102 réponses à ce sujet

[GuardianAngel470]

finc.loki wrote...

neubourn wrote...

It feels shorter, because the story changed from Plot Driven to Character Driven. Overall, the game pretty much clocks in about the same time (30-40 hours), and the "Main Plot" missions are about the same in number:

Cerberus Facility/Intro --> Eden Prime/Intro
Omega ---> Citadel
Horizon ---> Liara Dig site
Collector Ship ---> Feros
Derelict Reaper ---> Noveria
Reaper IFF/Normandy ambush ---> Virmire
Omega 4 relay/Collector Base ---> Illos/Citadel assault

So yeah, time wise, it is about the same as ME1, there are plenty of side missions on both, but the quality is better in ME2. ME1 was an Epic Space tale, whereas ME2 is a character driven story that ties into the ME1 story. Thats probably why it feels different.

I have to disagree.

The main missions aren't even remotely close in time spent on them.

Horizon and liara dig site might be about the same.
The rest are not even in the same ballpark. Collectorship takes 30min or less to complete and contains nothing worth of a story, some slight reference to the Collectors being genetically modified Protheans that's about it.
Feros is huge, it has several areas to explore and combat in, with many smaller sidequests.
Feros could take hours to complete.

Derilict reaper/IFF another 20-30 min main mission.
Noveria is also a larger gaming hub and combat area, several hours worth of play there as well.

Normandy ambush = interactive cutscene not even worth mentioning.
Virmire at least an hour or two depending how fast you play.

Illos and citadel assault was much bigger than the Colllector base with it's forced timed mission making it a run-through in a short rushed time.

ME2 is all about recruiting squad members so the actual main story/plot falls flat on it's face.
This is also why ME2 leaves you empty, it feels like a bunch of sidequest and the main mission has no story at all and is literally 2-2 1/2 hours long.

ME is fun gameplay wise and combat wise but lacks severely in an actual fun plot and unraveling of a story.

ME1 is so much more exciting in  that regard, ME2 is mostly fun with combat.

I fear for ME3, what will we do in that game?
My bet is that we will travel around ala ME2 to recruit again, only this time we recruit factions.
Like we go to the Rachni for help, the non-heretic geth, citadel and alliance to amass a large force to face the fleet of Reapers.
Which will be defeated ala "independence day" with some kind of virus that shut them down.
Cliche up the wazoo.
Honestly it took all the forces of the citadel community to destroy one reaper, there are thousands of those just outside our galaxy.

They would never be able to defeat them unless they can be "shut down", or some game magic invents the super duper ultra thanix gun that can destroy solar systems in one blast.

For me I like ME1 the most for the compelling story , I like ME 2 for the combat and better graphics.
ME2 however feels like it's one giant compilation of side quest with very little meaning.
It is all so compartimentalized, smaller game areas set-up for what basically boils down to combat game play.

In ME 1 you had all the story and conversations and trying to convince the council. It felt like you really were on a mission to do something.
You were the spectre and you're investigating.

Part of the problem for ME2 is that we already know much of the story.
Honestly it feels like what was the point of the collectors? The were just there as a new kind of enemy and their goal was to build a human skeleton reaper to replace "Sovereign"?
The Collector general was shown but had no purpose at all, you never faced him in battle he was just a talking puppet for a reaper.

In the first game it took a fricken armada of ships to destroy one reaper, in ME2 it took a sniper rifle .
Yes I know it was a half finished reaper that was vunerable, but come on.

No wonder why there is an empty feeling story wise.

Don't get me wrong the game is great but it sucks really bad story wise. It really feels like that made a great story driven RPG game into a combat arena with pre placed walls to hide behind.

How are they going to handle ME3?

What if ALL your squad mates survived? Will they all be there in ME3 to play with?
What if they all died? Who will come back?
If you end up not having any of the squad members from ME2 in ME3 it feels like a really cheap filler they used for ME2 that ultimately meant nothing.

I know long rant, but I think there are some points in there worth thinking about.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but you are so wrong it's not even funny (or at least that's what you expect me to say;)).  But seriously, the reason I play an RPG shooter instead of say call of duty or halo is because of the characters.  The fact that this whole game was centered directly on the characters left me very satisfied.  i would have liked more dialog with the ME1 characters, but they made up for it with moving romances.  But that's just me, and I completely understand your gripe about a lackluster storyline and I also agree that the game was shorter than the last one.  Heck, I usually care about the story, but in my mind this one was all they needed.  

That's just my opinion though, no need to go spreading it around.

[Hellebore5000]

I don't think Omega compares to citadel at all. There were a gazillion sidequests and it was so much bigger, I easily spend a few hours running around the citadel doing quests. Theres like 5 on Omega and its alot smaller.

[marshalleck]

Hellebore5000 wrote...

I don't think Omega compares to citadel at all. There were a gazillion sidequests and it was so much bigger, I easily spend a few hours running around the citadel doing quests. Theres like 5 on Omega and its alot smaller.

People complained about the "hours and hours" of running around the Citadel talking to NPCs, with very little combat. They also complained about the size of it. So Bioware eliminated those "problems."

Just like they eliminated elevators and went back to loading screens. This is what happens when people just mindlessly complain and don't try to look at the bigger picture.

[OH-UP-THIS!]

All the Wa Was', and Boo hoos' got what they wished for, IE: "tell me who that is, or I'm never buying another game EVAR!!"

So thank, THEM, for having the mystery removed!!

Already stated, this is part 2 of 3.

someone posted the indirect comparison, stating which mission in ME1 compared to ME2, good thought process, in regards to length.

Story wise, hmm, well it all came down to indoctrination attempts, and as such, we thwarted them, again.

What's in store for us?

Who knows, all I care about, is the 'whiners' gtfo, and leave VITAL information left a secret!!

And to finish, I'm sorry you were left an empty void, unavoidable, as we're not all 'written' the same.(thank Andraste).

[aeetos21]

Axx Bytehoven wrote...

 Having finished (2) plays of ME2, I have an empty feeling, and for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.

I awaited ME2 with such great anticipation. Perhaps that's part of the problem. Could such a long wait have caused me to have greater expectations? Is that it I wonder, did I have expectations that have been left unfilled? Something is wrong.

I know the story feels different, shorter, after having made the journey. Also, the recruit missions feel like something is missing. Maybe it's the missing elevator dialogue.

I know the change in the inventory management has reduced some sense of immersion I felt while playing the game versus ME1.

Maybe it's the Mako. I do miss the Mako, even though I do agree it became a repetitive requirement, but no more so than planet scanning. I hope the Hammerhead DLC restores some of the Mako experience.

Maybe it's the ending of ME2. In ME1, there was such a great sensation of "WE did it. We're galactic heros". This time around, I really don't have a compelling thought about the story or what's next, as if I missed playing a part of the game, and missed out on some crucial bit of story line. It's very odd.

I don't mean for this post to be a complaint about ME2 because it is an improvement in so many ways over ME1. However, I thought I would share this empty feeling I am having, in hopes of some therapy. 

Does anyone feel the same way?  

Perhaps it's just the typical melancholy that sets in after completing the experience of something you wait for with great expectation.

only 2?

[Hellebore5000]

marshalleck wrote...

Hellebore5000 wrote...

I don't think Omega compares to citadel at all. There were a gazillion sidequests and it was so much bigger, I easily spend a few hours running around the citadel doing quests. Theres like 5 on Omega and its alot smaller.

People complained about the "hours and hours" of running around the Citadel talking to NPCs, with very little combat. They also complained about the size of it. So Bioware eliminated those "problems."

Just like they eliminated elevators and went back to loading screens. This is what happens when people just mindlessly complain and don't try to look at the bigger picture.

Wow I didn't know people complained about that stuff, well I knew about the elevator whiners. I loved all that stuff, the Citadel really made the game for me. I loved running around there, I never used the rapid transit. 

[ThePasserby]

Daeion wrote...

I've done 3 play throughs and am on a 4th but I doubt I'll be finishing it, heck I wouldn't have done more then 1 if I wasn't playing on the PC version and was able to skip playing probe wars.  ME2 felt like I spent 5 hours in a grocery store, 30 minutes preparing the meal, and then 1 minute enjoying it.

TerribleTruth wrote...
What caused this?
Was it not magically holding 9999 weapons and ammo types in your ass anymore?
Was it that different guns don't look exactly the same anymore?

Just because you don't care for an inventory system doesn't mean there aren't a lot of us out there that enjoy an inventory system.  Was the system in ME over the top?  Yes, but they could have simply fixed this by taking out about 50% of the manufacturers, adding in the different types like they did for ME2, and then just adding auto equip and auto break down buttons.  One of the great things about going through ME over and over was that there was always something new to find, sure I got to the point where I had maxed omnigel, but heck, that's what they could haev used for research material.

Read carefully. TerribleTruth was responding to the OP's point about the lack of immersion due to the streamlined inventory system. Not about whether he cares for an inventory system or not. He was responding directly to a statement by the OP. You went on a tangent.

[Darth Drago]

I agree completely with the OP on this.

I felt more than just a little disappointed in the final product that I paid $60 for. I had ME1 for a few years but never got into it until this January so I didn’t have that long of a wait before both games. I had high expectations in the sequel in that BioWare would improve what was in ME1, instead I get a butchered dumbed down reboot of the original.

One of my disappointments in ME2 was how the game went from a sci-fi rpg into a sci-fi shooter. Almost all of the quests are exclusively shooting levels (even set up like player vs. player maps found in 1st/3rd person shooters) with no dialog to convince anyone to make another choice other than attacking you.

The game is a lot shorter than the first as well by a rather significant amount. Why? Because there are a lot fewer side quests to do. In ME1 each star system had a quest on a planet in that system sooner or later. In ME2 however you would be lucky if you found a side quest after looking in 5 star systems. In ME1 there were 34 UNC missions while in ME2 there’s a whole whopping 13 and quite a few of those 13 are real short. If you take out the loyalty missions that are encouraged to do but are optional, that even shortens the game more.

Maybe a part of what’s missing is the immersion you got from the first game that’s missing in this game. The Citadel is now just a pit stop instead of being a central hub. Not being able to even get to the Presidium is just a low blow. I’m sorry but taking a taxi right to Anderson’s office is pretty weak. Exploring planets with the Mako was something that I liked a lot actually. It goes in with that immersion factor. Just like the idle chit chat you got with your companions in elevators or by clicking on them. Practically all the levels are significantly smaller as well in ME2. It could be that there was no real Virmire like moment where you were forced to choose who would die. You don’t get that at all in ME2. The only real way you will get someone killed is if you didn’t do their loyalty mission and/or any ship upgrades. It could also be from the cold reception you got from Kaidan/Ashley and Liara.

The ending of ME2 didn’t have near the same impact of ME1. No real sense of accomplishment, just another day in the life of Commander Shepard. True it had the dark revelation of the Reapers on move. Not like anyone didn’t expect seeing that though.

[Obadiah]

Axx Bytehoven wrote...

 Having finished (2) plays of ME2, I have an empty feeling, and for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.
...

Check out this blog. This absolutely sums up my feelings about the LAME(!!) reaper plot in ME2:
http://www.shamusyou...dedtale/?p=7004

Modifié par Obadiah, 20 février 2010 - 03:08 .

[aeetos21]

Watch this a few times, and playing ME2 again (creating that one perfect playthrough for ME3) won't feel so empty

[Thalorin1919]

Axx Bytehoven wrote...

 Having finished (2) plays of ME2, I have an empty feeling, and for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.

I awaited ME2 with such great anticipation. Perhaps that's part of the problem. Could such a long wait have caused me to have greater expectations? Is that it I wonder, did I have expectations that have been left unfilled? Something is wrong.

I know the story feels different, shorter, after having made the journey. Also, the recruit missions feel like something is missing. Maybe it's the missing elevator dialogue.

I know the change in the inventory management has reduced some sense of immersion I felt while playing the game versus ME1.

Maybe it's the Mako. I do miss the Mako, even though I do agree it became a repetitive requirement, but no more so than planet scanning. I hope the Hammerhead DLC restores some of the Mako experience.

Maybe it's the ending of ME2. In ME1, there was such a great sensation of "WE did it. We're galactic heros". This time around, I really don't have a compelling thought about the story or what's next, as if I missed playing a part of the game, and missed out on some crucial bit of story line. It's very odd.

I don't mean for this post to be a complaint about ME2 because it is an improvement in so many ways over ME1. However, I thought I would share this empty feeling I am having, in hopes of some therapy. 

Does anyone feel the same way?  

Perhaps it's just the typical melancholy that sets in after completing the experience of something you wait for with great expectation.

I myself awaited with great anticipation. I had January 26th marked on my calendar. And already had my schedule clear so nothing would bother me for about three days.

But as I played...I didnt really have that sense of epicness. In ME1, you were fighting a rogue spectre that commanded a geth army, and you were taking on the reapers.

In this game you are fighting mercenaries and thugs for like 2/3 of the game. I just felt like a space cop, not some heroic super-hero badass like I did in the first. Plus it seemed like they went more shooter then RPG elements. In this game, you didnt have to make as tough of decisions. I liked the options to interrupt another person talking to do something. But...the party loyalty quests didnt really require you to make a decision like ME1 did.

The biggest decision in the game was at the end of ME2 to destroy the base or not, but other than that I didnt really feel immersed. Maybe its cause I came off of playing Dragon Age for three months which I felt that game had much more interactive decisions that were hard to make, and a better plot and story then ME2. In the matter of fact since I have beaten ME2 I have been playing Dragon Age much more.

ME2 was great, but it could've been better. I just hope Bioware doesnt pull another game ever where more then half of it is "Recruit a team to destroy this enemey" plotline.

[Obadiah]

Thalorin1919 wrote...
...The biggest decision in the game was at the end of ME2 to destroy the base or not, but other than that I didnt really feel immersed. Maybe its cause I came off of playing Dragon Age for three months which I felt that game had much more interactive decisions that were hard to make, and a better plot and story then ME2. In the matter of fact since I have beaten ME2 I have been playing Dragon Age much more....

Yeah, I'm actually a little worried about the Awakening expansion. I mean, you just stopped the epic blight, except you didn't? Storywise: hoboy....

Modifié par Obadiah, 20 février 2010 - 03:24 .

[Thalorin1919]

Obadiah wrote...

Thalorin1919 wrote...
...The biggest decision in the game was at the end of ME2 to destroy the base or not, but other than that I didnt really feel immersed. Maybe its cause I came off of playing Dragon Age for three months which I felt that game had much more interactive decisions that were hard to make, and a better plot and story then ME2. In the matter of fact since I have beaten ME2 I have been playing Dragon Age much more....

Yeah, I'm actually a little worried about the Awakening expansion. I mean, you just stopped the epic blight, except you didn't? Storywise: hoboy....

Well from what I read. The bad guy in Awakening is the Architect, which is a talking darkspawn. Other than that, I honestly dont know. I'm interested in Awakening. But I will be much more excited for a DA:2.

[Chained_Creator]

meznaric wrote...

Chained_Creator wrote...

I am content with the game I purchased. This does not mean that I do not want more, this only means that I recognize that the game as it really exist is absolutely amazing, not as it "could be" in fairytale land of awesomeness and bunnies and win and other cool stuff.

As for me, I don't think the game is BAD. But I agree with the OP, maybe it's just that I had very high expectations and the game ended up not meeting those.

But the game isn't even average or good, it's AMAZING.

The "Bad Things that make this game Disappointing" people continue to reel off like some sort of titanic flaw to end all flaws are really not that bad. At all. People are so caught up in sensationalist reporting of "horribly bad" or "incredibly disappointing" flaws that they don't seem to realize that their expectations were so unrealistic that not even a five year development cycle was going to deliver the sort of earth-shattering revolutionary game that is the be all end all of awesome to their doorsteps for just $60 (or a little higher if you went Collector's).

[InvaderErl]

Chained_Creator wrote...

meznaric wrote...

Chained_Creator wrote...

I am content with the game I purchased. This does not mean that I do not want more, this only means that I recognize that the game as it really exist is absolutely amazing, not as it "could be" in fairytale land of awesomeness and bunnies and win and other cool stuff.

As for me, I don't think the game is BAD. But I agree with the OP, maybe it's just that I had very high expectations and the game ended up not meeting those.

But the game isn't even average or good, it's AMAZING.

The "Bad Things that make this game Disappointing" people continue to reel off like some sort of titanic flaw to end all flaws are really not that bad. At all. People are so caught up in sensationalist reporting of "horribly bad" or "incredibly disappointing" flaws that they don't seem to realize that their expectations were so unrealistic that not even a five year development cycle was going to deliver the sort of earth-shattering revolutionary game that is the be all end all of awesome to their doorsteps for just $60 (or a little higher if you went Collector's).

Clap.... Clap....Clap...Clap.ClapClapClapClap.

[Lyrandori]

Probably because the story did not make any significant progress. In ME2 we're focused on building our team, and, in the end, we're pretty much back at point zero at the start with ME1, namely that you've got your ship, your team is ready, and the Reapers are still out there and menace the whole galaxy with their invasion. You could see it another way, but that's how I "feel" after completing ME2, or... in other words, ME2's story feels to be one that is set sideways with that of ME1's, and that only ME3 will be a true sequel to ME1.



...BUT...



It certainly doesn't mean that ME2 is "bad", it's just... more action-oriented and much less focused on the main story arc. There IS story in ME2, but barely related to the main threat, it's more about building your team, and the most amount of story telling there is in ME2 is almost all focused on each teammates and their loyalty missions, whereas in ME1 it was focused on Saren and finding the Conduit, and then defeating Saren and in turn Sovereign as well, it had MUCH LESS to do with each teammates, and they had no loyalty quests per se, only small side-quests thrown in that in the end were still tied with Saren (such as Tali with the "proof" she had, or with Liara trapped in a Prothean ruin which then helps you eventually know about the planet Ilos).

[InvaderErl]

I prefer character driven stories to plot driven one's and Mass Effect 2 fit that bill, so that's probably why I have a preference for it.

[meznaric]

Chained_Creator wrote...

meznaric wrote...

Chained_Creator wrote...

I am content with the game I purchased. This does not mean that I do not want more, this only means that I recognize that the game as it really exist is absolutely amazing, not as it "could be" in fairytale land of awesomeness and bunnies and win and other cool stuff.

As for me, I don't think the game is BAD. But I agree with the OP, maybe it's just that I had very high expectations and the game ended up not meeting those.

But the game isn't even average or good, it's AMAZING.

The "Bad Things that make this game Disappointing" people continue to reel off like some sort of titanic flaw to end all flaws are really not that bad. At all. People are so caught up in sensationalist reporting of "horribly bad" or "incredibly disappointing" flaws that they don't seem to realize that their expectations were so unrealistic that not even a five year development cycle was going to deliver the sort of earth-shattering revolutionary game that is the be all end all of awesome to their doorsteps for just $60 (or a little higher if you went Collector's).

I am not at all being sensationalist. And this is not about the quality of the engine or graphics or anything like that. It is simply about quality story, the cheapest part of game development. It does not have to be so complicated that you have millions of options, all I would have wanted to see is more development. It feels like a filler. Like they thought "Oh, I don't know what to do for ME2. ME3 is clear, but what shall we do? Why don't we just make up another race that's controlled by the Reapers for player to take care of?".

[meznaric]

Lyrandori wrote...

Probably because the story did not make any significant progress. In ME2 we're focused on building our team, and, in the end, we're pretty much back at point zero at the start with ME1, namely that you've got your ship, your team is ready, and the Reapers are still out there and menace the whole galaxy with their invasion. You could see it another way, but that's how I "feel" after completing ME2, or... in other words, ME2's story feels to be one that is set sideways with that of ME1's, and that only ME3 will be a true sequel to ME1.

...BUT...

It certainly doesn't mean that ME2 is "bad", it's just... more action-oriented and much less focused on the main story arc. There IS story in ME2, but barely related to the main threat, it's more about building your team, and the most amount of story telling there is in ME2 is almost all focused on each teammates and their loyalty missions, whereas in ME1 it was focused on Saren and finding the Conduit, and then defeating Saren and in turn Sovereign as well, it had MUCH LESS to do with each teammates, and they had no loyalty quests per se, only small side-quests thrown in that in the end were still tied with Saren (such as Tali with the "proof" she had, or with Liara trapped in a Prothean ruin which then helps you eventually know about the planet Ilos).

This is exactly it! I agree with this totally.

[Daeion]

Hellebore5000 wrote...

marshalleck wrote...

Hellebore5000 wrote...

I don't think Omega compares to citadel at all. There were a gazillion sidequests and it was so much bigger, I easily spend a few hours running around the citadel doing quests. Theres like 5 on Omega and its alot smaller.

People complained about the "hours and hours" of running around the Citadel talking to NPCs, with very little combat. They also complained about the size of it. So Bioware eliminated those "problems."

Just like they eliminated elevators and went back to loading screens. This is what happens when people just mindlessly complain and don't try to look at the bigger picture.

Wow I didn't know people complained about that stuff, well I knew about the elevator whiners. I loved all that stuff, the Citadel really made the game for me. I loved running around there, I never used the rapid transit. 

People who bought ME thinking it was a shooter, forgetting that it was a RPG, are the ones who complained.

[Daeion]

ThePasserby wrote...

Daeion wrote...

I've done 3 play throughs and am on a 4th but I doubt I'll be finishing it, heck I wouldn't have done more then 1 if I wasn't playing on the PC version and was able to skip playing probe wars.  ME2 felt like I spent 5 hours in a grocery store, 30 minutes preparing the meal, and then 1 minute enjoying it.

TerribleTruth wrote...
What caused this?
Was it not magically holding 9999 weapons and ammo types in your ass anymore?
Was it that different guns don't look exactly the same anymore?

Just because you don't care for an inventory system doesn't mean there aren't a lot of us out there that enjoy an inventory system.  Was the system in ME over the top?  Yes, but they could have simply fixed this by taking out about 50% of the manufacturers, adding in the different types like they did for ME2, and then just adding auto equip and auto break down buttons.  One of the great things about going through ME over and over was that there was always something new to find, sure I got to the point where I had maxed omnigel, but heck, that's what they could haev used for research material.

Read carefully. TerribleTruth was responding to the OP's point about the lack of immersion due to the streamlined inventory system. Not about whether he cares for an inventory system or not. He was responding directly to a statement by the OP. You went on a tangent.

Perhaps they should phrase their questions better so that he doesn't look or sound like everyone else who complained about the inventory system if it wasn't their intent to poke at those who like inventory systems.

Modifié par Daeion, 20 février 2010 - 06:02 .

[TheTrac3r]

Maybe I am completely insane, but I can barely agree with what any of you have said. I thought the finale mission was...like a work of art. Sure, you didn't "save the entire universe" this time. Did you really to? Like do you really need that specific pat-on-the-back again? The final mission moved so nicely between cinematic and action. Dividing up your team was interesting, so is the fact that if you didn't gain the loyalty of your people, YOU yourself die. And it's not a "mission failed". It is a legitimate game ending, where you are dead. Few games really reach that... and all of you guys say "it lacks closure". (Which it shouldn't have, since there is a 3rd game)



ME2 was immersive because it's about people. Shepard and this team. It's part of a trilogy where, no doubt, in ME3, you will have this mix of people from both initial games, fighting the "big finale" battle.



Ironically? I feel empty too. But that's not because ME2 was inferior to ME1. It's because I will have to wait years for ME3.

[Mars Nova]

I know for myself personally, ME2 suffered what I refer to as "Episode III" syndrome: anticipation is so great, expectations are so high, that no matter how awesome it is, it initially feels like a bit of a letdown.  My solution: put down the controller and take a break for a couple of days, then start over.  It worked like a charm.  I was totally blown away after that.

[TheTrac3r]

I also got a little chuckle out of the people (thankfully, few in numbers), who continue to poke and prod with comments about "the quality of the game's story".

People say ME2 is "filler". Maybe it is? Without trying to sound like a fanboy (I really am not one)... Bioware's "filler" is better than the best of any other company. ME2's storyline could have been "Shepard goes to the supermarket but lost his recipe, so he needs to talk to 100000 aliens and recruit them to form a super cooking team"... and it still would have been better than the serious storylines of other games/companies.  And we all would have still played it...albeit, there would have been more forum flaming.

If you can actually say "I hate ME2 because of story quality", you may want to consider retiring from gaming.

Not to sound like a fanboy...lol.

Oh, I may be a little angsty because I also played BioShock 2 this week. Now, THERE'S an example of a "why am I doing this" sequel. Half the length of the original game. Totally unoriginal, simplistic story. Rushed/unnatural pace. Brutality without eloquence. Main villains going from epic to downright annoying and babbling.... yeesh.

Modifié par TheTrac3r, 20 février 2010 - 04:54 .

[Axx Bytehoven]

Chained_Creator wrote... But the game isn't even average or good, it's AMAZING.

The "Bad Things that make this game Disappointing" people continue to reel off like some sort of titanic flaw to end all flaws are really not that bad. At all. People are so caught up in sensationalist reporting of "horribly bad" or "incredibly disappointing" flaws that they don't seem to realize that their expectations were so unrealistic that not even a five year development cycle was going to deliver the sort of earth-shattering revolutionary game that is the be all end all of awesome to their doorsteps for just $60 (or a little higher if you went Collector's).

You're missing my point. I am not trying to attack the ME2. I am simply sharing how I feel having played the game, although ONLY twice. The problem for me, is I'm not that excited or motivated to keep playing. I haven't been hooked the same way I was with ME1. I don't have a grasp on all of the reasons. 

Was ME2 a value for the price paid? Absolutely, a terrific value. But alas, the magic is wearing off sooner than I had ever expected. I'm just trying to understand why.