[Multi] Mass Effect 2

[GAmbrose]

The release date for this is scheduled for Q1 of 2010 and it's already sounding promising:

The second act of BioWare's epic sci-fi trilogy continues the story of Commander Shepard and humanity's first steps onto the galactic stage. The second chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy takes you to the darkest reaches of space, where you must uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of humans across many worlds. Prepare yourself for a suicide mission to save mankind. Travel the galaxy to assemble a team of soldiers and combat specialists, and launch an all-out assault on the heart of enemy territory

What appeals to me is the developers have stated that your character carries over from previous games, and any major decisions you've made in that game will be incorporated in to the storyline.

The implications of these systems become even more important because the choices players make while playing Mass Effect have been tracked, said Karpyshyn. That data will be incorporated when gamers play Mass Effect 2, already well into production at BioWare.

“All that data is stored in a way that we can grab it,” said Karypyshyn. “We can bring characters back, assuming they are still alive because you might have killed them off.”

Depending on a player's choices in the first game, explained Hudson, some civilizations in Mass Effect 2 may be different for each individual, “but I think the more important changes are the personal ones where maybe halfway through the next game you'll realize – on a very intimate and personal level – that a choice you made in the first game affected somebody in the second game.

It'll be quite cool to see how far they impliment this. For instance if in the first game you killed the Rachni queen or got Wrex killed, then this could have a large impact on the narrative of the sequel.

A concern for me is where my savegame is at though. I played through the game twice. The first time I was a goody two shoes and was always nice to people. The second time (with the same character) I was an evil bitch from hell and made all the opposite choices...nearly made level 60 as well. Now if I were playing the sequel I wouldn't really want to proceed from this narrative point, i'd rather go from the good choices I made and i'd imagine there are some with the same dilemma?

Teaser Trailer:
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Gary A

[rustybin]

I bought Mass Effect ages ago, played it for an hour, then decided it was too deep and not my type of thing.

Since then I've become addicted to Fallout 3.

Is it worth me revisiting this?

[Terribly_Mauled]

Mass Effect - my favourite game of the last 5 years, bar none.

If anything though, I think Fallout 3 is deeper! So definately worth revisiting this one.

[rustybin]

Mass Effect - my favourite game of the last 5 years, bar none.

If anything though, I think Fallout 3 is deeper! So definately worth revisiting this one.

Nice one - thanks

[CS]

Mass Effect - my favourite game of the last 5 years, bar none.


I second that emotion!

Love the first game, and so looking forward to the 2nd installment.

[GAmbrose]

Fallout 3 and Mass Effect do have quite a lot in common.

The combat in both is very repetitive, and not really much of a challenge once you are levelled up. However the storylines are intelligent and the world you play in is so alive and full of little naunces that you can't help but play on to see where it's going and uncover the new areas.

The main plot in both games takes you to the most interesting and diverse locations, whereas the sidequests mainly take you to places that all look very similar but they are still rewarding, both in terms of equipment and the backstory that you uncover by doing such quests.

Both are very good though, and i'm not someone who tends to like Role Playing Games.

Gary A

[Little_Dragon]

Can't wait for this, currently playing KOTOR through for the fourth time, and it's got me excited to play through Mass Effect for a fourth time too - and now I'll have to play through it a fifth time too so I can get my new character up to 60 :D

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

A concern for me is where my savegame is at though. I played through the game twice. The first time I was a goody two shoes and was always nice to people. The second time (with the same character) I was an evil bitch from hell and made all the opposite choices...nearly made level 60 as well. Now if I were playing the sequel I wouldn't really want to proceed from this narrative point, i'd rather go from the good choices I made and i'd imagine there are some with the same dilemma?

Exact same dilemma for me.

[Jimmyboy]

Only started playing Mass Effect last night, gone 6am by the time I stopped.
I enjoy these story based games even if they do make you feel like an errand boy, ME is a bit dodgy though coz it can feel a bit broken when you're playing it. Hopefully they'll sort it all out for ME2.

[Terribly_Mauled]

A Hard Drive install does sort many issues with the game, such as loading and texture pop up

[vili]

A Hard Drive install does sort many issues with the game, such as loading and texture pop up

Or it can slow down the game a lot, as it does with my system. Music disappears every now and then, and every time the game saves everything freezes for what feels like a minute. Not a problem for me since I finished the game before the ability to install on the hard drive came up, but I just thought I'd mention this.

I'm really hoping that they make the side quests more interesting in ME2. Even if it's one of my favourites for Xbox 360 (together with the excellent Fallout 3), ME failed terribly with the planet exploration part of the game. They should just have copied the system Star Control II used for planet exploration. It was fun, action-filled and worked perfectly.

Another thing that they should steal from Star Control II is space battles. I want to take SSV Normandy for a spin against a few Geth ships!

I haven't heard them planning that, though. But what they have said a few times is that the combat system will be updated. Which is good, for as GAmbrose mentioned the combat is not very interesting or challenging in ME. Apparently, they are trying to boost the "FPS" side of their "FPS RPG". I'm just hoping that the "RPG" side won't suffer as a result!

[GAmbrose]

Another new trailer

<div class="gametrailers_embed_container>"<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=49799"/><param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=49799" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 480px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/10875.html" title="Mass Effect 2">Mass Effect 2</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player/49799.html" title="E3 09: Exclusive Teaser">E3 09: Exclusive Teaser</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/xb360/index.html" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/ps3/index.html" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/platformlist/wii/index.html" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div>

Gary A

[cold187]

looks great cant wait!!

[dancleary1]

I bought Mass Effect ages ago, played it for an hour, then decided it was too deep and not my type of thing.

Since then I've become addicted to Fallout 3.

Is it worth me revisiting this?

Exactly the same for me. I got a bit overawed when at the first city. Will have to get back in to it.

[Professor Abronsius]

I bought Mass Effect ages ago, played it for an hour, then decided it was too deep and not my type of thing.

Since then I've become addicted to Fallout 3.

Is it worth me revisiting this?

I played it for a few days, and although initially enjoying it, i got bored of it.

Think i will give it another whirl before the second one comes out.

Have also been playing Fallout 3 recently. :D

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Mass Effect is worth sticking with. The huge opening section on the Citadel can be tough going, but after that I found it far more enjoyable. If you're not loving it after that then it's probably not for you.

[rustybin]

Have also been playing Fallout 3 recently. :D

Took me 72 hours to finish Fallout 3 (inc all achievements and DLC) spread over 22 days.

I could have learned a foreign language in that length of time.

Mass Effect being delivered tomorrow / Tues - will blitz it all week.

[fivebyfive]

there is a video of one of the new characters: subject zero. It looks like someone thought "hmm, I like what they did with the Prince in POP: Warrior within" :brickwall

[Dno]

A concern for me is where my savegame is at though. I played through the game twice. The first time I was a goody two shoes and was always nice to people. The second time (with the same character) I was an evil bitch from hell and made all the opposite choices...nearly made level 60 as well. Now if I were playing the sequel I wouldn't really want to proceed from this narrative point, i'd rather go from the good choices I made and i'd imagine there are some with the same dilemma?


I've recently finished the game for the second time, and like you played the evil SOAB.. It was fun, but the character I want to continue with is from my first completion where I basically played me.

I've overwritten most of my saves though in the process.. I'm half tempted to try some kind of speed run to get my character back to a more pleasant person.

[cedge]

I thought that its been confirmed that you can't carry on as a character and have to start from scratch :shrug:

[Dno]

If that's the case, it's not a problem. For some reason, I interpreted it as you pick up exactly where you left off.

[vili]

As far as I know, you can continue with your character, just your stats won't carry over. In other words, many of the choices that you made in the previous game will affect what happens in ME2.

[Dno]

As far as I know, you can continue with your character, just your stats won't carry over. In other words, many of the choices that you made in the previous game will affect what happens in ME2.

That in part still brings me back to my original problem. Through playing the *******, I lost characters that I didn't first time round.

[DuncanSWardle]

As far as I know, you can continue with your character, just your stats won't carry over. In other words, many of the choices that you made in the previous game will affect what happens in ME2.

Really, oh :(

Thought the GamesTM preview seemed to suggest various ways in which the new game could be played, from starting from scratch to taking over your character (with all decisions, stats and problems)

[vili]

As far as I understand (and I may well not understand at all), ME2 differs from the first game in terms of what sort of stats and equipment it has available, so it would be difficult to map those things directly. I suppose some things probably carry over in one form or another, like your Paragon/Renegade status, and I remember reading that your ME2 character will start out slightly differently depending on what level and so on your character in ME1 was, but even then as far as I understand (see above) you are still pretty much starting over.

I could be wrong though, as I often am.

[rustybin]

Release date brought forward to Jan 29th. My amazon preorder is still saying 25th Feb.

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/103/1035830p1.html

Almost makes up for Dead Rising 2 being bumped. I re-bought Mass Effect 1 on ebay this week on the cheap - plan on playing it through again as a ****.

[Terribly_Mauled]

Voice Cast announced

Michael Hogan :clap:

from Eurogamer
BioWare has revealed that a colourful and storied collection of veteran sci-fi actors have joined the voice cast for Mass Effect 2.

In Mass Effect 2, Commander Shepard gets caught up with the shady Cerberus organisation as he tries to work out why human colonies are disappearing. We already knew that Cerberus would be headed up by the Illusive Man, played by President Bartlett from the West Wing (occasionally also known as Martin Sheen), and now we know one of his top operatives, named Miranda Lawson, is played by Yvonne Strahovski from TV series Chuck.

Strahovski's character has been "genetically engineered for superior mental and physical traits", apparently. Strahovski's not the only Chuck alum, either. Adam Baldwin also makes the transition, taking on the role of Kal 'Reegar and proving that you really, really can't stop the signal.

Elsewhere Michael Dorn - yes, Worf! - joins up as Gatatog Uvenk; Tricia Helfer will be hoping to improve on her limp outing in Halo 3: ODST by playing the voice of the new Normandy, EDI; Saul Tigh aka Michael Hogan from Battlestar Galactica is Captain Bailey; Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Saddam) is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay; and Carrie-Anne Moss from The Matrix is Aria T'Loak, the crime lord who rules the planet Omega. Good to see her getting work.

Plus of course Seth Green will reprise his role as Joker, and Keith David is back as Admiral Anderson. Oddly there's no mention of the two people you can expect to hear most often, but IMDB confirms that, obviously, Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale return to voice the male and female versions of Commander Shepard respectively. (Mind you, IMDB also reckons Aria T'Loak is played by Jessica Anne Bogart, so what do they know?)

BioWare's Dr. Ray Muzyka said the cast would contribute to the game's "emotionally engaging narrative". "Credible, powerful personalities are vital to delivering a compelling story experience in BioWare's games, and we have assembled an amazing ensemble cast that surpasses the very high bar set in the original Mass Effect!" he added.

[Wooglie]

This reminds me I must get round to completing the original :brickwall

[Deano]

Wish I could change my character from the first game to a girl- I was too far in by the time I discovered how much better the female Shepherd voice acting was, and they're not re-casting them for this one.

I know I could play through again but then I'd do stuff differently and would still want to take the first Shepherd through.

[fivebyfive]

edit already posted, sorry didn't see it

Yvonne Strahovski is doing the v/o of one of the characters :luv:


+ adam baldwin + Michael hogan and others signed up as well

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bioware-details-mass-effect-2-voice-cast

[fivebyfive]

the achievement list

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/game/mass-effect-2/achievements/

decent list

[cjb110]

Is it only Game with the collectors ed?

On my 3rd playthrough at the mo, but not sure which I'd want to start me2 with...

[JohnMac]

Just completed Mass Effect for the first time and I'm really looking forwad to playing Mass Effect 2 and revisiting the first game as well.

I believe that if you import a character from the first Mass Effect you still have the ability to choose a different class for that character. I don't think you literally start where you left off; it will probably be more like your choices carry over and some rewards for reaching a certain level with that character.

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Bringing a character over from Mass Effect 1 still allows you to choose a new appearance and character class. The only thing that carries over are the story points you chose.

[nsb]

So if you don't have a save game, do you just answer a list of preset questions like you did in KOTOR 2?

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Not sure - from what I've gathered, there is some kind of beginning that brings you up to speed with events so far. My guess is that they have a basic pre-set story that anyone not using a save game would use.

[swanny]

Can't wait for this. Played the first one to death on release. My lesbian, blue alien shagging Shepherd is ready for more exotic adventures :)

[Jimmyboy]

Bringing a character over from Mass Effect 1 still allows you to choose a new appearance and character class. The only thing that carries over are the story points you chose.

That will be good if true. I chose a female character and it became apparent after watching other people with the male character that the voice talent wasn't as comical with the many sarcastic one liners. They might get it right with the chick this time around though.

Only thing putting me off is this stuff about how you can play it like a 3rd person shooter if you wish. Normally blending the genres don't work out to well and I don't really want a GOW clone.

[fivebyfive]

How ME2 will work without ME1 save
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/how-me2-will-work-without-me1-save

[cjb110]

More on the effect of your ME1 gameplay:

Decisions confirmed to have an impact on the game include:

The decision to save either Kaidan or Ashley.
Whether or not the player kills Wrex on Virmire.
Whether or not the player decides to save the Citadel Council at the end of Mass Effect.
The player's choice of love interest.
Whether the player spares or destroys the Rachni Queen at Peak 15.
The player's treatment of Conrad Verner.
Whether or not the player completed the UNC: Asari Diplomacy sidequest.
Whether the player chose to allow the Alliance to conduct experiments on Nirali Bhatia's body.
Due to massive gameplay redesign, your level will not transfer over to Mass Effect 2 and you will start out with basic abilities. However, the game will acknowledge if you were a level 60 character and if you were a Renegade or Paragon and adapt it in ways that map across to the new system. Also, the physical appearance and class of imported characters can be changed at the start of the game, if desired.

If a player has no Mass Effect save files, Mass Effect 2 will start with an introduction sequence which, in combination with interactive decisions made by the player, introduces new players to the storyline and establishes a “canon” backstory.

from the masseffect.wikia (http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Mass_Effect_2)

[GAmbrose]

And i'm guessing not all the Paragon decisions were necessarily the best way to go.

e.g. Experiments on Nirali.

[cjb110]

yea, the release or killing of the rachni could go either way too. They'll either help in the fight against the similarly insect like collective or they'll be on the same side.

They keep saying save files, but I think it means character profiles, as do you even get a save after picking the human council member?

[GordonJ]

On the pc version you can see the save file directory has normal save files "char name_save type", and also complete game saves, eg. one of mine is titled "Char_01-50-2-1-0-5-3-2009-31-24.MassEffectSave" which would be my first soldier playthrough.

I have two other completes in there with the same format, but different string of numbers, they all start Char_01-char level then a string of numbers which must mean something to someone :)

[Dno]

This thread's a little quiet... :suspect:

I've just stumbled across this on Amazon (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=8&url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001RIYMIU/thedvdforums-21) where the 360 version is up for pre-order at £29.99.

[JohnMac]

yea, the release or killing of the rachni could go either way too. They'll either help in the fight against the similarly insect like collective or they'll be on the same side.

They keep saying save files, but I think it means character profiles, as do you even get a save after picking the human council member?
Mass Effect does an automatic save before you pick who will sit on the Council or if you let the Council die it is a slightly different decision.

This automatic save (on the 360) is a hidden file and can't be deleted directly. This is the basis for your existing ID when you start a new game. So I don't think you need the normal save game files but if you delete your Mass Effect folder it will probably get rid of those hidden game completion saves as well.

[Dno]

Any word on what happens if you've played through twice? My second play through was trying all the things I chose not to do first time round, so it's my first play through I want to continue on.

[GordonJ]

On the pc there are separate completion saves, I have one for my engineer and adept, and three for my soldier, so I assume the game will give you the choice of which to use (as ME1 does when you new game+)

Just whizzed through as my soldier to get a level 60 completion save (annoyingly the previous completion was at level 59 so I did a quick 8 hour playthrough).

I can safely say I'm now done with Mass Effect 1 (although I never got the AI hacking or stasis achievement) :)

[vili]

In case you are interested, Dark Horse Comics has posted the first seven pages of the Mass Effect: Redemption comic book that is published today as lead-up to the second game. It starts here (http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/Previews/16-421?page=0).

By the way, did anyone (else) here read the two Mass Effect books (Mass Effect: Revelation and Mass Effect: Ascension)?

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

I read ME: Revelation, but haven't been able to find Ascension anywhere yet. It was pretty good and quite interesting for me since I read quite a while before ME1 was available so ended up having to imagine lots of things.

Is the collector's edition available from anywhere other than Game, where it's currently priced at near enough £60?

[Terribly_Mauled]

Gamestation have a listing for it too, but thats it. Nuts to it, I'll pay up. I wants it.

[CS]

Any word on what happens if you've played through twice? My second play through was trying all the things I chose not to do first time round, so it's my first play through I want to continue on.

When selecting a new game, it shows you the level & characters you finished it on. For example, I have 3 - a level 26 Soldier (paragon), a level 47 soldier (bad ass) and a level 58 soldier (bad ass) - these were continuations of the same character :) Im playing through again to get the Level 60 achievement, then I'll play again on Insanity level (not done it yet!) just to round it off ;)

[Wooglie]

Managed to finish 1 yesterday, brilliant ending, but I decided to let the council die. Wonder what affect that will have on 2?
If I load a game and save the council I guess I'll get the option to choose which one for 2.

[swanny]

First review in OXM scores a 9.5

http://www.vg247.com/2010/01/10/oxm-gives-mass-effect-2-9-510/#more-73409

[vili]

First review in OXM scores a 9.5

Hm. They gave the original Mass Effect 10/10 (http://www.oxmonline.com/article/reviews/editors-choice-gallery/mass-effect?page=0%2C4). Should we be worried?

Of course, it being the official Xbox Magazine and all that, I think we are just better off ignoring everything that they say. ;)

[rustybin]

2 weeks to go.

Here's a good look at the soldier class. Looking very impressive: -

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[MC Rubber Chicken]

this might have been covered on here already but im part way in playthrough 3 with a soldier class and havent gotten to the parts when you decided on death or save characters.. so when i import over to me2 how will it know whos died? and can i change me class? or does it let you select upto the end of a play through Ie the end of play through 1 when i had the good ending or play through 2 where i had the not so good ending

[DuncanSWardle]

scores 10/10 in GamesTM

Imagine review will be on NowGamer shortly

[Terribly_Mauled]

Soundtrack is up to buy on iTunes (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=55&url=http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mass-effect-2/id347714861) if anyone is interested.

Its very very good, more orchestral leaning than the first game's mix of Vangelis synth and orchestra though. Not to say the electronics arent in there....

[jagox]

thanks for the heads up, downloading now :thumbs:

[Terribly_Mauled]

Had a couple of lsitens now. Its pretty epic stuff towards the end of the game it seems.

Also rather annoyed as everywhere has sold out of pre sales of the Collectors Edition - and I expected to walk in and just grab a copy as I have done for every other limited edition ever released. Maybe I will!

[nsb]

360 version has been leaked, so people will start to receive their copies "early" now.

[CS]

Leaked from shops? Ive mine preordered with Amazon on the free delivery - anyone know if they deliver the day the games released?

[Anthony.S]

I think nsb was being ironic ;)

Pirated game released, can't speak about it so 'Oh my copy arrived a WEEK early' :n0rty:

[Damage Inc]

So do I need to complete the first game to appreciate this game?

[jagox]

to appreciate it? I'd say no :) from what I've seen this is going to be a far superior game to the first one and I'm sure they have a "catch up" covered to get you up to speed with the events of the first game :)

[rustybin]

If this is anything like Dragon Age in space, I'm going to be a very excited man next Friday.

[Jimmyboy]

Its about time they got the game out to the impartial reviewers though. I can't shake the feeling they're sitting on a 7.5/10 game and relying on hype and official 360 mags for the extra 2.5.

[nsb]

What's giving you that feeling?

[DuncanSWardle]

Its about time they got the game out to the impartial reviewers though. I can't shake the feeling they're sitting on a 7.5/10 game and relying on hype and official 360 mags for the extra 2.5.

GamesTM which often seems to say how I feel about many of its games gave it 10 out of 10

The review really does hint that it is Mass Effect TWO and despite it being a middle part of a trilogy it seems as if they really want it to be approached on its own with many of the actions and decisions you make in the first game not really making a HUGE difference and many of which just touched on in a small way

Seems that "something" happens in the title sequance that will make those imported characters not very important at all - also seems that character class is no longer a huge issue

[jagox]

Launch trailer is out:

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EPIC! :D

[rustybin]

Was that President Bartlett's voice!!!???

Hell yes it is http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000640/

[jagox]

Edit: ninja'd :)

[MC Rubber Chicken]

what are play.com like with getting games to you for launch day?

[fivebyfive]

rubbish from past experience (Not sure if still the case but Amazon is cheaper by £10)

[Ghost Dog]

what are play.com like with getting games to you for launch day?

Well my Bayonetta pre-order came on the Thursday before release and that was in the week with a lot of snow.

[DuncanSWardle]

Only ever tend to use Play and 9 times out of ten its with me by the Thursday

[Terribly_Mauled]

Was that President Bartlett's voice!!!???

Hell yes it is http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000640/

Voice cast in this game is AMAZING

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1540125/

Number 6! Colonel Tigh! Worf! Trinity!

[paulsaz]

yeah whatever, Bartlett clearly out ranks any of them :)

that's a great trailer. what do you reckon the chances of the retail pc version recognising a steam save game are?

[fivebyfive]

it has the likeness and voice of Yvonne Strahovski :luv: = win

[Terribly_Mauled]

it has the likeness and voice of Yvonne Strahovski :luv: = win

And you can virtually get in her undies

[jagox]

does that count as a spoiler? he pretty much does it in the trailer... :lol:

[Terribly_Mauled]

Yes I know, but from tv forum experience some people go bugnuts as they dont even watch trailers. I mean, how would you know if you want to watch something??? ;)

[Tom Whitaker]

Yeah, how would you know you want to play the sequel to a game you liked and that's getting 10/10 review scores?

[mr starface]

Didnt realise this was out next friday!

Searching around looks like I have missed all the good pre-order deals, anyone know where this can be ordered cheapes to arrive on day of release?

[swanny]

First UK online review due 1am:

http://www.nowgamer.com/news/2338/uk-exclusive-mass-effect-2-review-tonight

[Idle Child]

I can't shake the feeling they're sitting on a 7.5/10 game
I have a rather different expectation. I think a 7.5 would be the score if one was being harsh about the original game; but I see the sequel surpassing that by some margin.. Apparently we're to expect improved frame rates, reduced texture pop-in, improved FPS controls, majority of issues from the previous game addressed (like elevator loads and sparse planetary exploration), all with keeping their cinematic presentation and of course the continuation their epic story. Even if ME2 turns out to be ME1 all over again, but with no tecnhical issues whatsoever I think it'd be worthy of a scoreline greater than a 7.5. Factor the rest of the promised improvements and you've surely got to have an instant win as far as RPG games are concerned.

Although Bioware would claim that ME2 is the new benchmark, if you look at their track record (http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/106/1062619p1.html), they're a dev team that can certainly be trusted to deliver on the majority of their statements. It's not in their nature to make bold, unfounded claims and disappoint their demanding fanbase. About the only thing I can think of that they did not deliver (depending on one's point of view of course) on was Jade Empire (which received a lukewarm reception) and in regards to Mass Effect, the planetary exploration missions were talked up to be expansive and interactive environments but instead were rather drab in comparrison to the main gameplay.

Anyway.. been listening to several podcasts and 2 things I'd like to mention:

1. Apparently if you have a save game file from ME1, upon loading into ME2 the game will give you a summary of your key decisions before you decide to continue - handy if you've forgotten the choices you made.
2. Following on from that, at the beginning you have interaction with a character who will ask you what you've done and you can choose to tell the truth or lie about your history.
3. There's a fishtank in your quarters. Possibly you might have to collect fish?

ME PODCASTS (spoiler free)
http://kotaku.com/5453177/biowares-greg-zeschuk-has-a-massive-effect-on-kotaku-talk-radio
http://www.giantbomb.com/podcast/?podcast_id=138

[swanny]

Review now live

http://xbox-360.nowgamer.com/reviews/xbox-360/8967/mass-effect-2


Final Verdict

Mass Effect 2 displays some inconsequential flaws during its third act, granted, but in all other ways what we have here is a piece of entertainment that penetrates the line between gaming and cinema like no other, while simultaneously representing the finest blend of shooting and role-playing we’ve seen this generation. A gorgeous experience and a staggering achievement. 9.8/10


IGN Review up too:


Closing Comments
Games like Mass Effect 2 don't come around often enough. Look at any aspect and you can be sure it's great. It's incredibly personal while still retaining a sense of epic sweeping scale. The combat and mission design are outstanding. The visuals, voice acting, soundtrack, and direction are miles ahead of the competition. Perhaps most impressively, Mass Effect 2 manages to fulfill its incredible ambition while only suffering from very few technical hiccups. The only real caveat I should mention is that some of the revelations and plot twists won't be quite as powerful if you haven't played Mass Effect 1, but that isn't any reason to skip this fantastic videogame. 9.6/10

[Paul Raines]

Those reviews sound so good.

I'm on my third play through of Mass Effect, now I've got a level 60 soldier to import.

[rustybin]

This can't come fast enough. And I've got half-term in 3 weeks so I can play it the way it's supposed to be played.....all day.

[GordonJ]

I can safely say I'm now done with Mass Effect 1 (although I never got the AI hacking or stasis achievement) :)

Actually, maybe I need a paragon Femshepard to go along with my renegade :)

[rustybin]

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/106/1063107p1.html

Disk swapping explained here....doesn't seem too intrusive.

[vili]

If my memory serves me well, the Amiga version of 'Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis' came on 11 disks, and there was quite a bit of swapping to be done throughout the game. (Totally worth it, though!)

I guess what I'm saying is that for those of us who grew up with C64 loading screens and Amiga disk swapping, Mass Effect's brief elevator rides and the now apparent two disk swaps don't really sound too terrible. ;)

[Jimmyboy]

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/106/1063107p1.html

Disk swapping explained here....doesn't seem too intrusive.

Surely if you whack both discs on the HD you won't need to swap?

[KRW]

Surely if you whack both discs on the HD you won't need to swap?

I bet you'll have to swap as the HD copy will need a disc version to 'read' before allowing access to itself as any other game does :(

[nsb]

Not too bothered really. I just don't want it to be a technical mess like the first game, which thankfully it doesn't look it will be with it's silky smoothness.

Playing through the first game again right now in preparation and I can believe how badly the game performs and the amount of bugs it has.

[Jimmyboy]

I bet you'll have to swap as the HD copy will need a disc version to 'read' before allowing access to itself as any other game does :(

Fallout 3 only requires the main disc if you install the DLC from disc, same with Liberty City Stories disc, so I'm guessing it is possible to do if they want to.

[cjb110]

anybody got emails about the 360 ce being delayed by a week?
was going to pick it up fri but its no longer on game.co.uk. :(
reading around it sounds like a euro problem.

[Terribly_Mauled]

Not heard about it being delayed, heard about it being completely sold out for preorders online and in all stores.

[IndianaJones00]

anybody got emails about the 360 ce being delayed by a week?
was going to pick it up fri but its no longer on game.co.uk. :(
reading around it sounds like a euro problem.

Has been gone from Games website for afew weeks now, I just assumed this ment that they had sold out.

[IndianaJones00]

Fallout 3 only requires the main disc if you install the DLC from disc, same with Liberty City Stories disc, so I'm guessing it is possible to do if they want to.

That content is actually intergrated into the game though, unless there is a similar feature (I doubt it) just installing the discs to the HDD wont remove the need for you to put in the 2nd disc when required.

[RichB]

Unless people are just gonna keep their game disc in the xbox day in, day out, after every session they'll be taking the disc out and putting it back in on a daily basis so the disc swap thing is a non issue

[Terribly_Mauled]

Has been gone from Games website for afew weeks now, I just assumed this ment that they had sold out.

Asking a friend who works in Game I'm told there may be spare copies arriving this week, and if not there will be some later on after launch. I'll prob buy a standard and trade in as I REALLY want that case :dork:

[mr_woo]

Nabbed this from rllmuk, goodness only how long it will remain so grab quickly!

Pre Order Bonus DLC is now up to download. (for free, be quick)

1.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0004-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
2.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0006-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
3.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0007-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
4.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0008-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
5.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0009-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
6.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf000a-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
7.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf000b-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
8.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf000c-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
9.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf000e-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)

No.9 contains a mission spoiler.

It's the Normandy Crash Site DLC.

[nsb]

Nice one, got them queued up , hopefully they will still be there when I turn my 360 on when I get home tonight.

Also, what are the chances of receiving this Wednesday from ShopTo? :suspect:

[jagox]

wow good find mate, thanks :notworthy

[Batfin]

many thanks downloading now :)

[vili]

An excellent find, mr_woo! Thanks aplenty!

[Germinator]

Ive grabbed this but according to an edited post on xbox.com "Using a glitch period is a violation of the Terms of Service." Hope we dont get our accounts banned.

[Germinator]

Links now gone, glad I was quick.

[cedge]

Thanks

[Anthony.S]

Ive grabbed this but according to an edited post on xbox.com "Using a glitch period is a violation of the Terms of Service." Hope we dont get our accounts banned.

This could be the free launch day DLC so no time limit if so. Still available BTW.

[jagox]

Apparently it's supposed to be exclusive DLC to certain pre-orders, for example the Terminus armour is exclusive to Play.com pre-orders

Edit: ISTR the Launch day DLC is supposed to be only available through the Cerberus Network?

[Sheepking]

Grabbed them all now. Thanks. :thumbs:

[GAmbrose]

I managed to get 4 of 8.

I didn't bother going to the last page because i've managed to avoid most spoilers thus far. Not even going to read that IGN review.

[TonyG]

With all the recent screw-ups regarding the Dragon Age updates/dlc screwing with your game-saves, I wouldn't take the risk with that DLC .... well, until someone else is brave enough to give them a go & report if it works.

[GAmbrose]

This is just weapons and armour though, not actual storyline content.

[Dno]

I just realised that as well.. It's really not worth the effort personally.

[Anthony.S]

9 Is storyline content hence the spoiler.

[vast_girth]

Just got paid so put my preorder in on play. Bring on friday (or hopefully and more likely thursday!)

Wish i didn't have the in-laws coming to stay this weekend...

[rainman999]

i downloaded all 9 but not with my main xbox live profile... will that matter when i start the game with my proper profile?

[captaineyecatch]

10/10 review at Eurogamer....

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/mass-effect-2-review

Sounds great cant wait.

[vili]

10/10 review at Eurogamer....

That (and a few other reviews) actually lifts Mass Effect 2 back up to reclaim the second place in Metacritic's list of best reviewed Xbox 360 games (http://www.metacritic.com/games/xbox360/scores/) -- a place ME2 lost a couple of days ago.

The metascore now stands at 97, which is only one less than GTA4's 98. Not bad!

[TonyG]

Sounds very impressive, especially all the links to the first game. However, it's been so long since I played the first game, I can't remember anything I did.... :|

[jagox]

if you import your save from ME1 the game will start with a conversation detailing what decisions you made in the first game as a reminder.

[TonyG]

Thankfully I don't recall getting to shag any of the ladies from the first game, so that should leave a conscious-free path to bang that new (Sarah from Chuck) Babe. :D

[jagox]

I just realised that I screwed up the romance in the playthrough I'm doing now so no sex for Shepard this time. Think I'll send Ashley to die this time too, she's way to whiney and judgemental ;)

[nsb]

C’mon ShopTo, you know you want to despatch this to me today

[GAmbrose]

The Hut have sent mine, yay.

I'm in Germany at the weekend though.

[ShakeyJake]

Am I going to like this if I couldn't get into the first one? I'm probably just getting carried away with the hype.

[TonyG]

C’mon ShopTo, you know you want to despatch this to me today

Just received my Order receipt, so it looks like your wish is coming true! :)

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Am I going to like this if I couldn't get into the first one? I'm probably just getting carried away with the hype.

Probably not, but it depends what in particular you didn't like about the first one. ME2 seems to have the same level of dialogue and exploration, but the combat and interface has been seriously ramped up.

[ShakeyJake]

Probably not, but it depends what in particular you didn't like about the first one. ME2 seems to have the same level of dialogue and exploration, but the combat and interface has been seriously ramped up.

I didn't really get very far into the first one, I just remember being on some dark planet shooting aliens but with odd controls. I probably could have given it a bit more of a chance.

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Yeah, if you were still on the first planet then it certainly deserves a bit more of a chance that you gave it! :) the most appealing aspect to me was how immersive and fully realised the game world is once you really start exploring and getting into the story.

[Jimmyboy]

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uICaY2T1vUE&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uICaY2T1vUE&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

[nsb]

How spoilerific?

[Jimmyboy]

How spoilerific?

Dunno, I played it while viewing another browser as to not see spoilers and just listen to the review.

[HarryTipper]

Anywhere still selling the Collector's Edition for 360?

[JohnMac]

Just received my Order receipt, so it looks like your wish is coming true! :)
Only just received the e-mail but being new to ShopTo it turns out that my order is processed after the silver and gold ShopTo customers. Interesting, but not exactly a great way to encourage new customers to sign up. I might consider returning to Gameplay.

[Terribly_Mauled]

Anywhere still selling the Collector's Edition for 360?

Not in advance. Turn up at 9am at Game, Gamestation, or Gameplay. You might get lucky

[TonyG]

Only just received the e-mail but being new to ShopTo it turns out that my order is processed after the silver and gold ShopTo customers. Interesting, but not exactly a great way to encourage new customers to sign up. I might consider returning to Gameplay.

Yes, only just read about this new feature on their website. Brilliant idea IMO, and i'm not bias at all, despite discovering I have GOLD status with them. :D

[Predictable Fish]

Must admit this is the most excited i've been about a new release in a long time, still not quite enough to get me to pre-order but will definitely buy in next few weeks.
Have decided I have to play through mass effect 1 for a third time just to remind myself of what was going on...hoping price of the second will be lower by the time i've finished ;)

[GordonJ]

Only just received the e-mail but being new to ShopTo it turns out that my order is processed after the silver and gold ShopTo customers. Interesting, but not exactly a great way to encourage new customers to sign up. I might consider returning to Gameplay.

Wow, I've only just seen this, still no sign of my order being processed, but I'm removed the rest of the pre-orders I have there.

"Buy lots of stuff from us or we'll treat you like a third class citizen". They can **** right off.

[RobDickinson]

Sound to me like they looked at all of the difficult broken stuff from ME1 and said hell lets just ditch it and make a shooter.

ME1 was broke (for me just didnt work). I'd have prefered a step back to KOTOR or prehaps Dragon Age than ME2 : Future combat.

[JohnMac]

Sound to me like they looked at all of the difficult broken stuff from ME1 and said hell lets just ditch it and make a shooter.
This is a concern I had after watching the character class videos because of how streamlined the skills upgrading screen now looks. But I also think that almost, if not all character classes bring something unique that will encourage repeat plays. Having said that I think you can learn skills from individual team members as the game progresses, something that wasn't in the first Mass Effect and is seen in other RPGs.

The other thing I wasn't that pleased about was no more loot but after reading the Eurogamer review I've completely changed my opinion on what they have done. You don't pick up weapons or ammo types but there are schematics and money to find which will help you build and pay for weapons/upgrades. So there will still be a strong incentive to explore locations to find all that. But it eliminates what did become a chore of sorting through all your ammo types and weapons deciding what to sell and what to keep. Omni-gel now being used as part of the Unity power.

As for the Mako, I quite liked it. Yes it got very repetitive if you were trying to complete the majority of the game 3 times :nuts: but a lot of the time the Mako missions were optional. Removing it completely from the game seems like an over-reaction to the feedback - removing the cliffs and replacing them with rolling hills + making each planet more distinctive would have done the job. It's replacement vehicle will be back in the DLC.

[TonyG]

Being a Gold ShopTo member certainly pays off. My copy arrived here at the office, 15 minutes ago! :)

.... a shame i'm stuck here all day .... Waaaaaaaaaaaah! :|

[ShakeyJake]

Are any supermarkets going to be doing this cheap?

Being a Gold ShopTo member certainly pays off. My copy arrived here at the office, 15 minutes ago! :)

.... a shame i'm stuck here all day .... Waaaaaaaaaaaah! :|

crikey you need to order 50 games a year to be a gold member :eek:

[vsehijpal]

Bah, last time I order from Argos and take the cheapest deal over release day delivery!

Been told estimated delivery is now 4th February

[JohnMac]

Being a Gold ShopTo member certainly pays off. My copy arrived here at the office, 15 minutes ago! :)

.... a shame i'm stuck here all day .... Waaaaaaaaaaaah! :|
All credit to anybody who has purchased more than 50 games (or items) from ShopTo in the last 12 months. If I had done that and was receiving preferential treatment I would obviously be very pleased with the way my loyalty was being rewarded by the company. But since I only started using ShopTo during the postal strike my 'bronze' membership might as well read 'brown' membership.

Looking forward to reading some first impressions later Tony.

[TonyG]

I've been fortunate that I order games for my work colleagues via my account + plenty of DS games for my Mum..... I'm not that Insane when it comes to software purchases! :)

Should hopefully make a start on the game from 7:30pm onwards & will report back here later...

[Damage Inc]

Being a Gold ShopTo member certainly pays off. My copy arrived here at the office, 15 minutes ago! :)

.... a shame i'm stuck here all day .... Waaaaaaaaaaaah! :|

Gold shopto member? How do you become one of those?

Edit: Bizarre, 20 mins after posting this I get an email in my inbox saying I am now a gold member. Apparently I bought 50 or more products off them in the last 12 months :gag:

[MC Rubber Chicken]

mine was shipped from play.com yesterday... Friday here i come!!!!

[jagox]

Gold shopto member? How do you become one of those?

Purchase 50 products from shopto in 12 months

[Damage Inc]

You beat me to my edit above ;)

[Saber]

Ordered it, need to complete Dragon Age first though....and Fallout 3....

[GordonJ]

Wow, I've only just seen this, still no sign of my order being processed, but I'm removed the rest of the pre-orders I have there.


Cancelled the order when I posted this, ordered from Gameplay (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=51) at the same time, and the game has been posted already. I can safely say I won't be using Shopto (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=429) for pre-orders ever again.

[JohnMac]

Should hopefully make a start on the game from 7:30pm onwards & will report back here later...
That gives you plenty of time to read the manual (the manual for the first game was informative) and decide on your chracter class which is a harder decision this time I think.

Of the three character classes I played in the first game: Soldier, Engineer and Adept I enjoyed playing as the Egineer the most which was the exact opposite to what I was expecting.

The problem with the soldier is that in the heat of battle you can only switch between 2 weapons quickly if the first game is anything to go by, making your other two weapons useless. The soldier is probably the ideal choice for FPS fans though. The Infiltrator's cloaking ability/sniper rifle is a good combination and allows for more of a stealthy tactical game but I suspect it might be tough in the middle of a firefight and you can't heal when cloaked so maybe it is a class that is worth checking out on a second or third playthrough.

The Sentinel strikes me as the most well rounded character in terms of having both tech and biotic powers and would be an ideal choice for a first playthrough, also because they have the best armour. The Vanguard's charge ability looks very impressive when used before blasting an enemy with the shotgun, but you kind of have to play that way if you pick that character class so you'll know if you want to get up close and impersonal. I enjoyed playing as the Egineer the most in the first game (although it was my second playthrough and I chose to be trained with a sniper rifle as well) and even with some powers removed the Engineer still looks like a good tactical challenge with the combat drone and hacking abilities.

Edit: Forgot to mention the Adept character class. The most notable new feature is the ability to aim biotic powers so that they can hit enemies behind cover and the Adept class also has access to singularity. Whether the Adept is under or over-powered will all depend on biotic recharge times and how tough they are (or aren't).

Decisions, decisions...

[TonyG]

Not looking forward to the class selection as I can never decide what to pick. Sentinel does sound tasty though.

Thanks for reminding me about the manual, it shall accidentally find its way into my back pocket as I go for my exxxxtended toilet-break. :D

[fivebyfive]

checked my amazon order and its still sitting there with estimated delivery date of Tuesday 2nd of feb :oh-hum: cancelled it now and will get it friday

[vast_girth]

Play only posted mine today. Hopefully it will be here tommorrow.

If anyone is interested you can download a mass effect 1 save from here.

http://www.masseffectsaves.com

There is pretty much any outcome you want on there so very useful if like me you don't have your mass effect 1 save any more..

[TonyG]

Amazon's pre-order price was great but never had a good experience with them with regard to getting the game to you quickly on launch.

Just had a quick go of this so far. Seemed to take forever to copy both disks to the hard-drive, then enter the code to activate the Cerebus Network to get the DLC. Two pieces of free DLC available for me, one an extra mission, and the other, a new character to play with. Combined size is over 500Mb & their servers must be taking a hammering as it's taking forever to d/l.

I had only played through the first game once, so only had one save-game to chose, a level 42 Soldier. I eventually stuck with the Soldier class & was awarded lots of extra cash/experience/materials due to using an experienced saved character.

Once I eventually got to the game, it starts literally with a BANG, all very dramatic and after an hour or so of cinematics (most of which I was staring at Miranda's Boobs ... i'm in Love! :D ) & a very linear mission that teaches you the basics, I'm now paused, ready to get into the action proper.

First impression of the action, is it feels much smoother, slicker & almost as good as a proper, well-made FPS. The cut-down RPG Class Powers/upgrades is a little disappointing at first, but it cuts down on the decision-making & keeps you in the game more.

The two mini-games for hacking/bypassing locks are extremely basic & not very exciting. Very early days however, I just heard the sound telling me that the DLC is now finally d/loaded ... time to get back. :)

[fivebyfive]

how does the blood armour from Dragon's age work? does it recognise the DA DLC or you have to enter the code from the DA box?

[GordonJ]

Only just received the e-mail but being new to ShopTo it turns out that my order is processed after the silver and gold ShopTo customers. Interesting, but not exactly a great way to encourage new customers to sign up. I might consider returning to Gameplay.

Well, that didn't last long, they're removed those lines from each membership and replaced them with:

Membership level will not effect when your pre-orders are processed. All pre-orders will continue to be processed in the order that they were placed and our Release Date or Compensate scheme applies equally to all levels.

Normal ME2 service is now reserved :)

[sharp_circle]

Well colour me disappointed.

Don't get me wrong the story is great (so far) and the graphics/sound are both astounding but jesus christ it's so linear!!! I quite like linear games but this is too much. I now have 5 of the characters and it's same old same old for each one, very disappointing. I'll play it through but man it's annoying.

[TonyG]

how does the blood armour from Dragon's age work? does it recognise the DA DLC or you have to enter the code from the DA box?
Oh, I forgot about that. There's no option to redeem a code other than for the Cerberus Network. I never entered the code using DA, I might try that tomorrow.

Regarding the linear gameplay, the second mission was completely linear like the first. There's no need to explore the corners of the maps either so far as the amount of explorable pickups is very slim. Hopefully that improves.

Once you get your new ship & open up the Galaxy map, the amount of missions available is impressive.

[rustybin]

Just got my Amazon shipping confirmation. Should get it tomorrow with Prime.

They've charged me £32.99 - I'm presuming they refund me the £3 since it dropped to £29.99 whilst I had it on order.

Very excited about this - and finished Dragon Age last night too.

[JohnMac]

how does the blood armour from Dragon's age work? does it recognise the DA DLC or you have to enter the code from the DA box?
It must recognise the DLC and give you access to download the Mass Effect 2 version. This is what the description has to say on the download screen:

"Created for Earth's Urban Combat Championship league, it bears the logo of the Edmonton Blood Dragons. The inside of the armor bears the signature of the entire team.
Power Damage +15%
Shield Strength +10%"

[vast_girth]

Well colour me disappointed.

Don't get me wrong the story is great (so far) and the graphics/sound are both astounding but jesus christ it's so linear!!! I quite like linear games but this is too much. I now have 5 of the characters and it's same old same old for each one, very disappointing. I'll play it through but man it's annoying.


Im guessing its going to stick to the familiar Bioware template, linear beginning, then splitting into 3 seperate areas you can tackle in any order, then back to linear again for the ending...

[JohnMac]

"You've received the following bonuses for importing a Level 50 character into Mass Effect 2:

+2000 experience (start at level 3)
+30000 Credits
+5000 Element Zero
+5000 Iridium
+5000 Palladium
+190 Paragon
+4 Renegade

You've received 100000 bonus credits for importing a rich Mass Effect 1 character"

[Wooglie]

Just got my Amazon shipping as well.

[jagox]

so importing my lvl 60 character with 99999999999999999 credits will net me some good booty then :)

[TonyG]

The planet scanning was cool for all of two minutes, but now is horribly tedious. :|

I'd rather have the buggy-driving/exploring back.

The combat aspect of the game still remains the best element & is vastly superior to the original. Still not sure about the dumbed-down RPG element though.

[JohnMac]

I've played the start of Mass Effect 2 and it is very good but I have mixed feelings about what I've played. In truth, most of that is because it takes time to get used to the changes made to something so familiar to me, even to things that are improvements or might seem trivial.

The first thing I noticed is how smooth the movement is compared to the first game and how fast you can rotate the camera around. That isn't to say the framerate doesn't dip now and then. The graphics are much improved but there is still a slight issue with the way shadows fall on characters' faces sometimes. I think work has obviously gone into the sound in Mass Effect 2 because voices you hear now sound more like they are being physically spoken in the spaces where the characters are.

So far the game has been mostly linear but there have been a few side rooms with money or other resources to find, wall safes and data pads. I like the way you get a breakdown of your mission when it is completed with a summary of everything you've done and received.

They replaced the hacking/decryption minigames with something a bit more involving than simply pressing the buttons that appear on screen. But it isn't that much of an improvement to be honest.

I didn't really like the map function from the original game and once I figured out how to access the map (quickly pressing either the left or right stick buttons) it was actually useful to locate potential contacts.

Not done much space travelling yet but the system map view looks better with your ship now moving between the vavious points of interest in a solar system. I've only made a very short journey so I don't know if you use fuel or not. I've mostly been touring the ship and seeing everything I can and talking to anybody I find...and yes I got busted by EDI for going in the wrong bathroom. :D

So I've got this far with my first impressions and I haven't mentioned the combat. It is very good and works just as well as the videos make it look. I'm playing as an Engineer since I enjoyed that role in Mass Effect 1. Not used my drone much yet but overload, freezing enemies and shooting is working well so far.

Mass Effect 2 is the second game in the trilogy and since I imported one of my completed characters (the Paragon one) I was bound to run into people I had already met in the first game. So I want to give you an example of one of these meetings that isn't one of the main characters from either this or the first game. I'll put it in spoilers but it was just somebody from one of the side mission/Assignments from the first game so not much of a spoiler really.
I met Helena Blake who was the lady who hired me on the Citadel in the first game. She wanted me to kill these warlords so she could take over the operation. I had killed them but then encouraged her to turn away from crime in Mass Effect 1. Obviously if I had killed her in the first game I wouldn't be able to run into her and see the results of what I had done.

I'm going to miss the Mako a lot and no Equipment screen option at all when you press the start button. :(

[alsemail]

They seem to have removed a large part of the RPG element from the game. No inventory, no ability to customise your weapons, just upgrade in a linear style.

Enjoying the gameplay but the scanning of planets to find resources is already becoming tedious.
Runnig about the ship to have the same dull conversations with crew also getting annoying.

Overall I like it, but can't help but feel a little dissapointed with the direction it's taken.

[Terribly_Mauled]

Game.co.uk has the 360 Limited Edition (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=50&url=http://www.game.co.uk//Xbox360/Action/Adventure/~r344878/Mass-Effect-2-Collectors-Edition/) instock if anyone wants one. My inside man tells me stores have yet to recieve stock of it, so dont go to grab your preorder before about 10am!

[MC Rubber Chicken]

anyone else got there's from play.com ??? where is my code for my armor? or am i missing something?

[TonyG]

Just over 10hrs into it now. It remains highly addictive despite the little niggles. I highly recommend you get the planetary scan upgrade ASAP to help speed up the boredom of planet-scanning. The graphics during the combat missions are excellent. Plenty of variety so far & someone's been watching the recent Star Trek movie as this is full of lens-flare overkill.

Still a long way to go, but I think it's safe to say this will be finding a spot on my 2010 Top Ten. The story, dialogue & characters are as strong as ever, totally blows away the recent Dragon Age, which I found dull, predictable & generic in comparison.

[JohnMac]

The ship has only travelled the short distance to Omega so far. But I enjoyed exploring the place and doing a couple of missions. I hope I wasn't supposed to talk to my crew between those two missions...

How is everyone getting on with their new character class choice? The combat drone is working well for the engineer because I can use it to target one enemy while shooting another and it is ideal when you are pinned down or need to slow the advance of the enemy. Haven't unlocked the incinerate or AI Hack abilities yet but freezing enemies and shooting them, shattering them into pieces won't get old anytime soon. Only thing I miss about my engineer playthrough of Mass Effect 1 was that because I played through first as a Soldier I was already trained with a sniper rifle.

[KRW]

What's the big deal with the collectors edition? Does it contain something more useful than the usual fluff? (not bothered about the special armour?)

[Jimmyboy]

Not really, couple of books with pictures in and a 3rd disc containing making of stuff which I've never understood the point of.

[TonyG]

I'm talking to the crew inbetween each main mission, more so for the Normandy upgrade ideas they provide to be researched.... Obviously I run straight to Miranda's room, to get in her knickers, but getting nowhere so far, probably doing better with the ship's Psychiatrist in that department. :D

I'm happy with my Soldier choice, leaving my team-mates to do all the cool Biotic stuff, tossing the bad-guys around as I attempt to headshot them to grave.

[JohnMac]

She's got a big bed in there so that can only bode well for the future. Plus I think she has stolen the entire ship's supply of pillows.

[lentini]

Anyone know how much the supermarkets are doing this for?

[TonyG]

HMV are doing it for £34.99 in store.

[Alto]

Thinking about getting this and just finished Assassins Creed 2. Anyone know what the tradein is likely to be for this game, or would I be better off swapping it for something on teh forums instead?

[Wooglie]

My copy from Amazon arrived this morning :clap: not bad for super saver delivery.
Just hoping my bonus armour arrives before I get home from work.

[TonyG]

£37.71 in Asda. Combine it with the £5 off £50 voucher found in the newspapers, get your weekly shopping added & it's yours for £32.71

[JohnMac]

I scanned every planet in the first star cluster last night. Can't see me ever wanting to do this again on multiple playthroughs... :eek: Hope the scanning upgrade makes it quicker.

[TonyG]

How do I get the upgrade to appear, who do I need to talk to? I scanned every planet in the first star cluster last night. Can't see me ever wanting to do this again on multiple playthroughs... :eek:
I'm sure it was Miranda. Once I'd got the professor into the Tech Lab, it unlocked a "NORMANDY UPGRADE" path when chatting with her.

[vast_girth]

Played for a few hours last night (just finished talking to everyone on the Normandy for the first time), so my views may change but heres what i think so far.

The good:
Much improved combat
Improved graphics
Story and acting seem to be as good as before

The bad
No Inventory (not sure eactly how upgrading of amour and weapons will pan out yet, but don't like it much so far).
Dumbed down skills and character development.
Both new mini games are rubbish


The orriginal mass effect was a bit light on the character development aspects but they seem to have moved in entirely the wrong direction with this one:?:

Still enjoying the game though...

[rainman999]

My copy from Amazon arrived this morning :clap: not bad for super saver delivery.
Just hoping my bonus armour arrives before I get home from work.

I just got a mail this morning saying mine is on the way. Very annoying when i have had it preordered ages ago. Lesson Learnt. :mad::mad:

[CS]

My copy from Amazon is waiting at home for me!! Waiting for the email now with the preorder codes for the armour

[rustybin]

My Amazon Prime delivery was posted by RMSD yesterday.

When I checked this morning it was showing as out for delivery.

When I checked 2 mins ago, it was showing as "Sorry, there has been a problem with the reference number you've entered. Please try again."

So either the Postie has read the kind note I taped to the doorbell asking him to post it through the letterbox without a signature, or he's robbed it.

Fingers crossed.

[Sheepking]

My Amazon Prime delivery was posted by RMSD yesterday.

When I checked this morning it was showing as out for delivery.

When I checked 2 mins ago, it was showing as "Sorry, there has been a problem with the reference number you've entered. Please try again."

So either the Postie has read the kind note I taped to the doorbell asking him to post it through the letterbox without a signature, or he's robbed it.

Fingers crossed.

Tracking is down mate. I've just checked as im waiting on a special delivery item.

[Francis]

Any idea how Game are sending the collector's edition?

Got a despatch email 8am Wednesday, no show as yet. Could be the random postal service in this area though.

[rustybin]

Tracking is down mate. I've just checked as im waiting on a special delivery item.

Ah...that'll probably be it.

If the postie won't post it without a sig, hopefully the work-shy students next door will be in and will take it for me. Failing that, it's an early morning drive to the sorting office tomorrow.

[jagox]

Picked mine up from HMV for £35 (thanks Tony), now just got to wait for 16:30 to roll around :)

The dude in HMV told me they are offering trade in on it of £30 for the first 2 weeks of release - what sort of price are they selling it used if they give £30 trade in? :thinking:

[JohnMac]

I'm sure it was Miranda. Once I'd got the professor into the Tech Lab, it unlocked a "NORMANDY UPGRADE" path when chatting with her.
Thanks it was her. The upgrade doesn't speed up movement scanning speed that much. I tend to release the left trigger and it moves the scanner location faster and quickly rescan at short invervals. Then hold the left trigger to narrow down any big readings.

I've not read the manual but I think the mineral detection probability indicator (or whatever it is really called) at the top right of the screen is useful. I think it refers to the highest individual amount of mineral you can find on the planet at that time. So if there is only one strong mineral deposit left it will still read as Rich or Good but as soon as it has been collected it will probably drop right down to Poor to indicate the next strongest deposit you could find.

[Alto]

Got it from Asda in the end (£33 after using the £5 off voucher). Looking forward to getting home from work to try it out.

[Saber]

I played through some of Mass Effect 1 but my pc died so I never completed it. I noticed in the trailers for ME2 that none of the crew from the first one seem in ME2.

Did they all die? What happened to the Normandy?

[Drysolder]

I played through some of Mass Effect 1 but my pc died so I never completed it. I noticed in the trailers for ME2 that none of the crew from the first one seem in ME2.

Did they all die? What happened to the Normandy?

The Normandy MK1 is attacked in the opening moments of ME2 and crash lands on a planet, which is part of the free DLC. The majority of the Normandy 1 crew is killed.

[fivebyfive]

got it from hmv, surprised they are selling it for £35 (had some old games to trade in anyway)

really loving the game, the faces of the characters are very much improved although there is some dodgy lighting in a cutscene on omega so far

[Germinator]

Anyone know the instore price at GAME, never got a chance to find out today. Have some vouchers I need to use for GAME.

[cjb110]

39.99 for 360

26.99 i think for pc


no 360 CE edition:(

[Germinator]

39.99 for 360

26.99 i think for pc


no 360 CE edition:(

Thanks was expecting it to be £45+. Ive £45 vouchers to use so will pick it up and AC2.

[Germinator]

is it only certain versions of ME2 that have a code for Cerberus Network access. Ive noticed its on XBL Marketplace for 1200points.

[Terribly_Mauled]

Thats for anyone that ends up with a 2nd hand copy in the future. At the moment all copies have the code, and it runs out in a year.

[Jimmyboy]

Thats for anyone that ends up with a 2nd hand copy in the future. At the moment all copies have the code, and it runs out in a year.

Just gone to play it and its a ******* joke that you need an exclusive code to play DLC. Have we gone back to the days of wheel codes? It basically destroys the 2nd hand market as far as I can tell.

[Germinator]

Thats for anyone that ends up with a 2nd hand copy in the future. At the moment all copies have the code, and it runs out in a year.

sorry for being a pest but is the code on a seperate card or is it on the manual like MW2. :thumbs:

[rustybin]

sorry for being a pest but is the code on a seperate card or is it on the manual like MW2. :thumbs:

Separate card (slip of paper) in the box

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/7175/dsc00254k.th.jpg (http://img692.imageshack.us/i/dsc00254k.jpg/)

[Germinator]

Separate card (slip of paper) in the box

thanks :thumbs:

[rustybin]

Played this for about 90 mins this evening and absolutely loving it. So far it's delivered across the board. And I love the Dragon Age Armor - a really nice touch.

[Goooner1]

Just gone to play it and its a ******* joke that you need an exclusive code to play DLC. Have we gone back to the days of wheel codes? It basically destroys the 2nd hand market as far as I can tell.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it destroys the 2nd hand market, more like encourages people to buy new. If you but it second hand you can still get the DLC off the marketplace.

[Jimmyboy]

I wouldn't go so far as to say it destroys the 2nd hand market, more like encourages people to buy new. If you but it second hand you can still get the DLC off the marketplace.

Yeah if you pay 1200MS points, which is a joke considering you're paying a Gold subscription for the DLC hosting anyway. Its an ever expanding wedge, we go from paying an isp to play online, then paying for a gold service on top, then paying for DLC which most of the time should have been in the original game, now we're going to be charged a fee just to qualify to be able to download the DLC.

I mean what happens if (when) you get RROD or something else goes wrong and all your games BS DLC qualification codes are registered to the console?

Surprised it hasn't caused more of a stink tbh.

[rustybin]

Anything you purchase on marketplace is tied to your gamertag, not your xbox.

[Chivalry]

where is the code that unlocks the inferno armour? i had mine on order from amazon but have no code anywhere? im sure it said my copy camr with inferno armour...

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Been playing for a few hours, it's great. A big improvement on the original, which I already loved. The combat feels much better, and like you are actually doing some damage. Whoever said it was linear earlier, are you playing a different game? After the introductory mission, you are pretty much given free reign to do things as you want in any order.

Also, the game is very funny. Toilets onboard your ship. I found both of Drew Karpyshyn's real Mass Effect books in a store on the Citadel (almost thought for a moment that the full text would be included when you bought them!), and found a space hamster. Bought some fish for my quarters. Saw a really good advert for Hamlet performed by elcors :)

"I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite store on the Citadel!"

[TonyG]

Shepard whoring his voiceover to all the stores was definitely worth a chuckle or two.

Regarding the linear complaints, it's more to do with each individual mission rather than the non-linear overall storyline, which you can proceed through in a number of different routes. Each mission i've played so far has been very basic with how you proceed, with only the occasional room to explore for money/equipment. Hopefully they get more complex, the further you proceed.

[fivebyfive]

the DLC tactic is EA's tactic to make people go for new copies for the game on what every gaming platform. I can see how is ***** tactic for them to take content and then make you dlc for free if you buy the game new but then its good way for publishers to sell new copies of the game

Its still better than some companies taking content and selling back to the gamer like Ubisoft and square-enix

[sirp]

Each mission i've played so far has been very basic with how you proceed, with only the occasional room to explore for money/equipment. Hopefully they get more complex, the further you proceed.

they don't, its a real rinse and repeat experience. Just finished it, can't be bothered with side missions as it was grating me. What started off fun soon turned into a bore.

It was also one of the easiest 'normal' gaming level experiences ive played in a long time. I think i died twice in the entire game.

[Chivalry]

they don't, its a real rinse and repeat experience. Just finished it, can't be bothered with side missions as it was grating me. What started off fun soon turned into a bore.

It was also one of the easiest 'normal' gaming level experiences ive played in a long time. I think i died twice in the entire game.


twice??? noob,, LTP,, :nuts: lol just kidding :lol:

[sirp]

yeah, and those two occasions were when i didnt know what the hell i was doing :D

[Wooglie]

Email from Amazon:
From your e-mail, I understand that you have still not received your "Mass Effect 2" code for in-game suit of Inferno Armour.
We are currently aware of this issue and are waiting for further information. As soon as we have this information, we will update you accordingly. Please expect a further update by next 2 business days.
Oh and I'm enjoying it so far, just added the professor to my team and the secretary is flirting with me.

[JohnMac]

Liking Mass Effect 2 more and more and on the last mission I was on (Horizon) although it was still very linear there were plenty of opportunities to explore and find things. I've also moved from the not sure about some of the changes position to feeling right at home with Mass Effect 2. But the team building with everything starting to fall into place is also helping with that. There have been quite a few people from the first game appear already making reference to my decisions on the missions they were involved with...

[Jimmyboy]

Finally managed to create a chick I'm happy to look at! That took about an hour and a half coz I kept playing the first chapter and then deciding to change the characters look all over again.

[Germinator]

Im going for the default shephard. he looks badass. the female i created in ME1 was such an ugly looking dog.

[AKPiggott]

Can you import your character from the first game? Bugger, I regret deleting my save now.

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

I hate the default Sheperd appearance. I don't know how Bioware managed it, but they made their hero look like a complete moron with crossed eyes.

[staffyman]

My Armour code from Amazon arrived today, but the game still hasn't as there was a problem with my card when they tried to ship it initially. It shipped the next day so I'm hoping the postie will bring it this morning. Can't wait to get on with it.

[jagox]

Imported my lvl 60 soldier from ME1 and got boosted to level 5 along with getting a ton of money and resources. Picked Vanguard this time and loving the charge move - especially when combined with the cryo ammo. I like that when you max out a skill you can evolve it into one of two ways, I picked Heavy charge so when I hit someone I get a few seconds of bullet time to recover myself before blasting someone with a shotty :D

[ShakeyJake]

What prices are the other supermarkets doing this for?

[brianone1]

i picked it up in Sainsburys (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=439) for £37.99 last night.

[swanny]

Got the Amazon preorder code today even though I cancelled my preorder. :)

[rustybin]

Got the Amazon preorder code today even though I cancelled my preorder. :)

I've not received mine, and I pre-ordered in June 2009. And they've charged me the price it was in June and not the lower price it fell too to in January this year.

Amazon, although the best online retailer, can be crafty gits.

[JohnMac]

I've enjoyed some of the N7 (uncharted world) assignments I've found so far and they weren't exactly what I expected.

For example, In one you land on the wreckage of massive crashed ship hanging off the edge of a cliff and you need to navigate your way along what remains of the hull. It is very linear in the way you complete the mission and there are resouces to find along the way. But it was the atmosphere and sound of the ship falling apart and the scale of the wreckage that made it an interesting change of pace for the game.

By comparison, in the original Mass Effect this would have just been finding/boarding a ship in space (that looked exactly like all the other ships you board) or another uncharted world assignment. So although I miss the Mako they have put some variety into the optional side missions.

As for the missions being linear I think a lot of the freedom the first game gave you was down to the ability to free roam on uncharted worlds. If you think back to the likes of Eden Prime, Feros, Noveria, Virmire and Ilos they were mostly linear as well, breaking it up with some Mako driving along a narrow path.

Yes there was the big area of the Citadel to explore in the first game and while there are similar areas like that in Mass Effect 2 it is obvious that their design took account of feedback about spending time in lifts. It is a compromise, but think of the alternative - I think on balance it is a change for the better.

Before I went to bed last night, OK early this morning, I was half way through a mission that added a new gameplay dynamic into the mix. On this particular mission whenever you are in sunlight the sun burns you depleting your shields. So throughout the mission as well as fighting the enemy you are trying to move between areas of shade by running across the sunlit areas.

[Germinator]

picked my copy up today. loving it so far. i imported my level 60 badass shepherd.

[TonyG]

Ooooo, I see a possible way to get into Miranda's knickers! :D

Hopefully when I save her twin sister, we have a threesome, her bed sure is big enough. ;)

[rustybin]

Nabbed this from rllmuk, goodness only how long it will remain so grab quickly!

Pre Order Bonus DLC is now up to download. (for free, be quick)

1.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0004-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
2.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0006-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
3.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0007-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
4.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0008-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
5.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf0009-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
6.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf000a-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
7.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf000b-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
8.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf000c-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)
9.
http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/of...00-0000454108ce (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-us/games/offers/0ccf000e-0000-4000-8000-0000454108ce)

No.9 contains a mission spoiler.

It's the Normandy Crash Site DLC.

Thought I'd bump this as everything here seems to have worked perfectly in my game. It seems to still be up for DL so would appear not to be dodgy.

[Tom Whitaker]

They're not - try to grab them and you get "This item is not available for purchase from Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web."

Which ties nicely into... I've never played Mass Effect, never really played a game of this kind either, but given the reviews I feel I have to play ME2 and I've got a promo copy from EA, who I deal with at work (I can post a photo if anyone wants me to prove I'm not playing a downloaded copy :D), so I have the game but no code (promo copies never come with manuals, codes, etc).

As my first exposure to this kind of game, I don't really feel like playing the first game as I know that had some aspects that irritated players which have been fixed this time around. Is that a bad idea? And will it matter that I don't have the DLC? Are the above links pre-order bonuses, or are they the DLC you get from the one-use code in retail copies of the game?

And will the game tell me what I need to know as a standalone experience? What about all these choices you lot made in the last game - does it just have certain default settings to go with if there's no save found?

[rustybin]

Ah - I must have got lucky then. They must have stopped it after I'd DLed them all!

I'll probably have a spare Inferno Code I won't need then if someone else wants it?

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

It's a double-edged sword, Tom. The game will fill you in on the vital details you missed, but you will feel a detachment from the game world which you will have picked up from playing the first game. It's a very rich and detailed universe, you learn about it bit-by-bit in the first game. All the information is there in the 2nd game in the form of codex entries (like an in-game encyclopedia) which you filled out in ME1, but it would be an enormous info drop to take them all in at once. ME2 also references both minor and major story points the first game heavily (for me, so far) and that could end up being confusing.

Of course, you may not much care about that aspect of the game in which case ME2 will be perfectly enjoyable by itself.

If you start it and really get confused I'd be happy to try and give a quick rundown the various races and plot points. I've got so into these games that I've read the tie-in novels too :) (and found a small delight in hearing some of the events of those books referenced in the games!)

[Jimmyboy]

As for the DLC I'm playing mine without entering the code anyway. No point ruining the re-sell value just for a bit of armour.

[Tom Whitaker]

Hehe, thanks LHG. Particularly double-edged for me because, to be honest, this kind of game, both in style and setting, is usually enough to make me run a mile, but I'm trying to expand my gaming horizons, and from what I've read if any game is going to do that for me, it's this one. Can't hurt to give it a few hours' play and make a more informed decision but, as a dedicated cut-scene skipper (which I'll try not to do here), I can't imagine myself having the patience to read all the text in the game.

Jimmy/rusty - thanks :)

[brianone1]

Tom - did you play/enjoy Fable 2?

Fable 2 was the 1st RPG that I played and enjoyed (and was one of the most engaging games I'd ever played), I played ME1 directly afterwards and it felt like a very natural progression. Almost like Fable 2 but in a setting that I prefer (sci-fi/deep space/Firefly esque).

Of course, the game mechanics are nothing like Fable 2 but the environment/history/back story is every bit as rich.

Do yourself a favour and don't skip the cut scenes, try to treat it as much as an interactive movie as possible. I reckon you'll get much more from it like that.

I think it's probably possible to go through just the core story of the 1st one in about 10-15 hours (maybe less) if you skip out all the exploration and side missions. Obviously, they add a lot to the setting and environment but if you just wanted a good grounding in the ME universe and a platform to get the most from the sequel, you could easily skip them out.


As a disclaimer, I'm totally biased - I loved the first game. I loved it so much that I've just played through it again twice in the last 10 days to level up my character. :doh: I've bought the books but not read them yet.

Hope you give it a try. If you do decide to go back to the first one, stick with it until you get your ship. I felt that the first one dragged a little until then after which, it totally opened up as a universe.

Let us know how you get on...

[Jimmyboy]

Is anyone playing with the Inferno Suit? Does it make a difference and can you waer it straight away or do you have to earn it somehow in game?

[fivebyfive]

really enjoying the game, the only negative thing I've found is the lack of armour and weapons you could pick up the 1st game.

The Blood Dragon Armour looks really good in-game. I think you really have to play the 1st game to appreciate the 2nd game as you meet characters from the 1st game and changes with your actions from the 1st game.

I do think if you hate cutscenes and reading text you will hate this game as its very much a story driven game and loses so much if you can't be arsed to watch the cs

[Tom Whitaker]

Cheers all. If I do play it, I'll play it properly or not at all, which is part of why I asked this question at all - do I need to play ME first to do this justice? Sounds like maybe I do, but that now sounds like a rather daunting task - play two huge games that, to be honest, I don't have much interest in playing.

I didn't play Fable 2 - I don't think I've ever played a proper RPG (Zelda is about as close as I've got!) so I don't remember if I've ever actually played one that put me off, they've just never appealed. Will be fun to find out :)

[brianone1]

I know what you mean - I never play(ed) RPGs before Fable 2 but my brother kept telling me how good Fable was until he finally wore me down (and I'm glad he did).

In return, I kept nagging him until he gave ME a try and he loved it. (Sort of a nice 'full circle' thing there!)

You definitely don't HAVE to play the first game but my worry is that if people play the 2nd and decide they want more in the same universe, they'll go to the first game and the main story lines, twists and plots will already have happened in their mind and won't have the same impact as it may have had if they played the 1st game...errr...1st :-)

Feel free to ignore me, I'm clearly a fanatic who isn't entirely impartial!

[Tom Whitaker]

Thanks mate. Maybe I should start from the beginning then.

[KRW]

Thanks mate. Maybe I should start from the beginning then.

I would, I'm working my way through ME1 at the moment, but think ME2 is going to be a lot better for the effort. I found it had quite a steep learning curve but once you get it, you get it and it becomes a lot easier and its an awful lot of fun.

[Jimmyboy]

I'm confused about the Paragon/Renegade paths - In Mass Effect 1 you would swing towards one or the other depending on your choices, but in Mass Effect 2 it appears you can build up both sides simultaneously coz I don't think you lose Paragon points for being a Renegade and vice versa.

Anyone else notice that?