GSY Video PC PS4 Xbox One

Like all those who graciously subscribed to EA Access, Gamersyde has finally been able to play Mass Effect: Andromeda on PC with ultra settings. Even with our GTX 1080 and a 1080p resolution, we have witnessed frame drops during cutscenes (which is all the more surprising as they aren't the least impressive visually), but gameplay sequences seem smooth overall. Pushing the resolution to 1440p results in occasional framerate issues during gameplay. Aside from all the technical issues Gaf members have been making fun of in the past few days, this new episode seems engaging enough to make us want to keep playing. There is nothing mind-blowing about the beginning, as you'll see, and firearms still lack the necessary feedback to be really fun to use, but there is still something appealing in the discovery of strange new worlds, at least for us. If you're curious, join us tonight at 9:00 CET for a new (short) livestream.

andrewsqual
andrewsqual
Commented on 2017-03-16 14:31:25
What are your overall thoughts of this Mass Effect game on Frostbite? Does it go up well against other games this generation from a technical/presentation standpoint like the games in the series did last gen?
In reply to
KORNdog
KORNdog
Commented on 2017-03-16 14:32:46 In reply to andrewsqual
Posted by andrewsqual
What are your overall thoughts of this Mass Effect game on Frostbite? Does it go up well against other games this generation from a technical/presentation standpoint like the games in the series did last gen?
animations are terrible. but i think visually it looks nice.
In reply to
Driftwood - Dictateur en chef
Driftwood
Commented on 2017-03-16 14:50:18 In reply to KORNdog
Posted by KORNdog
animations are terrible. but i think visually it looks nice.
Animations were never good in the trilogy either to be fair.

Too soon to tell andrewsqual.
In reply to
andrewsqual
andrewsqual
Commented on 2017-03-16 15:10:53 In reply to Driftwood
Lol oh yeah, I forgot this actually isn't the review. :) Well I think the same thing happened last gen because of the earlier versions of the Unreal 3 engine but the engine certainly improved things especially by the time the 3rd game came around.
In reply to
Viktorvi
Viktorvi
Commented on 2017-03-16 15:27:55
Official Launch Trailer of when to expect here?
In reply to
MrWhite
MrWhite
Commented on 2017-03-16 16:33:19
LOL The blonde in the thumbnail of the first video.

https://img.ifcdn.com/images/45accff57237ddf5cbedd...
In reply to
unknownuser0001
unknownuser0001
Commented on 2017-03-16 18:00:36
"tonight at 9:00 CET"

Say no more, I'll be there :D
In reply to
INDIGO
INDIGO
Commented on 2017-03-16 19:03:38
In reply to
Tiz
Tiz
Commented on 2017-03-16 19:53:28 In reply to Driftwood
Posted by Driftwood
Animations were never good in the trilogy either to be fair.
It's very true. Bioware have always been extraordinarily inept in the animation department.

I guess I'll download it tonight now that I have some time.
In reply to
nostradamus
nostradamus
Commented on 2017-03-16 20:55:48 In reply to Tiz
Posted by Tiz
It's very true. Bioware have always been extraordinarily inept in the animation department.

I guess I'll download it tonight now that I have some time.
say what you will, Mass Effect 1 had the best "conversation" meshes in the industry at the time, bar none. Especially for a rpg.

Too bad ME2 was even worse, and they just didn't keep up with the times.
In reply to
MrWhite
MrWhite
Commented on 2017-03-16 21:38:44
Where does this "myth" that ME1 did anything better than ME2 come from? The only thing the first game did better was the rover exploration, and maybe, possibly, armour and weapon upgrades, then again some complained of it being over encumbering. Don't get me wrong, I loved the first game. In fact, I loved them all, but the second game was hands down the best of the lot. Something tells me people will be looking back at the original trilogy to be compared fondly as a whole instead of in parts in the very near future. As it should.
In reply to
KORNdog
KORNdog
Commented on 2017-03-16 21:41:54 In reply to MrWhite
Posted by MrWhite
Where does this "myth" that ME1 did anything better than ME2 come from? The only thing the first game did better was the rover exploration, and maybe, possibly, armour and weapon upgrades, then again some complained of it being over encumbering.
ME1 was the only one in the series i'd even say was a true RPG. It certainly did story, dialogue tree's and player control better (as in item management, stat alocation etc across your entire team etc)

ME2 was a better shooter. And that's about it.
In reply to
MrWhite
MrWhite
Commented on 2017-03-16 21:44:21 In reply to KORNdog
Posted by KORNdog
ME1 was the only one in the series i'd even say was a true RPG. It certainly did story, dialogue tree's and player control better (as in item management, stat alocation etc across your entire team etc)

ME2 was a better shooter. And that's about it.
Have to politely disagree. The second's story, even though it was part of the overall arch anyway, was just more engrossing, and that was mostly down to the better and more personal character interaction on the Normandy.
In reply to
Sdarts
Sdarts
Commented on 2017-03-16 21:50:06 In reply to MrWhite
The thing is that while Mass Effect 2 was a better game technically and - arguably - overall, it had very little RPG elements, which Mass Effect 1 had a lot.

I also prefer Mass Effect 2 over Mass Effect 1, but I can understand why many people prefer Mass Effect 1 over 2. Till this day I still remember a lot of Mass Effect 1's locations, characters, stories, combat, etc. It was a great game by the same BioWare that did Dragon Age: Origins, the best of the series.

Mass Effect 2 was more of a Third-Person Shooter with almost no RPG elements, though it did have a really big budget and marketing like a Hollywood Blockbuster. The budget made it be much better than Mass Effect 1, since all the ambition could be executed very well.

Also, if - and it's a bif IF - I'm not remembering incorrectly because of nostalgia, Mass Effect 1 had better combat than Mass Effect 2. Probably not, but it's been over 7 years since I played Mass Effect 1 and my memory might be playing tricks with me.
In reply to
Sdarts
Sdarts
Commented on 2017-03-16 21:58:29 In reply to MrWhite
Posted by MrWhite
Have to politely disagree. The second's story, even though it was part of the overall arch anyway, was just more engrossing, and that was mostly down to the better and more personal character interaction on the Normandy.
Mass Effect 2 did have better characters, better interaction between them and better individual stories, but as far as the overall story goes, Mass Effect 1 was better.

Saren was one of the best characters in the Mass Effect series, and probably the best antagonist. His story and how it developed was great. And if you read his origins story, you would understand how much depth the character has.

Also, that story with the Rachni Queen was really great, still remember it to this day after so many years have passed. Mass Effect 1 was far more better than many people give it credit for.
In reply to
KORNdog
KORNdog
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:03:33 In reply to Sdarts
Posted by Sdarts
The thing is that while Mass Effect 2 was a better game technically and - arguably - overall, it had very little RPG elements, which Mass Effect 1 had a lot.

I also prefer Mass Effect 2 over Mass Effect 1, but I can understand why many people prefer Mass Effect 1 over 2. Till this day I still remember a lot of Mass Effect 1's locations, characters, stories, combat, etc. It was a great game by the same BioWare that did Dragon Age: Origins, the best of the series.

Mass Effect 2 was more of a Third-Person Shooter with almost no RPG elements, though it did have a really big budget and marketing like a Hollywood Blockbuster. The budget made it be much better than Mass Effect 1, since all the ambition could be executed very well.

Also, if - and it's a bif IF - I'm not remembering incorrectly because of nostalgia, Mass Effect 1 had better combat than Mass Effect 2. Probably not, but it's been over 7 years since I played Mass Effect 1 and my memory might be playing tricks with me.
ME 1 had more tactical options, but the act of shoot shoot bang bang was all dice rolls on account of it being a legit RPG. ME2 dropped all that and made it a shooter. Marko was dropped, and while not perfect was much more engaging than rotating a sphere looking for minerals. Locations were better. Characters and character interaction was better in ME1. The main antagonist of the geth, saren and soverign was way better then any of the other 3 games. And it had some of the most impactful story moments in the series. Convincing saren to shoot himself in the face at the end was glorious. Fuck. Even the music was better, especially that end credits theme by the faunts.
In reply to
Megido
Megido
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:06:09
Basically, i think ME1 was less polished but more ambitious and interesting. ME2 had moar money behind it, but it was a less interesting game.
In reply to
Tiz
Tiz
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:07:12
The original Mass Effect was a very bloated game. There was a lot of gun customising for customising sake and there was never a need to have a specialist of any sort. Mass Effect 2 trimmed a lot of the unnecessary fat and was a better game for it universally.
In reply to
KORNdog
KORNdog
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:13:01 In reply to Tiz
Posted by Tiz
The original Mass Effect was a very bloated game. There was a lot of gun customising for customising sake and there was never a need to have a specialist of any sort. Mass Effect 2 trimmed a lot of the unnecessary fat and was a better game for it universally.
Trimming the role playing out of a role playing games is a little more than "trimming the fat" lol
In reply to
Tiz
Tiz
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:20:18 In reply to KORNdog
Posted by KORNdog
Trimming the role playing out of a role playing games is a little more than "trimming the fat" lol
It wasn't necessary to have a fundamental understanding about how the different customisation options worked in order to succeed and I think Bioware knew this.

For me, necessary RPG elements are things where your life hinges on how much you know such as Water > Fire. Mass Effect having powers sort of threw a wrench into that, something like poison became pointless because there was a power that could do the job quicker and better.
In reply to
Megido
Megido
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:23:21 In reply to Tiz
Posted by Tiz
It wasn't necessary to have a fundamental understanding about how the different customisation options worked in order to succeed and I think Bioware knew this.

For me, necessary RPG elements are things where your life hinges on how much you know such as Water > Fire. Mass Effect having powers sort of threw a wrench into that, something like poison became pointless because there was a power that could do the job quicker and better.
So because the balancing was a bit off, it was better to remove it? Wouldn't it have been better to fix it? Besides, i'm like 99% certain that if you played on harder than normal, you needed to use all the available stuff.

But whatever, people don't like ME2 because of the gameplay. They like it because of the higher production value.
In reply to
Tiz
Tiz
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:28:27 In reply to Megido
Posted by Megido
So because the balancing was a bit off, it was better to remove it? Wouldn't it have been better to fix it? Besides, i'm like 99% certain that if you played on harder than normal, you needed to use all the available stuff.
Apparently I'm not the only one who thought it was better to remove it, and yes, condescending tone aside, I did play on difficulties harder than normal.

Bioware took the less is more approach and it paid off for them. They concentrated on the strong pillars of Mass Effect like story and characters.

Also, Mass Effect was always a shooter with RPG elements and not an RPG with shooter elements.
Posted by Megido
But whatever, people don't like ME2 because of the gameplay. They like it because of the higher production value.
Who are these people?
In reply to
KORNdog
KORNdog
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:43:33 In reply to Tiz
Posted by Tiz
Also, Mass Effect was always a shooter with RPG elements and not an RPG with shooter elements.
This is actually false. The fact your ability to shoot well and hit targets was dictated by the way you allocated your stat points and behind the scenes dice roles shows it was first and formost an RPG. Its combat method just happened to be guns. But it was no more of a shooter than dragon age origins was a hack n slash. Or would you lump dragon age origins together with bayonetta and DMC? Lol.
In reply to
Megido
Megido
Commented on 2017-03-16 22:51:08 In reply to Tiz
Posted by Tiz
Who are these people?
The same people that think Uncharted and Tomb Raider is the bees knees, people who are more infatuated with visuals and cinematics than by good/interesting game design. Not that i think Me1 is a stellar example of the later either, by the way. It just tried more interesting things than ME2 which was mostly a mediocre shooter. As always, if you took out the story, there would be no reason to play ME2, it'd be ripped to shreds. The same can be said for 1, but at least it had some random loot and a little bit more freedom in leveling.

I agree, the less is more approach can work. If you have a really good core concept to work with. Not really the case with ME2 if you ask me. The first one had a bunch of mechanics ill fittingly cobbled together. But instead of fitting them together better in the sequel, they just removed them and left us with a really mediocre shooter. But hey, it looked great and the story was so good right? Shitty Gears of War in space was apparently what everyone wanted.

I know you are not the only one who likes it, doesn't mean i agree with you :P
In reply to
GriftGFX - He can also<br>ban your ass!
GriftGFX
Commented on 2017-03-16 23:06:21 In reply to Megido
Posted by Megido
But whatever, people don't like ME2 because of the gameplay. They like it because of the higher production value.
True of every "great" RPG lately.
In reply to
About the game
Platform
PC PS4 XBOXONE
Published by
Electronic Arts
Developed by
BioWare
Patreon

$135 of $400 per month

What's up?
  • Loakum

    Loakum *takes a sip of grape juice* The Great Awakening is happening…. (5 Weeks ago)

  • gigantor21

    gigantor21 We getting any Tekken 8 demo footage? (> 3 Months ago)

  • dc_coder_84

    dc_coder_84 Playing Half-Life 1 with ray tracing mod on Linux, yay ;) (> 3 Months ago)

  • nostradamus

    nostradamus MS-Bethesda-ABK does have some ring to it. My oh my, (> 3 Months ago)

  • Loakum

    Loakum Sony’s PlayStation Showcase was weaksauce….except for 5 great upcoming games. (> 3 Months ago)

  • Loakum

    Loakum *takes a sip of grape juice* Ah…such a good vintage. (> 3 Months ago)

  • nostradamus

    nostradamus @dc_coder_84: [url] (> 3 Months ago)

  • Driftwood

    Driftwood Download is now functional again on Gamersyde. Sorry for the past 53 days or so when it wasn't. (> 3 Months ago)

  • Driftwood

    Driftwood Another (French) livestream today at 2:30 CEST but you're welcome to drop by and speak English. I will gladly answer in English when I get a chance to catch a breath. :) (> 3 Months ago)

  • Driftwood

    Driftwood GSY is getting some nice content at 3 pm CEST with our July podcast and some videos of the Deus Ex Mankind Divided preview build. :) (> 3 Months ago)

  • Driftwood

    Driftwood For once we'll be live at 4:30 pm CEST. Blim should not even be tired! (> 3 Months ago)

  • Driftwood

    Driftwood More Quantum Break coverage coming in a few hours, 9:00 a.m CEST. (> 3 Months ago)

  • Driftwood

    Driftwood We'll have a full review up for Firewatch at 7 pm CET. Videos will only be tomorrow though. (> 3 Months ago)

  • Driftwood

    Driftwood Tonight's livestream will be at 9:15 GMT+1, not GMT+2 as first stated. (> 3 Months ago)

Also on Gamersyde

GSY Preview Video : TopSpin 2K25

  • Tuesday, March 12, 2024
  • davton

Our PC video of Islands of Insight

  • Sunday, March 3, 2024
  • Driftwood

We reviewed Expeditions: A MudRunner Game

  • Thursday, February 29, 2024
  • Driftwood