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Jarrod
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 Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 9:53 pm Post subject: Mass Effect 2 Thread of hot, sweaty space love |
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With Mass Effect 2 so close to a release, I figured it was time for an official thread of discussions, hype, and all that other crap. This thread is open for Mass Effect 1 spoilers. All Mass Effect 2 spoilers are to be formatted as such. All information in this op is considered common knowledge based on videos and content available on the official Mass Effect 2 website. If you're on a media blackout, dont read. Any op suggestions, additions, or improvements welcome. Lets begin!
Game: Mass Effect 2
Release Date: January 28th 2010 (Australia)
Release Platforms: Xbox360 and PC
Release RRP: Xbox360 - Standard $109.95, CE $118 (Exclusive to EB). PC - Standard $99.95, CE $108 (Exclusive to EB).
Synopsis
Two years after Commander Shepard repelled invading Reapers bent on the destruction of organic life, a mysterious new enemy has emerged. On the fringes of known space, something is silently abducting entire human colonies. Now Shepard must work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization devoted to human survival at any cost, to stop the most terrifying threat mankind has ever faced.
To even attempt this perilous mission, Shepard must assemble the galaxy’s most elite team and command the most powerful ship ever built. Even then, they say it would be suicide. Commander Shepard intends to prove them wrong.
Features and Improvements
- Six playable classes; Adept, Soldier, Engineer, Vanguard, Sentinel, and Infiltrator. All equipped with special abilities and powers.
- New class specific powers. Engage in cloaking with the Infiltrator, slow down time with the Soldier, and teleport across rooms with the Vanguard.
- Overhauled combat system with new weapons, such as machine pistols and heavy weapons, along with a new training and upgrade system.
- Ammot types allow for the freezing and burning, amoung others, of opponents should your class have access to these features.
- Research and customise your armor to give yourself new protection and style.
- 100's more combat animations and details.
- Improved cinematic camera angles during conversation, as well as an interrupt feature to help increase conversation interactivity.
- Point-and-click to control your ship on the Galaxy Map, managing fuel and exploration. Overhauled map system increases planet interaction, as well as keeping track of which planets you've visited and completed.
- Story focus on squadmates; collect them and earn their trust for the greatest battle the galaxy will ever know.
- A return of many Mass Effect characters in some form or another.
- Continued character support; upload your Mass Effect character and see the consiquences of your actions!
- Full DLC support.
Squad Members
There will be 10 recruitable squad members in Mass Effect 2. Below you will find all of them, with the 'spoiler' characters derrived from videos, footage, and the X360 achievement list. 'Spoiler' characters are marked with the Top Secret image. Click to find out who they are.
   
   
Continue the Adventure: Uploading your Mass Effect Character
Mass Effect 2 on both platforms will allow players to upload their characters from Mass Effect. This will in turn allow Mass Effect 2 to read all the decisions you made and alter the game accordingly. Did you save Kaidan or Ashley? Did you let the Rachni Queen go? Who did you do the dirty with? These decisions and many more are confirmed to make a difference in this glorious sequel. Players will also recieve some bonuses based on other achievements, such as making Level 60 and making full Paragon or Renegade.
Players who did not experience Mass Effect will take part in an interactive flashback sequence to help bring them up to speed, making some decisions then and there to shape the latest game (I think...). Players who wish to import their character from Mass Effect, but dont want to play as the same class, will be given the option to make class changes right at the start, as well as re-customise the look of their character.
This import feature will eventually span on to Mass Effect 3, the final game in Commander Shepard's story arch.
The Stars
Mass Effect 2 features a star filled cast to bring characters and worlds to life. Returning actors Seth Green and Keith David reprise their original roles of Joker and Captain Anderson, while new voices such as Michael Hogan, Tricia Helfer, Martin Sheen, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Adam Baldwin, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski take on new faces. Faces that, mind you, are often modeled after that actors and actresses portraying them.
Screenshots and Videos
Cinematic Trailer
The Stars of Mass Effect 2
E3 Reveal (Improvements, Combat, Characters, and Exploration)
Enemies of Mass Effect 2
And remember, keep watching the skeeeees.
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Last edited by Jarrod on Tue Jan 26, 2010 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total
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Sin Ogaris
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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I'm really getting sick of humanoid playable characters in sci-fi games. I want to have six legs and two freaking heads for a change (Evolva kind of rocked in this regard but didn't go far enough).
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Sinthesys
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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Must. resist. urge. to. click. on. squad. member. pics...
Nice thread, EC. I'm thinking of leaving the info I know about the game at what you've posted, as I'd like to go in with a fresh pair of eyes. I've played through the first one about 3 times, so I think I'm set for this one (depending on what the lvl 60 reward is. Never could be arsed getting past 50)...
| Sin Ogaris wrote: | | I'm really getting sick of humanoid playable characters in sci-fi games. I want to have six legs and two freaking heads for a change |
What, and you play as one of the heads?
That could be pretty cool actually, albeit completely impractical.
It just doesn't make sense for any sort of sentient life to have evolved without fine motor skills that require some form of hand capable of building tools/machinery and operating them. Not to mention anything that uses spiracles (i.e spiders/other insects) as a respiratory system can't be bigger than a foot in diameter and breath properly. The aliens in Mass Effect look a little too humanoid, but overall, I'm not really phased by it. I kill intergalactic freaks, I don't have a beer with em. Except Wrex.
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Edgedancer
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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Just curious but I believed that Tali was returning as a playable squad member considering the role she has played in numerous clips.
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Sinthesys
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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Did....did you not see the giant pic of her in squad member section of EatChildren's post with 'TALI' in giant letters?
I weep for comprehension...
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Tooki
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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I like Subject Zero, she would be a devastating minx in bed ala Xena Onatopp. She would fit in with my badarse male character pefectly.
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Jarrod
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:22 pm Post subject: |
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A simple but awesome improvement is the percentage tracking of planets on the galaxy map. There was nothing worse than trying to collect everything in Mass Effect only to lose track of which planets you visited, what needed to be mined, and where.
At least now you can always tell if a planet offers something more.
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Sin Ogaris
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| Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Sinthesys wrote: | Must. resist. urge. to. click. on. squad. member. pics...
Nice thread, EC. I'm thinking of leaving the info I know about the game at what you've posted, as I'd like to go in with a fresh pair of eyes. I've played through the first one about 3 times, so I think I'm set for this one (depending on what the lvl 60 reward is. Never could be arsed getting past 50)...
| Sin Ogaris wrote: | | I'm really getting sick of humanoid playable characters in sci-fi games. I want to have six legs and two freaking heads for a change |
What, and you play as one of the heads?
That could be pretty cool actually, albeit completely impractical.
It just doesn't make sense for any sort of sentient life to have evolved without fine motor skills that require some form of hand capable of building tools/machinery and operating them. Not to mention anything that uses spiracles (i.e spiders/other insects) as a respiratory system can't be bigger than a foot in diameter and breath properly. The aliens in Mass Effect look a little too humanoid, but overall, I'm not really phased by it. I kill intergalactic freaks, I don't have a beer with em. Except Wrex. |
What if it's a being with strong telekinetic abilities thus not needing hands? Or you could be a six legged, two armed critter with no head, just eyes and mouth on your body sort of thing. It's games like this that effectively allow for ANYTHING and yet they're still firmly grounded in the age old "two legs, two arms, one head" fiasco. The first game had species which weren't humanoid, I want to play as one of them! Or at least have one in my team.
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Sinthesys
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:03 am Post subject: |
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A Rachni teammate would be cool. There'd be quite a few problems to sort out to do it though, I guess they just use humanoids as a matter of programming convenience. But, considering the story is largely centred around the fact that you're the first human spectre, you kinda have to be a human...
Since race doesn't seem to play a part in combat effectiveness, it'd be a largely cosmetic difference anyway. Unless you could play as a race of Gorro-like aliens with two sets of arms that could wield 2-4 guns, that would be awesome...
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Edgedancer
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| Sinthesys wrote: | Did....did you not see the giant pic of her in squad member section of EatChildren's post with 'TALI' in giant letters?
I weep for comprehension... |
Trust me when I say this but that image was not there when I posted my question. The second line of pictures started with Grunt for me. My internet had been screwing up so I was thankful that I had a page to look at at all.
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Nietzsche
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:20 am Post subject: |
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My most hyped game this year. Playing through my fourth time. Basically the guy is called Evil and I'm just a racist/specist? that is just pro-human screw the rest of the galaxy. Next game I'm rolling around with Grunt as his voiced by Jayne from Firefly and that's the only reason.
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Cerebral
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:57 am Post subject: |
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Epic thread. I want to plus, you, unplus you, then plus you again.
Playing through the original at the moment to finish up a paragon playthrough to compliment my Level 60 Renegade playthrough. Hype is at fever pitch.
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PixieGirl
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 4:31 am Post subject: |
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Ohhhh I am quite hyped for ME2 
I hope they make the shooting more fun this time, the reason I loved the first one so much was the story and how I felt very involved in what was unfolding. But I didn't enjoy the gameplay much at all, I thought it was really clunky...
But I read they are improving it a lot, so, if its all good this could be such an amazing game.
*squeee*
| Sin Ogaris wrote: | | I'm really getting sick of humanoid playable characters in sci-fi games. I want to have six legs and two freaking heads for a change (Evolva kind of rocked in this regard but didn't go far enough). |
I don't think I would like playing as an Alien, I always try to make myself as the character in RPGs (well I usually don't bother with the character creation much I just go with the default female face and make sure shes blonde  ) but I don't think I would feel as involved if I was playing as something I couldn't try and attach my persona to.
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Sin Ogaris
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:38 am Post subject: |
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I'm a little ho hum about this game, maybe I'm just not very far into the first title but it doesn't really feel like there's much of a story at all to me, other than a pretty standard fair. What's worse is I can't see any really massive revelations creeping from around the corner (ala Knights of the Old Republic). But hey, if I actually knew where the Hell my ME disc was I'd load it up, polish it off, and finally decide where the game is as brilliant as everyone claims.
That's not to say it isn't a good game but I don't really see where all the mad love comes from... unless it's because the only real competition it's got on most systems is Oblivion and, well, that isn't much of a competition.
As it stands I'm still pretty annoyed that the best western RPG developer we have now is Bioware. Problem is I'm guaranteed to buy this because it'll fill that gaming void left once I complete Dragon Age: Origins.
Last edited by Sin Ogaris on Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:42 am, edited 1 time in total
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Jarrod
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 7:41 am Post subject: |
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Oldschool WRPGs are long dead. Long, long dead.
:'(
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JackSlack
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:31 am Post subject: |
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| EatChildren wrote: | Oldschool WRPGs are long dead. Long, long dead.
:'( |
I dunno, man. Dragon Age was pretty damned old-school and it did OK.
If you ask me, it's jRPGs that seem dead these days. With rare exceptions, they seem very, well, staid.
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Jarrod
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:37 am Post subject: |
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| Sin Ogaris wrote: | | That's not to say it isn't a good game but I don't really see where all the mad love comes from... unless it's because the only real competition it's got on most systems is Oblivion and, well, that isn't much of a competition. |
Mass Effect has a laundry list of flaws and game design issues, but I think what I love about it is the good, fun sci-fi cheese. It borrows so much from so many sci-fi franchises it's practically stealing, but still manages to create a really deep and thorough universe.
Plus I quite like the whole plot premise, as cliche as it is, and it has some nice set pieces, particuarly towards the end.
That and I think I'm sick of Tolkein fantasy. I've been -this close- to buying Dragon Age for awhile now, but every time I look at any footage or screenshots I'm immediately turned off. I used to love that stuff, but for some reason it makes me not want to play the game.
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JackSlack
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| EatChildren wrote: |
Plus I quite like the whole plot premise, as cliche as it is, and it has some nice set pieces, particuarly towards the end. |
That's a good way to put it. It's far from the most original setting, story or anything in the world, nor are there any real twists. But the characters are well drawn, the story involving, and it plays well. I'd watch a Mass Effect film, and that's about the best compliment you can pay.
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Bish
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:00 am Post subject: |
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You know, I would totally buy the collector's edition just for the fact that it's not the ugly (at least, in comparison) normal edition boxart.
 Sure, I've seen worse, but  It's just so pretty. =')
Also! Maybe I just haven't kept up with all the announcements, but you know what's sorely needed in the "Features & Improvements" section? FIXING THE STUPID MAKO SECTIONS.
Spoiler: Crashing that stupid thing in the citadel after going through the mass driver... thing was one of the best parts in the game.
=P
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dloiscute
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:32 am Post subject: |
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There is 100% no way this game could fail.
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lapzod
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| Sin Ogaris wrote: |
That's not to say it isn't a good game but I don't really see where all the mad love comes from... unless it's because the only real competition it's got on most systems is Oblivion and, well, that isn't much of a competition.
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I don't believe it deserves the whole love it gets. There's nothing new in it and it feels just like KotOR all over again, but it's still a bit of fun.
Still for some reason I preordered this, so I'll pick it up on release.
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Jarrod
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:34 am Post subject: |
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Some review scores;
OXM - 9.5 / 10
EDGE - 10/10
OXM said there was tons of replay value, lots of depth to the characters, and lots of improvements, but were ultimately a bit disappointed in the main story
EDGE details are yet to hit, but comparitively they gave the original 7/10.
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Tooki
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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| lapzod wrote: | | Sin Ogaris wrote: |
That's not to say it isn't a good game but I don't really see where all the mad love comes from... unless it's because the only real competition it's got on most systems is Oblivion and, well, that isn't much of a competition.
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I don't believe it deserves the whole love it gets. There's nothing new in it and it feels just like KotOR all over again, but it's still a bit of fun.
Still for some reason I preordered this, so I'll pick it up on release. |
I think it isn't trying to be original, it's just trying to be a good ol Sci-Fi game in my eyes (which doesn't happen as much as it should nowdays).
Also Sin, their is a bit of a revelation but if your still in the early parts of it then you wouldn't pick up on it just yet.
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Nietzsche
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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I still think the first game's ending is one of the best moments in gaming so your missing out. While it doesn't have many huge plot twist it has lots of little turns although Saren as a bad guy was weak as he was just a face to put to the enemy.
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Cerebral
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| Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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Most of the plot-heavy stuff in the first game comes toward the end (Virmire and beyond). ME1 had a ton of flaws from sloppy gunplay to frame rate and texture issues but the excellent characterisation and universe won it over for me. To see EDGE give ME2 a 10/10 is mindblowing.
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