This is the wrong way to do DLC. Content wise, it's no more substantial than a single loyalty mission. I'm sorry but 1.2 hours of formulaic corridor shooting involving no real choices for $6 is not okay.
I agree with that about Project Overlord. I DLed it on sale but it was ridiculously boring. I liked Kasumi: Stolen Memory just because it felt like a very slight change of pace at first.
I haven't started The Arrival yet. I have no idea what I'm in for.
I agree with that about Project Overlord. I DLed it on sale but it was ridiculously boring. I liked Kasumi: Stolen Memory just because it felt like a very slight change of pace at first.
I haven't started The Arrival yet. I have no idea what I'm in for.
Kasumi DLC was a decent change of pace; the SMG you get is ridiculously accurate and powerful. I almost feel like I'm cheating when using it.
Lair of the Shadow Broker is my favourite DLC. If I were to do it over again, I would only buy Shadow Broker and Kasumi. The rest are just not worth it unless you are okay with paying a premium for substandard to mediocre content.
Weird. Just got a "sequel celebration" email from Bioware regarding Dragon Age 2. Looks like it let's you redeem for a full version of Mass Effect 2 PC via the EA Store...?
Weird. Just got a "sequel celebration" email from Bioware regarding Dragon Age 2. Looks like it let's you redeem for a full version of Mass Effect 2 PC via the EA Store...?
Weird. Just got a "sequel celebration" email from Bioware regarding Dragon Age 2. Looks like it let's you redeem for a full version of Mass Effect 2 PC via the EA Store...?
Weird. Just got a "sequel celebration" email from Bioware regarding Dragon Age 2. Looks like it let's you redeem for a full version of Mass Effect 2 PC via the EA Store...?
Shockwave is kind of underrated for vanguards. It launches the enemies high enough to catch them with a shotgun blast coming down and gets entire groups off your back.
Shockwave is kind of underrated for vanguards. It launches the enemies high enough to catch them with a shotgun blast coming down and gets entire groups off your back.
Shockwave is kind of underrated for vanguards. It launches the enemies high enough to catch them with a shotgun blast coming down and gets entire groups off your back.
Announced officially today, though it's been on the radar for a while:
In MASS EFFECT: DECEPTION, Gillian was once the subject of horrifying scientific experiments, but now, after her rescue, she is beginning to master her amazing powers. When she falls under the sway of a radical group who believe their powers make them superior to ordinary humans, she finds herself faced with a choice between her destiny and her humanity.
For those wondering who Gillian is:
First book: story of Saren and Anderson, years before ME1. Anderson has his chance as a Spectre, Saren ruins it. Focused on Anderson, Saren, and a bright Alliance Scientist named Kahlee Sanders, whose boss has discovered this strange signal from an ancient, derelict, amazing space ship that Saren takes an interest in...
Second book - Gillian appears - She's the daughter of Paul Grayson, a Cerberus Operative, and she's got ridiculous god-like Biotic Power - similar to Jack. She was in the Acension Project on the Grissom Academy (where Shepard takes the kid from Overlord in the Paragon ending) but much like with Jack her father was using his family visit time to sneak her highly experimental Cerberus drugs which were augmenting her abilities.
Spoilers for the other books follow:
When the Alliance caught wind of what was going on, Grayson is instructed to pull Gillian from the project before they realize who's responsible. He does, but Kahlee, who now works for Acension, pursues. There's a bit of a chase across the galaxy, and revelations including the fact that Paul isn't Gillian's father - Cerberus abducted her as a child and handed her to the operative as his mission - and then Paul has a change of heart and betrays the Illusive Man.
It all ends up going down on the Migrant Fleet - Gillian and her Alliance protectors escape to there. Cerberus mounts an invasion of the fleet - a small-scale insertion operation - to try to extract her. Quarians are killed in the ensuing gunfire
- this is what Tali & her squad is referring to in ME2 when she says Cerberus jepoardized the fleet -
but in the end Cerberus are repelled and Gillian and one of her Alliance protectors, a soldier named Hendel, are allowed to remain on the Flotilla, the first humans ever allowed to do so. Now she's grown up.
That's all the second book. The third book returns to her father - he's on the run from Cerberus. They see him as having fallen far - he's working for Aria on Omega, and sleeping with one of her Asari Commandos, too. Cerberus track him down, kill one of Aria's elite units, and capture him again. The Illusive Man exacts his revenge by putting biosynthetic technology into him that's been salvaged from Collector bodies/tech on Horizon (or the base - the book is deliberately vague).
The Illusive Man doesn't know what he's fucking with, really, because what he's implanting is Reaper tech. Grayson is no longer Grayson, and while he can think that he doesn't want to do things, control has been 'assumed' by the Reapers and he starts working to help them open yet another back-door into the galaxy. There's some really cool moments of dialogue between Grayson and whatever Reaper is controlling him where they explain their intentions for him and the galaxy.
Kahlee recieves a message from Grayson in a one of the few moments of clarity he has, and she calls in help from an old friend, Anderson. She's distressed and upset, and Anderson is kind of in love with her, so he ditches his duties on the Citadel to go after Grayson with her. They think he's been abducted by Cerberus, but then the truth comes out - Cerberus is trying to kill him to erase their mistake, Grayson is partially running because the Reapers are making him and partially because he wants to try to find a way to escape their control.
In the end, of course, it ends up badly for Grayson, and he's killed. Anderson is suited-up fully at the end and talking about how he wants to fight again even though he's old and he officially ditched his Citadel post (albiet temporarily), which is what has led a lot of people to speculate he'll be a squad member in ME3.
Mad summary. These books are slashy but good fun, and I still can't believe how much ME2 stuff was foreshadowed/revealed in the second book, so get hype for the fourth!
Announced officially today, though it's been on the radar for a while:
For those wondering who Gillian is:
First book: story of Saren and Anderson, years before ME1. Anderson has his chance as a Spectre, Saren ruins it. Focused on Anderson, Saren, and a bright Alliance Scientist named Kahlee Sanders, whose boss has discovered this strange signal from an ancient, derelict, amazing space ship that Saren takes an interest in...
Second book - Gillian appears - She's the daughter of Paul Grayson, a Cerberus Operative, and she's got ridiculous god-like Biotic Power - similar to Jack. She was in the Acension Project on the Grissom Academy (where Shepard takes the kid from Overlord in the Paragon ending) but much like with Jack her father was using his family visit time to sneak her highly experimental Cerberus drugs which were augmenting her abilities.
Spoilers for the other books follow:
When the Alliance caught wind of what was going on, Grayson is instructed to pull Gillian from the project before they realize who's responsible. He does, but Kahlee, who now works for Acension, pursues. There's a bit of a chase across the galaxy, and revelations including the fact that Paul isn't Gillian's father - Cerberus abducted her as a child and handed her to the operative as his mission - and then Paul has a change of heart and betrays the Illusive Man.
It all ends up going down on the Migrant Fleet - Gillian and her Alliance protectors escape to there. Cerberus mounts an invasion of the fleet - a small-scale insertion operation - to try to extract her. Quarians are killed in the ensuing gunfire
- this is what Tali & her squad is referring to in ME2 when she says Cerberus jepoardized the fleet -
but in the end Cerberus are repelled and Gillian and one of her Alliance protectors, a soldier named Hendel, are allowed to remain on the Flotilla, the first humans ever allowed to do so. Now she's grown up.
That's all the second book. The third book returns to her father - he's on the run from Cerberus. They see him as having fallen far - he's working for Aria on Omega, and sleeping with one of her Asari Commandos, too. Cerberus track him down, kill one of Aria's elite units, and capture him again. The Illusive Man exacts his revenge by putting biosynthetic technology into him that's been salvaged from Collector bodies/tech on Horizon (or the base - the book is deliberately vague).
The Illusive Man doesn't know what he's fucking with, really, because what he's implanting is Reaper tech. Grayson is no longer Grayson, and while he can think that he doesn't want to do things, control has been 'assumed' by the Reapers and he starts working to help them open yet another back-door into the galaxy. There's some really cool moments of dialogue between Grayson and whatever Reaper is controlling him where they explain their intentions for him and the galaxy.
Kahlee recieves a message from Grayson in a one of the few moments of clarity he has, and she calls in help from an old friend, Anderson. She's distressed and upset, and Anderson is kind of in love with her, so he ditches his duties on the Citadel to go after Grayson with her. They think he's been abducted by Cerberus, but then the truth comes out - Cerberus is trying to kill him to erase their mistake, Grayson is partially running because the Reapers are making him and partially because he wants to try to find a way to escape their control.
In the end, of course, it ends up badly for Grayson, and he's killed. Anderson is suited-up fully at the end and talking about how he wants to fight again even though he's old and he officially ditched his Citadel post (albiet temporarily), which is what has led a lot of people to speculate he'll be a squad member in ME3.
Mad summary. These books are slashy but good fun, and I still can't believe how much ME2 stuff was foreshadowed/revealed in the second book, so get hype for the fourth!
There's some really cool moments of dialogue between Grayson and whatever Reaper is controlling him where they explain their intentions for him and the galaxy.
They're all alright. I'd say the weakest is the first one, though, which tells the story of Saren and Anderson. Something about it just feels weak and rushed - perhaps because it was written alongside ME1 so lots of aspects of the story were changing all the time and stuff wasn't locked down until later on.
The second and third come into their own in different ways - they pull away from the games. Whereas the first book seems to relish in revisiting characters and locations from the game - Young Anderson goes and downs drinks in Chora's Den and so on - the others seem to be more confident in exploring the wider ME universe even though a lot of game characters show up - The Illusive Man, Aria, etc etc.
That said, all four books so far follow one character, Kahlee, so it's probably worth starting with that weaker first book and working your way on from there. Kahlee is introduced in book 1 while 2 and 3 are centered on her and the Graysons... and the fourth is about a Grayson, though I'm betting Kahlee shows up as well.
Like I say, they're not super high literature or anything - they're totally comprable to all the Star Wars extended universe novels - fun, slashy sci-fi novels that is set in a familiar and much-loved universe. Any chance to explore ME more is excellent in my eyes.
Not that I can find, and I've borrowed the book to a friend so I can't check. It's all very reminiscent of Shepard's dialogue with Sovereign on Virmire, though.. that kind of stuff. The Reaper talking and controlling Grayson never identifies itself, so it could be Harbringer or another one entirely.
Edit: Bagh on all of you. The first book is the best one.
I have the book on hand but I am too lazy to re read it, but if you can get some page numbers or general area to look in I would give it a shot.
But either way since I don't remember anything that stood out to me like that, I don't think it
was anything major.
APZonerunner said:
The second and third come into their own in different ways - they pull away from the games. Whereas the first book seems to relish in revisiting characters and locations from the game - Young Anderson goes and downs drinks in Chora's Den and so on - the others seem to be more confident in exploring the wider ME universe even though a lot of game characters show up - The Illusive Man, Aria, etc etc.
I probably need to go back and reread the first one, to be honest, as I read it while travelling a lot, so I absorbed a lot less of it as I was very constantly tired during that trip - the other two I read at home, in much different conditions.
Perhaps it's because it stars Anderson and Saren, but I just felt a lot of the book was heavy-handed justification and foreshadowing of things that would later happen in ME1, whereas books 2 and 3 stay far away from what's going on in Shepard's life. Those books are if nothing else a potent reminder that Cerberus and The Illusive Man are assholes, regardless of how he conducts himself around Shepard.
I'll totally reread the first book now, though. Maybe I'm wrong...
Yeah I just went through the first few pages as well just because that's how much it bothered me. Either way the thing I remember the most is a few pages dedicated to the human ambassador to the Citadel Council and her interactions with it. It was a lot more complex than anything that happened in the game and she wasn't a raging psychopath like Udina.
Edit: Oh and there was also mention of how similar humans are to Salarians in their politics/attitudes. Potentially implying a significant change in the way the council would operate if humans were to ever join. Yeah none of that went anywhere but I thought it was kind of cool.
Downloading right now, thanks to a kind GAffer who got it with the DAII dealio.
Just to be sure, I don't need to use the EA Launcher to start the game, right? Hopefully I can just drop the .exe into Steam like all my other non-Steam games.
I read the first three Mass Effect books for what little extra information they offered about the universe and various characters but GOD DAMNIT Kahlee Sanders is the shittiest protagonist I've ever put up with.
I do not understand why the author has such a hard on for her that he has to put her in no less than 75% of every book.
Humbug;] I thought the books were pretty crappy, but got better as the series progressed. The third is probably my favorite. I'd only recommend the books to people that are really really really really into Mass Effect.
I would roughly rate the books; 2/5, 2.5/5, 3/5 on an honest scale.
I'm hearing really bad things about, Dietz. I hear his work is below average even by video game novelization standards.
Well he has a relatively popular sci fi series under his belt. But on the other hand his Halo novel was pretty bad. I should read Blindsight, because the Crysis novel was fairly ok and devs/publishers should probably give Peter Watts another shot at adapting a video game novel.
I picked up this game last week. I own the first ME, but I never finished it cause... well, it just wasn't enjoyable for me. But I picked up ME2 cause I heard it rectified all the problems that I had with the first game... and holy crap, is this game fucking awesome. I should be working on this paper, but I keep gravitating towards the game, it's so good. Productivity takes such a major hit
But I did have a question, hope someone can answer... I haven't reached the ending yet (I'm maybe halfway or something?), but I am aware of how the last mission sorta goes (I read a spoiler or something a while back),
I want to try to save everyone, how's the best way of going about this, assuming I gain everyone's loyalty, save for Zaeed?
Is there anything specific that I need to do?
Also, I hope in ME3, the team interacts with each other more... and talks to me instead of doing more damn calibrations.
Friend gave me his free ME2 code for PC. Curious about it. I've never liked Bioware games, but everybody else praises this game. Guess I'll give it a shot.
Hopefully it won't be like Dragon Age II. I destested that
Just gave up against the Praethorian. Squad mates just ignore my positioning order and RUN towards the enemy, trigerring his AEO, killing my squad in the instant.
I have no medigel at this point of course...
But when my squad mates manage to survive more than 15 seconds, the Praethorian still focus me like if I was the worst flesh eating, poison breathing, deadliest living creature in the galaxy. 1 seconds of expo to his beam: no more shield. How can I run away from him (because he's hovering towards me all the time) and not being shot at the same time ?
tried for hours to manage that. Impossible to survive enough to scratch his armor. Squad mates are helpless. If I sneak out to shoot/biotic I'm loosing my shield...
Fucking diffucult design. Just make the enemy with 5000% more health than Normal setting and don't let him focus squadmates. Even One to One combat with any grunt is against your favor...
NotTheGuyYouKill said:
I picked up this game last week. I own the first ME, but I never finished it cause... well, it just wasn't enjoyable for me. But I picked up ME2 cause I heard it rectified all the problems that I had with the first game... and holy crap, is this game fucking awesome. I should be working on this paper, but I keep gravitating towards the game, it's so good. Productivity takes such a major hit
But I did have a question, hope someone can answer... I haven't reached the ending yet (I'm maybe halfway or something?), but I am aware of how the last mission sorta goes (I read a spoiler or something a while back),
I want to try to save everyone, how's the best way of going about this, assuming I gain everyone's loyalty, save for Zaeed?
Is there anything specific that I need to do?
Also, I hope in ME3, the team interacts with each other more... and talks to me instead of doing more damn calibrations.
Don't try to save anyone at first. Save before final chapter. Just play the mission, try to make your best (you basically can't save everyone if you don't read help to do so) and act like you think you should. See what happens. Enjoy.
If you messed up, screwed up (you will, eventually) and are not satisfied with how it went or with your ending, go read how to save everyone. If your save progression allows it, go for it.
I finally finished my Insanity run with my Pure Paragon female Shepard. I played as a Sentinel. Everyone survived so I got the achievement.
I chose to blow up the base; I didn't do that with my Infiltrator Shep; Garrus and the whole Normandy supporting crew died in that record. I'm gonna load up a save before the Suicide mission and choose not to destroy it. I do you tell Illusive Man to get lost if you choose not to blow it up as well? I forgot.
Next up is LOTSB on Insanity and then it's adios Insanity. I'm gonna do a pure Renegade run with my Vanguard Shep and get the Paramour achievement. It wasn't too bad I suppose.
The Collector's Ship gave me hell as well as the Praetorian on Horizon and I never used the Cain at all; I used the Arc Projector the entire time, so it took me about a good 20 minutes longer to kill the Baby Reaper using the SMG, the Pistol and the Mantis
NotTheGuyYouKill, I think you should go back and play through ME1 man so it could be a more meaningful experience. As for advice, do everyone's Loyalty mission as the stuff that you get on those missions are worth it and the characters do give you hint as to who you should pick towards that last of part the game, and there is a right way of doing it if you wanna save everyone, but I'm not gonna say. I would start with Kasumi's mission ASAP so you could get the best SMG in the game. The Arc Projector is your best friend for almost every mission save for a few story ones and 1 N7 mission that's a pain in the ass. And upgrade as much as you can.
Fuck fuck fuck this battle for object Rho as an adept Shep.
Fuck it hard.
Should never have traded in Barrier for Reave.
Can I play on casual and still get the achievement? I finished all of ME1 on Insanity as an adept, and loved it, but this isn't exactly a class than shines solo. Take away squad mates and it's pretty shitty, all crowd control without any firepower.
Once the mech shows up I get blasted to hell.
Goddammit. I was playing on hardcore, thought it was normal. Brought it down and finished the DLC with ease.
It was okay. Worth $5 I'd say, but I wish we would've
had some more interaction with Harbinger with the bit at the end. And I didn't like that my input didn't affect the Batarian casualties. I mean, I get that it's this big thing, but what's the point in giving me a choice if the outcome is essentially the same. If the Batarians heard the warning and still got wiped out, that's one thing. But Shepherd getting cut off and doing nothing to get back in contact with them? Pretty stupid.
Just gave up against the Praethorian. Squad mates just ignore my positioning order and RUN towards the enemy, trigerring his AEO, killing my squad in the instant.
I have no medigel at this point of course...
But when my squad mates manage to survive more than 15 seconds, the Praethorian still focus me like if I was the worst flesh eating, poison breathing, deadliest living creature in the galaxy. 1 seconds of expo to his beam: no more shield. How can I run away from him (because he's hovering towards me all the time) and not being shot at the same time ?
tried for hours to manage that. Impossible to survive enough to scratch his armor. Squad mates are helpless. If I sneak out to shoot/biotic I'm loosing my shield...
Fucking diffucult design. Just make the enemy with 5000% more health than Normal setting and don't let him focus squadmates. Even One to One combat with any grunt is against your favor...
It will always focus on you. Tell them to set up up the stairs to the left and just run back and forth, only moving when he stops firing. You also should be using the SMG and you should have brought a squad with Warpers (you are playing Adept, why the fuck wouldnt you).
Just gave up against the Praethorian. Squad mates just ignore my positioning order and RUN towards the enemy, trigerring his AEO, killing my squad in the instant.
Yeah, you want the Praetorian to follow you. You should have a warp squad with you, but you can still manage if you don't.
Foolproof guide.
1. Make sure all the minions are dead or manageable.
2. Get your squad into good cover.
3. Get the Praetorian's attention. You want it to follow you.
4. Find some eye height cover.
On Horizon there are two trucks back to back to your left left when the fight starts.
*
On the Collector vessel; from the start of the encounter proceed straight following the back wall. Follow the corner down the ramp/stairs and on your left will be a pillar you can circle around.
5. Do not get into this cover. Stay back far enough so the CC isn't triggered, but stay close enough so the beams don't hit you.
6. Kite until death. Warp will curve around the cover giving you infinite free hits on him. You can even use your weapons if your careful.
*Spoiler video of mid-game boss fight:Trucks. He could have just kept circling them.
Don't try to save anyone at first. Save before final chapter. Just play the mission, try to make your best (you basically can't save everyone if you don't read help to do so) and act like you think you should. See what happens. Enjoy.
Fuck fuck fuck this battle for object Rho as an adept Shep.
Fuck it hard.
Should never have traded in Barrier for Reave.
Can I play on casual and still get the achievement? I finished all of ME1 on Insanity as an adept, and loved it, but this isn't exactly a class than shines solo. Take away squad mates and it's pretty shitty, all crowd control without any firepower.
Once the mech shows up I get blasted to hell.
Goddammit. I was playing on hardcore, thought it was normal. Brought it down and finished the DLC with ease.
It was okay. Worth $5 I'd say, but I wish we would've
had some more interaction with Harbinger with the bit at the end. And I didn't like that my input didn't affect the Batarian casualties. I mean, I get that it's this big thing, but what's the point in giving me a choice if the outcome is essentially the same. If the Batarians heard the warning and still got wiped out, that's one thing. But Shepherd getting cut off and doing nothing to get back in contact with them? Pretty stupid.
I wonder if EA will release some Dead Space-style suits for ME in the future... I'm surprised they haven't done so, with Isaac showing up in Skate, Dante's Inferno, Army of Two, MySims, Tiger Woods Golf, the PSN network, and Dragon Age 2.
I wonder if EA will release some Dead Space-style suits for ME in the future... I'm surprised they haven't done so, with Isaac showing up in Skate, Dante's Inferno, Army of Two, MySims, Tiger Woods Golf, the PSN network, and Dragon Age 2.
