Mass Effect 2

[toblix]

Trailer here.

For some reason, this was the brief cut that made the greatest impression on me:

I don't know why, but it just seems awesome or something.

[zomboid]

I love when people on GAF call it "Mass Erect". So true!

I love love LOVED Mass Effect. I'm glad they left the strategy wheel pretty much intact. Looks like they even improved upon it (ammo types!). Once I figured out that you can look in all directions (and adjust your aim) with time frozen still - I felt like the biggest fucking badass in the universe.

[blackboxme]

That trailer was the coolest thing at E3. If you haven't watched it yet, you totally should.

[Chris]

Definitely looking forward to this game. I hope they fix all the things I didn't like about Mass Effect. They won't, so I hope they fix some of them.

[James]

Do you mind if I reuse that quote for every sequel I have any interest in?

"Hey James, what do you think about the prospect of a sequel to Mirror's Edge?"

"Definitely looking forward to this game. I hope they fix all the things I didn't like about Mass Effect. They won't, so I hope they fix some of them."

[elmuerte]

If they fix the inventory system I'm happy, that's the worst part of Mass Effect.

[Shakesbeard]

If they fix the inventory system I'm happy, that's the worst part of Mass Effect.

So we have the inventory system on the list of crummy Mass Effect stuff, I'd also add the lack of variety or interesting locales while exploring planets in the Mako, also the fact that systems would have one visitable planet and a few scannable ones always felt really gamey. Just mix it up a bit!

Then we've got load times, the elevators in particular. Texture pop-in (product of the engine at the time) and some other stuff? I'm curious, what is everyone hoping to have fixed for ME2?

[ThunderPeel2001]

So we have the inventory system on the list of crummy Mass Effect stuff, I'd also add the lack of variety or interesting locales while exploring planets in the Mako, also the fact that systems would have one visitable planet and a few scannable ones always felt really gamey. Just mix it up a bit!

Then we've got load times, the elevators in particular. Texture pop-in (product of the engine at the time) and some other stuff? I'm curious, what is everyone hoping to have fixed for ME2?

I'd like to them to take a little more time adding details to the world. A fine example would be "lady escort" person that you meet on the Citadel in one of the early missions. She's supposedly exotic, alluring and powerful, and it takes a bit of effort before she'll even meet you face to face. Men (and women (and aliens)) are supposed defenceless to her charms... When you finally meet her: It's the most underwhelming event ever.

Not only is her room bare, apart from one piece of furniture, but her character model is exactly the same to that of her hand-maiden (particularly plain, too). It just felt really unfinished.

Also, after getting the code for the little droids who maintain the Citadel, I was hoping to learn a bit more about their "mysteries" -- but all that hard work was for naught.

[zomboid]

I'll take all the Mass Effect I can get. Sad to hear I can't keep my party from the first game (because Wrex was absolutely my favorite thing about the game) - but whatever, I played through the entire game twice and loved every second of it, warts and all. My frothing anticipation and all that...

[lobotomy42]

I'd like to them to take a little more time adding details to the world. A fine example would be "lady escort" person that you meet on the Citadel in one of the early missions. She's supposedly exotic, alluring and powerful, and it takes a bit of effort before she'll even meet you face to face. Men (and women (and aliens)) are supposed defenceless to her charms... When you finally meet her: It's the most underwhelming event ever.

Not only is her room bare, apart from one piece of furniture, but her character model is exactly the same to that of her hand-maiden (particularly plain, too). It just felt really unfinished.

Also, after getting the code for the little droids who maintain the Citadel, I was hoping to learn a bit more about their "mysteries" -- but all that hard work was for naught.

I agree. Mass Effect had a real "quantity over quality" shtick going, which left the galaxy seeming really big, but also really empty and dull. The only city of any substance was the Citadel, and even that felt really empty. The rest of the major locations were outposts, excavation sites, and corporate havens, and the sidequest planets were essentially completely empty! As a result, I felt like I was constantly on the outskirts of the universe, far away from all the real action.

I would have preferred some seriously fleshed out sidequests and locations over the repeated copy-and-paste jobs they gave me in ME1. I get that they want to give you the feeling that "you can go anywhere," but that's only fun if there are interesting places to go.

[blackboxme]

You know what I wish Mass Effect had?

Pre-rendered cut-scenes. An introductory cutscene for a world could do a lot to make it seem more lifelike.

[Nachimir]

I doubt that would make the sidequest worlds feel any less like barren heightmaps with random item drops and an occasional dungeon to crawl.

[elmuerte]

Pre-rendered cut-scenes. An introductory cutscene for a world could do a lot to make it seem more lifelike.

What's next? Quick time events?

[blackboxme]

Nachmir: yeah, but I'm not that disappointed if backwoods planets are boring. If the citadel is unimpressive, that's something else.

[ThunderPeel2001]

There was definitely a "size" over substance thing. It's not like I felt KOTOR was particularly claustrophobic... They could have kept it like that.

[twmac]

Personally, even if they don't have members of the original team as part of your squad I would like to see cameos from all of the cast that changes depending on the choices you made from the first game's save,

'The Suffering' on the original Xbox and PS2 did this really effectively (the sequel was called 'The ties that bind') whereby depending on how good/evil you had been in the original affected how cutscenes played out in the sequel.

So if, for example, some of your original party members didn't make it in the first the you don't see them in the second, or maybe if you became romantically involved with one of them you now find that you have married them or that something happened between the events of the two games that means that you have split up.

It wouldn't take much to do if they are already planning not to include them as active party members and would add some real depth to the game. It is a shame that they just seem to have gone 'You won't meet these characters because during the first game they might have died'.

[blackboxme]

What's next? Quick time events?

By the way, there ARE a bunch of prerendered cutscenes in Mass Effect! They just aren't quite as flashy as I hoped, since I'm a Final Fantasy kinda guy.

[Coldkill]

The pre-rendered cut scenes are done with the in game engine, I prefer that over renderings which bear no semblance to what you are actually seeing.

Personally I can't wait for ME2, I'm already drooling over those vids. They have said they will be improving upon aspects of ME, including the bland copy/paste side quest mission planets. Really, they could probably release the game at the moment, but I think they were spending a lot of extra time in QA and polishing. The only thing that will disappoint me is not having my old party back (except the one I killed).

As for the original, it was a master piece and I thoroughly enjoyed it (I've played through it 5 times now I think). There were minor things that I thought needed improvement (the side quest planets was one, the inventory another). But overall, it was a ground breaking game at the time. Something other developers should really learn from. (Seriously how many games come out recently where you can shape and mould your own character and really make the story your own?)

[Azazello]

I played through a few hours of Mass Effect, but lost interest when I kept getting my ass kicked by the blue chick's mom. (I really can't remember her name.)

Hopefully this one will be a bit more interesting this time around, something that can actually keep my attention for more than a few minutes.

[Noyb]

But overall, it was a ground breaking game at the time. Something other developers should really learn from. (Seriously how many games come out recently where you can shape and mould your own character and really make the story your own?)

Groundbreaking? Really?

[elmuerte]

Groundbreaking? Really?

Yeah, groundbreaking. Pretty much every time you landed on a planet with that vehicle thingy.

[Coldkill]

Meh. Probably not, but still.

[ThunderPeel2001]

But overall, it was a ground breaking game at the time. Something other developers should really learn from. (Seriously how many games come out recently where you can shape and mould your own character and really make the story your own?)

Planescape: Torment?

Fable?

Jade Empire?

Knights of the Old Republic?

Knights of the Old Republic II?

*shrugs* You also enjoy these games (they're very good!).

[Coldkill]

Didn't like Fable, although that list is far too short!

[Karimi]

Mass Effect was o.k. , far too short, Mako parts were dull , inventory sucked, not enough dialogue.

I miss the old bioware.