Josh Strife Hayes Plays: Mass Effect 3 - Part 1

Streamed July 7 2024
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[@AnnaCurser]

plays vangard as infiltrator, plays infiltrator as vangard. never learn, josh, never learn.

[@Liesmith424]

ME1 had plenty of choice: You either play viably, or die and reload your last save. You can't melee everything in that game to death, regardless of scripted sequences. ME2 had less choice in term of build options, and you also couldn't just melee everything to death in that game either. ME3 (so far) is letting you play mostly how you want, but there are times when you cannot just sprint up and melee an enemy. For example: when the android you just witnessed surviving a fiery explosion and kicking a vehicle door 5 meters is charging at you, your punching will probably not be sufficient to the task.

[@Omniaverage]

Josh I absolutely loved this series up until now! Normally, I like when you don't always listen to the chat but this was a little too cringe.

[@bongwaterbojack]

With all due respect, there's a difference between the gameplay being railroaded and it not supporting one oddball way to play. The combat is built around combining a wide variety of guns and powers at varying engagement ranges to effectively tackle different situations. Saying that you don't want to use any of those is not the game railroading you; it's you railroading yourself.

[@Liesmith424]

Yeah; I don't mind someone intentionally trying a weaker playstyle, but it's a bit frustrating when they criticize the game design because they *chose* to avoid interacting with core mechanics.

[@DannyRhym3z]

Completely agree and honestly it's really frustrating to watch someone intentionally sabotage their own experience and then complain about it

[@StonnedWolf]

Is that not what yall are doing right now?

[@StonnedWolf]

You know what and how Josh is by now...

[@bongwaterbojack]

@@StonnedWolf don't assume everyone has been watching him as long as you have.

[@mjziborich4491]

This stream feels really strange to me. I loved how seriously he took ME1 and ME2 and actually paid attention to the story and learning the mechanics. Now he’s just messing around, which he can totally do, but it’s just not what I’ve expected after the previous streams. I hope he’ll pay more attention in the future, if not I’m probably done with his streams for now. :(

[@OrangeFreeman]

Josh has been playing Mass Effect for so long, he gained a loyalty quest

[@DeReAntiqua]

Josh has been playing Mass Effect for so long, he's accusing half the cast of not being real, and half the time, he's right.

[@DannySB991]

I've loved every single one of Josh's streams recently especially the previous ME streams, but this one was an incredibly frustrating watch. Taking 2 hours to do the tutorial level with the insistence of not using bullets, to making jokes out of every conversation scene. I'm all for it usually but this felt over the top tbh.

[@DannyRhym3z]

Yes,. extremely frustrating

[@Landricities]

Yeah I've been enjoying his vods a lot this past month but I might actually have to bow out if he's going to be this obtuse. I can't imagine getting to Mass Effect 3, picking a class with a specific gameplay style that it excels at and IS fun, only to play it in a way the class he just ditched would have done a thousand times better and FELT better....and he's complaining about the overall experience on top of that.

[@DannySB991]

@@Landricities Yeah I agree, it's made me question if I want to continue watching too. I love the ME series and I know Josh would love the game if he just treated it a bit more seriously. It's really not fun to watch him struggle through levels with cloak + punch + die over and over.

[@Leetjesc]

I was fine with the melee shenanigans. What I can't get over is Josh wanting angry uppies while ignoring one of the angriest uppies in Liara's skill bar.

[@Infinite_Jester]

Did you not watch the 20-minute rant at the beginning about him not feeling "artistically challenged" by playing games the normal way?

[@Zilindreen]

Cannot stop seeing the trainwreck, playthough stopped after ME1, since then it's just content milking and trolling. That said I find myself coming back for every episode

[@soulofmen]

"You cant just shoot them" "Going to need more than guns, Sheppard!" For all the talk about how games need more context driven tutorials...

[@dontshanonau1335]

Anyone who thinks the epitome of doing something difficult is being rich and getting richer needs a hard reality check.

[@urosprodic137]

Josh is starting to be the grumpy gramps that has no imagination...

[@Wrzlprnft]

There is paperwork! Sir, the building that does the paperwork has just been blown up.

[@fyxation]

One of the best things about watching someone play something for the first time, which I only tend to do if I have played the game myself, is seeing them struggle. I mean the sort of struggle that's comical. If I wanted to watch a satisfying playthrough, I'd do it myself. That said, I hope Josh plays the games for himself at some point and not to entertain us. ME has such incredible world-building delivered in exploration, side quests, and dialog. He's barely scratched the surface, and he deserves to see all that stuff that's made people adore this amazing (and flawed) trilogy. Especially if he has any plans to do a "Was it good?" essay for it.

[@matheusmterra]

Yeah, I'm done with the series. It was fun while it lasted, but watching a gameplay that is purposely inefficient wasting a lot of time in favor of a punchline (that's not even that good) and turning every conversation into a punchline is a far cry from how the series started. On top of that, after playing the game like that raising complaints that the gameplay railroads you, when in fact the game spells out for you how the combat was designed and how you're meant to engage with it in order to have fun. You can't refuse to engage with the game on its terms and then complain that your oddball playstyle is not being supported, not that kind of game. I'm happy Twitch is having fun with the content, I hope they keep enjoying it. But for me, as far as how enjoyable KZbin content is, this is not enjoyable anymore. Best wishes to Josh and looking forward to the next playthrough series.

[@DannyRhym3z]

After watching all the me1/2 videos, the play through now feels less like willingness to enjoy the experience and more like an attempt at annoying viewers by purposefully playing this way and it works. I would much rather josh plays for the game for himself rather than content creation, because its quite obvious streaming the game has completely removed him from it. Its frustrating to watch it turn into this. The mass effect series is a masterpiece and it feels like its being intentionally ruined with this pointless trolling.

[@CuddleCakez]

A lot of streamers don't seem to get that enjoying these kind of games is the content, not speedrunning it and trolling. Maybe it's because half his audience may not have even played it I dunno. :|

[@DannySB991]

@@CuddleCakez This!!

[@JokerFey]

because josh wants it to make it 2nd monitor enjoyable as possible i enjoy listening to josh "bla bla bla" in the background while doing other stuff i think mass effect is a replayable game and you don't need to invest in everything in 1 playtru, the lore is everything but can also mean nothing

[@alsaiduq4363]

Sorry, but Mass effect isn't a masterpiece. It really quite good but some of you need to take off the rose tinted glasses and see how the series went out of the rails since mass effect 1.

[@arpadszabo661]

@@alsaiduq4363 garbage take. Your opinion doesn’t matter when the vast majority thinks its a masterpiece. The times have passed when people brainlessly whined about this game, get over it.

[@kinggoldark3853]

This seems less of a playthrough stream than a social experiment. Josh is testing his chat to see just how much they can tolerate his playing the game in the most disadvantageous way possible - what better way to see who will stick it out for the sake of the disastrous story decisions he will inevitably make. For example, he's put all the pieces in place for a happy krogan ending - so my money's on sabotage.

[@AnnaCurser]

this isnt whelming. its frustrating. josh is just trolling now, ignoring every mechanic in the game. i guess trying to make a game break comes with the name Josh.

[@DannySB991]

This!!! And I don't even know why. I really like his ME1 streams, and most of the ME2 ones were fun to watch. This is just frustrating for no reason.

[@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it]

@@DannySB991 he doesnt like when someone pressures him how to play. neither do i. i understnad him 100%. you go play how you want, the series is for 10bucks now everywhere.

[@arpadszabo661]

@@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it buddy, literally every game could be ruined if you’d try to play them the way Josh plays this. A shooter game is not going to be fun if you try to melee everything and even if you use guns, you ignore every other mechanic. Its like playing GOW and trying to kill enemies with the weapons they are immune to and then whining how you’re restricted, instead of adapting. Also, Josh playing like this is one thing, he still could be having fun, but he’s literally ruining the game for himself and constantly whines about it.

[@SuperMonkei]

Weight mechanic was in ME2, you just didn't know about it.

[@andrkhor]

This is the first episode and he already got one npc killed. This is going to be a disaster.

[@kevinmegannety1163]

Be interesting to see him follow up the Morrowind long video with the entire Mass Effect trilogy in one long video.

[@RusStarik]

You all be legends if you manage to convince Josh play Andromeda

[@anthonymiller5625]

2:48:40 I know what petrichor is because of Amelia.

[@MehrumesDagon]

1:05:00: it doesn't track ammo, it's either timed, or static amount of enemies, I finished this section spamming incinerate and not firing my gun once.

[@paletyam]

Ive heard that it does booth. They found that players would start conserving ammo as they startedd running low. So in order to not trap the ability using people in an infinite onslaught it has a max timer to.

[@mando_dablord2646]

The ranking conventions have been somewhat weird. Kaidan was a Lieutenant in ME1, Lieutenant Commander in ME2, now he's a Major in ME3? Did he switch branches? Going from Marines, to the Navy, then back to Marines. 😂 I know it's just a game, but it seems a bit silly.

[@zeyphr0505]

Josh, the stealth is like Morrowind 75% chameleon

[@TheLucidChiba]

I feel sentinel would have been perfect for him, tech armour allows you to comfortably sit back and keep up conversation while spamming warp + throw for the combo explosion and firing off the pistol in between as he enjoys. Excited for the final stretch all the same though.

[@andromidius]

Sentinel is such a great class/career in ME3 (and its decent in ME2 and underwhelming in ME1). It also suits the more aggressive play style too, since Tech Armour can really take a beating and Sentinels have some of the best grenade options.

[@EkaterinaSTADNIKOVA]

Surprisingly, for the first time in history, I completely agree with Josh's opinion. There is no better rest than development, solving interesting tasks, or physical activity. I was happy to wash the windows for the first time in two years)))

[@anthonymiller5625]

They say you know you're finally an adult when you get excited about a new vacuum or washer.

[@EkaterinaSTADNIKOVA]

@@anthonymiller5625 hun, i'm 41 at 13th this month)

[@anthonymiller5625]

@@EkaterinaSTADNIKOVA congrats, I will be 41 this year as well.

[@EkaterinaSTADNIKOVA]

@@anthonymiller5625 cool!

[@JenIsHungry]

What's restful is entirely subjective to the needs of the person.

[@realenew]

this guy has the same urge as mine to just sneak attack as infiltrator, such a fun class to play

[@Galantus1964]

you killed Ash and now you didnt get to see her as an effin Hottie in ME3...sad sad day ..

[@foamingclean596]

Ace Shepard is the hardest run to complete, Josh. Don't let them bully you.

[@johndeljoy8071]

Josh casually checking out a reapers ass at the end of the stream :D

[@VexedForest]

This man is the best Vanguardfiltrator I've ever seen

[@MaisieSqueak]

I thought he was a Soldotic!

[@purr_purr_meow_meow]

This came right in time. Josh is like Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul ❤ If the soup was very whelming… and lukewarm ❤

[@SPACE_BOOOOOST]

lmao 10 minutes into the story and Josh is already onto the Indoctrination Theory with the kid

[@nathanhancey8619]

He's made it pretty obvious he already knows a lot of the plots of the games he plays

[@SPACE_BOOOOOST]

@@nathanhancey8619 Somehow I doubt he just randomly went down that rabbit hole for a game he didn't even play before. Besides, the theory itself was refuted by Bioware, the kid is real.

[@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it]

its pretty obv wen you finnish me2.guys do you even play these game that you keep yapping about ?

[@nathanhancey8619]

@@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it yet you're the one yapping on and on with your braindead comments

[@nathanhancey8619]

@@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it not gonna listen to some terminally online knuckle dragger 😂

[@existentialselkath1264]

The intro is linear and scripted and heavily tutorialised. Afterwards the game opens up and you can play however you like, but the story takes a turn for the worse at the same time.

[@MuraCasardis]

Except for Tuchanka. That whole questline is a masterpiece.

[@existentialselkath1264]

@@MuraCasardis there's a lot of great quests and stuff. The overarching reaper plot and a certain Troy Baker voiced character get more rushed and low effort as the game goes on.

[@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it]

except its not. it PRETENDS to be like you described it

[@kkuro7054]

I've long enjoyed thinking of many companions, NPCs, and entire encounters in the ME series as figments of Shepard's imagination (or psychosis, TBH). So glad to see someone else might be arriving at the same conclusion! :D [Edit: BTW, so glad you decided against Elden Ring here!]

[@talleyrandxlll7037]

life requires challenges if you don't have them externally then you will make them internally

[@darkdawnbringer]

What is it with streamers and just being incredibily stupid...? Take this guy, after 2 games he stil can't push 123 keys to use powers, he wants to punch only in a shooter game, just willynilly levels up what ever for laughs i guess... I get it, it gets people like me to comment, is this guy afraid that he woint get enough validation if he does not act "lol so random teehee" at all times... It just seems so insincere, i get it he's a "actor" but come on man, then act a bit better, i know! maybe you could act like someone playing a video game?

[@JenIsHungry]

People can goof around and not take it so seriously if they want.

[@DrPlonk]

@@JenIsHungry the difference is they normally wouldn't then shit on the game for their troll-playstyle ruining the experience.

[@SonicAF]

Comparing Vega to Jimothy is unfair.

[@Wookiee925]

Waiting for Josh to take on an atlas in melee 😂😂😂

[@JuMoraf]

@2:19:00 "Proper Gander" I'm cackling

[@androidbluat]

Where is Mass Effect 2 final vod? I searched on twitch and youtube, it's not there.

[@kublaihorta5772]

Every 7 days he feeds on the tears of those who find his builds painfully optimal :P

[@garflblax]

Chocolate Milkshake and Neverwinter is also my drug. Also: I really enjoyed Andromeda, I feel it was a more logical conclusion to the series in a way.

[@StonnedWolf]

I didn't remember kaiden had talk to him till u read it out

[@davesatxify]

Looking forward to how this goes

[@Zuemmel]

You know it's gonna be whelming

[@elion4245]

Tali being exiled could bring an interesting plot.. at least then, "the red option", which he seems to follow the most would be more viable

[@ViperPilot16]

ME1, and ME3 are the best Mass Effect games fight me lol.

[@thelugash]

I've just started watching you, but you're clearly an Actor. If you're so good you're getting paying work, you gotta follow your soul. You'll make way more on twitch, but I'm not sure that's your highest priority.

[@PumpkinCigar]

Maybe take one weekend a month off from streaming to help recoup. Everyone deserves a weekend.

[@jamesevarts3]

MY NAME IS JAMES AND I AM REAL, I AM A REAL BOY

[@takikohaku2270]

This may count as a spoiler: Josh predicted the final boss of the trilogy BY ACCIDENT within the first 2 minutes, let that sink in.

[@AnnaCurser]

its called foreshadowing. ME3 writing is just bad

[@nathanhancey8619]

Games been out for a long time. Not unbelievable that he's already seen the ending and is just pretending it's "all new" to him

[@spaxx3849]

"worst DnD (?) campaigns ever" you get a group dimension 20 thing going.. Group of rag tag rough and tumble adventurers tackle the worst rated campaigns.. Get costumes And have 2 versions of the campaign 1, from the players pov centred much more on their decision making and reasonings with the group.. V2 is from the DM.. Giving you an inside look at the soul of thr campaign the living part of the narrative... Is the world chaotic neutral or did they burn the roof of their mouth on the way into the studio & the world is lawful evil! K bed time

[@nathanhancey8619]

Bang Garrus please

[@mythestoYT]

You should have committed >:( 50/50 by the person was perfect

[@PumpkinCigar]

I think enjoying the comfort you've earned is not only normal, it's part of achievement. I would enjoy the comfort a bit more before looking for new ambitions. Keep up the great work!

[@Airtroops83]

YYYEEEEEESSSSS LETS GOOOO

[@bertiewooles3093]

Wait MIRANDA DIED??

[@Mantaur104]

Yup, he couldn't get enough Paragon/Renegade to reconcile her and Jack after their spat, so he lost her loyalty.

[@DannyRhym3z]

Screw elden ring. I'd get on Andromeda

[@BeepSmile]

Why?

[@kkuro7054]

_Hustle_ was great!!! I did like _Leverage_ and its more populist take, but as a serialized heist show it just wasn't as good. (Sorry for double-commenting.)

[@pastafarian7]

Did you know you can make commander Shepard look like Barack Obama? Missed opportunity

[@StonnedWolf]

Josh did you do something on saturday to make everyone salty?

[@StonnedWolf]

My Bad VIsa did Josh do something to make everyone salty?

[@Cyahlaytar]

melee funny for maybe 5 minutes....then just disappointing. Not even whelming, disappointing.

[@martinw6371]

Ive never played me3 after hearing leaks about where the story and choices go. I remember seeing clips of that "muscles" guy and hoping there's some planet with a nuke i can leave him on like i did kaidan

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Except Muscles guy is good.

[@vault13le]

No Legion no good Mass Effect 3

[@klarkolofsson]

I second many of the comments here. I have happily binged the ME content up until now. This is not respecting peoples time.

[@johanroets1258]

Sorry Josh, but it does feel like you're making satire of something I love. A shame really, but I didn't come here for that.

[@JokerFey]

omg reading the comments after video end is funny, everyone so zealot about a video game just enjoy josh video in your 2nd monitor and mass effect is a great game i replay the game 2 time but it's just that, a game.

[@MaisieSqueak]

Keep fit people claim exercise "relaxes" them to feel superior. You see being obsessed with exercise and keep fit is a never-ending cycle. You are never satisfied. They need that superiority to drive them forwards... to feel like it was all worth it. Nobody but nobody "relaxes" by doing exercise. Adrenaline is a thing y'all... I must add... I'm not poo pooing the whole anecdote of feeling fulfilment from doing something challenging (i play Final Fantasy XIV. I know the sentiment... So would you if you played it aaaaaaaaahhh 😂)... But don't give these obsessed loons credit. It just makes them stronger and they really REALLY don't need it or deserve it.

[@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it]

ppl still didnt realize josh is baiting ppl with his whining and he plays intentionally bad so there is an engagement in the comments of nerds who are so tough behind their monitors

[@mjziborich4491]

@@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it but that’s now how he played the first two games, is it?

[@ReachTea]

Whiny crybabies in the comment section! I've replayed Mass Effect more times than everyone here, and these streams are great 😆

[@Dyndrilliac]

Not everyone watches for "the lulz" of seeing someone intentionally play badly.

[@ReachTea]

@@Dyndrilliac then watch someone who plays it seriously, god knows there's enough of them on KZbin

[@bobfry108]

Lots of negative comments on this one. I’m enjoying him not giving the slightest toss what you think. JSH ftw 😂

[@Dyndrilliac]

Okay, good for you. I'm glad you enjoy it. I'd rather do something fun then watch someone say the gunplay feels better, then try to play the game without a gun and then whine like a bitch that it's not a viable way to play "for the lulz". Thankfully there is a plethora of other content to watch.

[@hudabigbadwolf2]

Damn Mass Effect 3 is just so bad, should've just played Elden Ring