570 réponses à ce sujet

[Sharn01]

ME2 introduced a contrived death and resurrection so that Shepard could have an even more contrived reason to work for Bioware's new pet Cerberus, with even more contrived dark side scarring, and that is pretty much it. 

A lackluster main plot used for filler with some pretty good side stories going on that made up the majority of what was happening, despite having nothing to do with the main plot is the story of ME2.

Modifié par Sharn01, 14 mars 2010 - 09:25 .

[Relshar]

ME1 storyline felt personal with Saren and his Geth army. ME2, well the storyline was not as personal, yeh it tried to get you in the same place as ME1 with the attack on Horrizon and then the kidnapping of your crew members. But the Collectors had no front man like the Geth did in ME1.



For me ME2 was just like a doom shoot them up with some dialouge in it. No real story to get you involved in. The game pushed you all the way and railed you into doing certain missions at specific points. For me thats not a RPG. Side missions were lacking also way to few to make you feel like your actualy doing something to make a difference. In ME2 I can see EA's infulence with BioWare for me Mass Effect 1 was far better storyline and gameplay.

[Noilly Prat]

I can understand the topic creator's view, and agree with it to a point.  I also think that whether ME2 accomplished anything in advancing the overall story arc of the trilogy in any significant way remains to be seen in ME3.

I also agree with what Dessad said-- was going to mention a couple of those things myself.  In addition, I will offer this:

It is quite possible that Cerberus and The Illusive Man will play a role in the final confrontation with the Reapers in ME3-- the fact that Cerberus was investigating the dead Reaper and that The Illusive Man wants to keep the Collector base for study at the end suggests this may be likely.

It is also possible that the work the Collectors were doing in ME2 has something to do with the Reapers' plans for dealing with some or all of their current problems (ie the keepers not responding to their signal, Sovereign failing, Shepard kicking their asses all the time).  Just because the Collector base was blown up or maybe taken over by Cerberus and the human Reaper destroyed doesn't necessarily mean that the Collectors' work was all for naught.

It could function as a sort of segue into some problem involving other races conquered or harvested by the Reapers in the third game.

Harbinger will most probably be involved in some way.

The issues raised in ME2 relating to the Geth, the Quarians, and their possibly imminent conflict could play a big role in the war against the Reapers in ME3.

Liara and her issues with the Shadow Broker could conceivably tie into the overall plot (something about Cerberus, or even something about the Reaper threat) in the long run.

All in all, it depends on where the story goes in the third game (obviously).  ME2 could end up being filler from a story perspective (though excellent, affecting filler), or it could serve greater plot purposes than any of us can possibly know yet.  There are definitely possibilities there.  And, being the middle part of a trilogy, it was never really meant to introduce or conclude a conflict...

[Multifarious Algorithm]

This thread seems like a complaint about "what was really accomplished in the The Empire Strikes Back".
A compelling story was told, that's what.
There's a lot of weird idolizing the past going on. The main story in ME1 is presented far worse then in ME2, because you're told to "race against time" but really have all the time in the world. ME2's plot planets are far, far better implemented and feel "right" when they happen - the universe proceeds without me, as it should.

Modifié par Multifarious Algorithm, 14 mars 2010 - 09:46 .

[RigAudio]

No. Not really, no.

[Multifarious Algorithm]

Shandepared wrote...

Multifarious Algorithm wrote...

This thread seems like a complaint about "what was really accomplished in the The Empire Strikes Back".
A compelling story was told, that's what.
There's a lot of weird idolizing the past going on. The main story in ME1 is presented far worse then in ME2, because you're told to "race against time" but really have all the time in the world. ME2's plot planets are far, far better implemented and feel "right" when they happen - the universe proceeds without me, as it should.

The Empire Strikes Back revealed that Vader was Luke's father and that it was Luke's destiny to confront he and the Emperor.

Yeah nothing happened in that movie really. Just like ME2 - we clearly got absolutely no information about the wider universe whatsoever.

[Collider]

How about stopping the Reapers from creating another Reaper within the galaxy and destroying the human race. And quite possibly everyone else. Not to mention that datapad that Joker gives you at the end with information about the reapers. That should be very useful.

[Multifarious Algorithm]

Collider wrote...

How about stopping the Reapers from creating another Reaper within the galaxy and destroying the human race. And quite possibly everyone else. Not to mention that datapad that Joker gives you at the end with information about the reapers. That should be very useful.

Or all that information about the Geth (you now, the major bad guys of ME1?) we discovered. Or the cause of the Rachni wars. Likely future villains of the piece (Admiral Xen, Harbinger). The final fate of the Protheans...
Nope. Absolutely no plot was advanced in ME2 whatsoever.

[Collider]

Multifarious Algorithm wrote...

Collider wrote...

How about stopping the Reapers from creating another Reaper within the galaxy and destroying the human race. And quite possibly everyone else. Not to mention that datapad that Joker gives you at the end with information about the reapers. That should be very useful.

Or all that information about the Geth (you now, the major bad guys of ME1?) we discovered. Or the cause of the Rachni wars. Likely future villains of the piece (Admiral Xen, Harbinger). The final fate of the Protheans...
Nope. Absolutely no plot was advanced in ME2 whatsoever.

Yea, the datapad had reaper diagrams on it but was not about the reapers.
o_O

[Phaelducan]

In the greater context of the Trilogy, I'm afraid that I have to agree that ME2 did little to resolve anything.



Although it did address what happened to the Protheans.. and likely with the other extinction cycles as well.



That's ok though, as it did set up a lot of elements for the conclusion. Krogan, Geth, Quarians, Alliance or Citadel Fleet strength (depending on ME1 ending), Rachni, Cerberus... etc. There are a lot of pieces in play for the war, and this episode in the Trilogy did address those pieces in major ways.



The middle act in a play doesn't need to resolve much, really, as long as it keeps interest in the production high and maintains dramatic tension.



I think Bioware did that.

[Riot Inducer]

Multifarious Algorithm wrote...

This thread seems like a complaint about "what was really accomplished in the The Empire Strikes Back".
A compelling story was told, that's what.
There's a lot of weird idolizing the past going on. The main story in ME1 is presented far worse then in ME2, because you're told to "race against time" but really have all the time in the world. ME2's plot planets are far, far better implemented and feel "right" when they happen - the universe proceeds without me, as it should.

While I agree that ME2's plot progression does a better job of making things feel urgent, I feel you may have missed the OP point. 

That is not whether or not ME2 told a compelling story, I thoroughly enjoyed it, just as I felt The Empire Strikes Back told a good compelling story, the complaint was that the "dark second act" of the ME trilogy did next to nothing to advance the main plot of "the Reaper menace".

If we're comparing ME2 to The Empire Strikes Back I think it's important to note how Empire advanced the overall story of the SW trilogy.
1.) Luke trains with Yoda: a.k.a. the hero gains strength and knowledge that will help him in the final confrontation (this imo is the big one that ME2 misses, Shepard does not become stronger nor gain much knowledge that will help him/her in the final confrontation with the reapers)
2.) The Emperor is introduced: the introduction of a new antagonist that makes the previous top-dog antagonist bow down to him. What we see of this new antagonist also gives us a pretty clear indication of their motives/plans (Will Harbinger end up filling this role? Who knows, at the very least however we don't have nearly enough time with Harbinger to gauge his motives and/or plans, this leaves us not nearly as 'attached' to the enemy as he proves to be nothing more than random combat dialogue.)
3.) The revelation of Vader and Luke's relationship: this new knowledge while shocking and repulsive to the hero proves very useful in the final confrontation (will the human reaper knowledge have similar ramifications in ME3? I honestly don't see how as we are given little enough information as it is. All it seems to do is provide the answer of why the collectors were abducting humans.)

All in all the story of ME2 leaves us in about the same state of things as ME1, the Reapers are still coming and we still don't have any more knowledge of how we're going to deal with them. Whereas the ending of Empire leaves us in a very different place than A New Hope did; Han Solo needs to be rescued, and Luke has gained a lot of experience and knowledge both about himself and the enemy.

[TLK Spires]

you're not trolling, you just missed the point. big difference.

[skinned77]

The goal was to stop humans from being abducted. That was the premise for being brought back to life. Of course in the end there was more, as others have already outlined.

[Blue Ninja]

It established the fact that Reapers need organic beings to reproduce, and thus are all based on organic life in some way. My guess is that will play a pretty large role in the next game, though I'm just stabbing in the dark there.



All in all, however, Mass Effect 2 was more about the characters in it than about the struggle against the Reapers. Sure, the Collectors were breathing down your neck during the entire game, but we learned more about the galaxy and its backstory than we did about the evil force trying to invade it. Hopefully, that'll make us more emotionally interested in saving it during Mass Effect 3.



In Mass Effect, we learned about the threat. In Mass Effect 2, we learn about what's at stake. In Mass Effect 3, we'll kick some Reaper ass.

[Cosmicinator]

In regard to the title:

Short answer, No.

Long answer, Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Modifié par Cosmicinator, 14 mars 2010 - 12:00 .

[marshalleck]

If all the time and effort we sunk into recruiting this team and earning their personal loyalty to Shepard's leadership doesn't amount to anything significant in ME3, then no. ME2 will have accomplished little of note aside from tiding players over for a while during the production of the final game.

Ultimately though ME2 can't be properly judged until the trilogy is complete. Only then will we have adequate perspective.

Modifié par marshalleck, 14 mars 2010 - 12:20 .

[davidt0504]

Talogrungi wrote...

Impossible to say 'til ME3 hits.

If the ME2 squadmates feature prominently in the basic storyline of ME3 then the obvious answer is "Yes, it introduced important characters". Likewise, if the fate/tech of the Collector/Protheans factors heavily into the plot. If neither is true, then ME2 will go down in history as a great game, but of little relevance to the franchise.

I see where you're coming from; in ME2 we solved a problem that didn't exist in the plot of ME1. Had there been foreshadowing in the original game then it would have been far more palatable, but the plot of ME2 does lend itself easily to accusations that it was manufactured and trotted out to keep ME fans busy 'til the real story concludes in ME3.

Time will tell, I suppose.

This is only my opinion obviously, and we'll have to wait and see when ME3 comes out but the devs have said that this is Shepard's story, not even the story of the Reapers.  I think ME2 was mostly about Shepard finding his allies, and growing as a character.  I know that most people said he had no development but I mean really? Go back and play ME1 and only pick paragon dialogue, now play ME2 and only pick paragon dialogue... theres a difference in who this is now.  ME2 is the middle and obviously setting up for ME3.  We see all through the game the gathering of forces for the coming battle.

[Skilled Seeker]

It depends on whether the team we recruited will have a sginificant role to play in ME3 or be cameos. We also learned much more about the Geth/Quarian situation, about the Reapers themselves, about the state of the Galaxy in the Terminus Systems, about Cerberus, about the threat of dark energy etc.

[Orfinn]

I wish we could meet the human leading council, wonder how the new dudes of the other species look this time around. Same ol' jerkish and arrogant I guess? Thats my loose end with ME 2 and I hope I can put a boot up into their arses, especially Udinas, FTL style!

[Zulu_DFA]

Akrylik wrote...
...The only actual significance i can sum up from ME2's is resetting the established setting for the sequel, instead of using ME1's.

Don't get me wrong, i love ME2 and in no way is this a hateful rant...

But it should be, becasue while it's OK for the middle part to be a huge-X-pack-like plot filler, "the resetting of the established setting" was very lame.