I need you to analyse my life so that I know how to improve myself

The biggest thing that I missed from Mass Effect 1 in the sequels was that combat could take place "in-world" - it wasn't always done in designated "mission zones". So in the bar that was safe on the Citadel a while ago? Suddenly it can become a combat zone. You could pop in and out of the (admittedly wacky) Mako, changing scale of areas from large to close. That continuity of areas is something that was, I feel, one of the biggest things that went towards creating the believable worlds of this game.

I played through the Mass Effect series for the first time last week. ... It was the most fun I've had out of video games in a long while. I am now spreading the gospel to my brothers.

Of all the things Mass Effect did differently, perhaps my favorite feature was the absence of ammo. Having weapons that simply overheat or need to recharge let them focus on other things, and I thought it was fantastic. A shame they did away with it.

You joker. Mass Effect was released in 2007, are you trying to tell me that was ten years ag.....OH GOD.

Never clicked on a video so fast.

You really mischaracterized the Saren suicide sequence. In order to see the scene at all, you either need to invest heavily into charm/intimidate or do multiple playthroughs (10 skill point minimum). It's hardly the intended ending. More importantly, the suicide isn't Shephard just talking to Saren and then him deciding to off himself. Rather, it's the culmination of the seed of doubt Shephard plants into Saren on Virmire. If you don't charm/intimidate him on virmire, there's no suicide. It's actually pretty damn important characterization. Saren isn't some big bad evil dude, he's the idealization of Mass Effect Renegade. He's ultimately a good person, but he's also willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, and Sovereign managed to brainwash him.

The quiet ambience and lack of music during some isolated locations were an awesome change of pace. You can't have cool music always. It felt like I really was just creeping around in this small corner of space, lost and all alone... Except for my man Wrex

The music is some of the best in sci-fi.

The Sovereign reveal is the best scene in the entire series in my opinion.

You know, Jenkins dying was more or less a joke? The named him after Leeroy Jenkins

This makes me seriously mourn the old glory days BioWare.

Has it really been 10 years since ME1? Jesus.

It's pretty funny how both KOTOR 1 & 2 and Mass Effect have clunky fighting mechanics/gameplay. I personally like both for what they are, and it seems with the passage of time, some people feel they are kind of meh. I think we can all agree that where all 3 of these games truly shine is in the other half of gameplay, interacting with characters, choosing/shaping your destiny, and learning more about the universe in which you find yourself in. KOTOR 1 & 2, and Mass Effect 1 may be somewhat clunky when it comes to fighting, but where they stand the test of time is the immersion you get as the main character, and the building of the universe and characters around you. At least, that's my take on it! Well done, Ray! Looking forward to seeing how people like our Podcast ;)

*ENEMY IS EVERYWHERE!*

Considering the Andromeda fiasco, I wish Bioware would release the first trilogy and all its DLCs in one bundle for this console generation, correcting some physics and texture issues. These games were storytelling masterpieces.

I loved almost everything about ME, including the MAKO and combat.

When you go to stop the Rogue AI on the moon, find out this video that the binary actually says 'help' then in game 2 (SPOILERS) you find out that EDI was this rogue AI...... mind = blown.

God I miss the original ME and I just replayed it with my fiancee late last year haha. Such a quality experience, no matter how clunky it is.

hi im commander shepherd, and this is my favorite video on the citadel

Easily one of the best games I've ever played

I love the soundtrack of Mass Effect! And honestly: I liked the ambient music from the side-missions. Because combined with the silence or lack of sound-effects it created a tense and creepy atmosphere

When you realize that this "10 Years Later" video was posted almost 5 years ago...

Mass Effect 12+ years. What the hell? How is this still my favorite in the series? Life is too short.

kotor, Mass effect 1 and 2 and dragon age origins were the golden age of bioware

Mass Effect 1 was clunky and the combat was pretty bad, but the world-building and characters were unparalleled. It was a completely original and new universe, yet the lore felt as deep and rich as Star Wars and DnD.

Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic. I may or may not need to replay this game now.

That outro song still gives me chills.

Am I the only one that enjoyed ME1's combat despite it's obvious flaws? I mean, the sequels made improvements but they also stripped away a lot of the depth and uniqueness of the first game. Mass effect 1 played more like an rpg, and the sequels played more like gears of war.

And now it's been FIFTEEN (15) years, and it STILL holds up (graphics aside). Time sure flies

14:00 The Witcher 3 had the same issues in some instances, most notoriously when the option to shove someone turned into you breaking his fucking leg Wouldn't be an huge issue if it didn't block out an entire quest line and change the outcome of a war

“Vigil” almost brings tears to my eyes, it’s so subtly beautiful. It conveys the vastness of space and the humble “smallness” of humanity.

Is it a coincidence you sound like you're Turian? LOL. Thanks for this.

Holy fuck, I literally just checked this channel a second ago.

Every. Single. Time. The Scores that go to the original Mass Effect just bring chills...... Holy Hell.

Thanks for calling out the sphere on Eletania. That was my favorite piece of alien strangeness in the Mass Effect franchise, and I keep hoping they'll hit that mark again with some future title.

I've only recently finished mass effect 1 after buying the bundle in the steam sale. Loved it, so i started playing mass effect 2 and i've only recently had access to the galaxy map in the ship. So far i'm feeling weirded out. While the graphics are a huge improvement, for some reason it doesn't have the feel of the first game. Maybe it's just me.

Can you please do this for the second and third part. I really enjoyed it but I can't wait until 2022 for the analysis of the third part :-D

My mako strategy is to first snipe with Mako cannon, then I hop out when health bars get low and use my actual sniper to maximize on xp gains

No no no no mass effect is not 16 years old

HELL YEA! I don't care if I've never played it I'm watching anyway cause I know this series is gonna be quality.

The Krogans were scary as fuck in the first game. Too bad they were pussified in the later ones.

UGGHHH! Just the music... 30:38 And the way Jack summed it up, "You hear it, and you're in the Mass Effect universe immediately. There's nothing like it." Couldn't have said it better. And Vigil at 31:46 is, in my opinion, even moreso the track that instantly sends me back to Shepard's world. Like this gripping, haunting feeling of nostalgia to the highest degree. I'm starting to feel depressed...so bittersweet. A fantastic game series that I was so attached to. Am still attached to. I've never felt a more emotional attachment to any game before, in fact. The characters, the story, the romance, the gameplay (which, to me, was really fun!)... I'm so sad that the Shepard/Normandy story is over. Revisiting the games for another play-through just isn't the same as that first experience. The first version of the story you get. The first time you romance your most beloved crew mate. The first time you see the culmination of all the choices you've made through the years. I'm just so glad I got a good ending in ME3. The Reapers were destroyed, Shepard survived, his love interest survived, the majority of the Normandy crew survived...the extra scenes from the extended cut essentially alluded to the fact Shepard would be reunited with everyone. My ending was quite good, indeed, suggesting that Shepard and everyone would continue living on in happiness, unlike the endings many people received. But it's still so dang bittersweet. I wish there was more to experience. /sigh

God I love the Uncharted Worlds track! Makes me feel like a part of the universe.

Mass effect 2 and 3 still look pretty impressive to this day

Wait..... you could have....... zoomed in with the Mako's gun?.......

I still remember that moment when I realized Sovereign was a reaper. I was so astonished I felt like I was speaking to a god lmao

Still the best Mass Effect game. I still vastly prefer the skills in Mass Effect than it's sequels.

"Forcing you to hit F5 every room like you're playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R..." Ahh, memories.

halo wars 2, 1 week later?

I don't see the repetitive lines as a negative point, mainly because they're so hilarious. Hearing an enemy yell "YOU WILL DIE!", as he/she repeatedly sprints out in the open just to die by crossfire and then seeing their twin-silbling do the exact same thing while yelling "YOU WILL DIE!" just never seizes to make me giggle. But the combat is indeed clunky as fuck. At least it works, so it doesn't bother me too much to stop playing. Great analysis overall, this might be the closest to objective critique I've ever seen. Hats off. EDIT: And I didn't even know ME had any DLC. Holy shit, you never stop learning.

I played Mass Effect for the first time ever last week (super late I know) I just beat it yesterday and it was seriously one of my favorite games now. The worlds are so sick, the visuals, just the lore in general is amazing. I love that there is so much to learn in the game whether it's about certain planets, races, etc. I don't know why I didn't play this game earlier but I'm glad I did last week. It's a sick sick game and I can't wait to play it again and also play the sequels.

Mass Effect 2 is like Mass Effect 1 on steroids. Less fat, more muscle, but ultimately dumber and more aggressive.

Mass Effect 1 was a great RPG...all others became shooters with some RPG aspects, and the four edition seems the most action oriented of franchise... Most people like that way, but I really miss the original style...

11:09 I can't believe I just watched ten seconds of mass Effect combat without hearing "ENEMIES EVERYWHERE"

One of my favorite game series of all time. Truly epic and legendary. I got legit depressed when it came to an end. I wanted more Shepard/Normandy goodness! Heck, I'm still sad that it's over. I still want more. I'm hoping Andromeda will help to fill that void. I miss my Normandy crew and Commander! T.T

ill be honest. i reallllly don't like the gameplay of ME1, im playing it now and its just super clunky all over. ive been way too spoiled with the faster mechanics of the later games. In ME1 enemies are either completely braindead or they become crackshots and do massive damage. your squad mates may as well not be there because they die so much standing out in cover when i tell them to sit by a wall or get stuck behind some random clutter and dont want to follow me... your medigels are on recharge. i used to get motion sick when Shepard bounces around when moving. the makos awkward control. i could go on, if i wasn't so invested in the story id probably pass on it but i wanna complete the last game ive never finished yet. the many crashes ive had dont help it either. but you have to start from somewhere in a series, im glad they made improvements

As a completionist , I describe Mass Effect in 3 words: Though Provoking Chore. The combat and side missions are quite the chore to get through, but its the story and the characters that make it worth it.

*WE HAVE TO GO TO ILOS*

Well done video! Love how you crafted this video with depth similar to the style of the game, but made it where it didnt feel overwelming or annoying to listen to for the whole sitting. Especially love the final point you hinted back to in regards to Me1's most powerful asset being the universe which I feel many people glance over. I always am happy to see more channels like this you push forward conversation on games. Bless up! *subbed

while the game play of the ME1 was clunky at best, I still think it was still the best in the overall series. Yes game play became really fast paced and we'll designed in the later series, but it sacrificed it's overall space opera, story telling and RPG elements. The later series forgo their storytelling in more of streamline approach of an action RPG. That's just my thoughts though. which I came to realize is a very vocal minority in the community.

The first ME was the best one of the trilogy. MS were idiots for not acquiring Bioware.

Rewatching this in 2019 shows just how far Bioware have fallen with Anthem.

Mass Effect : Legendary Edition - 1 day later

"The Reapers can't be stopped!" "Yes, they can!" "We can't stop them!" "Yes, we can!" "Ok." *Blows brains out*

Pro tip: Using the Mako to get a large enemy down to low health and then finishing it on foot gives you a LOT more experience than finishing it off inside the Mako. ME1 is one of my favorite games of all-time. It opened my eyes to the world of RPGs and storytelling in games, and I absolutely adore it. It has a lot of small problems, which totaled together definitely detract from the experience, but I will maintain that it's still overall the best game in the series.

Oh, And I forgot to add one thing about MAKO. It's supposed to be that floaty and defying laws of physics: it's mass is greatly reduced by mass effect fields, so it probably really weights as much as it would if it was made from styrofoam.

2007 was such a great year for gaming. Bioshock, The Orange Box, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Super Mario Galaxy, God of War 2 and Uncharted. But Mass Effect remains my favorite of the bunch in 2007 and it’s very special to me. I had just graduated High School in 2007 and my parents got me an Xbox 360 for Christmas that year with Mass Effect and Bioshock being the first games. Was excited for Bioshock, but I didn’t know anything about Mass Effect. It started slow at first but I very quickly got immersed into the world. The characters, the universe, the atmosphere and the music stuck with me. I quickly fell in love with Garrus, Wrex and Tali. Even side characters like Kirrahe, Chorben, and Lorikqui'in stuck with me. I still get chills beating the game and hearing M4 Part II during the credits. I still love that song. Great in depth video!!!

Would you consider doing a video on Valve's Half life? I would love to hear what you have to say on the development process and why it's so popular.

The MAKO was awesome

Currently playing this properly for the first time ever, finished my soldier playthrough last night and started a Hardcore engineer before going back to soldier to do insanity, what have I been missing ♥

The Vigil was the moment that sold me on the franchise and the universe as a whole, and didn't let go until one fateful day in 2012. And I think you summed it up really well at the end there. It was a rough game, with a very "wooden" combat system that aged poorly. And yet, as the following iterations improved that action part, I felt less and less of that inviting universe in favour of cool action scenes. Even though I didn't dislike ME2 (many of my friends coming from the same DnD background did), it was just missing some beats that at the time I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Just found your channel and it's exactly the thing I need in my subscription feed, great work mate!

The Mako sections were always my favorite. Hate how they removed it, but I understand that it wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

ME1 was "sonic-ally muted"? What? It's sonic-ally the best. The ambient, electronic, atmospheric BGMs are a highlight of the game and were notable by their absence in the later games.

ME1 is the best Mass Effect. It has its own identity, a unique look and feel (retro futurism). They changed all that for 2 and 3.

If anyone has origin you can get a free copy off mass effect 2 today. But be quick it's only temporarily

Everyone always brings up the Reaper reveal on Virmire as the highlight, but my most memorable moment is the conversation with Vigil on Ilos. Like, yes, the Reaper conversation was cool, but it didn't beat the reveal of who the Protheans were and how they worked to stop the Reapers, even when they knew all hope was lost for *themselves*, but not for future sentient life in the future. It had, to me at least, more emotional resonance beyond the mere shock of what Sovereign was. A band of scientists belonging to an ancient civilzation giving hope to an unknown future civilzation, even if they couldn't give hope for themselves.

This is the perfect example of pinnacle work between two artists who can define a singular experience from Sam Hulick's galaxy map theme to Jack Wall's Vigil theme (ME menu track and Vigil cinematic segment) both are so flawless in opening this sense of a vast/endless universe and to this day, both songs are the best pieces of music that I have ever experienced in a game. I must also state that the overall mix of both their talents throughout this games was a perfect match. Thanks for covering this in your video! EDIT: the original trilogy is confirmed to be remastered for next gen consoles and PC as well as a new Mass Effect game just entered preproduction as of a few days ago!

Absolutely loved the first Mass Effect. The universe was just so interesting. I know it didn't have great combat but i will always have positive memories looking back to it. Great analysis dude.

Amazing content to watch on my Saturday afternoon. Your channel's one of the best.

ME1 is my favorite from the trilogy. Something about its atmosphere gave the eerie sense of a civilization that was unknowingly at its end, juxtaposed with a sense of calm sterility.

Simply put ME1 is a RPG with Shooter elements. Unlike Me2+ Shooter with RPG elements. ME1 is HANDS DOWN the absolute best of the series.

Too bad all the talented people left bioware.

i know its crazy but i liked the combat in the first game the most

As i rewatch the video again i find it interesting just how many of the things you say about ME1 could apply to cyberpunk 2077 as well. Mainly the segment about preproduction and the games development being a land of compromise with tech being built up as the game progressed, eventually resulting in a game whose main focus is its universe, the part about the game being made up of three main loops, those being combat, exploration and dialogue with combat being majorly propped up by its sense of progression, and the part at the end about how the games best moments arent combat or exploration but just talking to people and learning about the universe. Youve kinda put into words why i love both of these games/series so much which i really wasnt able to pin down and do myself. Its all about the world and the people in it and for whats it worth i feel cyberpunk may be the first time since i played the original mass effect that ive seen worldbuilding and characterization that are this masterful.

Thanks to Legendary Edition I was finally able to finish Mass Effect 1, I finished 2 & 3 many times but Mass Effect was really rough around the edges for me to be patient.

If you are doing Mass Effect, would you also consider Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic?

I thought the next series was going to be Gears, but this is so much better. I'm looking forward to the next ones.

I’m not sure if you’ll ever read this, but I’d love to see you do the Remastered Trilogy in the Legendary Edition. Maybe in the form you did the Orange Box Retrospective. You’ve got amazing video quality! Keep it up!

First Mass Effect is best Mass Effect.

Opens video at 3 AM... 45 Minutes. OOOH BOI SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!

Who else is replaying this game right now?

Bruh mass effect looking better than fallout 76...

I'm currently playing through the ME trilogy for the first time via the new legendary edition. I just finished ME1 so now I'm back here to watch this documentary edit: after watching the gameplay portion of the video and comparing the things discussed their to my experience in the remaster, I can say that both the HUD and the mako have now been fixed, though the odd phrasing of the dialogue wheel and not having access to the journal while in the galaxy map are still a thing.

Can you do an Assassin's Creed 10 years later?

"System Shock invented the RPG/Action hybri--" Yyyyyyyyikes. Ultima Underworld says "How the hell are ya?"

33:19 that "subtle ambiance and footsteps" always creeped me out.

I hope legendary edition still has the soul of this trilogy in 2021. I don't trust EA

Faunts pt 2 is sex. When you first beat the game and hear it... I don't even have words to explain the feeling.