Mass Effect 2

[LeadHead]

Well, I've done too many playthoughs of ME2 for my own good, so when ME3 Happens, I'll have everyone alive. But I did one playthough where a lot of them died, so I'm no worried about realism, I'll be able to play it with more casualties easily when the time comes.

 

[Reverend]

Well it works too. In ME it's a tragic moment because you're quite aware that you're sending someone to their death.

I agree, choosing between Kaidan and Ashley was one of the most difficult choices I had to make in a game and my emotional reaction to that caused me to turn against the council and allow them to die. But I'm glad they chose not to repeat that in ME2 and instead chose a method where my bad decision is what caused Thane to die. It gave all the subsequent decisions during the mission more weight and hardened my resolve not to let another crew-member die.

Both methods worked rather well I think. In the first game it was a more dramatic kind of command decision; a no-win scenario....well that is if you're not like me and consider the possibility of Kaiden snuffing it to be a win-win scenario. Boring goit that he was. The second one as you say was more about planning and preparation.

Speaking of decisions in ME1, I liked that you had the option of killing Wrex, or even having Ash kill him rather than talk him around on Virmire. It really helped my "psychotic bastard" playthrough. Actually that one was quite interesting since I did as much different from anything else I'd done before. Didn't recruit Garrus (you get a slightly different dialogue with him in ME2) killed of Wrex and Kaiden, left Liara to the very end (you get a hysterical conversation where she's been stuck in that thing for weeks and starting to hallucinate.) At some point I'll finish the ME2 portion of that playthrough before ME3 comes out, hopefully with almost everyone killed off.

As for the suicide mission. I think I had an easier time of it on my first playthrough because I made sure I'd done all the side quests, research projects before I got to the final mission. The only death I had was Jacob in the tubes. Ashamed to admit it but I reloaded and now I rather regret it. Not to worry though, I made sure I killed him in just about every other playthrough.

 

[Artemis]

Even though I want everyone to live, the only real concern of mine is Garrus.

He must live. He IS Mass Effect. I don't know...I'm just too attached to the guy. xD

 

[The Fatman]

I got my ME2 copy in the steam holiday sale on PC, and just finished my first 100% (including DLC) runthru with my female paragon from ME1. All in all I liked it - a lot, actually - but I just do not love it the way I did the first game. Fingers crossed for ME3

Going without a guide, I completed all the loyalty missions except Thane's (A bug pushed me through a wall, and I was unable to follow the target. I could have reloaded from last save but chose not to.) When it came time for the suicide mission I lost Zaeed and Thane. I chose Zaeed as my second fire team commander, and he got shot in the gut. Thane must have died while I was fighting the Human Reaper. I didn't see or hear about him dying, but then we had to run over his body to escape.

Ultimately though, I think the best I could give this game is an 8/10, and as others have said, it's mostly in the (lack of) plot, this one suffers. The whole game is just... get a team together, suicide mission, game over. What's there certainly isn't bad, it's quite gripping, actually. It's all just very short. I love the gameplay/combat mechanics of the game more than ME1, and graphically it's incredible. I will say I missed the Mako, I found that much more engaging that the mindless planet scanning.

@Reverend - I agree that I didn't care for Kaidan at all in my 1st ME1 playthrough with a male Shepard, but using a female Shepard really brings the character out. Not to mention that Jennifer Hale's voicework absolutely destroys Mark Meer's. It's almost an entirely different game - in a good way - with the Female shepard.

 

[LeadHead]

but using a female Shepard really brings the character out. Not to mention that Jennifer Hale's voicework absolutely destroys Mark Meer's. It's almost an entirely different game - in a good way - with the Female shepard.

I couldn't disagree more. I don't think Jennifer Hale's work is that good or even overshadows Mark Meer's. He sounds natural, she sounds to me, like she's performing. I've done a couple of Femsheps and not enjoyed it as much. She's not a bad voice actress, I've heard her work in other things and liked it, I just don't think she sets the right tone in the Mass Effectverse. And it's not to say that there shouldn't be a femshep, I'm not saying that at all, I just am not a fan of the voice of the femshep.

Okay, I know I'm about to be attacked by a Thresher Maw for saying that, so have at it.

 

[Artemis]

I liked Kaidan primarily beacuse Raphael Sbarge also gave voice to Carth Onasi in the KotOR 2.

And I had a hopeless crush on Carth. If it weren't for that, I'd have probably killed Kaidan instead of Ashely back on Virmire.

Okay, I know I'm about to be attacked by a Thresher Maw for saying that, so have at it.

*wishes she had a Thresher Maw to unleash*

 

[Reverend]

but using a female Shepard really brings the character out. Not to mention that Jennifer Hale's voicework absolutely destroys Mark Meer's. It's almost an entirely different game - in a good way - with the Female shepard.

I couldn't disagree more. I don't think Jennifer Hale's work is that good or even overshadows Mark Meer's. He sounds natural, she sounds to me, like she's performing. I've done a couple of Femsheps and not enjoyed it as much. She's not a bad voice actress, I've heard her work in other things and liked it, I just don't think she sets the right tone in the Mass Effectverse. And it's not to say that there shouldn't be a femshep, I'm not saying that at all, I just am not a fan of the voice of the femshep.

Okay, I know I'm about to be attacked by a Thresher Maw for saying that, so have at it.

It must be a matter of taste because I much preferred FemShep. Not because I liked Hale's performance better (though I did) or because if I'm going to have to stare at a digital backside the whole game I'd rather it be a female one (though I do) it's mainly because I felt the way Shepard characterised worked better as a female. End of.

I'm not sure if it was intentional or just an unintended consequence of putting the exact same lines a male character would use in the mouth of a woman, but it just felt more like a real character to me. By contrast MaleShep always felt more bland and neutral, even when playing as a renegade. Another factor might also be that while there's defiantly sexual content, FemShep wasn't sexualised in the same way that female video game characters often are. While at the same time, while she was defiantly shown as a capable soldier, they didn't fall into the trap of making her into a stereotypical "tough bitch" or a "cutesy warrior girl."

On top of that she spends the whole game in very unflattering attire, totally devoid of cleavage exposure or giggle physics and on the one occasion when you do see her in a dress, she still can't help but walk like a man.

 

[Skywalker]

but using a female Shepard really brings the character out. Not to mention that Jennifer Hale's voicework absolutely destroys Mark Meer's. It's almost an entirely different game - in a good way - with the Female shepard.

I couldn't disagree more. I don't think Jennifer Hale's work is that good or even overshadows Mark Meer's. He sounds natural, she sounds to me, like she's performing. I've done a couple of Femsheps and not enjoyed it as much. She's not a bad voice actress, I've heard her work in other things and liked it, I just don't think she sets the right tone in the Mass Effectverse. And it's not to say that there shouldn't be a femshep, I'm not saying that at all, I just am not a fan of the voice of the femshep.

Okay, I know I'm about to be attacked by a Thresher Maw for saying that, so have at it.

Thank you! It's such a relief to see that someone else agrees with me. I really like Jennifer Hale's work, but every time I listen to her in Mass Effect, I cringe because she sounds really off. It's like she's really forcing it and trying to sound strong and commanding, rather than just being strong and commanding. I really prefer Mark Meer's performance. I'll admit he was a little stiff at times in ME1, but I think he improved quite a bit in ME2, while I thought Hale actually got worse.

 

[bullethead]

but using a female Shepard really brings the character out. Not to mention that Jennifer Hale's voicework absolutely destroys Mark Meer's. It's almost an entirely different game - in a good way - with the Female shepard.

I couldn't disagree more. I don't think Jennifer Hale's work is that good or even overshadows Mark Meer's. He sounds natural, she sounds to me, like she's performing. I've done a couple of Femsheps and not enjoyed it as much. She's not a bad voice actress, I've heard her work in other things and liked it, I just don't think she sets the right tone in the Mass Effectverse. And it's not to say that there shouldn't be a femshep, I'm not saying that at all, I just am not a fan of the voice of the femshep.

Okay, I know I'm about to be attacked by a Thresher Maw for saying that, so have at it.

Thank you! It's such a relief to see that someone else agrees with me. I really like Jennifer Hale's work, but every time I listen to her in Mass Effect, I cringe because she sounds really off. It's like she's really forcing it and trying to sound strong and commanding, rather than just being strong and commanding. I really prefer Mark Meer's performance. I'll admit he was a little stiff at times in ME1, but I think he improved quite a bit in ME2, while I thought Hale actually got worse.

I honestly felt she gave her best FemShep performance as a bit character on the latest Scooby Doo show. She was one of Daphne's sisters and happened to be a military officer.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

I see this argument often on GameFAQs and BioWare's official forums. To give word to my thoughts, I believe Meer and Hale are on about the same level when taking into account paragon playthroughs but for renegade work Meer tends to blow her out of the water. And since I play my Shepard a bit more Han Solo and a bit less Picard, it's a good reason to veer Meer.

 

[SPCTRE]

Preferring Mark Meer over Jen Hale? Heretics

 

[The Fatman]

LOL, now I feel bad. I did not mean to derail the thread into Hale vs. Meer. Although, to acknowledge Jeff O'Connor's point, I will admit I have NOT played through with a Renegade Male Shepard.

Kind of trying to get back on topic though, I did have another thought. I wonder if the (lack of) length of the game was due to the number of choices they had to account and code for. If that's the case, I wonder if ME3 will have a similar problem...

 

[LeadHead]

LOL, now I feel bad. I did not mean to derail the thread into Hale vs. Meer. Although, to acknowledge Jeff O'Connor's point, I will admit I have NOT played through with a Renegade Male Shepard.

Kind of trying to get back on topic though, I did have another thought. I wonder if the (lack of) length of the game was due to the number of choices they had to account and code for. If that's the case, I wonder if ME3 will have a similar problem...

You didn't derail the thread. Not at all. There's a popular perception of Hale=good, Meer=bad. And since this thread is about all things Mass Effect 2, it's something worth talking about here.

I don't consider the game to lack length, it has either a lot or a little, depending on how many missions you accomplish. You could just recruit whom you want to, leave the others, only do a couple of loyalty missions, no side missions, then it's a short game. You can do all recruitment's, all loyalty missions, all side missions and all dlc missions, then the game is quite substantial.

 

[SPCTRE]

^ Concerning the length, my only concern in ME2 is a lack of plot progression. In the end, all you do over the course of the game is assemble a crew and go tackle the suicide mission. End of plot (I know I'm exaggerating here, but I'm sure you get my point).

I guess what I'm saying is that, irregardless of hours spent playing and the amount of available side quests, ME2 felt short(er).

 

[LeadHead]

I guess what I'm saying is that, irregardless of hours spent playing and the amount of available side quests, ME2 felt short(er).

Shorter than ME1? The only thing that caused me to think of ME1 as long was all the MAKO driving through abandoned areas. ME2 to me feels much longer than ME1.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Yeah, I had 70 hours on ME2 (translate that to about 40 for your average gamer) and 50 on ME1 (translate that to about 30 for your average gamer.)

The lack of game-changing events, pardon the pun, in ME2 might make it seem shorter but I definitely came away from it feeling like there was more to do. It's certainly true that ME1 shakes things up more but honestly, after the early-game events (Eden Prime; Citadel) the huge nonlinearity of the first one made it feel very narrow, oddly. (You can do Therum, Feros and Noveria in any order and you can do Noveria before doing the last of these, so there wasn't as much as I would have hoped in terms of revelations until, well, Noveria.)

Is this still preferable overall to ME2's near-absent twists? Sure, but the individual stories of the characters in ME2 really made up for that for me. I actually wrote a fairly in-depth piece on BioWare's forums about how I feel like ME2 did a very good job playing the 'middle entry' fiddle for the most part. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers broadened its series' canvas with Rohan, Helm's Deep and the greater fleshing-out of its cast and ME2 did a pretty decent job broadening its series' canvas with the Terminus Systems' grunge and lies and the increased importance of those who join (or rejoin) Shepard.

Unfortunately there's a big thing I feel is missing from the games that BioWare has never cared much for but my time with 90s JRPGs really makes me miss: cast cohesion. The near-complete lack of dialogue between people in your party is appalling to me but in a game like Mass Effect, I guess it just isn't meant to be.

 

[The Fatman]

Point granted, I logged 65 hours into ME2. According to Steam, My total time in ME1 (with 3 full runthrus) is 110 hours. I think my point was more what SPCTRE said, that plot-wise ME2 feels much shorter to me. And again, it's not like I hated the game - far, far from it - I just wish there had been one or two more plot missions after the team was together that advanced the story more. At the very least, we could have used something to get to know Harbinger more. He didn't have nearly the presence Sovereign did, and I do feel the game is weaker for it.

 

[SPCTRE]

^ That's exactly what I'm saying, thank you.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Oh, you two didn't feel the strength of his person when he assumed direct control? Nor the emergence of a memorable threat when he uttered those dirty words, 'this hurts you' and 'I know you feel this'?

Yeah, I do get your point. It's a pretty common statement among fans, really. I wouldn't have minded a bit more storyline progression, either.

 

[Reverend]

Point granted, I logged 65 hours into ME2. According to Steam, My total time in ME1 (with 3 full runthrus) is 110 hours. I think my point was more what SPCTRE said, that plot-wise ME2 feels much shorter to me. And again, it's not like I hated the game - far, far from it - I just wish there had been one or two more plot missions after the team was together that advanced the story more. At the very least, we could have used something to get to know Harbinger more. He didn't have nearly the presence Sovereign did, and I do feel the game is weaker for it.

I think part of what you're perceiving as a lack of plot is actually an abundance of urgency. The whole game you feel like you're under constant pressure with the two bottleneck missions (Horizon & the Collector Ship) imposed midway and the breakneck roller-coaster of the suicide mission.

By contrast, in ME1 once you're off the Citadel you can basically muck about and go at your own pace. There are no real consequences if you choose not to get Wrex's family armour or don't bother chasing down the crazy doctor that got away from Garrus. That plus all the time spent in the Mako it's understandable the game feels "bigger."

As for Harbinger, maybe I'm just slow but I didn't see the twist with him coming. The whole way through I thought Harbinger was the Collector General and was shocked when they revealed he was actually a Reaper and, unlike Nazara, we'll be seeing him again. Still, I totally understand the sentiment. I mean that conversation on Virmire made the whole game for me!