Mass Effect 2 Discussion Thread

[MinusTheBear]

I know the original Mass Effect was popular with a few folks around here and I would have to agree. Discuss previews, reviews, gameplay, strategies. If discussing storylines please use spoiler tags at your discretion.

Release date is Jan 26, 2010.

 

[jliedeka]

I'm getting my two best characters up to level 60 now. Supposedly, your Shepard starts out from level one but you get some bonuses based on the level of the character you import. Also, a few things from the first game will have an effect: whether or not you saved the council, how you treated Conrad Verner, who you romanced and who died on Virmire.

Jim

 

[MinusTheBear]

I played Mass Effect 2 for about 3 hours today. I picked up the collectors edition. I have to say this game is really, really good! I wasn't able to import my character from ME because I reformatted my HD a while back and lost all my achievements and game saves from all games. I decided to start off as Vanguard/Ruthless/Colonist on veteran difficulty because I wanted to test out some of the new weapons as well as biotics. The cover system works very well and running into cover is extremely fluid. The voice acting and sound quality is all similar but this game is more action packed (right from the get go) and polished (graphics, enemies, environments , load times, combat, contextual action). I have a new biotic called charge which is awesome and have two pistols, a grenade launcher and shotgun. The combination between 3rd person shooter and rpg style combat is soooo much fun and the story line always keeps you interested. BioWare has done an excellent job on this game IMO and improved upon the original greatly. jliedeka, you are going to love it! Gaming sites and other reviews that I have read all have been very positive of this game and I can see why!

 

[Matt34]

Why can't this come out on PS3. I may have to pick it up on PC when I get my new one built.

 

[MinusTheBear]

Pick it up on the PC. Have you played the original? The 3rd person style shooting is greatly improved.

 

[Matt34]

Pick it up on the PC. Have you played the original? The 3rd person style shooting is greatly improved.

I wanted to but never got around to picking it up.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Is anyone else getting weird install errors like Cannot locate file autorun.xml or setup can not find supported languages ???

 

[MinusTheBear]

No problems here playing on the 360. Can't help you with the PC version.

 

[jliedeka]

I got my copy but haven't had time to try it. I have a pretty full social calendar this week but hope to sneak in a few hours later tonight. Maybe I'll call in sick tomorrow.

I've read a bunch of reviews that make it sound like an improvement on the original. I'm wondering if I should start on Veteran since I've been playing the original on Insanity.

Jim

 

[MinusTheBear]

I didn't play insanity until my 3rd go through. I can't imagine playing insanity starting at level 1. Would get my *** kicked. I wonder what class would work best in this case. I think the best strategy would be to keep your distance as much as possible .

 

[jliedeka]

I did go with Veteran. The couple of hours I squeezed in after getting home from dinner lasted until 6am. Oops.

Jim

 

[MinusTheBear]

I have logged in about 8.5 hours. I just completed the Jack mission (kept it brief to avoid any spoilers). What I did mostly today was assignments at the citadel, omega and scanned a few planets as well as assignments/sidequests. I am really impressed so far with this game. I would not recommend Vanguard past veteran difficulty, you do not want ultra close combat in this game. Even though it is really early on in the year I am sure it will be a contender for GOTY.

 

[Moregone]

I can't wait to get this game! I bought it online and it's taking forever to get here : p

 

[MinusTheBear]

This game is getting really good. I am up to the point with Thane in the main story line. I have completed all the assignments thus far. Battles are getting quite intense with all the weapons upgrades I have obtained - lots of enemies in some spots.

I love the underlying dark atmosphere and storyline which is a contrast from the original ME. The environments are stunning!

 

[MinusTheBear]

I'm about 22-24 hours into the game. I have stayed true to completing all the assignments when presented and completing missions presented on the Normandy by my squad. IIRC my character is somewhere between level 16 and 18. I have upgraded my characters, weapons, biotics, armour, prototypes and ship quite a bit and have been scanning planets for hours. Scanning planets can get tedious but once I upgraded my scanner its makes scanning a single planet much quicker. My normandy is fully upgraded as of right now (for later on). I still have quite a few main missions to go and I am glad I took my time upgrading and leveling up my character/team because there are a ton of enemies at parts which would have made it very difficult without the upgraded biotics/weapons/tech etc. One of my favorite sequals so far. Excellent game.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I finally got the game running, pc version running 1680x1050 - game looks absolutely stunning - I played the original on 360.
So far log only 4-5 hours in while fixing client pc, switching back and forward...
So far I do like sequel even more then original, which I'd say pretty hard to beat.

 

[MinusTheBear]

I finally got the game running, pc version running 1680x1050 - game looks absolutely stunning - I played the original on 360.
So far log only 4-5 hours in while fixing client pc, switching back and forward...
So far I do like sequel even more then original, which I'd say pretty hard to beat.

It is quite a upgrade for a sequel imo. The environments are vastly improved from ME and they do not get repetitive at all like what would happen on the sidequests with the Mako (I do miss this vehicle a bit ). The characters look amazing too and they are so diverse. The combat gets really intense and the "feel" is much different from the original. The only thing that seems like a chore in the game is scanning planets. All and all this game is like watching a beautiful "space opera" unfold before your senses.

 

[jliedeka]

I don't know how many hours I have in but I think my Shepard is level 12. I also upgraded the scanner so I could more easily find minerals for upgrades.

I finally hit on the least effort way of scanning planets. I look for some feature on the planet that is recognizable. Not all planets have that but most do. Then I start from the bottom and scan right until the planet has made a full revolution. Then I move up two latitude lines and repeat. If you are within a latitude line of a mineral deposit, you'll be able to detect it.

Jim

 

[MinusTheBear]

Mass Effect 2 is currently 5th on the all-time best list at gamerankings with an average score of 96.41.

http://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html

 

[jliedeka]

I started my second play through on hardcore difficulty. The fights are definitely harder. It may be a while before I own this game on insanity.

Jim