Zero Punctuation: Mass Effect 2

[Quesa]

Couldn't agree more about the ease of the cover system, although on Insanity it is sufficiently challenging and if you import a character you don't have to unlock the mode. Aside from telegraphing every major encounter by populating rooms with a hedge maze of cement barricades and crates and multiple conspicuous balconies with solid cover-friendly railings, virtually all of the cover in the game is waist high. The days of straffing out, headshotting and straffing back to the safety of a huge boulder to avoid using the thumb-monkey whack-a-mole holes are gone apparently.

I loved the surveying minigame, if only because it reminded me of Star Control II. It really needed something like the threat of natural disasters like SC2 had to make it engaging, which is hard to accomplish from orbit. Controlling some kind of shuttle craft like you take down to the missions and scanning while dodging pterodactyl and mutant plasma radiation lightning storms would have made the experience far more enjoyable.

 

[bladeofdarkness]

its a surprisingly gentle ass-kicking for a ZP review
it ALMOST gives the sense that he enjoyed it

 

[Suskie]

I do like how he tried to make the fact that BioWare are known for good writing sound like a negative (and failed miserably).

I didn't quite seem like he was doing that to me. From the review I'd say he actually enjoyed it a bit, but his job is to nitpick, so thus he has (with valid points as always).

I meant the whole "BioWare don't score points for that anymore" bit. Like the fact that the writing is PREDICTABLY good somehow detracts from it. It's a really flimsy argument.

Having re-watched this video... yeah, he's really scraping away in this review, trying his hardest to find something to criticize and not really coming up with much. I do love the game so it probably sounds like I'm making up excuses, but I came to the conclusion at least a week ago that people who claim to dislike ME2 for the planet scanning liked the game more than they're willing to admit

 

[sramota]

*ahem*
Waah waah waah.. Why not Bioshock 2, waah waah waah must be because it's so great there's nothing bad to say about it..
*phew*

There. Nice review, fairly generic and no good punchlines. Meh.

 

[BlueInkAlchemist]

Bioware games have good writing now?

Well they sure hid that in all the games I've played by them.

That's a nice business card you have there. I'm surprised you've kept it dry whilst living under that bridge.

OT: If they bring back a vehicle for ME3, I certainly hope it handles better than a wheelbarrow full of fragments of brick.

 

[qubit]

He dedicated way too much of the review to the mining issue, but I can't say he is wrong. Mining in the game got boring for me after three hours, to the point where I put on my MP3 so I wouldn't fall asleep doing it.

I didn't find mining horribly boring to be honest, but only because I found a great way to cheese the scanning (on 360) that triples the reticle speed while the accuracy of your readings remain the same (tap the left trigger at approximately half-second intervals, and if you're scanning right or left, rotate the planet with the right stick as you're doing so). It was still boring, mind you, just not the snore fest one would expect.

Also the combat really opens up if you play on Insanity as one of the less gun-savvy classes (I played as an Infiltrator on Insanity, where even a point-blank headshot from the Widow rifle with 50%-damage headshot upgrade isn't a guaranteed kill). You really start to appreciate your mass effect powers, and combining powers with your squad to double-team or triple-team a mook. The HeavyIncinerate/Warp/Lift combo quickly became my best friend on Insanity

 

[theatretechgirl90]

Hahahaha Yahtzee's love of jet packs makes me ever so happy . Yet another greatly hilarious review causing me to actually laugh out loud(very loud) while by myself in my room like some sort of looney shut-in . Thanks ZP!


"space trousers!"....my new band name hehe

 

[ScarlettRage]

All I got is a 404 [sadface]

awwwws... that always sucks...
p.s. love the avatar

 

[Poomanchu745]

I never really get why Yahtzee complains about games being too easy when there are multiple difficulty settings.

He should try not issuing commands to the AI on Insanity and see how far he gets...

That is pretty much the feeling I had when watching this. Im guessing he played on normal or veteran by the way he talked about how easy it was. My first playthrough was on hardcore and there were a lot of fights that were a complete *****. Plus the complaining about the combat system just seems like he is trying to fill space and add length. The combat is vastly improved and made the game absolutely awesome. But yes obviously everyone has been complaining about the scanning and mako so they really do need to figure out a 3rd option that really makes the game epic.

 

[The Ultimate 2]

Good review, looking forward to your review of Bioshock 2 next week.

 

[orangeapples]

I was never a fan of the "create your own adventure" games. I'm playing video games because I don't want to have to think about it.

now to find that ME2 seems to have lost the "game" part and has become a movie version of those "choose your own adventure" books.

and lets face it, those books were never well written.

c'mon video games, when will you become games again?

And more chest high walls? Real Heroes don't need chest high walls, and sometimes they will tear those walls down to kill their enemy. Samus, Link, Mario, Kratos, Wander, the marine from Doom; all of them and more have said NO to chest high walls.

 

[Axolotl]

Bioware games have good writing now?

Well they sure hid that in all the games I've played by them.

That's a nice business card you have there. I'm surprised you've kept it dry whilst living under that bridge.

What?

 

[ChipSandwich]

Bah, not negative enough. Also surprised that he didn't throw Gears of War with chest high walls. Still, good game and good video.

 

[ChaosGenesis]

Is that really what space probes look like?
I wonder who designed them...

 

[Woodsey]

Mass Effect 2, eh? Interesting, I'm really on the fence about buying the game, so let's see if Yahtzee can help me with this..

So after all the rave reviews you're basing your decision on the guy whose job it is to trash everything despite its quality?

OT: Really good episode this time - definitely helps if you've played the games first.

EDIT:

Nice review, liked the ide for ME3 and i have tried EVE, its worse that Too Human

Yes, because those 2 games are totally comparable.

 

[Casual Shinji]

You'd better get a patent on the giant laser shooting space wolfs, ZP.

Those things look fucking awesome.

 

[Suskie]

Wow, people really refuse to give resource mining a break, don't they? Not that I'm surprised Yahtzee would spend 80% of the review complaining about something you can just skip altogether. The game must've been pretty awesome if that's the best he's got!

No, no you can't. Try playing through without mining, which means you'll only be able to upgrade a tiny fraction of anything and see how well you fare. Really glad I finished the game over the weekend so I can appreciate the subtle discusion.

This feels like talking about Fight Club around people who haven't seen it. If you've made it to the ending, you know what certain things mean in context. If you haven't, it doesn't give things away.

I must say though, I'm surprised there wasn't even a text based reference to the absurdity of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Well, he WAS complaining that the game was too easy

I've beaten the game twice and I did a fair amount of mining both times, but I don't see any point in which you NEED to do it. Besides, if you import a ME1 profile or replay ME2 you get a resource bonus. I started my second playthrough with around 50,000 of each element, which was awesome.

I don't mind people complaining about the mining, of course, but acting like it's a game-killer is silly.

 

[AceDiamond]

Snipers don't need teammates. In fact, they have this disgusting tendency to GIVE YOUR POSITION AWAY. I'm more just impressed that you had the patience to be a sniper in that game.

I must've been doing something wrong then, using my teammates effectively to move forward and lay down supressing fire while I snapped off headshots until I ran out of thermal clips, then choosing to move in and help reduce enemies to leaky scraps of flesh with my SMG. What in the world was I thinking?

*sarcasm off*

Anyway I have to say the mining was at least less tedious than the surface exploration even though I liked that part too (must be something wrong with me) but in either case I'm hoping Mass Effect 3 does better. Not that failing to do so will prevent me from purchasing Mass Effect 3

 

[reg42]

Great review. Nice and funny, just the way I like it. I should have played as a sniper, sniping is usually my favourite thing in shooters, I can't believe I didn't think of it.

 

[tehbeard]

pretty good review.

He stole my thoughts for ME3 with regards to resource gathering.

Hmm, flying around on jet packs... Giant wolves that shoot lasers.... *opens game maker*

Build a prototype dude, and email it to BioWare, with any luck we can get this in ME3.

Also, if anyone from BioWare is reading this thread, can you please please pretty please give us Thresher Maw pets in ME3/ME2 DLC? I promise to take good care of it and walk it often.