Mass Effect 2

[TheBlackLodge]

I never had too much of an issue with the loading or framerate (easily pleased I suppose when the rest of the game is so good and when the game itself looks so lovely in general) but to answer your question, I haven't noticed too much of a change in loadtimes or texture popin or framerate from doing the install to the HDD.

I think the PC port was supposed to be much better in terms of the above though. Different UI in battle as well.

[PeteJ]

This will only work if the DLC lets you continue the game after the end. If it's deployed in the same way as Bring Down The Sky, you couldn't work it as players would still need to finish the game after playing the DLC.

I never played KOTOR 2. Didn't they have it setup so that you answered questions about your character in KOTOR but couldn't actually port them across? I'd really just like to use my existing character. The idea of being able to use the same Shepard throughout the trilogy is what sold it to me in the first place.

That's true about DLC, didn't think about that. I look forward to learning more about the sequel in any case. What was the second book like?

KOTOR 2 did indeed ask you questions at the start. It felt right at the time but things have moved on. They've said all along you should keep your ME save so if they did a turnaround now I'd be very disappointed. Some pretty crazy **** happened in my game towards the end, I don't want to be given the chance to undo that!

^ -

->Open Spoiler<-

Ashley killed Wrex, so when given the option I killed Ashley as revenge!

[Riskbreaker]

->Open Spoiler<-

So you ended the game three party members down? I didn't let Wrex die let alone realise you could kill another member in revenge

What concerns me is that they'll carry your save across but you'll be playing another character in the aftermath of the first game. That'll at best we'll end up with some sort of MGS2, watching Snake through Raidens eyes situation or at worst simply being told Shepard died. And that really isn't what sold the trilogy to me in the first place. I want the continuity, the opportunity to take my hero on an epic galaxy spanning quest. And I'd hazard a guess there'll be plenty other fans disappointed too if this is the case. I've gotta give Bioware the beneft of doubt, but I have high hopes for this and really don't want them to **** it up

[PeteJ]

I'm sure they'll keep Shepard as the lead throughout, they have to. It's your story via him\her.

Just to clarify -

->Open Spoiler<-

there is a scene towards the end of ME where Wrex goes a little funny and you get the option to kill him. I did not, but obviously somewhere along the line I triggered Ashley hating him, so she put him down like the bitch she was. When given the choice of who to leave behind later in the mission I picked her. Bitch.
Wrex was my main partner

[Fargo]

Fantastic song, I've been listening to it non stop over the last couple of hours

[Riskbreaker]

Yeah it's an excellent track, fits the game really well.

->Open Spoiler<-

there is a scene towards the end of ME where Wrex goes a little funny and you get the option to kill him. I did not, but obviously somewhere along the line I triggered Ashley hating him, so she put him down like the bitch she was. When given the choice of who to leave behind later in the mission I picked her. Bitch.
Wrex was my main partner

->Open Spoiler<-

Ah, I forgot that the Wrex bit was before the attempt to disarm the bomb. I don't think you would need to do much to trigger Ashley's hate, she was always a tad xenophobic.

[DryRice]

so is there going to be better alien sex in this one since the the first you practically saw nothing and some american women gave the game a bashing when there wasnt any full front nudity at all.

[Riskbreaker]

You think there's going to be more nudity after they got stick for showing someone's bum?

[PeteJ]

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – March 17th, 2009 – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today officially announced Mass Effect™ 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the multi award-winning 2007 hit, Mass Effect. The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In this dark second chapter, Saren’s evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, who are still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril…

“We’re going to surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful, emotionally engaging story,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO, BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA. “Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be an unforgettable RPG-shooter experience, taking players on a non-stop roller-coaster ride filled with stunning plot twists and no-holds-barred action.”

Mass Effect 2 is coming to PC and the Xbox 360 video game system in Early 2010. To see the exclusive new Mass Effect 2 teaser trailer check out the website here: www.masseffect.com.

[Spatial]

So Dead Rising 2, Lost Planet 2 and Mass Effect 2 all in 2010.

2010 - they year of the big sequel.

[PeteJ]

One new piece of art - http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/dor/object...page=mediaFull

[Guts]

So why exactly must every futuristic/sci-fi bar look like that? I mean the bar looks identical to the one in ME except that the other one was blue and this is red. Same kind of bar design was also used in KotORs and in Jedi Knight 2.

Come on illustrators, give us something other than those round, circle-shaped bars already!

[Spatial]

Little bit of new info from the footage shown at GDC

In the combat scene, the circular targeting reticule of the first ?Mass Effect? appeared to be switched to crosshairs that expanded and contracted during combat, possibly due to the rapid firing of the character?s rapid-fire gun. The dialogue scene appeared to use the same mechanics as seen in the original game. It showed lots of cars flying through a city. The main character, a blonde man, was speaking with a blue alien woman. (See? Not much I can conclude from that!)

The purpose of the talk was to demonstrate how levels are being made for the new game. The multi-staged process was implemented in reaction to challenges experienced making the first ?Mass Effect.? The biggest hassle of that first game, the developers said, was that many sections of the game weren?t playable until late in development. This prevented sufficient experimentation by the developers within the levels they made. The problem was exacerbated by a lack of integration between BioWare writers, designers, artists and others whose ideas should have been effecting each other?s work.

The team believes that this process would have helped the first ?Mass Effect.? They would have discovered earlier in development that a planned hub planet called Caleston wasn?t taking shape as hoped. They would have been able to confront loading issues that wound up needing to be masked by elevator ride.

[Spatial]

Little bit of new info in GT TV

http://www.gametrailers.com/gametrailerstv_player.php?ep=54&ch=3&sd=1

[PeteJ]

Aarrrgh need more info!!

Leaked footage - http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/57916