everything else sounds weak and/or hollow. Voice acting is very hit-or-miss as well. When it's good it's good, when it's not it completely takes you out of the scene. Music is... there? It's not unpleasant but it doesn't strike me as particularly memorable yet. Gameplay = 7. I love the new combat and cover systems. They work way better than I thought they would. The Nomad is a neutral point for me, it's not outstanding, but it's also not as painful as the Mako was. I don't understand the need to switch it between 4- and 6-wheel drive, it's a completely pointless """mechanic""" that adds nothing except annoyance when you realize you're in the wrong mode for climbing that hill in front of you. Navigating the galaxy map is cool for the first two or three times but becomes completely asinine after about ten minutes. Mining is somehow even more mind-numbing than it was in ME2. I generally dislike crafting in games, so I'm not going to hold that against Andromeda. Setting = 6. Somehow uninspired. Species that call the Milky Way home, like the Elcor or Hanar, feel far more "alien" than the Angara or Kett. None of the worlds feel like they're part of a different galaxy, in fact they feel like they'd be more on the boring side of Milky Way planets. The main villain is about as generic and boilerplate as they come, even TIM in ME3 was more interesting than him. It really feels like they designed the game with the Milky Way setting in mind, but then decided to switch over to Andromeda at the last second to avoid having to actually deal with the outcomes of ME3. Story = 5. Honestly my complaints here are almost exactly what Ahriman said a little earlier up the page. While I like having more control over how Ryder says things, I have no control over what Ryder means. Instead I just have four different ways to convey the same statement. It's okay though, it's not like I wanted to role-play in an RPG or anything. Also, the characters seem pretty bland and two-dimensional. I wasn't expecting anyone to be the new Garrus or anything like that, but goddamn, I was expecting to feel some kind of connection to someone. Value for money = 7. The multiplayer is just as fun as it was in ME3. The rest leaves quite a bit to be desired, in my opinion. I would be pissed if I were someone who exclusively played the singleplayer. Thank you i merged story and setting (one topic) to give 5.5 updated main post average
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 12:04:54 GMT
Graphics 8 Audio 5 Gameplay 7.50 Setting 8 Value for Money 9.75 Overall 8.50 ty updated overall on first post also your overall is 7.65 In old school reviews one section couldn't outweigh the others so an overall score was just that an overall score
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 11:52:06 GMT
For the 40 hours I have been playing, I in total give it an 8,5. But I agree with Morrigan, in the end my opinion is very subjective. The complaints seem more hyperbole than anything else. But judging without experiencing is today's modern times I guess. It is all about belonging with the crowd because that is cool. Groupthink above all else..... If I lack anything in this game, it is the music. It is lacking during exploring. Can you break it down into the five sections pretty please
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scouserant23
N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 11:37:30 GMT
Ahriman The idea was to try stick to the old school 5 sections of analysing a game. I took the liberty of adding the 2 scores you had for setting and gameplay and averaging them an your current average is 7.1 when missing the last section so a score of 6.5 for value for money would be needed for the 7 overall.
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scouserant23
N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
Posts: 148 Likes: 119
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 9:16:10 GMT
In Single player an Xbox 360 controller works fine, in MP the weapon switching button brings up the score screen, has anyone found a way around this, or is there a way I can get my PS4 controller recognized in the windows game? hold X to change weapon in both SP and MP
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scouserant23
N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
Posts: 148 Likes: 119
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 8:55:31 GMT
I was having a conversation with a forum member and this came up so thought i'd see what the rest of you would do.
If 0 was none existent 5 average and 10 perfect how would you rate MEA on Graphics, Audio, Gameplay, Setting/Story, Value for Money then adding up the 5 scores and dividing it by 5 to create the overall game score.
Thought i'd further explain what these 5 topics are
Graphics - Everything visual, animations, textures, scenery etc For example if the textures where bad this may get a low score but you could then praise it in settings if even though they aren't great they are good at setting a scene in this world, an example of this would be DAO they set the scene well but were not that great graphically.
Audio - Anything that makes a noise an example could be the music is really good so say a score of 7 but then in the settings section you may mark it down because while the music is good is does not fit the tone of the game.
Gameplay - Everything you control, from combat to exploration, how are the actual controls etc,
Setting/Story - Does the game set the scene, is it immersive, audio and visually, is the story any good, are characters well written, is there a lot of content?
Value for Money - Do you get your moneys worth, how much does it cost vs how much content, replayability etc
So for me
Graphics 7 The actuall fidelty is incredible and would probably be an 8 maybe 9 but the below average facial appeal and CC average implementation knocks it down to a 7 imo.
Audio 8 The sound is immersive and generally very well done, just missing those truly memorable songs to grab that 9
Gameplay 7 The new cover system is fluid, the jet pack has changed the game for the better imo for travelling around and in combat. Lots of skills/playstyles to choose from, nomad handles itself well especially when upgraded. Enough activity spaced nicely around the planets. Solid as a whole but not state of the art. There is also a lot to craft. This would probably be and 8 but i knock it down a peg for lack of customisation to companions or at least a 2nd armour aesthetic.
Setting 8 The lore and visuals do set a lovely scene especially space and the planets surfaces. Each world feels like it's own and different from the last. The story is good but not great (though i haven't finished the game yet) The companions are a major step up from previous games in terms of content. They talk to each other alot on your ship, they hang out on the nexus/Angar resistance HQ planet (can't remember its name) They also talk to each other and you or make comments alot in the nomad/walking around planets. They make a comment about each planet on the tempest and have something to say after each main mission.
Value for Money 10 its a 100+ hour game with choices meaning at least 2 playthroughs could be done. Then there is multiplayer which like ME3 will get free dlc to expand it overtime. No brainer.
Overall 8/10
Averages of everyones reviews so far
Total No Of Reviews 4 To 1.d.p Graphics 7.3 Audio 6.7 Gameplay 7.3 Setting 7.1 Value for Money 8.7 Overall 7.4
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scouserant23
N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 8:35:04 GMT
I'd just like to start off by thanking you the time, thought and effort you put into that reply. Ahh, I see. My apologies - I had misunderstood your original point. I definitely agree that all of those games were buggier than MEA at launch, and that they did indeed get 9s and 10s. I mean, I have only ever bought one Bethesda game at launch, and it was pretty dang glitchy. Since then, I've waited several months to purchase so that the games would have been patched by the time I played. I do think those high scores were mostly deserved due to other outstanding qualities for FONV and Skyrim (I would have rated FO3 and FO4 lower), but that doesn't negate the fact that MEA is getting hammered over bugs disproportionately. I think the hammering is more in the form of score brigading on user review sites and disproportionate amounts of memes and videos about things like animation, but there is also a little of it in the professional gaming press. I bought morrowind/oblivion/skyrim all at launch even fallout 3 because i was a big fan of the first 2 but not a fan of the new direction. They are good games skyrim had to many design flaws and unbalancing to truly be a 90 rated game imho. For one reason or another bethesda games not only get bugs ignored in their reviewing but also the constant rehash of content in any given game. I will give them a lot of credit for NPC lives and the programming behind their day to day activities which is one of the things that makes a game truly theirs. If games were to be rated where 5/10 is average id say they are up there normally around 7/8 I'd probably go 7 for skyrim though you could have the best weapon/armour in the game quite quickly if you spent all your money on ores and focused on getting blacksmith to 100 thus becoming OP for the rest of the game, same went for summoning magic. I agree that FO4 definitely did not receive nearly the amount of hate compared to MEA especially at launch, but I do think that it received more criticism than previous Bethesda games (for glitches and other, more important, reasons). I believe that FO4's glitches would have gotten less scrutiny if it had come out in the Skyrim/FO3/NV era, though not by much. I was talking about the older games in my earlier response, and should have made that more clear. Bethesda games certainly do get a pass on that front to a large degree, at any rate. As for MEA deserving better scores in comparison to other recent releases, I can't really comment on that since I just moved back home after living abroad, where I didn't have access to video games for the past two years. I have a LOT of catching up to do! Scoring standards and parameters seem to also have changed while I was gone, but that's another matter. I would agree that games are getting more critically reviewed compared to 5 years ago, however i still believe MEA has had it the worst of anything i've seen but the standard does seem to be getting better finally. One thing i've noticed is that any Indie title including ones by CDPR (huge fan) always get a more positive review because they are indie. I suspect that it's difficult to compare scores to some degree between the games you mentioned and MEA due to the different genres, game scopes, and various other factors, but there have always been (and I am positive currently are) games that are either overrated, or instances when scoring scales simply are not consistent. Unfortunately, there have always been games scored higher than they deserve, and those lower. The whole system is kind of a mess due to lack of industry standards. I am sure that there are games poorer than MEA that are outscoring it, but I also think that MEA has an extremely wide range of scores due to the wide range of players it appeals to, as well as the fact that it needs to appeal to both new gamers and those familiar with the OT. Nostalgia probably plays a role that other more free-standing games don't have to contend with - it's a powerful factor that can either raise or lower a person's view of MEA, as it is both like and unlike the trilogy in various ways. The game is in a tricky position. Certainly there is a lot of unfair score brigading by users - I'm not going to argue that at all! I'm not sure whether this spills over to professional reviewers, but my sense if that some of them have genuine issues/disappointments (besides bugs) that are making them take points away, while others are finding the game to be wonderful. I have yet to see any pro reviews that took points away only or primarily for glitches, or that didn't have at least a well-reasoned explanation for their score. RPS is kind of on the edge on that one, though. Anyways, professional reviews are supposed to be relatively objective, but they more often boil down to how well that one individual liked the game - not how much they think others will like it or how objectively good it is in comparison to another given title/IP. If a game is compared to another, it is most often in a negative way, which I think is fair in some cases and unfair in others. A lot of times it's apples to oranges and reviewers draw parallels that may not quite line up. The consistency is a major problem, i would even say the current averaging of around 75 is a fair reflection on MEA if all games where held to the same standard. While a lot of gamers are in a position to buy a title they like reviewers do hold power over the undecided and metacritic is probably just as powerful at selling games as reviewers. When i was younger games tended to be reviewed on Graphics, Audio, Gameplay, Story\Setting, Value for Money and then the total score was an average of this. I wish that was still the case to many games now are reviewed inconsistently like you say because of different genres but that old style worked because it applied to all. So a football game may score highly for Gameplay and value for money (replayability, length of game vs cost) it would also score average at best on setting. Hell andromedas aesthetics would keep its graphics score at above average/good despite the knockdown on facial animations its audio would boost its score the setting would also be high and value for money it would be fine under these circumstances because one or two problems (CC/Facial animations) would not be enough to cripple a game down to a 5 or 6 overall. Should MEA have a higher score over all? I don't know. I was personally disappointed in some aspects that are really important to me as a gamer and would give it a personal score (based on my own enjoyment of it thus far) somewhere in the mid 70's, but I don't think it's a bad game. I just think it's a bad game for me personally, based on my criteria of what I like and dislike in games. Objectively, I know that many people will rate it higher because they'll enjoy it a lot more, and I think that's completely fair and I'm happy that so many players like it so much. Just for fun and to see how we see the game differently. If we go with 5 being average and 10 being perfect lets see how we both score in these 5 categorys. So for me MEA Graphics 7 The actuall fidelty is incredible and would probably be an 8 maybe 9 but the below average facial appeal and CC average implementation knocks it down to a 7 imo. Audio 8 The sound is immersive and generally very well done, just missing those truly memorable songs to grab that 9 Gameplay 7 The new cover system is fluid, the jet pack has changed the game for the better imo for travelling around and in combat. Lots of skills/playstyles to choose from, nomad handles itself well especially when upgraded. Enough activity spaced nicely around the planets. Solid as a whole but not state of the art. There is also a lot to craft. This would probably be and 8 but i knock it down a peg for lack of customisation to companions or at least a 2nd armour aesthetic. Setting 8 The lore and visuals do set a lovely scene especially space and the planets surfaces. Each world feels like it's own and different from the last. The story is good but not great (though i haven't finished the game yet) The companions are a major step up from previous games in terms of content. They talk to each other alot on your ship, they hang out on the nexus/Angar resistance HQ planet (can't remember its name) They also talk to each other and you or make comments alot in the nomad/walking around planets. They make a comment about each planet on the tempest and have something to say after each main mission. Value for Money 10 its a 100+ hour game with choices meaning at least 2 playthroughs could be done. Then there is multiplayer which like ME3 will get free dlc to expand it overtime. No brainer. Overall 8/10 Anyways, I agree that review scoring and criteria are all across the board. There's very little standardization. While I consider scores in the 70's to be good, 80's to be great and 90's to be fantastic/should be nearly perfect, many people view 70's as bad, and won't even consider buying games under an 80 or so. I don't know what can be done about that, but it's really unfortunate because being unable to agree on the meaning of a given numerical value means that reviewers and consumers are both constantly somewhat unsure of whether they are conveying or interpreting a score correctly. I agree that 70's are now seen as bad, which they shouldn't be. The reason they are though is because to many slightly above average games get scored in the 80's making 70's average 90's good or better. I'm glad to see scoring slowly year by year dropping a few points accross the board though because else we would of started getting 11/10 in a few years haha. Recently, I've started to realize that numbers mean much less than the details of a review. That's the only way to find out whether the reviewer has similar scoring criteria and likes/dislikes as yourself. Numbers give you the fastest and easiest way to try to find out a game's value, but these things are so personal that numbers are far too simplified of a metric. Reading the etxt of reviews is much more useful for me. Unfortunately, when numbers are the primary/most visible system used on sites like Metacritic, we end up with problems like this, and lots of fans just end up upset. The system needs to be re-vamped if you ask me. SaveThe problem in todays world is people wont even bother reading up a review unless it scores what they deem to at least average for the current trend. So in scores now that means anything under 8 or 80 isnt worth reading up about. games that get 8/80 reading the review may help you make up your mind. 9/90 should be a instant buy if its a genre you like. I'd like to see these drop down 2 points each except must buy that should stay at 9 really, but that means harsher scoring for all games and a consistent method of scoring.
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scouserant23
N2
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: ScouserAnt23
XBL Gamertag: ScouserAnt23
Posts: 148 Likes: 119
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Post by scouserant23 on Mar 23, 2017 5:03:45 GMT
Fix the Eyes - 40 Better Character Creator (facial features) Tools - 40 Improve facial and walking animations -38 Allow Manual Saving During All Missions (incl. prologue & main plot ones) - 26 Alternate outfits/armors for squadmates - 23 Mirror in Ryder cabin for change of hair/makeup/beard - 22 Introduce Photo-Mode - 17 Add more face presets (at least 1 pale option) - 17 Allow the option to steer the Nomad with mouse instead of keyboard (still use W and S for forward and backward) - 16 Change Squadmates' Weapons - 15 Expedite interplanetary travel - 13 Better Auto-saving - 11 Toggle 3rd person over the shoulder view of galaxy map and tempest travel - 10 Add mini-map marking enemy/ally locations/compass to HUD - 10 Casual outfits for the rest of the squad - 10 Add new Option to show helmets when Global Hazards are present for Ryder and Squadmates - 10 Add ability to increase/decrease font size- 10 Options-menu setting for HUD transparency - 10 Surgery on Nexus for facial surgery - 10 No Backward Pistols - 8 Add MP3 music player on Omni Tool to play any ME soundtrack while exploring - 9 Nomad entry animation on an options toggle - 9 Add more Vehicles or piloted mechs for Ryder with weapons - 7
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