James is a great character. He's fun, I like his temperament, and he is more profound and clever than many people think. Plus, it was time for Shepard in ME3 to have some kind of "paternal" role with a younger soldier.
As for Allers, she has a big ass, what is a change from all the other women in the series with their perfect bodies ! 
But yes, I would have prefered Emily Wong.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Well, James suffers from the same problem a few others do. I'd say that the worst offender would have to be Kai Leng, because he's actually important to the plot, but was introduced in reading material rather than in the series itself. This is why I am not a fan of the comics and books on principle.
Kai Leng would've worked fine if they stuck to the original script. It would've been similar to Maya Brooks. He was a sleeper agent at first, playing on the VS' paranoia of Shep. No one would've known he was Kai Leng for half of the story. He would've just been Ash/Kaidan's annoying sidekick that made you look bad.
The way the current story works is that we're just instantly supposed to be in awe of a space-ninja.
Instead of comic book space ninja I wish Kai Leng had been more of the hitman type, similar to Tom Cruise's character in Collateral.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Instead of comic book space ninja I wish Kai Leng had been more of the hitman type, similar to Tom Cruise's character in Collateral.
Well, you know my opinions of Tom Cruise...
But yeah, that might've been cool.
The way the current story works is that we're just instantly supposed to be in awe of a space-ninja.
Instant Awseome, Just Add Ninja
But yeah, I got the impression Kai Leng was supposed to like Shepard's evil opposite. Worked with the Alliance (and was an N7), worked for Cerberus, cyborg, all-around bad@$$. It just... didn't work.
Amusingly, CloneShep in Citadel ended up working much, much better. But maybe because that DLC didn't take itself so seriously.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Instant Awseome, Just Add Ninja
But yeah, I got the impression Kai Leng was supposed to like Shepard's evil opposite. Worked with the Alliance (and was an N7), worked for Cerberus, cyborg, all-around bad@$$. It just... didn't work.
Amusingly, CloneShep in Citadel ended up working much, much better. But maybe because that DLC didn't take itself so seriously.
I think they reused some ideas in both Clone and Maya, that were supposed to be part of Leng's schtick. He was supposed to be both the equal, and played the part of a alliance rep who egged Ash/Kaidan on and made them they're you were bad. Not sure if he was supposed to be as geeky as Maya though....that would've still been funny.
Clone was much better? Combat-wise, yes, no argument there, but story-wise clone fails as antagonist IMO. Maya is much better, to the point where the clone feels like her puppet.
Clone was much better?
Well, yeah. Not to say it wasn't still goofy, but it worked largely because it was played for laughs. Unlike Kai Leng, which was srs bsnss
There is one thing that really worked about Kai Leng though: On my first playthrough of ME3, after Thessia, I really REALLY wanted to kill that bastard. I am usually a very calm person and don't hold grudges, even against the worst kind (I let Balak live and recruit him in ME3, etc.) but this guy, I was really looking forward to finally take him down. That because he so obnoxious and because he wins in an unfair way a couple of times.
Don't get me wrong, I think there are a lot of problems with the writing, and presentation of the character and if you read Retribution, his game appearance is abysmal. In terms of the gameplay design decision in your encounters with him, things are even worse and we've done much complaining about this already (and rightly so). But they did really get me - the player - riled up over this guy and the final scene with the omniblade was really satisfying as well.
So while there is more than enough to complain about Kai Leng, I guess ultimately, they did achieve their goal with the guy, at least as far as I am concerned.
Clone Shep on the other hand is just fun. As Iakus said, it works because it's not meant to be taken seriously.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
There is one thing that really worked about Kai Leng though: On my first playthrough of ME3, after Thessia, I really REALLY wanted to kill that bastard. I am usually a very calm person and don't hold grudges, even against the worst kind (I let Balak live and recruit him in ME3, etc.) but this guy, I was really looking forward to finally take him down. That because he so obnoxious and because he wins in an unfair way a couple of times.
Don't get me wrong, I think there are a lot of problems with the writing, and presentation of the character and if you read Retribution, his game appearance is abysmal. In terms of the gameplay design decision in your encounters with him, things are even worse and we've done much complaining about this already (and rightly so). But they did really get me - the player - riled up over this guy and the final scene with the omniblade was really satisfying as well.
So while there is more than enough to complain about Kai Leng, I guess ultimately, they did achieve their goal with the guy, at least as far as I am concerned.
Clone Shep on the other hand is just fun. As Iakus said, it works because it's not meant to be taken seriously.
I think the original idea for riling the player up was better. Originally, the differences with the VS would have come to a head on Thessia. And instead of the Citadel Coup and Udina tricking them, all the ideas Leng keeps feeding them would make them paranoid. I'm not sure how the details play out, but Leng can't shake Shepard off, finally throws the VS under a bus, then forces you to save the VS or Liara.
That's a better reason to get pissed off than railroaded game mechanics with the gunship. This has choice and drama in it, instead of just watching a cutscene failure.
And of course, to top it off, he can kill Miranda too. He's just picking off everyone you might care about.
That said, it's still impressive they managed to rewrite an entirely different scenario under time constraints. They had to change Javik, Kai Leng, and a bunch of other little things.
Not saying it couldn't have been done better. Just saying that they did manage to get me pretty mad at the guy (and ironically the mediocre to bad execution of the character was probably even part of it 
).
EDIT: I mean execution in the sense of implementation. The actual execution (as in: omniblade to the chest) was good. Best scene with Kai Leng in the game. 
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Not saying it couldn't have been done better. Just saying that they did manage to get me pretty mad at the guy (and ironically the mediocre to bad execution of the character was probably even part of it
It just made me mad at the game. Not the character. It didn't come from an immersive point of view.
But I suppose it's "mad" all the same.
Don't know, I was quite satisfied when I stuck the omni-blade into his guts. Didn't feel such satisfaction when killing Saren or hurr-durr Reaper 
Guest_StreetMagic_*
I don't know. Maybe it's just me. I feel emotionally detached after Thessia... like I was slogging through the game and just going through the motions. Everything felt lame after Rannoch. Cronos is a pretty cool level though, as far as visuals and stuff goes. I mean, it's TIM's base after all. But even that could be better. There's no excuse why either Miranda or Jack couldn't be there (yet they're mentioned and "present" if they're indoctrinated/dead. Wonderful).
James is a great character. He's fun, I like his temperament, and he is more profound and clever than many people think. Plus, it was time for Shepard in ME3 to have some kind of "paternal" role with a younger soldier.
Paternal? Give him a Typhoon X and there's a chance it turns into rivalty.
There is one thing that really worked about Kai Leng though: On my first playthrough of ME3, after Thessia, I really REALLY wanted to kill that bastard. I am usually a very calm person and don't hold grudges, even against the worst kind (I let Balak live and recruit him in ME3, etc.) but this guy, I was really looking forward to finally take him down. That because he so obnoxious and because he wins in an unfair way a couple of times.
Don't get me wrong, I think there are a lot of problems with the writing, and presentation of the character and if you read Retribution, his game appearance is abysmal. In terms of the gameplay design decision in your encounters with him, things are even worse and we've done much complaining about this already (and rightly so). But they did really get me - the player - riled up over this guy and the final scene with the omniblade was really satisfying as well.
So while there is more than enough to complain about Kai Leng, I guess ultimately, they did achieve their goal with the guy, at least as far as I am concerned.
Clone Shep on the other hand is just fun. As Iakus said, it works because it's not meant to be taken seriously.
Really? I was sad when I killed him because I knew that he would provide no more unintentional hilarity from that point on. I've played through the trilogy a dozen or so times now and I still burst out in uncontrollable laughter every time I open this howler.
Kai Leng is the most unintentionally hilarious fictional thing created since Battlefield Earth. I can't possibly get mad at him.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Letting Kai Leng be responsible for wiping out either the VS or Liara, every singe play-through, would have made matters much worse.
Why? It's Virmire all over again.
And everyone loves Virmire. 
Letting Kai Leng be responsible for wiping out either the VS or Liara, every singe play-through, would have made matters much worse.
Yup. Bad enough he makes you autofail the mission, but to cost you a squadmate too?
Imagine the howls.
Guest_StreetMagic_*
I thought howling was good.
Fan tears and all that.
Plus, these would've potentially been the first fan tears for Liara. Priceless.
Had Leng been as much a challenge as the clone gameplay-wise, we wouldn't be having this discussion
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Had Leng been as much a challenge as the clone gameplay-wise, we wouldn't be having this discussion
He and all the Phantoms were pretty cool, as far as gameplay goes (imo). I just think people don't like the scripting.
The Clone is fun though. As are the Mirror Matches. Shepard is a badass.
He and all the Phantoms were pretty cool, as far as gameplay goes (imo). I just think people don't like the scripting.
The Clone is fun though. As are the Mirror Matches. Shepard is a badass.
Oh, come on, you don't even have to move to kick his ass!
I still think Leng's battle on Thesia would have been way better if it played similar to the hopeless battle you fight in Arrival (except that you can actually win in Arrival, which you shouldn't be able to on Thessia). Just overwhelm the player, make it a really unfair fight that will theoretically go on for ever and you have no chance to win. Just give us gameplay instead of a cutscene and maybe a small bomus (extra dialogue line or two) if we hold out a long time. I think that would have made Kai Leng's win much more credible.
Also, a character that doesn't look and talk like a moron would have been helpful.
I still maintain that the idea behind it all - getting the player really mad by trolling him in a way - was not necessarily a bad one.
EDIT: Also @Quarian Master Race: Since you want more Leng, I have to post my totally legit leaked footage from the ME: Next equipment screen again here:
Guest_StreetMagic_*
Oh, come on, you don't even have to move to kick his ass!
Yeah, energy drain is kind of cheap though. It's how I originally got my Insanity achievement.
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