Mass Effect 2

[Matt Young]

Release date: January 26, 2010

I own the first Mass Effect, but I have not played it since April of 2008 according to Xbox.com. I need to get on that soon. The full HD trailer for the new game looks amazingly gorgeous.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

 

[bps21]

Probably the game I'm most looking forward to (outside of Batman AA 2...but that's a long ways off). I liked Fallout 3 and Bioshock better than Mass Effect...but with Bioshock 2 being done by different people and a Fallout sequel kind of feeling more like a GTA Vice City than a GTA IV if you know what I mean...

Yeah bring on Mass Effect 2.

 

[Sabre]

I cant wait for ME2, bioware always bring the goods with their RPGs.

 

[Conspiracy_Victim]

Got my CE on preorder from Amazon, and I talked to a friend who's going to save me one of the Gamestop preorder cards so I'll have all the preorder armors and guns. I've been waiting on this for a few months now, and it's starting to look real good. Strictly aestetically speaking, I'm a bit worried about the romance options this time around since unless Yvonne Strahovski's character is an option, you're stuck with either the dominatrix Asari or the psycho tattooed whack job. I've posted a spoiler about the beginning in the random thread about how the beginning plays out, and it's strange, but I guess makes sense with starting a new game. I'm curious as to why they're introducing a new bad guy, since I thought the Geth were plenty good enough. I don't know if they're trying to make it "the Universe vs. Shepard" for 3 or what.

I'll be interested to see the bonuses you get when carrying over a save from 1. Apparently you get bonuses depending on what level you're bringing over, and my shock trooper/soldier just hit level 60. Going to finish my hardcore (or whatever the hardest difficulty is, maybe Insane) run through before 2 comes out so I can go ahead and bring him over. I'm still debating about how I want to handle your big decision at the end of 1, since it will apparently play a big part in how 2 starts up and plays out.

 

[Vigo]

This game is the only reason I've kept my 360 around, so yeah I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Sabre]

Ive been thinking about it, and i dont think im going to enjoy having to essentially play a renegade Mass Effect 1 just to get said continuation in Mass Effect 2 ditto Mass Effect 3.

If they implement a "heres your character, but how was he handled" ala KOTOR 2 regarding reven, ill be happy.

 

[Matt Young]

I played ME1 for a couple hours before the Lakers game. I started and completed Virmire. Now it's off to Feros (already did Noveria). I'm about 14 hours into the game as a whole.

 

[AndrewTS]

I played ME1 for a couple hours before the Lakers game. I started and completed Virmire. Now it's off to Feros (already did Noveria). I'm about 14 hours into the game as a whole.

That's about where I am (17 hours, but postponing Feros).

I started playing the game for the first time beyond Eden Prime this week. I played it when it came out, but the framerate was just too shit for me to tolerate. However, installing it to the hard drive has helped a lot, and any issues remaining are more tolerable for me.

I'm kind of surprised how little of the main story there is (and for that matter, combat), but I'm still having a good time. Currently I'm postponing Feros to dick around the galaxy doing Alliance assignments, surveying/mining and other sidequests. I've been taking Kaiden and Garrus with me because their combined tech/hacking skills can allow me to to collect/hack nearly anything and they can kick major ass, too. Although if I'm going to do a second playthrough with the same Shepard as Renegade, I'd like to find out more about ME2's import options. I currently have a Paragon female but if my 2nd playthrough is Renegade, I might be stuck with Renegade status.

Although I may just say screw it--keep my old save, but make a new male Renegade Shepard.

 

[Edwin]

I'm a little disappointed that most of your original team won't be major parts of the game this time around, and that they've added weird new ammo mechanics and reloading to combat. There was also just a post on the Bioware forum stating that only your first 11 endgame saves will be importable into the new game, which shouldn't be a problem for most sane people, unless you reloaded your save right near the end to try out all the different endings--each time you finish counts as one. So, if you did that with 2 or 3 characters, no such luck if you're trying to make another character to take into the 2nd game.

Bioware really didn't think out a lot of the issues in making a 3-game series before they embarked on it, but I'll still buy the game. I'm sure it'll be good, but I expect they outkicked their coverage on this one.

 

[Matt Young]

Edwin, I'm not surprised. Potential Mass Effect 1 spoilers:

Spoiler

In the span of 2 hours of playing, I saw Ashley kill Wrex and I had to choose between saving Ashley and saving Kaiden. I chose Ashley for the lesbian scene and because I hated the voice actor for Kaiden.

 

[Edwin]

Sure, but:

Spoiler

Bioware talked a big talk about your decisions all mattering extensively, but a lot of them seem pretty peripheral at this stage. For example, if you kill Wrex, he won't be in ME2. If you don't kill him, he'll have a cameo. That's not exactly major. Similarly, whichever of Kaidan or Ashley you save won't be joining your team either. Essentially, they went from boasting about huge effects from your decisions to making more or less tiny changes. It had to be done that way if they didn't want to waste tons of voice acting and programming on the numerous branching options--you're not going to have Wrex's voice actor record 4000 lines of dialogue if half the people playing have no chance of ever hearing them--but it's still disappointing they weren't able to develop a more dynamic solution to really take the game to another level.

Also, if you want lesbian Ashley love, I am sorry to report that it's not possible. Liara will roll with either gender Shepard, but Ashley and Kaidan are the strictly straight love interests.

 

[Vigo]

I hated Kaidan. He was useless and just reminded me of Freddie Prinze Jr. too much. I pretty much rolled with Wrex, Tali, and Liara depending on the situation.

 

[AndrewTS]

Also, Ashley was a huge bitch and her lack of biotic/tech skills make her worthless to me.

Easiest game "dilemma" ever.

I like how even her dialogue made the decision guilt-free, though.

It seems kind of a waste that they cast Tricia Helfer for this and yet all they had her do was a ship's VI.

I hated Kaidan. He was useless and just reminded me of Freddie Prinze Jr. too much. I pretty much rolled with Wrex, Tali, and Liara depending on the situation.

Probably you never talked to him, though.

As I mentioned, his Biotic/Tech skills make up for it (if you go completely for combat power, YMMV). Once the group leveled up, I usually would take Kaiden and Liara or Garrus along when landing on the sidequest planets. Why bother making two trips (one to clear out enemies and one for salvage/plundering goodies) when I can make one and get it all in one swoop? I was never wanting for offensive capabilities, either. My Shepard took out a geth dropship with a fucking pistol!!!

It had to be done that way if they didn't want to waste tons of voice acting and programming on the numerous branching options--you're not going to have Wrex's voice actor record 4000 lines of dialogue if half the people playing have no chance of ever hearing them--but it's still disappointing they weren't able to develop a more dynamic solution to really take the game to another level.

Wrex wasn't the most talkative character in ME1, though. It seemed like Virmire and him giving you his sidequest was about half his lines right there. Plus, it's not like all the voice actors do one and only one character.

Also: fun fact--krogan have 4 testicles.

 

[Conspiracy_Victim]

I've played through the game numerous times and I' hardly used Kaiden. If I wanted a pure biotic I'd use Liara, but usually Wrex would have enough biotic abilities to get me through. Just never really got behind his character. Maybe it's the VA, since I always thought Carth Onasi was one of the biggest jackasses around.

 

[Sabre]

I hate Carth, I wish there was a way to slaughter his ass, rather than him running away like a little bitch.

 

[AndrewTS]

I'm almost at the end of ME1, and what I'd most like to see out of the sequel is--

-a less restrictive inventory limit
-an easy way to compare equipment shops are offering versus equipment you have equipped on your party, and equip them directly from that menu (most JRPGs have done this for like 20 years).
-a better way of handling weapon/armor/ammo upgrades. The bulk of my bloated inventory is a ridiculous amount of outmoded upgrades.

 

[Edwin]

I think all that has been addressed. Bioware also fixed the save transfer problem, so now all endgame saves from ME1 can be brought over.

 

[Conspiracy_Victim]

I'm almost at the end of ME1, and what I'd most like to see out of the sequel is--

-a less restrictive inventory limit
-an easy way to compare equipment shops are offering versus equipment you have equipped on your party, and equip them directly from that menu (most JRPGs have done this for like 20 years).
-a better way of handling weapon/armor/ammo upgrades. The bulk of my bloated inventory is a ridiculous amount of outmoded upgrades.

Don't know about inventory limit, but from what I've read you don't have an ammo upgrade anymore. Instead it's a class skill. Each class can basically "enchant" (not the term they use of course) clips of ammo with the ability to freeze, shock, burn, etc.

Based on a screen shot I've seen, they've replaced that by having mix and match armor, much like the DA:O armor. Assuming each armor has it's strengths and weaknesses, I'm OK with that since I like the ability to mix up your armor to balance your resistances, shields, damage protection, and whatever else they might throw out there. However, you can't change your armor and weapons on the fly anymore. Instead, you can only change the stuff out at equipment lockers in your ship and scattered around the levels.
Don't know if that's true but I guess it's more realistic but it would suck to find one of the uber-heavy weapons and not be able to use it for some tough fight because you can't get to an equipment locker to equip it.

 

[AndrewTS]

I'm almost at the end of ME1, and what I'd most like to see out of the sequel is--

-a less restrictive inventory limit
-an easy way to compare equipment shops are offering versus equipment you have equipped on your party, and equip them directly from that menu (most JRPGs have done this for like 20 years).
-a better way of handling weapon/armor/ammo upgrades. The bulk of my bloated inventory is a ridiculous amount of outmoded upgrades.

Don't know about inventory limit, but from what I've read you don't have an ammo upgrade anymore. Instead it's a class skill. Each class can basically "enchant" (not the term they use of course) clips of ammo with the ability to freeze, shock, burn, etc.

Based on a screen shot I've seen, they've replaced that by having mix and match armor, much like the DA:O armor. Assuming each armor has it's strengths and weaknesses, I'm OK with that since I like the ability to mix up your armor to balance your resistances, shields, damage protection, and whatever else they might throw out there. However, you can't change your armor and weapons on the fly anymore. Instead, you can only change the stuff out at equipment lockers in your ship and scattered around the levels.
Don't know if that's true but I guess it's more realistic but it would suck to find one of the uber-heavy weapons and not be able to use it for some tough fight because you can't get to an equipment locker to equip it.

That really sounds like a step back in some regard. Sure, it's good not having to swap out the different ammo upgrades, but being stuck with an equipment setup until you get back to the ship seems like a pain in the ass.

I think all that has been addressed. Bioware also fixed the save transfer problem, so now all endgame saves from ME1 can be brought over.

I didn't think "only 11 saves" was really much of an issue anyway.

 

[Obi Chris Kenobi]

Out next week.

Are you hyped?

 

[Vigo]

So what kind of free schwag is being given away if you get the game next week?

 

[Baby Shoes]

So what kind of free schwag is being given away if you get the game next week?

Amazon and WalMart (at least the website) are giving $10 giftcards. Amazon is said to be giving some freein game armor too. Toys R Us is just doing if you buy the game you get $20 off another $59.99 if purchased together. GameStop is offering an "exclusive in-game" armor and weapon. The armor given away by Amazon and GS are said to be different as Amazon is saying Inferno Armor and GS is Terminus something. Nothing too exciting for giveaways on this one.

 

[Obi Chris Kenobi]

Those who bought Dragon's Age (SABRE!) can also use the armor code in ME2.

 

[Conspiracy_Victim]

I ordered the CE from Amazon, so I'll be getting the Collectors armor and the Infernus Armor, plus since I have DA, I'll get the Blood Armor. Then I hit up someone from Gamestop who might have an extra download code card and I get the Terminus Armor and the Blackstorm Gun. Whooo me.

Check out the launch trailer if you haven't yet. Shit seriously looks like a movie trailer.

 

[KingPK]

I'm playing through the first ME in preparation and have gained a new appreciation for it. The first time I basically blew through the story missions and finished quickly, so I was underwhelmed. Now I'm taking my time and exploring, so now I know how vast the world really is.

 

[Sabre]

Those who bought Dragon's Age (SABRE!) can also use the armor code in ME2.

Code smode, im playing mass effect 2 tomorow.

 

[Obi Chris Kenobi]

I'm playing through the first ME in preparation and have gained a new appreciation for it. The first time I basically blew through the story missions and finished quickly, so I was underwhelmed. Now I'm taking my time and exploring, so now I know how vast the world really is.

I'm still finishing my first play through! I've had the game since launch and only now getting around to finishing it. Its strange seeing the achievements unlocked date jump from 2007 to 2010.

 

[bps21]

I only have one save file left from ME and while it is a character leveled all the way up...I can not for the life of me remember what choices I made with that character. So I can import it and all...but I don't even know what the point would be.

 

[KingPK]

Did anybody, when they had the choice,

Spoiler

choose to save Kaiden and let Ashley die? Kaiden was a terribly bland character and what he did was done better with the other characters. Wrex was pretty useless too, which must be why you (or Ashley) pop him when he gets bitchy about his race being threatened.

 

[bps21]

Uh...yeah...

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/106/1063174p1.html

Get in before they realize they fucked up.