Mass Effect 2

[Whirlwind]

I have had Mass Effect 2 sitting on my desk for almost a year now.

I finally am getting around to it.

Great game so far, I am really enjoying it and what a great addition to the series this is.

 

[Red Storm]

It's good, but not as good as the first IMHO.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Both great games. I just finished ME1 for the second time and I'm currently going through ME2 again in preparation for the third installment.

 

[VashHT]

I started playing it recently and I'm liking it for the most part. I don't like the new skill system really or the addition of ammo to the game but the combat works a lot better in this one and the biotic attacks are a lot better IMO (I'm playing vanguard and shockwave and charge are fun).

I'm getting kind of bored at the part I am now, I'm still picking up crewmates and it feels like any sense of urgency has kind of disappeared as you just go around finding more people for your team. Some of the missions to get people are more fun than others but I hope the game picks up pace after this stage of it.

I don't really like the new space travel either it's just tedious, being forced to buy fuel and probes and fly around is boring I would rather just have fast travel between systems and then you get to fly to each planet in it.

 

[Via]

Both great games. I just finished ME1 for the second time and I'm currently going through ME2 again in preparation for the third installment.

I'm almost in the same boat: I played a lot of ME2 on my old PC before I bought a different one but haven't touched it since, so I just finished replaying ME again in preparation for giving ME2 another go. I started replaying ME2 yesterday.

I didn't like the changes the first time I played ME2 (no inventory?? WTF), but now that I'm more prepared for them I don't mind so much. During my latest playthrough of ME I just ended up selling everything pretty quickly anyway, and I would still hit the inventory limit constantly. The production values of ME2 are astounding: I love the rich colors they use, and the voice acting is really good imo.

I was pretty surprised how much better ME 2 looks using a 5970 vs. an 8800 Ultra; the difference in image quality is quite noticable (I thought ME looked better as well, but it's been longer since I played it). I figured the Ultra was more than powerful enough to display ME2 to it's fullest, but obvioulsy I was wrong. There's a difference between "maxing out" and getting the best visual quality.

 

[Whirlwind]

Yeah, and if you use Texmod and high resolution characters it looks even better.

Add in a few ini tweaks and you have a darn good looking game for sure.

 

[thespyder]

For some reason I never got into the first one. Even though everything I have read suggests that it would be much more of the type of game i would enjoy that ME2. However I just always had better things to play. I still have it and may break into playing it at some point.

I really enjoyed ME2 even though i appreciate the flaws in it. It is clearly what the developers would call "Streamlined" for a more general audience than the first. What this means is lack of inventory or any meaningful choices as far as gear/outfits/weapons and stripping down of other traditional Role Playing elements in favor of flash and graphics.

From what I have read/seen about ME3, i suspect that even more steps in that direction have been the mainstay of the development. More's the pitty as it will probably now be little more than an FPS but with a better storyline than is traditional for that type of game. Still, I gotta play it as both Tricia and Yvonne are going to be back.

 

[irishScott]

Agreed. My main problem with ME1 was that the RPG elements were so clunkily implemented. I have no desire to click over 100 times just to make sure my team is properly outfitted, while selling loot and maxing out my credits before I'm even halfway through the game. When I spend 40% of the game doing minutia like that, there's a problem.

ME2's "streamlining" made the game more of what it should be, an TPS/Action-RPG with an increased focus on story and action. Character building is great when it adds to the game. In ME1, it distracted from it.

 

[KeithTalent]

I keep telling myself I should go back and try to finish ME2, but it was such a damn snooze, I can't bring myself to do it. I am far more likely to go back and play the first game over again before I fire up ME2 once more.

KT

 

[thespyder]

Yeah, um... I wasn't saying that ME2 was better than ME1. Far from it. I actually prefer the choices and micro-management. And the trend towards "Streamlining" (i.e. dumbing down) RPGs to remove inventory and remove choice is not the direction I wish the gaming industry to go.

For all of that and DESPITE the flaws, I thought that ME2 was a decent game. Admittedly, I hung on mostly to hear EDI's voice and to romance Miranda.

Just not sure why I never got into ME1 as it is probably the better game.

 

[kami]

I've been replaying the series too. ME2 is a tighter game but I miss a lot of the stuff they removed from ME1. I liked exploring the uncharted worlds even though they were kinda pointless. At least they are adding in some of the loot back into ME3 like the weapon mods. I think I am gonna stay away from the demo since it has the beginning of the game and I'd probably rather just wait an extra 3 weeks to play it proper.

Keith, I would definitely finish playing through. The suicide mission is great, though final boss is kinda meh.

BTW, cool video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgwXNRrxvaI

 

[micrometers]

It is the best Bioware game since...KOTOR 1 and/or Jade Empire

So much better than the original. I troll a lot for streamlined RPG's

 

[Whirlwind]

I am having a pretty fun time with it.

I did not have a saved character from the first game to carry over.

I do not really know if that is a good deal or not, but I kinda wish I would have had a saved character from ME1.

The hacking in this game has me confused, not sure about all of that.

Here are a few more screenshots

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[irishScott]

I am having a pretty fun time with it.

I did not have a saved character from the first game to carry over.

I do not really know if that is a good deal or not, but I kinda wish I would have had a saved character from ME1.

The hacking in this game has me confused, not sure about all of that.

Here are a few more screenshots

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Huh? The hacking is just simply navigating to the given segment of code and hitting "enter", then doing the same for 2 other segments of code.

 

[sandorski]

Miranda + camel toe

Ok, now that I got that out of the way....

1 and 2 are both great. I enjoyed 2 more overall though. The Inventory system in 1 was just a PITA, especially once it became Full and started screwing you over just, as it always seemed, as you find that Uber Weapon you really really wanted. Oops, your Inventory is Full, so Gel it is then! WTF, that pissed me off so much. lol

2 did Exploring/Mining so much better, although I did miss driving somewhat. Squad Management was also improved in 2.

Both games are really about the Story though and as such it was difficult for 2 to match 1 in that way, but it still was fairly close, IMO. The Player gets to know more about what's going on and in 2 I really felt like I was on the outside working on the fringe rather than at the center of everything like in 1.

The Combat in 2 wasn't quite as epic, but still very good IMO. The battles were not just up to the same level. The choices in 2 seemed more consequential and I really felt challenged to consider them, except for at the end when I told that Douchebag to pound sand. I waited a longtime to do that and it was so satisfying.

 

[irishScott]

Mass Effect 2: Worst possible play-through (SERIOUS SPOILER ALERT): http://www.youtube.com/watch?src_vi...id=annotation_958290&feature=iv&v=dsdFbkN4ppA

Should be a nice import into ME3.

 

[Kev]

my hard drive died and I lost a ton of data. The only thing that I cared about was my ME2 saves, but I never thought to back them up.

 

[irishScott]

my hard drive died and I lost a ton of data. The only thing that I cared about was my ME2 saves, but I never thought to back them up.

So now you have an excuse to replay the games and get it perfect. What's the problem?

 

[RavenSEAL]

Meh, I thought ME1 was better. Regardless of it's obvious flaws.

 

[Whirlwind]

Well,I figured out what I was doing wrong while hacking, I was not hitting the space bar to confirm my selection.

I still do not really care for the system, it drives my eyes buggy

Overall, I must say it is a really good and solid game.

I love the way the story is presented, and the cinematics and voice acting...all top notch.

To bad that you will need Origin for Mass Effect 3.

Here are a few more screenshots as well

 

[Via]

I was going to say: If you thought the hacking in ME2 was bad you should try Alpha Protocol.

I got both games around the same time, and the hacking in ME2 is a joy compared to that headache-inducing mess in AP.

 

[Whirlwind]

Yeah, I could not even play Alpha Protocol.

Could not get into it at all....at least it was only a couple dollars off a steam sale.

 

[Kev]

So now you have an excuse to replay the games and get it perfect. What's the problem?

well i had 2 playthroughs finished and was halfway through an evil playthrough... that's a lot of time. luckily i found one of the old ones backed up

 

[VulgarDisplay]

The renagade interrupts are often to hilarious to pass up even when trying to play paragon.

"I've got nothing left to say to you shepard," Random merc says to shepard.

*Shepard Pushing Merc out skyscraper window*

"How about goodbye?" Shepard says as he watched merc plummet to his death. ROFL.


Don't forget the one where he full on man punches the chick reporter in the face. HAHAHAH.

 

[zinfamous]

is the new cameltoe mod for Miranda out yet?