I don't own an HDTV and there is no option for SDTV fonts, so I really can't play it - a lot of reading in the game, and the fonts are almost completely unreadable. What I've seen of it is awesome, and I'm really sorry that I don't get to play it, but great game though it might be, I'm not throwing away a perfectly good TV just to play it.
First of all I haven't played the first Mass Effect and wasn't that excited about the second but read great reviews and gave it a chance and I am sure glad I did. This was probably the most enjoyable game for the 360 I've played in a while. For some reason the sci-fi role playing game just didn't hook me with the premise but I was all over this thing after just a few minutes.
I thought the game play was great with the action of a traditional shooter and was actually a nice change of pace over the turn style role playing game that so many are (and I enjoy many of those). The story is great and engaging and really has me desiring playing the first chapter as well as the third. And my favorite part was that it is a long game by today's standards not the hot new shooter title that gives you a bunch of fun for 5-10 hours before it ends and is mainly geared towards online play--if that is your thing great but many of the online games have the same frag fest feel to me.
I'm not going to tell you how to spend $60 on your video games but I can tell you that I am very happy that I spent that on this title and will spend again as soon as the sequel is released.
This game was exactly as advertised and exactly as expected. One of the few sequels that meet the hype. Also, one of the few games that I will bother to play through more than once.
This is a great game, imo. It is very much a free-form gameplay, which makes it much more enjoyable to "watch." Graphics are amazing, very life-like. We've come a long way from Pong.
I've heard a lot of people complaining about the storyline in ME2, saying that it lacked depth, and that the characters were flat. I remember people saying the same thing about the first one, but it simply isn't true. It's the same thing with any RPG game(though there are honestly some really lousy ones out there with no story at all no matter how hard you try to get into it), you get out what you put in. The story is only shallow when you don't look into it, when you don't invest in the missions and pay attention to what's going on. The characters are only flat when you don't talk to them and get to know them, the more time you spend with them, the more you get to know them and the more dialogue options open up.
I personally thought that it was an excellent follow up to ME1 and did what the middle game in a trilogy is supposed to do, further the plot and set up for the third one. And ME2 did that amazingly well with major decisions that will(or at least should) have a major impact on the galaxy for ME3.
There were a couple of minor things that I didn't like. After a while the mining was really monotonous, and I actually started to miss the MAKO (as sad as that sounds). I was kind of irritated that using a single power took all of them out of commission for a cool down period. And I definitely hated though damn thermo-clips. I actually ran out of ammo on the final stretch leaving the collector ship and had to blast husks out of the way with my biotics as I hauled for the shuttle. I was also irritated by the lack of characters like Kaiden and Liara being part of the Normandy crew, and whild I could understand Kaiden's reservations about joining Cerberus. Liara kind of seemed like she went a little Psycho in the two years that Shepard was dead.
However, the good parts definitely made up for it. I was so happy that they fixed the texture lag, and that the load screens, while still present, didn't stay up as long and they at least seemed a little more situationally appropriate. I loved the humor, and especially Joker running through the Normandy cursing up a storm. The characters had very believeable elements to them, and I found myself watching their personalities unfold and thinking about people in my life who they were a lot like (not being alien, or genetically engineered, or completely crazy) but their attitudes and they way they spoke or moved. The Gameplay also felt smoother, and I was so excited that I could actually jump over stuff in combat, and the powers were much more refined and easier to understand (my friend Jennifer said that with the way the biotics powers were named it was like biotics for dumbies).
All in all it was a great game, and anyone who loved ME1 should love it just as much.
I have only been playing Mass Effect 2 for 24 hours and I am already blown away. It looks better and plays more seamlessly than the original Mass Effect. The weapon action is much more realistic. I love it, love it, love it. If you are a fan of Bioware titles, Boarderlands, Bioshock, or SciFi in general run don't walk to your local game store and get this title. Take a couple of vacation days off from work your going to need it.
This game really does what Mass Effect 1 (groundbreaking in its own time) failed to do which is strip out the more mundane parts of an action adventure and focus on the action and the things that are generally fun.
Where in ME1, there was the arduous task of using the stupid rover/truck to drive around planets endlessly, there's a mining minigame which is a tad annoying but you can put up with it.
Where in ME1, the combat is broken up by the constant issuing of commands, ME2 adds realtime combat that rivals such shooters as Gears of War 2 and the Halo franchise. Where ME1 had its share of graphical glitches, framerate fluctuations, ME2 in my experience is butter smooth and looks even better with no real graphical issues.
The chracters are engaging and the plot/storytelling is top notch without crossing that delicate line into cheasiness. You really start to feel for your teammates and establish relationships with them that have some depth to them which is a first for a video game.
I've played and beaten the game twice already and I'm tempted to play it again. My first playthrough was about 30 hours, the 2nd was about 22 but the best part is that even after you beat the game, it continues after. You are free to do side quests and explore planets for infinity. I also assume Bioware will continue to release addons to ME2 as time goes by so that's always an attraction.
Overall, I think this ranks up there for me as one of the best games of all time. It's the first one that marries action with adventure the right way to make it truly an experience that should not be missed.
Great overall game and vast improvement on the first. Definitely one of the best action/rpg games available for the xbox. Definitely worth a look if you're into either genre!
Well folks, it's out and things are lookin fine. Now, I've only played a few hours so far (as a Vanguard), but man am I having a blast! ME1 took a little while to get used to...it was clunky and you could tell Bioware didn't have alot of "shooter" experience under their belts. THINGS HAVE CHANGED. Bioware comes right out of the gate in this one - like Seabiscuit humping a hobbit family. The shooting is as smooth and steady as a glass of Knob Creek. The opening sequence will sprout you a broner quicker than a Vanessa Hudgens handstand. And the graphics...well...they're stupid fresh! If you like RPG's that don't have the traditional plodding pace, and you have an XBOX 360, and you have a job, or your parents really want to like you, then (have them) buy this game! So if you're looking to go balls-deep into a classic sci-fi/fantasy environment with tons of action, go rent the new Star Trek movie! If not, then go buy this game! You owe it to yourself, if not, your parents do.
Mass Effect 2 is, simply put- one of the greatest games I've ever played. From the incredibly engaging intro to the intensely fulfilling "suicide mission" ending, ME2 does not stop blowing you away.The graphics are amazing, with the worlds and characters displaying great vision and imagination on behalf of the developers. Really, the prettiness of ME2 cannot be understated; the processing power that brings this universe to life is truly impressive. The audio is also great, with spectacular voice acting and consistently good music. Most importantly, the gameplay is smooth, intuitive and accesible. The combat is much more like a shooter now, which is a welcome change- though you can still pause the action whenever you want to use biotic (force) powers and the like.
The greatest strength of ME2 is in the characters. Through the incredibly fun dialogue system you'll feel like you really get to know them. By the end of the game I sincerely cared about them and whether they lived or died. Which brings me to my next point- your actions carry real weight in ME2. What you do or don't do determines who lives or dies in your party (and even if you live or die at the end.) Also, anyone who imports their save from the first Mass Effect will get much more from the game, since you actually see the consequences of your actions in ME1 here. And in turn, you'll see the results of what you do in ME3.
There isn't much more I can say that hasn't been said about this game, but it really is that damn good. There's a reason it's holding a 96 average review score on [...]- everything you've heard, all the hype- it's true. Game of the year and the best of its generation so far.
I could not put this game down. If you liked the first one, you'll love the second one. When I was finished with it I thought it was kinda short but looking back it only seemed that way because I was so immersed in it and the game just flowed from start to finish and I did all of the missions including the exploration missions. The next one is going to be amazing too, I just know it.
What can I say, one of the few games of such length that I've played over again and will keep playing!
Get ready to lose your life for a bit, this game is addictive. You tell yourself, "1 more mission", each mission. Before you know it, your weekend is gone, morning until night.
It improves on the first game in every way.
+ Possibly the best console graphics yet
+ 30+ hr game with tons of replay value
+ No more fiddling with junk equipment like the first one
+ Took out all "time wasting" RPG elements
+ Improved controls in every way
+ Shortcut keys for commanding squad and powers
+ Awesome story, voice acting and character modeling
+ Landing on unexplored planets isn't boring now
+ No elevators like the first game
+ Every mission and side mission is interesting and unique
+ Tons of varied environments
- Scanning planets gets old after awhile
- Load screens (more of a system limitation I think)
- Buying fuel and probes (it's a small annoyance more than anything)
- Pressing the X to skip through conversations also picks your next reply
The beginning and ending to this game are some of the most epic sequences ever!
I ordered this game and was not expecting much but wow what a game. I have not put down my controller,i have tried to put it down but i keep coming back to the game. graphics are good and the game play as well is excellent. Missions are well played as well. Igive this game a five star rating.
I bought this and after going through wanted to try again with the full experience importing from Mass Effect 1. So I went and bought Mass Effect 1. I played that and it was quite frustrating. Mass Effect 2 is definitely smoother and just works better. However, it has been very interesting watching the ways that my choices in ME1 have definitely changed the play in ME2. I love this game. Best Game I have ever played.
