Mass Effect 3, DLC, and playing on easy!

So, towards the end of my 2 weeks holiday, from work, I just completed Mass effect 3. This was a carry on from playing Mass effect 1 and 2 in order over the last few weeks, on pc with carry over save files.
I played as fem shep- default fem shep in each game since any alterations I make tend to be hideous.
Keep in mind that a couple of weeks before this run through I played mass effect 3 as my first game in the series on my Wii U, courtesy of my partner forcing me to try it.
The bug tuck hold and as I played the whole game I realised I didn't understand or like some of the choices I made in the comic. I lost some people that I didn't wish to lose. Some people weren't around and I didn't know why, and until I completed it I didn't understand what some of the choices I had made were.

So, I went back. I turned on my steam versions of mass effect, bought 3 on origin ready and made the long trek to last night. I bought the DLC for number 2(£12 for kasumi and whatever the other dlc was- it's been a long time since last week), and all the relevant content dlc for 3 which added lots of hours on top of the wii u version and lots of enjoyable content, which it should since it cost an additional £30.

Through the whole of this I played it on easy. Yes I hear you take a sharp intake of breath but seriously I don't have any more hours to give to this game. I wish there wasn't such a stigma on easy mode. In mass effect shepard is made more powerful and that's the only alteration it makes. It's fun, you run into an area, it's still a slight challenge in places, and you just go and kick ass. In the end mass effect isn't about skill to me, it's about the story.
I spent 30-40 hours with these people above in mass effect 3. I watched them thrive and live life, I went to the death bed of one character and their memorial in the dlc. I went on dates. I pointlessly did 182 pull ups for absolutely no reason than Vega could get off on it.
I had a wonderful couple of dates with my beautiful Garrussy Warussy and genuinely enjoyed myself and I honestly believe that if easy mode wasn't there, I wouldn't be able to do that.
Sure I could play it on normal and waste an extra 10 hours of my life, and gain what? A hundred more game overs and the tears at being unable to become better at fps games?
I might be the only one that thinks like this, but regardless of gameplay the only thing I care about is the story.
Maybe Mass effect was close enough to being a visual novel that the gameplay doesn't bother me so much, or maybe I just like shooting fire as engineer class and watching the enemies go down without a fight.

I don't know. What I do know is that it shouldn't matter if I tell a person "I prefer easy mode" it shouldn't need to be a dirty little secret. Maybe it's just the preferred option for those that have lives or those that have an extensive backlog to get through.

How the Wii U finally got me into Mass Effect!

I felt like sharing my feelings about Mass Effect 3 on the Wii U, regarding a meme my partner shared today.

(Hurray for images- I've missed them too)

In the past week I've barely looked at another console. I've spent a while in Defiance on my PC but I still made sure I went back to Mass Effect 3. Keep in mind this is a series that I bought the first game because I thought I "needed it". Tried it, didn't touch it again. My partner played number 1 later and then number 2, we have the special edition of at least  one of them, I still didn't touch them (I should really check what's in it).

    Speed forward to the present day with the release of ME3 and I didn't bother to buy it at all. I was done pretending I cared, I opted to save my money. Then something odd happened. My partner said "I want Mass Effect 3 on the Wii U, it has a mini map...etc" so we found a pristine condition second hand version (Yes, a used copy, that works perfectly well and yes Nintendo, you need to drop prices quicker)

   He played it once it got into our hands (which is a whole other story with a lot of rigmarole) a week later I found him playing multiplayer. A person who plays strictly single player games unless he has to. He promised me it helped his normal game and it was actually really fun. A while later he completed the game.

    At some point in this Sony gave me a free copy of ME3. I played half hour, I didn't go back, something to do with the game crashing on me, it sealed its' fate.

So, 1 week ago, he sat down with me, he put ME3 into the Wii U "forcing" me to play it. I propped up on the bed, held the game pad and off I went. It still had its' teething problems, my Wii U likes to crash when it feels its' being overworked and had an odd gamepad error the other day but I plodded into it. 

I made my comic choices, thinking far too lightly of the topics they were asking me about. I didn't know that paragon was top and renegade was bottom and that renegade is absolutely always, almost, the wrong answer. I kept Kaiden, (sorry Ashley), I killed the rachni queen, I destroyed the research but I saved alot of team members in my choices (I assume all of them are alive in mine) and I got going.

I have now played 28 hours, discovered it's very much like a JRPG in the fact  that you do a mission and you spend half hour running around your ship listening to conversations, you go to the citadel and hand in quests (and pick up 50 new ones thanks to Shepard's eavesdropping skill) and then you go and run around the solar systems collecting items and tricking reapers into almost catching you as you fly out the other side, and back in again, for fun.

It's very much like a VN. At one point I went on a date with Kaidan and friend zoned him, I went straight to Liara and friend zoned her and then I went on a lovey dovey trip with Garrus and told him I loved him, and I squeed, out loud and everything. 

    I discovered that the Miiverse is delightful, especially for moments like "OMG Garrus isn't in the engine room" and also during a school mission I met up with Jack and posted this image 'below' of her. Someone popped up and stated that they didn't know she was in it, they want to go back and play it again to find her. I have to admit, I love Jack, she's highly amusing, almost as much as Edi.

My biggest surprise in the whole of this game is the fact that I don't hate the multiplayer either. I did 3 matches and they kinda sorta carried me along because I'm that bad at it but no one seemed to be bothered. They just picked me up and we got on with it. I added about 10% to my possible war assets. I'm assuming that the more areas you clear the more of your war assets come to aid you at the final turn.
Great idea. We need more of this in games because if I can avoid multiplayer, outside of MMO's, then I won't touch it.

So what didn't I like. I didn't like my choices. As the story unfolded I realized it was my fault I didn't do more research. I didn't understand the gravity of the situations and I didn't feel like the comic gave me enough insight into what I was actually picking because I wanted it to be over as soon as it started talking. It's a great asset for those choosing their previous choices but for a new person starting how could you even comprehend what your choices would do?

So, my solution, upon completing my current game I will be starting again from mass effect 1 on the PC, which I also own on steam. I will progress onto 2, and in preparation I have purchased mass effect 3 so when I finally get back there I can buy the citadel, kasumi's dlc for 2 and maybe the other dlc's if I feel like it.  I do not know how it ends, I didn't read any of the articles when people started complaining, I do know that if you want to read a disappointing ending you should try the Labyrinth manga.

I  love Mass Effect now and if you like visual novel outcomes and don't mind hard work I suggest you try it too.