Mass Effect 2

[Sombre]

Just finished the game.

I lost Jacob, Samara, Jack, Garrus and Thane. I'm really sad about losing Thane. He's such a great character. I hope he doesn't reappear in ME3 for people who got him to survive or anything or I'll be super sad. I did successfully manage to get Jacob, Samara and Jack (my least favorite characters) to die though so hooray.

Great game, though mid-game I wished it didn't stick so much to a predictable flowchart-like mission/story structure. It became pretty lame that every character has an unlock mission and then a loyalty mission, all the main missions come from the Elusive Man, etc. I really liked the

mission when the collectors board the Normandy, because it was actually unexpected and mixed up the pattern a bit, even though it was based on the massive conceit of all the main characters being off the ship for some reason

.

That said, I like that everything led up to the "suicide mission" and that you had an explicit goal for collecting squad members rather than just having them around.

Oh did anyone else think

the endboss was super lame and didn't seem to fit with the overall style of the game up to that point

?

But yeah great game. There's 33 hrs on my savegame but I feel like I just sliced through it.

How on earth did you lose so many people?

[JonCole]

How on earth did you lose so many people?

Marek really loves being lonely.

[Patters]

How on earth did you lose so many people?

They assumed he was Arnold Schwarzenegger? who needs no help!

Damn, I love this game, all of the main crew are fantastic. The side characters are just as good, particularly the Quarian which Adam Baldwin plays.

[Squid Division]

They assumed he was Arnold Schwarzenegger? who needs no help!

Damn, I love this game, all of the main crew are fantastic. The side characters are just as good, particularly the Quarian which Adam Baldwin plays.

Absolutely. If Tali can't be in the next game because (I bet)

she's going to be too politically involved with the Quarians/probably an Admiral

Kal Reegar better be a party character.

Anybody else love the Quarians as much as I do? I don't know what it is, but they are by far my favorite, and I will fuck anybody up who is biased against them, even if I'm playing Paragon.

[Patters]

Absolutely. If Tali can't be in the next game because (I bet)

she's going to be too politically involved with the Quarians/probably an Admiral

Kal Reegar better be a party character.

Anybody else love the Quarians as much as I do? I don't know what it is, but they are by far my favorite, and I will fuck anybody up who is biased against them, even if I'm playing Paragon.

They have a really interesting story, but then again so do all races particularly the cluster fuck of Salarians, Krogans and Rachni. I really want to see more of the Drell. I would like an Elcor party member as there is very little I know of their origins. I also hope that Zaeed returns, the little interaction you have reminds me of Ordo/Mandalore from the KotOR games, who was easily my favourite character.

I haven't finished yet though, I am 20 hours in though.

[Squid Division]

Did anyone else notice a big Battlestar Galactica influence in ME2 that wasn't there in ME1? They use a lot of the same acronyms like CIC, FTL, etc. that weren't in the first game but were used all the time in BSG. Not to mention Tricia Helfer and Michael Hogan. It kind of tainted the Quarian fleet a little by making it seem more derivative than ME1 ever did.

[Korax]

How on earth did you lose so many people?

If you don't upgrade properly, you can lose up to three people right of the bat (all the ship combat and such right after using the Omega relay). I believe that you can also lose up to two people at each door, you can lose the guy you send back to the ship with your crew, and depending on loyalty/crew upgrades, you can lose at least one of the people you left to defend the door when you fight the boss. Also, I think you can lose one of the boss fight helpers to stray enemy fire during the final ship-boarding cutscene.

[Sombre]

If you don't upgrade properly, you can lose up to three people right of the bat (all the ship combat and such right after using the Omega relay). I believe that you can also lose up to two people at each door, you can lose the guy you send back to the ship with your crew, and depending on loyalty/crew upgrades, you can lose at least one of the people you left to defend the door when you fight the boss. Also, I think you can lose one of the boss fight helpers to stray enemy fire during the final ship-boarding cutscene.

That's what I assumed actually aswell, that he

didnt upgrade the shields enough and he lost a few people there

.

I wish I could play it again, but after one playthrough, I don't know how people can manage again. It was a good game, but I don't think I could do all that again.

[Marek]

How on earth did you lose so many people?

I'm guessing because I didn't do Jack and Samara's loyalty missions, and failed the ones for Thane and Zaeed.

I lost

Jacob from the shot through the closing doors, Samara going back to the Normandy with the survivors, Garrus didn't make it after that biotic bubble sequence (got eaten by those insect like swarmy things), and Jack and Thane defending during the last bit

So yeah I guess the moral of the story is don't follow me into battle.

[Murdoc]

I really liked Thane too, but I think it would be hilarious if he was just dead in everyones game, like they really didn't cop out on his sickness.

[Roderick]

Mass Effect 3 could well have a bit where if Thane was still alive after 2, you could visit his death bed. That'd be poignant.

Also, I will not follow Marek into battle. Nor will I join his crew. I will choose another to perform my loyalty mission in his stead.

[Wrestlevania]

Not-reading-not-reading-not-reading!

I got ME2 about a week ago, even though I got really bored and frustrated with the original after a while.

After about 8 hours of play, however, I'm enjoying the sequel much more than the first game. I'm not finding it hugely different, but it's somehow more focused without compromising the story (which really appealed in the original, along with the overall visual design and settings).

I don't miss the driving around one bit and the mining mini-game is serviceable enough. Combat feels more punchy and the weapons I've picked up so far are good without being flashy or over the top. The upgraded pistol you get early on is my favourite so far--it's very satisfying to use. The cover system also seems to be more intuitive for me this time, too.

So, for now, I'm giving it a

[Patters]

I'm fairly sure I am close to the end of the game, I am just about to use the

Omega 4 relay.

I have done all loyalty missions only failing Zaeed's, Though Jack is not loyal to me

with the dipute between her and Miranda.

[Murdoc]

Mass Effect 3 could well have a bit where if Thane was still alive after 2, you could visit his death bed. That'd be poignant.

Also, I will not follow Marek into battle. Nor will I join his crew. I will choose another to perform my loyalty mission in his stead.

That'd be really cool and hopefully any "visits" to past characters, however they may be, won't feel like a slap in the face with 2 peices of dialog that stay static from start to finish even if you pop in and see them from time to time.

[Korax]

My favorite bug so far: When you light an enemy on fire or lift them high into the air with biotics, sometimes they will scream as they burn/plummet to death. Some other times, however, the fire/fall isn't enough to kill them, and they are stuck constantly screaming until you take care of them.

My least favorite bug (which may be more of an oversight than a bug): When your controller becomes disconnected, the game does not pause or freeze itself. I was in the middle of a particularly difficult fight, my controller's batteries died, and Shepard just stopped in the middle of the fray. I was killed while desperately trying to reconnect my controller, a "Please reconnect the controller" message blinking at the bottom of the screen the whole time.

[Jaraknarn]

hey guys, just so chris doesn't delete me ill mention first that im a fan and a listener and i have been for a while, but. . . .

shipto.net is selling uk mass effect 2 for 28 quid for one week only, i only mention this because i had rented the game to play it because i couldn't afford full price and i just bought a copy coz of this deal and i just wanted to help out anyone in a similar position that cant always afford a 50 quid game and doesn't want to miss out on wat is a really great game, i dont know when the week started so i have no idea how long the sale will last, so get in there quick if ur interested

and americans, theres no harm in checking but i dont know if its an international seller (oh and the sale price is basically 70%)

sorry if some1s already posted this i didn't have time to read the whole thread

WIZARD! GOLD GOLD BLOOM BLUE GOLD!

[Patters]

hey guys, just so chris doesn't delete me ill mention first that im a fan and a listener and i have been for a while, but. . . .

shipto.net is selling uk mass effect 2 for 28 quid for one week only, i only mention this because i had rented the game to play it because i couldn't afford full price and i just bought a copy coz of this deal and i just wanted to help out anyone in a similar position that cant always afford a 50 quid game and doesn't want to miss out on wat is a really great game, i dont know when the week started so i have no idea how long the sale will last, so get in there quick if ur interested

and americans, theres no harm in checking but i dont know if its an international seller (oh and the sale price is basically 70%)

sorry if some1s already posted this i didn't have time to read the whole thread

WIZARD! GOLD GOLD BLOOM BLUE GOLD!

Dude, http://www.idlethumbs.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7003.

[toblix]

My least favorite bug (which may be more of an oversight than a bug): When your controller becomes disconnected, the game does not pause or freeze itself. I was in the middle of a particularly difficult fight, my controller's batteries died, and Shepard just stopped in the middle of the fray. I was killed while desperately trying to reconnect my controller, a "Please reconnect the controller" message blinking at the bottom of the screen the whole time.

That's weird. I'd think that stuff was one of the main points on their certification checklist.

[Jaraknarn]

Dude, http://www.idlethumbs.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7003.

(frustrated shudder/sigh ) copy and paste job me thinks

[Korax]

That's weird. I'd think that stuff was one of the main points on their certification checklist.

That's why I'm hoping it's a bug. Leaving something like that out on purpose seems nigh impossible.

[Patters]

I'm undecided on Reaper-fetus. I sort of get that humans are becoming more widespread and gaining influence, and so could be more useful to the Reapers, but that they noticed that in such a short term as two years? At the time of the Protheans, as it seems to be understood, they were the only spacefaring species. You're telling me that a bunch of inexperienced and distrusted humans are a more valuable acquisition than the Turian armada or the Asari's ability to mate with any species and create a nearly endless supply of indoctrinated babies? As I recall, Mordin said something about the remarkable variety in human phenotypes making us an attractive thing to harvest (also, a convenient hand wave at using the same model for a bunch of seemingly distinct aliens) but is that really all it takes? The more I think on it, the less sense it makes.

As for the fight itself, I was totally into it for the first half. Fighting the collectors so that I could get a clear shot at the tubes feeding the Reaper-fetus was great. I was all "YEAH! Abomination of nature! Let's abort that bitch!" Then I did, and it was all "BOO! I'm a spooky fetus-monster!" which seemed unnecessary and contrived. So: Fighting my way TO the fetus = cool. Fighting the fetus itself = not cool.

I think it has something to do with this being one of the first generations of humans to be in open space. The amount of progress we have made according to the fiction is phenomenal, especially when compared to the other species in the universe.

Also, I just finished the game, it is utterly fantastic, I felt the characters were stronger.

I lost Grunt, which is annoying, though he would have liked dying escorting my team. I also lost Jack, which is no big deal to me. I had no major qualms with the final boss fight, it was pretty meh but so are most final bosses.

[mikemariano]

OK, I'm only about two-thirds of the way into Mass Effect 2, so I have to avoid most of this thread.

I am embarrassingly caught up with all the soap opera aspects of this game; I'm so ashamed. I worry about my Commander Jane Shepard's love life.

My Shepard is still in love with Kaidan from the first game. After we saw each other again on Horizon, I got a love letter from him.

I'm sorry for what I said back on Horizon. I spent two years pulling myself back together after you went down with the Normandy. It took me a long time to get over my guilt for surviving and move on. I'd finally let my friends talk me into going out for drinks with a doctor on the Citadel. Nothing serious, but trying to let myself have a life again, you know?

Wait a minute, Kaidan went out for drinks with a Citadel doctor? Could it be Dr. Chloe Michel, the messed up doctor from the first game? Oh Kaidan; what does she have that I don't?

It's so trashy; I like the cut scenes more than the combat.

[Marek]

There was exactly zero romance during my playthrough. I'm sure it was because I played as a woman, but was still thinking like a man.

[eljay]

Did anyone else notice a big Battlestar Galactica influence in ME2 that wasn't there in ME1? They use a lot of the same acronyms like CIC, FTL, etc. that weren't in the first game but were used all the time in BSG. Not to mention Tricia Helfer and Michael Hogan. It kind of tainted the Quarian fleet a little by making it seem more derivative than ME1 ever did.

FTL was used plenty in ME1, it's an extremely common acronym in sci-fi, which is not surprising considering the necessity of faster than light travel in exploring space.

CIC is a fairly standard military term for a command hub on a large vessel.

[brkl]

When did they even say CIC in Mass Effect 2? I never noticed anyway.