Starglider wrote:Havok wrote:Best outing of the series. Very few let downs.
It was worse than the second game in every measure except sheer art resource thrown at the cutscenes and environments. Comparison with the first game is harder but I'd say the much better gameplay variety and ending still make ME1 a better experience.
If you say so.

There isn't anymore variety in the ending of 1, 2, or 3 in comparison with each other at all. ME1: Choose the council, 3 choices. ME2: Destroy the Collector base or not. ME3: Pick how to kill the AAI and Reapers, 3 choices.
There is a difference in in the amount of choices squad mate wise in ME2 vs ME3, but that is simply a nature of the point of the story you are in. You aren't going to and fucking shouldn't spend ME3 doing loyalty quests for people you already have the loyalty of or on planets that are in ruins or under siege while the galaxy is being killed. It was acceptable in ME2
On top of that... The combat is by FAR the best of the series. The armor and weapon customization is back and also improved. The UTTERLY CHILDISH romance options are toned down to a tolerable level and the game does a great job of mixing the old characters in with the new and keeping them involved in the story in surprisingly interesting ways.
Also, saying, "aside from the better cutscenes and levels" is a HUGE fucking cop out as this is a HIGHLY visual medium and the levels are a huge focus of what makes the games different from each other as the dialogue and renegade paragon systems were sadly neglected in both sequels.
The non linear feel that was lost in ME2 is back.
I find it hard to believe you aren't simply trolling. In ME2 the team member acquistion and loyalty missions can be done in any order. There are a large number of side quests (Cerberus, N7 and general) that can be done in any order. Everything outside of the core story missions is demonstably non-linear. The final mission has meaningful outcomes in terms of killing any combination of your team members, and effort you put in in the game saves them (and Sheppard) from this fate. You are given the choice to delay the final mission at the cost of losing your minor crew members.
Uh... so? Aside from less squad members, you can do the same thing in ME3. On top of that there are no penalties for not doing things in a proper order or timely fashion for the games arbitrary reasons. (Such as the losing certain dialogue options because you don't do loyalty missions in time)
Let me break down ME2.
IM: Sheppard, I brought you back to work for me.
S: No.
IM: Yes.
S: OK.
IM: Now, go find your squad members.
S: No.
IM: Yes.
S: OK
IM: Now go do this.
S: N
IM: Yes.
S: OK.
IM: Now go do this even though you know I sold you out.
S: No.
IM: Yes.
S: OK.

Yeah, not linear and controlled at all.
In contrast... ME1 & ME3:
Alliance/Council: Here is your ship go do stuff/save the galaxy.
S: What/How?
Alliance: How the fuck should we know?
S: Copy that.
It's a simplistic take, but it is accurate.
I mean yeah, the loyalty missions are fun but you aren't actually doing them to get loyalty. (Would you even need it from Garrus or Tali?) You are doing them to get stuff. They are literally elaborate fetch quests. They should have been like the asset quests in ME3. Oh and for some reason if you gain "loyalty", your squad members get character shields.
In ME3 almost all of the missions are 'story' missions. There are two optional missions immediately before each major mission, on the same planet. The very few side missions are mostly one linear N7 chain. Even the NPC fetch and discussion quests are all reduced to 'pick up item drop off at citadel' and 'click on arguing person for arbitrary rep bonus'. The final mission is completely linear and the outcome does not depend in any significant way on any of your choices in the entire last three games. Finally the character railroading is clearly worse; having no choice in working for the Illusive Man was a little annoying, but at least you could pick your rationalisation - in the ME3 ending you have no meaningful choice at all in how to respond to the Crucible.
Hahahaha fucking what?
There is no discernible order that you have to do any mission in 3 in. And now apparently "story missions" making up the majority of the game play in an RPG is a bad thing?

There are trigger missions that open new missions, but UNLIKE 2, you don't HAVE to do any of them in order to save the galaxy and keep your squad mates alive. The story missions alone get you to the ending. You have the choice to do the extras and sides at your whim at consequence or benifit to your end game results. A point which you ascribe as a plus for ME2, but somehow not for ME3?
By the way, there are like 28 mission, actually playable, in ME3 not counting DLC. There are only around 23 in ME2 not counting DLC. I'm talking missions where you have to do things beside scan and deliver.
Now none of that says ME3 is perfect and ME2 is horrible. ME2 did a great job of actually assigning squad members to appropriate jobs in the endgame, allowing you the feel of saving the galaxy as a team instead of as three superheroes like in ME1 and now ME3. Something ME3 failed to capitalize on, which was a horrible oversight.
ME3 also erased the consequence of ME2's results. Got Legion killed? That's OK, here is Geth IV.
Of course, I hadn't done my "things ME3 fucked up" post yet before you decided to be a condescending prick about someone not having the same opinion as you.
As such your argument is clearly bullshit, as is 90% of your contribution to this thread.
Uh huh.
