Weekly Roundup 03/11/2012

Unsurprisingly, it’s been all about Mass Effect 3 this week, and I’m really, really enjoying the game so far. I do feel it got off to a rocky start, however. The opening did a pretty poor job at bridging the transition from Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3, and the way shit hits the fan immediately imparts a weird pacing on the entire game. It makes everything sound direly urgent to the point where you really shouldn’t have time to run around the galaxy doing all the stuff you do in the game. While I’m getting it out of my system, I’ll also mention that the fetch quest side missions are absolute garbage. These are the dumbest fetch quests you can imagine, and the goofy minigame you have to play as you search for this stuff is just lame. I honestly think the game would be infinitely better without any of it.

I’ve also noticed an assortment of minor bugs. The game occasionally slows dramatically during loading, which often happens as you roam around busy areas like the Citadel. I’ve had cases where my quest log doesn’t update properly as I complete quests, and there’s that super frustrating bug with the character importer. I had to redo my character’s look from scratch, the same one I created back in 2007 and have been playing with ever since. That was a sad moment. I’m getting all the negative stuff out of the way first because, despite what it may sound like, there’s not a lot of it and it’s all pretty minor (save for maybe the side quests). That doesn’t mean that it’s not there and worth mentioning, but the positives do far outweigh the negatives for me.

It all starts with the presentation. ME3 looks fantastic, both technically and artistically, and sounds even better. All the sci-fi sound effects are just great, and the voice acting and musical score are as brilliant as always. The game also has some notable changes for the better with regards to the weapons and combat. There’s some real customizability to the weapons now, and I really appreciate that any class can use any weapon. Each gun has a weight associated with it, and carrying more weight in guns reduces your power recharge time. It’s a great balance between guns and powers, and gives you a lot more freedom in choosing how you want to play during combat. Combat itself is also more robust than ever. There’s a roll, there are proper grenades, there’s a better melee, etc. It’s still not on par with the best 3rd person shooters out there, but having better combat can only make Mass Effect better.

Still, the best things about ME3 are the same things that made ME2 so special. This series is at its best when you’re spending time in this great universe full of great characters. That’s something ME3 strives to do often, and often does well. Being the final part of Commander Shepard’s story, ME3 is all about giving you one last chance to see these characters we’ve come to know and love over the years. As far as I can tell, every character you’ve ever met (and is still alive) makes an appearance somewhere, and you often get a real sense of closure for these characters in the process. I’m guessing I’m about halfway through, but I’m really impressed with the way it’s handled these beloved characters so far. The only downside is that this doesn’t leave much room for new characters, but being the final game in the trilogy that might be for the best. It’s kind of nice to spend a full game enjoying (and saying goodbye to) the ones we already have.

I won’t say any more at the moment about the story and characters for obvious spoiler reasons, but I will say that some of the missions I’ve done so far match the best in the entire series. One in particular was just incredible. When BioWare sticks to doing what they do best (writing character driven stories) they can still come up with some amazing stuff that nobody else can match. Like I said, I would guess I’m about halfway through ME3, and will certainly have plenty more to say next week as I keep playing. I’ll also be giving the multiplayer a whirl. Anyway, I think that’s all for now, until next time!

Currently playing: Mass Effect 3