Where it Shines:
Story, Lore, & Characters - 9/10
Music - 9/10
Visuals - 9/10
Exploration - 9/10
The Good:
This game is just unlike any other experience. No game lets you feel like you are actually exploring the galaxy like this one does. It's got so many stories and quests and dialogue options that multiple replays always feel fresh. It's the kind of game you can spend hours wandering around in. It's also the first game I played where I really felt like the character creator allowed me to represent myself. It holds a deep spot in my memory for that alone.
The characters are also so diverse and the romancing options get better in each game. I really don't think anyone will ever make a game quite like this again.
The Bad:
With such a chonky game, there are bound to be flaws. The inventory management in game 1 is atrocious, the planet scanning in game 2 is so boring and tedious, and the combat, though better in each game, is serviceable at best but not very engaging. It's either too easy or too annoying, because cranking the difficulty only makes you deal less damage and turns enemies into sponges. It's lazy difficulty design. That said, you should be playing this for the story, not the combat.
Summary:
This will probably always be in my top 5 games of all time. If I could pick any game universe to live in, this would be it. The sense of wonder and exploration of space is captured so perfectly. An easy recommend.
****note on my ratings:
half ⭐: hot trash garbage
⭐: below average, needs work
⭐⭐: average
⭐⭐⭐: pretty good
⭐⭐⭐⭐: excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: all time favourite
half star ratings between those mean it's slightly better or worse than stated in this list.
*
Story, Lore, & Characters - 9/10
Music - 9/10
Visuals - 9/10
Exploration - 9/10
The Good:
This game is just unlike any other experience. No game lets you feel like you are actually exploring the galaxy like this one does. It's got so many stories and quests and dialogue options that multiple replays always feel fresh. It's the kind of game you can spend hours wandering around in. It's also the first game I played where I really felt like the character creator allowed me to represent myself. It holds a deep spot in my memory for that alone.
The characters are also so diverse and the romancing options get better in each game. I really don't think anyone will ever make a game quite like this again.
The Bad:
With such a chonky game, there are bound to be flaws. The inventory management in game 1 is atrocious, the planet scanning in game 2 is so boring and tedious, and the combat, though better in each game, is serviceable at best but not very engaging. It's either too easy or too annoying, because cranking the difficulty only makes you deal less damage and turns enemies into sponges. It's lazy difficulty design. That said, you should be playing this for the story, not the combat.
Summary:
This will probably always be in my top 5 games of all time. If I could pick any game universe to live in, this would be it. The sense of wonder and exploration of space is captured so perfectly. An easy recommend.
****note on my ratings:
half ⭐: hot trash garbage
⭐: below average, needs work
⭐⭐: average
⭐⭐⭐: pretty good
⭐⭐⭐⭐: excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: all time favourite
half star ratings between those mean it's slightly better or worse than stated in this list.
*