Since I'm in the middle of a great book, I found it hard to find time to draw stuff worth showing. So, I'll take a few minutes to write a quick review of Mass Effect 2 after completing a first run of the game and starting a new one.
To give you an overview of how I played, I visited every planets of the game and completed every mission I found. All this in Veteran mode. Total time of this run is around the 45 hours (think of how many drawings I could have done with all this time available...).
To say that I was waiting for the game is an understatement. I completed 4 runs of Mass Effect 1 on various difficulties, with various ending but always as a Paragon. I'm just a sucker when it comes to bullying people around. You get more done with a smile in real life.
So, high expectations is the short road for high disappointments. But I'm an optimistic. Ask around.
When I first put the game in my 360, I was excited! I had just completed a last complete" run of ME1 to import my character! The game begins with a bang, not unlike the first. But the gameplay is so different that I was not sure what to think of it.
However, after a few hours (roughly 20), I began to remember that this gameplay was actually what I was expecting from the first 3 years ago. But even then, I was thinking "it took me 3 runs of ME1 to 'get it', to master the game, to customize my character to create the experience I wanted. And almost all of it is now gone". Nevertheless, it didn't bothered me for long.
Let's go to the point right away, shall we.
What really disappointed me?
- the way you gain experience:
In ME1 you really felt that each experience, each action was a step forward because everything was rewarded with experience. Even a few points is a great feeling and encourages you to do more, especially when it comes to speaking with your crew. your character was always evolving and you could level up in the middle of a fight. That felt just GREAT!
- the way you buy new powers :
I can't emphasize enough how frustrated I felt toward the end when I leveled up and gained 1 loosy point that didn't allow me to buy any power. You have a limited amount of powers, and the first time you boost this power, you need 1XP point, the second time, you need 2 points, the third time, you need 3 points, and the fourth... I let you guess. I couldn't buy new powers for the last 3 or 4 missions.
What surprised me, and not always in a positive way, but never in a destructive way ?
- importing your ME1 character (Shepard):
I was expecting A LOT from this. Way too much I guess... When I heard, a week before the release of the game, that I would loose my powers and my level 50, I was already devastated... But knowing it before getting the game was a good point. I could concentrate on the other stuff I was expecting
- importing your ME1 character (some of your choices):
So, tell me how saving or not saving the council is a huge consequence in ME2? Because we don't see much of the council in ME2. And I really didn't felt any consequences. I just notice that it was indeed taken into account but how does it changes my adventure? The council give me back my specter status: does it have any consequences? The council refuses to see me, I don't know if I have a specter status but, really, does it change anything? We don't see much of the reporter Emily Wong either. What about my romance too? Except for a brief kiss when crossing path with my former girl, we got right to business.
- don't feel the pressure of your mission during the game:
Unlike ME1 where you always felt guilty doing side missions because "the fate of the galaxy" is waiting for you to complete the 4 majors missions (Feros, Virmine, etc), in ME2, it felt like "take your time, do what you want, humans can more or less wait". Overall, I didn't feel much relation between side missions and the main quest and this left me with a strange feeling. In the first, I felt I was helping the Alliance. Here, I don't know if I'm helping Cerberus or just doing some level grinding.
- empire strikes back feeling
So, we were told this was a dark sequel. I was expecting something way darker. I mean, really dark. Pitch black dark. I was expecting my ME1 romance to die. This would have been hard and sad. I was expecting some friends to betray me.
All in all, at the end, my team survived and I didn't feel any loss. I didn't feel sad. I didn't even have to sacrifice anyone unlike the first.
and I didn't feel quite alone: my team was with me till the end and Cerberus is now backing me up for the inevitable final confrontation.
- the "romance"
And by romance, I mean SEX. My first romance in ME1, with Ashley, really took me by surprise. Mainly because it was sensual, erotic in a way and it was filmed in a very suggestive way. For my first run of ME2, I romanced Subject Zero (not really by choice, I just didn't managed to seduce Miranda... I guess I'm more natural with bad girls :-)). Was I disappointed by this "sex" scene? Hell YES! We don't even get the feeling the girl is naked!
This absolutely needs to be corrected in the final chapter! ABSOLUTELY!!
ROMANCE = SENSUALITY = SEXUALITY = NO CLOTHES and NO BRAS!
Work the camera angles if it feels to "pornographic" or "erotic" but having sex, in bed, with a girl who keeps her bra is just weird and gives us the feeling we are playing a game for kids. ME2 is rated Mature! Same goes for Dragon Age: Origin by the way!
What felt good and really good, and really awesome?
- importing your ME1 character (your missions and your choices):
I really loved to see my choices to save the Rachni having a consequence in the game (can't wait to see how it helps in the final showdown in ME3). I loved to cross path with the crime lord I helped in ME1. I loved to see, even briefly, former characters like... Conrad. It felt really GOOD!
- the new team:
You have a team of bad asses that kick asses! When I first learned that our team would be different in ME2, I was disappointed. You grow attached to your sidekicks... But the new team is simply AWESOME! Based on the teasers prior to the release, I was worried about Grunt, he turned out to be a real asset. I didn't know what to think of Subject Zero, she is Ze real bad biotic. I was enthusiastic about Miranda (I mean: just look!), she exceeded my expectations. Mordin is so fun and funny, I really love the guy! And I can go on for each and every member of my team.
They plain and simply rock!
Even Joker, the only character I couldn't stand in the first, was a real fun guy in this one. His tandem with the AI is just great and funny as hell.
- the new gameplay:
Like I said, it was, after all, what I expected from ME1 the first time I played it so, it's cool to have a more action game this time around. My only regret lies with the Mako. I'd have love to have a bit of planet exploration aboard the famous vehicule.
Beside, this bold change raises the question: what's gonna be the gameplay in the third? More vehicule? More action (is it possible?)? A way back to more RPG features?
- the story:
Even though it's not as full of surprises as the first one, learning who the Prothean are, was really a blast and a shock (didn't see that one coming!). And basically, the way this story brings us little by little to an epic conclusion is just awesome. I can't wait for the third now.
Well, ok, I couldn't wait the moment I started ME2 anyway.
- the animation
Characters animation is just simply great. I love to see Shepard jumping those crates! Actually, it's so seamless that I almost forgot to mention it. "The greatest FX are those you don't see".
- the score, editing and movie experience
I can listen to Jacob's theme over and over. I can still feel the excitement of the last battle just by listening to the themes. Great work there.
Basically, Bioware can create a game and gives us the feeling of watching an epic movie during the cut-scenes, they can even do that during credits (I mean, look at the intro of ME1!). Again, they don't disappoint in this one.
So now, I give a rating right? On a scale of 1 to 10...?
8
And thank you Bioware for an amazing saga!
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