Mass Effect 2 gameplay thread

[Krusader]

Been playing ME2 for a bit and my thoughts.

I am disappointed in Bioware when it comes to the PC edition. There are no mappable keys for weapons, and the spacebar is used for 3 actions when it could have been split up among 3 different keys instead. Plus mousewheel support for menu scrolling and doubleclicking to open things (like messages, codex entries).

Also, the galaxy map thing...maybe it's just me, but I can't understand a damn thing and have absolutely no idea what my fuel consumption is, how much fuel I have and what the percentage indicator in upper left is for. There is no tutorial entries in the Codex either (Codex is also sloppy. No double-click to open and mousewheel can't be used to scroll down or up).
Can't see the value of the "fuel aspect".

The game is fun otherwise, but as I bought it on Steam I actually did not get a manual. I actually like manuals, because I can read them if there is something I don't understand.
I will echo Monk's statements though that combat is more tactical. I have to take cover whenever I get in a gunfight, as otherwise I'll take too much damage and early on you learn to switch between weapons and powers to take out enemies (what to use versus shields, barriers, armor and vorcha/krogan). I also like how squadmates take cover and having autouse of powers enabled, it seems they use them well enough.

[Beskar]

You could use a controller with it, if it is a keyboard problem. They are very comfortable to use. I recommend a xbox360 styled one.

Edit: They included no controller support, even though it is a port?!?! asofhkjshkjsdjkhjksahjhkjsdhfjkdhgkjh

[Wishazu]

Buy a 360 and play it on that.

[Mailman653]

There seems to be less character interaction than there used to be. Rarely have I seen two of Shep's team just randomly chat to each other while you're just doing whatever. As a matter of fact, one of the few times, maybe the only time, I heard two teamates talk was in regards to the elevators.

Still an awesome game though!

[Beskar]

Buy a 360 and play it on that.

No.

[Monk]

Been playing ME2 for a bit and my thoughts.

I am disappointed in Bioware when it comes to the PC edition. There are no mappable keys for weapons, and the spacebar is used for 3 actions when it could have been split up among 3 different keys instead. Plus mousewheel support for menu scrolling and doubleclicking to open things (like messages, codex entries).

Also, the galaxy map thing...maybe it's just me, but I can't understand a damn thing and have absolutely no idea what my fuel consumption is, how much fuel I have and what the percentage indicator in upper left is for. There is no tutorial entries in the Codex either (Codex is also sloppy. No double-click to open and mousewheel can't be used to scroll down or up).
Can't see the value of the "fuel aspect".

Traveling between stars will pop up your fuel gauge and use it up, using Mass Relays and traveling inside a star-system doesn't require fuel. The % is the extent to which you've explored that star system.

There are some tutorials on your private terminal onboard your ship but there's only 3 of them and they largely focus on combat and squad control.

[Kekvit Irae]

For me, the game SUCKS, and here's why:
(copied and modified from my own post on Bioware's forum)

1. Unable to map the Backspace and Delete keys. I use the arrow keys for movement (I hate WASD), and I used Backspace for the tactical HUD and Delete for holstering my weapon in ME1. Why can't I do that here?

2. Unable to remap certain functions. More specifically, during hacking, the Spacebar is still used to select the codes when hacking a bank terminal or similar item, and there is no way to map that function elsewhere. The control scheme makes me wish I bought the 360 version instead.

3. No manual crouch. I don't like using cover just to crouch.

4. Scanning worlds is slower than two Elcor doing the rumpy pumpy. I have to reposition my mouse several times when moving from pole to pole. At the very least, you could have made it only SLIGHTLY slower than moving the mouse when not scanning.

5. Storm uses the same key as Use and Cover. No, I don't want to accidentally go into cover when running. Keep those two keys seperate.

6. Miranda needs to lay off the Botox. There's only so much of that perpetual smirk I can take before I start shooting.

7. I like being able to Storm outside of combat. I don't like being restricted to fatigue outside of combat.

8. Speaking of fatigue, give us the visual indicator back! I don't like having to rely solely on "burst firing" Storm to get across a station quicker just because the only way I can tell if I'm fatigued is a very subtle audio cue. It also doesn't help the deaf ME gamers (of which my roommate is one of).

9. The new health system. Wow, health that regenerates after a few seconds if you don't get shot. I haven't seen this before! Oh wait, I have. In a hundred other games produced this decade.

10. Medigel is worthless now unless you find upgrades or if your squad dies.

11. The cover system is too overused.

12. The lack of an inventory system and weapon/armor mods no longer makes collecting a tactical decision; it removes collecting all-together.

13. The Day One DLC cant hold a candle to the Day One DLC of Dragon Age (the Normandy Crash pack would have made more of an emotional impact if it unlocked half-way through the game, not at the very beginning when the original Normandy was still fresh in our minds).

14. The DLC armor give you no option to remove the helmets. If you want to wear it, you're stuck looking like a crab, a medieval reject, or someone who got lost on his or her way to Red Faction.

15. The human embassy room is the only place on the Presidium you can go to? Lame.

16. This isn't Mass Effect. This is Gears of War.


Love the story and interactions, hate the game.

[rajpoot]

So err, what happens if you let the council die in the first game? Or if they're kept alive? I mean I'm asking for spoilers here, hope that's OK.....I'd be grateful if someone who's already playing could oblige, with tags of course....

[Beskar]

I got Xpadder to work well with the game, which is good. However, still need KB+M for the hacking options.

The skill selection has been completely simplified.

Armour selection has been completely simplified.

Weapon selection has been completely simplified.

You now require Ammo?


Not impressed with that.

[johnhughthom]

You now require Ammo?

Umm, doesn't that go against the lore of the original?

[Beskar]

Umm, doesn't that go against the lore of the original?

Yes. In the original, ammo was basically grains of sand, thus you pretty much had unlimited. The only issue was the overheating of weapons.

They decided now, to add "thermal clips", which they argue keeps the weapon cool enough for a certain amount of shots, which basically means, you got ammo.

[Krusader]

Been doing the planetary/mineral scan minigame and I'd gladly have the Mako back. It felt boring and I'm probably doing it wrong when I usually use 30 probes per planet.

Mass Effect 2 is still a good game, but I think I won't be looking that forward to Mass Effect 3.

[Kekvit Irae]

So err, what happens if you let the council die in the first game? Or if they're kept alive? I mean I'm asking for spoilers here, hope that's OK.....I'd be grateful if someone who's already playing could oblige, with tags of course....

Nothing major. Whether or not the Council lives or dies has no effect on the game. I haven't played through with an "evil" character on Mass Effect 1 and exported it to Mass Effect 2 yet, so I only know of the "good" playthrough. Making a pre-generated character instead of an imported character will always result in the Council dying.

Council lives:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Minor dialogue throughout the game, and you get to briefly speak with the Council and Ambassador Udina/Anderson (again, depending on who you choose in ME1) about reinstatement to the Spectres once you arrive on the Presidium. They become so arrogant, it's almost worth killing them in ME1, as they outright refuse to acknowledge everything about the Reapers. They believe Sovereign was a highly-advanced Geth ship rather than a Reaper. Choosing to be reinstated into the Spectres has no effect on gameplay either.

[Mailman653]

I finished the game earlier today, it was awesome! I'm gonna totally go through it again soon. I could of sworn ME1 was longer eventhough this game has two disks, I couldn't put either game down yet I recall ME1 lasting longer, I don't know.

I don't like how you get notified for side missions though, in ME1 if you were in a system you'd get a distress call or get a com signal from the Alliance about something they want you to check out. In ME2, if you don't go out looking for it, you'll never find it cause hardly anyone tells you, hey this is going on in that planet or something, check it out. Although I suppose it goes back to the theme of the game, mission first, everyone else second.

[Kekvit Irae]

Apparently not EVERYTHING in ME1 transfers over smoothly in ME2. When I met Conrad the fan in Illium, he told me I shoved a gun in his face (the Renegade option in ME1) two years ago. My character is pure Paragon, and certainly didn't choose the Renegade choice, so maybe the writers got sloppy about him.