By Quintin Smith on April 21st, 2011 at 10:02 am.
Only two new screens? Hardly news, is it? Well, no. If I’m honest, I’m really only posting about this as a collective reminder that Mass Effect 3 is coming at the end of this year. Eee! It’s going to be amazing. I hope there’s going to be another bit where one of Shepherd’s crew flirts with him and you can press a button to bark “WE KEEP THIS RELATIONSHIP PROFESSIONAL,” crumpling her romantic intentions in your space-bastard fist. That was my favourite bit. Now, where did that second screenshot get to?
Oh! It was after the jump. Of course.
Anybody else get a bit of a flashback seeing that armour, those enemies and that sort of environment again? We’re in for quite a lot more of it, I suspect.
21/04/2011 at 10:05 Eggy says:
Yeah it’s Mass Effect. Couldn’t tell if it was 1, 2 or 3 though. Don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing.
21/04/2011 at 12:50 Kilrathi says:
at least it’s no Dragon Age 2
22/04/2011 at 01:41 Burning Man says:
Well said.
21/04/2011 at 10:08 The Hammer says:
Are these not the first ones released? I can’t remember seeing any others.
That looks hella cool regardless, though! Not a huge graphical improvement, but I can’t say I was expecting one.
21/04/2011 at 11:41 jplayer01 says:
I don’t even know how they could improve the graphics significantly. At best, I can imagine marginal improvements which might come at a high performance cost …
21/04/2011 at 16:16 utzel says:
I know a way to improve graphics: Proper lighting!
Which means get rid of the lights that glare and blind you but don’t illuminate things more than 2 feet away. Everything remotely dark just drowns in the shadows… next to a light source…
21/04/2011 at 16:50 Mad Hamish says:
With design. The environments look almost identical. Again. Does every civilization in the galaxy eventually come to the same architectural solutions for everything?
21/04/2011 at 16:56 Nallen says:
They could use some high resolution textures?
They did okay working with 360 limitations but be honest, the games didn’t look great.
21/04/2011 at 18:18 Jeremy says:
@Hamish
In all fairness, the galaxy’s entire technology structure is based on information given to them by the reapers. It doesn’t shock me that there are similarities.
I’m guessing there will be some high res textures, and some better lighting.. but I still agree with Hamish, a little variation would be nice, even if it does or doesn’t make sense. Mix it up a bit.
22/04/2011 at 10:49 Spoit says:
Yeah, ME2 could definitely use a high res texture pack or two. And a proper AA implimentation. Heck, even at how much these shots are downsized, you can still see pretty noticeable aliasing on the background geometry. Especially that roof
21/04/2011 at 10:09 Lewie Procter says:
Could be worse, they could be asking us to like their facebook page to get 2 new screenshots.
21/04/2011 at 10:55 Giant, fussy whingebag says:
It’ll come, Lewie. It’ll come.
21/04/2011 at 13:49 skurmedel says:
2010, the year the public started doing the work for marketing agencies.
21/04/2011 at 14:31 DrGonzo says:
You’re way too late on that one. The first year someone wore clothing with a companies logo on/ drove a car with the companies badge on etc. That was when people started actively working for the marketing agencies.
21/04/2011 at 14:38 Veret says:
I have a rant about Facebook likes, but I would only be preaching to the choir. What I’m really doing is hijacking the first halfway relevant reply to post this prominently:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-04-20-new-heavy-melee-class-for-mass-effect-3
Bioware released two new screenshots AND a truckload of class/gameplay information. Dunno why that second part is getting ignored.
21/04/2011 at 16:45 skurmedel says:
I don’t really think it is comparable DrGonzo. Clicking on a Like-button on Facebook for a picture is like the inverse of advertising, you actively seek out a piece of advertisement more or less; plus the reward is more advertising. Branded wear is a product with advertisement on it.
21/04/2011 at 16:46 Lewie Procter says:
They actually were soliciting RTs for screenshots of the last ME2 DLC. “If we get 1000 RTs by tomorrow we’ll give you some new screenshots”.
21/04/2011 at 10:14 talon03 says:
Who is that dude and why is he wearing Shepard’s armour?
21/04/2011 at 10:32 faelnor says:
Same here. Where is Shephard Shepard?
21/04/2011 at 16:17 PleasingFungus says:
Oh god. Is it… Rule 63 on Shepard?
21/04/2011 at 18:24 Jeremy says:
Oh no… I just realized something. I have to play all of them again. My Shepards were lost to the evils of disk failure!
21/04/2011 at 10:23 Longrat says:
Wow those screenshots tell me absolutely NOTHING about the game.
21/04/2011 at 10:49 Cinek says:
They tell me that they took models from Star Wars: The Old Republic!
B) LOL!
21/04/2011 at 11:41 kyrieee says:
Good, I don’t want to know anything
21/04/2011 at 12:37 Unaco says:
The screenshots tell you NOTHING about the game? Oh dear. Oh deary, deary me! Quick, someone inform BioWare! If they only knew they had released screenshots that reveal very little about their new game (except for teasing at some of the possible enemies and environments and generally looking good) rather than the screenshots that reveal the entire story and backstory, every plot twist and dramatic dialogue, all of the sidequests and one-liners, every quest reward and consequence, all of the
sex scenesromantic interludes, in-jokes, easter eggs, end credits and menu options.21/04/2011 at 13:17 Longrat says:
@Unaco
A screenshot can tell you about the feel of the game, some of the characters, settings, color schemes, motifs, etc. By looking at only a few portal 2 screenshots you could tell so much about the game (pre release, obviously).
These screenshots tell you that the game is mass effect, and that’s it. That’s not a very effective way of getting people’s attention, now is it?
Take your sarcasm elsewhere, RPS is already overloaded with smartasses.
21/04/2011 at 13:46 steviesteveo says:
A screenshot can tell you about the feel of the game — at least part of it is a shooty bang game
some of the characters — there’s someone who’s probably shepard given he’s in the 3d person shooter position
settings — there’s a corridor on a planet by the looks of it
color schemes — brown
motifs — err… There’s a red and white shoulder patch on Shepard’s armour?
21/04/2011 at 14:04 Unaco says:
@Longrat,
A Screenshot CAN tell you those things, it doesn’t mean that it HAS to tell you those things. It can also just look familiar, evoke memories of similar games, i.e. Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. As the article itself says…
“Anybody else get a bit of a flashback seeing that armour, those enemies and that sort of environment again?”
Seems like the screenshots managed to do that. Screenshots don’t have to be all about the newest, latest, greatest thing, each one chosen carefully to show a specific new feature or function… they can also show the old and the familiar in a new light.
Also, I find the following somewhat faulty reasoning…
“These screenshots tell you that the game is mass effect, and that’s it. That’s not a very effective way of getting people’s attention, now is it?”
When Mass Effect is one of the biggest selling, most critically acclaimed franchises of modern gaming, then yes, I think a screenshot that shouts “Mass Effect is back!” is an effective way of getting people’s attention.
And one final thing… do you control RPS, or are you my Mother? No, didn’t think so. Until the day you can answer either of those questions in the affirmative, f*ck off and don’t tell me where I can and can’t be sarcastic. Thank you.
21/04/2011 at 15:56 Jimbo says:
“When Mass Effect is one of the biggest selling….”
Hahaha, was that sarcasm too?
21/04/2011 at 10:25 Delixe says:
I hope it does look a lot like ME2. That way we know BioWare spent the development time on story and interesting missions. The things that were totally absent in Dragon Age 2.
21/04/2011 at 10:47 thebigJ_A says:
I agree with everything you say. Except for the “c” you inexplicably put in “absent”.
Unless you were referring to the luscious odor of abdominal muscles, in which case I heartily endorse it.
21/04/2011 at 11:02 Diziet Sma says:
I disagree there, that’s overly harsh on Dragon Age 2 which had a more personal story rather than the broad scope of the first.
21/04/2011 at 14:32 DrGonzo says:
Yeah, I hope they do whatever they did with Dragon Age 2. They took a completely mediocre game and made it at least enjoyable imo.
21/04/2011 at 10:29 Stense says:
Such cruel, cruel space-bastardry.
21/04/2011 at 10:34 Greg Wild says:
I am glad to see that I’m not the only one that enjoyed knocking back the romantic encounters rather than opting for space-snuggling.
It’s just not British!
21/04/2011 at 14:07 Hoaxfish says:
probably the only place it is proper to, is nymphoisland.
Middle of a war? deadly enemies all around? lives at risk? humping before the ship leaves dock!
21/04/2011 at 17:49 Arglebargle says:
While you may harrumph at it, in times of life threatening danger, serious humping is a common reaction.
21/04/2011 at 10:43 thebigJ_A says:
The fact that both companions have armor that matches Shepard’s is interesting. That wasn’t possible in 2, since you just had specific outfits per character (plus Miranda’s naughty, dirty black… uh, I mean, alternate colors for squad members).
Does this mean perhaps loot will return in some form? God, I hope so. ME1′s inventory was cumbersome, but stripping it out almost entirely from 2 wasn’t the way to go, imho.
EDIT: I just noticed the bad guys in the second screen. It seems they elected to pose enemies in the same configuration as the shots they usually use for your party. Dammit.
21/04/2011 at 10:57 Milky1985 says:
They should use the alphaprotocol style system, it does have inventory but its minor and mostly addons for the guns.
that way both parties are happy, the ones that don’t want it cause it gets in the way of the shooting, and the ons taht do want it because they don’t want a game just based on the shooting.
Oh and this time make the sniper class a little less overkill, seriously it was far too easy with that class, zoom in , slow mo, headshot. Anythign that survived that got a fireball in the face, rince and repeat!
21/04/2011 at 10:46 Paul says:
look like screens from ME1.
Or 2.
21/04/2011 at 10:56 Vague-rant says:
I like the similarities in look. Firstly they tell me my computer will probably be able to run the game. And it gives the trilogy more of a consistent theme/atmosphere.
21/04/2011 at 10:56 thepaleking says:
*proceeds to speculate on all story and gameplay elements, based on those two screens.*
21/04/2011 at 13:07 ManorMoose says:
I don’t know about the narrative, but what I can deduce is the presence of an in-game Helmet Store…
21/04/2011 at 10:57 Moni says:
Helmets and Space Machine Guns!
SPACESHOOTS! SPACEFACE! MANSPACE!
21/04/2011 at 11:41 stahlwerk says:
MALE SPACE MARINES IN SPACE 3. DEFAULTFACE!
21/04/2011 at 11:05 arghstupid says:
On my phone the second picture consists of 8 giant squares in shades of brown, like a really lofi minecraft, which my phone wants to correct to minerals. That just reminded me of the thing I hope has been removed in this sequel sequel.
There, now you know all sorts about my phone.
21/04/2011 at 11:18 Zwebbie says:
I love Mass Effect’s art direction for being hilariously obsessed with panel surfaces. The average ugly game is filled with concrete, dirt and metal walkways, but not Mass Effect – it’s all panel. Spaceships? Panels. Armour? Panels. Weapons? Panels. Alien technology? Panels. Incredibly ancient mysterious alien technology? Panels. The only things in these two screenshots that don’t have a panel(esque) surface are a handful of plants and Shepard’s face. That always gives me a good laugh.
21/04/2011 at 11:37 rivalin says:
HA HA! It’s funny AND true!
Just be thankful they don’t have to tell you in excruciating detail about the chemical composition of each type of panel material, and make up a stupid name for it.
Just imagine
plascrete
conctex
polyment
vinex
carboglass
fibresteel
so many possibilities…
21/04/2011 at 12:45 Krixodus says:
Is it me or does the dude in the first picture look a lot like a Tau?
21/04/2011 at 12:48 Serenegoose says:
Bit bulky for a Tau but yeah, definite resemblance.
21/04/2011 at 14:04 Hoaxfish says:
generally I’d say they look like modern SWAT in space. Visible bulky bodyarmour etc
21/04/2011 at 15:25 steviesteveo says:
I’m having trouble deciding if that’s quarians or geth (just to add to that Internet wild mass guess).
21/04/2011 at 12:55 Ralud says:
I would like to be able to toggle helmets on or off again, or why not just do like they did in Dragon Age: Origins, take them off for dialog\cutscenes.
21/04/2011 at 13:11 Mirqy says:
How do we persuade Bioware to make Jennifer hale record ‘for the fallen’ as a battlecry for this one?
21/04/2011 at 13:41 The Sombrero Kid says:
I love telling people they’re unattractive to me! & in the game.
21/04/2011 at 14:02 Hoaxfish says:
Let’s hope they apply that to their own staff, rather than whatever they were thinking with DA2.
21/04/2011 at 14:09 Aerothorn says:
I mean, it’s better than a one-year development cycle, but still cutting it a little close.
Not that I care, since I thought Mass Effect was always pretty grossly overrated (for the sort of bullshit narrative shortcuts evidenced in the title post).
21/04/2011 at 14:25 reticulate says:
It’s an odd thing, but I loved Mass Effect because for me it exemplified roleplaying in a way I haven’t seen since. That sounds stupid considering it’s a Bioware Guns and Conversation Game, but something about building my own Shepard doing my Shepard’s thing just appealed in a way that Generic RPG Player Character #60959595 doesn’t.
It’s something I have difficulty putting into words, but what Bioware did here was craft a space opera that I found myself having a personal attachment to. For all the sometimes cheesy voice acting and corridors, it said something to me.
I’ve resolved myself to never explaining it properly. But I do know I want my Shepard to kick some Reaper ass, along with all the disparate groups I’ve managed to make friends with along the way. Especially the Rachni. Probably mostly the Rachni, dealing out some massive Insect Horde Death.
21/04/2011 at 17:25 Flint says:
I feel the exact same way, Reticulate. Mass Effect was the first game in a fair few years that genuinely gripped me and made me feel woah. As overused as the word is these days, it felt epic and I genuinely formed a personal attachement not only for my Shepard but also my crew, no matter how some of them first felt less than pleasant to me. It had the greatest sense of immersion to me in ages. Mass Effect 2 was more of the same and in some aspects, even moreso.
21/04/2011 at 14:21 terry says:
Phew! Knee high geometric crates are confirmed! I was worried about that.
21/04/2011 at 16:49 skurmedel says:
The new cousins of crates and barrels, potted plants and flower beds.
22/04/2011 at 00:26 Sepulchrave76 says:
It wouldn’t be a mass effect game without ‘em
21/04/2011 at 15:21 Navagon says:
I know nothing about it. If anything, these screenshots tell me less. Yet somehow I know this is a GotY contender in a year with some seriously strong contenders.
21/04/2011 at 17:37 Pointless Puppies says:
Could the PC version of ME3 PLEASE have native anti-aliasing?
*grumbles about Unreal Engine woes*
21/04/2011 at 17:57 gwathdring says:
I’m not enthused about the lighting and filters being the same, but I’m fine with it using the same engine. It was a great looking game. Also … here’s two screen shots. I’m sure there’s more distinct lighting elsewhere. Who knows?
Also, TTC is not looking good.
21/04/2011 at 23:54 matrices says:
Every Unreal Engine game has static lighting. Actually, every game, ever, besides Crysis and Warhead, has more-or-less static lighting. This is nothing new.
22/04/2011 at 00:47 DigitalSignalX says:
Any links to higher res please?
22/04/2011 at 04:15 wazups2x says:
I hope Bioware does a better job porting it this time.
Demiurge Studios did a much better job porting Mass Effect 1 than Bioware did porting Mass Effect 2.
Also, anyone out there like Mass Effect 1 better than 2? I really enjoyed 1 much more than 2.
22/04/2011 at 06:32 Hidden Thousand says:
“… and you can press a button to bark “WE KEEP THIS RELATIONSHIP PROFESSIONAL,”…”
Yes, please! I’d even buy that as a DLC!