» Sat May 28, 2011 9:06 am
What's the deal with Mass Effect's dialogue system anyway? It svcks. Each choice is linked with a morality, so you can't really choose a line based on the actual line, but its morality attached. I mean, take this part when you talk to Jacob after your first encounter with the Illusive Man. I decided to be a Cerberus sympathizer so out of the 3 choices I had (I trust you, I don't know, I don't trust you) I obviously decided to choose I trust you, but it was the upper choice, thus for paragon Shepard. What did he said? "I trust you but you're working for the wrong people"! What? Why can't I tell TIM I'm 100% with him but not be able to tell one of his employees I trust him without contradicting myself? Do I need to be a dike to everyone to be "renegade"? Makes no sense. And it's like that the whole game, it's not about making your character as you want him to (any good RPG) but to choose firstly what Shepard personality you want. And then of course you have an extremely one dimensional morality system that makes you better at rhetoric skills or threatening when you follow a certain morality. Again, makes no sense, why wouldn't I be able to point my gun in someone's face if I make choices according to MY morality? The type of character I want? But of course, ANYONE can still beat up a journalist if they want...
And then, no matter the game, the morality is always extremely linear and one-dimensional. How can anyone think it is a necessity is beyond me. I'd bet IGN didn't even properly played Mass Effect 2 yet, still on their first impressions I'd guess. Keep this for games like Fable which are purposefully on good/evil, that it actually, you know, fits with its concept. I can't believe doctors told us an evil Shepard would get bad scars...
And I don't understand either all the thing with super cinematic games. If I want to play a movie, I'll just watch one, thank you. Games are supposed to be immersive (well I like a cinematic game from time to time), about giving control to the player and make them feel in the game, a playable movie isn't particularly immersive you know. So who cares about taking out (because it would cost more) some game elements like a number of quests for... more realistic conversations? Please, there's so many people to talk to anyone even voiced dialogue gets on one's nerves in the end when they start repeating the same crap over and over again. Make a more complex dialogue system, and you got a shallower game overall, just look at Mass Effect...
