I just purchased the Mass Effect trilogy...I have no idea what I'm getting myself into

The series is a shooter RPG hybrid with a focus on story and dialogue. Definitely more RPG than shooter but both sides are very well developed.

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Really quite good. Overrated, certainly, but not because it's bad. Simply because it's so popular.

 

[quote user="CODukes4"]

Thanks guys.

How long are the campaigns for a first timer who works at an average pace?

[/quote]

I'd say the first one takes about 20 hours depending on how much exploring and wandering you do this isn't like a full completion time that just campaign and maybe a few extras everything will be at least 40 hours, ME2 is about 25 hours for the campaign
and ME3 is roughly the same if not a little bit shorter or at least it felt shorter. I also recommend the Shadow Broker DLC for ME2 it was really well done. The rest were kind of hit or miss with a little of just okay IMO but pick them all up if you want to
get all the little details and import surprises except for Pinnacle Station, which was useless.

 

[quote user="voteDC"]The combat in the first is my favorite of the series and I expect it is for the same reason that most don't seem to like it. The dice-roll.[/quote]I don't remember much "dice-roll" in the first one. When do you encounter the "dice roll"
in combat, or are you talking about in dialogue?

 

^All combat in the first one had dice rolls occurring in the background.

 

@IsaacClarkeSNL It's not surprising you didn't notice it, most people didn't. It was basically the same as Dragon Age except you had to actively participate instead of pressing A and checking Facebook for the next 15 seconds. A good place to see it is on
Feros. When you fight the Thorian get a shotgun stand a close range and shoot the nodes, I guarantee that at least once you will shoot it point blank and see the bullets hit it and no damage will occur because you missed due to having low accuracy.

 

[quote user="Ascenion"]Dragon Age ... pressing A and checking Facebook for the next 15 seconds.[/quote]You get a gold star.

 

[quote user="BizarroMantis"]

Here's what it's about:

Space travel

companions

backstories

awkward romances

quests

decent FPS action

You'll love it. I just wanted to leave my reality and become Commander Shepard.

[/quote]

Nice, simple and straight forward game description, couldn`t have put it any better myself

 

Excellent series. I haven't played ME3 yet, but the first two were great.

 

I purchased all 3 on their release dates. I have a huge backlog of games. I wanted to play them during my last surgery but ended up with Chrones also. So health took precedence. My next surgery though I will play all 3. Hope, you enjoy them.

 

[quote user="BizarroMantis"]

Here's what it's about:

Space travel

companions

backstories

awkward romances

quests

decent FPS action

You'll love it. I just wanted to leave my reality and become Commander Shepard.

[/quote]

- space travel with impending alien invasion (with an ending that although I enjoyed, didn't necessarily make a lot of sense)

- the ubiquitous sci-fi robot-slaves-overthrow-their-masters side-story (which was quite good)

- some interesting side characters and some utterly boring ones many of whom you can bang, including hot alien on human action (FoxNews thought this was child abuse even though the "expert" on the panel had never actually played the game ever.) The overall
relationships you develop with the side characters (other than the boring ones like the meat head idiot in ME3) are compelling. You want to see what happens next.

- squad-based, cover-based TPS (this is not a FPS - first person game) with a basic gun + magic deal (they call it something else in the game). You can order your squad to do things, fire off certain powers, take cover in certain areas, etc...For the most
part, they're not stupid.

- custom character creation. be male or female. pick your own look. you don't pick your own species, due to the general story...you're human and have to be.

- RPG "elements" - choose a class and upgrade according to a path you choose.

- one of the most HOLY F*** my decisions will have massive impact on future developments, in gaming history. some characters will never reappear. some can die. some species can be wiped out...or not...you can try to save them all...decisions carry over from
ME1 to 2 to 3...Decisions inside each game matter and have heavy consequences.

 

Good games, the third has awesome multiplayer.

 

Get ready for one of the best gaming rides of your life..My favorite gaming series to date and awaiting Mass Effect 4 with open arms and like UB said above Mass Effect 3 has a nice thrown in multiplayer which get's addicting trying to unlock characters and
weapons.

 

Some of the mass effect 3 DLC is on sale right now for anyone thats interested.

 

^^ That is a great price on the Citadel seeing as i still need that....for all those that bought the Mass Effect Trilogy i was surprised they didn't include any of the dlc besides the same stuff that was offered to us when we bought them separately as they
released.