No it isn't, not even remotely. The only thing it does is punish people for buying games used.

Fine, It's a genius way to cash on on people who buy used.
Bioware can do no wrong.

Well, I just beat the game and read this entire thread.

I'll admit I kinda cheated, did alot of research on various stuff before making decisions to see the consequences, without actually spoiling the story. I basically bought ME1, and replayed it (I originally played on Xbox but dad threw Xbox away because it broke, no save data). I got them for the PC this time. I played paragon in ME1. Then I bought ME2, and decided to play full-on good/paragon for this game. I even decided to stay loyal to ashely. It took me 40 hours, did all but 2 sidequests.

My thoughts:

I liked the combat in ME1 better. ME2 had little variety. I don't like that most of the game is dominated by finding all the characters and doing their loyalty missions. I also felt that there was little payoff in the end. I want to know more about the council, Anderson, the galactic state toward the reapers, who the protheans were, more info about the reapers, and other stuff. I didn't like that suddenly everyone hates Shepard becaue he's working for cerberus. It seemed like a cool idea to be brought back by a shady organization, but if you're good you want to see more Alliance-Cerberus debate/interaction concerning the ethics of it all. I wanted to be working for the alliance again.

I basically felt like after ME1, All they said was Oh, so these new enemies are the protheans but the reapers took them over just like they take everyone else over. So basically the new thing in ME2: Everything in ME1, plus 1 new enemy that the Reapers took over to add to their minions *rolleyes* . And that's the extent of the revelations. I liked figuring out about the old crew, but I felt like their stories weren't fleshed out enough. I especially hated pretty much all of Tutchanka, a place I really thought would be cooler than it actually was. I wanted to see legions of Krogan fighting wars, instead I saw a little brown place and whining krogran trying to figure out politics and crap.

And... I got tired of the duck/cover system. And that the Space Bar does everything. And that you have to duck before jumping over a ledge.

I have a hunch that trying to be the bad guy with change my perspective and make the game alot more fun, I don't have to worry about morals and ethics and how to save everyone. I can screw with people. People can die. I can be a bad@ss. Therefore, I am going to re-start ME1 at some point, be a completely terrible person. Kill Wrex. Then import ME2, and be terrible again. get my team killed or something. See what happens and enjoy not worrying about being the hero.

Mass Effect 2 is still a pretty amazing game. Fabulously stunning graphics, amazing choices. I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread at times, but I also felt like there was too much in between 1 place and another. The main story seemed slightly lacking.

ME1, here I come!...after a long break.

Legions of Krogan isn't possible. Everything else you mentioned is set up for the third game.

What's Tuchanka like if Wrex dies in the first game? I saved him in all of my ME1 saves, so I have no way of checking that doesn't involve 30 hours.

Also, I haven't played on Hardcore mode, but I kinda wish the suicide mission was a little bit more frantic. I mean, at no time was I really in jeopardy, or did I have any "oh ****" moments. The "suicide" mission is less scary when your entire (or most) team survives.

Tuchanka is mainly the same if Wrex is dead, he's just replaced with another Urdnot chief (who I think is Wrex's brother, but it's been a while since I played a save with Wrex dead so I'm not sure on that). The whole scene is a little less personal but plays out the same.

Tuchanka's pretty much the same, with the key difference being that Urdnot Wreave, Wrex's brother, is the clan leader. He doesn't share any of Wrex's big plans, and it's pretty clear that if he's the leader, life for the krogan will go on pretty much the way it always has. Not really a big difference in ME2, but naturally it's going to be important in ME3.

Edit: Argh, beaten to the punch.

A million times this.

So, I did the IFF mission very last, therefore Legion was my last character. I didn't get to use him as much. (You'd think people seeing a geth walking around Illium or the citadel would freak out.) What happens if, when doing Legion's loyalty mission, you kill all the bad "heretic" geth, instead of merging them with the rest of the "good" geth? Anything substantial? I suppose this is likely meant to have more relevant in ME3. (I plan on doing this with my bad character.)

Nothing special. You still gain Legion's loyalty if you destroy the heretics, I think maybe the cutscene as the Normandy flies away is a little different. But yeah, ME3 is where you'll see the effects of a lot of stuff from the first two games.

And if you want to hear a good reaction to Legion, talk to the C-Sec customs officer at the entrance to the Citadel.

Don't complete Tali's loyalty mission until after you acquire Legion, then take him with you to the Migrant Fleet.

ha, im actually working on that this playthrough. also got morinth this time, kinda meh so far.

I always left Carth behind on Virmire - if you leave Ashley instead, does Carth come and act like a huge ***** to you on Horizon?

I'm pretty sure Carth = Han Soloesque dude from KOTOR 2. Kaidan is the guy in ME.

its the same voice actor. and really both ashley and kaidan are the same on horizon "OMG UR WIT CERBERUS KBAI"

Carth was in the first KotOR. The joke is that he and Kaidan had the same voice actor.

Edit: MacFoiled again.

http://www.cracked.com/funny-3872-bioware/
It's Cracked, so - language and **** and asses and etc

I've just uninstalled ME2.

I was playing w/o ME1 savegames, finished the first batch of "get teammembers" quests, and got pissed off at the game's "assumed" choices when I got to the Citatadel (eg., w/o saves game thinks that you've replaced the council w/ the human one and that you've shot Wrex).

So I've re-installed ME1, will play that one more time and make the choices that I did on my first playthrough and then will start with ME2 one more time.

Good call. I played through ME2 twice with the default choices and still enjoyed the game, but when I went through it with an imported character and with my own choices reflected in the game, it was almost an entirely different experience.

I'm bored of ME2. I'm halfway through a playthrough, but I cannot force myself to go do a ton of ***** work just to get some depressed, terminal, green booger with personal and familial issues to join my team.

I've done two playthroughs and couldn't stomach doing a third so soon after. I'll play this game again, I totally adored it, but it wont be any time soon. Early summer at best.

I'm doing my third, but I'm doing it slowly in 30 minute increments.
It's nice, this game can be played all at once, or over a long period.

Finished Insanity on Tuesday. Challenging stuff.

I didn't finish my second play, got distracted by Heavy Rain and Dante's Inferno. Quality games they are.