Mass Effect 2 "such a better experience"

By Robert Purchese Published 8 September, 2009

BioWare relishing first sequel in 9 years.

BioWare lead writer Mac Walters reckons there's a surprising amount of difference between Mass Effect and its upcoming sequel, even after a million plays through.

"A lot of people ask about, 'What are the big changes?'" Walters told Kotaku at PAX over the weekend. "It's actually a lot of small changes. Even just as a person who's played it a million times, I'm just like, 'Wow'. It's Mass Effect but it's such a better experience now."

Mass Effect 2 is the first sequel BioWare has worked on since Baldur's Gate 2 in 2000, as both Knights of the Old Republic 2 and Neverwinter Nights 2 were developed by Obsidian Entertainment.

"It's nice to be able to change and modify," added BioWare boss Greg Zeschuk of the opportunity. "We think [Mass Effect 2 is] going to be a much better game than the first one."

Eurogamer's Digital Foundry blog explored the technical advancements made by the sequel at gamescom in late August.

Simultaneously, Eurogamer's science-fiction boffin Dan Pearson delivered his hands-on impressions of the gamescom build.

Both signs pointed to win.

Mass Effect 2 launches simultaneously for PC and Xbox 360 here early next year.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (44) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Raziel #1 2 years ago

    I got to play this a bit at GamesCom.
    Everything is better. The controlls, the sound, the graphics, animation... Just, everything.

  • Darren #2 2 years ago

    Personally I can't wait to play Mass Effect 2 as the story was awesome (albeit borrowing heavily from the classic Babylon 5) so I'm itching to find out what happens next. I completed it on the 360 and am currently well into the PC version as I hope to buy that version only this time round. I want that completed save game to carry through to the sequel you see.

  • Xerx3s #3 2 years ago

    "I got to play this a bit at GamesCom. "

    /jealous

  • StooMonster #4 2 years ago

    Mass Effect 2 is my most highest anticipated game atm, so glad PC version will be concurrent with Xbox 360.

  • Schiraman #5 2 years ago

    Mass Effect was fun, but there was a lot wrong with it - so I'm definitely keen to see what improvements they make. Personally my #1 request would be for side missions/optional planets to not just be a bunch of incredibly dull identikit environments.

  • Raziel #6 2 years ago

    @Xerx3s
    If it'll make you feel better, I had to wait in line for 30+ minutes, then we had to share a single console with the 2 of us, and I ended up letting a friend of mine play the most of it, since he hadn't played ME 1 yet.
    We got to play the bit where you try to talk to that green assassing guy, who's name slipped my mind. A bit of cut-scene, shooting and talking.

    I also scored 2 Mass Effect T-Shirts, but both of them seem sized for dwarves... :(

  • RedPanda #7 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • spekkeh #8 2 years ago

    I loved and hated Mass Effect. The storytelling and setting was absolutely ace, but it was constantly bogged down by these little gripes that were getting more and more annoying, by the end I wanted to give the game a 7.5.. Only the ending completely blew me away (I had the renegade ending), and now I can't wait to get my hands on ME2.

    and I fully expect to return as Darth Shepard in the next game

    Most anticipated game for me too.

  • muscleblade #9 2 years ago

    I ignored all the optional quests in my second playthrough. Thats when i actually enjoyed the game. Too bad both the achievements and ranking system forces you to do most side quests.

  • Collymilad #10 2 years ago

    As far as I'm concerned Mass Effect was the best game of the year and ME2 will probably take the same award for me.

    ME did have stuff wrong with it but I think people go on about it too much as if any of them were game breaking. I mean yes it had the crappy identikit planets, dodgy A.I, some texture pop-in and a crap inventory, but other than that I can't see what people moan about.

  • Ace_McCloud #11 2 years ago

    I'd like to play a ME game.

    2 questions:
    1 - how long is Mass effect?
    2 - should you really play ME1 before ME2?

  • foamy #12 2 years ago

    Ace,

    1 - I got through it, doing some side-quests with about 20-30h of gameplay.
    2 - You should, even if you don't play 2. It's one hell of a game, even without the sequel.

  • kangarootoo #13 2 years ago

    I am all kinds of excited about this. I rarely get excited about new games these daysa, but every so often the old tingle returns.


    "I ignored all the optional quests in my second playthrough"

    I didn't ignore ALL the optional quests on my second playthrough, but I certainly did ignore the ones that involved endless driving about on identical (if differently coloured) moons. I enjoyed ME lot the first time through, but ignoring the sub-planet missions is a wise move on subsequent playthroughs.

  • StueyBoy16 #14 2 years ago

    @ Ace_McCloud
    On your first playthrough of ME1 you will easily get over 20 hours of playtime so it is quite long.
    I would definitely recommend playing ME1 first because ME2 carries directly on from the end of ME1 and the decisions you make in ME1 have a big effect on your ME2 experience. Also it is just pure awesome.

  • spekkeh #15 2 years ago

    I actually bought ME1 recently because ME2 looked so nice in the trailers, Ace. I grumbled a bit that as part 2 took off where 1 left off I was 'forced' to buy 1, but I was really happy I did. It's quite incomparable to anything else and has some really great gaming moments. It may be flawed, but it's still a masterpiece in all the new stuff it does right (conversely, I'm now playing Fable 2, one of the other 'classics' I never picked up, and finding it really ho-hum eight to ten hours in).

    I think you can finish the game in about sixteen hours, there's really not much point in doing the side quests.

  • Xerx3s #16 2 years ago

    "If it'll make you feel better"

    No.

    "I also scored 2 Mass Effect T-Shirts"

    /hulksmash ;)

  • videogangs #17 2 years ago

    Agreed on the vehicle bits- Driving that fucking buggy about felt like piloting a shopping trolley with the wheels glued on backwards. Forwards should ALWAYS be relative to player, never to the camera! Jesus it was horrible, I sold it before I got more than 5 hours into the game just on the basis of those bits.

  • anomagnus #18 2 years ago

    God i want this game so much, i'll probably take time of work when it launches

  • miiiguel #19 2 years ago

    My 1st playthrough - 50 hours (did every single side-quest, including fetching all the minerals in every planet).
    OCD...

  • mrmonkey1980 #20 2 years ago

    Well it won't be hard to beat Mass Effect. I've never been so disappointed by a game.

  • LiveForever #21 2 years ago

    Developers always say the sequel is so much better. I really enjoyed the first one, the story will be great as always, lets just hope they fix some of the bugs and reduce the romance/sex crap.

  • JahB #22 2 years ago

    does anybody know if this is going to be T rated again?

  • AphoticCosmos #23 2 years ago

    /cannot wait

  • trooperdx3117 #24 2 years ago

    I gotta say that this article seems kind of pointless since its just one of the Mass Effect developers saying "Yeah our game is awesome"

  • Doctor_What #25 2 years ago

    I'm amazed by how excited I feel about this game. There are very few titles that I'm actively looking forward to, but ME2 is edging ever closer to the top of the list.

  • muscleblade #26 2 years ago

    @miiiguel

    Sounds kind of boring imo. I just couldnt be bothered with that. Life is too short imo. Still if you enjoyed it - good for you. I hated the optional sidequests and mineral fetching. I loved the main quests though.

  • swissorc #27 2 years ago

    Started playing Mass Effect again recently as I lost my damn save now the honey moon is over the flaws are not so ready forgiven still love it though and still can't wait. Hell if you need to delay until 2011 aslong as it's right when it gets here

  • Kelad #28 2 years ago

    I do not think of the "sex/romance" stuff as crappy though. Actually I found it to be kind of classy in a movie kind of way. Liara seemed a bit like a slut (Ashley is a much harder nut to crack ;) ), but maybe Shepard is that hell of a character to explain her affection. ;) I still believe it fit the game pretty well.

    P.S.: Sorry for the bad english.

  • Brogan #29 2 years ago

    Enjoyong the 1st game right now but they need to sort the auto save out or map a quick save on to the controller

  • Brogan #30 2 years ago

    Also back for bombs is shit

  • JensonJet #31 2 years ago

    It amazes how many times I read "loved Mass Effect although it's heavily flawed". If a game comes across as heavily flawed, you really don't love the game. All the games I play that I consider flawed or problematic I absolutely do not like.

    As a gamer who generally hates third-person games (Mass Effect being only the second one I've completed) I could mention in every post that the vehicle control/physics aren't Forza on it's most hardcore of settings. But I don't, that would utterly pointless. Admittedly I always drove the truck in first-person view, so I loved driving that truck.
    Edited by 1 at 08/09/09 @ 14:39

  • TheTingler #32 2 years ago

    From what I've gathered the optional planets/side missions have been tremendously beefed-up and improved.

    If this and Assassin's Creed II remove all the problems with the first game and keep all the good stuff, then they'll both shoot to the top of my Best Game Ever list quite quickly!

  • RedSparrows #33 2 years ago

    'It amazes how many times I read "loved Mass Effect although it's heavily flawed". If a game comes across as heavily flawed, you really don't love the game. All the games I play that I consider flawed or problematic I absolutely do not like.'

    What? That's rubbish. I love Mass Effect. The game had graphical problems. These problems were undesirable, but they did not affect my love for the *good* aspects of the game. Otherwise you can only ever love perfection. You'll never love anything, in that case.

  • miiiguel #34 2 years ago

    I like the way Mako handles. It gives a sci-fi feeling. I imediatly connect it to Discovery channels docs where lunar vehicles appear.
    Same way I like the desolate nature of most rocks/planets across ME universe, it gives a sense of "Universe".

  • comissars_handgun #35 2 years ago

    Yeah of course you can love a flawed game. GTAIV, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, I loved all these games but I could go on for ages about all their many flaws. Mass Effect 1 had a load of graphical problems and the combat was a bit rubbish but it's still one of the best games I've played.

    I kind of wish they would stop reporting on Mass Effect 2 because I want to play it NOW and I don't want to wait till next year, that seems so far away.

  • The-Bodybuilder #36 2 years ago

    The first ME I did in 45hours.
    I'm sure people must be tired of me going on about how much I love it. ME is the spiritual succesor to shenmue, for me.

  • TONYgr #37 2 years ago

    me too miiiguel,except one mineral.SUPER GAME!

  • sharky_ob #38 2 years ago

    @Raziel

    'We got to play the bit where you try to talk to that green assassing guy, who's name slipped my mind.'

    Greedo?

  • sneetch #39 2 years ago

    Hopefully the lifts (i.e. the loading speeds) have sped up.

  • Xerx3s #40 2 years ago

    "20 hours, 45 hours, 50 hours, wtf? My once completed N restarted save file tells me I've invested a total of 13 hours thus far. I didn't exactly rush through for the sake of it either."

    One of my characters totals 73 hours. But then I easily play games like the ES games for hundreds of hours with one character.

  • davisorle #41 2 years ago

    @The Bodybuilder
    Shenmue.. omfg i loved that game so freaking badly. Was so original and fun and like .. just sweet :p

    But yeah ME was awesome and from the looks of it ME2 will be even better ( well, we do hope so ) so im glad about that much. Thou8gh big expectations will lead to way too easy dissapointments and critisism in the slightest bit of the game and we all know it so ill just keep having low profile and not care much till i get to have it in my 360 and go on till i finish it and THEN talk about it thoroughly :) Batman, Forza, ODST etc ( including my clans on the PC ) will keep me way too busy eitherway for the rest few months of the year when i have free to play indoors :)

  • miiiguel #42 2 years ago

    @wascallywaycyst : As far as I know, when you start a new campaign (newgame +) the playtime hours are reset.

  • kongzi #43 2 years ago

    @wascallyweacsdgtscyst : dude, that's so....awesome.. but I have 5 chinese guys that play all my games for me, they did mass effect in 1 hour and 15 seconds without taking a shit.

    /obligatory elitism/
    you suck
    /obligatory elitism ends/

    Anyway. This sounds good, everybody that has seen it seems to agree it's much better. I didn't have nearly as many problems in the game as some people reported, but yeah there were some flaws in the design. I guess games is the only form of entertainment were the sequel usually is better.

    Has anybody seen a more precise release date for this, by the way?

  • X #44 2 years ago

    I did enjoy Mass Effect as a whole definitely. There was just far too much Mako action with cut and paste bases and settlements to 'look forward to'. Damaged the replayability massively - not been to it much since I did so. 40 hours having done every single mission was more than enough.