enviousdominous
Behold my diction
This game is nifty, neat, and every other safe word I could use to describe something that qualifies as being a passable game for your money.
I've been reading some online reviews, and they range from scathing to mildly amused. Those who enjoy the game seem to be celebrating the fact that what they enjoy most about the game is what wasn't intended to be enjoyed by the developers.
Every game of this style has a story, and typically that story is what drives you to reach the end and overcome whatever epic obstacles block your way. That really isn't the theme with this game, the pleasure I got from playing was through the ambient -- otherwise nonsensical -- dialogue and tasks that had nothing to do with what was (to me) an irrelevant plot.
You travel to the Andromeda galaxy, though you only explore one star cluster as there are none of the relays that made immediate intergalactic travel a reality that's enjoyed in the Milky Way. There's a lot to explore, though most of what you find will be brief descriptions of planetary conditions.
The story is as follows (with mild spoilers)
If you are really into the Mass Effect series, I don't think this game will disappoint you. I was pleased to be able to once again fill the role of a glorified courier, plus there are hidden nuggets of dialogue that are either profoundly clever or hilarious. There are no consequences for being a sarcastic ass throughout the game, so I highly recommend being that way.
The romances in the game are a nifty way of being side-tracked, but some of them are pretty intrusive. You can show no interest in falling in love with a character, and you constantly walk into situations with them where you're offered yet another opportunity to woo them with your boldness.
On a scale of one to ten, I give it a solid seven. I don't feel gipped in any way, but I wish that the game had had a story that was nearly as compelling as that of any of the first three Mass Effect games.
Here's a fun video of my experience, showing one of the greatest moments from the game.
[youtube]20IkBIoV9Ic[/youtube]
I've been reading some online reviews, and they range from scathing to mildly amused. Those who enjoy the game seem to be celebrating the fact that what they enjoy most about the game is what wasn't intended to be enjoyed by the developers.
Every game of this style has a story, and typically that story is what drives you to reach the end and overcome whatever epic obstacles block your way. That really isn't the theme with this game, the pleasure I got from playing was through the ambient -- otherwise nonsensical -- dialogue and tasks that had nothing to do with what was (to me) an irrelevant plot.
You travel to the Andromeda galaxy, though you only explore one star cluster as there are none of the relays that made immediate intergalactic travel a reality that's enjoyed in the Milky Way. There's a lot to explore, though most of what you find will be brief descriptions of planetary conditions.
The story is as follows (with mild spoilers)
You're awoken from cryo-stasis on board an appropriately named "Ark" starship that's finished with an over 600 year pilgramige across dark space. You're designated as a "pathfinder", and as such you must figure out ways for the 20,000 individuals still being held in cryo-stasis aboard the Ark to settle in various locations throughout the star cluster.
The Salarians, Asari, and Turians have all left in Arks of their own. Finding one of these Arks is part of your adventure, the rest are optional. Like all other optional tasks that feign a sense of urgency, finding the other two Arks has minor impact on the end result of completing the main mission.
The star cluster you explore is well traveled by an intelligent race known as the Angarans. You interact with them through touch and sharing the same air pretty quickly, which is odd considering such action would probably kill everyone involved due to both forms of life being the products of several millenia of biological evolution that likely depends on forms of bacteria that would be lethal to the other.
You encounter a race of hostile beings known as the Kett, and not a whole lot is explained about them. You eventually figure out how they come into existence, and the shock and awe that such a revelation was apparently supposed to cause is lost on the ridiculous implausibility. Big, but slightly disappointing spoiler below.
You also discover the structural remains of a technologically advanced race know as the Jardaan. The Jardaan themselves are never found in the game, but their robot helpers are all over the place and they're very hostile toward nearly everything that's living.
The leader of the Kett seeks to unlock the technological database of the Jardaan, and also to utilize an artificial planet created by the Jardaan. It's explained that the Kett leader simply wants to do all of this due to his own morbid curiousity, and it actually ticks off his underlings.
You want that artificial world, because it fits the criteria of being one of the promised "golden worlds". It's also a world where, due to it being artificial, one who can utilize Jardaan technology can manipulate its geological phenomena. In the mean-time, you utilize technology left behind on other worlds to remedy ongoing issues with the surface of those worlds (too cold, too hot, too radioactive) which then allows human habitation.
You have the ability to manipulate the technology left behind by the Jardaan, and this ability is never explained to my satisfaction. You just use their technology because you happen to be able to.
Ending spoiler below
The Salarians, Asari, and Turians have all left in Arks of their own. Finding one of these Arks is part of your adventure, the rest are optional. Like all other optional tasks that feign a sense of urgency, finding the other two Arks has minor impact on the end result of completing the main mission.
The star cluster you explore is well traveled by an intelligent race known as the Angarans. You interact with them through touch and sharing the same air pretty quickly, which is odd considering such action would probably kill everyone involved due to both forms of life being the products of several millenia of biological evolution that likely depends on forms of bacteria that would be lethal to the other.
You encounter a race of hostile beings known as the Kett, and not a whole lot is explained about them. You eventually figure out how they come into existence, and the shock and awe that such a revelation was apparently supposed to cause is lost on the ridiculous implausibility. Big, but slightly disappointing spoiler below.
The Kett are the product of when a genetic mutagen is injected via syringe into another life form, in most cases the Kett are the product of an Angaran being injected in some kind of odd religious ceremony.
You also discover the structural remains of a technologically advanced race know as the Jardaan. The Jardaan themselves are never found in the game, but their robot helpers are all over the place and they're very hostile toward nearly everything that's living.
The leader of the Kett seeks to unlock the technological database of the Jardaan, and also to utilize an artificial planet created by the Jardaan. It's explained that the Kett leader simply wants to do all of this due to his own morbid curiousity, and it actually ticks off his underlings.
You want that artificial world, because it fits the criteria of being one of the promised "golden worlds". It's also a world where, due to it being artificial, one who can utilize Jardaan technology can manipulate its geological phenomena. In the mean-time, you utilize technology left behind on other worlds to remedy ongoing issues with the surface of those worlds (too cold, too hot, too radioactive) which then allows human habitation.
You have the ability to manipulate the technology left behind by the Jardaan, and this ability is never explained to my satisfaction. You just use their technology because you happen to be able to.
Ending spoiler below
One thing that got my ire was that you don't fight the Kett leader, you strip him of his power and he dies. The end battle of the game isn't nearly as difficult as certain other areas of the game as well. The big bad of the game turns out to be an obsessive jackass who dies by commiting accidental suicide as opposed to being killed as a result of an epic battle.
If you are really into the Mass Effect series, I don't think this game will disappoint you. I was pleased to be able to once again fill the role of a glorified courier, plus there are hidden nuggets of dialogue that are either profoundly clever or hilarious. There are no consequences for being a sarcastic ass throughout the game, so I highly recommend being that way.
The romances in the game are a nifty way of being side-tracked, but some of them are pretty intrusive. You can show no interest in falling in love with a character, and you constantly walk into situations with them where you're offered yet another opportunity to woo them with your boldness.
On a scale of one to ten, I give it a solid seven. I don't feel gipped in any way, but I wish that the game had had a story that was nearly as compelling as that of any of the first three Mass Effect games.
Here's a fun video of my experience, showing one of the greatest moments from the game.
[youtube]20IkBIoV9Ic[/youtube]
