Gameplay changes becoming boring fast?

[Kameraden]

I must be rare but after just a few missions I'm already getting bored of all this.

1. Mission Complete Screens? *hurts immersion badly*
2. Gameplay has become insanely FPS... far less RPG like.
3. Hub/Controls have become insanely simplified that it actually makes it more tedious to play... maybe not on consoles but having space bar do so many different functions is utterly annoying. I miss seeing HP and Shields for example. Hub is just well not enough information displayed in the right ways.
4. Far less skill upgrade options when leveling up a character.. seriously, you might as well just put it on auto level it's that simplistic now.
5. Customization in general, just about the only thing I've noticed improved is customizing your looks, but actual weapons/gear itself isn't nearly as interesting when customizing.
6. No more Inventory? No more Looting weapons/upgrade parts and other fun stuff? Can not change gear at any times I wish despite that well hide behind box and changing an outfit, or playing around with looted guns isn't realistic? Now isn't possible without visiting specific consoles? It was a lto fo fun opening a crate and finding a more powerful version of a pistol for example. I had a wonderful collection of toys to choose from often after returning from a planet.
7. HUGE bright REWARD boxes popping up when opening boxes/looting safes and such.. seriously it was like they assumed people who played Mass Effect 1 couldn't read?

Oh that is jsut the tip of the Ice Berg but... seriously what happened? This is the kind of stupid stuff people actually think makes a game entertaining? Just about the only thing I've liked so far has been the improved graphics and some of the character moments so far. The only REAL improvement in gameplay for me has sadly just been the ability to sprint.. which for me on the first game was next to impossible to do outside combat. lol

I bought both of these games early last week I almost absolutely loved the first game, it was like an upgraded KOTOR. But Mass Effect 2 feels like a Shooter.. literally straight up shooter, with only a little bit of RP elements so far, bare minimum almost RPG elements. Personally I was hoping for another wonderful role play adventure but I'm getting exhausted from all the shooter segments... far more so far per area I visit than the first game.

I almost see myself never playing this one again after completing unlike Mass Effect 1 which I'm actually tempted to going back and playing now. lol


I've grown bored of Shooters A Decade ago.. Mass Effect 1 was a good balance between RPG Elements and Shooter Elements. Mass Effect 2 is just a Shooter that involves a lot of talking/exploring. lol

[EolSunder]

Well you do have the gist of ME2. They changed it from ME1 to make it more of a FPS than any type of RPG element, make it more simplified and streamlined to dumb it down a bit for the general players. Its still a pretty fun game, but just isn't quite the same as ME1. Combat is much harder, you have to make use of cover now, a little tactics, using tech and biotic powers combined with weapons which now have limited ammo. In ME1 you really could just simply blast away with unlimited ammo guns all you wanted, having tech/biotic powers, etc was just a bonus. You could easily beat ME1 with a pistol it was so easy. ME2 amps that up, making it more FPS and combat harder while still trying to put tech and biotic powers into the FPS makeup.

So yes, ME1 was more rpg like, better customization, while ME2 is changed into the FPS format with combat being the main focus of the game. Its different, but it works, its still a fun game, but it isn't the same as ME1.

[Kameraden]

But it isn't really an RPG really anymore.. which deprives the point of calling it the same genre. It would be like Turning Harvest Moon into "The Legend of Zelda" style adventure game just because being a farmer doesn't draw in enough gamers.

Plus it wasn't the combat which made the first game so enjoyable, it was the exploration. Brainless shooters annoy me these days as I've gotten Older. I need something that requires thinking, planning, heck even managing items in the inventory, selling, breaking down into Gem.. etc was fun to me. This is just.. well.. really? There is a reason I retired from playing shooters almost ten years ago.

From my experience thus far I wouldn't say this game improved combat at all, they just made it faster paced, and throw a heck of a lot more enemies your way now as well. Being more tactical? It's just an illuision. Though at least enemies try to flank now, but more often than not they just banzai charge to their deaths when they do try to flank. But I've seen PS1 and PS2 shooters which involved my strategy than this. Though mostly because AI was more scripted back then than it is today, today people want AI that behaves a bit more random, not always jumping behind the same box for cover twice. lol

When I think strategic shooters I think of the "OLD" not "NEW" Rainbow Six Games, Syphon Filter, or Winback.. oh Winback was great.. well the first game was, controls were a HUGE pain on that game though but once you got the hang of them it was a blast.

[Faunts]

Welcome to the new Mass Effect community! where Bioware decided to screw everyone over for the FPS fans! And if you loved this try to make preparations for the future heart attacks you're going to have reviewing ME3.

[RockSpoon]

Originally posted by Peter097="master guns":

Welcome to the new Mass Effect community! where Bioware decided to screw everyone over for the FPS fans! And if you loved this try to make preparations for the future heart attacks you're going to have reviewing ME3.

Dat.
I liked the change in combat, but it should have also kept its RPG strength, and ammo was not well thought out.
BTW no Mass Effect game is a FPS in any way. They're TPS. Huge difference.

[Faunts]

I have no problem with change, but when you start drifting away from the element that made you popular in the first place people start to walk.

The best examples I can take from past experience is when PS2 came out. Back in 2012 when it was being teased the community was over hyped and were hoping for PS1 but with better graphics and balancing (if you played PS1 you'll quickly find out the game is poorly balanced) instead Sony gave us a Battle field knock off. Is it a shooter? yeah, but it doesn't have the fun thrill of PS1, back then we had a codex for every planet and emotes! (yeah it was more of a PVP MMO) now? it's just kill anything and everything that moves zerg this zerg that and then repeat the same damn thing over and over again to win. And do I even have to mention SOE's spam of microtransactions?

And then there's Dead Space 3, because if there's anything we want in our horror games it's Ellie's massive boobs and explosions and killing Ellie's ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ crazy jealous boyfriend and having co-op mode with machine guns and more explosions...Starting to sound like bay directed this thing doesn't it? And then there's the ending (I'll try not to give any spoilers just in case) basically it was ME3's ending but without the breath scene, so what happened was the writters couldn't figure out what ending they wanted so they left it on a cliff hanger for later money milking.

Change is fine, as long as you don't try too hard to be something you aren't.

[djwolf]

I loved ME1 so I bought ME2 thinking that it was roughly similar. It is not and I haven't even finished the prologue missions where you got to do what they tell you or you're stuffed. Where's the map? Where the hell am I? Am I wounded? Who the f@#@ knows? "We'll take cover, Shepard. You take point." What does that even mean? Do I look like I've got military training? I hate this game.

[Faunts]

I'm not sure if others haven't noticed this trend but when EA buys an IP that product shares some of EA's other game mechanics, looks, story elements, etc. When I first played ME2 I had the feeling they were going for Dead space. Am I saying ME2 is a load of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥? meh, it has some weird plot holes and it's cop outs...But as far as the script goes I love ME2 so I'm normally not the type to piss on it.

I think Dragon age would probably be the best example to show what happens when EA owns an IP: as we all know Dragon age 2 tried to be Mass Effect in some instances as well as combat which of course can get awkward, and I know some fans hate to admit it and trust me I hate DA2 as much as I hate DS3 and ME3. But let's be honest when you played the demo you probably knew from the start EA was yet again exploiting Mass Effect as best as possible. Hell, these are the guys who think if they stamp N7 on it or involve space sex with aliens you'll buy it! (which in a lot of cases we do...) I want you to name any EA game that isn't giving Shepard a cameo through DLC.

[Faunts]

Originally posted by Gaweyne:

Originally posted by Peter097="master guns":

I'm not sure if others haven't noticed this trend but when EA buys an IP that product shares some of EA's other game mechanics, looks, story elements, etc. When I first played ME2 I had the feeling they were going for Dead space [...] I want you to name any EA game that isn't giving Shepard a cameo through DLC.

I haven't played Dead Space yet (survival horror doesn't appeal to me so much). So I don't really know if ME2 is trying to pander to a that kind of audience. But fair enough, if you do see something there.

Lulz, Shepard has cameos in other non Mass Effect Games? :D

You haven't seen the DLC? Dragon age: N7 knight armor. Dead space 3: Isaac Clarke N7 armor. And it continues to this day, all for the price of 15 bucks!

[Jase]

Gaweyne did a pretty good job of covering most of the topics. Although, I feel I should point out the themes that tie the trilogy together are player choice and the impact it has on the story (original ME3 ending notwithstanding), and 3rd person cover-based shooter gameplay. Equipment management was unique to ME1 unforunately. ME1 and ME2 definitely do have a different feel as a result but ME2 and ME3 are much more similar. I suspect the reduction of some RPG elements (equipment, inventory) was as a result of people complaining about how horrible the inventory management of ME1 was, particularly on PC. So they sort of threw the baby out with the bath water. IIRC, the simplified leveling system was done because Bioware wanted each level-up to feel more significant. So they reduced the number of points available and made each abilty/tier a more significant upgrade.
Now, a quick by the numbers comment:
1. Can't really argue with that, if it breaks immersion for you, then it breaks immersion.
2. I don't really understand this. Different RPG styles have vastly different combat style. Final Fantasy traditionally uses turn-based menu combat. Diablo is nothing more than frenetic button mashing (no judgement, can be sort of fun). Both of these are nothing like Mass Effect. So which one do you consider a true RPG combat expereience. Plus, ME1 and ME2 actually have pretty much the same exact combat mechanics. The differences being: ME2 is a much more refined version of it. The RPG elements of the combat from ME1 that you alluded to are all behind the scenes inventory management and leveling choices. There is more frequent fighting in ME2 and ME3 though. Perhaps you didn't like the combat in ME1 but you stomached it a bit better because it was less frequent? If so, you might enjoy the game more if you turn down the difficulty.
3. Most of this is personal preference, so no argument here. I think most people would agree with you though about the do-everything-spacebar. Context-sensitive buttons should not have so many important functions tied to them. It got me killed a few times.
4. touched on that on already. I liked the ME1 way of doing it, but the ME2/3 way grows on you a little.
5. Yeah, mostly cosmetic. Bad for gear collectors and old school spreadsheet rpg'ers, good for people that want the freedom to change appearance without being handicapped.
6. Yep, sucks not having an inventory to manage when you want one.
7. personal preference

Some final advice and comments: If ME1 didn't feel like a shooter to you, then you probably had the difficulty set too low. And if you had turned it up, the faults it has compared to ME2 would become apparent. Again, I suggest lowering the difficulty. I'm not sayin you're incapable of handling a higher difficulty, but if it's not your cup of tea, then why bother? The cover shooter segments will be over quickly, and you can get back to exploring. Then again, you later said in your next post that you like thinking/planning and you complained that ME2 isn't tactical. Playing on normal, and/or playing as a soldier will certainly feel that way. Letting your squadmates run around doing whatever they want will also have that effect. Abilities and ammo types interact with each other, there is a lot you are missing out on if you aren't controlling your squadmates. I played on Insanity for all three games, and I mixed things up by using an Engineer and an Adept. If I went in guns blazing as an Engineer, I would have gotten my aṣṣ destroyed. Even when I didn't rush in, I ocassionally had to redo sections (and some of those sections had to be redone over and over and over and over and OOOOOVVVEEERR.) It was even worse as an Adept. I could flawlessly clear most of a room and then make a mistake while standing a bit too close to a bad guy or two and get taken out. Then I had redo it all. I still remember one room in a cave in ME3 that was friggen nuts. Enemies everywhere, I think some could one-shot me, and lots could two shot me. It was non-stop charging, temporary invincibility, roll away, charge in a safer direction, invincibility, roll, etc. Anyway: if you want story and exploration only, then lower the difficulty and you can steamroll through; if you want to be convinced that tactical gameplay is possible and that properly planning what you need to do so you won't die is necessary, then turn that sucker up to Insanity. But it sounds to me like you need to turn it down.

Finally, if you stop lamenting over the stuff that was taken out in ME2, I think you'll find that a lot of the stuff you enjoyed is still in there.

[SwobyJ]

ME2 <3