What's all this nay-say on the Mako? Good way to enjoy that is to remove your pants, sit on your sub-woofer, and fire the main cannon. Now tell me that doesn't tingle just a wee bit
Now lets answer this seriously:
Though I have yet to get around to finishing #2 (put it down after the first encounter with the collectors, not out of Rage, Boredom, or any other derogatory reason, but rather due to a friend giving me a USB stick of Bullethell heaven and a potential hint of AD... ooo! Pwetty penny!) I still did get a rather good impression of the differences between it and ME that are noteworthy. It's funny how I usually end up mentioning Starship Troopers (the films for the record) in attempts to describe the Sci-Fi B-movie cheesyness of ME's setting, as I'm seeing the differences in the ME games are comparable to the change of style between the first two movies as well (ST1 being more grandiose and epic, ST2 being more focused and claustrophobic... Third movie? I have no idea what you're talking about!)
Playing ME2 I kind of do miss the scale of things when running around and shooting, like the sequence on Noveria where you wander & shoot around for a bit, then get in the Mako to drive & shoot to the lab where all the hullabaloo is going on. Sure the Mako is more than a little wonky around the corners, but at least you're doing something more than "click hangar door, loading screen, Boop! We're there!" as ME2 would give you. Roaming around in the Mako is still a more fun way of killing time to explore rather than the clickity-click-clickness of scanning for minerals.
That's about where I'd end giving ME props in this comparison (well, other than it actually being an RPG, albeit a lite, sugar free one) as ME2 is kind of better in the other regards. Characters are a little more varied and I'm liking them so far (as previously mentioned, only up until the 2nd round of recruitment so far), combat is definitely more refined and I'm liking the effect that the shield/armor/fleshy-insides system has in regards to effective skills & powers, and I particularly do like the customisability of Shepard's armor options as compared to the first, though I do wish there were options to do so for everyone involved.
So, yeah, until I get around to beating number 2 (which would involve being able to finish the first level of Hellsinker first) I'm going to withhold my judgement on which is better and why. But what the hell do I know, I'm just of of dem fandagled 2010 newfags aren't I?