Editorial Mass Effect 2: A Narratological Review

[Felix]

Mass Effect 2 sucks Donkey Balls.

 

[SuicideBunny]

Mass Effect 2 sucks Donkey Balls.

nah. the conversations are ok as long as you play femshep and are an ass to everyone.
but yeah, the gameplay is abysmal.

 

[buccaroobonzai]

How much of the quest/mission design is pure shooter/grindfest?
Are there interesting missions that don't just involve getting from point A to B by shooting everything in the way?


Even the KOTORS had much more mission type and resolution option variety, and they were not even in the top tier of the best CRPGs for mission types.

 

[Volourn]

MEs > KOTORs

No fuckin' contest.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

What resolution are you running?

 

[hiver]

I dont like it. Its way too positive. I mean on the story front.

I didnt play it but i just read that, for example, decision on whether or not save the council in ME1 has no effect in ME2 and that whoever is in power now still doesnt believe there are reapers out there... even after one went straight into the citadel and nearly destroyed it.

Or was it that some features of the story were just too awful to think about for long?

Given I said the plot was one of the worst things about ME2, I'm a bit confused how you though I was okay-ing the story. If I said a good word about ME2's story, I take it back. :wink:

But yes, the blindness to the Reapers remains. But that's small fry to all the other stuff that doesn't make any sense. I spend my time bitching more about the endgame and the human reaper.

No, you were not okay-ing it, obviously.
It just that it seems even worse actually. It seems, ME "story" is actually one, if not the, worst stories ever made, anywhere, not just in games.

Its just... awful.

 

[TNO]

No disagreement here. It works if you're willing not to think about it ("I need to fly a spaceship into the base? KEWL!")

 

[Volourn]

"It just that it seems even worse actually. It seems, ME "story" is actually one, if not the, worst stories ever made, anywhere, not just in games.

Its just... awful."

Bullshit.

 

[ghostdog]

"It just that it seems even worse actually. It seems, ME "story" is actually one, if not the, worst stories ever made, anywhere, not just in games.

Its just... awful."


Indeed, the backstory of ME1&2 is utter crap. Some characters are interesting, some sidequests are interesting, but the actual main story is unbelievably banal-shit-boring.

 

[Volourn]

Bullshit.

 

[Xor]

Lies.

 

[BearBomber]

The main problem of the Mass Effect plot is the Bioware make up cool stuff first and put it into the world later. They wanted sci-fi Cthulthu so they created the Reapers with bullshit explanation for their actions. "They let civilizations develop for the reasons beyond the understanding of mortals" WTF? They wanted gigantic Terminator as the boss so they created the human reaper which must be made from human and must by shaped like the race that was used to build it again probably for reasons that mortals can't possibly understand. It all seams that a mediocre writer creates the main storyline but a few good ones that creates everything else. It's almost like marvel comics with a few good writers and the retarded editor-in-chief.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I thought the "beyond your understanding" was just pretentious bullshit on the reapers' part, and they just need to eat a lot of things before going back to bed.

 

[BearBomber]

One thing about ME2 bothers me. The Ymir mechs. They are one of the toughest enemies in the game, more difficult to defeat than mercenary leaders, or harbinger, they seem to be a pretty good investment for everyone who wants to keep something safe. Every bigger ship or important building has one or two of these. So why doesn't Normandy? They seem unstoppable in linear corridors, and one of them could easily dispatch great numbers of collectors. It would be great for ship defence and prevented the harbinger from kidnapping the crew. It would also serve as a great heavy support for Shepard.

 

[Fomorian]

I thought the "beyond your understanding" was just pretentious bullshit on the reapers' part, and they just need to eat a lot of things before going back to bed.

You know your creativity is tapped out when you're reduced to stealing concepts from Star Control 3.

 

[hiver]

Youre trying to make sense in something that has no sense at all.

 

[attackfighter]

The final straw is the big moral choice. Paragons can blow up the Collector base, renegades can sterilize it and let it be used by Cerberus. Unfortunately, the paragon choice makes no sense: The only reason is just to pettily annoy the Illusive Man

Actually, if you look at every single instance in which reaper tech has been tampered with you'll see that it's ended badly. Both Saren w/ Sovereign and the Cerberus crew on the dead reaper were brainwashed (and all of them knew what they were dealing with), the galaxy's government is located on top of a reaper portal and all forms of space travel are reliant on the reaper-made mass effect relays. Given this history I think it would be wise (or at least justifiable) to avoid further interaction with reaper stuff.

 

[Black]

Strange thing to bitch about too. I can understand Jack hating, but some of the chars in ME 2 were quite likable. Jacob, Fishguy, DLC psycho guy, maybe someone else I forget. Either way, a fuck of a lot better than the ones in ME 1.

The only one likeable was Mordin.

Given this history I think it would be wise (or at least justifiable) to avoid further interaction with reaper stuff.

Too bad the only paragon Shep's choice of blowing up the base is because of the fact that it basically reeks of evil and Shep's just too moral to let that atrocious thing exist.