Mass Effect 2
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Mass Effect 2 is celebrated for its exceptional character development and high-stakes mission design, particularly the acclaimed 'Suicide Mission.' While it is often considered a high point in the series for its dialogue and cinematic storytelling, it is polarizing due to its shift away from traditional RPG mechanics toward a more streamlined cover-based shooter. Fans of the first game often find the sequel's world-building and main narrative progression to be thinner, despite the improved combat fluidity.
Pros
- Exceptional character writing and uniquely crafted 'loyalty missions.'
- The 'Suicide Mission' is widely regarded as one of the most tense and thrilling finales in gaming.
- Significant improvements in combat mechanics and dialogue over the first entry.
- Simplified and less obtrusive hacking mini-games.
Cons
- Reduction in RPG depth and character customization compared to Mass Effect 1.
- Tedious resource gathering mechanics, including planet scanning and fuel management.
- Repetitive cover-based combat with limited weapon variety and small enemy variety.
- Main plot is often viewed as a 'loophole' that fails to move the trilogy's overarching story forward.
Caveats
- While excellent as a standalone experience, some users feel it undermines the trilogy's narrative arc and creates issues for the third game.
- Ally AI can be unreliable, occasionally pathing poorly or shooting into walls.
Best for
- Players who prioritize character-driven narratives and squad interaction.
- Those who prefer action-oriented, cover-based shooters over complex RPG systems.
Avoid if
- You are looking for deep, stats-heavy RPG personalization.
- You find repetitive resource-gathering mini-games like planet scanning to be a dealbreaker.
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 122-month half-life. The evidence is drawn from a consistent set of 20 mentions in r/patientgamers, reflecting a stable consensus on the game's legacy.
Sentiment
12 positive (30%) · 16 mixed (40%) · 12 negative (30%)
Trust + time weighted score: +1% · raw score 0%
What redditors said (10 of 40)
The new thing with having to buy fuel and probes and the way to scan planets are not my favorite, but not having the usual medi-gel is what I miss the most. ... ally AI is that pain, shooting nonstop against a wall because the enemy is somewhere behind. It was definitely worse in the 1st game, but not much improvement here.
In 2, you really only did companion quests. There was shockingly little main story missions aside from companion quests in 2 when you think about it. ... gone is the horrid planet scanning and constant door minigames from 2.
Parent context: On my subsequent playthrough I always think 2 is the weakest entry. Besides the usual complaints you mention the structure of the game is not immersive at all. It all feels like a videogame without any attempt to disguise it with storytelling or level design. Reply: I think the problem is that a huge chunk of the missions in ME2 are companion quests. Either recruiting them or securing their loyalty. Take away that, and there really isn't a lot to the ME2 story.
I actually find the combat to be the worst of the trilogy. ME2 is overly sluggish and slow and, particularly if you're on a higher difficulty, you spend most of your time waiting for shields to regenerate. ... ME2 is always the hardest game to replay for me because the combat is the most tedious.
On my subsequent playthrough I always think 2 is the weakest entry. Besides the usual complaints you mention the structure of the game is not immersive at all. It all feels like a videogame without any attempt to disguise it with storytelling or level design.
The thing that bothered me the most about ME2 was the sheer amount of combat. A lot of enemies felt like bullet sponges, and the shooting sections often dragged on for far too long.
Mass Effect 2 is a huge jump in gameplay and graphics. ... The combat is much better in my opinion, however it's not the best still. 2 and 3 change into the sluggish and heavy cover shooters that were typical of that time. ... It's replaced with scanning planets for materials, which is an extremely boring gameplay mechanic. ... the plot reasons this game feels so disconnected from the trilogy don't really make any sense.
True. There really isn’t much story in ME2. The story is basically recruit friends. That’s it.
While man actually looking at the world in me2 is significantly less interesting than 1. Locales feel so sterile and recycled and all your fighting areas are pretty blatently marked with cover.
i usually skip 2 as it was a pretty miserable experiance to replay with half the classes. ... 2s fundamental game design is a side story that sacrficed all the gameplay systems for the final mission ... Locales feel so sterile and recycled and all your fighting areas are pretty blatently marked with cover.
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