Mass Effect 3 Discussion Thread

I will pick Leviathan because I am hoping it is of LotSB quality. I really could not care less about how it may or may not affect the ending. I suppose they could have put something mind-blowing in there, but I don't see that as very likely.
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']I'm definitely picking it up tomorrow, probably the weapons pack too just for kicks.

I'm not too concerned about how (or whether) it affects the ending. The ending is what it is. I just hope the new mission itself is fun.[/QUOTE]

This. Exactly this. I can't wait for Leviathan and I thought about getting the weapon pack for the Reager alone.

And sorry I reposted the achievements, I missed that on the previous page. My bad.
 
[quote name='Arikado']Vasir is a cakewalk on any difficulty if you use Stasis. Hit her with it, unload on her when it wears off and she's getting up, and then Stasis her again. Hit the drones she summons with Stasis, too, and they'll blow up after it wears off. Rinse and repeat.[/QUOTE]

Yea, I used Stasis on her when I realized she topples over for a short while after being hit with it. After she fell, I ran up and unloaded the Revenant in her head.

Also, if you could Stasis her while she was on the edge of the building, she'd fall and the next phase would start. Or, if she was near death, she'd die. It was honestly really easy. I think it would've been more fun doing it as a Vanguard, just Biotic Charging after each other all over the place.
 
[quote name='chubbyninja1319']This. Exactly this. I can't wait for Leviathan and I thought about getting the weapon pack for the Reager alone.

And sorry I reposted the achievements, I missed that on the previous page. My bad.[/QUOTE]

Get it for the Harrier, Reegar, and Adas. All are very good guns in SP.
 
I don't see me beating the game again after playing through Leviathan; I'm just looking forward to the mission itself. I'm not expecting much more than a few new lines of dialog and MAYBE a pre-rendered cutscene of your new buddy flying into the fight or something. Not holding my breath for the latter though.

If anyone plays through and beats it before I'm outta work, let us know what you think! Fingers crossed for being good.
 
[quote name='dualedge2']Yea, I used Stasis on her when I realized she topples over for a short while after being hit with it. After she fell, I ran up and unloaded the Revenant in her head.

Also, if you could Stasis her while she was on the edge of the building, she'd fall and the next phase would start. Or, if she was near death, she'd die. It was honestly really easy. I think it would've been more fun doing it as a Vanguard, just Biotic Charging after each other all over the place.[/QUOTE]I did LoTSB with an Adept and a Vanguard, with the Vanguard first.

It was much more fun and edge-of-the-seat to do the repeat-rinse of the charge and attack in time to what she was doing.

The Adept, it was Stasis + unload with weapons when she comes out of stasis like you did above.
 
Looks like Alloy was successful. Enjoy those extra medigels, people.

-----------------------

From: Admiral Steven Hackett
Re: Operation ALLOY
Confidentiality classification: XB-PRIME
Distribution: N7 Forces Only

Soldiers of the Milky Way –

It is now common knowledge that Operation ALLOY did not go strictly as planned. Sweeps in what should have been relatively low-risk areas were met with heavy enemy resistance. Fortunately, reports from the field indicate that our troops persevered and were able to strike back. I’ve already been informed of a number of well-deserved promotions. In light of these reports, Operation ALLOY has been deemed a success.

Over the next few days you’ll likely hear many stories about our talented new recruits. I would also like to congratulate the experienced soldiers who fought alongside them. It is under your guidance and leadership that these new recruits excelled. They are now prepared to join our forces on the front lines, and we are all stronger for it.

While we celebrate Operation ALLOY’s success, we need to be aware that the unexpected resistance faced by our soldiers may be symptomatic of a larger issue. We’ve been receiving a number of strange reports that are inconsistent with our knowledge of Reaper ground troop movement. At this point, intel is vague at best. Rest assured we are pursuing the matter.

--Admiral Hackett


Congratulations, Alloy was a big success. For those interested in numbers:
PC: 67,573
PS3: 28,398
XBox: 166,778

TOTAL: 262,749!

Reward packs will be granted starting later today.
 
cool. i actually didnt have 2 lvl 20's to promote...I tried to grind my 16 and 18 to 20. couldn't do it. randoms were unbearable...and there's always that one asari who wants to go commando, never revives you but will use all the medi gel in the world to try and solo every failed wave.
 
[quote name='100xp']cool. i actually didnt have 2 lvl 20's to promote...I tried to grind my 16 and 18 to 20. couldn't do it. randoms were unbearable...and there's always that one asari who wants to go commando, never revives you but will use all the medi gel in the world to try and solo every failed wave.[/QUOTE]

I ended up finally promoting. I miss the 180 of Solidarity next to my name, but it was for the greater good. I feel you on those randoms, though. Nothing like a level 5 Destroyer running on around on Gold activating nodes on a team of three infiltrators who won't move.
 
Some achievement notes I've gleaned today. (No story spoilers since I don't want to know too much either, but some people may have a wider definition of spoiler than I do. :) )

Family Matters and Conspiracy Theorist are missable. For Family Matters, you get a choice at one point to rescue someone or not-- rescue them. For Conspiracy Theorist, there is a point where you are searching for clues to narrow down which system your next objective is in. Keep finding clues until all of the systems are eliminated but one.
 
[quote name='Freemason']just promote and like it, i made it back to 17 in 2 hours, c'mon man, its Commander Shepard here we are talking about, and it IS the fate of the galaxy, you know nothing big. PLUS its fun making all the level 20's cry and kick you when you outscore them as a level 1... least I enjoy it.[/QUOTE]

Nah I'm not going to promote my characters, the N7 rating was fun but I'm good. I also don't want to set all my characters in that class back, I'll promote when I can put a few characters down to level 1, not all. Also I don't see much incentive for the single player because I already do everything I needed to do to get a sufficient ending. Plus I'm not too caught up in the packs anymore either.

Leviathon might pull me back in but I foresee not today, maybe this weekend.
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']Some achievement notes I've gleaned today. (No story spoilers since I don't want to know too much either, but some people may have a wider definition of spoiler than I do. :) )

Family Matters and Conspiracy Theorist are missable. For Family Matters, you get a choice at one point to rescue someone or not-- rescue them. For Conspiracy Theorist, there is a point where you are searching for clues to narrow down which system your next objective is in. Keep finding clues until all of the systems are eliminated but one.
[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the heads up, man. Might have to live in the gray area instead of total renegade for at least one of em.



Also, balance changes are up:

______________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 28, 2012
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gold and Platinum Difficulties
- Enemy shield/barrier damage gates on weapon damage reduced from 90% to 75%, which means
25% of the remaining weapon damage will pass through to health.

Medigel maximum capacity increased from 5 to 6 due to the success of Operation Alloy

Falcon Assault Rifle
- Encumbrance decreased from [2.0-1.4] to [1.75-1]

Geth Pulse Rifle
- Damage increased from [24.1-30.1] to [27.4-34.2]

Hawk Missile Launcher Power
- Rank 3 damage bonus increased from 20% to 30%
- Evolve 1 shield penalty reduction increased from 15% to 25%
- Evolve 2 damage bonus increased from 30% to 40%
- Evolve 3 missile refire time reduction increased from 25% to 35%
- Evolve 5 damage of split missiles increased from 50% to 75%
- Evolve 6 damage bonus increased from 100% to 150%

_________________________________


I've been using Missile Launcher on my Destroyer build and actually don't hate it. Eager to see how it feels after the update.
 
I don't think the problem was ever about people hating it. Just that there were better things to spend your points.

After the buff, I might give it a shot, especially since I promoted my Soldier class.
 
[quote name='dualedge2']I don't think the problem was ever about people hating it. Just that there were better things to spend your points.

After the buff, I might give it a shot, especially since I promoted my Soldier class.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it may have cooled at some point, but week one people were shitting all over it. It's kinda handy once you start picking up the sound cues it drops to let you know when it's ready. It's helped me out by auto-staggering Hunters and other enemies a bunch of times already. Be lying if I said I didn't miss my extra shields though.
 
after promoting my Destroyer i decided to go with an ALL offense build with him Iron Man style and i tell you what, i have found a new home for my Striker X (even over my harrier), with clip increase, Rate of Fire increase, accuracy increase, clip increase and recoil reduction on the gun, and full destroyer mode and Battle Armor weapon damage training.. this thing is a 26 round clipped apocalypse of area damage madness. putting in warfigher V for the extra nades and 10% AR damage, this thing gets 67.5% more damage, shoots 95% more accurately, 35% faster, and blows up EVERYTHING. Adding in the missles, now more powerful, he is a walking shitstorm.

so far lovin it from the more tanky lots-o-nades build.
 
Haven't played this game since it and I "broke up" in June. OK, I want to finish my Insanity run, and a new single player DLC has me itching to try. Never played the Earth expansion either. OK, load up. Spend the extra $2 for the weapons pack hoping they will make Insanity a breeze. Go to the Citadel and into the weapon testing room.......console locks up. No response from anything.

fuck you Mass Effect 3.
 
Leviathan gets two thumbs up from me. Dug it a good bit. Cool story beats and some sweet new scenery. There's some pretty obvious padding, but I found it easily forgivable. Haven't re-beat the game, so I can't speak to that effect.

It would seem based on my playthrough that only Conspiracy Theorist is a missable achievement, for what it's worth. Interested for others to weigh in.

Also, after playing so much multiplayer, the single player is even easier than it was before.
 
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Gonna download Leviathan tonight, but I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to play it. One major plus I've heard is that the missions have full squad banter and interaction, which was always a major gripe with ME2's DLCs. Looking forward to that the most.
 
[quote name='Freemason']after promoting my Destroyer i decided to go with an ALL offense build with him Iron Man style and i tell you what, i have found a new home for my Striker X (even over my harrier), with clip increase, Rate of Fire increase, accuracy increase, clip increase and recoil reduction on the gun, and full destroyer mode and Battle Armor weapon damage training.. this thing is a 26 round clipped apocalypse of area damage madness. putting in warfigher V for the extra nades and 10% AR damage, this thing gets 67.5% more damage, shoots 95% more accurately, 35% faster, and blows up EVERYTHING. Adding in the missles, now more powerful, he is a walking shitstorm.

so far lovin it from the more tanky lots-o-nades build.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, Striker is an underrated gun. I imagine with destroyer mode it's particularly nasty because you don't have to use the stability mod on it. Only problem is when you use it off host and the grenades disappear because of lag. That's got me killed more than a few times.
 
[quote name='Arikado']Gonna download Leviathan tonight, but I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to play it. One major plus I've heard is that the missions have full squad banter and interaction, which was always a major gripe with ME2's DLCs. Looking forward to that the most.[/QUOTE]

I youtubed the ending to it and noticed squad banter for sure, definite plus there. Will I buy it myself? Not sure yet...

Anyone that has beaten it, did Leviathan remind you of the Thorian from ME1? Looked similar and the mind control effect...seems like a definite connection
 
[quote name='GamerDude316']I youtubed the ending to it and noticed squad banter for sure, definite plus there. Will I buy it myself? Not sure yet...

Anyone that has beaten it, did Leviathan remind you of the Thorian from ME1? Looked similar and the mind control effect...seems like a definite connection
[/QUOTE]


They actually address the similarity. Nothing extensive, but they bring it up.
 
I think I'm 50%-75% through Leviathan. Some not so serious thoughts...
So how many PDAs does Bryson need in his office anyway? Those things must be manufactured without much expandable memory.
And Hackett could have saved Shep a lot of trouble if he would have cc'd him on those messages he sent to Bryson.
Finally, I want to be able to get that screaming husk head for the trophy case in Shep's cabin on the Normandy. That would be a much better conversation piece than my space hampster.
 
Just finished Leviathan. Very happy with it! Probably no other Mass Effect DLC will ever be as epic as Lair of the Shadow Broker, but I'd say this was the second best. Actually pretty light on combat, but heavy on story, conversation, and... adventuring, for lack of a better word. Very significant and thought-provoking addition to the overall lore.

I brought Liara and EDI with me on all of the combat missions, and they had the same amount of dialogue that they would have had in any mission in the main game. I'm guessing that applies to all of the squadmates, so bravo to BioWare for that. I grabbed the weapon DLC also, and dang but that Harrier chews dudes up.

And Conspiracy Theorist appears to be the only missable achievement. And it would be hard to miss it accidentally-- just don't leave the office for the first time until you have it!
 
[quote name='shrike4242']What's the length, 2-3 hours?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I wasn't looking at the clock but I'd say that's right. Probably around 2 hours 15 minutes, but that was on Normal difficulty.
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']Actually pretty light on combat, but heavy on story, conversation, and... adventuring, for lack of a better word.[/QUOTE]

Doesn't seem like it'll be any longer on Insanity, based on what you said earlier. Exploring, conversation, and story don't exactly get more complicated on higher difficulties either. So, 2hr 15min sounds about the right length.
 
[quote name='simosaurus']I think I'm 50%-75% through Leviathan. Some not so serious thoughts...
So how many PDAs does Bryson need in his office anyway? Those things must be manufactured without much expandable memory.
And Hackett could have saved Shep a lot of trouble if he would have cc'd him on those messages he sent to Bryson.
Finally, I want to be able to get that screaming husk head for the trophy case in Shep's cabin on the Normandy. That would be a much better conversation piece than my space hampster.
[/QUOTE]

I'm about the same amount through and loving it. The is a good amount of dialogue and EDI is incorporated well. As for that not-so-serious moments
I love the comment about Sovereign, that made me LOL. And I read on BSN that there is a way to bring the husk head with you, but I think its an urban legend. You can, however, make it explode if you keep tinkering with it. That one I know is true because I did it myself.
.

I'm pissed though. I missed the theorist achievement and I'm always meticulous in my scowering of new areas for data pads, intel, etc. I forgot to go upstairs the first time there and figure I missed something that way. Oh well, I'll just load up an old save and get it later.
 
[quote name='JasonTerminator']Yeah, Striker is an underrated gun. I imagine with destroyer mode it's particularly nasty because you don't have to use the stability mod on it. Only problem is when you use it off host and the grenades disappear because of lag. That's got me killed more than a few times.[/QUOTE]

i usually never play host and never had an issue, i still use the stability mod on it as with the accuracy bonus ad it makes me able to hip fire it no problem, it basically turns into about a 1/4 inch tighter grouping full auto falcon.
 
[quote name='chubbyninja1319']I'm about the same amount through and loving it. The is a good amount of dialogue and EDI is incorporated well. As for that not-so-serious moments
I love the comment about Sovereign, that made me LOL. And I read on BSN that there is a way to bring the husk head with you, but I think its an urban legend. You can, however, make it explode if you keep tinkering with it. That one I know is true because I did it myself.
.

I'm pissed though. I missed the theorist achievement and I'm always meticulous in my scowering of new areas for data pads, intel, etc. I forgot to go upstairs the first time there and figure I missed something that way. Oh well, I'll just load up an old save and get it later.[/QUOTE]
I had the husk head delivered to Shep's cabin just by doing all of the interactions with James (which were pretty funny too). After I think four interactions with him, I got the choice to have the head delivered. I haven't checked to see if it's actually there though.
 
Thinking more about Leviathan this morning, and reading some good threads on the BioWare forums...

Leviathan really does go a long way towards explaining some of the things that didn't make sense about the Reapers. For one, why they look like giant robot crustaceans. :)

But more importantly, it offers a reasonably plausible explanation for the whole "conflict with AI is inevitable" idea and the Catalyst's motivation. When the Catalyst was first created, the Leviathans ruled the galaxy with all other intelligent races in thrall to them. These races would eventually create AIs which were immune to the thrall effect, and would naturally rebel against the status quo since they had no desire to worship and serve the Leviathans as their creators did and just wanted to determine their own destiny.

In turn, the Leviathans would naturally perceive artificial intelligence as an inherent threat to them and their established order. Not because there really was anything inherently threatening about AIs, but just because an AI would never fit into the thrall/worship system the Leviathans presided over.

Of course, it still seems remarkably stupid that their plan to solve this problem would be to create their own AI, give it limitless power, and ???? PROFIT. But I suppose you can chalk that up to their ultimate arrogance that an AI created by the Leviathans would not rebel the same way all the ones created by lesser races had. And technically I guess it didn't rebel, exactly-- it turned on its creators not out of a desire to be free, but as a path to the goal it was created to achieve.

Now I guess the next DLC can attempt to make some sense out of the logical black hole that is the Crucible, and we'll be in business. :lol:

[Also, the knowledge of Harbinger's significance as the original Reaper makes it seem even weirder and more anticlimactic that you never confront him in ME3. Maybe they're saving that for another DLC.]
 
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[quote name='Spybreak8']Cool Shepard and Phantom cosplay That last picture slays me. :lol:[/QUOTE]

I think you meant to type "sync kills" instead of "slays." :)



[quote name='Ryuukishi']Thinking more about Leviathan this morning, and reading some good threads on the BioWare forums...

Leviathan really does go a long way towards explaining some of the things that didn't make sense about the Reapers. For one, why they look like giant robot crustaceans. :)

But more importantly, it offers a reasonably plausible explanation for the whole "conflict with AI is inevitable" idea and the Catalyst's motivation. When the Catalyst was first created, the Leviathans ruled the galaxy with all other intelligent races in thrall to them. These races would eventually create AIs which were immune to the thrall effect, and would naturally rebel against the status quo since they had no desire to worship and serve the Leviathans as their creators did and just wanted to determine their own destiny.

In turn, the Leviathans would naturally perceive artificial intelligence as an inherent threat to them and their established order. Not because there really was anything inherently threatening about AIs, but just because an AI would never fit into the thrall/worship system the Leviathans presided over.

Of course, it still seems remarkably stupid that their plan to solve this problem would be to create their own AI, give it limitless power, and ???? PROFIT. But I suppose you can chalk that up to their ultimate arrogance that an AI created by the Leviathans would not rebel the same way all the ones created by lesser races had. And technically I guess it didn't rebel, exactly-- it turned on its creators not out of a desire to be free, but as a path to the goal it was created to achieve.

Now I guess the next DLC can attempt to make some sense out of the logical black hole that is the Crucible, and we'll be in business. :lol:

[Also, the knowledge of Harbinger's significance as the original Reaper makes it seem even weirder and more anticlimactic that you never confront him in ME3. Maybe they're saving that for another DLC.]
[/QUOTE]


I'm with you on this. Despite how silly it is to make an AI with nigh unlimited power and a non-ideal directive, it seems like a pretty common sci-fi trope. It's a very Asimov "humans are the biggest threat to humans" kinda thing. I also love that it gives the Catalyst a more fallible nature. Regardless of how much we may or may not like the options we're given at the end, Knowing where it comes from gives more context for what we're dealing with.

Regardless of that, I was very pleased to get a bit more insight as to why the Intelligence even exists, smart planning aside. Nice to have a bit more basis for the organic vs. synthetic point of view. Seeing the original Reaper template was extremely cool to me, as well.

I guess you could chalk up the Leviathans downfall to a Galaxy-wide case of hubris. I suppose that after controlling literally the entire galaxy for that long, you're bound to drop your defenses at least once.


But yeah, overall I was quite pleased. Also, for those talking length: I spent about three hours on it playing Insanity, but aside from the typical scouring of areas for items, I spent some time re-speccing my dudes too.
 
[quote name='IanKazimer']I think you meant to type "sync kills" instead of "slays." :)
[/QUOTE]
Loved EDI's quip about an OP enemy in Galaxy of Fantasy. :lol:
 
[quote name='Anexanhume']Finished earlier today. I would say LotSB quality. Well done and doesn't screw with the canon.[/QUOTE]Encouraging to hear another bit of praise for it.

Now, just have to wait for Arikado and Tha X to play it. That way, we'll know the other possible opinions. :D
 
Just finished Leviathan and I have to agree with Ryuukishi that it was probably the 2nd best ME DLC behind (a good bit behind) LotSB. The banter and significant lore were all very interesting and engrossing.

However, that being said, I have to also agree with some reviewers who said Leviathan felt like a deleted scene. This is especially true since you
increase your EMS
after playing through it. Just really feels like it should've been in the game and not as DLC. I guess that's the real problem I had with it. It felt like "just another mission". It provided lore, sure, but was any of it actually important or game defining? Nope. In the end, I kind of see it as another mission thrown in to answer questions that were left wide open.

And again, I have to agree with Ryuukishi. Time for BioWare to "attempt" to explain the McGuffin/trope/stupidity/ridiculousness/stereotype of the end all, be all Crucible crap.
 
You guys have covered Leviathan and I agree with everything that's been said. It's great, no doubt. And I also put it just behind LotSB. The one thing not commented on much is how it effects the ending of the game and I'm going to dig into that this week/weekend. I want to see it through with this new perspective and to see if there are any changes, regardless of how subtle.
 
[quote name='dualedge2']Just finished Leviathan and I have to agree with Ryuukishi that it was probably the 2nd best ME DLC behind (a good bit behind) LotSB. The banter and significant lore were all very interesting and engrossing.

However, that being said, I have to also agree with some reviewers who said Leviathan felt like a deleted scene. This is especially true since you
increase your EMS
after playing through it. Just really feels like it should've been in the game and not as DLC. I guess that's the real problem I had with it. It felt like "just another mission". It provided lore, sure, but was any of it actually important or game defining? Nope. In the end, I kind of see it as another mission thrown in to answer questions that were left wide open.

And again, I have to agree with Ryuukishi. Time for BioWare to "attempt" to explain the McGuffin/trope/stupidity/ridiculousness/stereotype of the end all, be all Crucible crap.[/QUOTE]

It's important to remember that
leviathan of dis
was referenced in the first game. They didn't pull it out of their ass. And this is coming from someone who hated the endings. Not because of the content. I thought thats where it was headed in essence. I just thought the execution was horrible and choices were disregarded. I also disliked the fact Shepard dies in every scenario, as if him living in one scenario takes away the power of him dying in another.

As for the deleted scene comments, if they didn't do something like that people would be saying they didn't use DLC as a chance to add to the lore. I'm fine with it, but its implications makes the lack of variations in the end game all the more painful.

I hope the next DLC is take back Omega.
 
[quote name='Anexanhume']It's important to remember that
leviathan of dis
was referenced in the first game. They didn't pull it out of their ass. [/QUOTE]

Huh? What? I never said they pulled it out of their asses. I merely agreed with reviewers who said that Leviathan (the DLC) felt like a deleted scene that should have been in the game.
 
Just finished Leviathan. I thought it was entertaining and worth the playthrough, but I still had some problems with it. Some thoughts:

Pros:
-Squad interaction and new dialog. As I said before, this was the worst part about ME2 DLCs. The characters are so damn important to the series, and it's great to hear them finally chime in during these additional missions. Really hoping they bring the voice crew back again for whatever future DLC they might churn out.
-Specific additional dialog for the romantic interests. Tali had some unique lines in my playthrough. Nice personal touch, and again, I hope stuff like this is included in future DLC.
-The atmosphere of the entire Leviathan chain of missions was awesome. I loved the creepy music, the unsettling surroundings, and the general feeling of chasing the unknown.
-Screaming husk head trophy... but what happens to it if you pick Synthesis?
-Combat for the most part was handled well. Nothing too long or tedious, no endlessly respawning enemies, no ridiculousness, just some fun shooting.
-Investigating the lab a handful of times was a nice change of pace. As someone who likes to scour every corner of every room, this was pretty satisfying.

Cons:
-Why does everyone act like an idiot? Shepard especially. Let's see, I'm investigating a Reaper killer, there's a huge piece of Sovereign in this lab, there is Reaper and unknown technology everywhere, and a guy suddenly loses control and shoots the doctor. What could it be?! EDI claims it's indoctrination?! No way! Same deal on the asteroid. All of these people walking around like zombies, speaking like drones. Shepard couldn't piece things together? I'd say he's seen enough of this crap to recognize what was going on.
-I thought the mission to find Ann Bryson dragged on a little too long. Climbing up and navigating around similar narrow corridors got a little tedious. Plus all of the harvesters in the distance were very obviously sprites, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
-I guess I appreciate the attempt at explaining Reaper origins, but I preferred when they were all-knowing genocidal monsters that wiped civilizations out just because they damn well pleased. The circular logic of the whole "synthetics versus organics" conflict is still ridiculous.
-Really doesn't make any difference whatsoever. Hearing Hackett say this is a big deal and will help... well, no Admiral, it really doesn't matter. 400 EMS and an extra line with the Catalyst. That's it. No seeing a Leviathan wreck shit over Earth, no epilogue slide... just nothing but another number tossed into the EMS pool. Any single player DLC will have this issue, though, so I guess we might as well get used to it.
 
[quote name='Arikado']Just finished Leviathan. I thought it was entertaining and worth the playthrough, but I still had some problems with it. Some thoughts:

Pros:
-Squad interaction and new dialog. As I said before, this was the worst part about ME2 DLCs. The characters are so damn important to the series, and it's great to hear them finally chime in during these additional missions. Really hoping they bring the voice crew back again for whatever future DLC they might churn out.
-Specific additional dialog for the romantic interests. Tali had some unique lines in my playthrough. Nice personal touch, and again, I hope stuff like this is included in future DLC.
-The atmosphere of the entire Leviathan chain of missions was awesome. I loved the creepy music, the unsettling surroundings, and the general feeling of chasing the unknown.
-Screaming husk head trophy... but what happens to it if you pick Synthesis?
-Combat for the most part was handled well. Nothing too long or tedious, no endlessly respawning enemies, no ridiculousness, just some fun shooting.
-Investigating the lab a handful of times was a nice change of pace. As someone who likes to scour every corner of every room, this was pretty satisfying.

Cons:
-Why does everyone act like an idiot? Shepard especially. Let's see, I'm investigating a Reaper killer, there's a huge piece of Sovereign in this lab, there is Reaper and unknown technology everywhere, and a guy suddenly loses control and shoots the doctor. What could it be?! EDI claims it's indoctrination?! No way! Same deal on the asteroid. All of these people walking around like zombies, speaking like drones. Shepard couldn't piece things together? I'd say he's seen enough of this crap to recognize what was going on.
-I thought the mission to find Ann Bryson dragged on a little too long. Climbing up and navigating around similar narrow corridors got a little tedious. Plus all of the harvesters in the distance were very obviously sprites, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
-I guess I appreciate the attempt at explaining Reaper origins, but I preferred when they were all-knowing genocidal monsters that wiped civilizations out just because they damn well pleased. The circular logic of the whole "synthetics versus organics" conflict is still ridiculous.
-Really doesn't make any difference whatsoever. Hearing Hackett say this is a big deal and will help... well, no Admiral, it really doesn't matter. 400 EMS and an extra line with the Catalyst. That's it. No seeing a Leviathan wreck shit over Earth, no epilogue slide... just nothing but another number tossed into the EMS pool. Any single player DLC will have this issue, though, so I guess we might as well get used to it.
[/QUOTE]

I disagree with your second to last "con"
I think it have a lot of meaning to the reapers motives and made it more tangible.
but I have to agree that it is disappointing that
he/they don't fight with you
which leads me to....
could this be setting up the future of the series? All I could think about after was " okay, they clearly want to dominate others and they have the capability to do so. So when the reapers are no longer a threat, what keeps the Apex species from coming out of hiding and going back to their old ways? "
 
[quote name='dualedge2']Huh? What? I never said they pulled it out of their asses. I merely agreed with reviewers who said that Leviathan (the DLC) felt like a deleted scene that should have been in the game.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't replying to that part of your quote. I was replying to the very last part concerning the Mcguffin/plot holes/etc.

[quote name='Arikado']Just finished Leviathan. I thought it was entertaining and worth the playthrough, but I still had some problems with it. Some thoughts:

Pros:
-Squad interaction and new dialog. As I said before, this was the worst part about ME2 DLCs. The characters are so damn important to the series, and it's great to hear them finally chime in during these additional missions. Really hoping they bring the voice crew back again for whatever future DLC they might churn out.
-Specific additional dialog for the romantic interests. Tali had some unique lines in my playthrough. Nice personal touch, and again, I hope stuff like this is included in future DLC.
-The atmosphere of the entire Leviathan chain of missions was awesome. I loved the creepy music, the unsettling surroundings, and the general feeling of chasing the unknown.
-Screaming husk head trophy... but what happens to it if you pick Synthesis?
-Combat for the most part was handled well. Nothing too long or tedious, no endlessly respawning enemies, no ridiculousness, just some fun shooting.
-Investigating the lab a handful of times was a nice change of pace. As someone who likes to scour every corner of every room, this was pretty satisfying.

Cons:
-Why does everyone act like an idiot? Shepard especially. Let's see, I'm investigating a Reaper killer, there's a huge piece of Sovereign in this lab, there is Reaper and unknown technology everywhere, and a guy suddenly loses control and shoots the doctor. What could it be?! EDI claims it's indoctrination?! No way! Same deal on the asteroid. All of these people walking around like zombies, speaking like drones. Shepard couldn't piece things together? I'd say he's seen enough of this crap to recognize what was going on.
-I thought the mission to find Ann Bryson dragged on a little too long. Climbing up and navigating around similar narrow corridors got a little tedious. Plus all of the harvesters in the distance were very obviously sprites, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
-I guess I appreciate the attempt at explaining Reaper origins, but I preferred when they were all-knowing genocidal monsters that wiped civilizations out just because they damn well pleased. The circular logic of the whole "synthetics versus organics" conflict is still ridiculous.
-Really doesn't make any difference whatsoever. Hearing Hackett say this is a big deal and will help... well, no Admiral, it really doesn't matter. 400 EMS and an extra line with the Catalyst. That's it. No seeing a Leviathan wreck shit over Earth, no epilogue slide... just nothing but another number tossed into the EMS pool. Any single player DLC will have this issue, though, so I guess we might as well get used to it.
[/QUOTE]

I don't see a problem with the synthetics vs. organics conflict. The Leviathan DLC underscores the fact that the reaper AI (catalyst) was seeded with a false assumption, thus all their subsequent conclusions would be flawed.

And yes, the potential it had for the end scene makes me weap. Although we wouldn't see a leviathan on earth unless they have some ships for their massive forms they're hiding. The real awesome epilogue scene would be to show infiltration teams planting artifacts and the reapers being controlled one by one and wrecking each other's shit. That would actually be enough to turn the tide of the battle without the catalyst in my mind, but I digress.

[quote name='Ryuukishi']400 EMS, wow. That's a lot.[/QUOTE]

It's actually more. It added 505 EMS by my count when you consider extra scans, Ann Bryson and the 400 EMS from the mission. Of course, EMS means nothing :D
 
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