Mass Effect 2 PS3 "as good, if not better"

By Oli Welsh Published 29 November, 2010

BioWare talks up port.

BioWare has reassured PS3 users that their forthcoming version of Mass Effect 2 won't make any sacrifices in its visual and will be "as good, if not better than the Xbox version".

"Oftentimes when you go to the PS3 you see stuff like down-ressing and using a smaller than 720p resolution to try and get back some of the framerate," producer Jess Huston told the Official PlayStation Magazine (according to a post on NeoGAF.

"We haven't done that. We really wanted to try to make it as good, if not better than the Xbox version."

As well as preserving the game's graphics, BioWare is including "three years' worth of engine updates" and every patch and piece of downloadable content for the game, which adds up to $100 and 20 hours of additional gameplay, the developer reckons.

The exclusive interactive comic telling the story of the first Mass Effect game – which was never released on PS3 – is described as "a save game generator".

Good to know. The game's out in January, one year after the Xbox 360 and PC versions, and it's quite good.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (49) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DoctorFouad #1 2 years ago

    we will see...hopefully they could achieve the same graphical parity as criterion did with NFS hot pursut...
    Edited by DoctorFouad at 29/11/10 @ 09:09

  • NotSoSlim #2 2 years ago

    One of the few developers you actually believe when they say this

  • charming_fox #3 2 years ago

    "telling the story of the first Mass Effect game – which was never released on PS3 " - eh?

  • Ryze #4 2 years ago

    PS Move support, please.

    That will get people rebuying for PS3.

  • CaptainTrips #5 2 years ago

    Have fun PS3 users! Easily the best game of 2010, and along with Mario Galaxies my favourite game of all time.

  • Doctor_What #6 2 years ago

    @Charming Fox: The first Mass Effect game was never released on the PS3. Mass Effect 2 is a sequel to that, and it would be much better if players knew the story from the first game before playing the second one... I'm not sure what confused you there.

    I'm really looking forward to this. Do a good job Bioware!

  • PixelPirate #7 2 years ago

    looking forward to playing an action RPG on PS3 that isnt riddled with bugs.

    I'm looking at you Fallout 3

  • hiddenranbir #8 2 years ago

    I don't believe them but can't blame them for wanting PStree sales.

  • StolenGlory #9 2 years ago

    I am little surprised to not see a Mass Effect 2: Ultimate Edition/GOTY Edition at this stage for PC/360 owners.

  • Ultrasoundwave #10 2 years ago

    Im happy the PS3 folk are getting this, but i think their missing a lot by not releasing the first game too. So many things carried over from my ME1 playthrough, not least my character, which made the sequel a lot more enjoyable.

    Its kind of like watching Terminator 2 without watching the first film. Its still awesome, but your missing some valuable information and character investment.

  • patch #11 2 years ago

    Should make for an interesting Digital Foundry face off

    /sarcasm

  • muttler #12 2 years ago

    All that extra content and improved graphics, looking forward to it. I'm prepared to pay full price even though it's less than £15 on 360 for all that.

  • TopKatt #13 2 years ago

    Already played this on PC, kinda of tempted to get it again on PS3 now.

  • Caimbeul #14 2 years ago

    "which adds up to $100 and 20 hours of additional gameplay, the developer reckons."

    - Which highlights how much of a rip-off 95% of all DLC is. $100 for 20hrs.
    Edited by Caimbeul at 29/11/10 @ 09:39

  • NotSoSlim #15 2 years ago

    At least the have a save game generator do you get a rough idea of the first games story.

  • bladdard #16 2 years ago

    Personally I don't rate Mass Effect at all with it's crap combat, endless chatting and crazy inventry but I thought Mass Effect 2 was a great game. I'd also be surprised if many PS3 owners don't own an Xbox 360 or PC and haven't already played this.

    *edit* Cheers for the negs guys, someone elses personal opinion offending you illustrates just how insecure you are and how you need your opinions/decisions re-inforced by others to validate them.
    Edited by bladdard at 29/11/10 @ 10:42

  • Beano #17 2 years ago

    Another publisher-promises-good-ps3-port-but-ultimately-delivers-inferior-product story.

  • geordiek #18 2 years ago

    Any idea if they can cram this on to 1 disc? it was the only (minor) issue i had with 360 version.

  • richarddavies #19 2 years ago

    Im playing through this at the moment for the first time on the 360. Im about 20hrs in and i've gone pissin geeky over it. It's great. If they add enough to it i'll be getting it.

  • BritishBlue1 #20 2 years ago

    I bought an Xbox 360 specifically for this game (and to a lesser extent Halo Reach) and then they go and announce a PS3 port a month later...

    /facepalm

  • GamesConnoisseur #21 2 years ago

    Geordiek

    Man, haven't you heard of BluRay Disk?! You are just being sarcastic I expect, of course this is one area where disk swapping on X360 (only twice throughout the game) is done away with for PS3.

    And yes missing the first game meant missing out on all the important plot developments and setting the scene of the sequel,and so which is why I applause Bioware for coming up with a very clever device in form of interactive comic. Which told you all the important plot points and let you choose key splitting events moments, ie save which key party member, whether to execute or not etc.

    Even now, I m leaning toward getting the PS3 version, just to experience the excellent game again and sample the interactive save generator/comic.

  • PlugMonkey #22 2 years ago

    @trebell.

    Indeed. GOTY.

  • Bigmac1910 #23 2 years ago

    Day 1 purchase :)

  • RodHull #24 2 years ago

    @RichardDavis

    They're not adding anything exclusively for PS3, all the extra stuff is the DLC already available for 360/PC.

  • firef7y #25 2 years ago

    Wish they released the comic on 360 too, couldn't play ME as the controls suck but I love ME2. I feel like ive missed out a big part of the story.

  • paulf #26 2 years ago

    hope you can skip the opening cutscenes in this version (not that they aren't great on the first run through, just on subsequent tries you wanna just get to the action)

  • charming_fox #27 2 years ago

    @Doctor_What ... I read it as iof they were saying the interactive comic was never released on the PS3 and assumed EG had meant to say that it had never been released on 360. Makes perfect sense now after coffee
    Edited by charming_fox at 29/11/10 @ 11:02

  • Doctor_What #28 2 years ago

    Most of the world makes more sense after coffee :)

  • White_Waffle #29 2 years ago

    In my opinion "bladdard"s taste in games is crap.
    Now i'd like to see some negs because my way of expressing my opinion is rude.

    Guess that explains the negs, doesn't it?

  • bladdard #30 2 years ago

    @White_Waffle

    As I said insecure people looking for personal validation, almost as bad as folks whinging on about being negged in their post edits.

    Other popular games I didn't get along with that others love.

    Gears of war.
    Mario Sunshine.
    COD all of them.
    Little big planet.
    Assassins Creed.

    I also don't like beetroot.

    Neg away losers!

  • Cappy #31 2 years ago

    "three years' worth of engine updates"

    Not bad for a game that's not even been out for a year yet. :-D

  • EGoode #32 2 years ago

    I also didn't rate ME2 on PC. It had some VERY nice graphics at times, in certain situations, but the gunplay felt sloppy. Other times it look as rough as dogs, especially outside, with dated textures and poor 'gameplay'. I'm a very harsh critic it's true, and I'm slightly jaded towards games after 25+ years of playing them but this game was definitely another in the hallowed halls of 'massively overrated'

    Edited. I meant ME2 not 1! Duh too tired today
    Edited by EGoode at 29/11/10 @ 12:02

  • arcam #33 2 years ago

    @EGoode

    Well it loved it so much that I played it through twice, and so much that I pre-ordered the sequel, which may be the first time I have ever pre-ordered a game.

    Unfortunately I thought ME2 was pretty poor, and I never even finished the first playthrough.

    Different strokes for different folks.

  • EGoode #34 2 years ago

    @arcam, corrected my typo. I meant ME2 and I thought the guy above was putting ME2 down (as this thread was about ME2). Though I can say I didn't love either ME the first was more favourable (for it's time) ME2 seemed completely over rated, with some nice immersion/graphics but felt constrained somehow. I'm not a fan of 'games trying to be like movies' anyway, I prefer pure gameplay with good graphics and physics/control/interaction first. If the story is good then it's a bonus, story led games often leave me cold as the gameplay is ignored and the story is used as a crutch to make up for it - but often the story is not quite as special as the developer believes so I'd rather go watch a BluRay film instead.

  • NeoKenzi #35 2 years ago

    Looking forward to this game on the PS3. I have it on the 360, but its that good, I'll buy it again!

  • Dismiss #36 2 years ago

    Well, I started playing the first one on 360, but I completed it on PC. Loved it, warts and all, despite the repetitive sidequests. The second one was more of a mixed bag, IMO. Action was much improved, even though it still wasn't deep enough to compete with dedicated tactical shooters, but the customization and exploration elements were severely streamlined, to the point of making the game feel a bit thin in places. Story and dialogue were good enough, even though I felt that the final showdown was a bit contrived. Still, there's no doubt ME2 is a good game, just not as good as the press and the very vocal fanbase made it look. The extra content does make it a worthwhile purchase for PS3 users, though, and it WILL grab you by the throat until you finish it. It just loses much of it's charm once you step back and take a better look, that's all.
    Edited by Dismiss at 29/11/10 @ 12:27

  • gjgjg #37 2 years ago

    Watches closely

  • WiseNail #38 2 years ago

    As well as preserving the game's graphics, BioWare is including "three years' worth of engine updates" and every patch and piece of downloadable content for the game, which adds up to $100 and 20 hours of additional gameplay, the developer reckons.


    I don't understand this comment, the DLC (Zaeed, Kasumi, Shadow Broker, Overlord, Firewalker and Normandy Crash Site) is more like 12 hours of gameplay than 20, and didn't cost me around £60 / $100. The main game took me over 25 hours, but why would this be classed as 'additional gameplay'? This has me hoping that there's some ME2 DLC still to come, as it's my game of the year by a long way.




  • mkreku #39 2 years ago

    Would be neat if they managed to implement that SPU MSAA solution Sony has been toting. That would make it a bit better.

  • Soton4084 #40 2 years ago

    I played the first game on a mates Xbox 360 I truely believe it was the best exclusive game on the console. I was even planning to get an Xbox 360 Slim before the announcement that the sequel would also be coming to the PS3. A bit of a blow to the 360 in my opinion (although it does have the benefit of the exclusivity of the original), but I am glad that we are getting it. Unless they are specifically fine tuned to use the full potential of that console (e.g. Uncharted 2), exclusives just mean gamers have to spend more to avoid missing out on great games.

  • specular #41 2 years ago

    Oh, to experience the joys of playing it for the first time without the slowest planet scanner every conceived by mankind. "We need to hurry and get a team together as quickly as possible. Hey wait a minute, let's scan these planets first........." When the update for that came out I had already finished the game three times. So yeah this is good for new PS3 players.
    Edited by specular at 29/11/10 @ 17:14

  • Lord_Gremlin #42 2 years ago

    So, it is a lot of value for your money. And seeing as engine updated like Ninja Gaiden 2 to Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 makes it's even more appealing.
    Come to think of it, save game generator makes this version of ME2 the most desirable for me, as I've lost my ME1 saves (PC) and couldn't bring myself to replay it,

  • Zaiz #43 2 years ago

    Ahahaha, ME2 not having bugs? You should see how many times I went hurtling into the sky on my last playthrough, that forced reloads since I couldn't get close enough to mission objectives(There's a floor above the "ceiling" of some levels) to activate them.

  • Vyggo #44 2 years ago

    Alright guys, you are now getting my favorite xbox 360 game on the ps3. How about you do something back for me by making a port of Demon's Souls for the xbox 360?

    I'll settle for an inferior version.

    Please?

  • Centrifugal #45 2 years ago

    And there's no chance of all this DLC being released on a disc with the game on the 360? I already have it all (huge Mass Effect fanboy) but I've got friends without LIVE who would welcome this.

  • Kaminari #46 2 years ago

    Cool.

  • TAPNGO #47 2 years ago

    @PixelPirate

    mass effect 2 is a great game, but they never fixed numerous bugs that are still on the 360 version.

  • Vyggo #48 2 years ago

    Must've been lucky then, I have played through Mass Effect 2 + most DLC three times now, and I've never experienced a bug.
    Edited by Vyggo at 29/11/10 @ 21:32

  • 1337_feet #49 2 years ago

    Cool.PS3 users can now play an awesome RPG.But Bioware should also make Mass Effect for the PS3 and not just the second one.