I know, I’m very, very late to the party here, but hey, better late than never. And I’m absolutely blown away. But I don’t want to drool here about every aspect of the game, because everybody (except me) already finished it probably several times.

I think I will try to do a different approach - I will try to tell you why I like things that most players didn’t like and most reviewers criticised. It’s basically three simple things:

1. Mako
2. Elevators
3. Inventory

Mako

Elevators

Inventory

One last thing...

I know, I’m very, very late to the party here, but hey, better late than never. And I’m absolutely blown away. But I don’t want to drool here about every aspect of the game, because everybody (except me) already finished it probably several times.

I think I will try to do a different approach - I will try to tell you why I like things that most players didn’t like and most reviewers criticised. It’s basically three simple things:

1. Mako
2. Elevators
3. Inventory

Mako

Elevators

Inventory

One last thing...

Chances are that if you really liked ME 1 you'll like ME2 less. Something about it is off.

" Chances are that if you really liked ME 1 you'll like ME2 less. Something about it is off. "

Wow! I thought I was the only one who liked the Mako! Although I never really missed it in Mass Effect 2. I actually kind of enjoyed the mining minigame in Mass Effect 2 as well, even though everyone seems to hate it.
 
You have a lot to look forward to, experiencing Mass Effect 2 for the first time. Have fun!

I will say, if you played the PC version of ME1, the elevators are much faster and the inventory was streamlined. IE, they fixed the two things they were constantly criticized on in the first game before they ported over to PC. The Mako was still a mess though, Hammerhead is so superior.

"Chances are that if you really liked ME 1 you'll like ME2 less. Something about it is off. "

Mass Effect had tons of flaws I felt, and Mass Effect 2 completely fixed all of them.

" Chances are that if you really liked ME 1 you'll like ME2 less. Something about it is off. "

" @keyhunter said:

" Chances are that if you really liked ME 1 you'll like ME2 less. Something about it is off. "

Well I guess we'll see. I don't mind more linear shooter-like experience. "

"  One last thing...

Oh I don’t know why everybody praised shooting in Mass Effect 2 saying that it is vastly improved over the first Mass Effect and that it is finally game with a good shooting mechanics. I haven’t play Mass Effect 2 yet so I don’t know, but nothing seems wrong about combat mechanics to me - shooting is fine, cover system is working, everything is pretty good. I guess it’s not perfect, but it’s really good and enjoyable.   I’m very much looking forward to playing Mass Effect 2, because if Mass Effect 1 is this fucking awesome, I can’t imagine that gloriousness the second one is supposed to be!   "  

I wished the radio/ Citadel News was used more often, loved hearing shit about the universe (especially) to cover the loads - better than the orange load screens in ME2 (but ME2 is still a better game overall).

" @Overwatch said:

" @keyhunter said:

" Chances are that if you really liked ME 1 you'll like ME2 less. Something about it is off. "

Well I guess we'll see. I don't mind more linear shooter-like experience. "

I wouldn't say Mass Effect 2 is any more linear than the first. Its basically the same structure of  "Do these missions, but in whatever order you want to." The difference is that the missions are often far, far shorter than the first game, and have a much sharper focus on character development rather than pushing the overarching story forward. Think of it as a set of television episodes, and you'll get the basic idea: isolated incidents that are all pushing towards a grand finale, but each is self-contained in their own way. They are also beautifully shot, thoughtfully written and generally engaging. There is a very real "Just one more mission" compulsive aspect, especially once you gather a set of them that are on one of the main planets. "

The problem with the Mako in ME, if you ask me, isn't so much about the Mako itself, even though the controls are a bit wierd feeling.  
The big issue I have is with the actual planets. The amount of steep hillsides you have to zig-zag up in order to get to the objectives just make it feel annoying and it turns some potentially fun little sidequests into this arduous process, while also further showcasing that the controls aren't that great. When you finally end up on a generally flat planet, the vistas can be pretty damn beautiful and the vehicle controls feel much better.
 
Before ME2 was released Bioware said that they had removed the elevators and, more importantly, made the loading faster and less frequent. 
This sounded great, less elevators and fewer loads. That wasn't really the case though, as all they had pretty much done was to replace the elevators with regular loading screens, showing the elevator from the outside... 
I'm sure the load times were a bit shorter and that they had actually reduced how often it needed to load, but still, all they did was take you out of the game for no real reason other than removing the elevators. 
It isn't that big a deal, but it still feels like a pretty unneccesary change. 
 
I didn't really have that big of an issue with the inventory, since I mostly just equipped the best stuff I had and then sold the rest. But it is not a good system, way too slow when you start to get more stuff and converting things into omni-gel is not good, at all, which is one of the reasons I just sell everything I don't use.  
 
Well, that's what I think anyway...

" @keyhunter said:

" Chances are that if you really liked ME 1 you'll like ME2 less. Something about it is off. "

Well I guess we'll see. I don't mind more linear shooter-like experience. "

" @Overwatch: Welcome to 2007. Glad you're enjoying the game! "

" @Overwatch said:

" @keyhunter said:

" Chances are that if you really liked ME 1 you'll like ME2 less. Something about it is off. "

Well I guess we'll see. I don't mind more linear shooter-like experience. "

That's not necessarily true. I absolutely loved ME1, and loved ME2 as well.. just not as much. "

Yeah the elevators were great, sucked that they removed it for the sequel. But that pretty much sums up ME2. So much goddamn missed potential there.

If you play on the hardest difficulty setting the combat gets borderline ridiculous. Everything has immunity (80% resistance to damage) and you'll stand there shooting the same guy for 30 seconds. You usually don't even have to use cover, you can just stand there and hold the trigger down until the guy dies. I like how ME2 is more of a shooter in that respect as on insane difficulty I actually still have to use tactics.

" If you play on the hardest difficulty setting the combat gets borderline ridiculous. Everything has immunity (80% resistance to damage) and you'll stand there shooting the same guy for 30 seconds. You usually don't even have to use cover, you can just stand there and hold the trigger down until the guy dies. I like how ME2 is more of a shooter in that respect as on insane difficulty I actually still have to use tactics. "

Yup, Mass Effect is pretty sick! Oh and I agree, the elevator scenes were great. I was so sad when they took them out and replaced them with those stupid loading screens -_-
I also didn't mind the Mako either haha everyone seemed to hate it though.

Mass Effect is one of my favorite games ever, it blew me away when I first played it, couldn´t believe what I was playing
 
Played through it 6 times, evil and good, female and male. Ended up taking my good female character because the male voice actor is crappy, can't beat Jennifer Hale
 
Also wanna ask others in this thread and not make my own, how many times did you play the game? Damn you got me talking about it, I would recommend playing ME2, reading the books and comics

interesting. i totally disagree. started playing ME when it came out, but only managed to play a bit after reaching citadel station. what can I say? it was amazing. focused action, interesting story, nice combat. after that it fell apart for me. it was still fun, but nowhere near the awesome start of the game
 
same thing for DA:O
 
hope ME 2 is better and that DA 2 will be good

I agree, I love Mass Effect 
I also didn't mind the Mako, just the fact that the worlds were barren 
However I like the Hammerhead better than the Mako, so I'm ok with them getting rid of it 
As for the elevator scenes, I'm alright with it, since in place of that would be a loading screen like the one that was in Mass Effect 2 
If you're going to have one might as well make it part of the environment 
However dialogue wise if you're like me eventually you start to hear a lot of the same things repeated 
Also the inventory management straight out sucked, getting rid of my crap took too much time.

The reason I hate the Mako is because I got stuck climbing mountains. Not "oh, I just have to wiggle upright again and try to scale this mountain again." No, stuck, couldn't move. Dozens of times. I don't remember what I had to do to fix myself after getting stuck, but I remember it was insane. Like "reload your last save because you're not allowed to play any more" insane. Maybe I was trying to rush it, maybe I was doing it wrong. In any case, it was frustrating. I just know that when I landed on my twentieth planet, I didn't want to slowly drive around hills looking for the ideal path to get some silly mineral, so I tried to climb the mountain and got completely stuck on the geometry.

If you're lucky enough to have gotten through the game without ever having a problem driving that thing, then I applaud you. You dodged a bullet. The Mako is partially busted, but the planets they expect you to traverse with said busted vehicle are downright stupid. Try heading down to a planet and climbing a mountain, then getting stuck in a tiny polygon so you're not allowed to do anything. Then do that 3 or 4 more times. You won't ever ask again why a majority of people who played the game hated that piece of crap. Especially when the rewards for dealing with the extreme jankiness range from slightly interesting to useless, and it's usually the latter.

That's my two cents on the Mako, and that's from someone who can't sing the praises of ME1 any more.

The combat isn't broken or even bad in ME1, but it's a straight up RPG. Every time you pull the trigger, a mythical die rolls and gauges if you hit. ME2 is straight up shooter gameplay, with the RPG elements affecting other aspects of combat. The ME1 combat is just fine, but ME2 feels just right (for me, at least.)

And I've never understood the Elevator hate myself. Yeah, they were long, but as you said: I'd rather have a in-game representation of loading than a black screen with a bar on it. It was also the perfect time for some party banter or news bytes.

Wait, wait wait. Hold the phone! Are you trying to tell me that Mass Effect is a good game? 
 
Unbelievable.

I agree with you on almost everything (especially the sort of activities one can enjoy in the  elevators ;)) I also liked the Mako to some degree, although I think it controlled horribly. I wouldn't mind being able to scour planets with the new firewalker vehicle in ME2 though.

God ME 1 was bad. I hated everything about it: the universe, the elevators, all the armor looked the same but different colors, and ESPECIALLY the Mako. I own both 1 and 2 and I have beaten them both twice. 2 was alright but 1 was just not good.
 
 I'm happy you are enjoying it.

I agree with every point you made there. WELL PLAYED.

If you liked the elevators you should take Tali and Garrus with you on the citadel in ME2 :P

" Wow! I thought I was the only one who liked the Mako! Although I never really missed it in Mass Effect 2. I actually kind of enjoyed the mining minigame in Mass Effect 2 as well, even though everyone seems to hate it.  You have a lot to look forward to, experiencing Mass Effect 2 for the first time. Have fun! "

" @keyhunter:   How are the elevators in ME 2? "

I thought the Mako was fine. 
 
Also being a fan of the Suikoden games and their bathhouse conversations, I appreciated the elevator conversations.

Strange, I just started ME myself.  

I thought driving the Mako was fine for the most part and I really missed exploring awesome looking and distant planets in ME2. Doing that gave me a weird feeling of actually being in space and being alone. The description of each planet from events that occurred in universe to simple or amazing science stuff was the icing on the cake and I really love it. Also the Uncharted worlds music on the galactic map was very nice.  The inventory system really was awful though glad they got rid of it. 
 
I like ME1 more than ME2 but its mainly because of where the story in ME2 went and where it didn't.

Yeah I do miss those elevator scenes, especially when Mass Effect 2 loads super slow when running on my laptop. Seriously sometimes I can go take a piss, wash my hands and come back and it still wouldn't be done. Let's hope loading screens are gone in Mass Effect 3.

I loved both games. Although it was refreshing in ME2 not getting  weapons that looked exactly the same except for the Roman Numerals at the end. Really, I am a Spectre who guards the galaxy and you guys at the council don't have access to the BEST weapons the galaxy has to offer?! I have to go get those off of space pirates that inhabit the same building on the same planet with the same terrain that is reskinned a different way? OK, I will go do that.