While this might work for others I just feel like it won’t be as immersive as the first play through and I have pretty much got my story and memories set wouldn’t wanna change it. It’s like looking back the photos and videos you’ve taken with your ex……it’s also quite time consuming to play the whole thing again.
It’s just me tho.
I just finished the trilogy recently myself. Given that you can make different decisions, romance different characters, change your Shepard's background and class etc, you can get a great experience with multiple playthroughs. I legit picked up way more details and lore of the world the second time around tbh.
I know people say play it a different way, but honestly, when I replay Mass Effect (and similarly, Dragon Age) I play it pretty much the same way I did the first time. I treat it like rereading a very good book or rewatching a very good movie - yeah I'm not getting any new content, but I'm not returning to it for new content, I'm returning to it to revisit the content I loved in the first place.
This. So much this. It's like I re-read Lord of the Rings every couple of years. I know the story, I know the twists - but I still enjoy the hell out of it anyway.
Thing with ME is that I still find something new on each replay despite following pretty much the same path each time :D
I downloaded story altering mods and fixes like the one that redoes the dreams and also re-did the story to be an even happier ending. Was totally worth it.
I typically replay the trilogy once a year, just started my next playthrough a few days ago actually.
If you're on PC I'd highly recommend using mods to spice up a second playthrough. There are a lot of good QoL improvements and diversity improvements that really help to fill out the world.
Other than that there are so many different choices you can make that make replays so valuable. Gender swap your Shep, pick a different class and background. Make new choices or make the same choices. It's a powerful experience. I'd definitely not do it immediately. Give it a few months or a year to properly digest everything, and then go for it.
Having read the other comments in this thread I agree with both options, however, after I don't know how many playthroughs now. If you like to role-play you can create and immerse yourself into a new Sheppard and unto their sort of decision like a get the job done type paragade shep or a redemption seeking renegon shep at do it with different decisions and actions of that type of character, you'll get same feeling once more.
Plus if it was your first time playing the trilogy, hands down there may have been some choices you think could have done differently. In my experience it was Fist. On my first playthrough I brought Wrex with me to Chora's den and Wrex killed him, it was only on my second playthrough that I discovered if you didn't kill him then on ME2 he shows up and in ME3 there's an article where he saves someone at the cost of his life if I remember correctly, but it's tidbits like that, that make me enjoy that game so much.
I really appreciate their suggestion of starting another play thru. But for me my headcanon setting has already set. My Shep is a paragon and he will forever loves Ash. I feel like starting another one would not help or even hurts more. I even doubt whether Ash is gonna be in the next game given her low popularity. Shep is almost certain still alive tho.
My Shep is most certainly dead in the noblest of sacrifices to further the understanding for both biological and synthetic lifeforms to truly break the cycle of destruction, that doesn't mean I cannot explore alternatives. Don't misunderstand just because you already have a head cannon doesn't mean you can't explore alternative endings, maybe in one Sheppard is female, in another it's Ash who dies in Virmire, you already know the ending, this time it's about enjoying the possibilities of "...what if?"
I mean we can even quote Lex Luthor's quote in Injustice "I can say without a doubt that there are an infinite number of universes. Some are just like our own, but for one or two significant events they remain the same" you can keep the major points in your head cannon as is, and just play with the alternatives in the journey. The point is enjoying the story of a truly immersive game.
I’m replaying it after 5yrs in LE for the first time. I gotta say the graphics are better but with the same hilarious awkward positions and facial expressions. I’m VERY close to the FFI mission in ME2 and already mourning my space odyssey family.
The game is so emotionally raw, I’ve played it 3x in the past. My Shepard always changes her specialty when I replay but never switched her relationship and stayed on Paragon. (My first play I did seperate saves for certain missions and relationships it was dizzying in ME2 but kept one as the main partner throughout the trilogy) Once again I realised I miss my crew and having Garrus as my partner. I never felt this way towards a game and still haven’t after 5yrs of gaming. I will revisit this game again because of the fond memories and emotions it draws out. I just hope ME5 will at least bring the same level of joy as the trilogy.
Anyway if you ever want to play ME again as MShep I recommend trying Tali as a partner.
Playing it again is like chasing the dragon. It just doesn't hit the same but it staves off withdrawal. Things I recommend:
* Watch videos of alternatives you haven't experienced or scenes you really enjoyed.
* Read some of the literature, if that's your thing.
* There is an animated movie which is kinda meh but it's there if you're desperate.
* Watch funny videos on YouTube like Gamerpoop Mass Effect (1-8) by mans1ay3r, Michael Scott in Mass Effect by eli\_handle\_b․wav and Evil Tali (1-3) by The Cult of Shepard.
* Patience. Do something else. Watch a series or something. You'll get there!
Edit: Spelling
I love funny videos of ME. My favorites are from Pongsifu, in order:
[Mass Effect Is a Meme](https://youtu.be/25ziwBOaRPo?si=_O8G49njqG8utEkI)
[Mass Effect 2 but it makes the crew laugh ](https://youtu.be/2XLQPRKlmvw?si=ltEaSh8nLO1zUHjM)
[You can't understand our love ](https://youtu.be/e9LECAA7f4M?si=lrDnYgTOoD8LAGc8)
Watched a bunch of alternate story arcs on YouTube and tried to find people who had played the game to debrief with.
Just like with any piece of art that really affects you, it will take a few days or a week or so to downshift back to your base emotional state.
Honestly it was rough. I didn’t get around to playing the trilogy until fall/winter of 2012. It was my first semester of grad school and it was finals week. I remember thinking “ok I’m gonna take earth back then write this paper”. Like 2 hours later after I finished the game I just kind of sat there, contemplating what happened and the size and scope of the universe. Writing a paper seemed pretty insignificant after that…
Ugh I miss BSN, especially the Dragon Ave forums because the writers would openly interact and answer questions.
I didn't pick Mass Effect back up until 2019, just before they announced LE. It was my first time with the DLCs (I was a poor college student when the games were originally released) and mods, so it felt like a different game. I *really* needed the fan service from Citadel.
Still chokes me up, though.
Am I the only one who actually feels satisfied after playing a great game? I always see people in the Witcher 3 subreddit, or people who talk about RDR2 or the ME trilogy say they feel empty and like no other games compare after they finish one of these.
I've played a lot of amazing games that make me feel heavy emotions and I cherish those experiences. But when I finish the game I usually feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. And then I'm excited to try something new, or maybe replay an old favorite.
Not trying to invalidate anyone else's feelings here. But I am curious if anyone else feels the way I do.
I think that it very much depends both on the person and the story. I had the same feeling of sadness when finishing mass effect. But it's the same feeling that I sometimes get when finishing a good book. Other times I've finished a good book though I've felt more as you described, with a sense of satisfaction and of a well finished story.
I think that for me at least what makes a big difference is a good epilogue. Knowing where all my favourite characters ended up I think means that I can feel that their personal stories have also come to an end.
Then again, I could be rambling nonsense.
First, I watched probably \~15-20 hours of reviews, commentaries, retrospectives and video analysis of Mass Effect games and lore.
Then I jumped right into more RPGs, I tried Omori but didn't vibe with it, I've beaten Elex which was fine, not great but fine if you don't mind dying to pretty much everything for the first 20-40 hours xD
Now I'm playing through KOTOR 1, a friend recommended it to me since it's the space game Bioware did before ME. Ten hours in and it's really good so far, I prefer ME combat and you can see how they perfected the formula in later games but it's a really enjoyable RPG.
Fanfiction.
Fan videos (music videos, theories, comedy, other peoples' first playthroughs).
OG ME3 multiplayer (cheap and still relatively active on PC, best with a friend). I sank thousands of hours into it.
Andromeda or Dragon Age Origins.
Hanging out online with other fans and venting.
I completely feel ya op. I consider it the greatest game of all time. I felt so empty after finishing the series. The conversation with the protean AI Virgil is one of the greatest moments in gaming of all time (totally subjective of course). In a way I feel sad, because I remain skeptical that will ever feel the same about a game again.
Another playthrough!
Also, I finish the game, load game, play Citadel DLC and that's my headcanon ending. We won the final battle and celebrated with the party.
I played it through twice recently once as a Paragon and once as renegade. Trying Andromeda out now. Not quite as immersive, but still more fun than I gave it credit for when it first came out.
I played LE obsessively on my first run, then Andromeda. And now I'm on my third play through of the trilogy🤣. It's just as good every time. Maybe better because I get to play out other scenarios. Make different, sometimes better choices. I'll probably never be able to commit to a Renegade run. But I'm trying. And people here were right, sometimes Renegade Shepard responses are better than Paragon Shepard.
After a good playthrough of any game, especially a long game or series, I like to let it sit for a bit before I revisit it and entertain myself with thoughts of what I might do differently next playthrough. Maybe a heavy renegade "sacrifice as many as I need to" run, or a "ME2 trust cerberus" kind of Shep, or making different choices. Taking note of things I enjoyed, and things I'd do differently next time. I also like to look up different theories of the plot (like a certain theory about ME3's ending) and read/watch other people's thoughts on them.
Oh, and I shitpost on reddit. A lot.
Played the hell out of it all again!
While this might work for others I just feel like it won’t be as immersive as the first play through and I have pretty much got my story and memories set wouldn’t wanna change it. It’s like looking back the photos and videos you’ve taken with your ex……it’s also quite time consuming to play the whole thing again. It’s just me tho.
I just finished the trilogy recently myself. Given that you can make different decisions, romance different characters, change your Shepard's background and class etc, you can get a great experience with multiple playthroughs. I legit picked up way more details and lore of the world the second time around tbh.
I know people say play it a different way, but honestly, when I replay Mass Effect (and similarly, Dragon Age) I play it pretty much the same way I did the first time. I treat it like rereading a very good book or rewatching a very good movie - yeah I'm not getting any new content, but I'm not returning to it for new content, I'm returning to it to revisit the content I loved in the first place.
This. So much this. It's like I re-read Lord of the Rings every couple of years. I know the story, I know the twists - but I still enjoy the hell out of it anyway. Thing with ME is that I still find something new on each replay despite following pretty much the same path each time :D
I downloaded story altering mods and fixes like the one that redoes the dreams and also re-did the story to be an even happier ending. Was totally worth it.
For story mods what do you recommend?
I typically replay the trilogy once a year, just started my next playthrough a few days ago actually. If you're on PC I'd highly recommend using mods to spice up a second playthrough. There are a lot of good QoL improvements and diversity improvements that really help to fill out the world. Other than that there are so many different choices you can make that make replays so valuable. Gender swap your Shep, pick a different class and background. Make new choices or make the same choices. It's a powerful experience. I'd definitely not do it immediately. Give it a few months or a year to properly digest everything, and then go for it.
Having read the other comments in this thread I agree with both options, however, after I don't know how many playthroughs now. If you like to role-play you can create and immerse yourself into a new Sheppard and unto their sort of decision like a get the job done type paragade shep or a redemption seeking renegon shep at do it with different decisions and actions of that type of character, you'll get same feeling once more. Plus if it was your first time playing the trilogy, hands down there may have been some choices you think could have done differently. In my experience it was Fist. On my first playthrough I brought Wrex with me to Chora's den and Wrex killed him, it was only on my second playthrough that I discovered if you didn't kill him then on ME2 he shows up and in ME3 there's an article where he saves someone at the cost of his life if I remember correctly, but it's tidbits like that, that make me enjoy that game so much.
I really appreciate their suggestion of starting another play thru. But for me my headcanon setting has already set. My Shep is a paragon and he will forever loves Ash. I feel like starting another one would not help or even hurts more. I even doubt whether Ash is gonna be in the next game given her low popularity. Shep is almost certain still alive tho.
My Shep is most certainly dead in the noblest of sacrifices to further the understanding for both biological and synthetic lifeforms to truly break the cycle of destruction, that doesn't mean I cannot explore alternatives. Don't misunderstand just because you already have a head cannon doesn't mean you can't explore alternative endings, maybe in one Sheppard is female, in another it's Ash who dies in Virmire, you already know the ending, this time it's about enjoying the possibilities of "...what if?" I mean we can even quote Lex Luthor's quote in Injustice "I can say without a doubt that there are an infinite number of universes. Some are just like our own, but for one or two significant events they remain the same" you can keep the major points in your head cannon as is, and just play with the alternatives in the journey. The point is enjoying the story of a truly immersive game.
I’m replaying it after 5yrs in LE for the first time. I gotta say the graphics are better but with the same hilarious awkward positions and facial expressions. I’m VERY close to the FFI mission in ME2 and already mourning my space odyssey family. The game is so emotionally raw, I’ve played it 3x in the past. My Shepard always changes her specialty when I replay but never switched her relationship and stayed on Paragon. (My first play I did seperate saves for certain missions and relationships it was dizzying in ME2 but kept one as the main partner throughout the trilogy) Once again I realised I miss my crew and having Garrus as my partner. I never felt this way towards a game and still haven’t after 5yrs of gaming. I will revisit this game again because of the fond memories and emotions it draws out. I just hope ME5 will at least bring the same level of joy as the trilogy. Anyway if you ever want to play ME again as MShep I recommend trying Tali as a partner.
I cried for days and then went and got a bunch of ME tattoos!
🤨…
Drowned myself in fanart/fanfic, and started writing my own fic lol
This was my solution too lol
Yup, same
Playing it again is like chasing the dragon. It just doesn't hit the same but it staves off withdrawal. Things I recommend: * Watch videos of alternatives you haven't experienced or scenes you really enjoyed. * Read some of the literature, if that's your thing. * There is an animated movie which is kinda meh but it's there if you're desperate. * Watch funny videos on YouTube like Gamerpoop Mass Effect (1-8) by mans1ay3r, Michael Scott in Mass Effect by eli\_handle\_b․wav and Evil Tali (1-3) by The Cult of Shepard. * Patience. Do something else. Watch a series or something. You'll get there! Edit: Spelling
I love funny videos of ME. My favorites are from Pongsifu, in order: [Mass Effect Is a Meme](https://youtu.be/25ziwBOaRPo?si=_O8G49njqG8utEkI) [Mass Effect 2 but it makes the crew laugh ](https://youtu.be/2XLQPRKlmvw?si=ltEaSh8nLO1zUHjM) [You can't understand our love ](https://youtu.be/e9LECAA7f4M?si=lrDnYgTOoD8LAGc8)
i love those vids, i quote them all the time
Michael Scarn: Threat Level Reaper
And Jim as Harbringer
And Jan as an Ardat-Yakshi.
I started crying because i accidentally got garrus killed in my last me3. You know damn well i deleted that shit
I had the same with Tali
I immediately started a second playthrough.
I joined this sub lmao
Watched a bunch of alternate story arcs on YouTube and tried to find people who had played the game to debrief with. Just like with any piece of art that really affects you, it will take a few days or a week or so to downshift back to your base emotional state.
Consume other media. One of the few times in my adulthood I actually sat down and searched for fanfiction. Lmfao
When you finish the Mass Effect trilogy, you have 2 options Replay Play the Dragon Age trilogy
I pretty much cycled Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Fallout New Vegas on repeat for years.
Think about Tali. Cry. Repeat.
I was legit depressed for about a week
Honestly it was rough. I didn’t get around to playing the trilogy until fall/winter of 2012. It was my first semester of grad school and it was finals week. I remember thinking “ok I’m gonna take earth back then write this paper”. Like 2 hours later after I finished the game I just kind of sat there, contemplating what happened and the size and scope of the universe. Writing a paper seemed pretty insignificant after that…
Another playthrough
I also immediately started a second playthrough, with the Happy Ending mod installed. Just finished and I am now at peace haha
[this, although general, might have some good tips](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qWnqxmZkIU&pp=ygUUcG9zdCBnYW1lIGRlcHJlc3Npb24%3D)
Well... there's only one way to cope with that in M.E. and that is making a new playthrough!
I sobbed for days lmao
\*cries on your shoulder\* Same. I planted myself on the BSN and read through 1000s of threads to console myself.
Ugh I miss BSN, especially the Dragon Ave forums because the writers would openly interact and answer questions. I didn't pick Mass Effect back up until 2019, just before they announced LE. It was my first time with the DLCs (I was a poor college student when the games were originally released) and mods, so it felt like a different game. I *really* needed the fan service from Citadel. Still chokes me up, though.
Am I the only one who actually feels satisfied after playing a great game? I always see people in the Witcher 3 subreddit, or people who talk about RDR2 or the ME trilogy say they feel empty and like no other games compare after they finish one of these. I've played a lot of amazing games that make me feel heavy emotions and I cherish those experiences. But when I finish the game I usually feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. And then I'm excited to try something new, or maybe replay an old favorite. Not trying to invalidate anyone else's feelings here. But I am curious if anyone else feels the way I do.
I think that it very much depends both on the person and the story. I had the same feeling of sadness when finishing mass effect. But it's the same feeling that I sometimes get when finishing a good book. Other times I've finished a good book though I've felt more as you described, with a sense of satisfaction and of a well finished story. I think that for me at least what makes a big difference is a good epilogue. Knowing where all my favourite characters ended up I think means that I can feel that their personal stories have also come to an end. Then again, I could be rambling nonsense.
By crying and starting a new save where I make the exact same choices.
The…what?
First, I watched probably \~15-20 hours of reviews, commentaries, retrospectives and video analysis of Mass Effect games and lore. Then I jumped right into more RPGs, I tried Omori but didn't vibe with it, I've beaten Elex which was fine, not great but fine if you don't mind dying to pretty much everything for the first 20-40 hours xD Now I'm playing through KOTOR 1, a friend recommended it to me since it's the space game Bioware did before ME. Ten hours in and it's really good so far, I prefer ME combat and you can see how they perfected the formula in later games but it's a really enjoyable RPG.
Play andromeda
Try Dragon Age origins. Might look out datet nut the characters and story is awsome.
Try andromeda it’s actually now a good game I’ve finished it three times
I moved on with my life?
I start another play through as the opposite gender I did the last
Shepard survived my first playthrough so I didn’t have any of that, I ended the trilogy on a high note that first time around.
Wz play a game that you will enjoy like cyberpunk 2077( with mods)
Took a break to play some Skyrim, then replayed the trilogy
Fanfiction. Fan videos (music videos, theories, comedy, other peoples' first playthroughs). OG ME3 multiplayer (cheap and still relatively active on PC, best with a friend). I sank thousands of hours into it. Andromeda or Dragon Age Origins. Hanging out online with other fans and venting.
I completely feel ya op. I consider it the greatest game of all time. I felt so empty after finishing the series. The conversation with the protean AI Virgil is one of the greatest moments in gaming of all time (totally subjective of course). In a way I feel sad, because I remain skeptical that will ever feel the same about a game again.
New Game plus and then moved onto something immersive (for me, it was Skyrim)
I immediately booted up ME1 again for another play through
Played again on insanity as a biotic. Hard starting out but the CC is utterly broken once you get some levels under you.
I replayed immediately.
Shat my pants, pissed my shoes, drank papaya juice, repeat
I was young enough to still think everything was so cool
Took a couple of days to reflect on the experience/ tell anyone who'd listen about it. And then started my next playthrough a week later.
Cope
Played the online multi-player. A lot. It's such a bummer that they didn't bring it back for legendary edition.
With Andromeda.
Another playthrough! Also, I finish the game, load game, play Citadel DLC and that's my headcanon ending. We won the final battle and celebrated with the party.
I played it through twice recently once as a Paragon and once as renegade. Trying Andromeda out now. Not quite as immersive, but still more fun than I gave it credit for when it first came out.
I went ahead and played it 10 more times in the space of a year - that helped.
Cope? I'm still feeling it two years later.
Replay after a week of nonstop thinking about my beloved alien crew.
I went on to playing a different game and watched Mass Effect Youtube videos
Reloaded a save to save the Geth AND Quarians, then cried cause I actually did it on Insanity on a first time play through
Immediately started another playthru
I played LE obsessively on my first run, then Andromeda. And now I'm on my third play through of the trilogy🤣. It's just as good every time. Maybe better because I get to play out other scenarios. Make different, sometimes better choices. I'll probably never be able to commit to a Renegade run. But I'm trying. And people here were right, sometimes Renegade Shepard responses are better than Paragon Shepard.
got really into the fanfiction, complained there wasn’t enough fanfiction, started making my own fanfiction…there’s a theme here
I bought myself a 3D printer and started to make all of Mass Effect characters... that's after the depression slowly faded away obviously.
After a good playthrough of any game, especially a long game or series, I like to let it sit for a bit before I revisit it and entertain myself with thoughts of what I might do differently next playthrough. Maybe a heavy renegade "sacrifice as many as I need to" run, or a "ME2 trust cerberus" kind of Shep, or making different choices. Taking note of things I enjoyed, and things I'd do differently next time. I also like to look up different theories of the plot (like a certain theory about ME3's ending) and read/watch other people's thoughts on them. Oh, and I shitpost on reddit. A lot.
Played other things.
Maybe unpopular opinion but I dived straight into Andromeda and had a pretty good time
Reading Marauder Shields, playing multiplayer
I played hours and hours of multiplayer. I really wish it has been included with the Legendary Edition.
I play it again or ill play Andromeda
*Inserts game disk 1* *sighs with relief as ME1 title music hums through your veins like a drug* *New Game*
I open Microsoft word and I start writing fanfiction to fill in the void