4

Quote :

"Apparently there is no driving in this one."

Thank god. Driving sucked. I did enjoy roaming the deserted planets and destroying the enemy camps I found though.

[Edited on January 25, 2010 at 10:01 AM. Reason : mathfail]

1/25/2010 10:00:11 AM

I'm getting everything but the Gamestop stuff anyway.

1/25/2010 10:42:51 AM

I preordered from Gamestop to get the blackhole gun and can pick it up at like 10pm tonight or something. I won't be able to play it for a few days though

1/25/2010 10:48:16 AM

Steam doesn't seem to be unlocking the game until like 5 PM tomorrow, which is complete bullshit.

1/25/2010 10:56:29 AM

They did the same with with dragon age

I freaked out

1/25/2010 11:09:02 AM

Quote :

"can pick it up at like 10pm tonight or something"

you can pay for it in full at 10 but they won't actually hand it to you until 12am. (you just have to pay for it before 12am)

1/25/2010 11:31:17 AM

Gay. Maybe I'll just go there at like 11:45 to pay for it. Its the Gamestop in Cary, is it usually crowded? I don't really see this as a huge release game, as far as on the scale of Halo, GoW, or COD

1/25/2010 11:40:52 AM

If you can't play if for a few days anyway, I don't see the point of going to get it tonight

Just pick it up tomorrow or the next day

1/25/2010 11:42:44 AM

It is usually really crowded at the one in Cary. However, the minute they open the door, regardless if you are in the back of the line, you will get your game in a matter of 5-10 minutes tops.

Just go inside upon arrival to pay for it, they hand you a receipt, hold onto that and you're good to go.

I'll be at the one in Brier Creek with SandSanta

1/25/2010 11:44:24 AM

Quote :

"The one thing that pissed me off was that the side missions were basically all the same, right down to the interior of every building on the "random encounter" planets being identical Give me some varied sidequests with tangible rewards and I'll be happy"

i agree. I also did not like how your class limited you effectively to a certain gun or two. Sure a "soldier" should have superior weapons ability; but as a sentiental you should have "basic" skills to say pick up a sniper rifle.

1/25/2010 1:00:27 PM

Quote :

"If you can't play if for a few days anyway, I don't see the point of going to get it tonight Just pick it up tomorrow or the next day"

It says I need to pick it up within 48 hours or I get charged a restocking fee. Which isn't that bad really. But I've also heard about how Gamestop will sell the preorder copies to anyone who is standing around at midnight, and I don't want to lose my preorder perks

Maybe I'll just go later on Tuesday.

1/25/2010 2:13:38 PM

Almost finished going through the first one. Did some of the side quests and read all the dialogue. At 7.5 hours so far. Think I can finish it in 9. It's a small RPG compared to Oblivion or Fallout. Not as many locations or cities etc. Was still fun though. Now back to 2!

1/25/2010 2:21:00 PM

You can certainly beat Fallout 3 and probably beat Oblivion in 9 hours also if you stick to the main quest.

1/25/2010 2:34:25 PM

Fallout and Oblivion it was easier to get sidetracked since you could just walk around and find sidequests

With Mass Effect, you have to actually pilot your ship around the galaxy to other planets, so you don't just stumble upon random shit as easily

1/25/2010 2:37:17 PM

^^Good point, but there's many many more side quests and areas to explore in both Oblivion and Fallout3 and the side quests are way more in depth and involve more story/dialogue than in Mass Effect. I enjoyed Mass Effect but it was defiantly much more linear than any of the Bethesda RPGs. Partially because ^ yeah you had to travel everywhere in a space ship.

1/25/2010 3:45:07 PM

I agree Bethesda's RPG's are more open than Bioware's.

The story suffers though. I don't think I've ever played a Bethesda RPG with as good of a story as any Bioware RPG. And forget Dialog, it doesn't even exist in Oblivion, it's a bit better in Fallout 3 but nowhere near as deep as a Bioware game.

1/25/2010 4:19:01 PM

^agreed, but both are fun for their own reasons.

1/25/2010 4:27:31 PM

I did not finish oblivion, I did finish Mass Effect.

Part of the reason is I did so much side shit that I got bored and never finished. Mass Effect gives you the side quest but still leaves you focused on the main quests.

1/25/2010 6:10:24 PM

^same thing happened to me.

I have also not finished fallout 3 for that very reason.

1/25/2010 6:12:04 PM

THEREFOR

Mass Effect > Oblivion!

Although I would like Mass Effect 2 to feel less linear in the level design. Thats the one thing Oblivion had going for it.

You could walk randomly through the world and stumble on the back door of some dungeon.

[Edited on January 25, 2010 at 6:33 PM. Reason : asd]

1/25/2010 6:32:23 PM

Quote :

"Part of the reason is I did so much side shit that I got bored and never finished"

lol this happened to me also. I spent so much time raiding random dungeons by the time I was halfway through the main quest i was some rediculous level. I was determined though and made myself finish the game.

1/25/2010 8:06:55 PM

Zaeed looks awesome

http://masseffect.bioware.com/video/346/

1/25/2010 11:50:20 PM

K beat ME1 in 9.5 hours. Restarted Mass Effect 2 so I could import my character. Playing catch up now.

1/26/2010 1:16:41 AM

joystiq is calling it the best action RPG in history. omg!!!!!!!!!!!

1/26/2010 8:51:37 AM

love being a dorkus smorkus and taking the afternoon off to play a video game

1/26/2010 9:15:50 AM

I'll be taking all of tomorrow off to do the very same thing

1/26/2010 9:28:41 AM

Looks like GOTY material.

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/masseffect2

1/26/2010 10:12:11 AM

I'm like 15 hours in, and while I'm having a complete blast, I think it's a bit crazy to be calling this this best RPG ever, or even game of the year. Personally, with all the changes they've made I don't even feel like it's a better game than ME1. Not really a slam on ME2, just an observation. This game really feels a lot like a shooter with some RPG elements (namely a great storyline and tons of dialog) rather than a real RPG. Maybe it's just the way I'm playing it, but I don't feel like there's really too many differing ways to play it to be honest. Again, not a complaint, it's still an amazing game, but just not quite what I was expecting.

1/26/2010 10:40:37 AM

I just have to say that ME2 is a HUGE improvement to ME1 especially the combat/moving about AND you can actually sprint whenever you feel like it.

Also the bonus armor that came with Dragon Age and the bonus armor for pre-ordering do look pretty badass, cant decide which to use hah

1/26/2010 11:54:10 AM

The combat elements have improved, yes, but the RPG elements have taken a giant leap backwards, IMO.

I guess it just comes down to what kind of game you're looking to play. Personally I've always loved the KOTOR/ME1 way of doing things and was hoping for more of the same. I just don't feel like the improvements outweigh losing the true RPG feel. It's still a great game though, I really don't want to sound like I'm complaining.

1/26/2010 12:28:30 PM

I'm not quite sure I follow. I feel that the RPG elements are the same or marginally improved over ME1. (The leveling system, picking skill points etc is very similar if not a little improved)

The dialog has the same concept.

Customizing your outfits etc.

I'm probably missing something because I haven't played that many RPGS...the only ones I've ever completed were ME1, and the KOTR series.


I haven't gotten far enough to comment on the side quests though.

[Edited on January 26, 2010 at 12:44 PM. Reason : .]

1/26/2010 12:43:35 PM

If you mean loot/inventory system by RPG I found that hideously broken in ME1 anyway.

1/26/2010 12:54:06 PM

i don't see why you can't have both good action and solid RPG elements. i mean, look at fallout 3. i'm reserving judgment until i play, though, and that will be a while. my copy is still in illinois.

1/26/2010 1:09:38 PM

Game is unlocked

But Steam is decrypting game files now

Looks like this will take 15-20 minutes

1/26/2010 1:12:43 PM

Eh, I'm not going to get engaged into a debate about it because it will just end up looking like I'm trashing the game, and as I've said that's not my intention. All I'm trying to say is that it seems like they took the inventory and character development aspects of the game and simplified them to the point that they practically don't matter anymore. There differences between classes seems almost nonexistent for most things, which I suppose could be considered both good and bad. They don't even bother to tell you what classes your teammates are because I guess it doesn't really matter. I don't love the fact that your party is now 3 instead of 4. And I actually enjoyed things like searching for a pair of boots that match my armor/helmet/gloves/etc so I can get a matching set and any bonuses that come with it. And yes, the looting system in ME1 wasn't perfect, but it seems like their solution for ME2 was to completely remove it. All I'm trying to say is that there are certain aspects of ME1 that I liked better than ME2. But either way, this game is tons of fun, and in the end, that's what matters.

1/26/2010 1:39:47 PM

The party size in Mass Effect has always been 3

You sure you're not thinking of Dragon Age?

1/26/2010 1:41:46 PM

All of that micromanaging inventory can be fun initially but gets old quick.."Oh fuck I can't find the gauntlets that match my shield!"...I prefer a streamlined system

1/26/2010 1:43:24 PM

i found the inventory system in ME1 to be onerous, which is a pretty egregious offense considering how well regarded BioWare RPGs are. i'm not sure it was necessary to completely remove it though.

1/26/2010 1:46:25 PM

Quote :

"The party size in Mass Effect has always been 3 You sure you're not thinking of Dragon Age?"

If anything, I'm thinking of KOTOR, but I did think that ME1 had a 4 party system too.

Quote :

"All of that micromanaging inventory can be fun initially but gets old quick.."Oh fuck I can't find the gauntlets that match my shield!"...I prefer a streamlined system"

I totally understand this way of thinking, and I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of people that feel that way, but personally I enjoy stupid little things like that.

1/26/2010 2:04:49 PM

I hated the fact that if my inventory was full and i forgot to empty some stuff out, then I pick up something I want to use the only option is to turn it into omni-gel and not be able to trash something else in my inventory. (ME1) Hell you couldn't even back out of the menu. Literally only had one button to press and that was X.

1/26/2010 2:25:30 PM

^Like most RPGs.

Quote :

"All I'm trying to say is that it seems like they took the inventory and character development aspects of the game and simplified them to the point that they practically don't matter anymore."

Totally agree. IMO it's much less of an RPG than Mass Effect 1, and missions are still pretty linear. It's just a shooter that allows you to choose the order in which you do things and gives you a little bit of choice over what your party does.

1/26/2010 3:14:19 PM

Wow from reading these reviews, i am not sure i want to buy this game anymore. Sounds just like a new "Halo" run and gun type game now with few "choices" added to it as an attempt to label it a RPG.

1/26/2010 3:20:50 PM

^that was my first impression. It's still fun though, but if you go in expecting a true RPG you'll be disappointed.

1/26/2010 3:39:39 PM

It didn't come in the mail today

1/26/2010 4:50:30 PM

Release day delivery ftw

Secretary brought it in and I played it cool like I wasn't going to rip it open as soon as she left my office

Too bad my best laid plans to skip this afternoon and play didn't work out

1/26/2010 4:51:47 PM

yea release date delivery is awesome....i got it for PC

also

fuck the inventory system in ME1

that is all

1/26/2010 5:47:19 PM

Did you all import your ME1 character or start new??

1/26/2010 6:19:24 PM

http://www.annakie.com/me/home.htm

if u need a save

1/26/2010 6:25:23 PM

installing now

1/26/2010 6:31:46 PM

^^^I imported. Best I can tell, there are no downsides to importing. And I'm one of those anal-retentive-gotta explore every option-don't want to do anything that might lock me into not getting a choice on something people. I would say if you have the option to import you probably should.

1/26/2010 6:32:18 PM