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[The Librarian]

Meh.
Do we really need another Halo ?

Nice review (or preview for me).

You do realize what "TPS" stands for, right?

 

[Lunchbox]

http://i47.tinypic.com/hx6bt4.jpg

*high five Bioware*

 

[theMrCravens]

You do realize what "TPS" stands for, right?

Third person, but I meant the sci-fi action part.

forget it...

 

[kitzkozan]

Okay, first off, keep in mind that I'm not a huge Mass Effect 1 fan. I absolutely loved the story, and that's really what kept me holding on throughout it. Second, I have not kept up at all with the hype for this one, watched any real trailers, visited the threads, etc. etc... I'm going in fresh and untainted by marketing/hyperbole of how improved the game is or whatever else people are saying.

Anyway, now that I've got that out of the way, I have to say that overall I'm a bit disappointed with the game. The story is as great as ever (which was, again, the best part of the first game as well), but the gameplay...

My main gripes with the first game were as follows:
- Exploring planets was pointless and repetitive; it was literally the same shit EVERY TIME.
- The game didn't give you much incentive to use other characters aside from your default team (whatever that may be), mainly due to the equipment system.
- gunplay was meh, and the retarded friendly AI didn't help in those situations.

In this game, they've "rectified" all three of my complaints:
- by removing the planet exploring mechanic entirely (at least, I haven't found a single explorable planet yet) - all you can do now is play a shitty Planet Scanning mini-game which is just as repetitive and even more monotonous than the exploration in the first game.
- by SEVERELY dumbing down the equipment/inventory system. You can't collect weapons anymore like in a standard RPG. Instead, you unlock weapons for universal use by your team, and upgrade them based on class (Sniper Rifle, Assault Rifle, etc. - think BioShock).
- by adding ammo clips to weapons. Wait, what? That wasn't what was wrong with the gunplay of the first game - it was just wonky and didn't really feel right in the game, especially because your AI teammates were incompetent. It had nothing to do with the amount of shots you can take - what were you trying to make here, BioWare? Gears of Mass Effect? I really don't get what they were trying to improve here by adding clips - it just makes it into more of an action game than ever.
On the bright side, at least the friendly AI is much improved.

As for the "MW2 strawberry jam" screen: it helps. The shield/health UI is located on the bottom center of the screen (horrible position for it, IMO) and is a pain in the ass to look at in the middle of a heated battle - the strawberry jam helps a lot during those moments, but I'm afraid you're shit out of luck when it comes to teammate status unless you're looking right at their tiny UI icons.

Overall, I'm enjoying the game, but I'm really hating some of these "improvements" (read: steps back) over the first one. It feels less like an RPG than ever, and more like Resident Evil 5 over 4 (in other words, action-ized). At this rate, Mass Effect 3 will be a straight-up TPS with a conversation mini-game.


Really?? :lol

I thought it was hilarious, and reminded me of the Terminator 2 fight scene in the mall between Arnie and the T-1000.

I think that's more or less the goal,make it more of an action/shooter. :lol In fact,they did admit that they want to draw people who will play shooters.

 

[Cep]

Charge + shotgun is nice.

Not on insane it ain't.

As a matter of fact, I think it is safe to say that charge is next useless.

 

[OmegaFactor]

A sci-fi shooter with great story, rpg elements, awesome visuals and memorable soundtrack? Sign me the fuck up!

 

[kitzkozan]

Ugh.

Like there aren't enough GoW clones out there already, we don't need Mass Effect 3 turning into a regular TPS. No thanks :\

Mass effect can't be a Gears of war clone,Bioware actually know how to write stories and characters.

 

[indigo-cyclops]

I'm truly LOVING this game. I have absolutely no issues with it so far. The combat is fucking solid and so much fun. Uncharted 2 quality now. Well, I take that back, I think the "reloading" is somewhat of a nuisance and doesn't make much sense. I think they could have still implemented the overheat function of weapons and made the combat just as robust. I've been extremely surprised/pleased with all the little nods and references to ME1 - especially when random characters show up that I totally forgot about. Not once have I felt the dragging feeling I got when playing ME1 side quests. I really don't mind the planet scanning and think it fits well. It can be a bit tedious, but overall much better than driving around and up high grade mountains sideways. Omega is awesome. Illium is fucking awesome. Citadel is just amazing. These places all feel like living, breathing worlds and even though there's room for improvement, I really think Bioware nailed the presentation this time. Characters are much more interesting. You actually feel the want, and need, to get to know your crew and understand them. A lot of the non-Main quests feel like BDTS, which I thought was well-done. What I mean is, there's a purpose for everything. I won't spoil what happens, but one of the character side missions was an absolute treat. It was quite menacing in fact. I think most will understand who/what I'm talking about once they play said mission.

If you can't show love for ME2, then I'm not sure what is wrong with you. When comparing ME1 and ME2, I see nothing but improvements. A step in the right direction. Very similar to how Ubisoft handled AC1 -> AC2. There's always room for improvement, but presentation is fucking top-notch; story is strong enough (IMO) to hold your interest and the ME universe FINALLY feels alive. There's just so much to experience in the sequel, and I'm excited to continue on.

*Importing an ME1 save really gives you a leg up, IMO. It's quite beneficial, and I love how it's been implemented.

 

[pixel monkey]

Ugh.

Like there aren't enough GoW clones out there already, we don't need Mass Effect 3 turning into a regular TPS. No thanks :\

I don't see that ever really happening as long as Bioware is at the helm. The goal has always been cinematic sci-fi RPG adventure game. The grain filter has always been the most obvious nod to their influence.

If they can continue to tighten and improve the shooting mechanic, more power to 'em...and us.

 

[Alec]

Well yeah, I've run into one of those planets but it was tied to a mission (I was sent there to locate the anomaly and whatnot).

Are you suggesting that there will be other planets that I can just happen upon randomly that will have anomalies as well?
Or are they all mission-specific like the one I already did? If so, then my original opinion stands - it blows... and yes, I know it's optional.

Yes, there are some anomalies that no one sent you to that start a completely optional quest chain.

 

[Basileus777]

Not on insane it ain't.

As a matter of fact, I think it is safe to say that charge is next useless.

It's still useful to knock down enemies that get close to you. But yeah, using it to launch across the map is suicide on higher difficulties.

 

[Cep]

Make no mistake, this game is an RPG.

The combat extends much further beyond shooting, and on higher difficulty, you will thank GOD that you have the ability to pause(allows you to decide how to deal with the charging krogan/vorcha/varren).

 

[Zeliard]

- by adding ammo clips to weapons. Wait, what? That wasn't what was wrong with the gunplay of the first game - it was just wonky and didn't really feel right in the game, especially because your AI teammates were incompetent. It had nothing to do with the amount of shots you can take - what were you trying to make here, BioWare? Gears of Mass Effect? I really don't get what they were trying to improve here by adding clips - it just makes it into more of an action game than ever.
On the bright side, at least the friendly AI is much improved.

The ammo clips add a greater tactical element to each fight, since you can't just use whatever weapon you want indefinitely and have to be more mindful. It also encourages switching between various weapons and varying your character's tactics as well as your team's. I would think that every weapon recharging on their own is more "dumbed down" than ammo clips, the latter of which is pure oldschool.

I don't think that recharging health was necessary, though. Could have just allowed you to use the medi-gel again to gain back health.

Not on insane it ain't.

As a matter of fact, I think it is safe to say that charge is next useless.

I'm saving Insanity for a next playthrough. I'd imagine most close-combat options don't work too well there.

 

[The Librarian]

A sci-fi shooter with great story, rpg elements, awesome visuals and memorable soundtrack? Sign me the fuck up!

You lookin' forward to BioShock 2 then?

I'm not sure what difficulty I'm going to do on my first play through. I think I may end up playing on normal/easy the first time, then amp it up to insane on my second run-through.

 

[Cep]

The ammo clips add a greater tactical element to each fight, since you can't just use whatever weapon you want indefinitely and have to be more mindful. It also encourages switching between various weapons and varying your character's tactics as well as your team's. I would think that every weapon recharging on their own is more "dumbed down" than ammo clips, the latter of which is pure oldschool.

I don't think that recharging health was necessary, though. Could have just allowed you to use the medi-gel again to gain back health.



I'm saving Insanity for a next playthrough. I'd imagine most close-combat options don't work too well there.

You would have to be bloody insane. does not help that you cannot use it until enemies have lost armor/shields/barriers, so by the time it is useful, your enemy is well into being dead.

I also think that the combat drone sucks as well.

 

[kitzkozan]

Well thats what those games do, not what this game does. Its not an old school RPG, or even just an RPG, its a Shooter-RPG, strategy is supposed to be done on the fly, its about action and pressure, not methodical planning. You react to the situation, and unless theyve put in a ton more check points into the game than there was in ME death should still be a pain and run the risk of throwing you back sometimes 30 minutes if you forget to save on you own. You could never just run and gun in ME, you had to utilize cover and abilities.

I dont know why so many people have a hard time understanding that the ME series isnt an RPG franchise. Its an evolution of Shooters and RPGs meant to combine the action and adrenaline of shooters with the story and character development of RPGs. Its not meant to be an RPG where you shoot things instead of hacking them with a sword.

This is just my personal taste:

If I'm going to play a sci-fi "rpg" with mostly guns(the same goes for any rpg with mostly guns),I prefer the action route.It's braindead,but I love aiming and shooting when handling guns. :lol Melee action is harder to properly pull off in real time,so I don't mind having sword wielding characters being turn-based or whatever.

 

[JordoftheDead]

Mass effect can't be a Gears of war clone,Bioware actually know how to write stories and characters.

:lol

 

[Castor Krieg]

Anyone played as an Adept? I did all my ME1 playthroughs using an Engineer, then I check ME2 and we get...combat drone >.<. Sorry, I will pass. I love the Adept powers now.

 

[OmegaFactor]

For those who already have the game: are the ally achievements back?

 

[Peff]

Ah thanks for the clarification. I loaded up me ME 1 save yesterday and saw that I was level 52 around the time you find Liana so I thought I may as well push on through to 60.
So I'll be able to choose both my level 40-something and 60 endings with the same character?

Yep.

EDIT: ^Yes, but they're not quite the same thing. They're easier this time.

 

[Swag]

You would have to be bloody insane. does not help that you cannot use it until enemies have lost armor/shields/barriers, so by the time it is useful, your enemy is well into being dead.

I also think that the combat drone sucks as well.

How is playing as an adept? I'm wondering if the cooldown on Biotics is a hindrance on the flow of Biotic combat. By Cooldown I mean the stacks / bars of skills that Biotics have as a resource.

 

[Cep]

For those who already have the game: are the ally achievements back?

God no.

Spoiler

You do get an achievement for recruiting and another for making them loyal

How is playing as an adept? I'm wondering if the cooldown on Biotics is a hindrance on the flow of Biotic combat. By Cooldown I mean the stacks / bars of skills that Biotics have as a resource.

Cooldowns are reasonable, but you still have to use your guns, it would be stupid not to (especially since you have no attacks to take down shields, you you need to SMG them down).

Of course, it may be easier and more practical on an easier mode.

 

[Citizen K]

Anyone know where I can order the collectors edition in the uk? Cant find it anywhere. I have the regular version pre-ordered but may get the collectors instead.

 

[Swag]

Cooldowns are reasonable, but you still have to use your guns, it would be stupid not to (especially since you have no attacks to take down shields, you you need to SMG them down).

Of course, it may be easier and more practical on an easier mode.

I was holding Christina Norman to his word when he said that Adepts are the only class that can play the game without firing a single shot.

Never Again!

 

[Enduin]

This is just my personal taste:

If I'm going to play a sci-fi "rpg" with mostly guns(the same goes for any rpg with mostly guns),I prefer the action route.It's braindead,but I love aiming and shooting when handling guns. :lol Melee action is harder to properly pull off in real time,so I don't mind having sword wielding characters being turn-based or whatever.

Agreed, but I mean its not all braindead. Sure you arent thinking long and hard, devising intricate plans of attack, I mean some people do, but you do and must make a lot of on the fly decisions and tactical moves in order to survive.

You cant just run and gun, youre going to get taken down and youre going to lose. You have to know the skills and talents available to you and your squad mates and know when to use them and when not to, or else your going to rush into a group of biotics and get tossed around like a rag doll and die before you know what hit you, or a Krogans gonna shot gun blast you in the face and then smash you into the ground before you can even hit him with a throw.

And now with the quasi rock/paper/scissor system with armor/barrier/shield system you have to know what guns to use if you want to take an enemy down as fast as possible.

 

[Slackbladder]

Is ME2 more explicit than ME1? I only ask because the ratings for ME1 and ME2 are a little odd. In the US both are M - you have to be 17 yrs old to play it.
In the UK ME1 is 12 (12! and in the US 17! - such discrepancy) and ME2 15. ME2 is therefore more explicit than the first game (in the UK at least) yet its rating in the US is the same.

 

[Revolutionary]

The ammo clips add a greater tactical element to each fight, since you can't just use whatever weapon you want indefinitely and have to be more mindful. It also encourages switching between various weapons and varying your character's tactics as well as your team's. I would think that every weapon recharging on their own is more "dumbed down" than ammo clips, the latter of which is pure oldschool.

Right, that's what I thought too but... the ammo clips are universal. That effectively negates the entire "you're forced to use another weapon" argument because you can just run up and grab another few clips to replenish your supply automatically. If you do switch to your secondary (or tertiary) weapons, you'll use it until you find an ammo clip and switch right back.

Yes, there are some anomalies that no one sent you to that start a completely optional quest chain.

Really? That's great news. Mind slipping me a PM of the name/system of one of those planets, just so I can check it out?

 

[Cep]

I was holding Christina Norman to her word when she said that Adepts are the only class that can play the game without firing a single shot.

Never Again!

Well maybe it is possible on normal/easy, I cannot comment on those, but it sure as hell is not possible on insane.

My poor sentinel is doing all he can to stay alive. Tech armor has save my ass too many times, sometimes I abstain from using other powers just so I have it on hand when the shit hits the fan (has 12.00 recharge)

 

[Y2Kev]

"Shooter with RPG elements" is the genre of the future, much in the same way gray-skinned bald people are the future of humanity.

Also, on an unrelated note, I think Geoff Keighley is incapable of being critical.

 

[Enduin]

Is ME2 more explicit than ME1? I only ask because the ratings for ME1 and ME2 are a little odd. In the US both are M - you have to be 17 yrs old to play it.
In the UK ME1 is 12 (12! and in the US 17! - such discrepancy) and ME2 15. ME2 is therefore more explicit than the first game (in the UK at least) yet its rating in the US is the same.

Well M is as high as it goes in the US, outside of AO and thats only used if theres explicit sex. So likely theres some more explicit violence. ME used a lot of off screen stuff like if you shot someone in a convo you didnt actually see them get shot. It seems like youre shown more in ME2, also theres probably more swearing in ME2 than there was in ME.

 

[Slackbladder]

I was holding Christina Norman to his word when he said that Adepts are the only class that can play the game without firing a single shot.

Never Again!

She didn't say you could play the game without firing a shot, just defeat enemies without firing a single shot, which is somewhat obvious.
At least now Adepts aren't saddled with Light armour, are they?

 

[Cep]

Right, that's what I thought too but... the ammo clips are universal. That effectively negates the entire "you're forced to use another weapon" argument because you can just run up and grab another few clips to replenish your supply automatically. If you do switch to your secondary (or tertiary) weapons, you'll use it until you find an ammo clip and switch right back.


Really? That's great news. Mind slipping me a PM of the name/system of one of those planets, just so I can check it out?

Well you should be switching weapons pretty frequently to take advantage of enemy defenses. The rapidfire weapons almost never run out of ammo, but Pistols, Sniper Rifles and Shotguns are another story.

In short: rapidfire weapons can be used exclusively, everything else can be limited by ammo (like to see you grab ammo with 3 charging Krogan/Varren).

"Shooter with RPG elements" is the genre of the future, much in the same way gray-skinned bald people are the future of humanity.

Also, on an unrelated note, I think Geoff Keighley is incapable of being critical.

Unless your idea of an RPG is that damn narrow, the game is definitely an RPG. Even if it was not, it is still fantastic and requires much more than twitch shooting skills.

She didn't say you could play the game without firing a shot, just defeat enemies without firing a single shot, which is somewhat obvious.
At least now Adepts aren't saddled with Light armour, are they?

Nope. Everyone uses the same armor: Cover.

 

[infinityBCRT]

I think BioWare was severely misguided if they completely removed the mako/any planet roaming. The reason why everyone hated those segments is because

A) It was so formulaic. I think every planet had 3 things to investigate in ME1.
B) The Mako controls sucked. The concept of the Mako did not suck. Everyone expected the vehicle to drive like a Warthog but the Mako did not. There were weird issues with turning/reversing IIRC. If they made it work like the Warthog there would be no problem.
C) There was nothing that told you that LB = Mako Jump. I accidentally figured it out while I was near the end of the game. Once I figured that out it made combat against rocket-shooting opponents a lot less frustrating.

As far as the inventory system goes, there were a few things that made it dumb. There was no way to store the weapons on the Normandy. People to trade with wasn't abundant as it was in Fallout 3. And there weren't many compelling reasons to trade in weapons because you don't need health packs/ammo either, and I don't think you needed to repair your weapons IIRC.

I do like them streamlining the shooting but I don't think they needed to get rid of the more RPGish elements. If I had to choose, I'd be way more interested in keeping the dialog system and the real time shooting system than the loot system but I think if they added a compelling reason to trade then the loot system would be a welcome addition.

I'm hoping they re-add planet exploration in ME3 and also add Space Combat.

 

[Swag]

Well maybe it is possible on normal/easy, I cannot comment on those, but it sure as hell is not possible on insane.

My poor sentinel is doing all he can to stay alive. Tech armor has save my ass too many times, sometimes I abstain from using other powers just so I have it on hand when the shit hits the fan (has 12.00 recharge)

I figured that would be a godsend on Insanity :lol, I always thought Christina was a guy. Kinda didn't sound like a girl, wierded me out that his name was Christina.

wtf on further playthroughs that still sounds like a guy

 

[DarkoMaledictus]

Well thats what those games do, not what this game does. Its not an old school RPG, or even just an RPG, its a Shooter-RPG, strategy is supposed to be done on the fly, its about action and pressure, not methodical planning. You react to the situation, and unless theyve put in a ton more check points into the game than there was in ME death should still be a pain and run the risk of throwing you back sometimes 30 minutes if you forget to save on you own. You could never just run and gun in ME, you had to utilize cover and abilities.

I dont know why so many people have a hard time understanding that the ME series isnt an RPG franchise. Its an evolution of Shooters and RPGs meant to combine the action and adrenaline of shooters with the story and character development of RPGs. Its not meant to be an RPG where you shoot things instead of hacking them with a sword.

They added a lot more checkpoints... each time you start a new fight the game seems to save as I never had to redo any portions of the games when I died. Each time I died has been a 5 sec walkback.

Yeah sure, its not a traditional rpg, but the game would gain a lot by including large multi pathed dungeons. Seems still too easy, its go from point A to point B. Adding labyrinth style dungeons would of added a lot to this game and its sense of achievement!

It is still a great game, but game nowadays are all a walk in the park... except demon souls the extremely rare hardcore difficult game. Just wish more games were harder and gave more options in defeating bosses. Mass Effect 2 had no difficult bosses, they all died in the same way and there was almost 0 strategy in defeating them. Just feel games are missing that old difficult vide from old school games!

 

[JordoftheDead]

"Shooter with RPG elements" is the genre of the future, much in the same way gray-skinned bald people are the future of humanity.

All men in the future will suffer from high-testosterone levels and Argyria?

All I know is my gut says maybe.

 

[Cep]

They added a lot more checkpoints... each time you start a new fight the game seems to save as I never had to redo any portions of the games when I died. Each time I died has been a 5 sec walkback.

Yeah sure, its not a traditional rpg, but the game would gain a lot by including large multi pathed dungeons. Seems still too easy, its go from point A to point B. Adding labyrinth style dungeons would of added a lot to this game and its sense of achievement!

It is still a great game, but game nowadays are all a walk in the park... except demon souls the extremely rare hardcore difficult game. Just wish more games were harder and gave more options in defeating bosses. Mass Effect 2 had no difficult bosses, they all died in the same way and there was almost 0 strategy in defeating them. Just feel games are missing that old difficult vide from old school games!

I have to disagree, some of the checkpoints are pretty damn far. Maybe you have not died where they can be inconvenient.

Also, play the game on a higher difficulty. Enemies react faster, have higher defenses, are smarter, and to a shit-ton more damage.

 

[AstroMan]

Not really a complaint but it would have been nice to have more fluid cover controls in terms of switching from one point to the other a little easier.

 

[Y2Kev]

Well you should be switching weapons pretty frequently to take advantage of enemy defenses. The rapidfire weapons almost never run out of ammo, but Pistols, Sniper Rifles and Shotguns are another story.

In short: rapidfire weapons can be used exclusively, everything else can be limited by ammo (like to see you grab ammo with 3 charging Krogan/Varren).



Unless your idea of an RPG is that damn narrow, the game is definitely an RPG. Even if it was not, it is still fantastic and requires much more than twitch shooting skills.



Nope. Everyone uses the same armor: Cover.

I'm not saying this game in particular (I have not played it), but I dislike the idea of "XXX + rpg elements" in general. Because that seems to be the way to get a game to sell nowadays.

 

[Revolutionary]

Well you should be switching weapons pretty frequently to take advantage of enemy defenses. The rapidfire weapons almost never run out of ammo, but Pistols, Sniper Rifles and Shotguns are another story.

In short: rapidfire weapons can be used exclusively, everything else can be limited by ammo (like to see you gram ammo with 3 charging Krogan/Varren).

I use a Sniper Rifle mostly, and yes, I found myself switching weapons earlier in the game when it would run out of ammo (only has 10 rounds, after all) - but once you get that second Sniper Rifle? It has around 40 rounds and 10 to a clip!! Then, the third? It's like a futuristic M82 - one shot kills 85% of the time (shield and barrier enemies usually take an extra shot).

As for the charging Krogan/Varren thing, my character has the Cloaking ability (Infiltrator - forgot what the actual ability is named) so I just turn that on and they focus on my teammates. Insta de-aggro.

But um.. the point is that I don't feel the ammo clips really changed anything from the first game's gunplay. In the event that you run out of ammo, it's basically there to make you move around the setpiece to find some ammo lying around.. that's really the only advent I see from it, and as you can probably tell, it's not something I'm fond of - making the game into more of a TPS than ever.

EDIT: Oh, and the retcon for the original game's handling of ammo is lameeeeeee

 

[Cep]

I'm not saying this game in particular (I have not played it), but I dislike the idea of "XXX + rpg elements" in general. Because that seems to be the way to get a game to sell nowadays.

Oh, okay.

I am personally indifferent.

In a way, many of the game we traditionally call RPGs are just action or adventure games with RPG elements.

Also, ME3 better have chain cover, or heads will roll.

 

[neojubei]

Anyone watching the bioware stream on http://www.ustream.tv/biowaretv

 

[FrankT]

Anyone watching the bioware stream on http://www.ustream.tv/biowaretv

Sure am.

The 2 minute warning on the NFC title game is when they are playing the launch trailer they just said.

 

[a Master Ninja]

Spoiler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQFF5crvydg

Spoiler

"He's got a lover in every port and a gun in every tentacle" :lol :lol

I love the take on the Dirty Harry lines.

 

[Cep]

I use a Sniper Rifle mostly, and yes, I found myself switching weapons earlier in the game when it would run out of ammo (only has 10 rounds, after all) - but once you get that second Sniper Rifle? It has around 40 rounds and 10 to a clip!! Then, the third? It's like a futuristic M82 - one shot kills 85% of the time (shield and barrier enemies usually take an extra shot).

As for the charging Krogan/Varren thing, my character has the Cloaking ability (Infiltrator - forgot what the actual ability is named) so I just turn that on and they focus on my teammates. Insta de-aggro.

But um.. the point is that I don't feel the ammo clips really changed anything from the first game's gunplay. In the event that you run out of ammo, it's basically there to make you move around the setpiece to find some ammo lying around.. that's really the only advent I see from it, and as you can probably tell, it's not something I'm fond of - making the game into more of a TPS than ever.

I too am not really fond of the Ammo, it mangles the lore.

The thing though is that outside of Resident Evil, ammo management is not really an issue in shooters, same applies for ME2.

The ammo system just makes the combat feel more 'real, ' I still wish they had kept the overheat thing and just added reloading, but it works and berating that decision is a nitpick.

 

[selig]

okay, i havent played the game, yet, but id like to say something regarding all the complaints about me2 being less an RPG and more a shooter.

WHY did we have the RPG-genre in the past? Because certain narrative approaches couldnt be realized with other genres. Because certain gameplay-styles were to difficult to realize. What it´s coming down to, is: ME2 gives you as a player even more direct controls about your ingame-character. Shooting isnt anymore defined by some arbitrary skill points, its defined by your very own skills of handling the game´s controls.

In a perfect world, we´d have a game as fully interactive as Zelda, with story as deep as Final Fantasy´s and a communication-system as great as Indiana Jones and the fate of Atlantis. But this world is not perfect. Mass Effect 2, however, is probably the game closest to this perfection.

 

[DarkoMaledictus]

Maybe I was lucky! Just miss the days when games were a challenge. Sure, you can increase the difficulty, but more ennergy or faster reaction time doesn't add that much to the experience. Would of been nice to have to craft special weapons to defeat a boss, or simply get stuck at a boss because you dont have the right type of gear. Sure I'm sure you'll say its not this type of game, but in my opinion it would of benefited extremely from these additions.

Guess i'm just tired of running through a great game in 2 days... used to take months back in the day. Still have nightmares from the difficulty from games like phantasy star 1... damm that dark force was a nasty beast !

 

[Revolutionary]

I too am not really fond of the Ammo, it mangles the lore.

The thing though is that outside of Resident Evil, ammo management is not really an issue in shooters, same applies for ME2.

The ammo system just makes the combat feel more 'real, ' I still wish they had kept the overheat thing and just added reloading, but it works and berating that decision is a nitpick.

Oh, it's no secret that I'm nitpicking. As I said in my Impressions post, I'm enjoying the game... very much so, in fact. Absolutely love the story and the fact that MY Shepard's story is continuing over from the first game.

But still, what I listed in my Impressions post are things that BioWare should have improved upon.. not change for the worse, or remove entirely (the Mako).

 

[Sullen]

It amazes me how much people adjust, and then justify the degrading content and depth of Bioware games. As long as the visual flare and "OMG COOL STUFF" is amped up they just don't care. Bioware sure knows how to pull in its new audience though. :lol Hook, line, and sinker.

 

[Cep]

okay, i havent played the game, yet, but id like to say something regarding all the complaints about me2 being less an RPG and more a shooter.

WHY did we have the RPG-genre in the past? Because certain narrative approaches couldnt be realized with other genres. Because certain gameplay-styles were to difficult to realize. What it´s coming down to, is: ME2 gives you as a player even more direct controls about your ingame-character. Shooting isnt anymore defined by some arbitrary skill points, its defined by your very own skills of handling the game´s controls.

In a perfect world, we´d have a game as fully interactive as Zelda, with story as deep as Final Fantasy´s and a communication-system as great as Indiana Jones and the fate of Atlantis. But this world is not perfect. Mass Effect 2, however, is probably the game closest to this perfection.

No. Different people play different games for different reasons. Claiming that it is 'better' because it is less abstract is not a good position to start on if you want to make a point. Also, 'RPG' means a lot of things.

Maybe I was lucky! Just miss the days when games were a challenge. Sure, you can increase the difficulty, but more ennergy or faster reaction time doesn't add that much to the experience. Would of been nice to have to craft special weapons to defeat a boss, or simply get stuck at a boss because you dont have the right type of gear. Sure I'm sure you'll say its not this type of game, but in my opinion it would of benefited extremely from these additions.

Guess i'm just tired of running through a great game in 2 days... used to take months back in the day. Still have nightmares from the difficulty from games like phantasy star 1... damm that dark force was a nasty beast !

Play more Demon's Souls. Also, higher difficulties makes a MASSIVE difference. If you do not have the right team mates, some missions are borderline impossible.

Oh, it's no secret that I'm nitpicking. As I said in my Impressions post, I'm enjoying the game... very much so, in fact. Absolutely love the story and the fact that MY Shepard's story is continuing over from the first game.

But still, what I listed in my Impressions post are things that BioWare should have improved upon.. not change for the worse, or remove entirely (the Mako).

Okay.

I think part of the problem is that the team doing this is much different than the one that did the first.

Writers: Both of the lead writes left. You definitely see that there are new sheriffs in town. In some ways, this is better as ME2 is a lot more interesting and colorful (Paragon and Renegade Shep both feel like the same person, instead of a schizo). The ...

...but at the same time, it is not so good. Unlike the first (which presented a Optimistic Space opera with with a thick layer of Cynicism underneath), this game wears its cynicism on its sleeve, and it is pretty damn annoying: Fuck the government, fuck you, FUCK YEAH! At times, it feels childish. Also the Squadies are now more colorful and interesting, but the writing for them and some of their missions is incredibly loose, as opposed to the sterile but tightly written squads and missions for ME1.

Combat: Now handled by Christina. I can understand the position she was caught in. ME1 had shitty Combat AND RPG systems, so instead of improving it, she decided to just do something different. Of course not everyone is going to like this decision, but since ME's tone and color palate took such drastic turns, only seems appropriate that combat match the entire 'darker and edgier'