Does anyone actually prefer ME1 to ME2?

[sser]

ME2 wasn't particularly fun. It had that awful mix of cover-shooting and regenerating health... and it didn't really let you have any options with weapons... all the upgrades were passive... and the active skills were almost entirely unnecessary. They could not have made the game more simple or formulaic. I'm not even sure how I finished it; I think I just sat down at one point, made a team of the purest shooters and ground my way through only for my efforts to be rewarded with fighting a giant fucking terminator with Kelly's DNA flowing through it.

I enjoyed ME1 too, but not really for the characters. I just liked the idea of an RPG in space and there are a few interesting storylines going on that, quite frankly, make the Lovecraftian Reapers more banal than they already are. Also the combat could actually be difficult and the active skills were actually useful.

Both games still fail a lot in delivery, though. There's a lot of interesting background information to the stories, but they are literally never expanded upon. It's always this strange, hollow approach to issues that are initially presented as very serious. Problems of genocide, warfare, annihilation, etc., are all dealt with by characters basically either going, "Okay" or "Hmph." The only character I can recall being remotely responsive to serious issues was the Krogan in the first game when you got to the cloning facility. The choice between Kaidan and Ashely that followed I could not care less and chose entirely based on which member I felt was more of a statistical asset to my teams. I felt bad when the Krogan got put down because he seemed pretty sincere and realistic. Those other two, like basically every single character in these games, were more or less overly righteous assholes. Even Jack turned out to be an overly righteous asshole in ME2. That's how stupid almost all these characters are. They took the most "hard" character and put a dress on her, more or less. It's like the ending to The Breakfast Club where the outcast character conforms to society. Fuck that shit.

 

[RK47]

They really need to add more kick to the weapons.
The assault rifles felt too comfortable, while the smgs are all over the place. Pistols are good but small clip means no longevity.

Just a little tweaking to make weapons more attractive would be to learn from real gun mods.

Scope attachments.
Stability mods.
ROF increase.
Clip size modifier.
Grenade launcher attachments.
Hell, letting Shepard go dual auto-pistol akimbo would be the ultimate badass.

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I miss having an actual inventory, and the larger exploration design. Just because they weren't done well in 1 was no reason to remove them for 2. Get rid of a romance or two and check back on the concepts that need work.


But what I miss the most are Biotic powers that are worth a shit. Biotics went from 'quality member of team' to 'what is the point'.

 

[MicoSelva]

I played through Layer of the Shadow Broker recently and it actually took a good two or three hours.

Nice. Then I should get about 5 hours total from LotSB and Arrival together. Considering the main plot of ME2 is not much longer, it should feel like a proper expansion to the game.

I liked both Kaidan and Ass Ash too. Or rather, I liked Kaidan and wanted to see Ashley naked. The decision wasn't easy, but in the end, I went the pragmatic route and saved Kaidan, since him and Wrex were my team of choice for every mission.

The reaper concept did not seem as bad in ME1, as Shepard supposedly stopped their wake up call, giving biologicals a lot of time to think of something. Then, in ME2 it turns out reapers have a backup plan, which is a good idea in itself, but then their backup plan turns out to be building a human reaper, which is retarded. The backup plan is stopped too, but the reapers wake up anyway, which is even more retarded. Although, the idea of reapers procreating by devouring biological life kind of makes sense, and justifies their 50 000 year gaps in activity (waiting for life to regrow).

ME2 (...) failed to deliver. The only control you have is the order you solve your crew's daddy issues in, and how well you upgrade your shit before the final mission. Wow, color me underwhelmed.

This.

Can't say I have much hope at all for the third installment. I expect more of ME2

And this.

EDIT:

But what I miss the most are Biotic powers that are worth a shit. Biotics went from 'quality member of team' to 'what is the point'.

Also this.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

You're all horrible and have no grip on reality. I hope that if you one day receive an award I'll be in the audience so I can protest loudly.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

Yeah, seriously. What the fuck, mang. I mean, horse.

 

[attackfighter]

3. The game clearly explained why Shepard goes to investigate those planets.

The reasons for you traveling to the first two planets end up being loosely related to what you find there. You're told that Noveria has had Geth activity, so you go there to investigate that... and surprise, it turns out that Berenziah is waiting for you with coordinates to the Mu Relay. Quite the coincidence. Again under the pretence of investigating "Geth activity" you're sent off to Feros, where that "activity" turn out to be a full out invasion and home to a mind reading plant which pukes out another Asari who gladly hands over teh Cipher.

The problem with this stage of the plot is that Shepard basically unravels everything almost inadvertantly. You're suppposed to be tracking down this ruthless ex-agent but instead of using any sort of cunning or logic to mask his actions he simply leaves behind henchmen and coordinates at every site in the galaxy in which Geth have been spotted. Shepard doesn't have to follow a subtle trail of clues, he just "investigates" the first 3 planets he's sent to and ends up saving the day.

 

[meh]

Recently, after reading some threads regarding ME2 I somewhat want to install and try it out. What's wrong with me? What have you done, Jaesun?

 

[hoverdog]

 

[torpid]

Are people seriously arguing about the plot? When it obviously makes no sense? We're a couple thousand -- million? -- giant space robots, yet we'll diddle around engaging in a bunch of covert activities with no significant tangible benefits aside from designing a human reaper for the lulz after having watched twentieth-century 2D science-fiction films revolving around an Austrian bodybuilder. Also, kill off then resurrect Shepard to get him to join Cerberus because you're too lazy to write about him having a change of heart, a grimdark conversion or something else less obviously scripted. Then underlining the fact that its a lazy cop-out by bringing back the Normandy and a few squad members from the first game in the smallest of worlds ever seen in a space opera, because you don't actually want to change the whole setup in any significant way; you just want Shepard to change teams effortlessly. And this is just scratching the surface.

The first game was simple: GIANT DOOM ROBOT WANTS TO KILL YOU, and it had that decent twist about the Citadel being a giant beacon meant to attract the Reapers. Quite mediocre, but nothing as pointlessly convoluted as ME2.

 

[Kaanyrvhok]

I prefer ME2 simply because everything that was "dumbed down" was shit in a first place.Shitfuck inventory was just waste of time.If they do something they must do it good and if they can't better for them to remove it.

Agreed with the exception of the stat based shooting. ME 2 was simply more fun. KOTOR and Dragon Age are examples of when 'dumbed down' matters. In ME it didnt matter much so the improvements were a net positive.

 

[attackfighter]

Are people seriously arguing about the plot? When it obviously makes no sense? We're a couple thousand -- million? -- giant space robots, yet we'll diddle around engaging in a bunch of covert activities with no significant tangible benefits aside from designing a human reaper for the lulz after having watched twentieth-century 2D science-fiction films revolving around an Austrian bodybuilder. Also, kill off then resurrect Shepard to get him to join Cerberus because you're too lazy to write about him having a change of heart, a grimdark conversion or something else less obviously scripted. Then underlining the fact that its a lazy cop-out by bringing back the Normandy and a few squad members from the first game in the smallest of worlds ever seen in a space opera, because you don't actually want to change the whole setup in any significant way; you just want Shepard to change teams effortlessly. And this is just scratching the surface.

The human reaper is corny and the pseudo science behind it's creation is dumb, but otherwise it made sense. The reason the reapers invade the galaxy every 50,000 years is so that they can kidnap members of certain species and build new reapers out of them, essentially reproducing. Also this plot point owes it's existence to Mass Effect 1; they had to find some way to explain the "incomprehensible" reaper invasion and no matter where they went with it it would've ended up either lame or stupid. Mass Effect 1 set it's sequel up for a fall here.

Having Shepard saved by Cerberus isn't lazy. It's dramatic. If they just had Shepard suck up to Cerberus after, I don't know, being blown off by the council or something, THAT would've been lazy.

The first game was simple: GIANT DOOM ROBOT WANTS TO KILL YOU, and it had that decent twist about the Citadel being a giant beacon meant to attract the Reapers. Quite mediocre, but nothing as pointlessly convoluted as ME2.

Ummm, no. The first game had quite a bit more to it than that.

 

[circ]

Ummm, no. The first game had quite a bit more to it than that.

Ok fine. CYBERNETIC ORGANISM SAREN WANTS TO SOMETHING. IT WILL ALL BECOME CLEAR VERY SOON. BENEZIA WANTS TO SOMETHING TOO. IT WILL ALL BECOME CLEAR VERY SOON.

OH JUST KILL BENEZIA. OK.

FLYING AROUND THE GA-LA-XY.

LOSE SOME GROUPMATES.

SAREN SAREN SOMETHING SOMETHING. SHOOT HIM IN THE FACE.

GIANT DOOM ROBOT MONSTER WANTS TO KILL YOU.

 

[20 Eyes]

Ummm, no. The first game had quite a bit more to it than that.

Ok fine. CYBERNETIC ORGANISM SAREN WANTS TO SOMETHING. IT WILL ALL BECOME CLEAR VERY SOON. BENEZIA WANTS TO SOMETHING TOO. IT WILL ALL BECOME CLEAR VERY SOON.

OH JUST KILL BENEZIA. OK.

FLYING AROUND THE GA-LA-XY.

LOSE SOME GROUPMATES.

SAREN SAREN SOMETHING SOMETHING. SHOOT HIM IN THE FACE.

GIANT DOOM ROBOT MONSTER WANTS TO KILL YOU.

U WAKE UP DEAD EXCEPT UR NOT LOL

CERBERUS FIXED YOU. I KNOW YOU KILLED THEM BY THE DOZNES IN THE PAST, BUT JUST ROLL WITH IT.

NO, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH CERBERUS. NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT. NO, THEY THINK YOU'RE CRAZY AGAIN LOL. NO, YOU CAN ONLY BE EXTREME SHEPARD WHEN THERE IS A RED INDICATOR ON SCREEN. DO YOU SEE RED INDICATOR ON THE SCREEN? DIDN'T THINK SO.

SO ANYWAY YOU GET ON CERBERUS'S SHIP, RIGHT? AND PPL ARE DIAPPEARING. BUG-ALEINS ARE TAKING THEM AWAY. THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT IS A SUICIDE MISION SO EDGEY INTO BUGSPACE.

NO, THE ALLIANCE DOESN"T CARE. NO YOU CAN"T TAKE THEIR SHIP AND DO IT ON YOUR OWN, YOU NEED CERBERUS BECAUSE...

...BECAUSE...

SO ANYWAYS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE BUG-GUY FROM PWNING UR DUDES IS TO RECRUIT A DOZENISH VERY INTERESTING CHARACTERS, LIKE ANGRY TURTLE JR., SPACE-BATMAN, AND GOTH GIRL. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER SOME OF THE RETURNING FAVORITES, UNLESS THEY"RE POTENTIALLY DEAD BECAUSE IT'S TOO MUCH WORK TO MAKE AN NPC THAT ONLY SOME PEOPLE CAN USE. UNLESS THEY PAY REAL MONIES FOR THEM LOL.

BUT ONCE YOUR FIND THESE ALIENS, THEY'RE NOT TRULLY READY FOR THE MISSION BECAUSE THERE SAD. BECUASE THERE DAD/CHILD/LOVER/SIBLING NEVER LOVED THEM. IT"S UP TO MAJOR SHEPARD TO EARN THE LOVE OF THESE ALIENS AND BE THE HUSBAND/FATHER/BROTHER/SON THAT THEY NEVER HAD, OR THEY HAD A SHITTY ONE OF.

AND ALONG THE WAY, AS UR EARNING THERE LOVE, YOU UPGRADE YOUR SHIP. UPGRADE YOUR WEAPONS. BOOM, UR SUICIDE MISSON. IF UR ALIENS DON"T LOVE YOU AND YOUR CAT WAS PLAYING IN YOUR PLACE FOR SIGNIFCANT PORTIONS OF THE GAME, UR ALEINS MITE DIE WHEN U SEE A GIANT AUSTRIAN FETUS. THEN YOU CAN DECIDE WHETHER TO BETRAY CERBERUS OR NOT, AND MASS EFFECT 3 WILL HAVE A GREAT BRANCHIGN STORYLINE JUST LIKE PART II DID. WE PROMOSE.

(c) Bioware Studios 2010, all rights reserved.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

u maek it sound studip if u rite it in all capz liek thta

 

[J1M]

The entire problem with Mass Effect's story is the Reapers themselves.

Space Cop is a cool enough fantasy on its own. It doesn't require a big bad capable of destroying the universe. Investigating crimes, solving diplomatic crises, and facing the temptation/ire of the shadowbroker with an escalation leading to the hunting down of a rogue agent for the most powerful law enforcement agency in the galaxy would have been a satisfying narrative.

Making something a creditable threat to the galaxy also makes it unbelievable as something that a small group of individuals can be responsible for stopping.

 

[attackfighter]

IN FALLOUUT U HAVE 2 GET A WATER PURIFEIR CHIP CUZ ITS GRIM DARK AND THERS NO WAY TO GET THE WATER UNLESS U GOT A RARE WATER CHIP THAT CAN't BE REPLICATED

U GET THE WATER CHIP BUT AT WHAT COST????!?!?!!! MORAL DILEMNA TIME BECAUSE ITS A GRIMDARRK SETTING

OH NO SUPER TUFF BAD GUY MUTANTS ARE INVADING LOOKS LIKE ITS KILLIN' TIEM. BUT WAIT THEIR LEADER IS ACTUALLY JUST A MISUNDERSTOOD RETARD I GUESS HE WAAS ONLY DOING WHAT HE THOUGHT WUZ RIGHT ALL ALONG

TIME TO GO SEE OVERSEER BUT HE WONT LET U BACK INTO THE VAULT CUZ HES A MEANY HEAD! LOOKS LIKE ITS C&C TIME EITHER U BLOW HIS BRAINS OUT FOR LULZ OR WALK AWAY LIKE A BITCH

(c) Black Isle Studios 1997, all rights reserved.

 

[attackfighter]

The entire problem with Mass Effect's story is the Reapers themselves.

Space Cop is a cool enough fantasy on its own. It doesn't require a big bad capable of destroying the universe. Investigating crimes, solving diplomatic crises, and facing the temptation/ire of the shadowbroker with an escalation leading to the hunting down of a rogue agent for the most powerful law enforcement agency in the galaxy would have been a satisfying narrative.

Making something a creditable threat to the galaxy also makes it unbelievable as something that a small group of individuals can be responsible for stopping.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

The Reapers are the WORST thing about the ME universe really. I wish they'd just decided instead that the Protheans are the precursors as it seemed at first and then just made something slightly less epic. I love the production quality of the ME games (even if the first game's gameplay wasn't that great to me) and ever since Star Wars went full retard this has been my favorite sci-fantasy universe.

 

[J1M]

The entire problem with Mass Effect's story is the Reapers themselves.

Space Cop is a cool enough fantasy on its own. It doesn't require a big bad capable of destroying the universe. Investigating crimes, solving diplomatic crises, and facing the temptation/ire of the shadowbroker with an escalation leading to the hunting down of a rogue agent for the most powerful law enforcement agency in the galaxy would have been a satisfying narrative.

Making something a creditable threat to the galaxy also makes it unbelievable as something that a small group of individuals can be responsible for stopping.

Couldn't agree more.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the choice about who dies in ME1 was quite obviously about whether or not you supported the human supremacist views of the lady or the liberalism of the manboy. Of all the choices Bioware has offered about companions, it was one of the more interesting ones because similar to real sci-fi it asks an interesting question.

 

[Gord]

The entire problem with Mass Effect's story is the Reapers themselves.

Space Cop is a cool enough fantasy on its own. It doesn't require a big bad capable of destroying the universe. Investigating crimes, solving diplomatic crises, and facing the temptation/ire of the shadowbroker with an escalation leading to the hunting down of a rogue agent for the most powerful law enforcement agency in the galaxy would have been a satisfying narrative.

Making something a creditable threat to the galaxy also makes it unbelievable as something that a small group of individuals can be responsible for stopping.

That's why I'm saying that the Spectre motif has been barely used in ME1. Sure, you get some dialogue and it's referenced a couple of times (as on Noveria, e.g.) but most of the time it feels as if you are working more for Terran Military than the anyone else.
The hunt for Saren is a follow-up on an attack on a Terran colony and I got the impression that Shepards spectre status was more some way for the council to make those pesky humans shut up about the issue and give them something to do.

Now I don't think the basic idea of the reapers is bad - in fact the concept of the gates and the citadel as a way to control sentient life is interesting, imho, but it would maybe have been better to introduce them later and more slowly.
Start out as a Spectre, do some secret Spectre shit, hunt down criminals, then former-sprectre-gone-rogue Saren.
Then over the course of ME2 you start to unveil the Reaper threat. ME3 could then be about the galaxy dealing with the threat and the big showdown with the reapers.

There - I'm at least not worse than Biowares writers, I should get a job in the gaming industry. If necessary I can lower my writing standards a bit.

 

[Achilles]

I agree with Mangsy, ME1 was better than ME2. He made some great points too.

 

[attackfighter]

The entire problem with Mass Effect's story is the Reapers themselves.

Space Cop is a cool enough fantasy on its own. It doesn't require a big bad capable of destroying the universe. Investigating crimes, solving diplomatic crises, and facing the temptation/ire of the shadowbroker with an escalation leading to the hunting down of a rogue agent for the most powerful law enforcement agency in the galaxy would have been a satisfying narrative.

Making something a creditable threat to the galaxy also makes it unbelievable as something that a small group of individuals can be responsible for stopping.

Couldn't agree more.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the choice about who dies in ME1 was quite obviously about whether or not you supported the human supremacist views of the lady or the liberalism of the manboy. Of all the choices Bioware has offered about companions, it was one of the more interesting ones because similar to real sci-fi it asks an interesting question.

I just picked the one I was romancing (the lady)