How exactly does the gameplay work? The trailer definitely intrigued me but I am not an RPG fan at all. Yet when I saw my brother-in-law playing it looked more like a shooter. So is this game closer to Final Fantasy, WOW or something like Zelda. If it's like Zelda and it's more of an action/rpg then I might give it a try. I loved Twilight Princess for the Wii, and if Mass Efffect is in that same vein, then I think I'd enjoy it. But I dunno if it's closer to Final Fantasy or KOTOR or WOW, then it's probably not for me.
Mass Effect 2 definitely has RPG elements, but the gameplay is essentially a shooter. It's all handled in real-time. There is no turn-based combat like KOTOR or the Final Fantasy games. You could push the right bumper to pop up a small wheel where you can choose if you want to use some magic/tech powers. But that is just to compliment the actual shooter elements. The game is a heavy story based shooter. Get it. You'll love it.
It's more action oriented, but they try to give it the detail and backstory of an RPG (along with the gameplay elements). So if it's inventories and leveling up and turn based fighting that bothers you, you would be fine. However there's a lot of backstory and reading and dialogue trees and if you don't like to get into that it may bother you. However, I wouldn't really play the second without playing the first, personally. And the first dips a little more into the RPG elements - having an inventory, and leveling up and upgrading weapons and such. The second one streamlines these features (you pick up things to research and they automatically upgrade the weapons as they need to) and you have no real inventory to have to deal with at all. It all works together really well though, and does a great job of putting you into this big broad sci fi epic.
Honestly, it feels more like a straight up shooter then an RPG which I have no problem with. Those who hate RPG will dig it. I was playing as soldier and I swear...certain parts of the game reminds me of Gears(Krog loyalty mission). Anyway I'm about to start my 2nd play through as a Vanguard. My question is,do you guys think I can still beat the game on normal without any planet scanning? I'm willing to go through with little upgrade, that's how much I hate scanning. If it makes the game a little difficult, that's OK. I just want to know is scanning is required to beat the game?
Can you still beat the game without anybody dieing when you don't upgrade all the armor and weapons all the way but you upgrade the ship all the way. I tired of all this scanning.
Yup. I do know they all have to be loyal and the ship has to be fully upgraded, but I didn't have all the personal stuff fully upgraded and everyone made it through. It certainly helps though, and it's not like scanning takes up a ton of time. Tedious sure, but man it's a lot easier fighting through the hordes in the last couple of parts of the game when you've got a set of nasty weapons with you and some heavy duty shields.
Sounds like something I can get into. I love a good story and don't mind if a game heavily focuses on it (Metal Gear). As long as I don't have to deal with a lot of leveling up and using a lot of magic and stuff I'll be happy.
It plays kinda like gears of war with some RPG elements. It's not like Final Fantasy cause the people don't look like Voltron rejects.
Mass Effect 2 is on sale today at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.ht...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=496383031&pf_rd_i=468642 Also bumping because I finally go around to it (needed to get through Dragon Age first). Depending on how many more sidequests I want to do (not counting loyalty missions since I did them all, at least for the characters I have), I might be finishing up the game in the next couple of days. So far, a great game. Much improved over the original, which was already great. Wasn't sure if I'd like some of the RPG stuff being removed, and more shooter elements being added, but it has worked really well.
I just beat the game a few days ago, and it was fantastic! The end was done incredibly well! End game spoilers: Spoiler With you having to use your entire team and make decisions that can pretty much kill anyone on your squad. Really adds to the intensity of the moment. Doesn't hurt that Bioware pretty much spent the entire game developing these characters as well. You grow attached to them over the course of the game. Luckily, I had mostly everything upgraded and everyone loyal other than Jack. I managed to get them all out alive. On a side note, you can actually get everyone killed, and that in turn gets Shepard killed as well. He jumps to the ship and a cripple Joker is the only one there to pull him up, but he can't. Shepard falls to his doom, and the game ends with the Joker talking to the Illusive Man. It's pretty crazy how Bioware has really allowed you to personalize this game. Overall, I loved the gameplay improvements Bioware made, but I wish they would have spent some more time on the overall threat in ME2. I loved the loyalty missions and all, but ME1 just felt like it had more on stake when the story arch came around. Hopefully ME3 takes the gameplay improvements and character development of ME2 while adding the scope and epicness of ME1 to make what could possibly be one of the best games of all time!
I was going to say something similar (regarding story in ME1 vs ME2, outside of the spoiler which I didn't read yet), although didn't want to say it yet since I still have a large chunk of the story left. Guess I'll revisit that thought a bit later. Agree about ME3. BioWare is doing an excellent job with the trilogy so far, and I have some high expectations for the finale.
Finished the game tonight. Not too happy. Was hoping for some more story elements, but it was more or less as I feared. Still not bad, and maybe not even fair since it is the 2nd game of 3 (so it can't introduce or conclude the story). Also (more so why I wasn't happy)... Spoiler Mordin died for some strange reason. I didn't really keep up with walkthroughs, guides, etc., but I was under the assumption that doing all the loyalty missions, getting ship upgrades, etc., would result in everyone surviving. I did all that, but he (and no one else) died. May have missed something I guess. Kind of bothers me since I was hoping to have everyone survive...not to mention I hope this doesn't mean he won't be in ME3 (he was one of my favorites). Oh well, not really a BIG deal, but it is in my mind right now. Guess I can read all the other spoilers now. edit: Read something earlier in the thread that might address what I had in my spoiler. Guess that kind of makes sense...sort of. Can't really think of anything I did that would cause that though (I made somewhat reasonable decisions). Oh well.
Spoiler It depends on the decisions you made in the suicide mission. You can have everyone loyal and all the ship upgrades, and still have people die. Who did you assign to all the duties at the end? I chose Miranda as the first leader, Tali as the tech to open the door, took Jack on my team just in case Miranda and Jack get in a fight because they don't like each other. I then took Samara as the biotic that was going to create the barrier with Garrus as the 2nd team leader. In the end they all played their part, and I had everyone survive including Jack (who wasn't loyal). I actually like the fact that anyone on your team can die based on your decisions. I wish a lot more of the game had the sense of doom as the last mission did. That's what made the first game so amazing IMO. You didn't just lose people at the end. You had to make tough decisions throughout. I really hope ME3 combines the best aspects of both ME1 and ME2. It really can be one of the greatest games of all time if done right. The character development is already there. The epic story is already there. It's just up to Bioware to tie it all together for a unique and grand finale.
Spoiler Yeah, I found out about that afterward. I might be forgetting some bad decision, but I'm pretty sure it was all reasonable. Some/most of it matched up with what you did. I had Legion instead of Tali, and I used Miranda and Garus as team leaders (though I think I swapped the order). I also used Samara. Think it might have been one of my last decisions because he was still alive when I picked Samara (I picked him for my team, so he was alive then). Think the only other decision I made was to have Thane escort the crew back, and I had Miranda and Grunt help me in the final battle (so the rest were defending I think?). Guess I screwed up somewhere (did I miss a decision?)...but oh well. I generally like these things too, although I don't want it affecting the main story too much...give away too much storytelling to the player, and I think it could suffer. Mostly venting on that issue, although as you could probably tell, I don't really care anymore. I'll probably replay it at some point just to make sure I get everyone to survive (in case it affects ME3 somehow, which is my only legitimate concern).
You also have to be smart about the strategy and planning. One wrong dialogue choice, and it could cost the life of one of your squadmates.
Hey RC, your problem is definitely widespread and the game developers were asked about it and they said: Spoiler When you take your team in to fight the Reaper and everyone else has to hold the door, the game takes in to account a hidden "defensive" value that is made up of each character's shields, hit points, class and loyalty. Apparently, since Mordin's a scientist and not really a fighter (even taking into account his time as a member of the Salarian special forces) this value is not very high and he will die holding the door no matter what. So, your only two options are to either take him with you to fight the Reaper, or to send him back with the Normandy crew. Strange, but that's how they explained it. Finished my Insane run through just before Final Fantasy came out. Actually wasn't that bad, since I knew what to expect and had my sniper and assault rifles all maxed out (Soldier class). Plus, as my extra talent I picked a shield reinforcement since it will bail you out a lot. I'm hoping they manage to write in most if not all of the 2 characters for 3, but with your NPC's lives being rather open ended I don't know how they're going to be able to script the game for characters the might have died in your game since they were all vulnerable. I do know that if Tali isn't in it, I'm going to be ticked. I figure she and Garrus will at least make an appearance in ME3.
