Mass effect 2 Launch and impressions (the REAL One)

[Turtle]

How about we search it for you, and link directly to the video?

Or at least, we'll do that for you the next time it happens.

On Samara's quest and outcome....

Spoiler for Hiden:

Sad thing is, I really like Morinth's voice actress and some of her character, but man, they make her more of a b@#$! than Samara, no one in their right mind would keep Morinth around.  If they'd just made her more sympathetic on a character level, not just on a principle level, it would have been a tougher choice.

[wonderpug]

How about we search it for you, and link directly to the video?

Or at least, we'll do that for you the next time it happens.

This is why it's important to quicksave often in life.

[cheeba]

On Samara's quest and outcome....

Spoiler for Hiden:

Sad thing is, I really like Morinth's voice actress and some of her character, but man, they make her more of a b@#$! than Samara, no one in their right mind would keep Morinth around.  If they'd just made her more sympathetic on a character level, not just on a principle level, it would have been a tougher choice.

That loyalty mission was probably my least favorite, though I did like that it changed things up... (spoiler deals with Samara's loyalty mission, don't read if you haven't gone through it yet)

Spoiler for Hiden:

Holy shit was that awkward with Shepard talking to Morinth in the club. "I'm curious about a band called Expel 10." Really, Shepard? You're curious about them? WTF? And Morinth's emo "Hallex slithers through my soul!" crap was just disturbing. Couldn't they have hired someone who has talked to women before to help them out with that? It could have been so much more interesting than just naming random shit that she likes.

[Ridah]

Ok, this is ridiculous. I think I've encountered a huge bug...

Spoiler for Hiden:

I'm towards the end where I'm battling the human looking reaper, I'm supposed to shoot the injection tubes and there's one left but it won't take damage! I looked online and can't find anything, help??

*After edit*

Reloading seemed to have fixed it... What a way for them the sour the ending for me slightly.

Still, after completing the game it's definitely one of my favorite games of all time. Took me about 40 hours and I skipped two side missions.

[rickfc]

Ok, this is ridiculous. I think I've encountered a huge bug...

Spoiler for Hiden:

I'm towards the end where I'm battling the human looking reaper, I'm supposed to shoot the injection tubes and there's one left but it won't take damage! I looked online and can't find anything, help??

*After edit*

Reloading seemed to have fixed it... What a way for them the sour the ending for me slightly.

I had the same bug.  Weird. Oh well, that fight was easy enough that I didn't really mind doing it again.

[Ridah]

Ok, this is ridiculous. I think I've encountered a huge bug...

Spoiler for Hiden:

I'm towards the end where I'm battling the human looking reaper, I'm supposed to shoot the injection tubes and there's one left but it won't take damage! I looked online and can't find anything, help??

*After edit*

Reloading seemed to have fixed it... What a way for them the sour the ending for me slightly.

I had the same bug.  Weird. Oh well, that fight was easy enough that I didn't really mind doing it again.

Me neither, however, it was annoying for a good 15 minutes there when I wasn't sure if it was a bug or I was just shooting the wrong thing. I hate that more than anything in games, when you can't tell.

[EddieA]

Gametrailers has a video showing off some gameplay with the Hammerhead.

[Razgon]

Man that looks boring...

[CeeKay]

Man that looks boring...

yeah, not too impressed.  oh well, it's free.

[CeeKay]

there's a new gun available for download.

[Rowdy]

Finished!  Level 29, 49 hours and all side quests found and the entire galaxy explored.  Great, great game, top 5 on the system for sure.  The ME trilogy when all is said and done will be my defining set of games on the 360.  Clearly I spent WAY too much time mining for resources, since I ended the game with more than 100k of all except eezo and all upgrades researched.

One nitpick - Bioware, if you feel that putting sex and relationships in your games makes for a better story, then maybe we could stop having fully dressed and armoured adults sitting on each other?  Or at least change their damn clothes into something a little more appropriate, like some underwear or something?  So ridiculous looking... (had the same complaint with DA:O)

Spoiler for Hiden:

I lost Legion after sneaking through the vent and opening the security doors for us, and Moridin on the ground team during the final mission... Both deaths seemed to be kind of random events.  Is there some combination of choosing leaders / roles for team members that lets you complete the mission with no casualties?  I was really sorry to see Moridin die, and Legion had just had a cryptic conversation with me about the N7 armour that I would have liked to explore more about...

[warning]

Spoiler for Hiden:

I wound up with no one dying but I really don't remember the choices I made.  Later on I read that people died and was surpised.  I think I was just lucky.

It is a great game.  I finished Mass Effect 2, went back and replayed Mass Effect 1 with a completely different character and finished it (for the 3rd time).  I'm now back playing Mass Effect 2 again, this time on Hardcore as a female Infiltrator.

I really like Hardcore and wish I'd started out that way the first time through.  I have to think so much more during the combat which is a lot of fun.

Edit:  One more thing.  I wish they'd just get rid of the romance/sex part of the games.  They're always done poorly and are embarrassingly cliche.  It's such a formula now in their games (haven't played Dragon Age but I'm guessing it doesn't stray too far from the rut).  Hmm... there's a female NPC in my party... I wonder if I choose just the right conversation options and do her loyalty quest will I get to have awkward PG-13 simulated space sex?  Ugh.  I have no problem with sex in games but Bioware really needs to mix things up.

[TiLT]

Mass Effect 2 actually handles the romance/sex aspect much better than most of Bioware's games, yet it's a long step away from dealing with the subject in a mature and realistic way. The sex scenes in Dragon Age are just embarassing.

[Ridah]

There was no sexy time in my playthrough  Guess I didn't develop my relationships enough, although I visited Miranda plenty of times just to talk.

[shaggydoug]

Not sure if this is spoiler or not but putting the tag just in case.  Regarding characters in the end mission:

Spoiler for Hiden:

Decisions that impact who dies or not on the suicide mission: which ship upgrades you decide to NOT purchase, which loyalty missions you decide to NOT complete, and who you choose to do some of the end missions.  Some people just aren't suited for the task they've been given.

Note, even Shephard can die but that's a game over. And no...this isn't a normal you were shot and died kind of thing.

- shaggy

[kadnod]

Some dumb thoughts on symbolism and the endgame, fueled by lack of sleep:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The baby Reaper is powered by a series of tubes filled with mashed-up people.  If his birth was successfull, humanity as a species of individuals would have been doomed.  A creepy, amoral, human/mechanical hive mind would have been the last remnant of our people.

That makes the baby Reaper the Internet, right?  Or maybe the Singularity? Does this mean Bioware wants me to destroy the Internet?  I don't have that kind of time!

   

[Razgon]

Some dumb thoughts on symbolism and the endgame, fueled by lack of sleep:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The baby Reaper is powered by a series of tubes filled with mashed-up people.  If his birth was successfull, humanity as a species of individuals would have been doomed.  A creepy, amoral, human/mechanical hive mind would have been the last remnant of our people.

That makes the baby Reaper the Internet, right?  Or maybe the Singularity? Does this mean Bioware wants me to destroy the Internet?  I don't have that kind of time!

   

LOL! You need your sleep! seriously...go sleep - now!   

[Rowdy]

I do think the romance / sex adds something to the game, so many of the conversations are about getting to know your team mates, and much of the appeal is in their various personalities.  Since so much of the game has to do with relationships and conversation, it would be far less interesting if you couldn't genuinely like, be attracted to, flirt, dislike or disagree with your team members.  I think the romance and even sex is a natural extension of that.  I smile, laugh and squirm uncomfortably all the time during the game when chatting up various team members.  It's just the silly "sex scenes" that throw me off.  You'll let a character like Jack curse like a sailor and have very mature opinions and conversations, but we can't have a more natural conclusion to a romance than two fully dressed characters briefly touching each other and then fade to black?  Even just something like changes of outfits, letting the characters continue to talk or converse somewhat as they get more intimate, picking up the scene after the 'fade to black' without putting them back into armor and their ship stations immediately... (ie, lying in bed and chatting about each other, before someone puts on their clothes and leaves to get back to work, etc...)  Just make it more natural, better integrated into the game.

Having said that, ME2 was light years ahead of DA:O where characters apparently have sex in their underwear and then immediately get dressed before turning the light back on and resuming their conversation in precisely the same positions and locations as they were prior to the encounter.

[Victoria Raverna]

New free weapon, Arc Projector.

http://news.bigdownload.com/2010/03/09/mass-effect-2-players-can-download-new-lightning-gun-er-arc/

[CeeKay]

the first pay DLC is on the way.

[coopasonic]

the first pay DLC is on the way.

1.5 hour DLC? Seriously. better be seriously cheap

[Razgon]

Also...most people will have the game completed by now - shouldnt there be more of an incentive to replay than 1.5 hours or pay-to-play dlc?

[Destructor]

Also...most people will have the game completed by now - shouldnt there be more of an incentive to replay than 1.5 hours or pay-to-play dlc?

You'll have a great new character to play the game through again?

The question though is this - is it a character that's as poorly written/used as merc guy (shows how much I used him - I don't even know his name offhand), or like Shale in Dragon Age?

[Razgon]

Also...most people will have the game completed by now - shouldnt there be more of an incentive to replay than 1.5 hours or pay-to-play dlc?

You'll have a great new character to play the game through again?

The question though is this - is it a character that's as poorly written/used as merc guy (shows how much I used him - I don't even know his name offhand), or like Shale in Dragon Age?

I just want mass effect 2.5 until 3 comes out, not these small extras ;-)

[CeeKay]

a few pics of Kasumi hanging out in the hood.

[Ridah]

a few pics of Kasumi hanging out in the hood.

Damn she looks cool. I can't believe I still get excited over this game after I've beaten it. I'm gonna stock up on DLC over time and then do a second play-through.

[cheeba]

Looks like what would happen if you combined Tali and Miranda.

[Autistic Angel]

Damn she looks cool. I can't believe I still get excited over this game after I've beaten it. I'm gonna stock up on DLC over time and then do a second play-through.

The interesting thing about the schedule of these DLC releases is that they're less about making me want to reload an old game and more about inspiring me to replay the game in full down the line.  I finished ME2 before a lot of this stuff came out and none of it is expansive enough to pop the game back in...but I know that when I replay it with my alternate character, she'll have access to some new weapons, missions, and even a character or two that my first run didn't have.

-Autistic Angel

[CeeKay]

new DLC next Tuesday: Hammerhead  for free and 2 buck costume pack.

[Destructor]

new DLC next Tuesday: Hammerhead  for free and 2 buck costume pack.

The only person who looks different in the costumes is Jack. The other two look no different.

[CeeKay]

new DLC next Tuesday: Hammerhead  for free and 2 buck costume pack.

The only person who looks different in the costumes is Jack. The other two look no different.

Garrus no longer has gaping holes in his armor.

oh, and Thane has a pair of shades.

 

[wonderpug]

oh, and Thane has a pair of shades.

Might be worth it just to avoid seeing the swap to BUGEYE  Thane when he has his PTSD episodes.

[rickfc]

This was way too awesome not to post:

The science of Mass Effect with Michio Kaku

[Destructor]

This was way too awesome not to post:

The science of Mass Effect with Michio Kaku

That was freakin' awesome. Great find.

[jersoc]

This was way too awesome not to post:

The science of Mass Effect with Michio Kaku

I love this physicist.

[rickfc]

This was way too awesome not to post:

The science of Mass Effect with Michio Kaku

I love this physicist.

Yeah, Michio Kaku is the bomb.

[EddieA]

It's countdown time!

[CeeKay]

It's countdown time!

we already know what it is:

Spoiler for Hiden:

[Caine]

cool, i might boot up ME2 to see if the hammerhead bit is fun and to go back and pick up the other dlc i never bothered with.

[Razgon]

So, anyone tried the hammerhead missions? I downloaded them the other night, but are really not feeling in the mood to try it out...the videos just looked plain boring and nothing like what I expected a mass effect DLC to be.