ME 2 impressions

[smackababy]

ME1 had some mature content - from what I recall, there was nekkedness, but you could't SEE the nekkedness..but you knew they were nekked and having sex.

I'm disappointed you can't get a nekked lap dance in ME2. I keep tipping and tipping the table dancer..but she just smiles and keeps dancing.

The thing I don't understand is the game is rated M, the characters are in mature situations, they swear and make sexual references, but can't show (or even hint) at nudity during a sex scene. Now, mind you, this scene was far easier to obtain than the one in ME, but even still. I don't go to an R rated movie to watch people have sex fully clothed.

I can kill innocent people, sacrifice lives of my friends, lie, cheat, swear, steal but I can't see the breasts of some alien stripper. There is even a conversation you can overhear in a bar where a Quarian is talking about a human entering her vaginal cavity... But no breasts! Have to save the children.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I'm not a big fan of the Vanguard in ME2. The shotgun is near worthless. I mean, I guess it's more true to reality... you can't kill something with a shotgun 50 feet away anymore. I just feel like I'm super squishy and die really quick when I'm up close to the enemies... Thus, charge isn't that useful. It seems to stun the enemy for half a second, but that's about it.

Or am I doing something wrong? Vanguard was my fav class in ME2... now I just wish I picked soldier instead.

Yea, I know what you mean about dying so easily. You really have to use cover, and that is not a mechanic that I really like or am good at. I am getting the hang of it, but I died a lot in the beginning because I was relying on my shields to protect me. The shields were really good in ME1, but dont seem to be worth much to me in ME2.

 

[Koudelka]

ME2 sucks pretty bad compared to ME1. ME1 would suck me in for hours.. ME2 barely keeps me playing.

Barely any character customization anymore either.

The one thing that really pissed me off, is that of all the characters from ME1.. the only one they actually let you keep playing is Garrus. He was probably the most lifeless and boring one from all of ME1.

I dont care much for the new cast of characters either. They're all pretty lame.

I've got most of the crew right now, and the story also sucks some serious balls so far as well. Nothing interesting about it. The story is still falling from the climax in ME1.

Also.. I found it amusing and extremely lame that apparently *something* was causing entire colonies to disappear for a while. But as soon as Shepard comes into the story, everytime he goes to a colony there just so happens to be a survivor left behind to tell the whole story. Bullshit.

 

[Dorkenstein]

Feels like less than a complete game, now that I've finished it. Instead of a trilogy its more like 2 games and a playable intermission, provided the third game meets ME1 standards. They're running out of ammo on their script and plot stuff. Dragon Age was an indicator, now it seems like they're running on fumes for ideas.

 

[Jules]

Odd. When i complete a mission on a random planet it shows my ship at the last planet i was on. Whats up with that??

 

[Koudelka]

Odd. When i complete a mission on a random planet it shows my ship at the last planet i was on. Whats up with that??

There's a lot of weird goings on in this game.

 

[brblx]

Feels like less than a complete game, now that I've finished it. Instead of a trilogy its more like 2 games and a playable intermission, provided the third game meets ME1 standards. They're running out of ammo on their script and plot stuff. Dragon Age was an indicator, now it seems like they're running on fumes for ideas.

i havn't finished yet, but it seems like they definitely want to hold off on an epic reaper fight until the third game.

that said, though, the main story really isn't the highlight of the game. it's that fact that pretty much EVERY mission you do, even if it stands on its own with no relation to the main plot, is really well done. i don't mind the lack of a good overarching story when the gameplay, dialogue, and side stories are so good.

 

[Dorkenstein]

I did enjoy the missions. Probably all of them were good and fairly unique. I went in to many of them with a little anxiety expecting to get my butt kicked and wound up completing them pretty quickly which was surprising.

 

[Zenoth]

For me, Mass Effect 2 was absolutely epic, but certainly not perfect, it has flaws, there are things that ME1 does better than ME2, such as being able to gear up your teammates, I think that's most basic thing in games nowadays, and in ME2 you just can't do any customization on them, even Garrus has to keep using his damaged armor, and he doesn't even heal from his injuries on his face throughout the whole game (while you, recovering from clinical death and total body mutilation requiring implants everywhere can heal by simply be good-minded... that's a pathetic overlook by BioWare considering how they usually are looking at details like that).

Additionally, the DLC-specific armors (Collectors' armor and so on) all have a permanent helmet on, not to mention that the Blood Dragon armor's design and looks doesn't even fit the context at all in my opinion especially not with a freaking dragon painted on it, and the third armor (its name escapes me since I hate it anyway) is ugliness incarnate, and it looks pathetic when your Shepard's drinking animation goes through the helmet itself, another formidably stupid obvious thing that apparently wasn't obvious enough to fix.

And, finally, the scanning minerals process mini-game is of absolute boredom and gets extremely repetitive fast, especially considering that if you "chose" (not really) to not rely on resources found by that mini-game for everything that costs resources and only accumulate the resources that you do find during most missions (from containers and such) then you barely have enough to pay for not even the third of the researches you can get, so it's literally forced on the player. And to add insult to injury the only scanner upgrade that is available does absolutely nothing to "greatly speed up the scanning process", either I missed something or I had to "install" it... or I don't know, but the damn thing was just as imprecise and slow as the "original" scanner.

I do have other complaints about ME2, but overall it IS better than the first, and is certainly darker. Also Tali is awesome.

 

[l0cke]

I think that I am the only one who liked the Mako driving in ME1 and also likes the scanning in ME2.

 

[Spoooon]

I think that I am the only one who liked the Mako driving in ME1 and also likes the scanning in ME2.

I like the scanning in ME2. Did not care for the Mako driving. All the fights kind of ended up the same. Fire cannon, hit spacebar.

I thought the opening sequence to ME2 was really cool.

I would have preferred that they not include the "watch the stripper" or "buy a drink" option. I think it's lame, period. Doesn't really help with immersion or anything like that for me.

edit: Hate the mission end screen.

 

[NYHoustonman]

Just to add my counterpoint to the people who seem to hate the game... I've loved it so far. It's not as deep RPG-wise as ME1 (which wasn't deep to begin with), which is a big minus coming off of Dragon Age...
But the characters are almost all interesting (methinks you're remembering ME1 through rose-tinted glasses if you think the characters in that game were *that* much better), all of the quests have some context beyond orders given through some message (i.e. they all have some interactivity to them), and the overall art direction as well as the voice acting drew me in from the start of the game. The action bits, as others have mentioned, are also a lot better.

 

[s44]

The characters have interesting individual stories, but none of them really interact with each other -- they took out all the banters. So eh. A small downer from ME1, but a huge downer from DA.

I love the gameplay, though. Even the scanning.

 

[Darklife]

I think the game is awesome. The first one was decent at best, they had all those rpg and "deep" mechanics which turned out to be very superficial. This one acknowledges that it's an action game and drops the pretenses, which in my opinion was a very good decision.

Mind you I'm talking about things like a million inventory items or armours, although they may have taken it a bit too far this time. What did stick from an RPG is the story, characters and interesting moral choices. I've given a lot of thought before I made a decision, which I've rarely done in ME1.

 

[smackababy]

So, I just beat the game and despite what people are saying: the ending sequence and mission was epic.

Spoiler

I lost one team member in the vent. Actually did that part twice with Thane first then Tali and they both died. =( I don't know who to send that won't die afterward.

The thing I liked the most about this game, that was done much much better than DA, was the fact that the main character wasn't pulling the characters away from the game. In DA, it always seemed like there was so much going on in the background, but as soon as you talk to someone, they become a robot. *NPC running around scared and crying* *PC talks to him/her* *NPC answers in same voice no matter the situation* It got a little old.

I am about to start my second play through on Insane like I did with ME1. Had full paragon this time, going full renegade next. I think I can have both maxed out!

Also, if anyone knows the answer to my spoiler, please tell me in a PM or in spoiler tags here. Thank you.

 

[Zenoth]

The characters have interesting individual stories, but none of them really interact with each other -- they took out all the banters. So eh. A small downer from ME1, but a huge downer from DA.

I love the gameplay, though. Even the scanning.

They did not remove "all" the banter between party members in ME2, there's much less, yes, but there is still some of it. For instance, I had both Garrus and Tali with me at the Citadel, and at some point the following banter ensued between both of them (without me clicking on anything such as the pre-placed banter windows in some locations, that one was completely random and coming out of nowhere just like in ME1):

Garrus: «You remember when we used to ask you questions in the elevator.»
Tali: «I prefer not to think about it.»
Garrus: «C'mon Tali, I'm sure you liked when we asked you how you could live in your suit.»
Tali: «I have a shotgun.»

...or something along those lines anyway, it was funny the way it was delivered by both of them. I also remember hearing similar random banter between Grunt and I think it was Zaeed when I walked around in the Afterlife in Omega.

 

[coloumb]

I think that I am the only one who liked the Mako driving in ME1 and also likes the scanning in ME2.

I liked it as well [both for exploration and finding bases to hoard resources and fight enemies]. Scanning is ok - but as most others have said - it gets boring very quickly - and most of the crap you scan isn't what you really need - Element Zero.

I'm definitely going to play through ME2 again - this time around I imported Paragon character and am mainly choosing answers as I would answer [Paragon]. However, next time around, I'm going to import a Renegade character and choose the Renegade answers/options.

 

[s44]

Spoiler

I lost one team member in the vent. Actually did that part twice with Thane first then Tali and they both died. =( I don't know who to send that won't die afterward.

Don't know the answer.

Spoiler

Happened to me too. I picked Thane because I figured Tali is too important for ME3. Notice how the quests for her, Grunt, and Legion are basically army recruiting setups?

 

[Dorkenstein]

I just finished my first paragon playthrough after a day or two of hiatus. I'm not going to comment on the ending, and I'm not going to start calling ME2 "Mass Effect Light", but that's what I'm thinking at the moment. I hate wasted potential. Interestingly enough I managed to do the ending in one go and didn't lose a soul.

 

[smackababy]

Don't know the answer.

Spoiler

Happened to me too. I picked Thane because I figured Tali is too important for ME3. Notice how the quests for her, Grunt, and Legion are basically army recruiting setups?

Spoiler

I figured out that if you send Legion, and have Garrus lead both teams, you can save all your team mates. I will try again on the next playthrough.

 

[datalink7]

Finished the game. Nobody died (though I did everyone's side quest and fully upgraded the ship, so that might have helped).

I thought it was great and can't wait for ME3

 

[zerogear]

Don't know the answer.

Spoiler

Happened to me too. I picked Thane because I figured Tali is too important for ME3. Notice how the quests for her, Grunt, and Legion are basically army recruiting setups?

Spoiler

Use Legion

 

[s44]

Spoiler

Use Legion

I would have, but

Spoiler

he's too important to the next phase of the war to risk. Thane is expendable

.

Maybe on another playthrough, when I'm metagaming.

 

[s44]

It seems

Spoiler

it also depends who leads the second team. I chose Samara -- perhaps she's too much the lone wolf, though she got her actual crew in fine

.

 

[JoshGuru7]

It seems

Spoiler

it also depends who leads the second team. I chose Samara -- perhaps she's too much the lone wolf, though she got her actual crew in fine

.

Hint:

Spoiler

Garrus makes an excellent leader with all that C-Sec experience.