== Story == and graphics
A summary is already in the product description from Amazon, so I will not go into it further.
The story is great and told grippingly staged, it produced a riveting, intense atmosphere, not least because of the great soundtrack and the very successful synchronization (at least in English :-)). Connoisseurs of the first part are at an advantage, "newcomers" will probably have to read some incidents like the attack of Geth on the Citadel in Codex, can be accessed through the menu. But do not worry, these people will understand and ME2 have their pleasure. A final score of ME1 can be imported (appearance and decisions are taken), which has several allusions (large and small) or changed Options dialog result. This is in my opinion one of the best features that you have installed in ME2. Thus, the two part are interwoven properly and that people will remember in ME2 what you did in ME1, positive and negative decisions.
The downside is that the actual main story is overall much shorter than in ME1, since you can be 70% busy building his team. The individual characters are very loving and recruitment missions so appealing and varied design that I - although we are not told a lot about Reaper and Protheans - was still tied to the screen. In addition, the story that has nothing to do with recruiting, as well as enthralling in the first part, but just unfortunately less. The end is usual epic. Here even the timing is important, of which I would like now but spoil anything.
Graphically, it's hard to complain about the game, both facial expressions and gestures of the characters are excellent, as well as the staging. While talking to his people, they move when they, for example, are just excited to run around, or slip on the chair quite rightly, the "camera view" changes the angle etc. This all looks very vivid and realistic. In addition, different architectural styles for the different breeds were introduced. In ME1 all bunkers and spaceships looked the same, no matter who they belonged to.
Only to complain about there, that in just a few dialogues was a black box around the subtitle. That's why they were still properly to read, but something interfered with the overall picture. But that was rare.
== Dialogues and Paragon / Renagade system ==
As already mentioned, the English synchronization is excellent and contributes much to the amusement of the dialogues.
The texts themselves are written great, especially the dialogues with Joker are incredibly funny, and there are also very serious and sad example with Thane or Samara. This mixture is BioWare very good. Also convenient is that dialogues can be skipped with the spacebar. So if you have loaded times, you do not when you do not want, listen to the complete dialogue again.
Another new feature is the interrupt system, which occurs in certain dialogs, while there are both Paragon including Renegade interrupts. They are optional, I can talk so just continue to pursue, or abbreviate. It is good that these actions do not depend on your Paragon or Renegade value, so you can make as Paragon Renegade actions vv more variety and personalization of his character are possible. Special Paragon (in ME1 Charm) and Renegade responses (in ME1 Intimidate) but / Renegade value can only be given depending on the Paragon, there are no additional skill is more likely (s. Skills) like in ME1.
The choices have thereby in part great personal impact for both NPCs and the own crew members, one often keeps life (literally and figuratively) of his opponent in his hand. This means that the replay value is very high, because you want to try other choices.
== Inventory, weapons and armor ==
Probably one of the biggest points of contention. There is no inventory. I like to collect things on and am absolutely for an inventory, but in ME1's has just annoyed. It was chronically full of much worse weapons and mods than you already had, so you had to sell all the muck constantly. That was, as none here prefer. It collects on upgrades and enhances the Normandy then all the weapons of a type so on. I would have found a good mix: a smaller inventory, but not find Kessler III when an Volkov VII has already.
Upgrades are now available for the Normandy, some are even essential if you want to survive ME2, a very nice feature.
There are no more Omnitools for finishing, but I do not care, I never could find a real difference between the tools in ME1. The crew and Shepard can equip a total of fewer weapons, but in the end the team members have fired in ME1 even with 2 arms. Only the Soldier class can continue to use all the weapons. One finds only 3 - 5 different weapons of a type and then upgraded to the Normandy or gun safes that are distributed throughout the levels, the weapons that you want. They differ in number of shots until the reloading, accuracy and damage, so as in ME1. But there is no more for these values speed display, you have to try the weapons. Ich finds good, it's fun to find out which weapon suits his style of play, as just plain boring to read the figures. That can each :-). The weapons look for it from a lot of different and do not simply have a different color. In ME1 you needed only the Spectrewaffen who have made at ridiculously long distances incredible amount of damage. Boring. A few more different weapons would nevertheless have been nice.
Armor for the crew's no more that I find very sad, I equip my troop of like what is wearing Miranda and Jacob and Jack especially in the fight not grade armor. You can choose only between two colors for their clothes after they are loyal (s. Below). For this you can change the beautiful arms of Shepard. It is divided into arms, legs, torso, shoulders and helmet. The individual parts thereof, which can be bought, can then be combined freely and the defense still looks good because a general appearance can be adjusted (color, pattern, material ...). In addition, I can strengthen as multiple effects, something more shields, something more Extramunni etc. Highly customizable.
== Classes, skills and experience ==
There are far fewer skills than in ME1, Shepard have 5 plus a passive ability of the class plus a loyalty ability of its members so 7. Crew members only 2 plus a passive personal capacity plus an ability that is unlocked after the loyalty mission was completed , were thus rationalized 4. Completely the Skills Decrypt and Electronics. I think that's very good because it has annoyed me in ME1 to be forced not only points to put in these skills that I would rather put into combat skills, but you had to also always take this corresponding member. Here the Shepard can itself, it is necessary not skill. There are 2 different mini-games, one for hacking and for a bypass, which I find quite nice. Also missing the skills for Intimidate and Charm, owing to their relationship in ME2 simply directly proportional with the Paragon / Renegade value. In ME1 could also tuck just so many points, how high the respective Paragon / Renegade value. The weapons skills also fall away, that's a pity.
The skills that are there can be upgraded four times, on the fourth stage can choose between 2 versions to be decided.
Why is it now really is not necessarily a loss, that there are so few skills? Because in contrast to the ME1 Skills can only be used interdependent: I use a skill, I can not use the other also for the duration of the use ability cooldowns. In ME1 that was not so. So you have to better consider what skills to use and can not just indiscriminately raushauen everything goes. You have to turn your head even more.
The biotic skills have been upgraded, they are now stronger and have partly a homing behavior. In ME1 they often went wrong, so I eventually just shot only with my weapon. In ME2 skills are the main battle elements - particularly on Hardcore and Insanity - even in the late game.
The individual classes are now also much more interesting and are more diverse, particularly the Vanguard plays now completely different. I've played through the game with all the classes and each time it has felt different. In ME1 that was kind of all the same porridge, the Vanguard has to my mind not played a lot differently from the Soldier because one has already just equipped the Spectrewaffen and then just had to keep it. One can early in the game even change the class and the appearance of his imported Shepard, which I find very useful.
Experience you can not get now from individual opponents but a fixed amount at the end of each quest, level cap is 30, level is always after 1000 points. Main missions enter 1000, the loyalty missions and 900 side missions that between 50 and 100 experience points. This "Paragon behavior" equated the Renegade: I have no more of it, if I spare a small group of people, I get no less experience disadvantage. That's really good.
== == Fight
I have the impression that the fighting are now tactical. Especially in the side missions of ME1 were one in the small bunkers within a short time quite a few people on their feet, so get out and fire shotgun (with a mission were kidding by 5 sec 15 people with me!). In ME2 distribute them better and also go into cover, in ME1 they are just packed just like a death wish hingerannt directly to a. Nevertheless, the opponents are still not very smart in ME2, maneuver to flank I have seen maybe once or twice, so the AI is still in need of improvement.
Weapons no longer overheat but there are thermal clips for cooling down consumed when you no longer have, you can not shoot. In principle, therefore, such as munitions, but just nice to Mass Effect universe inserted. I find good that you have thought about. They are dropped by enemies or lying around somewhere in the level. Even on Insanity I had often enough thermal clips.
Shepard can the only Heavy Weapons inserting as rocket launchers, for which there are other thermal clips that there are to be found only in special cases, the use of the Heavy Weapons should thus be carefully considered.
There are many ways to take cover, you can his people, of which you can take still 2, as usual commands to take cover or changing weapons. The Companion AI but has become much better. In ME1 they were so often behind any high box walls and have senselessly fired on them, because behind it was the enemy in the rough direction. Now try the crew members to position themselves better and so to meet the enemy and do not shoot completely pointless in the area around.
While the difficulty casual and normal really is totally not care who one takes, we have to think very well on Hardcore and Insanity especially, whose skills you want to use, as all enemies are protected by shields, armor or biotic barriers. These are, moreover, now better recognized as in ME1, since they have their own color and the strips are simply seen more clearly.
There is no more health indicator but one recognizes his wound by changing sound and red "veins" of the screen. Going long enough to cover, to heal again. Medigel thus aroused only fallen colleagues back to life.
== == Quests
Although there are slightly less side quests as in ME1, but they are much more varied and beautiful designed, each with their own territory, thus they are not boring, and the planets look really as if it would be worth it to settle, no barren rocky deserts like in ME1. I also have the impression that the opponents now consist of more races. In ME1 were the "bad guys" in Side Quests to 90% people that somehow gave the impression that only men are capable of evil, the other races saw next as saints from. This is now much better, there's just as much Asari, Turians, Krogan, Salarian, vorcha ... as people.
In addition, you can now more and more other cities to visit as the homeworld of the Krogan, that's good, but the Citadel was verkleinet dramatically, which I think is a shame.
The loyalty missions are optional and thus side missions, but especially this a lot of fun.
The level went very linear, but you have no card only a direction sign, so you ultimately must also look around well, if there is not still a door to the side going behind which there is still a room, because there is also.
== General == Gameplay
Hallelujah, there is no eternal elevator rides more that were at the beginning of ME1 perhaps quite nice, but at some point have only annoyed because anyway only ran the same messages and my people refused to talk to each other. Now you get on the elevator, there is a short loading screen and is good. Much better. It must be said that I played ME2 only on XP and Windows 7, there was the loading time between 2 and 10 seconds. My friends have been playing on Vista, because the load times were eternal. And, no, it is not on the computer. When Windows 7 was installed on the same computer, it ran much faster.
The control I find very pleasant, the keys are placed very pleasing to the hand, not for whom, who puts it at just.
The Star Map is now a bit different, you can see a small Normandy back and herflitzen, very nice. In addition, the card is lighter overall in ME1 it was too dark for me, I almost missed a few planets. There is a percentage indication of the individual galaxies and star systems, so that it will notice when in one of an already researched cluster a star system to come in ME1 I had to always write a list, because I like the whole name could not remember where I have been to. A pity, however, that in purely ME2 include the hidden orbs in the display, only the planet would have been better.
There is no more Mako. That's good and bad. In the main missions I have companions like liked, on the side quest planet I loathed it. For now you will scan the planet. As in ME1 the planets where you could end up to 95% were stony wastelands, so is a planet view as in ME2 also not boring. One must not get upset over huge mountains, over which one hardly comes across, exciting scanning is also not. I find both bad, but if I had to choose, I would prefer scanning, because you have to scan only as much as you need raw materials. If you have enough, you just stop, but nevertheless missed no sidequests because EDI, on-board computer, opens up before entering the planet, if there is one or not. When Mako you could never be sure because, as everything was not marked on the map and you had to leave the whole thing. Corrosive.
== == Crew and romances
As the game progresses to a total of 10 people, with DLC are as many as 12, recruited. For each a recruiting mission must be carried out - are nicely varied designed - as already mentioned. 2 certain people who were already in ME1 to troops can be recruited again. Where you can lead a lot of conversations with the new characters, you can talk about with these two hardly new. I thought that was a shame it was after ME1 by no means all of them known. The "new" are well prepared and interesting. In order to obtain the loyalty of its crew members and thus the undivided attention of the Mission, loyalty missions can be met at some point. These are usually very personal matters for the characters and therefore also very captivating. I have really kept their with my people and develop compassion for them. In addition, the missions are very different and imaginative, since BioWare has been really hard.
What a bit lacking, is the response of the Department on decisions. Actually, the relationship with Shepard would deteriorate if you do something, what is the one absolutely bad. Would be nice wenns still exist.
Among these 10 people there are three options for male and female Shepard for a romantic relationship, same sex does not exist. But you can also stay loyal to the old flame from ME1. In this case, the whole game is a picture of that in Shepard's cabin, one begins a new romance, the image eventually folded.
== "Genre" ==
What kind of game is Mass Effect 2 now? I do not know to be honest. It is a hybrid of action-adventure, RPG and shooter that's just fun. Ich finds also honestly not important what genre is allocated the thing, perhaps because there's just no name for. There were also not from the outset MMORPGs. I think it's good when game developers in new directions, the discussions in which drawer it must be plugged here, I find completely unnecessary. I have certainly no desire to repeatedly play the same games and if people do not always come up with something new, we would still only play role-playing games, where you have to enter in the console "Go North" and then in response gets "You are in a forest," without picture and everything.
Mass Effect 2 is a thing in itself, who is not sure whether he likes it, to the demo play or watch YouTube videos or just give the really great game a try!
== Summary ==
+ = Positive, - = negative, +/- = positive as well as negative
+ Great Story (but a bit short, see below) and optics
+ Great freedom of choice
+ No more elevator rides
+ Paragon / Renegade actions
+ English Synchrinisierung, Soundtrack
+ High replayability
+ Design option for Shepard's armor
+ Improved starmap
+ Vivid characters / behavior
+ Much better sidequests, more beautiful planet
+ More different classes
+ More tactical combat system (Skills, enemy ...)
+ No extra skills for hacking and Charm necessary
+ Improved biotic abilities
+ More inhabited cities
+ Importable Score
+ Experience regardless of Kills
- No armor for crew
- Actual main story quite short
- Enemy AI better but still not so smart
- Small graphic errors
+/- No Mako, for planet scanning
+/- No more than full inventory, but none at all
+/- Fewer Skills, for taktischerer use necessary
+/- Improved companion AI, but still in need of improvement
Thanks for Perseverance :-)
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