Hey guys, im a total noob to Mass Effect 2 and Bioware in general, im fairly early on in the game, level 6, got garrus, grunt, that scientist dude 
And i was just wondering, is this the game? go to the planet that has the dude to recruit, find like 2 different missions on planet, rinse and repeat untill you have a full crew and go for the final battle? 
not trying to 'troll'. i really have no idea 
 
also quick question, i chose sentinel because i read it was the 'jack of all trades, master of none' class. but GOD ITS BORING. does it ever get more fun? 
Thanks in advance

That's pretty much the crux of it. 
 
Never played the Sentinel, so I couldn't tell you anything about that.

Yep, you'll also get to do an additional mission for each person you recruit if you should desire to do so.
 
I didn't really enjoy the gameplay at all in ME2, so I can't really answer your last question.

You forgot the upgrades to weapons and the ship itself.  

Yes and no. You do spend a large chunk of the game recruiting characters, but that is broken up by points in the story where you have to do certain missions to move the story along into the next act. Another large portion of it is the loyalty missions that flesh out who your teammates are and where they come from. The main plot line of the game isn't its strong suit, it is more about the characters than anything. The game is very character driven, and your enjoyment of the game is really based on how much time you put into getting to know them and doing things with them.

You still have the various upgrades but in general that's the game. THe idea is that You have an option if playing the game depending on your class and how you interact with the people in the game. The recruiting missions are a big part of them but you a lot of side mission and main mission that brake that pace. You are fairly early into the game so just give it time. Just try to have fun and explore as much as possible. Granted ME2 doesn't have the amount of loot that the first game has but you still have many things to buy and things to do. 

Ya that's the game in a nutshell, the recruits all have loyalty missions as well.. 
 
The gameplay isn't really what you should come to Bioware games for, while it's competent, the storytelling and conversation, coupled with the locations, and competent gameplay all sorta make the whole package.. 
 
If you are not enjoying the story and setting, then this game may not be for you..

 
Yes Dragon Age is similar in structure, with comepletely different gameplay style.. 
 The gameplay is closer to Neverwinter Nights or older Baldur's Gate 
 
On a side note, I started Dead Space 2 last night, and it's friggin awesome!!

" @IBurningStar: would this be the same case in Dragon Age? "

" @dudacles: hmmm, ill keep playing Mass Effect 2, it is too early to make a verdict, but i agree the shooting segments really do feel like they are their to fill the time in between talking. And the shooting segments are starting to get a little stale. Although i will admit, recruiting Garrus was a super fun mission, it was my first recruit mission i completed and kind of set my expectations too high i guess      "

Yes that is basically the entire structure of ME2.  Think of it as an episodic TV show where each show is its own short story and is practically independent of the others, then you have the season finale.  You might benefit from playing it in smaller chunks if it's wearing thin for you.
 
I wouldn't want them to use this structure all the time, but I found it quite refreshing from Bioware - and not all that similar to Dragon Age at all.  Dragon Age uses the same 'Collect 4x!' structure that they ran into the ground with NWN, KOTOR, Jade Empire, ME1...  
 

sentinel was a poor choice, its all about the vanguard. 
 
And yeah thats pretty much the game. You go to bioware games for the story, not necessarily the gameplay.

I'm currently 14 hours into the game and feel pretty much the same way as you, OP. The shooting feels very bland and just makes me wanna play through Vanquish again, and the repetition is really starting to get to me. I'm playing on Veteran and it feels like easy mode, but I'm not sure if I wanna up the difficulty either since my character isn't particularly self-sufficient (playing as an Infiltrator and have only been boosting Tactical Cloak and Operative), so I might have to rely on my party members a lot to get rid of shields and what have you.
 
Also, the checkpoints are way too far apart for a shooter and I could see myself getting annoyed at have to re-hack everything each time I die. Oh well, I'll probably try out Insanity or whatever the one before that is after I become an Assassin (which should be after I finish up the Collector Base I'm on right now).
 
Anyway, I'm still enjoying the game and would probably give it a 4 outta 5 or something -- it's just that my expectations were pretty damn high when the entire internet dubbed it the best game ever, y'know?
 
Oh, and I'm really digging the red eyes and more prominent facial scars my femshep has been getting.

It's a cheap story telling device, one that Bioware and Lionhead use way too much. Recruit followers for 90% of the game, then a final battle. Granted, Bioware does it really well. 

i got my first major break in the pace just now, after i recruited the first set of dudes to my squad. it was an interesting and needed change, but sucks that im back to the same place. 
once ive done playing for a while, i look forward to writing a detailed review on this 

Sentinel is the master class, it's best for the Insanity playthrough as it requires a lot of tactics and a bonus skill. While Infiltrators hide and jump out for headshots on Insanity, Sentinels take it in the face and can counter every enemy, requiring good use of your teammates.
 
However on Normal where nothing has shields or barriers, it's better to play something more fun.