Mass Effect? Dragon Age? Witcher?

Haven't played a good RPG in forever. Was debating between that or Dragon Age or maybe even The Witcher 2. I have all the consoles and a pretty rockin m17x.

If I go the Mass Effect route, should I play the first one? Also, for Mass Effect 2, I hear that the ps3 re release uses the engine from the third game and it looks incredible. Should I play ME1 on PC and 2 on PS3? Or should I do them both on PC? 360? Thanks!

 

If it's gameplay you're going for, either the ME series or the Witcher series will be up your alley. The 2nd Dragon Age has not been well-received by users on this forum.

If you're only interested in eyecandy, then the Witcher 2 is definitely worth a look. Bear in mind that no laptop user on this forum has yet succeeded in running the game at absolute maximum settings without seeing a slideshow.

 

Witcher all the way... best rpg series to come out in FOREVER!!!! you can get the first one cheap from gog.com as well as the 2nd one drm free

 

don't do dragon age II, but Dragon age Origins is great. Both Mass Effects are good,Witcher 1 is really good. any game should be played on PC if possible, unless you have a low end computer.

 

the witcher 2.
firstly, because they support the pc community and we should support them back.
and secondly, because it the best rpg out now.

 

Dragon age: origins is a very good game, Dragon age 2 is watered down (no armor...)and only good if you're not into real rpg's and can be forgiving for running through the same area's over and over again.

Mass effect 1 is a very good rpg/action/sci-fi game, Mass effect 2 has been watered down a lot on the rpg side (no inventory,...)

as for the witcher 2 I haven't played it yet but I'm quiet confident it's a great game and will be playing it for a long time after my exams

 

Hmmm... out of those three franchises, I would say

Witcher is definitely the best deal.

you can buy TW1 for $5 from gog.com and the sequel is only $45 on Steam I believe. It runs just fine on my laptop at Ultra settings (with ubersampling off) and I only have the AMD 5830, so your M17x should tear it up

 

I really haven't played a good RPG in a while. Ever since I started MMORPG's I haven't been able to justify putting a lot of time into a game (100+ hours) that, when it ends, it ends. MMO's are nice because your character is persistent and you can always reap the benefits of your hard work. I don't want to get back into MMO's, however, because playing an MMO means not having a life. There's ALWAYS something you can be doing to better your character and when you're a competitive gamer like myself, I can't stand being weaker than other people. In an RPG, at least, its just you so you can go at your own pace.

Anyway, I appreciate all of the advice. Is there a mass effect 2 version on the PC that's the same as the new one for PS3 that uses the newer engine?

 

ME2 is great fun if you're into shooter first RPG second, but still a great game IMO. Dragon Age Origins I had a blast in, good RPG game, fun combat. The Witcher 2 so far has been good, a bit hard IMO, but story seems solid. Out of all those I enjoyed ME2 most on console, then DAO on PC, and currently playing witcher 2.

 

Mass Effect 1 and 2 are both in the top 5 of must play games, of the last 5 years. I'd play Mass Effect 1 first, easily.

And play both on PC. The PS3 version still looks second best, after the PC version, and decisions from the first game carry over.

 

All of them are awesome except DA2.

 

Another vote for Dragon Age: Origins, really a top-notch game (not just RPG).

 

Mass Effect 1 was legendary for me. Mass Effect 2 was excellent as well, but ME1 blew my mind when it came out.

Dragon Age: Origins was phenomenal. I was a huge fan of Baldur's Gate so it was right up my alley. If you are a fan of RPGs in any regard I think you'll thoroughly enjoy this. DA2 was blah.

The Witcher 2 has all the makings of a classic from what I've played so far. I don't think you'll be disappointed in any honestly. From having finished ME, ME2 and DA:O I will say that they are all must plays.

 

I agree with Jamaro, ME ME2 and DA:0 are all excellent games.

My favorite has to be dragon age origins though, one of the best games i've ever played.

The Witcher 2 would be up there if i could get it to run better at native res.

 

How do you guys justify going through and spending all that time in a game leveling a character that you'll never use again? I understand playing games like Uncharted for the story, but that's 30 hours or so tops and its tons of fun. I understand these have story lines, but I really did have a hard time going through oblivion. I'm trying to make the transition back into single player games from MMO's (even though I haven't played MMO's in a few years).

 

This is a very interesting question.

Personally, I wasn't much into gaming for a long time until a friend let me borrow a copy of FO3. Something appealed to me about wandering around through this detailed open world, gradually finding new locations without worrying about any pressing main quest.

I discovered Oblivion when looking for some FO3 mods and it has become my favorite game.

My most recent playthrough is a heavily modded version (over 150+ mods, including graphics, sound, survival and overhaul mods), getting up to around 350 hours in without even touching the main quest or entering Oblivion once so far. I know of some players who have single playthroughs that last over 1000 hrs for Oblivion.

I suppose there is something about the world that invites you to wander around and explore. I just walk around discovering new locations without worrying about leveling or the main quest, and the world is so huge (especially with the GOTY version and lots of mods) that it seems I will never completely explore all of it.

Plus as a result of the overhaul mods including Duke Patricks, every single battle is really difficult. There are very few battles where I get through without dying at least a few times, with the result that it takes hours to get through even the smallest dungeons. With Duke Patricks, archery is a lot more powerful, but enemy archers can also one-shot you, so you have to approach every enemy very cautiously.

 

Just purchased Mass Effect on steam.

 

Witcher 2 is way better then other 2.
But dragon age 2 isnt bad at all, i would definitely get all 3 if you have enough time on your hands.

My short reviews

Witcher 2 — great graphics, great design, great everything. Except for... its like a story and a short one i must say. There are different decisions that results in different stuff but once those decisions are made you feel like story evolve too quickly and there is really not much choice. Go there quick! — now, grab this and kill those! — okey, chase this dude fast-fast! — kill this dude! — ok you get him to 1% with 100% hp without being hit once but then animations starts and he one shots you. Great ><

DA2 — i didnt play Origins but i quite enjoyed my time in DA2. Locations ARE repetitive and thats boring but storyline is okey, combat and leveling skills are nice and there are reasonable amount of options and side quests. All in all i enjoyed it while it lasted. Not the longest game out there again. I didnt like combat system at first but looking back i gotto say its one of the best combat system out of all 3 — a lot fun stuff going on, different skills, a lot of buttons to press. Freezing — chilling — stunning — bladestorming — arrow rains — earthquakes.. its fun.

Mass Effect 2 — (i didnt finish it yet) First of all i am not a huge fun of space stuff, but here story is simply amazing. Its also a bit straight forward and combat is repetitive. Locations — not so much, but there is nothing visually stunning, some rocks, some pieces of metal and its basically one "kill them all" mission after another. If you are familiar with CS and can land head shots decently its rather easy. But then again it feels rewarding because of the story and it makes you want to know how it ends. (dont get me wrong, combat is ok, just not spectacular).

 

Good, start with ME1 then to ME 2. I've logged 40+ hours into these games in the past week and a half, my first playthrough. awesome how the story can carry over to the next game, and ME3 will be the same way.

 

If I didn't play Origins, I probably would have given DA:2 a B and enjoyed it. As it is, I still gave it a B, but try as I might not to, still focussed more on the misgivings not evident in Origins than enjoying the game. Origins was an A++ game IMO, so DA:2 just paled in comparison.

As for the OP, if you come from MMO's where character building and development is crucial, i.e. gear, then I would play the first of either Bio series games. They watered that aspect down way too much in DA:2 and ME2, again IMO. The Witcher 2 actually adds that part, but it is a tedious and faulty system in it's implementation, plus it's still not a loot-fest by any means, again, nothing compared to the other games. The Witcher series is also single character(not counting pseudo party stuff in Witcher series), where the others are parties of 3-4

Overall though I would rank the games in series mentioned in order:

DA:O if a fantasy type
ME:2 if a space type
Witcher 1 (Enhanced Edition with all the fixes)
ME:1 (I'm not a space guy, others may rank this higher)
Witcher 2 (on second playthrough, still on fence)
DA:2

All of the games have very good to great stories as far as I am concerned, there are just little nuances and hiccups that affect my feelings towards the games as you go down the list.

 

Personally i enjoyed Mass Effect more than The Witcher 2, simply because im generally tired of fantasy themed games.
If they GOTY Mass Effect 2 then i would recommend it even more.

But you cant go wrong with Dragon Age: Origins GOTY or the Steam / GoG version of The Witcher 2.
Dragon Age 2 is more hack & slash but if ypu see past some of the shortcomings its not that bad either.

 

I really enjoyed DA:O when it launched but I stayed away from DA2. But say I was craving some more Dragon Age action, would Awakenings fit that bill? Does it stay closer to DA:O's gameplay? Does it use the same character? (although mine is lost now..)

The above mention on GOTY for ME2 is a good one, although I got 3/4 DLC on super sale on xbox live for like $2.50 a piece or something and ME2 for $10 on black friday. great gaming right there.

 

I don't actually WANT a loot fest game. I just have had a hard time justifying playing a game for over 100+ hours that isn't an MMO. Mass Effect so far is great!

 

Thats exactly what i enjoyed in DA2 — playing on hard you need to think of super effective builds, strategies, gear selection. Storyline hack'n'slash looks a bit silly. Even in witcher its hardly about proper gear or builds which is a pity.

 

what do you define as "proper" gear. Because in the witcher (on harder difficulties) , if you don't constantly have 3+ potions active/gear fully upgraded with enhancements/the best crafted weapons/bombs/traps/proper skills upgraded (i.e. if you leveled 2% chance for instant kill > whirl early your doing it wrong) you won't be surviving long unless your a pro parry/dodge player.

 

Loved ME2 and the original Dragon Age. Dragon Age II felt like doing the same thing over and over and if you buy it used I'd get it otherwise pass. ME2 is the best out of the list though.

 

Do ME1 and ME2, although ME2 isn't as good as ME1 IMO, they changed alot of good and made it into alot of streamline...... That said both games are great experiences and they really open your mind up to new ideas about the universe, like any good sci fi should. I compare these games to star wars and star trek, were ME1 is like star trek, its about information and creating an interesting universe that makes you want to learn more, peppered with some action. Were ME2 is like star wars were its purely about plot and action sequences, both are great in their own way.

 

Dragon Age Origins and DA2 are both on sale 50% off free shipping EA store via facebook promo code dada250ofx

LINKY

 

The first Witcher is a good RPG, but not a good game.
Mass Effect/Dragon Age are both good games and decent RPG's.
The Witcher II is both a good game and a good RPG.

 

Yes! Awakening allows you to import your Warden from the original campaign, and allows you to level up to 35 (I believe the cap in the first campaign should have been around 25?).

I think Awakening is more action, combat-oriented than the first campaign, but it certainly keeps the feel of the game and is well worth it IMO.

 

I cast my lot with ME2. ME3 delayed (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO)

link1313 your avatar, brings back nothing but great memories-It was the first game I ever played. Loved that game.