Mass Effect 2 Discussion

[Deraldin]

I just couldn't put that ugly-ass thing on even if it gave me +10% damage on headshots.

 

Just look at it, it's horrible!

 

At least it isn't as creepy as the recon hood. The metallic chin piece deforms when you speak. It looks like they are still moving the chin as your character talks, but the solid part of the mask is the bit that stretches.

[Purkake]

:/

 

The open-face helmet looks the best out of all the crap you can strap to you face IMO.

[RPGmasterBoo]

Death Mask is the best. I just like seeing his face.

[Purkake]

I can't see why, if I had metal bits showing though my face, I'd get the thickest helmet available...

[Deraldin]

:/

 

The open-face helmet looks the best out of all the crap you can strap to you face IMO.

 

I don't like the open face N7 helmet. Didn't like it in the original and I don't like it here. The breather version isn't bad though.

[RPGmasterBoo]

Just finished the game. Will post final thoughts tomorrow, too tired now. Overall it was a bit of a letdown.

[Malcador]

I liked that headshot visor, even with my Sith Lady FemShep.

[Bos_hybrid]

[Enoch]

Bioware's inspiration for the Quarians.

 

(Language cues, wandering themes, the questions of whether to violently retake the homeland from a seemingly-alien foe, and even the Geth origin is pretty much a retelling of the Golem story.)

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

We all knew that, I think.

[Enoch]

We all knew that, I think.

Yeah, in hindsight, it's probably too obvious to mention. From ME1, though, I somehow got a Roma/Gypsy parallel stuck in my head (probably based on Tali's accent), that wasn't really dislodged until I did her loyalty quest in ME2 and the Geth/Golem parallel hit me.

[LostStraw]

It sure would be nice if the armor bonuses weren't tied to specific looking parts. I couldn't equip myself with what I wanted because it made my character look so creepy/ugly

[Jaesun]

Is it me, or did nobody get the obvious tie of the Quarians to Battlestar Galactica? As in a race of people that made robots, that uprised against them... then were decimated, and then were nothing but a flotilla of ships?

[Deraldin]

Is it me, or did nobody get the obvious tie of the Quarians to Battlestar Galactica? As in a race of people that made robots, that uprised against them... then were decimated, and then were nothing but a flotilla of ships?

It's not just you. It comes up as an example every time the inspiration for Quarians is talked about.

[Nepenthe]

I already explained how there is a difference between the different levels of a same power in ME1

 

I must have missed this explanation. I believe I have only seen you refer to it as a given. If I am mistaken in this regard, I apologise. I didn't read the earlier part of this thread very carefully, as I've been away.

 

But we apparently have different concepts of trolling. I always considered it to be making personal attacks, not defending the less popular viewpoint - and I'm not really even "arguing" here, I just don't think that things are as clear-cut as some people make it out to be. My point still is, in this case, that the "variety" Mass Effect 1 had in greater amounts, was largely cosmetic - whether actually cosmetic, more different colored weapons, or getting a second more of duration to your warp on 9 out of 12 green dots.

 

As an aside, I especially like the fact that putting four ranks in a skill is no longer the same as putting a rank in four skills.

[HoonDing]

Anyone tried the crashed ship mission yet? That really took me by surprise, I just wish there were more backstory to the mission.

It was pretty painful how an elite soldier is not able to hop over a 3 ft/1 m gap in the floor.

 

But at least it's much better than the Normandy crash site. I still haven't found all dog tags after returning to that place 5 times.

[Nepenthe]

Anyone tried the crashed ship mission yet? That really took me by surprise, I just wish there were more backstory to the mission.

It was pretty painful how an elite soldier is not able to hop over a 3 ft/1 m gap in the floor.

 

But at least it's much better than the Normandy crash site. I still haven't found all dog tags after returning to that place 5 times.

 

 

odds are, you haven't shot the boxes. The ones on the ground were surprisingly easy to find.

 

[Chrisimo]

I'm totally failing to see the relevance or the difference. You spend two points to unlock a new skill or four to max it.

 

Ok, maybe not totally, but I'm still not accepting the more boxes with more granular upgrades equals deeper character development argument.

Then you are simply not thinking hard enough. In ME1, a Sentinel has:

• Pistol talent branch
  
• Throw -> 3 different major levels, giving you the ability to knock around even Armatures when maxed
  
• Barrier
  
• Decryption -> again, 3 different levels allowing you to open containers of various difficulties
  
• First Aid
  

And can unlock:

• Lift - same as with Throw, max lift allows you to lift Armatures and Primes, making it worth it to max out
  
• Stasis
  
• Electronics - same as with Decryption
  
• Medicine - for Neural Shock
  

You can combine different proficiencies in those in any number of ways, and get a "prestige class" for added variety.

 

Whereas in ME2, a Sentinel gets:

• Throw
  
• Warp
  
• Tech Armor
  
• Overload
  
• Cryo Blast
  

Without dramatic differences between levels, except for the lame "evolutions". Refer to jags' coffee analogy, about those. ME1 could have done without the granular progression without making much of a difference, but that's not the point. There are less possible combinations in ME2, if you can count.

 

But hey, it's always fun to argue against mathematical facts, right?

 

 

In ME2, a Sentinel gets:

 

1. Throw
   
2. Warp
   
3. Tech Armor
   
4. Overload
   
5. Cryo Blast
   
6. Reave
   
7. Slam
   
8. Shockwave
   
9. Armor piercing ammo
   
10. Geth shields
    
11. Fortification
    
12. and some more
    

[LostStraw]

Anyone tried the crashed ship mission yet? That really took me by surprise, I just wish there were more backstory to the mission.

It was pretty painful how an elite soldier is not able to hop over a 3 ft/1 m gap in the floor.

 

But at least it's much better than the Normandy crash site. I still haven't found all dog tags after returning to that place 5 times.

 

 

odds are, you haven't shot the boxes. The ones on the ground were surprisingly easy to find.

 

Speaking of which.. what were they doing in there?

[RPGmasterBoo]

Well playing ME2 was a full three day ordeal. The clock says it took me 25 hours to finish the game, and my estimate is that I've see about 90-95% of the content. So overall its not significantly longer than ME.

 

The opinions of the press are misleading to say the least. Having piled unconditional praise on the first Mass Effect, and having to top that now leads to vastly inflated scores. The game is very good. Perhaps even excellent, depending on your mileage and considering that there are no competitors. A timeless classic it is not.

 

*Spoilers*

 

First of all, the storyline. The storyline adds little of significance to the overall conflict with the Reapers. In fact it adds a twist (Collector/Prothean), which is more or less the same deal from the first game. Only this time its not the Geth doing the bidding of the reapers, its the Collectors. Difference is minimal and the revelation that they are the Protheans is just a fact... and not a very surprising or significant one.

A major disappointment was that the entirety of the game is spent collecting a team and preparing for what turned out to be a one hour mission. And a very easy one at that. In a sense it was very anti-climatic because the game builds up huge dread and expectation and then falls flat. The final boss in particular is a mystery. Who thought it up and got away with its ridiculous King Kong design is beyond me. Unfortunately it was also quite easy to kill.

That leaves the loyalty missions and minor side quests. The loyalty missions are the best part of the game in general, and only because the game's best point are its characters. Their individual stories are the only thing of note, though the prevalence of daddy issues really raises eyebrows. Still, that's the most creative part of the game.

The minor side quests (anomalies) are all unique, but bland sci fi stock material. They are also incredibly short, from 5 to 10 minutes. There are also too few of them, in general one per system, which amounts to around 15 overall. Other fetch quests are also present, but in even smaller numbers than the anomalies.

 

I suppose I should also put the setting here. After impressing with Omega station, the realization that there are only 4 "cities" comes as a disappointment. Out of those 4 the Krogan homeword barely counts, since its so small. The biggest letdown was the Quarian flotilla, which turned out to be a generic spaceship/tunnel. On the other hand, Omega, Citadel and Illium are a triumph of graphical design and creativity. Unfortunately there just isn't much to do in them but gawk at the visuals.

 

In short the story is a tighter package than the original - the presentation is much improved, but the content is practically the same. 8/10

 

The gameplay. 1. shooting + minigames 2. talking 3. scanning planets.

-The shooting is functional, even though the mission structure is entirely predictable. They're almost all 20 minutes in length, linear (a tunnel) and finish with a mini boss fight. The hacking minigames are jarring in the way they take you out of the game world, but too easy to be truly annoying.

-The talking is the best part, with the dialog being mostly appropriate - except Shepard's who can't be developed into a meaningful character no matter what you do. He's either a good grunt, or a thug and both ways not particularly deep. The way he acts is more appropriate to supporting character, not a great leader or devious tactical mind. In short he's no "Picard".

- Scanning planets is the worst offender. Insufferably boring and annoying, how it managed to be included in the game is beyond me. luckily you only have to mine a small fraction of the resources to upgrade everything.

I won't even mention the lack of usual RPG traits such as stat based development, inventory and item collection because - they don't exist.

 

8/10

 

The graphics Already been discussed. 9/10

Sound (voice overs, music, effects). Same as above. 9.5/10

 

-The game gets pluses for stability and technical polish.

- Superior to Mass Effect in every respect, in almost every to KOTOR (KOTOR has better integration of gameplay elements, with no annoying interludes) and Jade Empire (Jade has better dialog, and a more original setting).

 

Overall grade: 8.8

Edited February 5, 2010 by RPGmasterBoo

[jaguars4ever]

I'm NOT looking forward to reading all these spoilers after I'm (eventually) done with ME 2.

That's what I'm doing right now. It's like a thread within a thread!

[Oner]

I'm NOT looking forward to reading all these spoilers after I'm (eventually) done with ME 2.

That's what I'm doing right now. It's like a thread within a thread!

[Raithe]

Heh, I redid the ending and finally managed to get everyone through it alive..

 

Although I'm sort of amused by the way one of the cinematics changes...

right after the human-reaper gets owned and everything starts sliding.. Because I'd taken Grunt and Thane with me.. Grunt suddenly starts falling over the edge.. and Shep catches him by one arm..holds him, then pulls him up. I mean, okay, Shep's been enhanced a little by Cerberus..but the full weight of Grunt.. in battle armor.. by one hand and a nice shoulder pull?? It makes sense when it's Miranda falling off the edge. But Grunt??

[Chrisimo]

Heh, I redid the ending and finally managed to get everyone through it alive..

 

Although I'm sort of amused by the way one of the cinematics changes...

right after the human-reaper gets owned and everything starts sliding.. Because I'd taken Grunt and Thane with me.. Grunt suddenly starts falling over the edge.. and Shep catches him by one arm..holds him, then pulls him up. I mean, okay, Shep's been enhanced a little by Cerberus..but the full weight of Grunt.. in battle armor.. by one hand and a nice shoulder pull?? It makes sense when it's Miranda falling off the edge. But Grunt??

 

 

Ha, I tried different combinations of Squadmates to see if that would happen but it never happened during my playthroughs

 

[Gromnir]

I'm totally failing to see the relevance or the difference. You spend two points to unlock a new skill or four to max it.

 

Ok, maybe not totally, but I'm still not accepting the more boxes with more granular upgrades equals deeper character development argument.

Then you are simply not thinking hard enough. In ME1, a Sentinel has:

• Pistol talent branch
  
• Throw -> 3 different major levels, giving you the ability to knock around even Armatures when maxed
  
• Barrier
  
• Decryption -> again, 3 different levels allowing you to open containers of various difficulties
  
• First Aid
  

And can unlock:

• Lift - same as with Throw, max lift allows you to lift Armatures and Primes, making it worth it to max out
  
• Stasis
  
• Electronics - same as with Decryption
  
• Medicine - for Neural Shock
  

You can combine different proficiencies in those in any number of ways, and get a "prestige class" for added variety.

 

Whereas in ME2, a Sentinel gets:

• Throw
  
• Warp
  
• Tech Armor
  
• Overload
  
• Cryo Blast
  

Without dramatic differences between levels, except for the lame "evolutions". Refer to jags' coffee analogy, about those. ME1 could have done without the granular progression without making much of a difference, but that's not the point. There are less possible combinations in ME2, if you can count.

 

But hey, it's always fun to argue against mathematical facts, right?

 

 

In ME2, a Sentinel gets:

 

1. Throw
   
2. Warp
   
3. Tech Armor
   
4. Overload
   
5. Cryo Blast
   
6. Reave
   
7. Slam
   
8. Shockwave
   
9. Armor piercing ammo
   
10. Geth shields
    
11. Fortification
    
12. and some more
    

 

a bit of a misrepresentation, no? some powers you list is unlockable late in game, and some is only available on a subsequent playthrough. the average player with no meta-knowledge of game does not have such a robust list to choose from.

 

HA! Good Fun!