Comments on: Mass Effect 2: a Few Steps Forward, and a Few Steps Back http://www.significant-bits.com/mass-effect-2-a-few-steps-forward-and-a-few-steps-back On videogame design and such. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:36:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Storage Shed http://www.significant-bits.com/mass-effect-2-a-few-steps-forward-and-a-few-steps-back/comment-page-1#comment-4139 Storage Shed Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:53:41 +0000 http://www.significant-bits.com/?p=2226#comment-4139 I’m glad the game has become a little “conservative” now. I still don’t get why they have to include sex in the game. I honestly don’t play this game but my nephew is just too crazy about it. I’m glad the game has become a little “conservative” now. I still don’t get why they have to include sex in the game. I honestly don’t play this game but my nephew is just too crazy about it.

]]> By: This Week In Video Game Criticism: The Heavy Rain Auteurs » Video, Game, Week, Criticism, This, Schell » Video Game Review http://www.significant-bits.com/mass-effect-2-a-few-steps-forward-and-a-few-steps-back/comment-page-1#comment-1393 This Week In Video Game Criticism: The Heavy Rain Auteurs » Video, Game, Week, Criticism, This, Schell » Video Game Review Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:25:21 +0000 http://www.significant-bits.com/?p=2226#comment-1393 [...] Elsewhere, Justin Keverne writes about Mass Effect 2 this week in “Living With your Mistakes“; Radek Koncewicz also writes about the game, describing it as “A few steps forward and a few steps back.” [...] [...] Elsewhere, Justin Keverne writes about Mass Effect 2 this week in “Living With your Mistakes“; Radek Koncewicz also writes about the game, describing it as “A few steps forward and a few steps back.” [...]

]]> By: Jason T http://www.significant-bits.com/mass-effect-2-a-few-steps-forward-and-a-few-steps-back/comment-page-1#comment-1360 Jason T Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:18:07 +0000 http://www.significant-bits.com/?p=2226#comment-1360 I agree that certain things were "steps back" (including the perfunctory short puzzle side missions and the dinky space ship model in the galaxy map), but I'm surprised so many people have complained about the story. The story in the first Mass Effect game was roughly equally full of meaningless chores and side jaunts — just why did Saren, who already controlled an army of geth and a back door to the Citadel, need an army of krogan, again? The story of Mass Effect 2 is less like a very long movie and more like an serial television show. It reminded me a lot of one of the middle to late seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Every such season would have an overarching enemy who threatened to destroy the world, and that enemy would get a cursory mention in each episode as something that was on the characters' minds. More often than not, though, the individual episodes dealt with of-the-moment issues, and many of these issues had more to do with the characters' personal issues interfering with their mission to save the world. Perhaps games simply don't work like TV shows for many players, being played in smaller chunks at a time, but Mass Effect 2 worked quite well for me this way. (Then again, I seem to be one of the few who actually thought this was one of the best parts of Alone in the Dark.) I agree that certain things were “steps back” (including the perfunctory short puzzle side missions and the dinky space ship model in the galaxy map), but I’m surprised so many people have complained about the story. The story in the first Mass Effect game was roughly equally full of meaningless chores and side jaunts — just why did Saren, who already controlled an army of geth and a back door to the Citadel, need an army of krogan, again?

The story of Mass Effect 2 is less like a very long movie and more like an serial television show. It reminded me a lot of one of the middle to late seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Every such season would have an overarching enemy who threatened to destroy the world, and that enemy would get a cursory mention in each episode as something that was on the characters’ minds. More often than not, though, the individual episodes dealt with of-the-moment issues, and many of these issues had more to do with the characters’ personal issues interfering with their mission to save the world.

Perhaps games simply don’t work like TV shows for many players, being played in smaller chunks at a time, but Mass Effect 2 worked quite well for me this way. (Then again, I seem to be one of the few who actually thought this was one of the best parts of Alone in the Dark.)

]]> By: Chris Zimmerman http://www.significant-bits.com/mass-effect-2-a-few-steps-forward-and-a-few-steps-back/comment-page-1#comment-1328 Chris Zimmerman Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:31:48 +0000 http://www.significant-bits.com/?p=2226#comment-1328 THANK YOU! As good as the game is, the story was nowhere near the level of the fun space opera that the original presented. THANK YOU!

As good as the game is, the story was nowhere near the level of the fun space opera that the original presented.

]]>