Comment Re:Et tu BioWare? (Score 1) 331
And here's the screenshot link.
Just looking for replicants...
Comment Et tu BioWare? (Score 1) 331
Every PC gamer knows about it and frankly I don't care about it that much anymore until I played Mass Effect 2. I am talking about the effect of multi-platform development of games. Games that are concurrently developed for consoles as the PC have lead to PC games with a somewhat deteriorated quality. In other words they have been dumbed down.
BioWare has a reputation for releasing quality RPG's but lately their formula has slightly changed and that's definitely not for the better. ME 2 is the pinnacle in the dumbing down of BioWare PC games. Now I was already used to this new development method but I just didn't expect BioWare to utilize it in such a way that has lead to this new version of the RPG.
Take the elevators for example. Now I know a lot of people complained about them. And yes I agree that the rides sometimes took too long. But they were also an important part of the RPG experience. First off instant travel breaks immersion. Especially in the way Mass Effect 2 has it implemented. Instead of an elevator ride, filled with character dialogue and news broadcasts detailing Shepards achievements as in ME 1, we get a very simple looking menu screen. This screen has huge bars that can be seen from the other side of your room. A bit on the excessive side. Also why must I move my mouse to the "select" button instead of simply being able to double-click one of those huge bars?
The next issue, combat. I have nothing against 3rd person combat, even though I prefer 1st person, but its another step into the console direction instead of the PC. Aside from that I rather enjoy the combat the only other negative aspect about it is the waves of enemies. I despise waves. You can never tell when the battle is over. Unless you, which is what I do, constantly check if your shield is suddenly regenerated or one of your fallen comrades is resurrected.
Also this "RPG" has no inventory. How can that be? Looting enemies and equipping your characters to form the best possibly equipped squad is simply not possible. Perhaps BioWare thought that moving through an inventory screen was simply too much of a hassle when using a gamepad?
And what is up with the cover/sprint/use key? Did they run out of buttons? I often find my character crouching behind cover when I simply want to run past conveniently placed cover #634. Its annoying. Separating cover from sprint would have very easily prevented this.
I've often heard people describing Mass Effect 2 as a RPG-Shooter hybrid. I would be fine with that if the game actually was an RPG-shooter hybrid. But dumbing down an RPG and using TPS combat does not make this game a RPG-shooter hybrid. They have simply taken a fine RPG, ME 1, and stripped down most of the essential RPG elements. And because of that this game plays like a dumbed down RPG. It simply was not designed to be a RPG-Shooter hybrid.
A fundamental aspect of the RPG is immersion. One should actually feel like one is playing a role. This is practically impossible with this game. Excluding the appearance customization there is no way to roleplay. Shepard shows too much of his own personality and verbalizes his own dialogue, in contrast to for example Dragon Age. And the dialogue choices are child's play. It is often reduced to picking what color matches your alignment choice. Blue is for paragon and red is for renegade. BioWare has relieved you of the burden of actually reading the dialogue. No longer do you need to endure the hassle that comes with understanding the effect of your moral choices instead you now simply choose to be either blue or red and then continue to choose blue or red during the various conversations.
To conclude, I've been very negative about this game and with good reason. Nonetheless this is still a great game that deserves praise. One of the improvements for example is the enhanced variety in the side quests/assignments.
I think the fact that BioWare released Dragon Age an RPG that does seem to be developed for the PC before releasing this game has just strengthened the blow. Still I am quite enjoying this game and will continue to do so. This was not a review so I will not rate this game I do however award it with the the "dumbed down" achievement for exceptional dumbing down in PC game development. Congratulations BioWare!
Thank you for reading. I will leave you with this lovely in-game screenshot showing one of the more positive sides of the game, the graphics.
Just looking for replicants...
BioWare has a reputation for releasing quality RPG's but lately their formula has slightly changed and that's definitely not for the better. ME 2 is the pinnacle in the dumbing down of BioWare PC games. Now I was already used to this new development method but I just didn't expect BioWare to utilize it in such a way that has lead to this new version of the RPG.
Take the elevators for example. Now I know a lot of people complained about them. And yes I agree that the rides sometimes took too long. But they were also an important part of the RPG experience. First off instant travel breaks immersion. Especially in the way Mass Effect 2 has it implemented. Instead of an elevator ride, filled with character dialogue and news broadcasts detailing Shepards achievements as in ME 1, we get a very simple looking menu screen. This screen has huge bars that can be seen from the other side of your room. A bit on the excessive side. Also why must I move my mouse to the "select" button instead of simply being able to double-click one of those huge bars?
The next issue, combat. I have nothing against 3rd person combat, even though I prefer 1st person, but its another step into the console direction instead of the PC. Aside from that I rather enjoy the combat the only other negative aspect about it is the waves of enemies. I despise waves. You can never tell when the battle is over. Unless you, which is what I do, constantly check if your shield is suddenly regenerated or one of your fallen comrades is resurrected.
Also this "RPG" has no inventory. How can that be? Looting enemies and equipping your characters to form the best possibly equipped squad is simply not possible. Perhaps BioWare thought that moving through an inventory screen was simply too much of a hassle when using a gamepad?
And what is up with the cover/sprint/use key? Did they run out of buttons? I often find my character crouching behind cover when I simply want to run past conveniently placed cover #634. Its annoying. Separating cover from sprint would have very easily prevented this.
I've often heard people describing Mass Effect 2 as a RPG-Shooter hybrid. I would be fine with that if the game actually was an RPG-shooter hybrid. But dumbing down an RPG and using TPS combat does not make this game a RPG-shooter hybrid. They have simply taken a fine RPG, ME 1, and stripped down most of the essential RPG elements. And because of that this game plays like a dumbed down RPG. It simply was not designed to be a RPG-Shooter hybrid.
A fundamental aspect of the RPG is immersion. One should actually feel like one is playing a role. This is practically impossible with this game. Excluding the appearance customization there is no way to roleplay. Shepard shows too much of his own personality and verbalizes his own dialogue, in contrast to for example Dragon Age. And the dialogue choices are child's play. It is often reduced to picking what color matches your alignment choice. Blue is for paragon and red is for renegade. BioWare has relieved you of the burden of actually reading the dialogue. No longer do you need to endure the hassle that comes with understanding the effect of your moral choices instead you now simply choose to be either blue or red and then continue to choose blue or red during the various conversations.
To conclude, I've been very negative about this game and with good reason. Nonetheless this is still a great game that deserves praise. One of the improvements for example is the enhanced variety in the side quests/assignments.
I think the fact that BioWare released Dragon Age an RPG that does seem to be developed for the PC before releasing this game has just strengthened the blow. Still I am quite enjoying this game and will continue to do so. This was not a review so I will not rate this game I do however award it with the the "dumbed down" achievement for exceptional dumbing down in PC game development. Congratulations BioWare!
Thank you for reading. I will leave you with this lovely in-game screenshot showing one of the more positive sides of the game, the graphics.
Just looking for replicants...
Review: Mass Effect 2 331
Mass Effect debuted a little over two years ago to almost universal praise, getting high marks for the rich story, endless exploration options, and entertaining gameplay. Despite the game's success, BioWare listened closely to player feedback, promising to revamp the parts of the game that needed improvement while developing the sequel. They didn't hesitate to refine the elements they wanted to keep and do away with the ones they didn't. The result is a familiar, but much more streamlined experience. Rather than being a shooter with a great story added in, Mass Effect 2 a great story that often has you shoot things. Read on for the rest of my thoughts.
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...when fits of creativity run strong, more than one programmer or writer has been known to abandon the desktop for the more spacious floor. - Fred Brooks, Jr.
