So, I'm about halfway through Makeb so far... and I have really, really mixed feelings about it.
Potential spoilers below:
SpoilerAlright so... On the one hand, I'm liking the overall story itself - it's generally well written, makes sense, and I don't mind fighting the Hutts half as much as I thought I would. Part of my initial trepidation with going to Makeb was "Wait... I'm a Jedi who killed the Emperor, why am I worried about some lousy Hutts?*" - And they answer that question without any real copouts by making it more about the planet and it's people than about me vs the Hutt Cartel.
So that I can dig.
Storytelling wise, the only problem I have is that I feel that they're too... generic at times. Sometimes the game is nice and mentions I'm a Jedi or will even bring up things I did in the past (I got a nice callback to the Planet Prison at one point, that was cool) - but other times they just call me "Republic Forces" - which is generic to the point of painful. It barely refers to me as a person at all... and it's not like I have the Republic Army traipsing around behind me like I did on Corellia.
I also feel like a lot of the time I have no response that really fits my character; this... wasn't an issue leveling up; and the character herself hasn't really changed - but a lot of the time it feels like my options are: Threaten, Ask for a Bribe, or Something Else Often Questionable - Maybe that's just me; but it's slightly annoying.
Also, the same gender flirt option for a Republic Female? I like the character, but every time I flirt with her I sound almost as sleazy as Doc; and she just sounds irritated at my attention other than the very first flirt. I mean don't get me wrong, relationships are complex and this is a difficult situation; but trying to flirt with her makes me feel like a bad person because she's sending some pretty loud "NOT INTERESTED" signals. I dunno, maybe that's just me but it's really annoying that after not getting same gender romance for companions in the first place, our one option on the front so far is at least as far as I can tell not responding very well at all.
Still, storytelling isn't generally the problem. The problems I'm running into are much more crunch based.
1) Who in their right mind included civilians in enemy groups in some of the earlier sections of Makeb? Worse, who's dumb idea was it to make them hostile? It means that not only do I accidentally murder a lot of people just attacking enemy soldiers; but that I *have* to murder them because otherwise combat doesn't end and I can't heal up.
For a suitably ruthless character maybe that makes sense, but I'm a full lightside Jedi, it's... weird.
2) Some of the Elites on patrol don't patrol in the typical fashion (Ie: walking around). No, they SPRINT - everywhere; like they're running laps and just happen to come across you in the process. Those obnoxious sprinty elites have killed me several times now because they'll be nowhere near you (or even at all visible) when you start a fight, but then suddenly they're on top of you kicking your tail left and right...
I have to imagine this is a bug, because nowhere else in the game does this happen, and it looks absolutely ridiculous.
3) The Headless bug - this is affecting more than Makeb of course, but it's doing a wonderful job of making me laugh at moments that should be at least somewhat serious...
4) The terrain... I don't hate it, because it is interesting looking, but it's a lot harder to navigate than the vast majority of the rest of the game because it's so vertical. You really pretty much have to follow the roads to get anywhere half the time, and those roads are almost universally clogged with mobs, so you end up hacking your way through everything to get anywhere, which gets exhausting.
5) Not enough choices to be made - at least as far as I am there's usually one choice per area, and some of hte things that ARE tagged as choices make no sense as being choices. (Not that that's new to SWTOR, but still...)
Example: Early on you get a Light Side/Dark Side choice involving strategy after hurting the Regulator army - you can A) Dig in and hold ground (This is a lightside choice), or B) Pursue and attack the fleeing Regulators (This is a darkside choice).
Now maybe it's just because I've spent entirely too much of my life immersed in military history; but why on earth are these Lightside/Darkside choices to begin with? Unless there's information they just aren't telling us (but expecting us to know somehow), the smart strategy in this situation is to pursue the enemy, try to cut off as many retreating Regulators as possible and make them surrender. I chose the Lightside option as I don't want many DS points on my Jedi, but... nearly as weird as the Medicine quest at Fort Garnik (which to this day I do not like.)
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Anyway, ultimately I'm glad Makeb exists - I am enjoying it; but there are lots of things about it that are bugging me and making me want to play a different character instead... really hoping future content will be a a little more carefully done. (Really really hoping they'll add more class quests, but I don't see that as remotely likely.)
*I mean yes as a Jedi I would definitely care - but why would I in any way feel personally threatened by their army after basically doing something so incredible as killing the Emperor?