Bioware Talks Mass Effect 2

[The Shade of Time]

Would you have to have completed mass effect 1 to have your character in the next one?

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

Hopefully, Bioware's push for intensity will mean that the achingly-slow elevator rides and the lackluster planetary dune-buggy missions will be a thing of the past. Either way, this video makes me insanely jealous of the people going to E3.

I gotta disagree man, I loved the dune buggy missions, I liked feeling like a lot of space was still open and unexplored, If anything, I wouldn't have minded them adding in a little 4X action into that mix as an alternate method to accumulate money, instead of the (frankly ludicrous) sums of money you got from enemies endgame. But I know it's not really in character with the rest of the game, I just felt like pointing out it isn't universally hated. I wasn't a fan of the elevators after the first time, I did like the sense of scale, I just would have preferred a way to click to a loading screen.

I didn't find the Mako that bad either, but some variety would have been nice. I mean, a few developed planets, some buildings that aren't pre-fabs (at least a pre-fab building made sense, how the hell do you have identical mines?), maybe?

Hopefully, Bioware's push for intensity will mean that the achingly-slow elevator rides and the lackluster planetary dune-buggy missions will be a thing of the past. Either way, this video makes me insanely jealous of the people going to E3.

I gotta disagree man, I loved the dune buggy missions, I liked feeling like a lot of space was still open and unexplored, If anything, I wouldn't have minded them adding in a little 4X action into that mix as an alternate method to accumulate money, instead of the (frankly ludicrous) sums of money you got from enemies endgame. But I know it's not really in character with the rest of the game, I just felt like pointing out it isn't universally hated. I wasn't a fan of the elevators after the first time, I did like the sense of scale, I just would have preferred a way to click to a loading screen.

I didn't find the Mako that bad either, but some variety would have been nice. I mean, a few developed planets, some buildings that aren't pre-fabs (at least a pre-fab building made sense, how the hell do you have identical mines?), maybe?

I agree, the Mako's shortcomings are greatly overstated, and it's at times fun. The buildings, however, need much more work, even there ends up being less of them.

Besides, the Mako might end up being totally reworked, I saw a piece of concept art in one of the videos that looks like the Mako, except hovering.

I actually didn't like the Mako for a while, but then Bring Down The Sky showed me the alternative. Remember that one torch with the blasting caps around it? You had to proceed on foot, and then take out a squad of batarians with little cover. I had never wanted to use the Mako more.

I haven't seen that concept art, but I'm not surprised. Bioware tends to listen to their fans. Lets just hope they don't go overboard with that the way Monolith did with FEAR 2.

All it needs is a full set of mods more things to kill and refined physics to put mods to good use. (better thrusters,hover capabilities, buffer shields to not be damaged when you fall) besides the normal mods for different weapons,upgrades to weapons,shileds,thusters,armor,ect. Expand missions to all world types I'd like to fight in a forest and in a underground system barren rock/ice is cute....but after the 4th time it gets old fast.

Oh and lava flows and avoid astroids would be nice as well...

 

[Avatar Roku]

Would you have to have completed mass effect 1 to have your character in the next one?

What do you mean? Are you asking if you would have to play ME at all, or if you'd have to finish it? To the first, you can play ME2 without having played ME1, presumably there will be a canon. To the second, you have to play through all the way to save your character. They haven't said it, but it's common sense, given the choices your given throughout the game, especially at the end.

That reminds me, though. What do you guys think: are your old character's stats saved, or just his choices? Personally, if they're adding new skills, I'd rather start his skills fresh, just keep the choices and class the same.

 

[Dragon Zero]

This looks very interesting. I absolutely loved the first game, I hope they deliver another fantastic experience. I want to know how they will determine how to follow the first game especially for those who completed the game multiple times in different ways.

 

[-Seraph-]

I just hope this game has a better emphasis on story than the first. I mean the first game I found absurdly short and under developed with all those exploration missions as over compensating filler. More emphasis and better story, and make exploration more exciting with more than the same menial objectives. Oh and make the morality crap actually relevant this time, I mean jesus that was such a pointless last minute thing, only 2 or 3 instances in the entire game where it was even remotely used.

QFGT, some say ME has a great story/dialog I say it has simplified dialog that stops mid conversation to much that sounds like better than average dialog.

Yea it REALLY irks me when people just bow down to this game and hail it for it's terribly average and under developed story. I mean seriously!! it was decent but so very shallow, disjointed, and half assed at times. Just really basic sci fi and people are kissing it's feet!?

I dunno...I normally wouldn't care, but things like that really irk me and make me question peoples standards out of pure spite at times.

 

[RebelRising]

Hopefully, Bioware's push for intensity will mean that the achingly-slow elevator rides and the lackluster planetary dune-buggy missions will be a thing of the past. Either way, this video makes me insanely jealous of the people going to E3.

I gotta disagree man, I loved the dune buggy missions, I liked feeling like a lot of space was still open and unexplored, If anything, I wouldn't have minded them adding in a little 4X action into that mix as an alternate method to accumulate money, instead of the (frankly ludicrous) sums of money you got from enemies endgame. But I know it's not really in character with the rest of the game, I just felt like pointing out it isn't universally hated. I wasn't a fan of the elevators after the first time, I did like the sense of scale, I just would have preferred a way to click to a loading screen.

I didn't find the Mako that bad either, but some variety would have been nice. I mean, a few developed planets, some buildings that aren't pre-fabs (at least a pre-fab building made sense, how the hell do you have identical mines?), maybe?

I agree, the Mako's shortcomings are greatly overstated, and it's at times fun. The buildings, however, need much more work, even there ends up being less of them.

Besides, the Mako might end up being totally reworked, I saw a piece of concept art in one of the videos that looks like the Mako, except hovering.

I actually didn't like the Mako for a while, but then Bring Down The Sky showed me the alternative. Remember that one torch with the blasting caps around it? You had to proceed on foot, and then take out a squad of batarians with little cover. I had never wanted to use the Mako more.

I haven't seen that concept art, but I'm not surprised. Bioware tends to listen to their fans. Lets just hope they don't go overboard with that the way Monolith did with FEAR 2.

I'm not familiar with FEAR 2, what happened there?

 

[iggyus]

AMAZING!!!! If i have to wait i will go insane and start eating squirels

 

[BlackLiger]

If? You aren't already?

That said, I can'ne wait.

 

[Avatar Roku]

I'm not familiar with FEAR 2, what happened there?

Basically, everyone loved the original FEAR for it's spooky, oppressive atmosphere and brilliant enemy AI, but it had faults. Namely, the fights kind of felt the same and the areas were indistinct (except for the masterfully executed Apartment Block, but lets not go into that). So, the sequel made the fights better and the areas distinct, but in changing it, they threw the baby out with the bathwater; gone were the oppressive atmosphere and good AI, replaced with cheap monster-jumping-out-of-the-closet scares and an AI that was probably even worse than the original, not just bad by current standards. If I may plug, I actually wrote a review [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.87940#1334794] on the subject.

So, what I meant to say earlier is that I'm afraid Bioware may do the same; i.e, give us more variety, but take away the storytelling, improve the Mako, but do away with the good characters.

 

[Grampy_bone]

Mass Effect 2: DARKER AND EDGIER! Gee, where have I heard that before... *sigh*

 

[Avatar Roku]

Mass Effect 2: DARKER AND EDGIER! Gee, where have I heard that before... *sigh*

I say to that what I say about Quick Time Events; just because it has been done poorly doesn't mean it can't be done well.

 

[RebelRising]

I'm not familiar with FEAR 2, what happened there?

Basically, everyone loved the original FEAR for it's spooky, oppressive atmosphere and brilliant enemy AI, but it had faults. Namely, the fights kind of felt the same and the areas were indistinct (except for the masterfully executed Apartment Block, but lets not go into that). So, the sequel made the fights better and the areas distinct, but in changing it, they threw the baby out with the bathwater; gone were the oppressive atmosphere and good AI, replaced with cheap monster-jumping-out-of-the-closet scares and an AI that was probably even worse than the original, not just bad by current standards. If I may plug, I actually wrote a review [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.87940#1334794] on the subject.

So, what I meant to say earlier is that I'm afraid Bioware may do the same; i.e, give us more variety, but take away the storytelling, improve the Mako, but do away with the good characters.

Well, let's pray to god that doesn't happen, the combat doesn't have to be perfect, but it must absolutely have the same excellent writing and characters, or else it's not really Mass Effect.

I still have faith that they're simply working on stuff they could've gotten in the first time around, had they have had more time. I trust they'll put the effort into both the story and the actual gameplay equally.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

I just hope this game has a better emphasis on story than the first. I mean the first game I found absurdly short and under developed with all those exploration missions as over compensating filler. More emphasis and better story, and make exploration more exciting with more than the same menial objectives. Oh and make the morality crap actually relevant this time, I mean jesus that was such a pointless last minute thing, only 2 or 3 instances in the entire game where it was even remotely used.

QFGT, some say ME has a great story/dialog I say it has simplified dialog that stops mid conversation to much that sounds like better than average dialog.

Yea it REALLY irks me when people just bow down to this game and hail it for it's terribly average and under developed story. I mean seriously!! it was decent but so very shallow, disjointed, and half assed at times. Just really basic sci fi and people are kissing it's feet!?

I dunno...I normally wouldn't care, but things like that really irk me and make me question peoples standards out of pure spite at times.

Mob/Sheep mentality IE "if its good enough its good enough" IE if it makes its money then not many will dismiss it, but in truth rarely is it ever good enough till it makes millions and then most will ignore its faults completely....

Like Bioshock its average and half assed yet everyone keeps kissing its butt for the crappy weapons half ass plasmids,plot and AI.....

I just started Jade Empire a week ago and I am enjoying it far more than Mass Effect, KOTRO was a bit better vut JE really dose some nice things and its story/dialog is not as nearly as choppy as MEs but it dose have issues with bad voice acting IMO. The combat system is rough and unpolished but I enjoy it alot more than ME.

On another note FO3 is having its assed kissed much like ME was, I find its dialog has the same issues of conversations stopping for no apparent reason, sure there is some wit now and then and its not terrible...but seriously is that the best the industry can do? Even the Witcher tried and came off like a good action flick(same as FO3/ME....) I mean really is that the best gaming can do is a good action flick in terms of qaulity? Has everything become so shallow?

 

[Dommyboy]

The music for Mass Effect is brilliant, even in that trailer.

 

[ThePeaceFrog]

Fuck, i'm getting the feeling i really should have worked out who i let borrow my copy of ME...

 

[goater24]

Well I have owned a copy of Mass Effectfor two months now and have been unable to play it due to my crash course in driving lessons. With my theory now passed I think i am going to have a good long dip at this game starting tonight, and loooking at what the sequel will offer it may not be toolong before I am playing em both.

EDIT: Awesome!

 

[karmapolizei]

Ok, awesome. This is sooo going to be the first full-priced game for me since the nineties. I'm not kidding.

 

[TomBeraha]

I gotta disagree man, I loved the dune buggy missions, I liked feeling like a lot of space was still open and unexplored, If anything, I wouldn't have minded them adding in a little 4X action into that mix as an alternate method to accumulate money, instead of the (frankly ludicrous) sums of money you got from enemies endgame. But I know it's not really in character with the rest of the game, I just felt like pointing out it isn't universally hated. I wasn't a fan of the elevators after the first time, I did like the sense of scale, I just would have preferred a way to click to a loading screen.

I didn't find the Mako that bad either, but some variety would have been nice. I mean, a few developed planets, some buildings that aren't pre-fabs (at least a pre-fab building made sense, how the hell do you have identical mines?), maybe?

I do agree with you here, I think adding to the variety, even 2 more types of each installation, instead of just different interior box arrangements, would have gone a significant way towards ending some peoples complaints of tedium.

 

[soren7550]

How the hell are they gonna work it for people who haven't played the first game?

They probally have a pre-determined story set out for those who don't have a save from the previous game. Or maybe, depending on your selection of class/pre-service history/psychological profile/gender determines what your story will be.

Either way, I can't wait for it, even though they blew the Normandy to hell.