Question about Mass Effect 2

Hey all,

So I just finished ME1, and it was an awesome game, I'm going to play through it one more time, this time with different choices. However, one of the things I loved the most about the combat was that I never had to reload and that I never ran out of ammo.

Seeing the videos about ME2, I see that we do have to pick up ammo that is laying around and have to keep an eye on our ammo count. Now I'm not trigger-happy by any means but I hate having to keep checking on my ammo.

How have people's experiences been with the ammo in ME2?

Mr. Mysterious

 

Ammo is pretty easy to come by, and it's all the same. One ammo pack gives you ammo in your AR, Shotgun, Pistol, Sniper. you have to find "power cells" for your heavy ammo. Overall, (I am fairly trigger happy) I never had to switch from the gun I was using, only in a few cases, and I was able to finish off the current enemies with a few shots from a different weapon. just try to be a little careful on ammo usage and you'll be ok.

 

I've played both ME1 and ME2 (twice, for the latter).

Unless you are super, super trigger happy and never use any biotics/tech attacks, you pretty much don't have to worry about ammo. The ammo is there only to balance out certain weapons (ie: super powerful Widow antimaterial rifle) so you can't spam any one weapon--you can't always just sit back and snipe out every single enemy before strolling onto an empty battlefield.

Also, the "heat clips" are the same for all weapons, so picking them up will resupply all weapons you're carrying by a certain amount (ie: quite a few shots for machine gun, perhaps only one shot for the Widow).

I personally think it's better than the overheating system they had on the first ME.

EDIT: beat to it

 

From what I have read, it isn't that big of a difference. There is not unlimited heatsinks but you shouldn't really run out. But besides ammo, I have heard that the second one is drastically different from the first. I am excited to try both of them. How long did that first play through roughly take you?

Edit: Wow I basically saw this post go up as I refreshed, typed my answer and 2 people already responded lol.

 

There really isn't, unless you're playing it wrong (ie, not utilizing biotics, tech powers, or not using your team)--then the shift will likely reveal that.

Yes, the second one is far more fast paced than the first one, with more interesting side quests and characters, and some refreshed graphics details. There's more interaction in the game as well, and combat is much more exciting.

 

That's great! Looks like I won't have to worry about ammo then, lol

In my first playthrough that I just finished in ME1, I took 12 hours to go through it all, though I didn't do a lot of the sidequests....There was a sense of urgency, lol.

I have to admit that I didn't use the tech and biotics attacks that much...Towards the end of the game I started using it a little more, but I mostly focused on shooting. I loved using my assault rifle, kept looking for the best one. I barely touched the shotgun and the pistol...and I used the sniper about 30% of the time.

Mr. Mysterious

 

Same--I played through ME1 as a soldier. Then, in ME2, I first played as an Infiltrator (made very heavy use of the sniper rifle), then a Soldier again (just had to try the machine gun ).

 

I both hated and loved the sniper rifle. Loved it because the shaking was realistic, and hated it because the shaking made me miss so many times, lol...

Mr. Mysterious

 

I didn't really have to worry about ammo in the main game, but in the Project Overlord and Arrival dlc, there were moment when the only thing I had left with ammo in it was my machine gun, but I think the ammo scarcity there is by design and not a result of the gameplay changes made in ME2.

 

Well even if ammo scarcity was a problem in ME2, it probably wouldn't stop me from purchasing it.

Mr. Mysterious

 

I played ME2 and did most of side quests in about ~20 hrs. During my game play, I never bought ammo and never had a problem running out. Just aim for the head and search around for clips and you should be ok.

If you still need to buy ME2, you can buy it from Amazon.com Download Service @ $10, and use the key to download via EADM.

Amazon.com: Mass Effect 2: Video Games

 

On a personal note, I never download video games...I always like to have a hard physical copy

I'll be purchasing the DVD for only $5 more.

Mr. Mysterious

 

Wow, you guys are fast. I have 20 hours for ME 1 and 30 for ME 2. I lije to take my time and do everything, talk to everyone. I also don't know how accurate steams clock is.

 

I've played both ME games. Personally I found a bit cheap to include ammo since their lack of was one of the few original ideas ME had (when compared to other conventional shooters). And so the shooting in ME2 became no different that other TPS. For example, if a weapon is very powerful (widow rifle)... why not giving it long reload times?

In any case this is not a game breaking issue at all... just a philosophical game breaking issue

 

LOL, i actually played the series backwards. I bought ME2 first and i thought the whole comabt system was flawless.

I bought Mass Effect 1 and it wasnt untill i had played the game through and completed it that i realised that you can upgrade the weapons (aim, Power etc) LOL. I just thought that the combat system in ME1 was actually that crap that its impossible to aim!!

 

When does the fun begin? I've played ME2 for about three hours now and so far it has been mostly busy work. I'm following a walkthrough that has me going all over the place talking to people and buying stuff. When do I get to start killing things? I would like to ditch the walkthrough but I would have no idea where to go what to do without it. Do you just go to the different planets and kill whatever shoots at you? LOL and Crying out loud.

 

Well what exactly do you mean by busy work? The game throws you pretty much right into the action so I'm not sure exactly what you could mean. I guess you could look at the team recruitment as busy work, but then that doesn't really sound like what you are doing. Look at the main objectives in the journal and they should pretty clearly tell you where to go.

 

As akora said, look at the main objective in your journal and follow those. They are even indicated fairly well in the galaxy map. Go for the recruiting missions, after a little bit of talk you'll enter areas where you start killing stuff.

 

I played through both ME1 and ME2 as an Infiltrator, and I prefer the combat/ammo system in ME2. The sniper rifle in particular is much easier to use in ME2 because 1) it doesn't shake, and 2) Infiltrators slow down time using the scope. It was all kinds of fun cloaking and head-shotting using the sniper rifle.

At the highest difficulty level, you'll find yourself using your tech/biotic powers MUCH more, as you'll run out of ammo pretty fast with all the shields/barriers that even cannon fodder have.

Can't wait for ME3!

 

Being trigger happy is much less fun that hitting people exactly when you plan to (IMO).

 

Agreed. I barely ever used the assault rifle. I much preffered the Widow anti material sniper or the Pistol.

 

Really? No one felt a sense of urgency throughout the game? I mean I know it's an RPG and you're meant to explore everything, but with Saren breathing down your neck, it felt like kind of a race, lol.

Mr. Mysterious

 

Thanks Akora and Tijo for your advice and encouragement.

There was good action in the beginning but once I got to the Normandy things slowed with visiting all the rooms and chatting up the people. Then the walkthrough sent me to the Citadel and had me visit all of the stores and chat with all the people. Also, I've been a bit overwhelmed with all of the different types of aliens and planets. I probably should have played ME1 first.

I check out the Journal and take it from there. I'm a bigger fan of FPS's and that is part of the problem.

Thanks again!

 

Ah okay, I understand now. The walk-through is likely guiding you to explore everything that you can and talk to everyone you can. For me, as a regular RPG player, this is something that I enjoy, but I can understand someone with a FPS background not being as interested. Like Tijo said, it would probably be best for you to stick to the main recruitment missions as they will provide the best action and move along the main story.

Also, playing ME1 first certainly would have helped, but you could also use the Codex(do they call it that? I can't remember, if not its the thing that is kinda like an encyclopedia) to read up on the different aliens and worlds. Again, as a FPS player, that may not be something you want to do, but it would help a lot with understanding the story better.

 

I barely used sniper rifles on my ME 2 run.
The M-96 Mattock rifle was my prefered weapon of choice.

Also recommend looking through the Codex for info about aliens and stuff.
Much of the stuff from ME 1 is in there.

 

I ran ME2 into the ground. I think on my fourth run through, I modded the game (followed the instructions from others) and just used the missle launcher (unlimited ammo) through the whole game. It was great fun. To bad ME3 was delayed.

 

I think no one has gone as nuts as me with ME2 . I own the game on PC, 360 and PS3. Granted, i got the PC copy as a freebie for i can't remember what but still. Yep, that widow sniper is a beast. Unless you're playing on insanity you can pretty much kill anything in one headshot. I played with the assault rifle a lot too but i'm more keen to use short precise bursts than go emptying a clip on an enemy, takes less ammo that way.

If you want hard, you can mod the game so insanity is even tougher by changing the way shields recharge, etc. You do run out of ammo on insanity even if you don't go trigger happy.

 

I'm really enjoying this game, finally. I've ditched the walkthrough and doing more mission. Lots of funs weapons!

Mass Effect 2 reminds me very much of Unreal Tournament 2004. Did the producers of these two games merge, Bioware and Midway?

 

One word of caution, do not go after the IFF, until you have finished all the loyality missions. Once the IFF mission is done you are put on a straight path to the suicide mission, Omega 4 rely.

 

Is the ME1 story connected to the ME2?

 

Yes, and no. Both games stand alone, however, if you carry over your save file into ME2, you get the benefit of your actions from ME1, (Shepards level, and I think weapons). Whatever, you did in ME1 (ie Kill/save Rex) has a consequence in ME2. The same will be true for ME3 (whenever it is released). Remember, this series was a planned trilogy, ME1 started the story, ME2 continues it and ME3 is the conclusion.

 

Thanks. Im in the middle of ME2 right now. But I think I want to get and finish ME1 first.

 

Thanks, Scanner!

 

Um...who's "Rex"?

Mr. Mysterious

 

Urdnot Wrex, the Krogan you meet in ME1 and team up with. You have a choice to kill him or to change his opinion in ME1.

 

You forgot to mention that if you don't have enough point in your persuasion skill you can't change his mind. that caught me by surprise in my first playthrough.

 

Yup it's always the persuasion points and high paragon points you have to put into reason but sometimes it's also how you been playing the game with full paragon or half and half of that and renegade. The third one is going to be so so awesome!!! Finally they are releasing the third one and taking their time with it and bringing back what made the game so great and popular rpg themes. I have played this game so much now playing as a girl lolz.

 

I can't really make much sense of this. I'm on my second playthrough, and i plan on doing everything opposite what I did in my first, just to see how everything works out.

 

Ohhh ok. I had to kill him unfortunately I liked him. He was tough.

Mr. Mysterious

 

NOT REX?! WHYYYYYYYYYYYY-OH THE INHUMANITY

 

I like the storyline/etc from ME2, but I prefer the weapon customization and the combat from ME1... ME2 is too much of an FPS for me...

 

Lmao. I tried to keep him alive, but Ashley shot him behind my back. Well that's why I didn't save her later

Mr. Mysterious

 

Yeah, that was a sad loss due with the intention to "massify" the game for increased revenue. I wish too that weapon customization can return on the 3rd installment.

 

All right, I just got it this morning! How's the difficulty level compared to ME1?

Mr. Mysterious