Mass Effect 1 vs. Mass Effect 3

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="171"] Hipster Liara - Dialogue Wheel (Photo credit: scorp_stanton)[/caption]

Christmas this year I picked up an x-box with the kinect, it was our gift to the family... We were thinking we'd spend so much time jumping around, playing games with each other.

The reality though is that I ended up getting Batman Arkham City and played it like it was crack and I was a homeless male prostitute looking to score. To say that I played that game hard is an extreme understatement. Anyway, this post isn't about Batman. It's about Mass Effect.

The little gaming group of friends I have recommended the Mass Effect games. At some point, someone said they liked 3 the best, although I though I heard "Play 3 first". So I did.

Mass Effect 3 is a terrific game on its own. Having absolutely no understanding or basis for comparison going into this game, I didn't feel all that lost. There were a few things that I didn't really understand completely, but got the Gist, like "indoctrination" and what exactly is a "Spectre"... But at the end of the day, I got shit done, and love it so much, I played it through again, although that was mostly to try to get Liara T'soni in bed. I went with Ashley Williams the first time. Next I might go as a female and work on Traynor.

Anyway, I was kind of amazed at how generally easy Mass Effect 3 was. I died very seldom, and most of the time it was because my god-damned wireless controller keeps disconnecting. Yeah, sure the console pauses, but it's still a total pain in the ass, and screws me up a lot. Now, the only games like this I have played in a while were Batman Arkham City, and Deus Ex Human Revolution.

"But they aren't anything alike!" I know, I hear ya. But listen, I played World of Warcraft for 7 years. In comparison, they are similar. Anyway, those are the only first person shooter games I've played ever since Wolfenstein...

I died a lot in Deus Ex. I died maybe six times in ME3 on normal difficulty.

Mass Effect 1 was a total different story. I have it currently on "casual" difficulty, and my ass shows up on a plate in front of me All. The. Time. I probably die a dozen times per mission... Or, I DID anyway, until I realized, I probably just picked a really difficult place to do first.

My first mistake was not paying attention to the gear as I was getting it. In ME 3, you got different types of guns, and you could upgrade them, etc. but I really didn't notice

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] Mass Effect 3 (Photo credit: JBLivin)[/caption]

much of an impact if you were using a gun that wasn't the best available. Also, the armor was apparently aesthetic. I didn't even change my outfit and never had a problem in ME3.

My second mistake was, after getting the handle of traveling system to system, I went and found Liara, and then immediately went after her mother. Apparently these are missions are higher in difficulty than some others... I got Liara just fine, but her mother whipped my ass repeatedly. A few times I got to the point where she would be the only one left, and she made short work of me with barely a scratch. I backtracked outta that place, and quickly realized how much more important saving your game was in 1 vs. 3.

Twice I went most of the way through a place, only to fall off a ledge and go ALL THE WAY back to the last save point, which was in front of her. Now, I'm neurotic about saving. I move forty feet, and save. I kill a group of things, I save. ME3, like I said, I didn't die much.

Driving the rover about was a big surprise, I love that thing. It doesn't exist in ME3. I also had no idea that you could import your saves from one to the next. The thought that what I do in 1 will make a difference in 3 is pretty awesome. (Don't gimmie and shit, I told you I'm new to the X-box and "recent" console gaming, as of December '11.)

All in all, I can say I think the game play in 3 is better, Ashley Williams isn't as bland looking, and the dialog is a lot better in 3 than it is in 1 so far., but that's the march of technology coupled with a few successful releases under the franchise's belt. 1 is still a great game though, and it has shed some light on my gray areas. I have yet to beat ME1, but there will be posts about it when I do, and probably a bunch on the way.

Oh yeah... I decided to pursue Liara in ME1, cause Ashley Williams looks a little strange... Yeah that's right, strange enough that I put my capt. Kirk pants on, and go after the blue alien. She's also a lot nicer than Ashley Williams, I think.

Thoughts?