[inflikkt]

So I know I'm late, but I finally got a powerful enough computer to play through these games and I have to say, it was the most incredible experience of my existence!! The gameplay is just so engrossing, from exploring the surface of planets to blasting through sentient machines to sensual lesbian sex with aliens, haha... I am just in complete amazement!! Absolute sensory overload. Even the music is incredible.

Hybrid style games have always been my favorites and I think this game is a worthy successor to the greatest game of all time imo, Star Control 2. Essentially I go really crazy over getting to pick responses and redirect the progression of events. To me that is the ultimate gaming experience.

I cannot wait for the third installment of Mass Effect. That being said, can anyone recommend any similar games? lol. I know there really isn't anything I suppose, but some of my older favorites with a similar in-depth story or dialog interactivity are: Star Control 2, Quest For Glory series, Freelancer, Dark Earth, Beyond Good & Evil, Full Throttle, Star Trek: A Final Unity, Farenheit, and The Longest Journey series (can't wait for more longest journey either!! if more ever happens... heh ) I really love pure adventure too though like Space Quest and Kyrandia. Oh and Still Life was fairly decent too (first one).

So is there anything out there that is a 'must play' in relation to Mass Effect or anything that in depth? I'm not adverse to action games I suppose, but I do stay away from first persons, something just bothers me about not seeing my character.

Currently I am eagerly anticipating Monkey Island 2 SE. The first one last year was incredible. (:

[potan]

I love Mass Effect Series,
i thought the story & immersion is pretty much blow every single adventure game i've ever played,
(..that includes TLJ/Dreamfall series, Syberia, Monkey Island etc.. you name it....
(i know it sounds like a blasphemy.. but it's just my personal opinion, so it's not such a big deal)).

You might want to try Dragon Age too (also by Bioware), pretty much almost similar to Mass Effect with Fantasy setting.
You can have lesbian / gay sex too if you prefer , lots of quest, branching dialog affecting the flow of the game etc..etc.., you should be familiar with it.

[radiohodet]

And still it's not even close to the best games Bioware has ever made. If you are into hybrid games though, I guess none of the other games they have made would entertain you the same way. Perhaps Jade Empire. If you are in it for the story though, check out Baldur's Gate 2 and Knights Of The Old Republic.

Dragon Age is a totally different game than Mass Effect though. It is more of a back to the roots RPG, in the style of Baldur's Gate. Unless you play it on a console, where it's supposed to play a bit more like Mass Effect.

[imisssunwell]

Mass Effect is indeed a fantastic game. Knights of the Old Republic, again by Bioware, is very good and quite similar in style, but since it is older, its graphics are no longer an eyecandy. One of the best RPGs out there tho.

Obsidian's Knights of the Old Republic II is also fantastic (better than kotor & ME imo) up to 3/4 of the game and then becomes total rubbish, it is also quite buggy.


Bioware also makes very good fantasy games, where the combat is turn based and more micro management is involved, like Dragon Age. Older fantasy games they made are the Baldur's Gate series, which were a blast but may not appeal to modern players.

The only Bioware games that I didn't find that great are Jade Empire & Neverwinter Nights I.

In a sense, Bioware recently made their own IPs, Mass Effect & Dragon Age so that they no longer depend on SW & D&D licenses respectively, the SW mmo being the exception to this.

Obsidian is a company somewhat connected to Bioware (they made KotOR II), their latest fantasy Neverwinter Nights II: Mask of the Betrayer (only MotB, not OC nor SoZ tbh) is very good. They are currently working on (it may be finished now, haven't checked for awhile) Alpha Protocol, Fallout: Las Vegas and a fantasy RPG based on the Wheel of Time universe.

Obsidian's "parent" company, Blask Isle studios had made Planescape Torment which also was a blast but again, due to its age, I'm not sure it would appeal to modern gamers. The older Fallout games are also worth a shot.

Troika's Vampire: Bloodlines is also very good (and buggy).

For Dreamfallesque games, Dreamfall: Chapters may or may not come out, I hope for the best & prepare for the worst.

If you liked older LucasArts games, Telltale's recent games may be worth looking into. However, the controls used can get a little annoying.

So TLDR:

- try Knights of the Old Republic, Knights of the Old Republic II, Vampire Bloodlines, Dragon Age, Neverwinter Nights II: Mask of the Betrayer, Games by Telltale and keep an eye on Alpha Protocol, Fallout: Las Vegas, Dreamfall Chapters.

- if you don't mind playing older games, Planescape Tornment, Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II, Arcanum, Icewind Dale, Fallout, Fallout II are very good games but their age is showing.

[inflikkt]

awesome. thanks for the suggestions, definitely going to be checking out dragon age. and yeah, ive heard good things about kotor but im not sure.. star wars is kinda lost on me these days.

as for longest journey chapters... i wish to hell and back that funcom would just start making that instead of this failmmo they have coming up. the hidden world? or something like that. im so sick of mmos. bla.

ne hows, i recently picked up a pretty cool seeming rpg also, the witcher. dragon age is probably next on the list.. cheers

[Periglo]

Originally Posted by inflikkt

the witcher. dragon age is probably next on the list.. cheers

If your looking for "hybrid games" The Witcher is probably a good choice, since it involves some "action" (precise clicking). Perhaps Fable, too. Dragon Age, on the other hand, is maybe too standard RPG.

IMHO, KoTOR 1 & 2 are must-plays if you liked Mass Effect. Sort of explains where this series came from, story-wise. Also, Jade Empire, which featured real-time action (unlike KoTOR, many people didn't like this game - I certainly did).

I made a list myself with the games that would fall in this "hybrid" territory, have a look if you want (I should update it a bit).

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by inflikkt

awesome. thanks for the suggestions, definitely going to be checking out dragon age...

Pssst! If you want to see how much wicked fun you'll have in Dragon Age, at least in terms of great writing and character interaction, watch this. Everything just gets better after that, hee hee hee.