Game News Inside Mass Effect 2

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2's lead producer Casey Hudson talks about the <a href="http://www.gamerlive.tv/article/big-games-2010-inside-biowares-mass-effect-2">RPG of the Year 2010</a>.
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">One thing that I think people find an interesting decision is that we really moved around where you view the RPG-style customization and personalization that we had in Mass Effect I. We moved it into different activities. We previously put it all in one inventory screen where it punished you with proof that it’s a deep RPG. We’ve actually moved those things into the places where they’re more accessible so they’re easy to use and actually make more sense. The result is when people start playing it, their first thought will be, “Hey, where did all this stuff go? Did they dumb it down? Did they streamline it?” But once you get a few hours into it, you realize what you’ve been doing in all of these different activities are all the things you had access to before and with even more depth.</p>
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So they added more depth instead of streamlining it?
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;"><b>How else have you improved this game?</b>
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It’s really kind of a revolution made out of many tiny little improvements right down to the fact that because you have a much more optimized game, the frame rate is consistently much faster, and that really affects content.
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More depth + higher framerates. Who could ever ask for more?
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.gamerlive.tv/article/big-games-2010-inside-biowares-mass-effect-2">gamerlive</A>

 

[thekdawg21]

In my experience he's correct regarding streamlined depth. Even though in the videos you see less RPG elements, there is actually more than meets the eye regarding player abilities.

They tell a better story in ME2. They way they tell it is far superior to the first one. The visuals, sound, and voice are better, the writing is similar. Bioware is learning how to utilize the medium of game storytelling better and better. (Of course it's nowhere near the level of a good book, but it's improving.)

The combat is more akin to Gears of War than Mass Effect 1. This is a good thing. Mass Effect 1 combat was something to grind through. While that won't change for someone that hates 3PS combat, for those of us that enjoy it, the combat is now enjoyable and stands up to other shooters on it's own.

ME2 is simply better than ME1 on all levels. It is slightly less RPG without an inventory system, but the inventory in ME1 was poor, unnecessary, and didn't add much.

The game looks like it's dumbed down on the surface, but once you actually see everything, you'll realize it's not as dumbed down as you once thought. (When comparing it to the first one) This is clearly a 3PS RPG-lite. Play it as such, and you'll enjoy it if you like to shoot things and watch movies.

 

[Chateaubryan]

Wait until they auto-persuade themselves that ME 1's Mako was a brilliant idea.

Biowarian's depth : digging as furiously in the casual's wallet than in a Codexer's rectum.

 

[vrok]

The game looks like it's dumbed down on the surface, but once you actually see everything, you'll realize it's not as dumbed down as you once thought.

Having completed the game I can confidently say that the above claim consists of 100% pure bullshit.

 

[random_encounter]

The combat is more akin to Gears of War than Mass Effect 1. This is a good thing. Mass Effect 1 combat was something to grind through. While that won't change for someone that hates 3PS combat, for those of us that enjoy it, the combat is now enjoyable and stands up to other shooters on it's own.

It's a good thing if the demographic that you want to cater to falls into the same crowd as MW2/GoW/Boringlands. They might as well subscribe to the Randy Pritchford School of Unnecessary RPG Elements at that point. ME1's combat was hardly grindworthy unless you had no idea how to exploit it with biotics for a much faster resolution.

And no, portraying ME2 as an "action epic" isn't going to convince the MW crowd to flock around it with bated breath. It will sell, but I'm willing to bet the majority of those buying it are part of the crowd that had initially invested their time into the first game. Whether some of those gamers also enjoy 3PS is largely irrelevant if they were willing to put up with the combat model of the first game.

ME2 is simply better than ME1 on all levels. It is slightly less RPG without an inventory system, but the inventory in ME1 was poor, unnecessary, and didn't add much.

The inventory was poorly designed, important distinction and one that had actually made Bioware consider outsourcing its redesign for the PC port, but hardly unnecessary as it added the ability to customize weapons with add-ons and specific ammo types which ultimately impacted how efficiently and quickly you would get through combat. It wasn't Deus Ex deep, but it pretended to try which was good enough for beginners.

The game looks like it's dumbed down on the surface, but once you actually see everything, you'll realize it's not as dumbed down as you once thought. (When comparing it to the first one) This is clearly a 3PS RPG-lite. Play it as such, and you'll enjoy it if you like to shoot things and watch movies.

WTF

 

[ksjav]

you'll enjoy it if you like to shoot things and watch movies

[Intelligence]So its the "american dream" game?

 

[Kaanyrvhok]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic ... kaanyrvhok

I talked about how you could add more depth by removing the inventory in that thread. I don't plan on buying ME 2 any time soon so if anyone can elaborate on how they added more depth I'm curious.

 

[Rhalle]

One thing that I think people find an interesting decision is that we really moved around where you view the RPG-style customization and personalization that we had in Mass Effect I. We moved it into different activities. We previously put it all in one inventory screen where it punished you with proof that it’s a deep RPG. We’ve actually moved those things into the places where they’re more accessible so they’re easy to use and actually make more sense. The result is when people start playing it, their first thought will be, “Hey, where did all this stuff go? Did they dumb it down? Did they streamline it?” But once you get a few hours into it, you realize what you’ve been doing in all of these different activities are all the things you had access to before and with even more depth.

And that is the purpose of filler in the first place.

Remember all that filler garbage we had in the first game-- you know, that we used to pad out a flimsy product? Well, now you can thank us, because we removed it all.

So yeah, there's even less total content this time around, but all that annoying filler is gone!

 

[Merlutz]

Honestly, the first time I tried it I only got a few corridors areas in before giving up. The combat is indeed more tolerable than ME1 but by no means is it 'fun'.

I talked about how you could add more depth by removing the inventory in that thread. I don't plan on buying ME 2 any time soon so if anyone can elaborate on how they added more depth I'm curious.

Not sure about the inventory, but on a macro scale, basically what Rhalle says. Less filler, therefore a higher density of content = depth. It seems Bioware can't take a step in any direction without innovating!