Mass Effect 2 [Xbox 360/PC/PS3]

[mr_sockochris]

Loving this!

Tried importing my ME1 character but couldn't find any way of making it female so I started again from scratch as I really wanted to be a female Shepard this time around. 5hrs in and I would definitely say that I prefer her, even though it's a bit annoying continuing the story without 'my' decisions.



Loving all the changes too. Combat is better, controls are better, equipment is streamlined and far better for it (no longer having to spend ages going through dozens of ammo/armor add-ons). Technically it's fantastic too, the framerate is pretty solid this time around plus all the pop-in/tearing from ME1 is nowhere to be seen either

[chis]

/delurks...

Why has it taken until now for someone to produce an action-RPG sci-fi game with some of the best elements of Star Control 2, some great combat, and - most importantly - a decent story and decent acting, AND have it all cohese and be utterly believeable?

Congrats Bioware, I may not have the slightest interest in your fantasy games (why must they be soooo tiresomely generic), but ME2 is a winner on every level.

As a PC gamer though, I'm a touch disappointed with the following things (the game is so close to perfection, it only makes these things stand out more):

- Consolitis in the pop-up hints, controls and UI. If I change a key binding, the pop-up hints should change to reflect that! And why do I have to click on a special button to orbit a planet, when double-clicking is a perfectly reasonable solution?
- Planet scanning is one of those Star Control 2 homages that's utterly rocking, but it's a big downer having to HOLD the right mouse button and drag it around to scan. Why didn't they make it toggle instead of momentary?
- Dialogue sometimes gets cut off by a sound-effect when you walk over an item and Shepard picks it up. It also gets filtered out when accessing the control HUD.
- Why do I have to "empty" my save folder every 100 saves?
- NO JUMPING??
- If any of you have trouble using the "leave world" feature, on completion of a mission, this seems to be a bug. Reset your bindings to the default. (Annoying, eh?)

Don't get me wrong, I adore the game, but most of this smacks of over-simplification and consolitis. But still, THANK YOU Bioware for not putting on any hideous copy protection this time!

[yesteryeargames]

if you pick a vangard, is it possible to use machine guns and assault rifles? ive picked them up but i cannot equip them? can u gain skills to let you use them? the collectors edition has the armour and assault rifle isnt it pointless to have if only 1 class can use them?

[Jebus]

My only complaint so far (6-7 hours in) is the cover system.

I seem to go into cover, then automatically not be in cover, and have to press the cover button again to get back into it...

Other than that I'm rather close to calling "game of the year" on this one...in January FFS!

[Sam The Man]

Been playing this for around 4 hours so far and I dont agree with this.

I never completed the first one as I said earlier, and although i did play quite a bit of it I cant really remember any of it. Here though the characthers are really fleshed out, as soon as you meet them you feel like you know them becuase the writing is so brilliant and has so much life too it. You feel a connection to the game world almost instananeously, its marvelously done.

This is also a MUCH more enjoyable game to play than the first one, I dont think it would do Nakamura much harm to go stright into this personaly.

Well i have no doubt you can enjoy the 2nd as it is but people who played and finished the 1st one will be more familiar and have a better understanding of things in the gameworld. In a similar way to if people starting Shenmue 2 had already done the 1st Shenmue.

[elaniel]

Can somebody answer something for me.

At the beginning,

->Open Spoiler<-

I escaped the base with Miranda and Jacob, yet Miranda asked me who became a Councilor.

I imported my character, should she still have asked that?

[Largo]

yeah its just to refresh your memory on your ME1 decisions

[elaniel]

Ah okay, I just tried to play through all again as I was scared that something went wrong. Thanks for the reply. Phew! What happens if you answer wrong?

[Spatial]

Miranda has a bit of a panic that you're not

->Open Spoiler<-

working properly and it was too soon for you to come back.

[Largo]

game cleared! ho ho, i work fast..

...thats why my ex wife left me :/

Oh well gg anyway

[Kaosu]

I was solely dissapointed when I found out the Vanguard class no longer had Barrier (absolute lifesaver on Insanity). However, thanks to the extra skill perk, I now have it back. Now I can spam Charge more often.

[Spatial]

Have to admit I don't use charge that much either, simply because it can get you into a lot of trouble. Got it mixed up with Pull last night, zoomed half way across the map and found myself surrounded by Blue Suns mercs

A shotgun to the face and a restart taught me to be a bit more careful.

One thing I'm finding odd though is the lack of side missions I've come across. The first game threw them at you and at a similar playtime in the first (7 odd hours) I had barely touched the main storyline. Here there seems little to do but the main storyline.

Does anyone know if this changes or am I just missing something? I'm up to the point where I've just recruited the first batch of squad mates and been given the second list.

[elaniel]

So you no longer have to level up Charm or Intimidate? They're included in Paragon and Renegade choices?

Also, silly question. It says top choices are usually Paragon. Is this only on the right side?
Some conversations give you choices on both left and right, top and bottom. But there are some choices in the bottom left that seem perfectly valid (good) questions.

I did play the first game, and came out fully paragon. Don't want to select something evil.

[PeteJ]

I think the only choices that count are highlighted in Blue or Red, but don't quote me on that if you want 100&#37; good!

I've gone Infiltrator (same as ME1) and I'm finding it less useful than before. I'm a little disappointed they've taken out so much of the character progression and the whole RPG side seems to have been simplified a little too much for my liking. This is especially true for the weapons, I've got the choice of two Assault Rifles for my squad (though I can't use) and I have no idea which one is best.

But other than those points I'm honestly struggling to find another negative. This absolutely lives up to my high expectations and then some. It's a staggering achivement and I'm genuinely excited to see what around the corner. I'm almost seven hours in already (which is a lot for me these days!) and I'm loving every moment.

I have a very quick question\spoiler about the Archangel mission:

->Open Spoiler<-

The very last act before you set off to get him, you talk to a guy mending a ship. A renegade option pops up for a few seconds presumably to take the guy down. I missed the option so at the end of the mission was attacked by the ship, during which (in a cutscene) Archangel was hit by a rocket and badly injured - his face is now messed up and his armour all broken up. If you take out the guy earlier on does he get through unharmed?

[Riskbreaker]

I'm not sure it's just the blue or red options as I've picked up paragon or renegade bonuses in conversations without them. As far as I can tell it's still the case that if the conversation doesn't have blue or red then top is a more positive response whilst bottom is more negative. I think you're right though Elan, most of the left options tend to be for investigating further and don't have an alignment.

I did play the first game, and came out fully paragon. Don't want to select something evil.

It's not necessarily about being good or evil, and some of the best options are renegade, you're missing out if you skip them all

I have a very quick question\spoiler about the Archangel mission:

->Open Spoiler<-

The very last act before you set off to get him, you talk to a guy mending a ship. A renegade option pops up for a few seconds presumably to take the guy down. I missed the option so at the end of the mission was attacked by the ship, during which (in a cutscene) Archangel was hit by a rocket and badly injured - his face is now messed up and his armour all broken up. If you take out the guy earlier on does he get through unharmed?

->Open Spoiler<-

I used the option and the fight panned out the same way.