Mass Effect 2

[Bones]

So I'm Mass Effect fan, I enjoyed first ME but mostly for it's plot, cool characters and awesome locations.... and that's it... the game had few killer-dumb features like riding that funky Mako (I never really liked it) but what bothered me the most was - why oh why this game has quite up to 07' graphics but suddenly when you look at the most important things like uniforms you almost want to barf... pixelated they were at the best. Combat was getting boring towards the end of the game and side quests were unexciting but what the hell game rocked !

So I've got Mass Effect 2 (right before it I bought that crappy yet powerfull, energy sucker called Super OverClocked GTX 275 - which is the least stable card I've ever seen)

I was shocked and amazed after first 10 minutes of gameplay :eek with 5.1 sound and 42' LCD TV whole prologue was simply astonishing, amazing, awesome and unexpected  ;) whole scene was sooo effectively scripted, visuals were soo cool that they beat the crap out of my GTX due to the lack of proper cooling and shader extensive graphics game crashed with BSOD and after restart SpeedFan bubbled about overheated GPU blah blah... It didn't stop me from puting huge fan, used to cool down room in summer, next to my rig
I was impressed with all the improvements done to Combat system also I'm pleased that Mako and strangely boring lift transitions were cut down to simply boring loading screens but that's cool IMHO. Ammunition and research lab are the best additions to the game so far

What I don't like is the fact I can no longer crounch freely... there isn't even key for that or an option ... I was dissapointed with character level up menu, I'm used to be able to 'upgrade' 20 skills instead of just 5 options... not funny.
New Normandy eh ? NICE but who the hell designed aft section of the ship ??? SR-1 had nice tail with Concorde like central stabilizer wing while SR-2 has those two riddiculously small crap-fins... bad idea... they could've throw them to the bin and add observation deck or something like that instead.

Overally this game is the best so far (in 2010 of course) I like how they improved uniforms, I like new research system, planet exploration, I like heavy guns, I love new combat system and that hot chick Miranda, gameplay and plot is also awesome ! I give this game solid 10/10 from my part

Unfortunately for Polish players (including me) voice acting is poor, we were insulted by cheap EDI voice acting that now sounds like broken down mid 1970 robot :eek while shepard sounds like constantly pissed of genral or something like that... I'll not comment on the rest of the group... fortunatelly there is solution to that in which you just have to replace few lines and one file names from POL to INT so now I have original voices with Polish subtitles

If you played it, share your opinion here

I'll probably add more pros and cons as I proceed with the game ;)

[lint]

Havnt got much to add,
But its a great game, on my 3rd play through, 

[Saquist]

Mass Effect

Pros:
-An extremely well thought out story.
-Great Characters
-Choices
-Versatile Level up system
-Amazing Graphics
-Excellent designs
-Unique concept
-Clean game


Cons:
-Loading Time was a bit long (but tolerable)
-Women were cook cutter
-Many places were noticeably the same maps, Mins and cargo ships.
-Only goes up to level 60.


Mass Effect 2
Pros

-Far More interaction with your characters.
-More Team mates to chose from.
-More cinematic sequences
-Even Better Graphics
-Less Graphic bugs
-Shooter Aim is much improved
-Map completion Percentages!!
-Planet Scanning from Orbit!!


Cons
-Profanity  (lots of it)
-Plot is bad, Less plot and a whole bunch of Contrivances, story suffers
-Ammo
-No Health
-Less Weapon selection
-NO Armor selection!
-Less Abilities per character
-Less Weapons per character
-Loading screens (bring back the elevator) Doesn't really matter
-Level up play is really really really over simplified-bad
-Normandy is too big, design suffered
-Character movements are too slow
-No crouch  (bad really bad)
-No Mako


SPOILERS:
Was it a better game? Kinda. Yes
Yet in a lot of ways it was very unsatisfying.  I can't recommend the game to kids at all.  It was about as immoral as you could get.
The story kinda suxed this time around.  No mystery this time yet nothing to really fight against.  The story was practically non existence simply because the Character quest was never integrated with the story and they no attempt to hide it.  We go from system to system recruiting for the big mission and there is precious little that is plot relevant.  30 plus hours are played to Find characters and make them loyal....I got bored.

Certain scenes were increbibly dynamic in-of-themselves but I had less connection with the characters.
I like the number of team mates to chose from yet I wanted more people to play with at the end of the game.  I still used only 3.  The end was awful.  I was reminded of playing a Boss in Sonic the Hedgehog.  Big giant trying to crush you and the occasional beam.  The finale of the first was far more difficult.  He changed position, weapons and it was all that you could do behind that sliver of a column to keep you and your team alive.

A friend of Mine on File Front.  Eulian called it an "EPIC FAIL". 
It was Epic...but it failed too.  Don't know if I'll run out an buy another glamoured up video game on the first day next time.



 

[Bones]

Actually you can change your armour via captains quarters armour panel, you can change about everything from armor material to style and colors as well as additional parts, so it works just as getting new armor set ;)

[1DeadlySAMURAI]

I'm gonna get me this one.

[Lionus]

you can get a nice armor in Mass Effect 2 if you have free DLC from Dragon Age: Origins 

[Vladko1]

Ill try this game. On Mass Effect 1 with 5.1 Creative inspire T6100, LG Flatron L1960TR (1280x1024 but have good contrast and shows everything soo cool, what I expect, its Japanesee tech) and my HD4870 on stock frequencies I had about 80-90fps. Back there I was with my old Athlon 6000+ The effects were cool but on the second hour of gameplay made me boring. The game didin't grab my attention. When I have more free time I will try and this

[Bones]

Combat in ME 1 was indeed repeating and boring after some time due to only 4 weapons, bad aiming and no ammo (so you can't deplete any) although with some cool upgrades, Spectre's gear are deadly game has unique plot which is so amazingly told. ME2 is all the way better gfx and combat wise, not to mention wastly refined effects.

[Saquist]

The weapon load outs were better in ME1.

You had a range of ammo types:
Tungsten
Cryo
Inferno
Shredder
radiation
etc...

Your weapon could be modified for better performance or more force.

In this new game it's rather stupidly simple.
Inferno or incendiary ...that's it.
And you have to have ammo which doesn't improve the combat at all.

The special weapons is the only place where ME2 go better in the weapons department.

[Bones]

Well I indeed miss tungsten and radiation rounds... and yeah there were loads of additions to weapon like heat sink, cyber aiming, larger barrel, micro grenades, now these (micro grenades) combined with cooler and slapped into shotgun or sniper were inst-killers

You have a point here, upgrades and character level ups are a bit too simplified. Level up menu is the worst I've ever seen... dunno what feedback bioWare followed but I liked ME 1 character progression but here ? 5 skills ? and that's it ?!?!? they better fix it for ME 3.

As for ammo, for me the main purpose of ammo in ME2 is to make combat more dramatic and dynamic, also in ME1 if you've upgraded one weapon you could go through whole game using your fav gun, in ME2 you're forced to switch weapons and use them wisely so you don't stick to one 'heater'. I found it perfect idea cuz many times in game I found myself without ammo (especially on missions concerning Collectors) amd had to use biotics, special attacks and melee attack  :evil this makes the game much more challenging unlike ME1 where properly upgraded HWM... assault rifle with 2 heat sinks could fire up to 5-8 seconds and cool down in 2 secs.

IMO using tactics during combat and firing short bursts is much more fun than just walking around firing constantly

[RifleMan80]

I was curious about Mass Effect 2. Thanks for this information!

[Saquist]

Well I indeed miss tungsten and radiation rounds... and yeah there were loads of additions to weapon like heat sink, cyber aiming, larger barrel, micro grenades, now these (micro grenades) combined with cooler and slapped into shotgun or sniper were inst-killers

You have a point here, upgrades and character level ups are a bit too simplified. Level up menu is the worst I've ever seen... dunno what feedback bioWare followed but I liked ME 1 character progression but here ? 5 skills ? and that's it ?!?!? they better fix it for ME 3.

As for ammo, for me the main purpose of ammo in ME2 is to make combat more dramatic and dynamic, also in ME1 if you've upgraded one weapon you could go through whole game using your fav gun, in ME2 you're forced to switch weapons and use them wisely so you don't stick to one 'heater'. I found it perfect idea cuz many times in game I found myself without ammo (especially on missions concerning Collectors) amd had to use biotics, special attacks and melee attack  :evil this makes the game much more challenging unlike ME1 where properly upgraded HWM... assault rifle with 2 heat sinks could fire up to 5-8 seconds and cool down in 2 secs.

IMO using tactics during combat and firing short bursts is much more fun than just walking around firing constantly

I used the cryo rounds all the way through ME2 just like I did in ME1
I also used either the pistol or the shot gun.  Shot gun for Husk.  I was a vangard.
I know they did this to make it more friendly for multiplayer but it didn't work in game they should have done to different systems.

I played it a second time...
It was definitely less exciting the second time around.
too short and monotonous except for the end.
But I did discover that once you get away from the story lackings... The music...IS QUITE INCREDIBLE.

[Bones]

Well I indeed miss tungsten and radiation rounds... and yeah there were loads of additions to weapon like heat sink, cyber aiming, larger barrel, micro grenades, now these (micro grenades) combined with cooler and slapped into shotgun or sniper were inst-killers

You have a point here, upgrades and character level ups are a bit too simplified. Level up menu is the worst I've ever seen... dunno what feedback bioWare followed but I liked ME 1 character progression but here ? 5 skills ? and that's it ?!?!? they better fix it for ME 3.

As for ammo, for me the main purpose of ammo in ME2 is to make combat more dramatic and dynamic, also in ME1 if you've upgraded one weapon you could go through whole game using your fav gun, in ME2 you're forced to switch weapons and use them wisely so you don't stick to one 'heater'. I found it perfect idea cuz many times in game I found myself without ammo (especially on missions concerning Collectors) amd had to use biotics, special attacks and melee attack  :evil this makes the game much more challenging unlike ME1 where properly upgraded HWM... assault rifle with 2 heat sinks could fire up to 5-8 seconds and cool down in 2 secs.

IMO using tactics during combat and firing short bursts is much more fun than just walking around firing constantly

I used the cryo rounds all the way through ME2 just like I did in ME1
I also used either the pistol or the shot gun.  Shot gun for Husk.  I was a vangard.
I know they did this to make it more friendly for multiplayer but it didn't work in game they should have done to different systems.

I played it a second time...
It was definitely less exciting the second time around.
too short and monotonous except for the end.
But I did discover that once you get away from the story lackings... The music...IS QUITE INCREDIBLE.

Aye, the music is nice just as in ME , btw. have you noticed Need for Speed 4 car showroom track on Omega bar (was it Afterlife bar???) I was quite amazed to hear some oldschool NFS techno

[Saquist]

Well I indeed miss tungsten and radiation rounds... and yeah there were loads of additions to weapon like heat sink, cyber aiming, larger barrel, micro grenades, now these (micro grenades) combined with cooler and slapped into shotgun or sniper were inst-killers

You have a point here, upgrades and character level ups are a bit too simplified. Level up menu is the worst I've ever seen... dunno what feedback bioWare followed but I liked ME 1 character progression but here ? 5 skills ? and that's it ?!?!? they better fix it for ME 3.

As for ammo, for me the main purpose of ammo in ME2 is to make combat more dramatic and dynamic, also in ME1 if you've upgraded one weapon you could go through whole game using your fav gun, in ME2 you're forced to switch weapons and use them wisely so you don't stick to one 'heater'. I found it perfect idea cuz many times in game I found myself without ammo (especially on missions concerning Collectors) amd had to use biotics, special attacks and melee attack  :evil this makes the game much more challenging unlike ME1 where properly upgraded HWM... assault rifle with 2 heat sinks could fire up to 5-8 seconds and cool down in 2 secs.

IMO using tactics during combat and firing short bursts is much more fun than just walking around firing constantly

I used the cryo rounds all the way through ME2 just like I did in ME1
I also used either the pistol or the shot gun.  Shot gun for Husk.  I was a vangard.
I know they did this to make it more friendly for multiplayer but it didn't work in game they should have done to different systems.

I played it a second time...
It was definitely less exciting the second time around.
too short and monotonous except for the end.
But I did discover that once you get away from the story lackings... The music...IS QUITE INCREDIBLE.

Aye, the music is nice just as in ME , btw. have you noticed Need for Speed 4 car showroom track on Omega bar (was it Afterlife bar???) I was quite amazed to hear some oldschool NFS techno

DUDE...that was my FAVORITE track in Sheppard's Quarters!!!  SWEET I hop it's on the sound track cause I'm buying it.
I still wish Faunts had made another track for the Game...  THEY BETTER DO ONE FOR ME3!!!

I've become quite the fan of FAUNTS.  I've got two of they're CD's and I like both....

[Bones]

Unfortunately it's not included in Soundtrack pity cuz I love oldschool tunes

[Saquist]

Well that blows chunks.....

I played for the second time.  It's important to note that in the end sequences it's best to chose the right person for the job for people to survive.   Loyalty also seems to have something to do with survival as well.

There is not alot of fulfillment for playing over and over again like I did the first.  I just want to get it right for ME3.

[Villain]

I understand the loading screens have near-perfect orthographical views of the SR-2, something the internet seems to lack entirely. I would be very, very grateful to whoever could get screengrabs for me.

That is... If anyone is willing. 

[Mario]

check your pm

[Mustang]

That game is $60 for Xbox 360 at Wal-Mart, I found it for $25 at a place called BuyBack$ but I had no damn money, of course.

[Mustang]

Or, rather, my girlfriend bought it for me as a gift; and, after three days of playing till 4am (and, last night, passing out at 4 on the couch), I can only say one thing.

O
M
F
G

This is the best game I have ever played, next to Ocarina of Time. I am so impressed and so grabbed by this game, I can't put it down. Literally cannot put it down. And since I don't have a job as of yet I have some time on my hands, woot. Anybody else have it, and what are your thoughts if you do? Also no spoilers, I just got to Horizon.