Mass Effect 2

[Flawless]

Re: Mass Effect 2

[jmood88]

Re: Mass Effect 2

Man everything looks so much better and I want that armor the Batarian has.

[trobinson97]

Re: Mass Effect 2

The Citadel looks ridiculous(video)

Yeah the thing I always like about that city was that it was so detailed and realistic that I could imagine myself being there. When I look at the video I can see all those different races down there enjoying the night life. This game can't get here fast enough.

[Flawless]

Re: Mass Effect 2

Vorcha

The vorcha homeworld is a relatively small, hostile, overcrowded planet. Most of its resources have been stripped by its fast-breeding, savage inhabitants. Even as their population grows, the vorcha constantly fight each other in fierce competition over basic necessities. Consequently, each vorcha born is stronger and more ferocious than the last. However, their continual lack of resources have kept vorcha society extremely primitive.

The vorcha who escaped their hostile homeworld did so by hiding like rats on the ships of spacefaring races that had the misfortune of visiting their planet. Their adaptability and resilience allows them to flourish in the dark and dirty corners of the places they end up.

Vorcha are extremely aggressive. Fighting is their default form of communication, either alone or in savage swarms.

They prefer to live among themselves in shared spaces than to be alone or mingle with aliens. They have a strong “nesting” instinct, preferring tight, cluttered areas. Their clannishness and preference for “squatting” in the uninhabited service levels of space stations reinforces many species’ opinions of the vorcha as vermin – dangerous vermin who’ll bite your face off if you get too close.

When vorcha numbers reach a “critical density” in the available space, younger members break off to start a new clan in another location. While clans usually avoid contact with one another, when living space is at a premium, they aggressively compete for resources and shelter.

The vorcha are the most short-lived sapient race known, with a lifespan of only 20 years.
They possess unique internal “clusters” of non-differentiated cells, similar to those of Earth’s planarian worms. When a vorcha is injured or in distress, these cells move to the affected area and rapidly (~1 week) mature to specialized forms that will alleviate the issue.

A vorcha that is cut or burned will adapt to have thicker skin. The lungs of a vorcha placed in a barely-breathable atmosphere will adapt to better use the gases there. A vorcha subjected to high gravity will quickly develop stronger heart and leg muscles.

Non-differentiated vorcha cell clusters do replenish themselves, but the process is slow. Generally vorcha can only adapt to a single environment within their brief lives. However, what cells are replaced allow them to heal rapidly, and even regrow lost limbs over a period of months.

Interestingly, the unique biology of the vorcha has caused them to stop evolving. Their DNA (or its equivalent) has not altered for millions of years. There is no need for them to evolve as a species when they can adapt as individuals.

Seeing the potential of this individual adaptability, krogan Blood Pack mercenaries often sweep pockets of vorcha, gathering them up and literally beating them into soldiers. Vorcha “trained” by this ordeal are stronger, faster, smarter, and more resilient than other members of the race. Gaining even a few vorcha gives a merc band a formidable advantage; each additional vorcha magnifies the gang’s combat ferocity exponentially.

[Flawless]

Re: Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 tech upgrades impress

Last week BioWare demoed a short 15-minute sampler of Mass Effect 2 at gamescom, and the overall impact of the game is hugely positive, with a far more confident and impressive implementation of the Unreal Engine 3 technology in place.

The litany of technical issues found in the Xbox 360 version of the original game is expansive. For instance, the game had clear texture-streaming issues whereby gameplay would slow down or even freeze when the DVD drive was unable to keep up with the demand for new data - an issue that an NXE hard disk install would only marginally improve.

There was also the sense that original Mass Effect was somewhat too ambitious for the Unreal Engine 3 technology that powered it, with some serious frame-rate issues both in the cinematics and during gameplay.

"The nice thing about it, and why we've really been able to advance it so much is that we had the existing game, so we knew where we needed to fix it," BioWare's Heather Rabatich told me at gamescom. "The guys on the dev team made a list of everything they wanted to improve and they just sort of checked it off: the elevator loads, the texture pop-in... you can see the advances in the visuals."

Indeed you can. It was the Xbox 360 version that was on display at the convention, and in both the role-playing and shooting sections there was very little discernible evidence of any kind of texture streaming problems. Resolution was definitely locked at 720p, and while just about all the LCDs in use at gamescom were very badly calibrated (with ultra-harsh contrast making analysis difficult) it does appear that Mass Effect 2 features 2x MSAA anti-aliasing too.

Over and above that, the game is v-synced, which can impact frame-rate at times, but this only seemed to be noticeable during the cinematics, and even then, it was still a big improvement over the first game.

The boost to performance during gameplay is also especially impressive bearing in mind that BioWare is intent on giving these sections more of an action bias, with a definite emphasis on making it a credible shooter. More bling and more bangs usually entails a bigger load on the engine, but once again, ME2 acquits itself very well indeed.

As for the elevator loading sections... yes, they're still there, but they're clearly quicker than they were in the first game, with a computer-style series of vector images displaying your ascent (and presumably, descent), helping to make the wait more bearable. The overall sensation - certainly in the demo we were shown - is that the whole process is a lot less painful this time around.

[Spectre]

Re: Mass Effect 2

This will be the best game of this generation

Bioware have my money... forever

[Altimus]

Re: Mass Effect 2

This will be the best game of this generation

Bioware have my money... forever

What about Mass Effect 3? :wink:

I agree though. Mass Effect is my all time favorite game. I cannot wait for Mass Effect 2 and as we edge closer my anticipation is rising. Fortunately in the mean time while we wait we'll get some ME DLC and this fall other games are coming out which will make the wait easier.

Also interesting how your name was Spectre before the game even hit man. lol

[jmood88]

Re: Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 tech upgrades impress

That's what Bioware can do when they make a sequel.

[Spectre]

Re: Mass Effect 2

What about Mass Effect 3? :wink:

I agree though. Mass Effect is my all time favorite game. I cannot wait for Mass Effect 2 and as we edge closer my anticipation is rising. Fortunately in the mean time while we wait we'll get some ME DLC and this fall other games are coming out which will make the wait easier.

Also interesting how your name was Spectre before the game even hit man. lol

LOL

I just finished Fallout and I've been itching to play through with a female Shepard. I've already done two playthroughs as a male Shepard, badass and good.

I remember how much bitching I did when I heard Bioware wasn't making KotOR 3 and focused on this new IP. Was I ever wrong!

[jmood88]

Re: Mass Effect 2

My first Shepard was male but my female Shepard destroys that guy.

[jmood88]

Re: Mass Effect 2

Gamescom footage
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[trobinson97]

Re: Mass Effect 2

Damn, now I gotta go play Mass Effect.

[jmood88]

Re: Mass Effect 2

After what I've seen of Mass Effect 2 I can't play the first one anymore. I bought Pinnacle Station but I don't feel like playing it anymore.

[trobinson97]

Re: Mass Effect 2

After what I've seen of Mass Effect 2 I can't play the first one anymore. I bought Pinnacle Station but I don't feel like playing it anymore.

Regarding Pinnacle Station I think it's more of a case of me not wanting to play it. I was hoping for a real mission like Bringing Down the Sky. I still got it anyway, and will probably get around to it, but like you it doesn't really excite. The game itself though, I can still play.

[Wet Bandit]

Re: Mass Effect 2

BioWare confirmed that Tali is returning as a potential squad member.

Now I just need a full biotic that doesn't act like a 16-year old girl in order to complete my squad.