Mass Effect

New, original Bioware goodness coming to an Xbox 360 near you.

HD trailer:
http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2211

Not the best of quality, but new screens:

http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmaster...1810_4_big.jpg
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmaster...1808_1_big.jpg
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmaster...1808_0_big.jpg
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmaster...1811_7_big.jpg
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmaster...1809_2_big.jpg
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmaster...1809_3_big.jpg

Looking excellent. :)

This is by far one of my most anticipated games. It's also, easily, the best looking thing so far to come out of the Unreal Engine 3, imo, and one of the very few things overall to come out of UE3 or the Doom 3 engine that isn't embarrasing to look at.

I've been getting excited about this one as well,hopfully they will show more of this at E3 06.

Isn't there another title coming out that looks almost EXACTLY like this game? At any rate, this is one of the future Xbox 360 games that I am genuinely excited about. Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic were the only two RPGs I was in to enough to finish this generation. Bioware is an amazing, amazing developer and this trilogy (I think) will be amazing.

The visual design of the series is something I would otherwise hate (blue, purplish futuristic) if it weren't done slickly and in this futuristic setting of space (blue, red, and purple in space works well). I absolutely can't wait to see how this game stacks up.

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Originally Posted by Andrew

Isn't there another title coming out that looks almost EXACTLY like this game?

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Too Human.

this and too human will decide wether i get a 360. i wuv bioware, jade empire kicked ass, kotor kicked ass(2 did too, a little less, but that was obsidian), so if this works out, microsoft gets a sale.

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Originally Posted by Andy

This is by far one of my most anticipated games. It's also, easily, the best looking thing so far to come out of the Unreal Engine 3, imo, and one of the very few things overall to come out of UE3 or the Doom 3 engine that isn't embarrasing to look at.

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what else has been released with the U3 engine?

What else looks embarrassing is what I want to know

Well, except for some crappy UE3 games like Frame Shitty Killer

now lets see if Bioware can make a game with a framerate at a constant 60.

The player models, especially the bald guy look REALLY good. The shots you have on here dont look as good as the ones I seen in some recent mags.

Are any of those gameplay shots?

Nevermind, I just watched the trailer.

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Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Dyne

what else has been released with the U3 engine?

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Nothing has been released. But I didn't say released.

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Originally Posted by Joust Williams

What else looks embarrassing is what I want to know

Well, except for some crappy UE3 games like Frame Shitty Killer

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Well, I included the Doom 3 engine in there, so starting with that; Doom 3, Doom 3 expansion, Quake 4, Prey.

And for the UE3 engine; Frame City Killer (though I think it may be coming around a bit), Too Human (it sounds interesting, and may be good, but it looks retarded), Huxley, Hoopworld. I would even put Gears of War in there, though it isn't quite on the same level as the Doom 3 engine shit, and it actually looks like a good game.

I take back my comment, though. I forgot Lost Odyssey is using Unreal 3. And I'm sure there will be a number of good looking games to eventually use UE3, unfortunately most of the people who have thus far revealed their projects are the devs who outsource their art teams to the local junior high.

Awesome.

I want to see video of this.

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Originally Posted by Cowutopia

Awesome.

I want to see video of this.

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well here is some gameplay footage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-45KOPDLhE

shame that this game got overshadowed by Halo 3 & Gears of Wars.
imho it looks better then both.

Holy fuck. Holy fucking fuck. The new 1up show has tons of footage of the gameplay in this game, and it's basically the most insane shit ever.
Check it out, around the 24 minute mark (also has Okami at the beginning, which also happens to be hands down the best looking PS2 game ever):

wmv stream

wmv zip file

I'm talking this shit is mindblowing. It was enough to make me forget that the combat in KotOR was freaking mindless and awful and it was the most grossly overrated rpg ever. Like seriously, I'm >this< close to running out and getting a 360 right now. Wood grain faceplate and everything.

Link no work.

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Originally Posted by Brand X

Link no work.

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*smacks forehead*

Fixed.

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Originally Posted by StriderKyo

Wood grain faceplate and everything.

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Nice. I have that one and the carbon fiber one.

Mass Effect should have been on everyone's day one list when we saw that demo trailer.

I really dont see the big deal.

edit: but Okami looks far more awesome than I thought it did! Thats replacing the day one status I took from Yakuza.

I'm not seeing it either. That map screen is pretty hot, though.

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Originally Posted by StriderKyo

I'm talking this shit is mindblowing. It was enough to make me forget that the combat in KotOR was freaking mindless and awful and it was the most grossly overrated rpg ever. Like seriously, I'm >this< close to running out and getting a 360 right now. Wood grain faceplate and everything.

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I'm kinda confused about what I may have missed. To me it looked like another KotOR/Jade Empire Bioware game with prettier graphics.

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Originally Posted by Diff-chan

I really dont see the big deal.

edit: but Okami looks far more awesome than I thought it did! Thats replacing the day one status I took from Yakuza.

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Okami looks amazing, this looks shiney and all but not that interesting.

KOTOR still rocks. Was overrated though.

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Originally Posted by Diff-chan

I really dont see the big deal.

edit: but Okami looks far more awesome than I thought it did! Thats replacing the day one status I took from Yakuza.

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id say its more the promise of a good game than neccesarily what we have seen so far, because i really havent seen that much, but i like the space sci-fi setting, and wish we could move beyond series that orginated 30-40 years ago. So for me its a case of a setting i have hope for, a developer with a thus far spotless track record for me, and a premise that i find interesting, it could easily be a catastrophe, advent rising certianly punished me for my optimism, but hey, its pretty much one of the 2 or 3 next gen games that i actually care about that are not going to be on pc as well(so far) so what can i say, i like western rpg's.

As an off topic, I am at an absolute loss for how strider can call kotor's battle system freaking mindless and aweful, but i am going to just write it off to difference in what we fundamentaly want out of an rpg, i found kotor to be a very well balanced system that didnt suffer from the bloat of many rpg's. you had the direct damage spells, you had the status debuffs, you had the 3 distinct combat skill trees for both ranged and melee combat that each served a specific style of play, it seemed to me to be a exceptional no-filler system that allowed me to make a character that i wanted to build.

You guys don't see what the big deal is? The character interaction looks fantastic. Go back and play KoTOR again and see how much they added to the experience. I think you're just seeing the conversation trees and saying same old same old.

The visuals are incredible. That goes beyond "coat of shiny paint," they've created a nearly photorealistic, believable future world here. Are we seriously so jaded that that isn't seen a a major accomplishment? The universe they've built has the potential to be crazy immersive.

I mean, look at the all terrain transport vehicle alone - how many games, never mind rpgs, have something that cool and believable? It may be like Bioware's previous games, and be a railfest masquerading as a sandbox, the battle system may still stumble, the worlds may come across as static and lifeless.

But what I've seen looks truly next gen and pretty damn amazing.

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Originally Posted by frostwolf ex

As an off topic, I am at an absolute loss for how strider can call kotor's battle system freaking mindless and aweful

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Because it was. Press button, guys start fighting enemies, go make sandwich, come back and fight is over. Sometimes you might have to interrupt them by using a heal, but by and large you didn't do much; if you'd fought every battle your guys were strong enough to kill everything on autopilot with minimal intervention on your part through most of the game.

There were all kinds of status effect items & abilities, but I almost never touched them outside the freeze or sticky grenades. The character building in that game was great, the battle system was not.

Baldur's Gate 2 was definitely not a railfest. noob.

And I watched it twice, still not impressed. Jaded? maybe.

The game will probably turn out good.

I never played Baldur's gate. I'll plead ignorance on that one.

I read the EGM article, sounds like it's going to be bad ass. It'll be cool to customize your land cruiser/car thing and take shit to the surface. The bosses are going to be nuts.

What excites me most about Mass Effect is that it could be the next Star Control II.

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Are we seriously so jaded that that isn't seen a a major accomplishment? The universe they've built has the potential to be crazy immersive.

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I can't even remember the last time graphics entered into my mind on if a game looked interesting or not. Unless a game is very stylish than I would be at least somewhat interested. Never really gave a shit about how realistic anything looked.

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Originally Posted by StriderKyo

Because it was. Press button, guys start fighting enemies, go make sandwich, come back and fight is over. Sometimes you might have to interrupt them by using a heal, but by and large you didn't do much; if you'd fought every battle your guys were strong enough to kill everything on autopilot with minimal intervention on your part through most of the game.

There were all kinds of status effect items & abilities, but I almost never touched them outside the freeze or sticky grenades. The character building in that game was great, the battle system was not.

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er, that sounds like the vast majority of J and non j rpgs that i have played, the basic encounters are largely send the smashers in and click fight over and over. you dont really waste consumeables or magic points on weak enemies, but that really was your choice in the matter. In kotor you could just throw default attcks and survive if you optimized your haracter, or you could use the flurry or heavy strike skills, and end the fight faster, or if the enemies had a specific weakness you could exploit it. robots, for instance would be good to use the lightside droid destruction spell on. or i could throw out force wave on a group of human enemies for a likely mez on multiple enemies, but as i said, the depth was there if you tried, but the level up and click fight is, as i said, a symptom of the turn based rpg genre in general rather than being a specific weakness of kotor.

A good jrpg has plenty of strategy turn to turn- in FFX for instance every fight of consequence was a tight balancing act between heals, attacks and status abilities. It was much more hands on.

So apparently the internet's on fire because this game rips off the plot from Seven Soldiers - super advanced civilization plants the seeds for humanity to grow, then comes back and harvests them. I say good show - Seven Soldiers was fucking outstanding, one of the best things I read least year. I hope this game's execution manages to be half as brilliant and original as that was. I'm not holding my breath though. This looks like straight ahead dire macho sci-fi.

ah well, never played final fantasy x so i cant debate the point, i do know that I-IX(excluding II and III since i havent played them) allowed you to bash through, but we shall have to either continue this in an appropriate thread or just let it die, I havent heard much of seven soldiers, but then agian, its pretty rare to find a truely original story in gaming, id say the execution of the story can often be far more important than the story itsself, and ill hope for the execution to be what carries it to epic rpg territory.

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Originally Posted by StriderKyo

So apparently the internet's on fire because this game rips off the plot from Seven Soldiers - super advanced civilization plants the seeds for humanity to grow, then comes back and harvests them. I say good show - Seven Soldiers was fucking outstanding, one of the best things I read least year. I hope this game's execution manages to be half as brilliant and original as that was. I'm not holding my breath though. This looks like straight ahead dire macho sci-fi.

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I'm still waiting for volume 4 of the TPBs to come out, but what I've read so far was absolutely brilliant.

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Originally Posted by StriderKyo

So apparently the internet's on fire because this game rips off the plot from Seven Soldiers - super advanced civilization plants the seeds for humanity to grow, then comes back and harvests them. I say good show - Seven Soldiers was fucking outstanding, one of the best things I read least year. I hope this game's execution manages to be half as brilliant and original as that was. I'm not holding my breath though. This looks like straight ahead dire macho sci-fi.

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lol Prey has the same story.

Prey sucks, though.

Five months without an update? WTF?

I'll get the ball rolling then! An interesting little tidbit of ME info was revealed on Next Gen today:

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Independent developer BioWare tells one consumer gaming website that some of its titles, including Mass Effect, will enjoy episodic content support.

Future’s Computer & Video Games quotes BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka as saying, “...We have big plans afoot at BioWare for post-release and episodic content for upcoming cool BioWare games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Jade Empire: Special Edition and other upcoming BioWare titles, both on console and PC.”

Mass Effect is one of the most anticipated Xbox 360 games this year.
Episodic content has become a financially efficient development model for some developers. Notable examples of episodic content include Valve’s episodic follow-ups to Half-Life 2, as well as a multitude of titles from smaller developers who seek more efficient ways to spend resources and generate revenues.

Muzyka also commented on the way World of Warcraft and other MMOs have expanded the online games business, and how he has high hopes for BioWare Austin’s upcoming MMORPG.

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If it's anything like the content we've gotten for Oblivion, then I'll be a happy camper.

Hmm, I assume that Jade Empire release mentioned is for the PC, right?

My other posts in this thread shame me, mass effect looks fucking amazing. It shames me that I ever thougth otherwise.

This game makes me want a 360.... it is going to hard to resist when this comes out.

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I'll buy that for a dollar (or sixty). :tu:

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Originally Posted by Andy

Click for full size


I'll buy that for a dollar (or sixty). :tu:

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okay, we get that devs can use light bloom. can they at least TRY to make it fit the situation? EVER?

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Originally Posted by Sega saturn x

My other posts in this thread shame me, mass effect looks fucking amazing. It shames me that I ever thougth otherwise.

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Hey, at least you're man enough to admit it. I'm looking back at this thread and going "what the hell?"

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Originally Posted by Dragonmastger Dyne

okay, we get that devs can use light bloom. can they at least TRY to make it fit the situation? EVER?

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What the hell?

That didn't look like light bloom to me. It looked like reflection. I could be wrong though, I'm no expert.

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Originally Posted by Andrew

That didn't look like light bloom to me. It looked like reflection. I could be wrong though, I'm no expert.

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a reflection "reflects". what is in that picture looks like the light source is coming from the character, not reflecting off of it. to me it looks assy and very fake/forced.

Looks like reflection to me.

There is bloom being used in that picture but I'm pretty sure that really bright spot on his arm is light being reflected from a neon sign or something that's behind the camera. Looks like a town/city so that could be a street light. Notice that it's not nearly as prevalent on the alien to his right. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.

It still looks awesome.

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Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Dyne

what is in that picture looks like the light source is coming from the character

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Since when is a bloom effect created by using the character as a light source?

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Originally Posted by Brand X

Since when is a bloom effect created by using the character as a light source?

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characers emit light? that was my point. the picture looks like the light source IS the character, instead of reacting to the character from another source.

if you can't see the bloom you're blind.

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Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Dyne

characers emit light? that was my point. the picture looks like the light source IS the character, instead of reacting to the character from another source.

if you can't see the bloom you're blind.

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Yeah, but when you compare that picture to the other three posted, you see that there is a difference. The other three have very little light bloom. It's a reflection from a light.

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Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Dyne

a reflection "reflects". what is in that picture looks like the light source is coming from the character, not reflecting off of it. to me it looks assy and very fake/forced.

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It looks to me like it's coming from off camera (like behind the camera from our perspective). Notice the only things with a lot of spot lighting (not a lot of diffuse either) is the protagonists armour. Even the aliens shiny leathery armour isn't reflecting that much.

There does seem to be an unnatural looking ambient light somewhere there. But blooming is pretty obtrusive because the light has to actually bloom out from behind a solid object. Oh well it doesn't matter anyway.

This game looks amazing. I am so glad I changed my mind and bought a 360 instead of a PS3 (until MGS4 comes out of course).

This game does look awesome. Makes me wish I had a 360 =(

And I bet some of you guys have been waiting forever to be able to play an RPG as a muscle-bound brainless ape man. It almost seems original at this point.

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Originally Posted by Salsashark

This game does look awesome. Makes me wish I had a 360 =(

And I bet some of you guys have been waiting forever to be able to play an RPG as a muscle-bound brainless ape man. It almost seems original at this point.

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So there is no character customization? I was hoping I could play as a chick.

Edit: Sweet, I just read on IGN you can make a female character.

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Originally Posted by Salsashark

And I bet some of you guys have been waiting forever to be able to play an RPG as a muscle-bound brainless ape man. It almost seems original at this point.

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Almost as original as spiky haired, gender bending, angst encrusted twink RPG characters. I mean come on.

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Originally Posted by Rumpy

Almost as original as spiky haired, gender bending, angst encrusted twink RPG characters. I mean come on.

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I think Salsashark was trying to saying the same thing you were.

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Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Dyne

characers emit light? that was my point. the picture looks like the light source IS the character, instead of reacting to the character from another source.

if you can't see the bloom you're blind.

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Light bloom oversaturates light sources. Considering the only significant lighting in the entire shot is the reflection on his armor, I don't get where you're coming from with the "OMG there's light bloom all over you're blind" cracks. Everything else looks fine so it's clearly a reflection effect on the armor.

But hey. you're welcome to go play all those games you think look better than this.

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Originally Posted by Brisco Bold

I think Salsashark was trying to saying the same thing you were.

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Even so, saying that the only main character we've seen is a "muscle bound ape" simply because he has a normal, human build and a shaved head is retarded.

That could be completely irrelevant anyway as from the preview in Amsterdam in 2005, "Finally, BioWare is focusing their talents on fleshing out digital actors to carry the weight of the game's story and emotional response. Zeschuk showed us slides of several of Mass Effect's key characters, which all featured ultra-high-detail faces, similar to what you've seen with other Unreal Engine 3.0 renders, and then said that we can expect to create and customize our own characters with this sort of realism and detail."

Don't know if that is still true, that's all 1up has on the subject in their previews for the game (the weapon customization is nuts too).

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Originally Posted by Rumpy

Even so, saying that the only main character we've seen is a "muscle bound ape" simply because he has a normal, human build and a shaved head is retarded.

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http://www.the-nextlevel.com/board/a...1&d=1169322754

Congratulations on mastering the quote feature Salsashark.

I like Bioware's games on the Xbox. KOTOR and Jade Empire were both fun and the only two RPGs in about 6 years that I had actually beaten to completion. This should be fun also. Fun and good.

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Originally Posted by Andrew

Congratulations on mastering the quote feature Salsashark.

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Um, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

Because you quoted me and then posted a picture.

I totally understand the need to master the basic TNL functions like quoting and posting images before you move on up to pointed conversation and witty banter. I haven't mastered any of them yet myself Salsashark, so you're in good company.

What's crawled up Salsashark's ass? Did he come into the thread just to be a dick?

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Originally Posted by Andrew

Congratulations on mastering the quote feature Salsashark.

I like Bioware's games on the Xbox. KOTOR and Jade Empire were both fun and the only two RPGs in about 6 years that I had actually beaten to completion. This should be fun also. Fun and good.

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i really wanted to enjoy KotOR 1 and 2 but couldnt. finished them both but forced myself too. Jade Empire on the other hand (albeit a bit easy) was the bees knees.

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Originally Posted by g0zen

What's crawled up Salsashark's ass? Did he come into the thread just to be a dick?

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lol. at TNL? never :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by g0zen

What's crawled up Salsashark's ass? Did he come into the thread just to be a dick?

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I swear I didn't! I came in to say the game is looking great while looking at the new screenshots. Being a dick was merely secondary.

Look at it this way Salsa: if the character creation engine is as powerful as they say, then you can foist Bioware on their own petard by turning their brainless ape-man into KING OF THE BISHIS!

i want the king of fishes!

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Originally Posted by LordPerrin

Look at it this way Salsa: if the character creation engine is as powerful as they say, then you can foist Bioware on their own petard by turning their brainless ape-man into KING OF THE BISHIS!

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What I really want is to play as the main character from Doom 3, but with spiky Cloud Strife hair and not so much clothing. Bascially a Rob Liefield drawing. That way everyone would be equally uncomfortable.

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Originally Posted by Salsashark

Bascially a Rob Liefield drawing. That way everyone would be equally uncomfortable.

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you'd have to also really tweak the game engine to completely botch foreshortening and perspective, and erase any understanding of basic human anatomy.

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Originally Posted by sedition

you'd have to also really tweak the game engine to completely botch foreshortening and perspective, and erase any understanding of basic human anatomy.

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More like twink the game engine, amirite?

New previews up at IGN (written by people who need more angry flower in their lives), 1UP (attack of the semicolons!) and GameSpot.

May/June release confirmed.

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March 7, 2007 - Bioware gave its biggest hint yet today on the release date of Mass Effect when it told IGN the extraordinary-looking RPG wouldn't show up at this year's E3.

"That event is in July, right?" asked Dr. Ray Muzyka. "Well, Mass Effect won't appear at this year's E3."

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http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/771/771319p1.html

I'm hoping/thinking May. MS will want some space between it and Blue Dragon, which is supposed to be out in August. Add in Shivering Isles this month & Lost Odyssey worldwide launch in December, and you've got a damn good year for 360 rpgs. Best of any system, come to think of it.

I'm praying they have the time to optimize the shit out of this. Jumpy framerates annoy the hell out of me.

I can't believe this thread dropped down to the 5th page. Someone buy TNL some taste in games.

Three new-ish viral videos in sequential order:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVIPM...e=user&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyFa_...e=user&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJqD4...e=user&search=

after further research in this game since i last saw it, this does infact interest me in a 360.

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Originally Posted by Rumpy

I'm praying they have the time to optimize the shit out of this.

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If they do this, it's going to be a flat out amazing game.

You know it's going to be flat out amazing either way.

...September? :cry:

I do not like this news.

I'm running out of things to buy for the 360 in the near future.

september is too far away.

It sucks, but if they need more time I would rather them perfect one of the best looking games ever, rather than rush it out the door.

Anyone who expected this to come out this summer is a fool, especially because the only thing Bioware has said about the release date is that "it will be done when it's done". So in reality, there has been no delay, since there was never a date announced.

Also, anyone who thinks this is coming out in September is also a fool. Halo 3 says hi.

I'm really hoping for november.

I agree completely. August through October are already filled with a shit load of AAA games, there is no reason for Microsoft/Bioware to push Mass Effect out during that time when it would most likely be overshadowed by all the other huge games being released.

Plus November will give me time to play Bioshock, Blue Dragon, Halo 3, Quake Wars (hopefully), GTA4, and Crysis. Well it most likely won't, but I can dream.

so what the hell is out in july?

All Pro Football 2K8 is July.

Actually, there are a few cool games coming on XBLA in July. But yeah, 2k8 FTW.

They really need to get this game released, I am a big Kotor fan and itching badly for this game. There goes about 40 hours of my life when this thing is released....

Is it just me or did they make the main character more white?

As I recall from previous interviews, only the character's last name is set. You can customize the appearance (and gender).

November confirmed.

I dream about this game.

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Originally Posted by Salsashark

And I bet some of you guys have been waiting forever to be able to play an RPG as a muscle-bound brainless ape man. It almost seems original at this point.

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Foot meet mouth?

I guess Salsa's in the market for a 360 now. My character is going to be Indiana Jones. IN SPACE. And then on the second playthrough it's going to be Ripley. On the third playthrough it's going to be some smooth-talking antihero, I haven't decided who yet. On the fourth playthrough....ETC AND SO FORTH.

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Originally Posted by The Gas

November confirmed.

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Jesus i need to hurry and get a new HD tv.


JBNagis

Another developer walkthrough.

Oh shit, he mentions it's planned as a trilolgy. Destined to bomb?

He also spoils a fact that you can lose teammates forever, not in combat but through story.

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Originally Posted by Cowutopia

Oh shit, he mentions it's planned as a trilolgy. Destined to bomb?

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It has always been a trilogy.

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Originally Posted by Cowutopia

He also spoils a fact that you can lose teammates forever, not in combat but through story.

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This happens in every Bioware game, as far as I know.

I wonder if Bioware will be the company to actually defy the fact that pre-planned game trilogies are doomed. Sadly, I doubt it. They'll probably hand off the sequels to Obsidian or something.

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Originally Posted by bVork

I wonder if Bioware will be the company to actually defy the fact that pre-planned game trilogies are doomed. Sadly, I doubt it. They'll probably hand off the sequels to Obsidian or something.

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Hey, at least SwordQuest got finished.

Maybe that's not a good thing.

SwordQuest AirWorld was never finished.