ME 2 Two versions

[Sniper Team 4]

Mass Effect 2 came out on the PS3 on Tuesday. After much hassle at the store (apparently the people who are supposed to put it out moved it and there was some trouble tracking it down) I picked it up and immediately rushed home to play it. I'm currently enjoying it very much. Now, I have the 360 version as well, and one of the biggest claims BioWare was making was that the PS3 would look better. I'll admit the graphics are slightly sharper, but that's it. Anyone seeing a real difference? Graphics have never mattered to me, so I'm curious.

But what I really want to know is what people think of it, mainly those that have played the first Mass Effect and ME2 on the 360. I'm noticing little things that are "missing" from the game, mainly stuff that would have carried over from the first game. I suppose it doesn't matter if you've never played the first one, but is anyone else catching themselves going, "Wait. What happened to (insert character/event/item here)?"

 

[warm slurm]

Well, that's gonna happen. I think they only let you make decisions for the "main" things (Kaiden or Ashley, letting the council members die or not, etc.), right?

 

[Simple Bluff]

The graphics thing is like that a lot of the time. When I played the demo, it seemed dark and grainier, but not necessarily better. It's impossible to notice unless you both versions against themselves and even then it's not that impressive.

 

[Vault101]

Its a shame that ps3 owners couldnt play the first one...I feel like thease games are all ment to be played, now if I remember if you don't use an ME 1 save dosent that automatically give you all the big renegade descisions? is this the case with PS3 version?

anyway Im doing a playthrough of the first one, its amazing how much I missed out on the first 2 times im trying to get everything this time, I cant wait to play ME2 again

I have a theory as to why thease games are so replayable, its that perfect balance of being like a movie but still being a game as well

 

[elcamino41383]

Well the interactive comic that comes with the game is supposed to get PS3 users up to speed and make the 6 bigger/harder decisions in the game, like choosing if Ashley or Kaiden dies, or killing or saving Wrex. After playing through the comic and a little bit of the game, even though I know there is no "right" decision, I feel I made some wrong ones. Ha

 

[L3m0n_L1m3]

PS3 has better graphics and every DLC (including collector armor, terminus armor and the Dr Pepper helmets), but 360 and PC have better load times and Mass Effect 1.

The interactive comic at the beginning of the PS3 version only covers the major decisions of the game. Smaller choices like Conrad are overlooked completely.

 

[michiehoward]

If they actually let you decide on the PS3 version about Ashley/Kaiden death- The Council - and Wrex that would be awesome, since I played through my first playthrough of ME2 last week without an imported character and the decisions are taken away from you. (the bastards)

 

[ConnorTheRed]

I've only played the 360 version, but my brother sold ME before I could play it first, and I really felt I missed out by not getting to make the vital decisions. While I didn't care that much about letting The Council die (humans forever!), I was annoyed about not getting to see what would change if Wrex and Kaiden were alive during ME2. I hope in ME3 they give people the option (if they aren't importing a character) of letting them decide the gamechangers.
Although I doubt many who buy ME3 wont have played ME2 first.

 

[Pandaman1911]

While I didn't care that much about letting The Council die (humans forever!), I was annoyed about not getting to see what would change if Wrex and Kaiden were alive during ME2.

You know what changes? Fuck-all, that's what. If you saved Kaidan, then Kaidan will come and ***** at you for dying later in the game. If you saved Ashley, then Ashley will ***** at you for dying. If you saved Wrex, then he will talk to you instead of the generic Krogan clan leader. They basically have the same dialogue. So it's not really that much of anything other than "Oh look, see, your past decisions have some effect, see, you killed them so now they're not here/you didn't kill them so now they're here!"

 

[ConnorTheRed]

While I didn't care that much about letting The Council die (humans forever!), I was annoyed about not getting to see what would change if Wrex and Kaiden were alive during ME2.

You know what changes? Fuck-all, that's what. If you saved Kaidan, then Kaidan will come and ***** at you for dying later in the game. If you saved Ashley, then Ashley will ***** at you for dying. If you saved Wrex, then he will talk to you instead of the generic Krogan clan leader. They basically have the same dialogue. So it's not really that much of anything other than "Oh look, see, your past decisions have some effect, see, you killed them so now they're not here/you didn't kill them so now they're here!"

You're forgetting that bit where if you didn't save the council, Shepard punches the reporter as the renegade option.
Admittedly, I burst out laughing when it happened.

 

[DustyDrB]

I really feel like BioWare's talk about the PS3 version of the game being the "best" and "definitive" version is talk to assuage concerns about the PS3 getting (another) poor port. It might look slightly better, but nothing most people are really going to notice unless you're looking at a side by side. And the extra content is included, but that seems fair when people are paying full price for a year old game.

That said, I've been curious to see what the new people to the series think about the game.

Bioware is mentally challenged for not releasing the first one as well, especially since they made a big deal about saves carrying over.

Microsoft owns the publishing rights to the first game.
It's got nothing to do with BioWare.

I feel like we need to sticky this on the forum. Someone always spits some venom about about BioWare because the first game isn't coming to the PS3, then about 80 and 1/8 people correct that person, who then says he feels like an ass.

 

[Lord Doomhammer]

Interestingly, the graphics are vastly different from the original xbox 360, and the new 360 slim. I just got a new 360, and almost all my games look significantly better, I don't know if its just the HDMI,or the improved hardware, but the difference is staggering.

 

[Legion]

To be honest it's a real shame PS3 players can't play the first (stupid selfish MS, I mean Mass Effect 1 is not even being made any more). I honestly feel that it is really needed to get the feel for Mass Effect 2, and from what I have seen from the comic (watched it on Youtube) it really doesn't do the game justice and even changes some things that could be considered very important. Hell, it doesn't even explain what the damn Geth are.

As for Mass Effect 2 on it's own I wouldn't expect much difference anyway, they need it to be consistent with the other versions so Mass Effect 3 makes sense.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Here's what I've noticed missing so far:

Meeting Tali-If you helped her with the Geth in the first game, you get an extra option in Dialogue. Not here in PS3.

Rana-The Asari from Virmire is not on the Krogan mission.

Shiala-The green Asari is not in the game (and she liked me too! Blast it!)

Conrad-Not here.

Gianna-The girl from Noveria, gone, as is her little mission.

Feros-That entire part in Mass Effect is skipped over, even in the comic. WHAT?!

A LOT of email is missing regarding the first game.

None of this is vital to the game itself, but as someone who knows it's supposed to be there, it's a little saddening to see it missing. If I was BioWare, I would have included it all. So what if people are a bit confused.

 

[Thunderhorse31]

Here's what I've noticed missing so far:

Meeting Tali-If you helped her with the Geth in the first game, you get an extra option in Dialogue. Not here in PS3.

Rana-The Asari from Virmire is not on the Krogan mission.

Shiala-The green Asari is not in the game (and she liked me too! Blast it!)

Conrad-Not here.

Gianna-The girl from Noveria, gone, as is her little mission.

Feros-That entire part in Mass Effect is skipped over, even in the comic. WHAT?!

A LOT of email is missing regarding the first game.

None of this is vital to the game itself, but as someone who knows it's supposed to be there, it's a little saddening to see it missing. If I was BioWare, I would have included it all. So what if people are a bit confused.

Damn, at first I thought it was just going to be emails ("Hey Shepard, remember me? You helped me on this planet, and that was awesome. Glad to hear you're not dead, peace"), but those absences would be noticeable, especially if you've already played through the game 6 or 7 times on the 360.

And you're right, they should have included it regardless. I mean, in the first ME you keep running into people who knew you from the Skyllian Blitz or Torphan, and none of that "confused" us. It's just part of the backstory; I think PS3 players would have understood that just fine.

 

[GiantRaven]

I hope they release this for the 360. =(

 

[OmegaAlucard777]

I hope they release this for the 360. =(

Why? Just play the first one and get the more personalized experience.

Imported Shepard > Inter Active comic choices.

And how come the loading times are SO DAMN SLOW on ps3 compared to 360? I thought if anything the PS3 loads would be instantanous almost. It almost feels like my PS3 is churning and struggling to load it up.

 

[GiantRaven]

Why? Just play the first one and get the more personalized experience.

Imported Shepard > Inter Active comic choices.

And how come the loading times are SO DAMN SLOW on ps3 compared to 360? I thought if anything the PS3 loads would be instantanous almost. It almost feels like my PS3 is churning and struggling to load it up.

So to get the most out of a game I really enjoy playing...I need to play a game I really don'tenjoy playing for 20ish hours? I don't care if it's one big story or not, that's mindnumbingly ridiculous.

 

[OmegaAlucard777]

Why? Just play the first one and get the more personalized experience.

Imported Shepard > Inter Active comic choices.

And how come the loading times are SO DAMN SLOW on ps3 compared to 360? I thought if anything the PS3 loads would be instantanous almost. It almost feels like my PS3 is churning and struggling to load it up.

So to get the most out of a game I really enjoy playing...I need to play a game I really don'tenjoy playing for 20ish hours? I don't care if it's one big story or not, that's mindnumbingly ridiculous.

Well, to each his own. I mean one of the main selling points of the trilogy of Mass Effect is the fact that you can import your saves and everyone of your small decisions had some sort of out come on the galaxy. Like reforming Helena Blake, or saving Feros. How you dealt with Bring Down The Sky, ect.

I personally see the interactive comic falls short of delievering a personalized experience because of the 6 choices you get. Which means that it doesn't feel like your game. Just you chose an "ideal" galaxy to start in and the fact that 100,000+ other people probably made the same choices.

Sadly that is the case. If you want it to seem personalized for you... you gotta play Mass Effect 1. I'd suggest just play it on Casual so you can just run and gun the whole game and nopt have to worry about Mass Effect 1's somewhat broken cover system. Don't go after artifacts or minerals on the worlds and just go straight for the missions. Do the side missions but they will be piss easy. You could power through it quickly. That's my suggestion though

 

[Arkley]

I hope they release this for the 360. =(

Why? Just play the first one and get the more personalized experience.

Imported Shepard > Inter Active comic choices.

And how come the loading times are SO DAMN SLOW on ps3 compared to 360? I thought if anything the PS3 loads would be instantanous almost. It almost feels like my PS3 is churning and struggling to load it up.

Blu Ray has a notoriously slow transfer rate. Virtually every multi-plat game has much longer load times on the PS3. It's not BioWare's fault, it the PS3's.

That being said, this is not a shoddy port at all. There may be a few options missing from the back story comic, seeing your choices take effect in ME2 doesn't have the same impact as it does when you load a save, and there are a few encounters missing, but other than that, it really is the definitive version of the title. The visuals are better too, if only marginally so. Plus all the DLC comes ready to go - you can't really ask for more than that.