Immediately after the announcement of the caliber of the game Mass Effect 2 would like to hide in a secure underground bunker, hermetically isolated from friends, the internet and other sources of information. At this time, a suitable hiding place near at hand was not, so we had to settle for the popular methods - close your ears, close their eyes and other means hard to pretend that "there is no spoon." Despite all precautions, when it came time to save the galaxy second time, I knew almost everything - about the collapse of the Normandy, and about the death of the commander, and even about the fact that the sequel to Mass Effect - more action than role-playing game. In short, proceed to the second part with a clear head and cold heart did not work - I was in full confidence that he managed to "irradiate" critical dose of spoilers and seriously upset because of the "castration role system" - in that vein, the game described pioneers.
 | |  | Let us know! My name is Alex Shepard, and this - my new favorite ship and ceremonial costume skunk. |
2 +2 = 9 Under the laws of drama, now is the time to write "alas, the worst fears were confirmed," or - in fact everything was absolutely wrong. " And you know what? Let's do even cooler! Ready? So ... the worst fears were confirmed, but in reality everything turned out all wrong. Paradox? Not at all!
Plot exposition, characters, quests and even "sacred" knowledge of how, with whom there can pull off shorts, and with whom there is no (to whom the spoiler on youtube?) - None of this can spoil the pleasure of passing. The fact that the lion's share of playing time, you can still spend on prescription masterful dialogue and wind-shooting, and it is almost impossible to convey in words - you should try to personally. Even harder to describe the beauty and distinctive visual style of Mass Effect 2, screenshots, of course, are good, but it's only a few static snapshots of this amazing world. In short, if you have not played, but only collected, it is better to look at assessment, close this page and go save the world. I'll meet you later.
Does this mean that the graphics engine, Mass Effect 2 - perfect, storyline and dialogues - perfect, and role-playing and combat systems are an ultimate dream of any fan of RPG and shooter? Of course - no. In Mass Effect 2 is plenty of "rough", oddities and shortcomings. But, fortunately, we have long ceased to dissecting and appreciate the game bit by bit, exposing the individual scores for the plot, graphics, music, management, and "in-on-one to the green pucheglazika with gills on his neck." Perhaps such an approach in Shepard with his "Normandy" there would be no chance to escape from the asteroid belt charges klishirovannosti and secondary.To verify this, it is enough to run through the game forums. Ah, the battle system similar to Gears of War! Oh, each team member gives a personal quest - as primitive and boring. Ah, the RPG system is too simple. Oh, Unreal Engine 3 is out of date. Neither give nor take - field meeting old people grumble gamers from nursing homes, which have already tired of the constant stream of them lying on the quality of sci-fi RPG.
 | |  | For flights between the systems now spent fuel, and to study the planets have to buy probes. | | - Girl, you do not want to work with us on board the Normandy? Cabin and all meals provided! |
 | |  | The mini-map ergonomics still sacrificed to the rendering style. Beautiful, but uncomfortable. | | Our new boss (or rather, it is he believes himself to be) the whole game promotes smoking, drinking and hanging noodles on the ears. |
 | The party said the "right"! |
For those who still find the right bunker and escaped prior acquaintance with the game, to announce a summary of the previous series and a synopsis of the sequel.
Thus, the galaxy is saved from the invasion of an ancient race Reapers, a huge space station, "The Citadel" is badly damaged, but survived, the Galactic Council beheaded, and people have suddenly become the dominant force in the alliance.
Shepard, as the bearer of a frightening knowledge of the Reaper (actually it turned out that the truth no one wants to know), as well as the main culprit of the death of the Council, abruptly became inconvenient. Therefore, with easy filing an unscrupulous adviser Udi it along with all the crew of the Normandy send to patrol remote systems, the Milky Way.
In one of these raids, "Normandy" attacked a huge unidentified craft. Part of the crew perished, the ship Shepard was killed, and he found himself in open space with a punctured spacesuit.
In fact, both biologically Shepard died, but notorious in the first part of our organization "Cerberus" has found his remains and spent 2 years and billions of loans for reconstruction and recovery. It is - not an act of goodwill and gesture of despair. Humanity faces another threat in a way that can only legendary commander and his companions, which is dedicated to raising half the game.
Headshot vs. 2d10 We begin with the patient's problem - with the role of the system. It is no secret that computer RPG - a genre is not enough that an old and venerable, so more and actually grew out of a much more ancient "nastolok. All of these cards, dice, a party of eight characters, each of which "tyschapitsot" characteristics and 3-4 variant builds - it's all fine (Pioneer honest - I have no podkolok). But here's Believe it or not, but sci-fi-setting of this all looks like yesterday. Worse, when cinematic way flow of history - and even distracting from the plot, characters and dialogues. In the end, the degree of "rolevushnosti" game is not measured by the number of armor and loot per capita, or green tree, skills and spells, and the convenience of playing instruments in terms of disclosure of the history and role of wagering. That is why even in the first KOTOR Bioware began to mercilessly cut and reshape the familiar role canons, throwing out outdated or simply inappropriate to the setting of the elements. In this sense, Mass Effect 2 - almost the final link in the evolutionary chain.
At the moment, each character has only four different skills (ultra-Orthodox can already run to the drugstore for validol). One skill is unique to each character and is a global modifier for all of its features - health, damage, etc. Two more skill dependent on class. Finally, after a personal quest, supporters migrate to your unlimited confidence and love, and simultaneously open a fourth, bonus gift. Each talent has 4 levels of development and pumped on a logarithmic scale: for the development of the first level, we spend the whole experience point to the last - for 4. After the maximum development of skills of his chosen specialty. Binary choice and very simple, typical examples - persistence or knockdown ability, power or area of damage, the duration of skill or the speed of its recharge. Sam Shepard by his genius as much as 7 can learn skills, and, a bonus seventh, he must learn from one of the loyal crew members. Learn more about the classes and skills can be read here.
 | |  | When the overhead in real-time bullets are flying and something Babakhan the corner of the spreading tree of skills once and did not remember. | | Sprint quality husky well acquainted with the first part. Well, someone thought of zombies feeding Olympic athletes? There is some steroids! |
I suspect that for those who have not played, the formula "more than 4 skills in one hand does not go!" Looks like a mockery of themselves the basics of the genre, but trust me on word - do not worry about it. Just gameplay of Mass Effect sharpened by a completely different speed and rhythm of another battle, in which once-minutes of digging through your inventory, list of spells and other exciting menus.
But this does not mean that the battle is always reduced to the formula of "shoot them all." Even a crowd of five or six spineless Husky run up to the time Shepard can put an end to his vain attempts to win a gold medal in sport shooting from behind cover. In addition, many enemies are protected by armor, shields, barriers, or even a combination of all these advances of hostile science and technology. Our main goal - so develop your own fighting skills and find a group of teammates to be able to handle any combat situation. It is in such tactical decisions, and is the main role meaning Mass Effect 2.Of course, there is no universal recipe, although the general trend is easy to trace. If you have to fight with the "iron things" - take an engineer. Many armored targets? Handy sniper or soldier. A crowd of unprotected meat no more tame a trained biotics.
 | |  | Illustration of the evolution of class skills as an example of an engineer. | | Fly with charter flights biotic Aeroflot! It's fun and entertainment. |
 | |  | Well babahnulo! | | Another novelty - setting and coloring of the armor. |
Do not get upset and the abolition of the inventory. The whole system equipment and armory simply migrated to another part of the game - in upgrades, which must be found during the tasks, or simply buy in the shops. Upgrades for Mass Effect 2 can be anything - from a new prototype weapons or enlarged store for ammunition to biotic implants that enhance survivability, and other characteristics of the character. The most important thing is that after studying a new subject or skill to become available soon to all members of the group. Also includes upgrades to various improvements "Normandy" - their presence, among other things, directly affects the passage of the final mission. There's even an upgrade, which allows the study of Shepard completely reset already spent experience points and re-redistribute them on the necessary skills. The main thing to have enough resources (see box, "I can dig, and can not - no digging!").
And even better so than in the first part of Mass Effect - make tons of omni-gel of rubbish and frankly do not understand why it was necessary to equip and swing in general, if in the final third of the game everything is handed to a freebie?
| I dig, I can - no digging! |
My personal impression from the first Mass Effect was fun spoiled side quests. Decision to pass them was one of the biggest mistakes in my gaming life. Stupid "climbing" driving Mako, stupid mini-games and cloned levels of three rooms and two corridors dream to me in nightmares ever since.
The second such humiliation, I certainly would not have passed. Fortunately, all this outrage has given way to pragmatic and most importantly - Remote Sensing of the planets and mining resources: platinum, palladium, iridium, and the element Zero.Resources, as mentioned above, is spent on various upgrades. In addition, there is always a chance to notch on the surface of the transmitters and get the coordinates of the landing for another side quest (another source of jobs is "electro-mail"). The notion was not terribly kind original, but certainly not boring.
A little wiser, and mini-games (breaking electronic locks and hacking terminals), although "of lock" puzzles Fallout 3, they do not care - as the moon.
 | |  | A rare case - a rich deposit of three resources, including scarce Zero. | | As a child, Shepard hunted chipovkoy consoles. Who would have thought it useful to save the galaxy ... |
However, the simplification of the role of the system in any case it will still be used as a pretext for a crusade, but the warhead failed without any objections in this matter to me as a shooter-hater, you can safely trust. From now on you can not just hide behind the shelter, but also famously peremahivat through the boxes and low fences, and on some maps - Take on the rise, to get in a shootout tactical advantage. Almost everywhere there are destructible containers and explosive objects (with the designers, perhaps gone too far), something which caught the tank with the poison, in pairs, which can be only a limited time. But the main thing - the issue with overheating weapons solved in another way - for it is now applied universally cooling elements that are de facto used as ammunition. This means that stupid to sit down at one shelter and quiet to shoot over him all the enemies simply do not come out - sooner or later run out of coolers and have to leave the shelter in search of new ones.
 | |  | - Hey, Red! Now it's your turn for ammunition to crawl. | | At the same time, the Supreme Command ... |
In column three - story! Companions in battle behave appropriately so that the average level of complexity at the beginning of a tactical pause to remember did not have to - the battle ends quickly, thereby necessitating a personal guide. But then the opportunity to give guidance helps a lot: Is it worth just snap your fingers, as Jack starts his spectacular biotic wave scatter opponents as bowling, Jacob "pull" telekinesis due to the shelter every wiseacre, and Tali play off each enemy drones. Shepard is also keeps up with his subordinates: he has to do not only great skill but also there is the possibility of expanding arsenal - after passing one of the story missions there is special training for the additional weapons.All this, coupled with his ability to explore talents teammates and recombining points earned experience on the vine solves the perennial problem for RPG - "Oh my god, I'm wrong pumped! Really need to drop everything and start over? "
Enemies do not indulge a variety of tactics, but bored and do not give (on insane just would not be bored). During the game I have not once tried to shoot, disintegrate, tear, burn from a flame thrower to break his hands apart, and even the gore (take this opportunity to convey greetings to the lads Tuchanki). Opponents do not disdain flank bypass, and some (Husky, for example) like to crawl out from almost anywhere. But mostly "tactical" trick the enemy has traditionally been an overwhelming numerical advantage. In short, I would like to opponents was still smaller, and their behavior - a little more varied, and even mini-bosses (the boss in the classic sense of the game in general only one) in the game cost to add more.
| Collectors Otake! Ololo! |
Localizers would like to thank ... because they have restricted subtitles and did not deform and even voice acting. It is terrible to imagine what would have become a unique manner of speech of Dr. Mordini Solus, inimitable accent Tali or deaf bass Croghan.
Sad but true - the interpretation of many terms translators approached head on, even without including the brain. The most egregious example - are our main enemies of the Collectors, which in the Russian version have become collectors, although in this case the word an entirely different shade of meaning - "garbage", "gatherers". There are similar discrepancies in translation skills. So "the adrenaline rush» (adrenaline rush) into a "head of adrenaline."
 | |  | Here they are - "collectors". One that left - collects stamps, and the right to calendars and rushing machine. |
Some things that are generally not worth translating (eg terminals EDI) also made happy Russian equivalents (terminals Susie). Can anybody explain what is Susie? Me too - pass.
Another big problem - inconsistencies in phrases masculine / feminine when you play a female character.
Fortunately, semantic errors are not fatal, and the above bugs are not so much that in desperation to clutch at his head. However, the draft class of Mass Effect 2 deserves much more than a transfer to four with a very long net.
Likewise, it would not hurt to increase the area of levels. Poor Level designers using various tricks (fog, high ceilings, fake backdrops, from a remote prospect) tried to visually expand the space visible on the maps, but should pay attention a little more attentive, and cheating becomes noticeable. And this, I must say, very disappointing - epic stories as a weak fit with "TYuZovskimi" decorations in the style of the "Three birches and Mushroom." It is no exaggeration - most of the levels are so low that there is even a mini-map does not give out, there are only a bearing on the main task.The peace zones all in the same way. Arriving at the Citadel, a long time I could not believe that these three stories - this is all that remains of the former swinger. It is better to ride in elevators, which previously masked podgruzku parts of the map.
Not a bad consolation tiny levels may serve as their diversity. We have just burned alive under the rays of the sun enraged, and that our party is already on the shore of a tropical sea, next to a giant transport that crashed 10 years ago. Poison mist of some random planet, through which barely breaks through the laser beam, giving way to schizophrenic-technological base of the Goths, and her, in turn, is replaced by an unfinished skyscraper in Illiume. But most of all pleased with the design of the last three-story missions - there can be the developers themselves in no way denied.
 | |  | |  | Graphic illustration of climate variability Mass Effect 2. |
 | |  | Huge space Illiuma - an illusion. Maximum he pulls on a large communal apartment. | | Again Ravshan and Dzhamshut vinyl tile on the ceiling laid ... |
Game as Art Of course, the engine will Mass Effect 2 - is not the last word in modern graphics technology, so only the artists and directors say about this "forgotten". Without exaggeration - every second frame of the game you want to put on your desktop as wallpaper. In my memory this is the first time that I effortlessly naschelkal a gigabyte spectacular screenshots, and then, with tears in his eyes sent a large part in breakage - well, in fact, no story, no record will not fit the game so much. The most beautiful thing that the web-format review saves me from the routine duties of squeezing out a colorful epithets to describe the pictures. See and praise themselves.
No need to be Sherlock Holmes to unravel the secrets of the attractiveness of Mass Effect - is the abundance of close-ups and frequent change of camera angles. This is the staging approach makes Mass Effect look more like a movie than a game.
Even more impressive are numerous dialogues - not every TV series can boast such a high level of acting and sound engineering. Amount of work done simply fascinating: if you dig around in the game resources, we can see that the voice is almost thirty-five thousand impeccably recorded, processed and mounted audio files. At the same time on music in the same style throughout the game, identified about 500 different ambient loops. Admit it - you do not even have noticed that each story mission or task associated with a crew member has a unique sound track? Music, by the way, despite the diversity and overall quality - in fact are not highlighted and does not distract from the main gaming sessions.
| From love to hook to the right - just one click |
Loved by all the system's moral development of character (the hero / renegade) but has the usual "good" and "evil" dialogue branches enriched QTE-inserts. From time to time, a hero, an opportunity to dramatically change course. For example, to keep from killing fellow traitor, face the skyscraper completely ohamevshego mercenary or play the evil cop in the interrogation room.
Any QTE-action effect on the development of karma, and sometimes evil or good deeds is inaction.
The presence of moral alternatives in almost every scene, the episode is very encouraging, but on the subjective feelings play for evil Shepard's harder than good. For example, I still poorly represent what must be done to make the most complete scale of "apostate". No child is there alive?
 | |  | Shepard's anger - our own peril. |
Battlestar "Normandy", season 2 Slightly higher, I turned to the theme series is no accident. Mass Effect, especially the second part, built on the classic serial principle, and should only come to terms with this obvious fact, as half of the complaints and grievances will disappear by itself - just on the series so it is accepted, it is the law of the genre.
See for yourself. Nominally, the game consists of 25 missions (read - the series), 5 of which are allocated based on the story, and the other associated with ten companions - two on each job (employment and personal quest). Exactly the same principle removed my and your favorite "Star Trek", "Babylon", "Galaxy" and "Firefly" (if they are not your favorite, then I do not understand why you played Mass Effect 2 and these are now line).
 | | ru "class =" center2 last png "/> | Miranda and Jack are arguing somehow unconvincing. | | Sonderkommando assembly. |
 | |  | In his spare time, saving the galaxy Shepard breeds fish and hamsters. |
And, just as in any series, the heart of history and the main core of all the scene of conflict and branches in Mass Effect 2 is a system of characters. And here, by the way, the writers have a number of claims. Each character is individually worked out well, but with each other, they almost do not interact, that is a gross error scenario, not only in dramas, but in a feature film. I just broke my head, trying to recall any major conflicts. It turned out sparsely. Tali assaults on the Legion's sluggish squabble Grab-head with Jack's "good child" Miranda and even more sluggish protests last for defrosting Croghan - that's about all. Further develop this theme without the spoilers will not work, so I get to the conclusion.
The second part of Bioware too carried away by the main character, drawing new levels, error correction and increase in the number of characters, inadvertently forgetting to throw in this wonderful sourdough yeast. And the main drawback of the game is not for the fact that we are supposedly forced to pass 20 missions to recruit and pumping the team (I would not blink and 40 passed), and that, with the main plot the core and with each other these tasks almost no overlap . If not for this blunder, 10 points can be put right now.
By the way, taking into account the fact that in another open project, Bioware - Dragon Age - the above problems in the characters managed to get around, there's a good chance to wait for something similar to Mass Effect 3. So dig deeper into your saves on your hard drive - a couple of years, oh how they will be useful.
| Hooves are very slim and a good soul |
 | Tali is very beautiful declaration of love. Gameland recommends! |
This title is - essentially a brief description Tali (talk to her on the souls and look closely at the legs). But it will not only about her, and the romance in Mass Effect 2 as a whole.
At first glance, it seems that much here that Bioware pulled to the fullest. The choice of passions and boyfriends - for every taste, color and species. But the reality is again reduced to a micro-roller bashful and awkward kisses. All exactly the same way as it did in the first part. Even [cut auto spoylerorezkoy] eventually spreads over his face and tears of happiness fall asleep on his chest Commander little fluffy kitten.
And the dialogues, the dialogues! It's just a song. Even in a scene from "The Golden Key" when Malvina Pinocchio taught calligraphy, eroticism was something more. Immediately suspended all comes down to three phases: the first flirtation - the development of relations - bed (after which the partner will not even talk about anything). And the most insulting, that outside of one bedroom scenes and a couple poses in a cabin in love at all for anything not affected.
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