Horrible Gelatinous Blob wrote:

But if ME1 is Alien, then ME2 is definitely Aliens: an equally valid action-oriented take on the universe of the more cerebral original.

Horrible Gelatinous Blob wrote:

If anything, I suspect that BioWare's upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic will derive much of its combat and balancing from ME2's system. Even though they're developed by different studios, it's not hard to see how the system isn't reliant on twitch low-ping high-DPI reaction speed, something that's key for any successful MMORPG battle system.

Horrible Gelatinous Blob wrote:

The Paragon and Renegade paths are back, although it'd be more accurate to call it Pussy and Awesome scale. BioWare even acknowledges as much when you recruit Jack, having her respond to your Paragon offer to join your team with "Shit, you sound like a pussy." I sympathize for BioWare's writers, because it's impossible to make the Paragon path half as interesting and entertaining as the Renegade path when the Paragon can't punch mouthy broads for their disingenuous assertions or toss someone out of a millionth floor window like space Jack Bauer.

Horrible Gelatinous Blob wrote:

In the end, I think what makes ME2 so much more replayable than the first is the fact that the first third of the game utilizes the same mechanics and tactics as the rest of the game. RPGs, both Western and Japanese, are notorious for wasting the first five hours or so tuning up, which is unbearable once you fully grasp the gameplay and are eager to jump in with both feet. But BioWare has spent a lot of time carefully managing every part of the total experience, making sure that the player is fully engaged throughout the game, ensuring that there aren't any unfair difficulty spikes or mistuned sequences. The result is that the beginning of the game isn't an unfun sludge to get to the real meat; it's respectable and worthy in its own right.