I started playing it (ME2 CE), last night. So far, I think the graphics are pretty good and potential for the story is great. Conversations with Joker are pretty funny.
I have never played ME1 so I started a character (engineer) from scratch. For now, I think I'll stick to the default kep maps and hope I adapt (stop getting my add kicked)..
My roommate has been playing it on the Xbox 360 for 3 days straight, and it's pretty good. It's a huge step up from ME1 - a lot more fast paced than the original.
Contemplating downloading it on Steam. I've already downloaded over like 70GB's of data this month though, so I'll probably have to wait until the 1st if I want to play this.
I'm kind of disappointed with it. They took out alot of the stuff I liked from the first game.
They took alot of the RPG elements out, and the made the game feel much more linear.
There isn't really any looting in this game. You don't tend to find new weapons armor instead you just find money and blueprints (that you use for upgrades).
You "explore" planets now by scanning them and sending probes to get the resources. sometimes you detect an anomalies and that triggers a mission that allows you to go down to the planet, but once you finish the mission you can't return.
The open world bits seem to be much smaller than the previous game too.
As for the combat it is also not as fun as the first one. In stead of overheating there are thermal clips(ammo) and while there is a lot of ammo lying around you can't hold that much so instead of switch weapons to let your main one cool down, you switch weapons and hope to pick up random ammo when running around. There are also times when there is just no ammo and you end having to fight long range with a shoot gun. Switching weapons with the mouse wheel takes forever and is probably responsible for half of my deaths.
The other half of my deaths come from the cover system. I don't remember if sprint and cover were the same button in the first game, but in this game I often find my self running for cover but then because I got to close to a box my character automatically "takes cover" on a side of box facing the enemy, and while my character takes his sweet time getting out of this great place he found to "take cover" he is raped to death from behind. I also have not got to use the tank or ship in combat at all.
Last problem of the top of my head is the loyalty system, I figured it would be at least as complex as the loyalty system from NWN2 where you got loyalty be spending time and appealing to the charecter and you didn't know if they were loyal till the end of the game. But no
instead they get all mopey about something then then you talk to them and they are like here is a mission do it and i'll be your best friend then you do it and a little loyalty arrow apears around there head.
It still a fun game but I would only give it an 85 while the first one was a 95
[quote name='guyver2077']I am loving this game so far on the 360. I started to play it on PC but was dissapointed with the lack of native controller support.
Its a damn good looking game too.. (even on 360). What are the parts that people are saying it lacks polish?
nice site for saves.. which would be the best one to try?[/QUOTE]
[quote name='Megazell']
Software Spotlight
JoyToKey
This software is a keyboard emulator for joysticks.
It converts joystick input into keyboard input (and mouse input).
Use it when you want to control an application with joysticks that doesn't support joystick input. If you wish, you can control even Word, Excel, etc. with joysticks!
Megazell's Comment - Sometimes I take for granted all the little programs I dl and have installed to make PC gaming easier. This is such a program. I been using this one and variations of it for years. It helps a lot when you have games that should have gamepad support but don't. Must have for all PC gamers.
[quote name='guyver2077']What are the parts that people are saying it lacks polish?[/QUOTE]
Like all Bioware games, you might encounter some game breaking bugs, crashes, graphical glitches. The mini games aren't the funnest mini games, so that's where most of the "polish" criticism go.
I really liked the game, have played it trough once without the save, kinda to see how bioware planned it. Turned out that the choices they made are quite the opposite that i made in the first game so I'm really excited to get to play with my save.
My biggest issue with the game, not counting its made in UE3 so it doesnt have any AA, is that one button controls use, sprint & cover which I found to be a tad annoying at times. Mineral grinding isnt the most fun either and I got tired of the hacking parts rather fast.
But other then that I like it, its a lot less open to exploration then the first but I still like it.
[quote name='keithp']Do they still have the moon buggy?[/QUOTE]
Nope its not in the game, at least I thought so until i saw the gametrailers review and they said its on the ship BUT I played trough the game and there never was any moonbuggy driving so it might be for a dlc or something.
I hate how I can only choose to wear a helmet on the ship rather than on the fly. It looks ridiculous wearing a helmet when I am walking around a completely safe part of the map. But it is equally dumb when I am not wearing one in a battle when I have a really awesome looking piece of armor.
Also why the hell am I the only one wearing a helmet in my squad?
I love ME2 so far, but I hate the whole credit system.
Cerberus just spent the yearly GDP of a whole planet system reviving me, and around the same amount building a starship, and I didn't get any allowance so I have to hack every safe in every apartment I see for pocket change? They could have done away with that and focused on resources.
In addition, I really don't like the choice of Martin Sheen here. Too used to him from the west wing. It's like not getting used to captain Archer in Enterprise because you expect them to leap.
I hate that I need to have the disc in the drive for the retail version of the game. It's moronic. And annoying me, as a paying customer, that I have to go to *more* trouble than I would have if I had just chosen to pirate it. When are these companies going to quit punishing their customers?
Seriously, if I know where to pirate a copy of the game, I know where to get a NOCD crack for it. And if I bought the game, don't annoy me or make me go get a NOCD crack. If I'm going to do that, I might as well download the entire thing.
[quote name='torifile']I hate that I need to have the disc in the drive for the retail version of the game. It's moronic. And annoying me, as a paying customer, that I have to go to *more* trouble than I would have if I had just chosen to pirate it. When are these companies going to quit punishing their customers?
Seriously, if I know where to pirate a copy of the game, I know where to get a NOCD crack for it. And if I bought the game, don't annoy me or make me go get a NOCD crack. If I'm going to do that, I might as well download the entire thing.
Idiots.[/QUOTE] Seriously? You're THAT upset about it? You think you're being punished because you have to have a DVD in the drive? Before this whole SecuRom 5-machine activation limit came around that was completely normal. I'll agree that not having to do that is nice, but I honestly don't see a problem with it.
I suppose a lot of retail games are doing away with having to have a DVD in the drive though. However, you usually have to deal with activation limits or GFWL, both of which blow. So I'll take a DVD in the drive over games with that crap in it any day.
[quote name='DukeEdwardI'] Seriously? You're THAT upset about it? You think you're being punished because you have to have a DVD in the drive? Before this whole SecuRom 5-machine activation limit came around that was completely normal. I'll agree that not having to do that is nice, but I honestly don't see a problem with it.
I suppose a lot of retail games are doing away with having to have a DVD in the drive though. However, you usually have to deal with activation limits or GFWL, both of which blow. So I'll take a DVD in the drive over games with that crap in it any day.[/QUOTE]
No, it's not that big a deal, but I don't like being treated like I've done something wrong. Like most people, I install my software then pack it away. Off my desk. I don't have a use for physical media except to get the bits onto my computer. But I can't do that with ME2. I guess I got spoiled with Steam.
Eh, just get a nocd crack or if you want to keep it updated, rip an ISO and mount it with daemon tools. But yeah, it's shit like this that drives people to digital like Steam, which is a step in the wrong direction.
Huh. Color me surprised then. I thought a disc check was what we were used to and what we wanted back when they introduced that whole 5-machine activation nonsense (at least that's what I remember reading from outraged PC gamers back when it was first announced for Spore and ME1).
Granted, I've gotten used to Steam too and do sometimes find it inconvenient to dig out a disc, but it's not too big of a deal to me.
[quote name='DukeEdwardI']Huh. Color me surprised then. I thought a disc check was what we were used to and what we wanted back when they introduced that whole 5-machine activation nonsense (at least that's what I remember reading from outraged PC gamers back when it was first announced for Spore and ME1).
Granted, I've gotten used to Steam too and do sometimes find it inconvenient to dig out a disc, but it's not too big of a deal to me.[/QUOTE]
You're right, disk checks have always been around. With more titles using Steamworks, people are thinking that not having a CD in the drive is the norm.
I been playing this for a couple of days now and I must admit I like the first mass effect a lot better.
I for one, liked the more rpgish elements of the first game. In ME2 it seems more streamlined and they tried to make it more of a shooter. In my opinion that would be fine but they reduced or took out things that made me love the first one so much (drops,no ammo but a cooldown on weapons, lots of skills, the mako). It just seems like a more linear experience to me thrown on with a good story.
Other random complaints: The same button for run, cover, open doors, etc, slow as weapon switch times (is there any way to hotbar my weapons)?
Overall I think if I didn't like the story so much I wouldn't be playing this game because of how streamlined they made it.
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']I for one, liked the more rpgish elements of the first game.[/QUOTE]
Looks like you weren't the only one that noticed the missing elements. He praises the writing, but it's not like Bioware has ever been bad at that. I just hope this team stays far away from TOR, because I only care about the gameplay.
I'm a little annoyed by the running mechanic. Why can I only run in a straight line? It feels mechanical and unnatural. As far as controls go, I'm not sure I'm ever going to adjust to the switch of the shift and spacebar buttons for running and commands from ME1. I still find myself running into situations when I should be telling my squad what to do. It makes things kinda difficult.
I also heard that you can't hook up with Miranda if your Shepard is a woman. That's lame. I enjoyed my woman on sorta woman action with Liara in ME1. I guess I'm going without a romantic interest in this edition of the game. I have no desire to hook up with one of the guys.
[quote name='torifile']I also heard that you can't hook up with Miranda if your Shepard is a woman. That's lame. I enjoyed my woman on sorta woman action with Liara in ME1. I guess I'm going without a romantic interest in this edition of the game. I have no desire to hook up with one of the guys.[/QUOTE]
The yeoman and the asari are romance options for a female Shepard
Just finished it yesterday. Absolutely loved it. The story is top-notch. Sure they took out more of the rpg-ness of it, but it is fine. I like 3rd person shooters too. The lack of elevator loading or Mako exploring I think is great. I am not sure if I will be able to stand playing through the first one again after playing ME2.
The decisions are also harder to live with, which I liked.
I wish the 3rd game would come this fall. Fat chance, I know.
The one thing I wish they would implement on the 3rd game is a "previously on" sort of cinematic before you start that would remind you of the major events and decisions that were made during the previous game. Sort of like how TV series do it. It would be a helpful refresher given how these games are 1.5 to 2 years apart.
[quote name='torifile']No, it's not that big a deal, but I don't like being treated like I've done something wrong. Like most people, I install my software then pack it away. Off my desk. I don't have a use for physical media except to get the bits onto my computer. But I can't do that with ME2. I guess I got spoiled with Steam.[/QUOTE]
Do you really not understand that piracy is a big problem for PC Games? Do you complain about security cameras at Best Buy and metal detectors at ball games? Oh and please never step into an airport. I'm not comparing these two things, just saying you are generally treated like you've done something wrong - because it is necessary.
[quote name='Actionhank']Surely you appreciate a nice view when you see one, mega. RL or powered by Nvidia[/QUOTE]
Yea, what is wrong with that? It's not like you said you rush home every day with a dozen roses to go meet your lovely Miranda. Just that it is not bad on the eyes...
Thanks to the messup on the 360 for the DLC I was able to get all the extra content for my copy on the 360. Don't know why but I am thinking about getting ME and ME2 on the PC also. So I'm wondering if I could use the preorder code I got from Game Stop for the PC seeing how I never used it for the 360. All the other stuff would be nice but I found on the 360 I ended up using the gun from the CE and at times I would use the gun from the GS preorder. So does anyone know if the codes on the 360 will work on the PC if they were not already used on the 360?
[quote name='Actionhank']Surely you appreciate a nice view when you see one, mega. RL or powered by Nvidia[/QUOTE]
I prefer the real thing. I mean is the art work good, sure. But I've never getting hot over animation....though when SIN came out I was a little goo goo ga ga for a bit but I swear the lead Villainess looked like a lady I was a dating at the time...then we had an cosplay incident...well...RL wins
[quote name='DarkNessBear']Do you really not understand that piracy is a big problem for PC Games? Do you complain about security cameras at Best Buy and metal detectors at ball games? Oh and please never step into an airport. I'm not comparing these two things, just saying you are generally treated like you've done something wrong - because it is necessary.
[/QUOTE]
"Sorry Ma'am, you may be innocent but we have to bust you all upside the head equally...til we find the criminal in the mist."
*6 hours later*
"OK. Looks like we got a false lead...I don't understand why you put your hands over your head and stuff...made you all look more guilty...so we do apologize for your broken arms and such but hopefully you have some healthcare."
[quote name='sendme']Thanks to the messup on the 360 for the DLC I was able to get all the extra content for my copy on the 360. Don't know why but I am thinking about getting ME and ME2 on the PC also. So I'm wondering if I could use the preorder code I got from Game Stop for the PC seeing how I never used it for the 360. All the other stuff would be nice but I found on the 360 I ended up using the gun from the CE and at times I would use the gun from the GS preorder. So does anyone know if the codes on the 360 will work on the PC if they were not already used on the 360?[/QUOTE]
I'm not 100% sure on this, But I'll tell you what I know.
All codes you get from pre-order bonuses or whatever get input on the Bioware social website. Any code I put in from whatever source unlocked the content for both 360 and PC. This includes a Dragon Age Armor code from the 360 version of the game, to the code from the Collector's Edition, to stuff from the cerberus network.
Also, I found I enjoyed ME far more on the PC than on the 360. It was the little things I could do...alt+tab to a browser to double check what upgrades were available in a mission, to hacking the save files so I never had to grind for minerals.
Woah. We have a PC thread for this game, too?
[quote name='Jodou']Looks like you weren't the only one that noticed the missing elements. He praises the writing, but it's not like Bioware has ever been bad at that. I just hope this team stays far away from TOR, because I only care about the gameplay.[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't worry about that too much.
Completed this game tonight. I must admit I was addicted to this game. While I had my problems with it, it does have one heck of an epic story that kept me addicted till the end.
February 25, 2010 - BioWare has revealed the previously announced Firewalker Pack will be available late next month.
The pack contains the Hammerhead hover tank, which houses a guided missile system, and five all-new missions. This new content will again be free to all Cerberus Network members. Both the Cerberus Armor and M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun were made available earlier this month.
BioWarealso teased that an all-new new heavy weapon will be made available to all members "very soon."
I beat this the other night, was a good game, but I thought ME1 was better. Not being able to hide your helmet is lame and stupid, it didn't really feel like much of an rpg, and the loyalty system was kind of dumb. I was expecting it to be more like Dragon Age. Also, the lack of any real stuff to put up on the bioware social site was puzzling. DAO seemed to have a lot more polish and thought put behind it than ME2 did, thats for sure.
[quote name='kilm']No individual DLC nor Bioware points have every been on sale for the PC unfortunately as far as I know =/[/QUOTE]
Yeah, the best value when it comes to most RPGs is to just wait until the GotY/Ultimate edition comes out and just buy that when it goes on sale. You'll get the main game and all the DLC in one package and it'll be a lot cheaper even if you have to wait for a little while.
weapon switch times (is there any way to hotbar my weapons)?
