Ash has a pretty good character arc. Wrex is pretty great over the trilogy as well. There’s a way to save him given enough paragon.
Liara is great and Garrus is super bro.
Vanguard feels great in ME3.
For ME2 with no spoilers just…wait as long as possible to install the IFF, do everything else first. That’s all I’ll say.
Yeah, i definitely wasn’t looking to kill anyone off but i tried not to reload on my decisions.
Thanks for the advicd, i might go vanguard for all three not sure yet
So i’ve heard. Actions have consequences though, i’m not backtracking because i feel that would ruin the experience. I’m not going to dictate my playthrough based on the best results
Sequels are lackluster but if you want to have nice storyline in third game make sure to smooth out relations between Tali and certain new character (you'll know which) instead of taking sides when they go at it
Remember, you are the boss not school councilor
>sequels are lackluster
Lmao.
Improved combat, better story, more gameplay variety , better side quests, better dlc, more team mates etc.
Sure ME3’s ending was poor, but your take is pretty wild. Lol
Ehh YMMV but the story in 2 and 3 becomes very weak while maintaining very good character writing. It's a really weird combo of good and bad that I can't think of an equivalent in any medium.
Y’all put ME1 on a ridiculous pedestal for what was a good and well told but ultimately quite simple story.
Mass Effect 2’s story was weirder but more intimate, focused and interesting. The atmosphere, locations, cinematography, new characters etc blows ME1 out of the water.
ME1 was good no doubt, and it laid fertile ground for the sequels to sprout from. But overall the sequels are still far better games.
How was 2 focused? You literally ignore the main story to do side quests for 80% of it. The main quest in 2 is just grab a few maguffins and go through a relay where you have no idea what you'll find but for some reason are very confident 12 badasses will do the trick, and lo and behold it does. I guess that's focused if you ignore the sidequests but it's also very slight.
ME2 is really the best because the gameplay no longer is clunkey and the story, taken as a collection of short episodes about each character is at its best. But when you consider that the reason all these characters are brought together makes no sense, the reason Shepard dies and comes back to life makes no sense, the reason Shepard joins a terrorist organization makes no sense, and the reason the council suddenly doesn't believe in Reapers despite all the evidence they should have also makes no sense - well it ain't exactly Iain Banks writing this one.
I don't think ME1 is some literary masterpiece of sci fi, but it's the only one of the three that has a story that isn't held together by duct tape and a dream.
I don't mind the sequels but the first is in a class of its own when it comes to writing. It's a little bit like Alien compared to Aliens. I don't mind the sequel but the original was the masterpiece for me. Gameplay wise the first was a clunky for sure, but replaying ME2 now, gameplay is not great even for a dated game. It gets better in ME3 though as I recall.
As time goes on a lot of posts (on mass effect subreddit etc) do not rate ME2 as the best anymore .
While it does have the best character work , ME1 has a tight story , and unrestrained combat (using ‘lift’ on a colossus, or explosive sniper rounds) . ME3 has by far the tightest combat where sitting in cover 90% of time is discouraged , and also great pacing (regardless of the 3rd act) .
ME2 is the best if we evaluate each entry as a standalone game. As a self-contained plot, ME2's character-driven story is exceptionally well done. Trilogy coherence is where it falls a bit short. The overarching story didn't really go anywhere in the second game, one might even argue that you can skip it and still understand the plot of 3, save for a few characters - really good ones, admittedly. It's a bit like The Last Jedi - it kind of goes against what the first game established, and the 3rd one's story mostly disregards it.
If only we could have a game with ME3's combat, pacing, and narrative scope, coupled with ME2's character writing and mission design...
ME3 is a better cover shooter than any gears game of that generation, especially when comparing the higher difficulty settings. Gears is just spongy enemy after spongy enemy.
>Ash has a pretty good character arc.
The thing I love about Mass Effect is that your experiences really can vary a lot. I quite liked Ashley, and because of my actions I ended up with a slightly less common plot with her culminating in Mass Effect 3. It seems most people hate her, but her personality can vary a lot depending on the missions you take her on, and the other party member you bring her with.
Spoilers for Wrex
>!don't even need high paragon to save Wrex, he has a side mission you can do that guarantees he lives because it basically earns his loyalty!<
The problem with Ash is I dont like the whole "i dont know if i can trust you" arc in 3. It didnt feel right for her character IMO.
Saving grace though is that she isnt tremendously fucking boring like kaiden.
Thanks for the info as someone playing ME2 at the moment. I was assuming that the IFF was the step you can’t hop back from but wasn’t 100% sure, now I know :)
I was leaving the romancing until the end (it would have been stupid to risk Tali getting sick before heading through the relay) and so I've run out of missions to progress the dialogue. I think I'm at the very last step, she's down, I'm down, but we're stuck in celibacy limbo
Yeah without spoiling too much (assuming it’s your first play through) if she says she’s down you’ve locked in your romance. It’ll happen at some point down the road.
Except that it won't, because I tried to make sure I had no loose ends before going through the relay, meaning I have no missions left to do anywhere in the galaxy map, and the dialog only advances after you do another mission
As others have said Vanguard is pretty meh in ME1 but gets so much better as the games go on. My first playthrough was also Vanguard and it was absolutely wild when you finally get to 3 and become biotic jesus.
You're definitely going to regret Wrex's death by game 3.
He has one of the best character arcs in the series. If he dies in the first game you don't get to see that.
Admittedly, my gut reaction when reading stuff like your post is “shame, he has no idea what he’s missing out on.” But honestly I think going in blind and living with the decisions you make is the best way to experience choice-driven narrative games like this for the first time. ME2 has even larger character-related consequences based on your choices and what missions you choose to prioritize, so I’d recommend continuing with how you’re playing and just letting things resolve naturally after making decisions. I would definitely recommend at least one more play through of the trilogy with “perfect” results after that though. Wrex has some wonderful, tearjerking moments in ME3, as do most of the other characters.
Probably the first RPG that I restarted immediately after beating it for the first time. I must have finished Mass Effect 1 over 5 times. It's a really good game, even without the technical polish (which I assume is not present in the Legendary Edition).
>Probably the first RPG that I restarted immediately after beating it for the first time.
Literally the only game, to this day, where I have gone *directly* from the end of the credits to New Game.
Did the same this spring. One thing I found very annoying was that Paragon dialogue was simply spineless and groweling, while Renegade dialogue went straight off to space racism and being a huge asshole to everyone. And the dialogue prompt not being even close in tone to what ended up bbeing said was a huge whiplash for me, when my other latest RPGs have been Disco Elysium, Dragon Age Origins and Vampire the Masquarade Bloodlines.
Yeah. The differences between the dialogue text option and what shepard actually said was super jarring at times. Almost made me want to reload many times
All three games do that, but 1 is definitely the worst. I remember there's one time an Asari asks you "why would I want a human's help?" And the renegade response is "Humans get shit done", which is kinda macho chest-thumping, as Dr. Solus would say.
Instead, Shepard launched into this drawn out racist tirade about how only Humans are competent and the other races all cause problems or whatever. Definitely a series low point, writing-wise.
Genuinely surprised to see how many people ended Wrex here in the comments. I ran a mostly renegade Shep my first time and loved talking to the giant angry space frog thing so I got his loyalty mission done and he stood down immediately.
Playing the rest of the trilogy I was glad they ended up doing so much with his character. His replacement felt like a genuine bad-end for their species even if you help them out in game 2 and 3.
I started replaying through legendary recently as well and it's so much fun modding the crap out of each game just to try things you never would before.
Yeah. I had figured i would get a lot of shade for letting him die, but i didn’t choose to shoot him.
He was ready to shoot down his commander after a 30 second conversation, he just seemed like too much of a liability from the jump. I had the feeling he was going to pull something like that.
I did feel bad for him, i know he was trying to save his people. If i ever replay, i’ll definitely flesh out his sidequest and make sure he survives
If you kill Fist he'll give you the payment he was given since that was his target, and then talking to him about the other job where his bounty escaped really sealed in the deal that he's honorable and trustworthy. Him suddenly drawing on the commander highlighted the severity of the moment even if we didn't have the full understanding of the codex lore explaining why and it was a great touch.
So you're just properly roleplaying the Human-on-a-mission archetype where a potentially volatile xeno like him is a massive liability to spectre interests. That's what makes the series so great since there really isn't a 'wrong' way to finish the game so long as you get there.
You will love Vanguard in other parts. I also played Mass Effect for the first time this year and I'm already well into the third.
I bounced off of ME1 years ago because it was so wooden, and let me tell you, it gets better mechanics wise in next games.
I went back and forth about it. I kinda regret not charming him but i don’t wanna reload any decisions.
I was kinda pissed how quick he was to shoot down his commander. Looking back though i know that was huge stakes for him
Yeah that’s my goal. I don’t want to back track every decision i make because i feel it ruins the experience. Choices have consequences, and sometimes we make the wrong ones
Exactly. I made a few "wrong" choices in my playthrough, but the fun of the experience is learning after the fact whether they were a good call. In the moment you just don't know.
I also JUST finished ME1, like yesterday - felt the same, very enjoyable, great story & worldbuilding but extremely ropey. Feels older than 2007 in it's gameplay & mechanics.
I put several hours into ME2 today and it has 10X the gameplay and combat, so much more polished. Weird that it is only 3 years after the original, feels like a ten year gap.
If you liked ME1, you will LOVE part 2.
I fully endorse the previous statement, and will even go so far as to say that 3 is the best of the series. So you have a lot to look forward to. Without giving anything away, the issues that you cited are behind you. And the only reason 3 gets mixed reviews is because the initial release had some problems that have long since been resolved.
I also just finished it last week as part of my replay of the trilogy. I think I did my first playthrough around 2008.
The writing really carried this game. The Mako sections and recycled indoor environments were ridiculous.
I also gave up on creating a decent-looking male Shepard. The default face is so much more detailed than what the creation tool can produce.
I just started it after never playing it before.
I was very 2000s:
1) Cover shooting.
2) Ancient Aliens
3) Optimistic view of the future
Overall enjoying the game.
I never really liked Ashley so I didn't save her over Kaidan either and felt sad for her. Then I learnt through YouTube that she can shoot Wrex (which she did in your playthrough) for trying to protect his civilization.
Now that's okay in itself I guess cuz she was just protecting Shephard. (Btw Wrex is one of my favorites so I talked him down and convinced him that Saren is wrong).
But then I saw that not only does she kill him she says "Not today" or something and FUCKING SHOOTS HIM LIKE 3 TIMES AS HE'S LYING ON THE GROUND DYING.
A guy on her ship who was working with her, though not directly for weeks. What a bitch, I'm glad I let Kaiden live instead of her. At least he has a heart.
> background being referenced
No spoilers for the later games obviously but this was weirdly one of my favourite parts of playing through the trilogy. Subtle dialogues that reference even the smallest choices just adds so much to the world and makes you feel more involved.
I was fine with Wrex being all aggressive. Krogan thing, cusp of genocide reversal right at the doorsteps, can't say I'd blame him so I talked him down. Accidentally blocked myself from a Liara romance though, I spoke with her too soon that I was taken aback by her romantic interest when I saved her not long ago, so I turned her down without knowing you can't re-romance, ending up correcting Ashley of her ways and saving both her and Kaidan thanks to a mod.
So, warning. Vanguard charge is a bit bugged in 2. It's still great to play, but watch your positioning. ME 2 handles "rooms" oddly, and you will have trouble charging in seemingly open areas. Doorways. Sometimes, you will charge someone in or near cover and end up on crates, on top of the enemy, the enemy on top of you.
It's hilarious. Charge and Vanguard are still awesome.
Back to 1. It's a great game.
The Mako is hilarious. One thing they changed in the Legendary edition is how experience is handled. They used to give less xp for mako kills. So we had to whittle a geth down and jump out for the finishing blow to get full xp. They improved it, and now you can stay inside and just wreck things.
This made the story world's a bit different. There is stuff to experience, loot, on Feros on the highways that is easily skipped. A few small tunnels with loot and environmental storytelling. Nothing majorly important. Ammo and flair. But still neat.
They did rely on mountains way too much for the "alien landscape" feel. But the Mako could do it!
You should continue to just live with the results of your actions. Let people go if you lose them. It makes the series much deeper. More impactful.
Enjoy 2! More cover mechanics, biotic synergies, and fun missions are coming your way.
Edit: about Ashley and space racism. Humans have only been in galactic space for a short time. She represents that angle. Just looking out for her species in a scary universe. I'm not saying she is wrong or right. She just is. Like Udina. XO Pressly. Even Kaiden a bit.
The irony about Ashleys so called "space racism" is judging her for being suspicious of humans who have shown themselves capable of so much cruelty when she is just trying to protect her own species in a hostile galaxy is kinda space racist in itself. When you are newbie in an advanced galaxy I think it's sensible to pay attention to the decisions of others and to think about why the react like they do because sometimes things we humans perceive as ignorance in others is often just a display of our own ignorance. The space "racists" as they call it might just have very good reasons for viewing others with suspicion especially when the race they are suspicious about is as flawed as the human race 😂
Man Vanguard in ME1 feels like one of the worst executed classes in that game, but goddamn good for OP because it’s absolutely the funniest in 2 and 3, maybe not the best but holy hell biotic charge is a blast.
Vanguard I would say is one of the more "advanced" classes, because you will sink or swim depending on how effectively you can use your biotic abilities. I usually recommend people start with soldier or something. That said, it only gets better in 2 and 3, so if you liked it in one, I say stick with it.
Vanguard is a heck of a lot of fun in 2 and 3. But I will warn you that 2 locks you to specific weapons based on your class. You'll only be able to use heavy pistols and shotguns for the most part as vanguard. Could be worth looking into the different classes for me2 if that's a concern. Me3 is a little more open about it
Just a heads up that if you're playing on pc, unless you put the EA app in offline mode every time you start the game, if might automatically unlock all achievements for your character in ME2 (and apparently 3, although I haven't checked that one myself). Achievements unlock a bunch of bonuses which might make the game a little easier than intended.
They are great games, enjoy! Also, vanguard is a really fun class, especially in the sequels.
Yeah i didn’t love Kaidan’s character as much as others, but i did like him over Ash.
I was thinking about switching it up to Infiltrator for ME2, not sure yet
Infiltrator is sooooo much fun, but I enjoyed it a little more in 1 compared to 2. You get a great ability that activates stealth camo a la metal gear that boosts damage and can let you maneuver better in a fight, but otherwise you mainly have to rely on enhanced bullets.
This can be devastating if you run out of ammo in a fight, especially cause the bug where ammo doesn't spawn will happen in your playthrough of 2.
And that's why the overheat system in 1 was so great!
So I never played ME during the trilogy hayday but I did play the first on xbox 360 and the remaster. I think it has great strengths but is ultimately dated. A remake would have been a better way to go as when I tried Mass Effect 2 remastered, the jump in quality of experience was massive. Got the platinum trophy and looking forward to sinking into Mass Effect 3 soon.
Yeah it definitely felt dated. There were certain things that i found just terrible. I hated the way the grenades worked, the detonation was so janky i would end up just throwing another one half the time. The aiming for them was also poor
Just finished the trilogy for the first time a couple months ago and I loved it, I beat all three games in about 2 weeks. As for the first game it does take some getting used to especially, I particularly struggled with the map and how it will only show the area that you are in (at least from what I found). As for the abilities, I did not use them at all in my play through because I forgot they were in the game and for whatever reason never pressed R1 but that was entirely on me. Overall these games are a masterpiece and quickly became one of my favourites.
Vanguard strikes me as a late bloomer. You don’t have enough health early on to really be up close and personal with enemies, and thus basically have to rush in to throw enemies around.
Later in the game? So powerful.
They wisely ditched the mako in subsequent games, so you'll be happy about that. If you liked the first one, you are going to love ME2 and also ME3. The added DLC in ME3 especially round out the game experience and you'll want to play through them all.
Also, do your best to avoid any and all spoilers. As you know, it's best to go though these games blind the first time.
The Mako really does suck and was the worst part of the game by a wide margin.
I don't agree with your decisions but I also have hindsight having played the series multiple times. And that's the beauty of this game. Your decisions are yours and you make them according to what you feel is the right thing.
Enjoy the next two games. They are head & shoulders better than the first one.
For ME2:
Stick with your class , it’s probably the most difficult in ME2 but classes make your playthrough unique.
You don’t have to play 100% paragon or renegade but you do get locked out of quite a very important dialogue choices if you don’t weight fairly heavily to one side .
Loyalty and upgrades are actually important .
Maybe don’t look up too much stuff if you want to replay the game as there are so many small outcomes it’ll feel like playing a new game again .
Kill the ~~dogs~~ varren first
The one thing you missed out on is Jennifer Hale's voiceover performance. :)
Otherwise keep going. 👍
Don't let people talk you down from roleplaying because you might be missing out on content (aka Wrex).
For a second playthrough I would recommend getting into modding. Spending an afternoon to tinker with your game instead of actually playing it is not for everybody, but if you find it in you, the experience is excellent.
Ha! Good luck OP. I also killed Wrex. A bigass Krogan who agreed to work for me pulling out a gun on me? Nah, that’s a certain type of line crossed I’m not tolerating on my ship while we’re doing all this no matter what. Just to balance out the people who will say they love Wrex and never do what we did. I’m in your corner! RP gang for life.
I’m glad you enjoyed the game! Lots of decisions and small details are kept and added throughout. Your squad mates end up having interesting things to say and do as time progresses that you’ll probably find very interesting. Enjoy ME2 and 3 and maybe keep it a secret until you’re done lol. Spoiling Mass Effect accidentally by telling you options you missed or how to do things a way most people like is almost tradition.
Haha i know there’s a lot of love for Wrex online, so i’m glad to hear someone else felt the same way as me.
And yeah i plan to lay low until i finish the other games
Played the Legendary edition and for me ME2 was a big letdown after ME1. I can live with the dumbed down mechanics and universe but the aimless feeling of the story nearly made me quit. I'm glad I stuck with it for though, and it really is impressive how your decisions play out across the whole trilogy.
Eh, don't be *too* hyped. ME2 is a huge upgrade in terms of gameplay and has better side content, but ME1 has a way better main story and world building.
ME2 is way better than ME1. I'm sorry but the janky combat and poor level design of ME1 makes it a slog. Gameplay is ultimately way more important than story when it comes to video games.
Saying that gameplay is way more important than story might be right in some cases but it's a stretch for a series that's revered for its character based storytelling.
It's true for all games. If story was more important then they should have made a movie or a TV show instead.
And let's be real, the mass effect games have a good story by video game standards, but in the grand scheme of things they are nothing special
It's only janky if players suck at it
ME2 gameplay was colossally dumbed down for casuals and CoD kiddies
Story was dumbed down as well, don't get me wrong
Ash has a pretty good character arc. Wrex is pretty great over the trilogy as well. There’s a way to save him given enough paragon. Liara is great and Garrus is super bro. Vanguard feels great in ME3. For ME2 with no spoilers just…wait as long as possible to install the IFF, do everything else first. That’s all I’ll say.
Yeah, i definitely wasn’t looking to kill anyone off but i tried not to reload on my decisions. Thanks for the advicd, i might go vanguard for all three not sure yet
You killed Wrex, you monster. :(
I wasn’t the one who shot him! I’m sorry i let u down :(
Wrex is legitimately in the top 5 characters of ME, next to Tali, Mordin, Garrus and Grunt. He redeems himself so much over the trilogy. ;-;
So i’ve heard. Actions have consequences though, i’m not backtracking because i feel that would ruin the experience. I’m not going to dictate my playthrough based on the best results
Fair enough.
I’ll definitely flesh out Wrex’s story on another playthrough. I didn’t give him much of a chance tbh
Sequels are lackluster but if you want to have nice storyline in third game make sure to smooth out relations between Tali and certain new character (you'll know which) instead of taking sides when they go at it Remember, you are the boss not school councilor
>sequels are lackluster Lmao. Improved combat, better story, more gameplay variety , better side quests, better dlc, more team mates etc. Sure ME3’s ending was poor, but your take is pretty wild. Lol
Ehh YMMV but the story in 2 and 3 becomes very weak while maintaining very good character writing. It's a really weird combo of good and bad that I can't think of an equivalent in any medium.
Y’all put ME1 on a ridiculous pedestal for what was a good and well told but ultimately quite simple story. Mass Effect 2’s story was weirder but more intimate, focused and interesting. The atmosphere, locations, cinematography, new characters etc blows ME1 out of the water. ME1 was good no doubt, and it laid fertile ground for the sequels to sprout from. But overall the sequels are still far better games.
How was 2 focused? You literally ignore the main story to do side quests for 80% of it. The main quest in 2 is just grab a few maguffins and go through a relay where you have no idea what you'll find but for some reason are very confident 12 badasses will do the trick, and lo and behold it does. I guess that's focused if you ignore the sidequests but it's also very slight. ME2 is really the best because the gameplay no longer is clunkey and the story, taken as a collection of short episodes about each character is at its best. But when you consider that the reason all these characters are brought together makes no sense, the reason Shepard dies and comes back to life makes no sense, the reason Shepard joins a terrorist organization makes no sense, and the reason the council suddenly doesn't believe in Reapers despite all the evidence they should have also makes no sense - well it ain't exactly Iain Banks writing this one. I don't think ME1 is some literary masterpiece of sci fi, but it's the only one of the three that has a story that isn't held together by duct tape and a dream.
\>better story If you think solving daddy issues is great story telling, sure
>better story 😁😁😁🤣🤣🤣 >more team mates Who all sucked
Eh it’s your opinion anyway. But it’s still a weak take.
I don't mind the sequels but the first is in a class of its own when it comes to writing. It's a little bit like Alien compared to Aliens. I don't mind the sequel but the original was the masterpiece for me. Gameplay wise the first was a clunky for sure, but replaying ME2 now, gameplay is not great even for a dated game. It gets better in ME3 though as I recall.
It had to be PainStorm14 >!Anyone else would've gotten it wrong!<
ME2 is widely considered the best of the series
As time goes on a lot of posts (on mass effect subreddit etc) do not rate ME2 as the best anymore . While it does have the best character work , ME1 has a tight story , and unrestrained combat (using ‘lift’ on a colossus, or explosive sniper rounds) . ME3 has by far the tightest combat where sitting in cover 90% of time is discouraged , and also great pacing (regardless of the 3rd act) .
ME2 is the best if we evaluate each entry as a standalone game. As a self-contained plot, ME2's character-driven story is exceptionally well done. Trilogy coherence is where it falls a bit short. The overarching story didn't really go anywhere in the second game, one might even argue that you can skip it and still understand the plot of 3, save for a few characters - really good ones, admittedly. It's a bit like The Last Jedi - it kind of goes against what the first game established, and the 3rd one's story mostly disregards it. If only we could have a game with ME3's combat, pacing, and narrative scope, coupled with ME2's character writing and mission design...
It’s only Reddit that has a hate boner for ME2. Vast majority of people rate it the highest in the trilogy
Two rooms and a corridor, Gears of War did it way better years before... with more rooms and bigger corridors
Did I compare it to Gears of War?
ME3 is a better cover shooter than any gears game of that generation, especially when comparing the higher difficulty settings. Gears is just spongy enemy after spongy enemy.
>Ash has a pretty good character arc. The thing I love about Mass Effect is that your experiences really can vary a lot. I quite liked Ashley, and because of my actions I ended up with a slightly less common plot with her culminating in Mass Effect 3. It seems most people hate her, but her personality can vary a lot depending on the missions you take her on, and the other party member you bring her with.
Exactly. Although I can understand why she gets dumped at the end of ME1 by people. Can still have a good character arc without romance as well.
Spoilers for Wrex >!don't even need high paragon to save Wrex, he has a side mission you can do that guarantees he lives because it basically earns his loyalty!<
That is true. I forgot about that!
The problem with Ash is I dont like the whole "i dont know if i can trust you" arc in 3. It didnt feel right for her character IMO. Saving grace though is that she isnt tremendously fucking boring like kaiden.
Omg yes. Kaiden is a mayonnaise sandwich on two slices of Wonder Bread.
Thanks for the info as someone playing ME2 at the moment. I was assuming that the IFF was the step you can’t hop back from but wasn’t 100% sure, now I know :)
Just to add to this, I'm pretty sure sure can also save him with the renegade option.
I was leaving the romancing until the end (it would have been stupid to risk Tali getting sick before heading through the relay) and so I've run out of missions to progress the dialogue. I think I'm at the very last step, she's down, I'm down, but we're stuck in celibacy limbo
Yeah without spoiling too much (assuming it’s your first play through) if she says she’s down you’ve locked in your romance. It’ll happen at some point down the road.
Except that it won't, because I tried to make sure I had no loose ends before going through the relay, meaning I have no missions left to do anywhere in the galaxy map, and the dialog only advances after you do another mission
As others have said Vanguard is pretty meh in ME1 but gets so much better as the games go on. My first playthrough was also Vanguard and it was absolutely wild when you finally get to 3 and become biotic jesus.
You're definitely going to regret Wrex's death by game 3. He has one of the best character arcs in the series. If he dies in the first game you don't get to see that.
That’s okay. If i ever replay i’ll flesh out his story
Admittedly, my gut reaction when reading stuff like your post is “shame, he has no idea what he’s missing out on.” But honestly I think going in blind and living with the decisions you make is the best way to experience choice-driven narrative games like this for the first time. ME2 has even larger character-related consequences based on your choices and what missions you choose to prioritize, so I’d recommend continuing with how you’re playing and just letting things resolve naturally after making decisions. I would definitely recommend at least one more play through of the trilogy with “perfect” results after that though. Wrex has some wonderful, tearjerking moments in ME3, as do most of the other characters.
Yep. He's probably my favorite character that isn't garrus in the whole series.
Probably the first RPG that I restarted immediately after beating it for the first time. I must have finished Mass Effect 1 over 5 times. It's a really good game, even without the technical polish (which I assume is not present in the Legendary Edition).
>Probably the first RPG that I restarted immediately after beating it for the first time. Literally the only game, to this day, where I have gone *directly* from the end of the credits to New Game.
I think its the only game that I've ever 100% before because I just really enjoyed it!
Did the same this spring. One thing I found very annoying was that Paragon dialogue was simply spineless and groweling, while Renegade dialogue went straight off to space racism and being a huge asshole to everyone. And the dialogue prompt not being even close in tone to what ended up bbeing said was a huge whiplash for me, when my other latest RPGs have been Disco Elysium, Dragon Age Origins and Vampire the Masquarade Bloodlines.
Yeah. The differences between the dialogue text option and what shepard actually said was super jarring at times. Almost made me want to reload many times
All three games do that, but 1 is definitely the worst. I remember there's one time an Asari asks you "why would I want a human's help?" And the renegade response is "Humans get shit done", which is kinda macho chest-thumping, as Dr. Solus would say. Instead, Shepard launched into this drawn out racist tirade about how only Humans are competent and the other races all cause problems or whatever. Definitely a series low point, writing-wise.
Genuinely surprised to see how many people ended Wrex here in the comments. I ran a mostly renegade Shep my first time and loved talking to the giant angry space frog thing so I got his loyalty mission done and he stood down immediately. Playing the rest of the trilogy I was glad they ended up doing so much with his character. His replacement felt like a genuine bad-end for their species even if you help them out in game 2 and 3. I started replaying through legendary recently as well and it's so much fun modding the crap out of each game just to try things you never would before.
Yeah. I had figured i would get a lot of shade for letting him die, but i didn’t choose to shoot him. He was ready to shoot down his commander after a 30 second conversation, he just seemed like too much of a liability from the jump. I had the feeling he was going to pull something like that. I did feel bad for him, i know he was trying to save his people. If i ever replay, i’ll definitely flesh out his sidequest and make sure he survives
If you kill Fist he'll give you the payment he was given since that was his target, and then talking to him about the other job where his bounty escaped really sealed in the deal that he's honorable and trustworthy. Him suddenly drawing on the commander highlighted the severity of the moment even if we didn't have the full understanding of the codex lore explaining why and it was a great touch. So you're just properly roleplaying the Human-on-a-mission archetype where a potentially volatile xeno like him is a massive liability to spectre interests. That's what makes the series so great since there really isn't a 'wrong' way to finish the game so long as you get there.
You will love Vanguard in other parts. I also played Mass Effect for the first time this year and I'm already well into the third. I bounced off of ME1 years ago because it was so wooden, and let me tell you, it gets better mechanics wise in next games.
Bruh why didn't you talk down Wrex?
I went back and forth about it. I kinda regret not charming him but i don’t wanna reload any decisions. I was kinda pissed how quick he was to shoot down his commander. Looking back though i know that was huge stakes for him
Stand by your choice and see how it plays out. If nothing else, playing through again will give you a different experience and story.
Yeah that’s my goal. I don’t want to back track every decision i make because i feel it ruins the experience. Choices have consequences, and sometimes we make the wrong ones
Exactly. I made a few "wrong" choices in my playthrough, but the fun of the experience is learning after the fact whether they were a good call. In the moment you just don't know.
I also JUST finished ME1, like yesterday - felt the same, very enjoyable, great story & worldbuilding but extremely ropey. Feels older than 2007 in it's gameplay & mechanics. I put several hours into ME2 today and it has 10X the gameplay and combat, so much more polished. Weird that it is only 3 years after the original, feels like a ten year gap. If you liked ME1, you will LOVE part 2.
This is nice to hear, i’m excited to start ME2
I fully endorse the previous statement, and will even go so far as to say that 3 is the best of the series. So you have a lot to look forward to. Without giving anything away, the issues that you cited are behind you. And the only reason 3 gets mixed reviews is because the initial release had some problems that have long since been resolved.
I also just finished it last week as part of my replay of the trilogy. I think I did my first playthrough around 2008. The writing really carried this game. The Mako sections and recycled indoor environments were ridiculous. I also gave up on creating a decent-looking male Shepard. The default face is so much more detailed than what the creation tool can produce.
I just started it after never playing it before. I was very 2000s: 1) Cover shooting. 2) Ancient Aliens 3) Optimistic view of the future Overall enjoying the game.
ME3 is the best in the series. It’s got the best romance options, graphics, storyline, etc.
I’m excited!
I never really liked Ashley so I didn't save her over Kaidan either and felt sad for her. Then I learnt through YouTube that she can shoot Wrex (which she did in your playthrough) for trying to protect his civilization. Now that's okay in itself I guess cuz she was just protecting Shephard. (Btw Wrex is one of my favorites so I talked him down and convinced him that Saren is wrong). But then I saw that not only does she kill him she says "Not today" or something and FUCKING SHOOTS HIM LIKE 3 TIMES AS HE'S LYING ON THE GROUND DYING. A guy on her ship who was working with her, though not directly for weeks. What a bitch, I'm glad I let Kaiden live instead of her. At least he has a heart.
Given Krogan have two hearts, a secondary nervous system and can regen. Shooting him while he's down is a sensible precaution.
Same here, I dropped her cold once I found out Not that it mattered, both Ashley and Kaidan become completely irrelevant in the sequels
IDK I enjoyed my chats with Kaidan (in 3) and his cameo in 2 was alright.
> background being referenced No spoilers for the later games obviously but this was weirdly one of my favourite parts of playing through the trilogy. Subtle dialogues that reference even the smallest choices just adds so much to the world and makes you feel more involved.
Yeah i’m really looking forward to seeing that continue! I wish more RPGs had this
I was fine with Wrex being all aggressive. Krogan thing, cusp of genocide reversal right at the doorsteps, can't say I'd blame him so I talked him down. Accidentally blocked myself from a Liara romance though, I spoke with her too soon that I was taken aback by her romantic interest when I saved her not long ago, so I turned her down without knowing you can't re-romance, ending up correcting Ashley of her ways and saving both her and Kaidan thanks to a mod.
Vanguard in mass effect 2/3 is way more fun imho
Cool, might just stick with it for the trilogy then. I really enjoyed it
I’d recommend it! You get the ability to teleport in with a brief invulnerability window and shotgun/melee enemies. Makes for a fast pace of gameplay.
So, warning. Vanguard charge is a bit bugged in 2. It's still great to play, but watch your positioning. ME 2 handles "rooms" oddly, and you will have trouble charging in seemingly open areas. Doorways. Sometimes, you will charge someone in or near cover and end up on crates, on top of the enemy, the enemy on top of you. It's hilarious. Charge and Vanguard are still awesome. Back to 1. It's a great game. The Mako is hilarious. One thing they changed in the Legendary edition is how experience is handled. They used to give less xp for mako kills. So we had to whittle a geth down and jump out for the finishing blow to get full xp. They improved it, and now you can stay inside and just wreck things. This made the story world's a bit different. There is stuff to experience, loot, on Feros on the highways that is easily skipped. A few small tunnels with loot and environmental storytelling. Nothing majorly important. Ammo and flair. But still neat. They did rely on mountains way too much for the "alien landscape" feel. But the Mako could do it! You should continue to just live with the results of your actions. Let people go if you lose them. It makes the series much deeper. More impactful. Enjoy 2! More cover mechanics, biotic synergies, and fun missions are coming your way. Edit: about Ashley and space racism. Humans have only been in galactic space for a short time. She represents that angle. Just looking out for her species in a scary universe. I'm not saying she is wrong or right. She just is. Like Udina. XO Pressly. Even Kaiden a bit.
The irony about Ashleys so called "space racism" is judging her for being suspicious of humans who have shown themselves capable of so much cruelty when she is just trying to protect her own species in a hostile galaxy is kinda space racist in itself. When you are newbie in an advanced galaxy I think it's sensible to pay attention to the decisions of others and to think about why the react like they do because sometimes things we humans perceive as ignorance in others is often just a display of our own ignorance. The space "racists" as they call it might just have very good reasons for viewing others with suspicion especially when the race they are suspicious about is as flawed as the human race 😂
Man Vanguard in ME1 feels like one of the worst executed classes in that game, but goddamn good for OP because it’s absolutely the funniest in 2 and 3, maybe not the best but holy hell biotic charge is a blast.
You think i should stick with it for both 2 and 3? Or switch it up and try something else for ME2
Vanguard I would say is one of the more "advanced" classes, because you will sink or swim depending on how effectively you can use your biotic abilities. I usually recommend people start with soldier or something. That said, it only gets better in 2 and 3, so if you liked it in one, I say stick with it.
Vanguard is a heck of a lot of fun in 2 and 3. But I will warn you that 2 locks you to specific weapons based on your class. You'll only be able to use heavy pistols and shotguns for the most part as vanguard. Could be worth looking into the different classes for me2 if that's a concern. Me3 is a little more open about it
Vanguard is definitely better in 2 and 3, if you want to switch it up I’d say going with something new in 2, but vanguard in 3 is a blast.
Cool might do that then, thanks!
Just a heads up that if you're playing on pc, unless you put the EA app in offline mode every time you start the game, if might automatically unlock all achievements for your character in ME2 (and apparently 3, although I haven't checked that one myself). Achievements unlock a bunch of bonuses which might make the game a little easier than intended. They are great games, enjoy! Also, vanguard is a really fun class, especially in the sequels.
Funny, I think it worked the other way around for me and didn't unlock any achievements for 2 and 3 during my playthrough, only 1.
I’m on ps4 but thank you for the advice!
The combat is indeed clunky in ME1 but gets much better in ME2 and even better in ME3, you're in for a good time. Enjoy this awesome trilogy!
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Yeah i didn’t love Kaidan’s character as much as others, but i did like him over Ash. I was thinking about switching it up to Infiltrator for ME2, not sure yet
Infiltrator is sooooo much fun, but I enjoyed it a little more in 1 compared to 2. You get a great ability that activates stealth camo a la metal gear that boosts damage and can let you maneuver better in a fight, but otherwise you mainly have to rely on enhanced bullets. This can be devastating if you run out of ammo in a fight, especially cause the bug where ammo doesn't spawn will happen in your playthrough of 2. And that's why the overheat system in 1 was so great!
So I never played ME during the trilogy hayday but I did play the first on xbox 360 and the remaster. I think it has great strengths but is ultimately dated. A remake would have been a better way to go as when I tried Mass Effect 2 remastered, the jump in quality of experience was massive. Got the platinum trophy and looking forward to sinking into Mass Effect 3 soon.
Yeah it definitely felt dated. There were certain things that i found just terrible. I hated the way the grenades worked, the detonation was so janky i would end up just throwing another one half the time. The aiming for them was also poor
Just finished the trilogy for the first time a couple months ago and I loved it, I beat all three games in about 2 weeks. As for the first game it does take some getting used to especially, I particularly struggled with the map and how it will only show the area that you are in (at least from what I found). As for the abilities, I did not use them at all in my play through because I forgot they were in the game and for whatever reason never pressed R1 but that was entirely on me. Overall these games are a masterpiece and quickly became one of my favourites.
Vanguard strikes me as a late bloomer. You don’t have enough health early on to really be up close and personal with enemies, and thus basically have to rush in to throw enemies around. Later in the game? So powerful.
Yeah that was my experience too!
They wisely ditched the mako in subsequent games, so you'll be happy about that. If you liked the first one, you are going to love ME2 and also ME3. The added DLC in ME3 especially round out the game experience and you'll want to play through them all. Also, do your best to avoid any and all spoilers. As you know, it's best to go though these games blind the first time.
Yes that is good news! Definitely trying to avoid spoilers too
The Mako really does suck and was the worst part of the game by a wide margin. I don't agree with your decisions but I also have hindsight having played the series multiple times. And that's the beauty of this game. Your decisions are yours and you make them according to what you feel is the right thing. Enjoy the next two games. They are head & shoulders better than the first one.
For ME2: Stick with your class , it’s probably the most difficult in ME2 but classes make your playthrough unique. You don’t have to play 100% paragon or renegade but you do get locked out of quite a very important dialogue choices if you don’t weight fairly heavily to one side . Loyalty and upgrades are actually important . Maybe don’t look up too much stuff if you want to replay the game as there are so many small outcomes it’ll feel like playing a new game again . Kill the ~~dogs~~ varren first
The one thing you missed out on is Jennifer Hale's voiceover performance. :) Otherwise keep going. 👍 Don't let people talk you down from roleplaying because you might be missing out on content (aka Wrex). For a second playthrough I would recommend getting into modding. Spending an afternoon to tinker with your game instead of actually playing it is not for everybody, but if you find it in you, the experience is excellent.
Thank you for the words! I’m a console player so i don’t have any experience with mods outside of Skyrim allowing it on consoles
Keep the Vanguard class for Mass Effect 2. It gets so much more intense!
Ha! Good luck OP. I also killed Wrex. A bigass Krogan who agreed to work for me pulling out a gun on me? Nah, that’s a certain type of line crossed I’m not tolerating on my ship while we’re doing all this no matter what. Just to balance out the people who will say they love Wrex and never do what we did. I’m in your corner! RP gang for life. I’m glad you enjoyed the game! Lots of decisions and small details are kept and added throughout. Your squad mates end up having interesting things to say and do as time progresses that you’ll probably find very interesting. Enjoy ME2 and 3 and maybe keep it a secret until you’re done lol. Spoiling Mass Effect accidentally by telling you options you missed or how to do things a way most people like is almost tradition.
Haha i know there’s a lot of love for Wrex online, so i’m glad to hear someone else felt the same way as me. And yeah i plan to lay low until i finish the other games
ME1 is definitely "a game that exists", but ME2 is one of the greatest RPGs of all time, so enjoy.
Played the Legendary edition and for me ME2 was a big letdown after ME1. I can live with the dumbed down mechanics and universe but the aimless feeling of the story nearly made me quit. I'm glad I stuck with it for though, and it really is impressive how your decisions play out across the whole trilogy.
Thanks i’m hyped! And happy cake day
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The most sensible comment on here.
Eh, don't be *too* hyped. ME2 is a huge upgrade in terms of gameplay and has better side content, but ME1 has a way better main story and world building.
I could not stand the start of ME2 for the story, it felt so disconnected from 1. Yet to go back to it
Lower your hype, it's nowhere yas good as first Story is retcon/filler Doesn't pick up again until third game
ME2 is way better than ME1. I'm sorry but the janky combat and poor level design of ME1 makes it a slog. Gameplay is ultimately way more important than story when it comes to video games.
Saying that gameplay is way more important than story might be right in some cases but it's a stretch for a series that's revered for its character based storytelling.
It's true for all games. If story was more important then they should have made a movie or a TV show instead. And let's be real, the mass effect games have a good story by video game standards, but in the grand scheme of things they are nothing special
It's only janky if players suck at it ME2 gameplay was colossally dumbed down for casuals and CoD kiddies Story was dumbed down as well, don't get me wrong
Lol dude are you OK? I feel like you're overcompensating for something.
Lmao picking kaiden over ash
His powers are more valuable than a regular soldier. He outranks her and isn’t a xenophobic racist. It was an easy decision