Mass Effect Trilogy vs. The Witcher Trilogy?

[Calistarius]

This would be a bit of an unfair thing for me to answer really... but let's answer it anyway. XD

Since first off... this is a question of "Fantasy vs Sci-Fi" sort of... and to me those are two compleatly different things. Comparing them is almost not fair. For me Fantasy and Sci-Fi runs next to each other, and are in no way compeating with each other at all... normally atleast. I like both Fantasy and Sci-Fi just about equally... and the only difference that might come up between them is based on the medium that it is presented in for me. Books being the biggest example of where it differ the most, amongst reading books Fantasy is basicly King for me... some 95+% of all books I have read in my life have been Fantasy, with Sci-Fi taking up the majority of the remaining few %'s. Amongst movies and tv-series I do tend to prefer Sci-Fi, but that is mostly because Fantasy get's so few good movies and tv-series (a lot fewer then what Sci-Fi gets). Amongst games though... that is where it is pretty equal for me. Fantasy does get more RPG games then Sci-Fi does, which is a shame, I would love to see Sci-Fi get an equal amount of RPG games as Fantasy does.

Secondly... I have never played the Witcher games... well... technicly atleast. I did tried W1 back in the day when it came out, but my computer could not handle it. And then it sort of forgot about trying it again once I got my new computer last year... because there are so many games out there that I want to play, and so many new ones that keep coming out that I want to play. So unfortunatly the Witcher has slipped through my fingers, mostly because it tends to fall off on the sides of myt hands due to the sheer amount of other games that I try to hold in my hands. XD

And thirdly... as for Mass Effect... well... I am to biased when it comes to that game series. Because even though I am totally aware of all the flaws in the games, and aware that it is basicly an RPG-lite kind of an RPG (not a "real RPG" like for example Dragon Age Origins... I tend to prefer "Real RPG's" normally, and amongst Fantasy DAO is way up there for me... Turnbased combat is also something I enjoy a lot, often more so then how combat is usually done in for example DAO or Fallout 1-2-T etc), and that the ending to the ME series is a bit lackluster, and the fact that part of the reason that ME hit such a homerun for me is also due to the fact that I feel that there are way to few Sci-Fi RPG games out there (so that such a game like ME sort of fits that large void for me, even though it is only an RPG-lite), let alone that there are even fewer really good Sci-Fi RPG's that comes out for that matter (an example of really good sci-fi rpg's being for example Fallout 1 and 2... and Tactics... I really did like Tactics to, enjoyed the turnbased combat, and the teambased combat as well... XD ), etc... even though all of those things... the Mass Effect series is still to this day the only other game series that has managed to place it's self alongside my all time favorit game series, that of Final Fantasy... no other game series has managed to do that, all those others are still very high up, like right below FF (and ME), but just not high enough to reach FF or ME. Heck... my "Top 3 Games" these days consists of 6 games... Final Fantasy VII, X and XII... and Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3. I had to do it that way to give other games even a chance to be on my Top 10 lists... XD

So, with all that said... without having played the Witcher games, and with being extreamly biased when it comes to the Mass Effect games... if I where to take a guess, with the asumption that I actually had played The Witcher series and liked it a lot... I still think that Mass Effect would have won this for me... it's basicly a no-contest for me on this.

Chances are that The Witcher games might... might... place it's self behind Dragon Age Origins as well for me... because DAO is the style of RPG's I tend to prefer (speaking mechanical-wise here... although, I might have enjoyed DAO more if it had been a turnbased and grid/hexagon based when it came to combat... but the Baldurs gate style is alright with me). I do like Action-RPG's as well (as the Witcher is)... but almost none of the Action-RPG's I have played so far have managed to place them selves alongside games which where turnbased, or with combat that is like DAO, etc for me (ME being one of the very few exceptions of an Action-RPG that managed to do that). I will have to see in the future... once I have played the Witcher games, I do intend to... befor I can really give a judgment on where the Witcher series would end up for me... I just need to get to it in the first place (so many games to wade through befor I would even reach it... just to name one which I will most likally play long befor I even play the Witcher... Mass Effect Andromeda... and that is maybe up to a year away as of right now). XD


Edit: And oh yeah... you might be wondering "But what are you even doing on the Witcher forums then?!"... I came from the Cyberpunk 2077 forums. So in the maintainance thingy that went on, many of the CP2077's Off Topics stuff is stored here for the time being. XD I have very high hopes for Cyberpunk 2077... due to that whole "to few sci-fi RPG games out there" -thing.

 

[Eredin_Breacc_Glas]

This would be a bit of an unfair thing for me to answer really... but let's answer it anyway. XD

Since first off... this is a question of "Fantasy vs Sci-Fi" sort of... and to me those are two compleatly different things. Comparing them is almost not fair. For me Fantasy and Sci-Fi runs next to each other, and are in no way compeating with each other at all... normally atleast. I like both Fantasy and Sci-Fi just about equally... and the only difference that might come up between them is based on the medium that it is presented in for me. Books being the biggest example of where it differ the most, amongst reading books Fantasy is basicly King for me... some 95+% of all books I have read in my life have been Fantasy, with Sci-Fi taking up the majority of the remaining few %'s. Amongst movies and tv-series I do tend to prefer Sci-Fi, but that is mostly because Fantasy get's so few good movies and tv-series (a lot fewer then what Sci-Fi gets). Amongst games though... that is where it is pretty equal for me. Fantasy does get more RPG games then Sci-Fi does, which is a shame, I would love to see Sci-Fi get an equal amount of RPG games as Fantasy does.

Secondly... I have never played the Witcher games... well... technicly atleast. I did tried W1 back in the day when it came out, but my computer could not handle it. And then it sort of forgot about trying it again once I got my new computer last year... because there are so many games out there that I want to play, and so many new ones that keep coming out that I want to play. So unfortunatly the Witcher has slipped through my fingers, mostly because it tends to fall off on the sides of myt hands due to the sheer amount of other games that I try to hold in my hands. XD

And thirdly... as for Mass Effect... well... I am to biased when it comes to that game series. Because even though I am totally aware of all the flaws in the games, and aware that it is basicly an RPG-lite kind of an RPG (not a "real RPG" like for example Dragon Age Origins... I tend to prefer "Real RPG's" normally, and amongst Fantasy DAO is way up there for me... Turnbased combat is also something I enjoy a lot, often more so then how combat is usually done in for example DAO or Fallout 1-2-T etc), and that the ending to the ME series is a bit lackluster, and the fact that part of the reason that ME hit such a homerun for me is also due to the fact that I feel that there are way to few Sci-Fi RPG games out there (so that such a game like ME sort of fits that large void for me, even though it is only an RPG-lite), let alone that there are even fewer really good Sci-Fi RPG's that comes out for that matter (an example of really good sci-fi rpg's being for example Fallout 1 and 2... and Tactics... I really did like Tactics to, enjoyed the turnbased combat, and the teambased combat as well... XD ), etc... even though all of those things... the Mass Effect series is still to this day the only other game series that has managed to place it's self alongside my all time favorit game series, that of Final Fantasy... no other game series has managed to do that, all those others are still very high up, like right below FF (and ME), but just not high enough to reach FF or ME. Heck... my "Top 3 Games" these days consists of 6 games... Final Fantasy VII, X and XII... and Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3. I had to do it that way to give other games even a chance to be on my Top 10 lists... XD

So, with all that said... without having played the Witcher games, and with being extreamly biased when it comes to the Mass Effect games... if I where to take a guess, with the asumption that I actually had played The Witcher series and liked it a lot... I still think that Mass Effect would have won this for me... it's basicly a no-contest for me on this.

Chances are that The Witcher games might... might... place it's self behind Dragon Age Origins as well for me... because DAO is the style of RPG's I tend to prefer (speaking mechanical-wise here... although, I might have enjoyed DAO more if it had been a turnbased and grid/hexagon based when it came to combat... but the Baldurs gate style is alright with me). I do like Action-RPG's as well (as the Witcher is)... but almost none of the Action-RPG's I have played so far have managed to place them selves alongside games which where turnbased, or with combat that is like DAO, etc for me (ME being one of the very few exceptions of an Action-RPG that managed to do that). I will have to see in the future... once I have played the Witcher games, I do intend to... befor I can really give a judgment on where the Witcher series would end up for me... I just need to get to it in the first place (so many games to wade through befor I would even reach it... just to name one which I will most likally play long befor I even play the Witcher... Mass Effect Andromeda... and that is maybe up to a year away as of right now). XD


Edit: And oh yeah... you might be wondering "But what are you even doing on the Witcher forums then?!"... I came from the Cyberpunk 2077 forums. So in the maintainance thingy that went on, many of the CP2077's Off Topics stuff is stored here for the time being. XD I have very high hopes for Cyberpunk 2077... due to that whole "to few sci-fi RPG games out there" -thing.

Sweet mother of paragraphs! It's going to take mah ADHDs a year to get through that.

 

[Calistarius]

Sweet mother of paragraphs! It's going to take mah ADHDs a year to get through that.

*chuckles* :laughing:

I don't doubt it! ;D

It was after all writen with all of my Aspergers and ADD (called ADHD-PI these days) combo... a combo which in me essentially becomes the absolut opposits of what ADHD usually is... So i become hyperfocused on what ever I am doing, can spend any amount of time doing X thing as well, I am also a perfectionist where I prefer to do things correctly rather then fast, and of course to normal anti-social combined with poor social skills (seem to recall that people with ADHD tend to be a bit more social, just not always good at it... XD ), etc... so there is always that.

 

[The_Iceman]

i freaking love Witcher 3 but ME2 is my nr 1

ME3 had the potential to beat ME2 but those last 30 mins !!!!!!!
They're still huntin me in my dreams :sadtriss:


so my ranking is :

ME2
W3
ME3/W2
ME
W1

PS: Biowares KOTOR >>>>>>>>> all of them tho

 

[M4xw0lf]

i freaking love Witcher 3 but ME2 is my nr 1

ME3 had the potential to beat ME2 but those last 30 mins !!!!!!!
They're still huntin me in my dreams :sadtriss:


so my ranking is :

ME2
W3
ME3/W2
ME
W1

PS: Biowares KOTOR >>>>>>>>> all of them tho

You are a bad person. :fuss:

ME1 ~ TW1 > TW2~TW3 > ME2 >>> ME3.
Also KotOR II rules everything.

 

[Blooddrunk]

Not worth posting entire essay why i prefer Witcher, let's just say one of the reasons i like it better is because the trilogy ended on a high note.

Mass Effect reached it's peek with 2nd game and then collapsed with the 3rd game and no it's not just the ending, whole game was rushed and ruined everything what previous games were building it up.

 

[fantesmeee]

I have an issue with ME2 that it is a hardcore shooter; absolutely not a RPG game – missions are very long and all you do is shooting. I mean, I think it is the end, but NO! Even more and more shooting. It feels endless. I wish there was more balance in this respect. Is ME3 better is this respect? Is there some balance in shooting?

Also, I heard that the storyline is a bit too "ridiculous" not "authentic" enough, even for a sci-fi game.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Never played Mass Effect games. Are they good? I've heard later Bioware games became much worse, and they aren't a match to their early masterpieces like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur's Gate series. Also, none of the ME games seem to be available on GOG.

 

[Rawls]

Never played Mass Effect games. Are they good? I've heard later Bioware games became much worse, and they aren't a match to their early masterpieces like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur's Gate series. Also, none of the ME games seem to be available on GOG.

They are (along with the Witcher series) one of my favorite series to come out in the last decade. ME1 is somewhat of a natural progression from KOTOR IMHO from a game play perspective. It is less similar to the Baldur's Gate series. ME2 streamed lined a lot of the RPG elements in ME1 and made it more of an emphasis on action. ME3 feels a lot like ME2 from a gameplay perspective, but better. So there is a natural progression that would likely take it away from the feel you associate with with early bioware games.

The universe they create in the series is top notch. Lots of lore, political divisions, and the like. Here is a one minute background into the history of the galaxy that doesn't really spoil anything from the games.

The characters are very good (with a few notable exceptions). There are a ton of impactful choices and consequences. It's really just a ton of fun. Oh and the DLCs are generally speaking really good. It must be noted that the ending to ME3 is disappointing to many, especially because a lot of your prior choices are rendered moot by the final choice. It didn't really bother me that much, but in case you hadn't noticed, many people were dissatisfied. The extended cut DLC (which is free) makes the ending better, but still not perfect. I highly recommend it if you want a speculative fiction epic space opera where the fate of the entire galaxy rests on your shoulders.

In the spoiler tag is the "Honest Game Trailers" video regarding the entire trilogy (which is both funny and mostly true - although I think it's a little overly harsh). WARNING SERIOUS SPOILERS.

Spoiler

Edit: It apparently also runs really well on linux. http://www.gamersonlinux.com/forum/threads/mass-effect-guide.182/

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

@Rawls: Thanks for the summary. Drift away from RPG to just action is surely not exactly to my taste, but I can give it a try when EA / Bioware will get around to releasing it DRM-free.

 

[The_Iceman]

Also KotOR II rules everything.

Nah i prefer KOTOR1 + Kotor 2 was rushed and unfinished.

But Obsidian did a great job, especially if u play the game with the restored content mod.


PS: I would kill for a KOTOR 3

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

oh, and lots of politics and situations where I'm not a clear-cut hero of the world

Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines? You start as a pawn in some shadowy game, and everyone tries to pull you in different directions. And you end not as a hero, but just as participant of certain events.

 

[227]

Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines? You start as a pawn in some shadowy game, and everyone tries to pull you in different directions. And you end not as a hero, but just as participant of certain events.

Yeah, and there are a handful of other examples. The point was that it's not something gamers at large seem to ask for since fan input tends to be of the "stroke my ego until it has rug burns" variety.

 

[Jou05]

A hard choice but I think overall the Mass Effect Trilogy was better. The games were actually connected and the save import was much better than the one in the TW games.

It also told one overarching storyline and I felt more attached to my Shepard. The characters were more fleshed out too.

In general I also like Sci fi more so the setting in ME is just one of my favourites in general.

 

[Neuronin]

Mass Effect has an intriguing futuristic setting, with fascinating themes that aren't (or can't be) explored in the fantasy genre. The topic of Artificial Intelligence- and the relationship between organic and synthetic lifeforms was very interesting indeed.

Science Fiction has always appealed to me more than fantasy, but Mass Effect in particular was truly brilliant.

 

[RezoInverse]

That is a really hard one. Mass Effect has some of the best characters on video game - and you just completely love them in the end. But for a game of choices, he really makes A LOT of poor decisions along the way, very mostly on Mass Effect 3 (Rachni Queen Vs CLONED 99% the same Rachni Queen..., or Grunt x Other krogan with 99% the exaclty SAME moves and dialogues than Grunt..., and that not even talking about the ending).

So, I prefer The Witcher Trilogy.

 

[greattreejam]

It's a tough sell for me either way because I've become attached to both series. If I had to choose though, then I'd have to go with the Witcher series.

The Witcher series has you experiencing the world as Geralt of Rivia, and much of his background and motivations have already been established before you start playing any of the games. The Mass Effect series allows you to customize your Commander Shepard's history (to an extent in ME1), and Shepard seems to have far more influence over the course of the events in the Mass Effect series than Geralt of Rivia has over the events in the Witcher series. I could go for either type of storytelling/decision-making with a main character depending on my mood.

The main factor for me, however, is how each series concluded their main character's journey and legacy. Mass Effect 3's original ending fell victim to the game being rushed during development...in addition to some last minute writing changes. I felt that the ending did not place enough emphasis on the consequences of my Commander Shepard's actions, an element that is central to the Mass Effect games. Now, I've got some gripes with some imported decisions from Witcher 1 and 2 being glossed over in Witcher 3 (especially with Iorveth's storyline from Witcher 2), but I felt Witcher 3 did justice by giving the Geralt of Rivia I had played as in the games a far more fitting ending. I actually felt that the work and personal investment I put into giving Geralt a proper conclusion paid off. Personally, if ME3's ending had received a better-written and more satisfactory ending, then I would say both series are a close tie for me.

 

[cirdanx]

The Witcher series. Hands down. While there is less interconnection between each game, both have an overall story. The Witcher story however isn´t a complete inconsistend mess with plot holes, retcons and probably the worst ending in gaming history.

Mass Effect had an awesome start, and each following game has some really great moments (like companion missions in ME2) and fan service, but overall, nothing makes any sense and fails in logic and story telling the moment Mass Effect 2 starts.

Before i fall victiom to myself and start writing page after page to explain everything wrong with the direction Mass Effect went after the original story writer quit, i will rather point to an excellent, well explained and thought out analysis for those interested.

https://www.youtube.com/user/smudboy

Nitpicking aside, he is spot on. Personally i can´t get back to the ME series anymore, i tried and all i could think of was the ending and couldn´t go on.

 

[The_Blacks]

The Witcher, NO CONTEST

 

[Spectral_Warrior]

This is an interesting and deceptively easy choice for me.
I made a post just a little while ago about how I'm not in the least interested in Witcher or any of those settings that root in Fantasy.
I'm the Sci-Fi type so on that alone I pick Mass Effect above Witcher any day of the week.