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I'd always heard about this series being good, but I always dismissed it as some horny soap opera since most just talk about the romances. But damn was I wrong. I am a sucker for good characters and their flavour text, and this game has it in abundance, all voiced too, and well, which is such a rarity. I remember hearing the end was bad, too, so I was reluctant to get into it. It's not.
This series is timeless, especially with this edition giving it modern visuals, and I pray this doesn't get another sequel because we all know it would be absolutely terrible and a disgrace to the amazing job they did with this series. It is an experience you will likely never find anywhere else.
I went into this expecting it to be a difficult shooter and using a mage-like class instead, but after locking in the default no-magic class in the first game by mistake, I discovered an interesting truth: this series was not designed to be challenging. And don't misunderstand-- I avoid shooters like the plague because my aim is absolutely terrible. But after walking through a giant mass of enemies and shooting them one-by-one with a shotgun on Veteran, I needed combat to be more mentally stimulating and switched to the hardest difficulty, Insanity. Made the game more fun for sure. Battles were slowly feeling like just a nuisance before it, which isn't ideal.
Regarding each game in detail:
--- 1 ---
The first game was never any trouble whatsoever, not even at the final boss. I only ever died when I was messing around running straight into them, or letting snipers shoot me in the head. That only kills you on Insanity, so you might want to play it straight off-the-bat if you want enemies to actually be threatening. You can get an achievement for sticking with it without having to restart, too. I know I regret not doing so... And you can change your class at the beginning of the next game, so consider trying the Soldier class out before resigning yourself to magic because the first game is super easy anyway. Bring Wrex and Liara to Noveria for flavour text. Use the Citadel elevators with different combinations for more. Bring Ashley and Kaidan to Virmire for the optimal experience.
--- 2 ---
In the second game, almost every boss/final stage is actually challenging, but never feels impossible... for the most part (Insanity only, wouldn't be very engaging otherwise). I play on the Steam Deck though, and taking cover is changed in this game in a way that makes it very easy to accidentally get yourself killed trying... I might just suck, though. Yet I beat the game on Insanity. Do yourself a favour and play on Insanity. As for flavour text:
- Consider recruiting everyone first before doing sidequests by advancing the plot, as bringing people you normally get later on can make them very interesting. This is especially true when rescuing a father from a ship infested with geth-- just keep in mind, though, that there may be consequences to this that you may not realize can even exist. But they're expected to happen, FWIW. Up to you. But decide before the IFF. And don't bring Archangel to the ship if you want dialogue, they don't say anything.
- Bring Archangel and their friend on both recruitment missions in Illium for an unusually larger amount of dialogue. The Citadel too, for a special staircase convo. Consider taking Archangel on the cab, too. Their friend has no dialogue.
- Bring Zaeed to the special missions for flavour text on the ship, if there's no one else you want to bring. Keep in mind what I mentioned earlier.
- Bring Archangel's friend to the ritual for a peak comedy reaction.
- Bring Miranda and your romance (if you have one) after the seeker swarms at the very end, specifically in that order, for special dialogue and to spice up the final cutscene. It might also save a life...
- The new characters don't rejoin you in the next game, they only cameo, so it's not worth save scumming if they die. Their deaths also make the next game more interesting. And everyone can die. Do with that information what you wish.
--- 3 ---
The third game is the only one that is actually designed to be difficult. On Insanity, I think some are intended to only be beatable by using heavy weapons on the ground. I'm almost certain the game never acknowledges their existence until the final battle. It's definitely still worth playing on Insanity, just make sure to look around on Palaven. There's a new roll mechanic implemented, but from my experience on Steam Deck, it is a curse. What I said before about accidentally dying very easily in the second game is even worse in the third. Want to take cover? Nah, you roll and get shot while exposed, aaand you're dead. Using a panel? Nope, roll, enemies in hiding run up and fill you with holes before you get back up, you're dead. Running? Nope, roll. Now you're dead. Vaulting? Roll. You vault after too late and get gunned down in the open like the degenerate you are. This might seem unnecessary to go through, but sometimes you have to rush through enemies to progress. The encounters can actually be really difficult, so failing a winning attempt because the game keeps making me roll was incredibly frustrating, especially because you usually die within 2 seconds on Insanity (I'm not exaggerating--and I'm playing the class intended to take hits. Do not invest in health boosts on Insanity). You can't rebind Steam Deck controls either. Playing on PC with a keyboard is the best way to play if you have that option, I think.
I discovered a way to enjoy Insanity despite this, however, but it's undoubtedly incredibly overpowered and I have no idea how it got in. There's a shotgun called the Venom that, when charged up, one-shots a lot of enemies in the game. Not the bigger ones and bosses thankfully, but Centurions and weaker. Their health will drop fast though, so if you use it, the battles can become a fiesta running around and stalling for flavour text, which can be fairly entertaining. Just don't run ahead or you might cut some of it off. If you want to be able to beat Insanity without a doubt, the Venom guarantees it. Going back to flavour text:
- Bring the originals to the first priority mission on Tuchanka.
- If you cheated and can do this, bring both to the dreadnought. Mind this one is theoretical, this might be nothing special. It's probably what I think, though. Otherwise, bring the duo.
- Bring the duo to Grissom Academy and the asari request.
- Bring Javik to Thessia.
- Bring your romance to Eden Prime, when confronting the Leviathan, and when the robot is mandatory. Recall the ones from the second game only cameo. Priority missions don't need to be done within a timeframe, it just advances plot. That being said...
- Avoid the sidequests until you get the crew back together, minus Wrex. They don't expire until a fairly obvious point, and nothing bad happens if you stall. I'd speak to Jondum Bau last.
- Avoid the Personal Apartment until you get the crew back together, minus Wrex, and after Eden Prime. For comedic purposes, don't meet with Ashley for lunch at the Citadel until after the gathering at the Apartment.
- When you go to the final area, dog-legs says nothing when you first arrive. Take them in the battle after if you romanced them, or whoever you did. If you take dog-legs, take Scars too for maximum emotional impact. Javik doesn't say anything special in that fight.
- Some convos between characters have multiple lines before speaking to them. Walk away and back to check. Also check afterward. "Support" ones loop, don't feel rushed to choose.
- Take your time between battles, there's no negative consequence. You might get ambushed at one point... but flavour text.
Tl;dr this game is very good if you care about story the combat segments are very very easy play on insanity try soldier then switch when importing
Just play it