Thank you for checking out the playthrough! Congratulations on the game. I've had a great time with it so far, but I still have a lot more to explore. I plan to finish the campaign with my kids, so I'm really excited to get it back to the table. Good luck and thanks again.
Yes, indeed! Luckily the map is contained to the book, so the overall footprint needed is reasonable, but more than you might think. Thanks for watching!
nice playthrough,. i was holding off buying this one as my collection is kind of hitting its storage limit lol and i haven't really had the best experience with video game adaptations but this one finally got me the price is actually pretty cheap as well so the preorder is on
Yeah, the game is fairly streamlined and the price reflects that. It is definitely aimed at a mainstream audience and would fit comfortably on the shelves of Target or Barnes and Noble. Thanks for checking out the playthrough!
@@TotallyTabled yeah I already have ISS Vanguard which I haven't managed to play through yet so was a little worried that this would be another massive campaign game that would end up in the queue of shame but it looks to hit the right kind of level of complexity and length that I am looking for in my collection
Great video, thank you. Question, if campaign is only 3-5 missions, you likely want to play multiple campaigns. How to do that if player boards are written over already for levelling up? Are these markers removable or something? Btw Rogue Angel seems much more interesting to me, can't wait for my copy to arrive! Do you maybe plan to cover this one by any chance?
The game uses dry erase markers so it comes right off. Totally replayable. I have not acquired or played Rogue Angel, so I don't have plans for a video at this time. Thanks for watching.
Another backer, yay! 😁I can't wait for Rogue Angels either. Hopefully TT will get a review copy when it is out. Because his videos are so easy to follow. 💪💪💪
Great explanation as usual! However, unfortunately, the game doesn't seem very innovate, especially seeing it splayed out on the table. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems exhaustive maintaining all these player boards, game after game.
I wouldn't call it innovative, no. It is focused on making an accessible, even gateway, tactical co-op game that has a streamlined ruleset, yet can also be enjoyed by experienced gamers. I think it succeeds on that front. But if you've been in the hobby for a while, you've seen all these individual mechanisms before in slightly different forms. I enjoy the dice rolling system. I enjoy the characters special abilities and the way you level up. I enjoy the enemy activation. I'm not sure what you mean by "maintaining the player boards" but nothing in the game is exhausting. When playing solo you need to play with four characters, but the special abilities are easy to manage and it doesn't feel overwhelming. Everything is clear and straightforward. I worry people might expect this game to be like the video games or like an epic campaign game (in the vein of the massive crowdfunded co-op campaign games that are becoming more common), but it isn't. Hopefully my playthrough makes it clear what this game is and isn't, and who will enjoy it. Thank you for checking out the playthrough!
@@TotallyTabled Thanks for the playthrough, with clean explanations and well made Video ! I was wondering about this game, since I played the videogame more than I should have, even speedran it. From what I saw thanks to you, I feel like they missed the mark with the boardgame; going for a cooperative experience was the right thing but it's very generic. Mass Effect is as epic as it can get, with a large emphasis on dialogues so I admit I was looking forward something closer to the idea if the original material. While the game you played is nice by itself, it makes me sad they used the Mass Effect license on it. Well, good point tho (maybe not for my social life), you made me really want to replay the original !
@@TotallyTabled I could not agree more! Thank you for this added context. I'll still keep the campaign in mind - I really, really, like the IP. Keep up the amazing content.
@@alexf686 Yes, Alex, you are right that the board game does not try to capture the video game in cardboard form, but rather uses the characters and universe and combat portions of the game to create something distinct. It won't appeal to someone who is looking to recreate the entirety of Mass Effect on the table (if something like that is even possible). Thank you so much for checking out the video!
So, after looking at the preorder page, is there any fundamental reason to buy the extra minis? It doesn't appear that you'd even get enough minis to replace the tokens completely?
You only need as many minis as the number of forces on the board at one time. You still need to pull the tokens from the bag. I personally don't think the minis are worth it and I am not going to buy them. The tokens work great. I'm also someone who doesn't understand the craze around minis in general, so keep that in mind. If you are a painter, then maybe the math changes. Thanks for watching!
@@TotallyTabled Appreciate the reply. Curious as to what the max number of the weaker enemy types would be in play at any given time? The best value mini bundle only gives 6 of each, so if it's more than that might as well just use the tokens aye. I do enjoy painting minis for TTG's, been doing so for Heroquest most recently but at least their expansions that come with minis are good value for money.
@Jonno92100 I haven't had more than 6 of one type of minion on the board at once, but I haven't played all the missions. Seems like that would be enough.
Thanks for the play. Wow, what weird design choices to make everything feel more random. I have just played the mandalorian yesterday and the comparison is striking. That has puzzling tactics. This has... I mean it's yahtze without rerolls for your actions, enemies are randomly activated but all follow the same exact script (so where is my usual AI scroll per type to have a feel for different enemies? where are my at least partial chances of knowing who will activate and having a chance to plan ahead?) And tons of spawning, which reinforces the feeling of having no idea at all what to do to survive if you have any bad luck. Wow. No thanks, game. But thanks for the demo.
Enemies can have a few other abilities like Rush, where they advance 4 spaces instead of 2, Pin, where you cannot move away, and React, where they will move toward a player that damages it. And the elite enemies have special abilities. When you complete a Renegate victory, each character gains a renegade token that lets you change a die result to whatever you want. Shepard lets you change a basic action to an enhanced action. Liana lets you peek at hazard cards. Some powers let you stun enemies to keep them from activating or bionic to keep them from hitting hard. So this game is about mitigating the luck and randomness with special abilities at the right time -- so risk management plays a part. I think it makes for a nice tactical experience where you don't have complete control and knowledge of everything, so it isn't just a puzzle. Maybe not for everyone, though. Thanks for watching!
Ha, was just looking at the pre-order page and didn't know what to make of it. So, let's have a looksy at what good old Shaggy has to say. How is the quality of the material? Tokens, player boards, etc.? The whole set of Mass Effect miniatures (48) is €290 / $320. So I will have to start loving token based enemies. 🙄
Wow, yeah, I would stay far away from those minis. The game works better with the tokens -- just put them in coin capsules and they will be great. The game doesn't have a ton of components, but they are all good. The dice are nice and chunky and feel good to roll. The campaign book is very nice. The player boards are thin and everything is glossy because you use a dry erase marker. It has a streamlined feel to it -- like a really nicely produced mass market game that should be at Target. I think some people might be expecting something like Star Wars Imperial Assault, but it does not feel like an epic Fantasy Flight game. It is smaller in scope. But I've had a fun time with it so far and I think it will appeal to many people both in and out of the hobby. Thanks so much for watching!
@TotallyTabled Thank you for sharing your hands-on impressions of the materials. I like the dry eraser approach they took. Will probably get it eventually. There is so much stuff from campaign fulfillments arriving soon. There is no real need right now.
@@tjschwrt I have not played that one yet, but superficially I can see the commonalities, most notably it being a cooperative mission based tactical game that uses a campaign book with illustrated maps. Not sure if they feel similar in play. Thanks for watching!
@@Biodelic Yeah, the campaign aspect is not as pronounced here. You can play a quick campaign that is only 3 main missions and could be played in a single day. So it isn't like Oathsworn or even like Legacy of Yu. Again, very streamlined for better or worse. I like it since I'm getting tired of long campaigns.
I just got it off Amazon. It is this exact model: Fantasydice- Blue - Fire Dragon - Dice Tray - 8" Octagon with Lid and Dice Staging Area. Thanks for watching!
FemShep is the REAL Shepherd. I want this game! I've done so many playthroughs. I've done 3 playthroughs with my daughter too. We both love Mass Effect. Would you continue spawning minions after they became unable to call in reinforcements?
Thanks for showing this off. Is there any sort of modifiers or difficulty modifiers for replaying through the same missions to make them different? I am bummed you always have to take 4. Feels like it's becoming more and more common, and they want the community to fix their games for scaling instead of them taking the time to do so.
Hmmm, I guess I don't look at it that way. The video game is about controlling and directing a squad, so it feels appropriate. It streamlines the setup, which is good especially for inexperienced gamers. And the characters are very easy to manage, so you don't feel overwhelmed by having a team. This isn't Spirit Island. This is more like Robinson Crusoe where playing with multiple characters is more interesting. I agree that for some games it doesn't work, but IMHO it was the right approach for Mass Effect. Thanks for watching!
Ah, I forgot about the first part of your question. I have not seen a way to adjust the difficulty. The missions themselves get more difficult as you progress. Theoretically you could add in the more difficult lv2 and lv3 enemies into the first missions to increase the difficulty, but I have no idea what that would do to the balance. Thanks again.
@@TotallyTabled In an interview with one of the designers, it was mentioned that the Paragon mission victories are generally more difficult than the Renegade ones, so you can make it harder for yourself by attempting to do as many Paragon victories as possible.
Eu zerei o mass effect 3, 2 e não o 1, mas um Board game que se passa no enredo do mass effect 3 , é tudo que eu mais queria, se vir pro Brasil, vai custar uns 1000 reais.
Best video about the game out there at this time, made me take it off my potential buy list. For me the shared loot and line of fire rules are big turn offs for the game.
I get streamlining the game to make it more accesible to new players buy I dont think ME fans are casual gamers. ME multiplayer is STILL going for a reason. I love this IP but they took away what I love the most in ME combat, weapon stats, combined powers, different classes, the ability wheel. But hey they made it cheap, let try it.
If you are interested in tabletop role-playing games, maybe search out the d20 fanmade game. It has crunch, classes and all that good stuff. Very different genre though. While I get your comments on this game, I will give this a go. Looks fun.
this is just me but adding all of that in here would probably make this a $100+ core game and i honestly question if many fans would be willing to buy this board game at $50 right now. speaking from personal experience, being a fan of one medium doesnt automatically mean being a fan of another a different medium.
I hate the current trend where more and more publishers will use spiral bound book instead the classic board. It feels cheap and looks like they want to cut cost. Still kinda intested since I'm a huge Mass effect fan..
I think the added convenience in setup is worth it for me. Honestly, it doesn't feel cheap to me, but it should bring down the cost of the game. I think it makes sense for a board game that doesn't have an exploration aspect to its gameplay. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for doing this playthrough, really appreciate you taking the time to produce such a well made video! You sailed through!
Thank you for checking out the playthrough! Congratulations on the game. I've had a great time with it so far, but I still have a lot more to explore. I plan to finish the campaign with my kids, so I'm really excited to get it back to the table. Good luck and thanks again.
@@TotallyTabled I hope you and your kids have a great time.
Totally Tabled, cool content keep it up dude
Thank you. I appreciate that. Thanks for checking out the video!
Those are some HUGE player boards
Yes, indeed! Luckily the map is contained to the book, so the overall footprint needed is reasonable, but more than you might think. Thanks for watching!
Excellent overview and explanation while playing the game as well. Thank you!
Fantastic play through, thank you so much! I think this will definitely be shooting to the top of my list, once my game buying freeze ends. :)
nice playthrough,. i was holding off buying this one as my collection is kind of hitting its storage limit lol and i haven't really had the best experience with video game adaptations but this one finally got me
the price is actually pretty cheap as well so the preorder is on
Yeah, the game is fairly streamlined and the price reflects that. It is definitely aimed at a mainstream audience and would fit comfortably on the shelves of Target or Barnes and Noble. Thanks for checking out the playthrough!
@@TotallyTabled yeah I already have ISS Vanguard which I haven't managed to play through yet so was a little worried that this would be another massive campaign game that would end up in the queue of shame
but it looks to hit the right kind of level of complexity and length that I am looking for in my collection
Thanks for this! Looking forward for when it ships.
Thank you for checking out the video. I appreciate that. Hope you enjoy the game.
Great video, thank you. Question, if campaign is only 3-5 missions, you likely want to play multiple campaigns. How to do that if player boards are written over already for levelling up? Are these markers removable or something? Btw Rogue Angel seems much more interesting to me, can't wait for my copy to arrive! Do you maybe plan to cover this one by any chance?
The game uses dry erase markers so it comes right off. Totally replayable. I have not acquired or played Rogue Angel, so I don't have plans for a video at this time. Thanks for watching.
Another backer, yay! 😁I can't wait for Rogue Angels either. Hopefully TT will get a review copy when it is out. Because his videos are so easy to follow. 💪💪💪
How does the dry eraser work overall? Player match and campaign booklet made of special material or are they pre-laminated like?
Everything is glossy and the dry erase comes right off.
Great explanation as usual! However, unfortunately, the game doesn't seem very innovate, especially seeing it splayed out on the table. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems exhaustive maintaining all these player boards, game after game.
I wouldn't call it innovative, no. It is focused on making an accessible, even gateway, tactical co-op game that has a streamlined ruleset, yet can also be enjoyed by experienced gamers. I think it succeeds on that front. But if you've been in the hobby for a while, you've seen all these individual mechanisms before in slightly different forms. I enjoy the dice rolling system. I enjoy the characters special abilities and the way you level up. I enjoy the enemy activation. I'm not sure what you mean by "maintaining the player boards" but nothing in the game is exhausting. When playing solo you need to play with four characters, but the special abilities are easy to manage and it doesn't feel overwhelming. Everything is clear and straightforward. I worry people might expect this game to be like the video games or like an epic campaign game (in the vein of the massive crowdfunded co-op campaign games that are becoming more common), but it isn't. Hopefully my playthrough makes it clear what this game is and isn't, and who will enjoy it. Thank you for checking out the playthrough!
@@TotallyTabled Thanks for the playthrough, with clean explanations and well made Video !
I was wondering about this game, since I played the videogame more than I should have, even speedran it. From what I saw thanks to you, I feel like they missed the mark with the boardgame; going for a cooperative experience was the right thing but it's very generic. Mass Effect is as epic as it can get, with a large emphasis on dialogues so I admit I was looking forward something closer to the idea if the original material. While the game you played is nice by itself, it makes me sad they used the Mass Effect license on it.
Well, good point tho (maybe not for my social life), you made me really want to replay the original !
@@TotallyTabled I could not agree more! Thank you for this added context. I'll still keep the campaign in mind - I really, really, like the IP. Keep up the amazing content.
@@alexf686 Yes, Alex, you are right that the board game does not try to capture the video game in cardboard form, but rather uses the characters and universe and combat portions of the game to create something distinct. It won't appeal to someone who is looking to recreate the entirety of Mass Effect on the table (if something like that is even possible). Thank you so much for checking out the video!
So, after looking at the preorder page, is there any fundamental reason to buy the extra minis? It doesn't appear that you'd even get enough minis to replace the tokens completely?
You only need as many minis as the number of forces on the board at one time. You still need to pull the tokens from the bag. I personally don't think the minis are worth it and I am not going to buy them. The tokens work great. I'm also someone who doesn't understand the craze around minis in general, so keep that in mind. If you are a painter, then maybe the math changes. Thanks for watching!
@@TotallyTabled Appreciate the reply. Curious as to what the max number of the weaker enemy types would be in play at any given time? The best value mini bundle only gives 6 of each, so if it's more than that might as well just use the tokens aye.
I do enjoy painting minis for TTG's, been doing so for Heroquest most recently but at least their expansions that come with minis are good value for money.
@Jonno92100 I haven't had more than 6 of one type of minion on the board at once, but I haven't played all the missions. Seems like that would be enough.
Thanks for the play. Wow, what weird design choices to make everything feel more random. I have just played the mandalorian yesterday and the comparison is striking. That has puzzling tactics. This has... I mean it's yahtze without rerolls for your actions, enemies are randomly activated but all follow the same exact script (so where is my usual AI scroll per type to have a feel for different enemies? where are my at least partial chances of knowing who will activate and having a chance to plan ahead?) And tons of spawning, which reinforces the feeling of having no idea at all what to do to survive if you have any bad luck. Wow. No thanks, game. But thanks for the demo.
Enemies can have a few other abilities like Rush, where they advance 4 spaces instead of 2, Pin, where you cannot move away, and React, where they will move toward a player that damages it. And the elite enemies have special abilities. When you complete a Renegate victory, each character gains a renegade token that lets you change a die result to whatever you want. Shepard lets you change a basic action to an enhanced action. Liana lets you peek at hazard cards. Some powers let you stun enemies to keep them from activating or bionic to keep them from hitting hard. So this game is about mitigating the luck and randomness with special abilities at the right time -- so risk management plays a part. I think it makes for a nice tactical experience where you don't have complete control and knowledge of everything, so it isn't just a puzzle. Maybe not for everyone, though. Thanks for watching!
@@TotallyTabled Thanks for sharing about the more advanced effects that exist in the game!
Ha, was just looking at the pre-order page and didn't know what to make of it. So, let's have a looksy at what good old Shaggy has to say.
How is the quality of the material? Tokens, player boards, etc.?
The whole set of Mass Effect miniatures (48) is €290 / $320. So I will have to start loving token based enemies. 🙄
Wow, yeah, I would stay far away from those minis. The game works better with the tokens -- just put them in coin capsules and they will be great. The game doesn't have a ton of components, but they are all good. The dice are nice and chunky and feel good to roll. The campaign book is very nice. The player boards are thin and everything is glossy because you use a dry erase marker. It has a streamlined feel to it -- like a really nicely produced mass market game that should be at Target. I think some people might be expecting something like Star Wars Imperial Assault, but it does not feel like an epic Fantasy Flight game. It is smaller in scope. But I've had a fun time with it so far and I think it will appeal to many people both in and out of the hobby. Thanks so much for watching!
@TotallyTabled Thank you for sharing your hands-on impressions of the materials. I like the dry eraser approach they took. Will probably get it eventually. There is so much stuff from campaign fulfillments arriving soon. There is no real need right now.
@@TotallyTabled At a first glance it kind of fulfills the same role as "The Mandalorian: Adventures" board game, right?
@@tjschwrt I have not played that one yet, but superficially I can see the commonalities, most notably it being a cooperative mission based tactical game that uses a campaign book with illustrated maps. Not sure if they feel similar in play. Thanks for watching!
@@Biodelic Yeah, the campaign aspect is not as pronounced here. You can play a quick campaign that is only 3 main missions and could be played in a single day. So it isn't like Oathsworn or even like Legacy of Yu. Again, very streamlined for better or worse. I like it since I'm getting tired of long campaigns.
Hey Shaggi where did you get that dice tray? Its great
I just got it off Amazon. It is this exact model: Fantasydice- Blue - Fire Dragon - Dice Tray - 8" Octagon with Lid and Dice Staging Area. Thanks for watching!
I was using the lid in this case.
@@TotallyTabled thank you - love the content
Thanks for the great video. Made me realize it's not a game for me.
Thanks for checking it out. I'm glad the video helped you decide.
FemShep is the REAL Shepherd. I want this game! I've done so many playthroughs. I've done 3 playthroughs with my daughter too. We both love Mass Effect.
Would you continue spawning minions after they became unable to call in reinforcements?
Is there a feasible way to erase the markers? I like the look of the game but if you can't erase them then that harms replayability.
It's all dry erase so it comes right off. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for showing this off. Is there any sort of modifiers or difficulty modifiers for replaying through the same missions to make them different? I am bummed you always have to take 4. Feels like it's becoming more and more common, and they want the community to fix their games for scaling instead of them taking the time to do so.
Hmmm, I guess I don't look at it that way. The video game is about controlling and directing a squad, so it feels appropriate. It streamlines the setup, which is good especially for inexperienced gamers. And the characters are very easy to manage, so you don't feel overwhelmed by having a team. This isn't Spirit Island. This is more like Robinson Crusoe where playing with multiple characters is more interesting. I agree that for some games it doesn't work, but IMHO it was the right approach for Mass Effect. Thanks for watching!
Ah, I forgot about the first part of your question. I have not seen a way to adjust the difficulty. The missions themselves get more difficult as you progress. Theoretically you could add in the more difficult lv2 and lv3 enemies into the first missions to increase the difficulty, but I have no idea what that would do to the balance. Thanks again.
@@TotallyTabled In an interview with one of the designers, it was mentioned that the Paragon mission victories are generally more difficult than the Renegade ones, so you can make it harder for yourself by attempting to do as many Paragon victories as possible.
Eu zerei o mass effect 3, 2 e não o 1, mas um Board game que se passa no enredo do mass effect 3 , é tudo que eu mais queria, se vir pro Brasil, vai custar uns 1000 reais.
That would be very expensive for this game. I hope it is available for a more reasonable price in your country. Thanks for watching!
Best video about the game out there at this time, made me take it off my potential buy list. For me the shared loot and line of fire rules are big turn offs for the game.
I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks so much for checking it out!
I get streamlining the game to make it more accesible to new players buy I dont think ME fans are casual gamers. ME multiplayer is STILL going for a reason. I love this IP but they took away what I love the most in ME combat, weapon stats, combined powers, different classes, the ability wheel. But hey they made it cheap, let try it.
If you are interested in tabletop role-playing games, maybe search out the d20 fanmade game. It has crunch, classes and all that good stuff. Very different genre though.
While I get your comments on this game, I will give this a go. Looks fun.
this is just me but adding all of that in here would probably make this a $100+ core game and i honestly question if many fans would be willing to buy this board game at $50 right now. speaking from personal experience, being a fan of one medium doesnt automatically mean being a fan of another a different medium.
I hate the current trend where more and more publishers will use spiral bound book instead the classic board. It feels cheap and looks like they want to cut cost. Still kinda intested since I'm a huge Mass effect fan..
I think the added convenience in setup is worth it for me. Honestly, it doesn't feel cheap to me, but it should bring down the cost of the game. I think it makes sense for a board game that doesn't have an exploration aspect to its gameplay. Thanks for watching!
It looks like Mandalorian Adventures, love the theme, love the colors, average gameplay, lets see. Thanks for sharing. 👌🤌😌