Mass Effect 2

[dpp]

6) That bit when you're sealing the basement when recruiting archangel. That really tight corner with the flamethrower dude behind two cover/barricade things (the left path of the 3 you have to seal). WTF. I've somehow muddled my way through it both times, but is there anyway to do that bit without nearly dying?

Send someone in your team first, he goes and draws fire and you go in right afterwards and shotgun the flamethrower in the head.

[juv3nal]

Send someone in your team first, he goes and draws fire and you go in right afterwards and shotgun the flamethrower in the head.

That makes sense. I guess my paragon conditioning just stopped me from using my team as cannon fodder. I have no problem directing them when there's cover for them to use.

[infovore]

Also, with the flamethrower dudes - aim for their tanks and then just get out of there. They will blow up quite quick once they're leaking fuel, even though their health will not go down until the tank goes up.

Of course, then it'll go down nice and quick.

[buemba]

Finished my 1st playthrough as a paragon Infiltrator (With my paragon Shepard from ME1) and now am about halfway through as a renegade Soldier (Now with my renegade Shepard from ME1). Given that I sunk about 60 hours into the game so far it goes without saying that I love it, but there are a few things that annoyed me:

- The convict. I'm proudly in the "hate her" camp. To the game's credit they gave her a pretty good excuse to be the way she is, but still screw her. Even during my paragon playthrough if I ever got a prompt to press the left mouse to shoot her in the face with a shotgun during a conversation I would've done it in a heartbeat.

- Hardly any character progression. One of my favorite things about RPGs is seeing just how much more powerful my character in the endgame is when compared to the weakling I started with. Whether its because there isn't much gear to find or because the powers don't really get that much more powerful at level 4 than they were at level 2, I honestly didn't feel that my Shepard got that much stronger as the game progressed (In fact I'd say he peaked during

the Collector Ship mission since you get a powerful weapon there

and then flatlined for the rest of the game). Particularly jarring after playing Dragon Age, where by the end of the game an army of white named darkspawns and ogres can be dispatched in seconds by your character alone.

- The fact that you can't revisit mission maps. Missed

the sniper rifle during the assassin's recruitment mission? Too bad for you. And that heavy handgun damage upgrade during the engineer recruitment that you also didn't get because the stupid sun kept frying your shields whenever you tried to explore? Gone for good.

- The minigames. I don't mind mining planets for resources, but the hacking, bypassing and that "shoot the pests in the Krogan base" minigames were pretty bad.

- Limiting ammo and fuel. Having to run around looking for ammo after every fight and having to fly to fuel stations all the time gets old fast. Feels like they just added these to artificially stretch our play time.

- No "hard" choices regarding your team mates. For me having to choose between saving Kaidan or Ashley in ME1 was one of the most memorable moments I've had in a game in the past 5 years (Even though I didn't like either of them), and while it's theoretically possible to lose anyone in ME2 I felt the game telegraphed pretty clearly what you had to do to keep everybody alive.

- Facial scarring. Ok, if "renegade" doesn't necessarily mean "evil" (And it doesn't) why the hell am I expecting my renegade Shepard to grow horns at any minute? Somebody at Bioware played too much Fable.

- Renegade choices. One thing I noticed in my renegade playthrough is that I rarely see anyone from ME1, and it's pretty obvious why since the renegade choices in both ME usually result in the death of whoever is in front of your character. Bioware needs to find a way to give renegade players more hooks from the previous games, even if it's something dumb like having the widow of a henchman you kicked through a window follow you around screaming through the citadel in ME3.

- The final boss. Convincing Sauren to shoot himself in the face and then fighting his reanimated corpse? Cool.

Fighting something that just rocks back and forth and doesn't even fight back? Dumb.

Still, major props to Bioware. The characters in ME2 are so much more interesting than anyone in the first game and the combat is way better too. In fact, while I wouldn't shed a tear if Liara, Kaidan, Ashley or Wrex didn't appear at all in ME3 I'll be mighty pissed if anyone in my current squad (Save for Jack) doesn't play a substantial role in the next game.

[Squid Division]

Well I was getting a little worn with the game so I decided to go ahead and finish it. Man is the overarching story, what there is of any, bad.

Wasn't the stupid human-looking Reaper from the end just the ending to 'splosion Man?

Also I think I liked the inventory system way better in ME1. They just needed to not give you an artificial limit on how much stuff you could carry and it would have been fine.

I think my ideal Mass Effect would be ME1 with the character side missions from 2. I definitely don't feel like ME2 did anything better than ME1 except the teammate development. Everything else was different or worse.

Wait a second, the ending cinematic shows Harbinger coming with a whole mess of Reapers. Who woke them up? Isn't the point of the first game that you stopped Saren from sending out the signal for them to wake up and come back, and now that's just being ignored?

Edited February 10, 2010 by Squid Division

[JonCole]

Also I think I liked the inventory system way better in ME1. They just needed to not give you an artificial limit on how much stuff you could carry and it would have been fine.

I honestly think you're one of very few who think this. I want to spend my time actually playing the game, not managing a shitload of inventory that just changes some of the stats on my dice rolls.

[Squid Division]

What's the difference between it and any other RPG with equipment ever?

[JonCole]

What's the difference between it and any other RPG with equipment ever?

No compare feature, no multiple item stacking, not enough variety between different types/tiers of particular equipment, confusing naming conventions for armor, too many types of equipment modifiers... need I go on?

[lobotomy42]

Wait a second, the ending cinematic shows Harbinger coming with a whole mess of Reapers. Who woke them up? Isn't the point of the first game that you stopped Saren from sending out the signal for them to wake up and come back, and now that's just being ignored?

The Citadel was a mass relay. Saren was trying to activate it so that the other Reapers could then travel (virtually instantly?) from "dark space" to the heart of the galaxy and start wreaking havoc. By stopping Saren/Sovereign, you prevented this relay from being activated. Thus, presumably, the Reapers have been forced to take the scenic route from dark space into the galaxy, which I guess took two years? The fact that they show up just after you destroy the Collectors may just be a coincidence. It's unclear to me, though, if the Reapers were controlling the Collectors, why they couldn't have just used the Omega-4 relay...unless Reaper telepathy works long-distance, and the Collectors live nowhere near the Reapers?

[Murdoc]

The Citadel was a mass relay. Saren was trying to activate it so that the other Reapers could then travel (virtually instantly?) from "dark space" to the heart of the galaxy and start wreaking havoc. By stopping Saren/Sovereign, you prevented this relay from being activated. Thus, presumably, the Reapers have been forced to take the scenic route from dark space into the galaxy, which I guess took two years? The fact that they show up just after you destroy the Collectors may just be a coincidence. It's unclear to me, though, if the Reapers were controlling the Collectors, why they couldn't have just used the Omega-4 relay...unless Reaper telepathy works long-distance, and the Collectors live nowhere near the Reapers?

I also think it was more just teaser imagery for the final chapter in the saga, rather then literally interpretation. I assume they would explain their presence during the next game.

[Squid Division]

The Citadel was a mass relay. Saren was trying to activate it so that the other Reapers could then travel (virtually instantly?) from "dark space" to the heart of the galaxy and start wreaking havoc. By stopping Saren/Sovereign, you prevented this relay from being activated. Thus, presumably, the Reapers have been forced to take the scenic route from dark space into the galaxy, which I guess took two years? The fact that they show up just after you destroy the Collectors may just be a coincidence. It's unclear to me, though, if the Reapers were controlling the Collectors, why they couldn't have just used the Omega-4 relay...unless Reaper telepathy works long-distance, and the Collectors live nowhere near the Reapers?

I believe he had to wake them up first by sending out a signal, then they would come through the Citadel. As for the Collectors, my best guess would be that the signals couldn't go through there, they talk about how the density at the center of the galaxy had some kind of affect on their sensors and their ability to determine what's there. Also the Reapers are outside the galaxy if the cinematic is to be taken seriously, while the Collectors are at the center of it.

Quick thought, at the beginning they talk about how barely anyone believes the reapers exist and even fewer have actually seen them or their ship, yet their exit from their base is right next to a huge pirate hub that has to be swarming with black market traffic....

No compare feature, no multiple item stacking, not enough variety between different types/tiers of particular equipment, confusing naming conventions for armor, too many types of equipment modifiers... need I go on?

There was a compare feature, even in the stores, at least on xbox there was. I agree about the stacking, but I disagree with the naming. Certain companies had certain emphases in their armor, some had more shields vs. more armor, and this was consistent through each iteration of their armor. I really liked the manufacturer aspect of the game, I made sure to keep a lookout for certain companies because they suited my play-style best. I never found the equipment modifiers to be over-abundant outside of not stacking. They were pretty different from each other and each useful in their different ways.

I still don't see much difference between this system and say the one from Dragon Age.

Edited February 11, 2010 by Squid Division

[Roderick]

I don't have a lot of problems with the story and characters, I thought they were all decidedly brilliant. The story had me glued to the screen at all times. The characters were incredibly interesting and fun to explore.

My biggest criticism of Mass Effect 2 is that it's way too predictable. With Mass Effect 1 I had the feeling I could expect anything at any given moment. A mission might have me shooting, but also present me with a dialogue or driving, or some unexpected boss. Then, upon organically returning to the Citadel, I might be harassed by a reporter.

In ME2, it's so incredibly clear how the whole thing is structured, emphasized by the end-of-mission screen. It quickly becomes apparent that it's all just about

recruiting people and doing loyalty missions. And it's equally clear that these missions all centre around combat most of all, despite them having interesting variations between them.

It's just that I never felt that I was on a huge, unexpected trek though the stars. Despite that there were lots of surprises

(the assault on the Normandy where you play with joker, wow)

something just conspired against it. I may not be able to explain it well.

It's a small thing in any case. It's a beautiful game, I loved it. And since all these things I missed were in Mass Effect 1 already, I can just regard the thing as a whole and be fulfilled

[brkl]

The Reaper baby in the end was stupid, and more so than the ME1 ending, but come on, Saren corpse was also just a stupid pointless end boss for the sake of having an end boss.

The Reapers hang around outside the galaxy, the collectors lived in the centre. Quite a difference.

Good lord the inventory in ME1 sucked.

[eljay]

I found the inventory / item system in the first game to be its biggest flaw by far. You were constantly flooded with items, filling up to capacity after each mission, having to sell the stuff to the normandy quartermaster, and so being flooded with pretty much useless cash.

Each item had one or two makes that were worthwhile and the rest were garbage. Especially true of the omni-tools and biotic amps, anything but a Savant is utterly worthless.

The visual layout of the whole thing was also filled with unnecessary stuff like 3D models of the boxes that the equipment comes in (bizarre!). Comparisons were not helpful as you could only compare with the people in your party, even on the Normandy, and it pointlessly showed you comparisons for armour you could never wear (alien armour).

[Roderick]

I can't believe so many people here thought the human reaper sucked. I thought it was so thrilling! Such a great sci-fi concept! It was lovely, pulpy sci-fi horror

[Korax]

I can't believe so many people here thought the human reaper sucked. I thought it was so thrilling! Such a great sci-fi concept! It was lovely, pulpy sci-fi horror

I agree. I thought it was great. It also catered to the dark/inappropriate humor in me. Nothing like aborting a giant space-baby!

[brkl]

Not only any Reaper... A HUMAN REAPER!

Yeesh, it's way pulpier than anything in the game. Also, it doesn't make any kind of sense. It's just not consistent with the Reapers. What were they going to do with it? What's the use? They were supposed to wipe us out, not get all creepy stalky and make dolls that look like us.

[JonCole]

Not only any Reaper... A HUMAN REAPER!

Yeesh, it's way pulpier than anything in the game. Also, it doesn't make any kind of sense. It's just not consistent with the Reapers. What were they going to do with it? What's the use? They were supposed to wipe us out, not get all creepy stalky and make dolls that look like us.

I just thought it sorta tied in well with the idea that humans are unceremoniously taking over the galaxy, and the Reapers integrate powerful societies into their slave army, or whatever. The Protheans served as their foot soldiers, and the humans could be another powerful weapon in their arsenal.

[Murdoc]

The Reaper baby in the end was stupid, and more so than the ME1 ending, but come on, Saren corpse was also just a stupid pointless end boss for the sake of having an end boss.

The Reapers hang around outside the galaxy, the collectors lived in the centre. Quite a difference.

Good lord the inventory in ME1 sucked.

I didn't have a problem so much with the idea of reaper baby; which, yes, is just kind of dumb, but the design of it. As I mentioned I literally laughed out loud when I saw it. It was as goofy looking as the alien/human in that last aliens movie; the idea is fine, the design was dumb. It also looked like a terminator.

[miffy495]

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.

[Roderick]

I liked the lot

I loved the (surprisingly Babylon 5-esque!) notion that the Reapers are these gods that wait for civilizations to develop so that they can harvest them to produce their own progeny. It's the ciiiircle of life! Wasn't it said somewhere that the Reapers tried making a Prothean Reaper, but that it failed? So perhaps human genetic diversity was indeed the crucial thing.

I'm playing the remaining hidden sidemissions now, the ones you get fom scanning planets. They're so awesome! Although they often err on side of short and easy, it's lovely to see the developers straying from the core gameplay with these tiny little vignettes of experimentation.

Most notably running through the green mist in a maze and negotiating a crashed spaceship teetering on the edge of a ravine come to mind.

Delightful!

[elmuerte]

It's a annoying that the illusive man hijacks my game. Screw your missions, I'll do that when I feel like it.

[Gilgamesh]

I'm playing the remaining hidden sidemissions now, the ones you get fom scanning planets. They're so awesome! Although they often err on side of short and easy, it's lovely to see the developers straying from the core gameplay with these tiny little vignettes of experimentation.

Most notably running through the green mist in a maze and negotiating a crashed spaceship teetering on the edge of a ravine come to mind.

Delightful!

I agree. The only complaint I have about them is that there aren't enough. I wouldn't even have minded if they threw in a bunch of ME1-style copy paste worlds. I just want to play the game more! There aren't even any areas that you can go to at any time and just fight some guys.

[brkl]

Quantity doesn't trump quality. I got 36 hours of extremely high quality entertainment for my 32 pounds, and I'm very happy I didn't have to spend more of my time on a padded out title. 36 hours is perhaps too long, though apart from mining I can't think of anything I would have cut.

[Marek]

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.