Media Mass Effect General Discussion Thread

[Garlador]

Is Andromeda worth playing now? I was thinking of starting another ME OT playthrough but seeing as the next game might somehow merge Andromeda and the Milky Way I figured it might be a good time to give the game a shot but only if it isn't an absolute mess like it was on launch.

My opinion is Andromeda is absolutely worth playing, but it's still quite "cheap" and rough around the edges. A good time can be had, but it's like a tribute band to your favorite band - they're doing their best, but they just aren't quite as magical as the original.

 

[chrisstbh]

Andromeda is fine, not great but not terrible either. I’d say I enjoyed it but the story and characters are largely forgettable.

It’s stops feeling like Mass Effect when you cut out half of the species, don’t have Mass Relays, the Citadel, etc. It’s like they had an identity crisis.

The gameplay was great though.

 

[Uravgcollector]

I'll be honest, I don't care about them cementing "canon" choices. I understand, to a certain extent, why fans of this franchise in specific have such an issue with the idea, since the trilogy was billed so heavily on the idea of your decisions carrying through to the next game, but I'm so used to playing a new game in a franchise with the understanding that I don't actually have any idea what happened canonically in the last one. Resident Evil is one of my favorite franchises and it's a perfect example of that. Resident Evil Remake has 12 endings and none of them are the canon one, there's no ending in the actual game where all four main characters survive even though canonically they all do. RE2 has two mutually exclusive campaigns and pieces of both of them are canon.

But re: who we'd be playing as, considering Liara is at the head of the pack in the teaser, I think we're at least playing the beginning of the game as her. Could be we play the entire game as her, I honestly wouldn't be opposed to it, or it could be the search for Shepard is just the opening act and we're back to Shep a couple hours in, who knows.

My theory as to how the Geth are still alive is that the ones that stayed behind in the Perseus Veil were shielded from the Space Magic by the Space Storm lol.

First time I played Mass Effect was back in 2019, and if there is one thing I can say, it's that the hate ME 3's ending got was definitely appropriate. That being said, personally, I'm also hoping for Shepard to return, mainly because I thought ME 3 was a piss poor effort at concluding the trilogy. It definitely had some great parts but overall, it felt very rushed and half-baked.

I'm kind of hoping for a story that properly concludes Shepard's story before looking at introducing new characters and a brand new storyline.

 

[R_R_X]

Not a perfect figure by any means but I'm happy to finally have him in the collection!

 

[R_R_X]

First time I played Mass Effect was back in 2019, and if there is one thing I can say, it's that the hate ME 3's ending got was definitely appropriate. That being said, personally, I'm also hoping for Shepard to return, mainly because I thought ME 3 was a piss poor effort at concluding the trilogy. It definitely had some great parts but overall, it felt very rushed and half-baked.

I'm kind of hoping for a story that properly concludes Shepard's story before looking at introducing new characters and a brand new storyline.

I think ME3 got a lot of underserved hate for the ending, I really loved the game up until the end, it felt like a proper race against time and I thought they did the reapers really well for the time the game was released, I did not like Starchild of course and I thought the origin of the reapers was underwhelming but aside from that I think ME3 worked really well as the final war and had some of the best moments in the whole franchise.

The ending itself isn't that bad with the extended cut now, imo of course, I just wish we could've seen the fruits of our labor in cutscenes and not pictures, I also wasn't mad that Shepard dies 99% of the time, since my Shepard had the sole survivor backstory and turned into a paragon over the course of the series it only made since for him to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the galaxy and reedem himself and his past, but that's just me I totally understand why people hate the ending, especially those that expirienced it without the extended cut, that was just a slap in the face.

If they do plan on bringing Shepard and the crew back in the new game then I can only hope it's good and gives us a more satisfactory conclusion to the series, even though for me the Citadel DLC was one of the most beautiful goodbye letters to a franchise I've ever seen.

 

[Garlador]

Not a perfect figure by any means but I'm happy to finally have him in the collection!
View attachment 570263View attachment 570264

I still really want more 1/6 Mass Effect figures. Or, hell, ANY more Mass Effect figures of any scale. I’ll take a 4 inch Wrex at this point.

I missed out on the Threezero Shepard back in the day. Couldn’t afford it, and demand and scarcity have kicked in. It’s got a lot of flaws, from the reviews I saw, and that makes it harder to pay that extra premium. A retooled release would be a godsend.

That and at least a FemShep as well.

Anyway, it’s a good reminder for me to email them as well. SOMEONE should give me a 1/6 Garrus, Tali, and Liara.

 

[R_R_X]

I still really want more 1/6 Mass Effect figures. Or, hell, ANY more Mass Effect figures of any scale. I’ll take a 4 inch Wrex at this point.

I missed out on the Threezero Shepard back in the day. Couldn’t afford it, and demand and scarcity have kicked in. It’s got a lot of flaws, from the reviews I saw, and that makes it harder to pay that extra premium. A retooled release would be a godsend.

That and at least a FemShep as well.

Anyway, it’s a good reminder for me to email them as well. SOMEONE should give me a 1/6 Garrus, Tali, and Liara.

I do too, I would take a full lineup from Mcfarlane or Neca at this point, but the chances of new figures happening are slim to none, no matter the scale.

I missed out too, I was very disappointed with the final product and the fact the sculpt not only sucked but was exclusive to the 3Z store as well, eventually I came to regret my decision of not getting it since I realized it's probably the only 1/6 Shepard that will ever exist, I looked and looked for one for several years, but could never pull the trigger since the ones I found were just too overpriced, luckily while I was recovering from Covid last week I had lots of time for online shopping and I managed to find that one from a local seller and negotiated the price down to €150, the figure and the box are in mint condition so I couldn't be happier, even with all the flaws it's good to finally have Shep standing on the shelf alongside other video game figures, if you can find it for a reasonable price I definitely reccommend it.

Retooled releases would be awesome but again I doubt they'll happen, perhaps if more people send emails there'll be a chance they at least consider it, I would give anything for a new Shep with proper sculpt, Liara and Garrus, anything else would be a bonus, I just love the OT so damn much and it's a shame to see how nobody seems to care about it anymore, you'd think the remaster would've brought us some new figures but nothing came of it, even the remaster iself wasn't very big, it breaks my heart to see how unpopular the franchise became.

 

[Garlador]

I do too, I would take a full lineup from Mcfarlane or Neca at this point, but the chances of new figures happening are slim to none, no matter the scale.

I missed out too, I was very disappointed with the final product and the fact the sculpt not only sucked but was exclusive to the 3Z store as well, eventually I came to regret my decision of not getting it since I realized it's probably the only 1/6 Shepard that will ever exist, I looked and looked for one for several years, but could never pull the trigger since the ones I found were just too overpriced, luckily while I was recovering from Covid last week I had lots of time for online shopping and I managed to find that one from a local seller and negotiated the price down to €150, the figure and the box are in mint condition so I couldn't be happier, even with all the flaws it's good to finally have Shep standing on the shelf alongside other video game figures, if you can find it for a reasonable price I definitely reccommend it.

Retooled releases would be awesome but again I doubt they'll happen, perhaps if more people send emails there'll be a chance they at least consider it, I would give anything for a new Shep with proper sculpt, Liara and Garrus, anything else would be a bonus, I just love the OT so damn much and it's a shame to see how nobody seems to care about it anymore, you'd think the remaster would've brought us some new figures but nothing came of it, even the remaster iself wasn't very big, it breaks my heart to see how unpopular the franchise became.

Here’s where I give a little pep talk… because, happily, perception isn’t reality.

The Mass Effect fanbase is thriving on Reddit, Discord, and gaming forums right now. Merch sells great on the BioWare store. Demand for more is very high.

In terms of reception and sales, the Legendary Edition scored well across the board, and I’ll let the wiki summary on sales speak for itself.

During an investor call on August 4, 2021, Electronic Arts Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson revealed that the game performed "well above" expectations, although exact sales figures were not disclosed.[45]Legendary Edition finished 2021 as one of the 12-highest selling new releases of the year on Steam.[46] According to The NPD Group, Legendary Edition was the 19th-best selling game on PlayStation and the 12th-best selling game on Xbox of 2021 overall.

Not bad for games nearly a decade old with no new content.

The most likely explanation for a lack of merch is that EA didn’t foresee a rerelease as a surefire hit, especially given BioWare’s recent troubles and ME3’s notorious ending backlash, so they played it safe.

With a swath of new players and happy veteran fans, it makes sense to start catering, but they may only have just begun, and these things take time.

I’ve also learned it’s never a “bad” time to appeal to a hardcore fanbase. Threezero is pumping out Power Rangers who peaked in 1995. McFarlane is doing Last Airbender figures this year, well over a decade after that show was on the air. There are so many classic Ninja Turtle figures being released by Neca, Super7, and Playmates.

The audience is already here. We just need to give them a push. The feelings for Mass Effect are FAR more positive than they once were when Threezero put out their first Mass Effect figure.

 

[R_R_X]

Here’s where I give a little pep talk… because, happily, perception isn’t reality.

The Mass Effect fanbase is thriving on Reddit, Discord, and gaming forums right now. Merch sells great on the BioWare store. Demand for more is very high.

In terms of reception and sales, the Legendary Edition scored well across the board, and I’ll let the wiki summary on sales speak for itself.

Not bad for games nearly a decade old with no new content.

The most likely explanation for a lack of merch is that EA didn’t foresee a rerelease as a surefire hit, especially given BioWare’s recent troubles and ME3’s notorious ending backlash, so they played it safe.

With a swath of new players and happy veteran fans, it makes sense to start catering, but they may only have just begun, and these things take time.

I’ve also learned it’s never a “bad” time to appeal to a hardcore fanbase. Threezero is pumping out Power Rangers who peaked in 1995. McFarlane is doing Last Airbender figures this year, well over a decade after that show was on the air. There are so many classic Ninja Turtle figures being released by Neca, Super7, and Playmates.

The audience is already here. We just need to give them a push. The feelings for Mass Effect are FAR more positive than they once were when Threezero put out their first Mass Effect figure.

I hope you're right but from what I've seen there's not enough interest in figures and merch of the franchise like there is for other games/licenses, video games figures are already part of a niche market and I fear most companies don't want to try making figures of a franchise that's currently not as popular as it was in it's heyday, Threezero is our best hope for new 1/6 I think, Mcfarlane and Neca are too busy milking DC and turtles respectively so 7inch figures don't seem to be on the horizon any time soon, I just hope BioWare realizes there's demand for figures from veteran and new fans alike as you've mentioned but most video game studios and publishers only have t-shirts or overpriced statues, action figures is not really an area those companies are familiar with or care about.

 

[Garlador]

I hope you're right but from what I've seen there's not enough interest in figures and merch of the franchise like there is for other games/licenses, video games figures are already part of a niche market and I fear most companies don't want to try making figures of a franchise that's currently not as popular as it was in it's heyday, Threezero is our best hope for new 1/6 I think, Mcfarlane and Neca are too busy milking DC and turtles respectively so 7inch figures don't seem to be on the horizon any time soon, I just hope BioWare realizes there's demand for figures from veteran and new fans alike as you've mentioned but most video game studios and publishers only have t-shirts or overpriced statues, action figures is not really an area those companies are familiar with or care about.

It’s always a weird case-by-case basis, but I’m more optimistic than most. Yeah, you’ll always have more action figures made for properties that are hot with the kids - Fortnite, Overwatch, Sonic, etc. - and any M-rated property will have only niche appeal.

But all the major companies HAVE video game IPs they’re still doing. Whether it’s McFarlane doing Mortal Kombat, or Neca’s The Last of Us, or Storm Collectible’s Golden Axe, or even Hot Toys’s Cyberpunk, and many more.

Though I know you know the frustrations of a big franchise being overlooked (looking at you, Aloy). I’m practically begging for someone to make 1/6 figures from Metroid, Dark Souls, Legacy of Kain, Mass Effect, Silent Hill, Dead Space, Deus Ex, Doom, etc.

Mass Effect, at least, has already had a couple 1/6 figures, the fanbase still is active and passionate, and it has a promised future ahead of it, so if there’s ever a time to start asking for figures it would be now.

… Because there’s no Shepard without Vakarian.

 

[R_R_X]

It’s always a weird case-by-case basis, but I’m more optimistic than most. Yeah, you’ll always have more action figures made for properties that are hot with the kids - Fortnite, Overwatch, Sonic, etc. - and any M-rated property will have only niche appeal.

But all the major companies HAVE video game IPs they’re still doing. Whether it’s McFarlane doing Mortal Kombat, or Neca’s The Last of Us, or Storm Collectible’s Golden Axe, or even Hot Toys’s Cyberpunk, and many more.

Well Todd is pretty much gonna milk the DC line for all it's worth and Neca should've gone with Joel and Ellie figures from the first game not the second, the fact they were pulled from stores and social media after being announced and Neca still hasn't addressed why doesn't bode well for the future of the TLOU line since they said future figures would depend on how well those sold.
Hot Toys did Keanu from Cyberunk because it's Keanu, I doubt they would've done a Johnny Silverhand figure if he was played by someone else.

Though I know you know the frustrations of a big franchise being overlooked (looking at you, Aloy). I’m practically begging for someone to make 1/6 figures from Metroid, Dark Souls, Legacy of Kain, Mass Effect, Silent Hill, Dead Space, Deus Ex, Doom, etc.

Mass Effect, at least, has already had a couple 1/6 figures, the fanbase still is active and passionate, and it has a promised future ahead of it, so if there’s ever a time to start asking for figures it would be now.

Luckily Aloy fans should be getting their fix this year, but the others yeah they're still overlooked, some of them were made before, Dead Space also by 3Z but at the end of the day for someone like Neca, a turtle will always sell more than Legacy of Kain, same with other brands.

Agreed, with the next game on the horizon now is the time to show there's interest in action figures from the franchise, BioWare seems active on social media and Threezero responded to my email, it's a bit of a long shot but at least there's a smidge of hope.

… Because there’s no Shepard without Vakarian.

 

[vaanrose]

I think ME3 got a lot of underserved hate for the ending, I really loved the game up until the end, it felt like a proper race against time and I thought they did the reapers really well for the time the game was released, I did not like Starchild of course and I thought the origin of the reapers was underwhelming but aside from that I think ME3 worked really well as the final war and had some of the best moments in the whole franchise.

The ending itself isn't that bad with the extended cut now, imo of course, I just wish we could've seen the fruits of our labor in cutscenes and not pictures, I also wasn't mad that Shepard dies 99% of the time, since my Shepard had the sole survivor backstory and turned into a paragon over the course of the series it only made since for him to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the galaxy and reedem himself and his past, but that's just me I totally understand why people hate the ending, especially those that expirienced it without the extended cut, that was just a slap in the face.

If they do plan on bringing Shepard and the crew back in the new game then I can only hope it's good and gives us a more satisfactory conclusion to the series, even though for me the Citadel DLC was one of the most beautiful goodbye letters to a franchise I've ever seen.

Talk about the ending always seems to focus on just the starchild and the final cutscenes but I dislike the entire ending sequence. Priority Earth is one of the weakest levels in the entire trilogy, and it's such a huge step down from the final levels of ME2 and ME1. It's really, really dumb that the franchise builds up Harbinger as the villain for two games and then he's barely there for the finale. No final confrontation at all. No battle, no conversation, nothing. He's the big bad and he just... flies away. I was a steadfast believer in the Indoctrination theory not because I disliked any of the specifics of the ending, but because I was really clinging to the idea that the whole final sequence was that final confrontation with Harbinger, as he makes a last ditch effort to indoctrinate Shepard. Without it, it really feels like a key piece of the narrative is missing.

 

[Garlador]

Talk about the ending always seems to focus on just the starchild and the final cutscenes but I dislike the entire ending sequence. Priority Earth is one of the weakest levels in the entire trilogy, and it's such a huge step down from the final levels of ME2 and ME1. It's really, really dumb that the franchise builds up Harbinger as the villain for two games and then he's barely there for the finale. No final confrontation at all. No battle, no conversation, nothing. He's the big bad and he just... flies away. I was a steadfast believer in the Indoctrination theory not because I disliked any of the specifics of the ending, but because I was really clinging to the idea that the whole final sequence was that final confrontation with Harbinger, as he makes a last ditch effort to indoctrinate Shepard. Without it, it really feels like a key piece of the narrative is missing.

It’s easy to lose myself in talk over the ending, but I do agree Priority: Earth is a slog, and just not a great final mission, even before the starchild.

I also know it was super rushed, and a miracle it even worked at all, given the crunch and deadlines. The Illusive Man’s dialogue was recorded just two months before it shipped.

All games have compromises. I’ve accepted the ending is now the best they could give with the time and resources they had, and it may not be the high that was ME2, but the journey still left me emotional at its end.

 

[R_R_X]

Talk about the ending always seems to focus on just the starchild and the final cutscenes but I dislike the entire ending sequence. Priority Earth is one of the weakest levels in the entire trilogy, and it's such a huge step down from the final levels of ME2 and ME1. It's really, really dumb that the franchise builds up Harbinger as the villain for two games and then he's barely there for the finale. No final confrontation at all. No battle, no conversation, nothing. He's the big bad and he just... flies away. I was a steadfast believer in the Indoctrination theory not because I disliked any of the specifics of the ending, but because I was really clinging to the idea that the whole final sequence was that final confrontation with Harbinger, as he makes a last ditch effort to indoctrinate Shepard. Without it, it really feels like a key piece of the narrative is missing.

After fighting the reaper in Rannoch, Priority Earth does feel pretty underwhelming since it's basically just fighting hordes of the same enemies you fought throughout the game, I would've rather have the rannoch reaper battle take place with Harbinger, it never made sense to me that the main big bad was so underused, I chalk it up to the game getting rushed out by EA but it really feels like Harbinger was sidelined.

The indoctrination theory only ever made sense to me in parts, I don't buy that Shepard was getting indoctrinated the whole time, what has become my own head canon and what makes the ending easier to digest is that Harbinger's beam did almost fully indoctrinate Shep at the end, what he expiriences at the Citadel is real but his mind distorts it, it's why he sees Starchild as the kid that died and why the options presented to him are the wrong color, it's the final test, and only destroy is the correct choice, now how he survives is still up in the air, up until the announcement of the next game teasing his return I just choose to believe he died since it matches with my head canon and what's actually canon, but now I don't know, I suppose we'll all find out when the time comes.

For all it's worth I've come to terms with and have accepted the ending, as the familiar saying goes, it's not about the destination, but the journey. The trilogy is an amazing journey, filled with emotion, laughter, action, you name it, it's probably the closest I felt to a cast of game characters and an expirience I'll forever cherish, I can only hope the next entry in the franchise manages to capture what made Mass Effect as special as it is.

 

[vaanrose]

After fighting the reaper in Rannoch, Priority Earth does feel pretty underwhelming since it's basically just fighting hordes of the same enemies you fought throughout the game, I would've rather have the rannoch reaper battle take place with Harbinger, it never made sense to me that the main big bad was so underused, I chalk it up to the game getting rushed out by EA but it really feels like Harbinger was sidelined.

The indoctrination theory only ever made sense to me in parts, I don't buy that Shepard was getting indoctrinated the whole game, what has become my own head canon and what makes the ending easier to digest is that Harbinger's beam did almost fully indoctrinate Shep at the end, what he expiriences at the Citadel is real but his mind distorts it, it's why he sees Starchild as the kid that died and why the options presented to him are the wrong color, it's the final test, and only destroy is the correct choice, now how he survives is still up in the air, up until the announcement of the next game teasing his return I just choose to believe he died since it matches with my head canon and what's actually canon, but now I don't know, I suppose we'll all find out when the time comes.

For all it's worth I've come to terms with and have accepted the ending, as the familiar saying goes, it's not about the destination, but the journey. The trilogy is an amazing journey, filled with emotion, laughter, action, you name it, it's probably the closest I felt to a cast of game characters and an expirience I'll forever cherish, I can only hope the next entry in the franchise manages to capture what made Mass Effect as special as it is.

I can pretty easily make sense of why the Starchild looks like the Dreamchild without needing the Indoctrination Theory, it's just the same "form you'd understand" stuff from Sagan's Contact. But I have never been able to make sense of the Starchild speaking to you in Harbinger's voice if you refuse to choose an ending. Especially since that wasn't in the original ending, that was added in the extended cut. It's, imo, the strongest piece evidence for the Indoctrination Theory and yet it was added to the patched ending that mostly does everything it can to clarify the theory isn't true.

 

[R_R_X]

I can pretty easily make sense of why the Starchild looks like the Dreamchild without needing the Indoctrination Theory, it's just the same "form you'd understand" stuff from Sagan's Contact. But I have never been able to make sense of the Starchild speaking to you in Harbinger's voice if you refuse to choose an ending. Especially since that wasn't in the original ending, that was added in the extended cut. It's, imo, the strongest piece evidence for the Indoctrination Theory and yet it was added to the patched ending that mostly does everything it can to clarify the theory isn't true.

In my headcanon I view it as Shep hearing Harbinger say it in his mind, disappointed with the fact Shep didn't let himself get completely indoctrinated and being coerced by the AI into making a decision, in reality I think it was just the devs ******* with the people that were mad you couldn't shoot Starchild lol, it pretty much screams "YOU MESSED UP!"

 

[The Green Goblin]

lol, didn't even think of shooting at starboy. Just looked up the ending.

 

[WhoaItsJBot]

Luckily Aloy fans should be getting their fix this year, but the others yeah they're still overlooked, some of them were made before, Dead Space also by 3Z but at the end of the day for someone like Neca, a turtle will always sell more than Legacy of Kain, same with other brands.

You've heard something about an Aloy? That's great. She's my second most wanted after Garrus.

 

[R_R_X]

You've heard something about an Aloy? That's great. She's my second most wanted after Garrus.

I've done more than heard.

 

[Unsubliminal]

I still really want more 1/6 Mass Effect figures. Or, hell, ANY more Mass Effect figures of any scale. I’ll take a 4 inch Wrex at this point.

I missed out on the Threezero Shepard back in the day. Couldn’t afford it, and demand and scarcity have kicked in. It’s got a lot of flaws, from the reviews I saw, and that makes it harder to pay that extra premium. A retooled release would be a godsend.

That and at least a FemShep as well.

Anyway, it’s a good reminder for me to email them as well. SOMEONE should give me a 1/6 Garrus, Tali, and Liara.

Not sure how available they are these days but the play arts kai figures werent bad. Sheps head isnt great but the garrus and tali are great. They did a ashley williams and a femshep too i believe. Ignore the posing they were put in the holding area whilst i organise!