First Impressions: Mass Effect 2
Okay, so I've been playing Mass Effect 2 for about a little over a month now (it actually arrived on the release date but due to technical issues with the Xbox 360 I was unable to play it immediately). And I've been able to form some impressions of it.
And yeah, I haven't finished it yet (if anyone's curious I've picked up every party member except for Samara and the one I presume is the much-hyped but still completely unseen Legion). When you have Dragon Age, school, friends, D&D, family, and work (both professional and amature) distracting you that tends to get in the way of finishing things quickly. Rest assured though that I'll write up a review as soon as I'm finished (I'm already working on a Desk From the Past for the first game).
In the meantime, here are my thoughts on the game so far (warning: minor spoilers!). Let's see how many of my suggestions a year ago made it in.
Things I Love (So Far)
1. The Graphics
Okay, the first thing that I noticed, immediately, upon starting up my game (based on the ME1 playthrough I had just finished literally minutes earlier) was how much prettier the game was. This was also probably the thing that surprised me the most. I expected the graphics of ME2 to improve, yes, but only marginally. I was expecting something like Gears of War to Gears of War 2... you know, fewer texture pops and a few touched up textures. What I got was a radically improved look and feel in just about every possible way.
Just look at the comparison!
No texture pops, at all. Significantly better anti-aliasing. Vastly improved textures and models. I almost couldn't believe this was in fact the same engine because, in fact, Mass Effect 2 looks better than Gears of War 2, formerly the pinnacle of the Xbox 360's graphical capabilities. Not to mention that the art style and the environments are just... Anyway, full marks here, so far, BioWare. There are a few hitches and glitches here and there but this is one terrific looking game in just about every way.
2. The Characters
Although the graphics leapt out at me the most quickly and surprised me the most, I have to say the the thing that I find best about the game so far is the richness of characters. Mass Effect the first had great characters, that's for sure, but Mass Effect 2 has upped it in just about every way. First of all, the people who join your team are, from the start, interesting characters who are less prone to single sentence summaries than the characters in the first game were (not that it would be honest to do so, but it would be easier). Jacob and Miranda, who I got no impression of whatsoever from the PAX demo (I've just decided convention demos are a lousy way to preview a game), are not simply Kaidan and Ashley clones - far from it and their motivations go a long way towards making the Illusive Man's case seem more favorable.
Tali's back - and better than ever (and I wasn't even a Tali fanboy originally)!
Similarly, the party members you collect later on in the game are a very diverse cast. So far I've grabbed Zaeed (from the release day DLC), Archangel (though I'm sure most of you know who that is by now), Mordin, Jack, Grunt, Tali, and Thane. So far, I've loved 'em all and if I dare say it, it's a better crew than Mass Effect, including actual improvements on some of the characters from the first game (Tali was always interesting, but now she's kickass, and even Joker's a more rounded character than he was in ME1). Even the non-party member NPCs, like your helpful yeoman Kelly, Dr. Chakwas (there's a face I didn't expect to see again!), Joker, the cook, and the engineering Scots-Irish duo (I can't remember all their names at the moment) are a great addition to the crew - far better than their equivalents in ME1 were, who seemed kind of like window dressing to be honest.
So, characters, pretty good so far.
3. Side Quests
Hey, BioWare listened! Okay, maybe not to me personally, but they took into consideration this common complaint. Side quests in Mass Effect Uno were not universally bad and playing it again I realized how underrated some of them are, but there's no mistake that they were kind of... empty I suppose is the right word, compared to games like Fallout 3 or even BioWare's own previous games (particularly Baldur's Gate or KotOR). They were clearly just there to fill in the hours of a game that was otherwise about thirty hours (max) long - and they do a fine job at that, bringing it up to fifty. But considering a heavy amount of that time is spent wandering aimlessly in the Mako, that's not exactly a big bonus.
He may be an ass, but Zaeed's character quest makes him your ass. Wait... no, that came out wrong.
As I said back in early '09 when the game's first trailer was released, it would have been nice if ME1 included some significant character quests (instead of the "grab the MacGuffin" bits we got instead for a handful) along with more story-threaded quests (like the Cerberus setup). And BioWare has answered my call, at least from what I've seen so far. Every party member it seems has a side quest (and not something lame like find Wrex's armor in a generic storage depot like four dozen others you've seen before) and several non-character based quests also exist. Not all of the latter hold up to BioWare's narrative standards, unfortunately though, generally, the former do, which I am happy to settle for.
4. World Building
I'm going to confess a deep, dark secret here. I never found the Mass Effect universe that compelling.
Oh, it was interesting enough as a playground and a game setting - the same way Gears of War's setting is - but it never fascinated me the way that Star Wars, Babylon 5, or Firefly did. It seemed, you know, kind of generic and while it certainly had its own personality (few popular science fiction settings focus so much on the cultural impact of technology, which is refreshing) it lacked... diversity. Everywhere and everyone seemed kind of the same. The Citadel felt like a set. The colonies you visited were even worse. The only place that came anywhere near to wrapping me in was Ilos and that was a dead planet.
Omega. They don't call it the anti-Citadel for nothing.
Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect Ascension (which I reviewed last summer) have changed my mind. The Mass Effect universe is now, in my eyes, a wonderful, diverse, and living universe with still so much untapped potential. Focusing on the Terminus systems was a stroke of genius by BioWare. It allows the universe to easily escape the bounds set by the culture of the previous games, while allowing subtle retcons into place without much fuss (such as the new look of the Citadel, which I vastly prefer).
Plus, any game that can make one planet scream at me Blade Runner, followed by another that screams Babylon 5, followed by yet another that screams Star Wars - while giving each a fair amount of room to branch out in other ways - earns some points in my book.
4a. Corollary: Alien Species
On the note of diversifying the universe...
In last year's speculation I suggested that the alien species in ME1 (alongside making new species) needed to be diversified. Were they ever. In ME1, aliens largely were defined entirely by their species - the asari were diplomatic seductresses, the turians were stoic warriors, the krogan deadly thugs, etc, etc. By now I've already met bitchy asari, emotional turians, intellectual krogan, and so much more. Plus, the request for more quarians was met and exceeded - while making each and every quarian somehow seem incredibely unique, in spite of the fact you never see their face (seriously, that's some incredible character design).
A cigar-chomping elcor. Tell me it ain't awesome.
As for the new species - the vorcha, drell, and collectors (those are the ones that come to mind so far), I haven't seen enough of either to have an opinion. But at least the species from ME1 have been beefed up, including the often forgotten batarians.
Bravo.
5. Gameplay
Now I won't say that I like everything about the new gameplay - elements of which I will get into later - but I do like a lot of it. The way that powers work in Mass Effect 2 is simultaneously easier and more tactical than in Mass Effect 1, which is an improvement over the sometimes clunky (though I did love it) interface of ME1. Also, hacking is a huge improvement, as is the inventory system, both of which were widely complained aspects of ME1. I also love the fact that you can command each party member individually - having it any other way was always a dead end in my mind.
It's funner than it looks.
Things I Dislike (But Am Reserving Final Judgment Upon)
1. Characters
"Wait!" you say, "how can you put characters on as both a love and a dislike?" Simple, there are things I both love and dislike about ME2's new approach and both are so diverse and intertwined with the characters as a whole that I can't really separate the two.
You see, I really like the new party members. And I really like the fact that they all get some kickass missions where you go and do something to earn their loyalty. But you know what I don't like?
You can't talk to them. Ever. Once you've finished up about three dialogue trees with them they will never ever talk to you again until their side quest comes up.
Now I know in part where this is coming from. A lot of people, particularly people for whom RPGs are not exactly their forte, really dislike the whole "let's talk to one another about one another's problems" sort of thing in RPGs. And to a degree, they have a point. BioWare in particular (though Obsidian on occasion as well) has a tendency to turn such conversation trees into psychotherapy sessions that can, and sometimes do, break the sense of immersion that their games try so hard to build up.
But you see, half (actually, probably more) of the reason I play RPGs is for this very thing - talking to people. Conversations are to me, what makes an RPG live and breathe. This was also my major problem with Storm of Zehir (my review of which I am currently working on) - there's very little interaction between yourself and those in your party. And yeah, sure, you probably wouldn't take on the role of their psychoanalyst but certainly you'd be their friend (unless you're not). And you know what friends do? They talk.
Similarly, I find BioWare's "loyalty" system incredibly shallow. I was hoping for something like Obsidian's influence system, a mechanic that BioWare smartly imported and streamlined for Dragon Age. But no, insted it's a simply on/off switch mechanic where a party member is either loyal - or they aren't. Worse yet, Tali and Archangel's loyalty seems completely unaffected based on your character's previous interactions with them in ME1. In the words of Jubal Early, "does that seem right to you?"
But hey, at least you unlocked my sexy black leather catsuit.
2. Exploration
One of the things that surprised me about ME2 is how much I miss the Mako.
Granted, the Mako was a buggy, ill-designed vehicle that was a transparent attempt to cash in on the success of vehicles in first person shooter games. Yeah, it was irritatingly difficult to drive and was either a gamebreaker in combat because of how powerful it was or a deathtrap because of how easily geth colossi and the like tore it to shreds.
All the same, I kind of miss the roving around planet surfaces from ME1. Not so much that I'd want it back in whatever condition, but my hopes for ME2 was that the exploration would be improved rather than wholly cut out of the game entirely. I mean, sure, you still scan for resources (and I will readily admit this is a far better way of doing it) but the number of planets you can land on seems truncated and when you finally do find a planet you can land on, you're always limited to a very small area.
What do you mean you want to land on the planet? Silly Shepard.
I understand that this is tied into making the side quests more interesting. But it is possible to make a game that balances storytelling with exploration. You need look no farther than Fallout 3 for a clear example of that.
I don't know, somehow I was just expecting... more from BioWare in this department, particularly based on their specific promises to expand the game.
Things That Confound and Frustrate Me
1. Why Do We Have Ammo Now?
This has got to be the most transparent attempt to appeal to FPS fans in a long time - and there have been several. Why on earth do we have ammo now in ME2? Was there something wrong with having weapons that overheat and jam? It seemed pretty much the same to me and you even had a convincing explanation for why there wasn't any (tangible) ammo in the universe. So why change it?
See, technology has advanced in the past two years. Now our guns overheat more quickly. Progress.
It wouldn't be so awkward if it at least made an impact on gameplay, the way that ammunition does in most shooters. In games like Halo or Gears of War it's important - very important - to conserve your ammo. In ME2 this is anything but the case, since you'll find "heat clips" on dead enemy bodies, in crates scattered throughout the game, and, quite often, random locations that will suddenly regenerate it should you need anymore. And, of course, there's the fact that the heat clips for any one gun will work for every other (except heavy weapons). So any kind of meaningful impact that having ammo in the game would make is completely negated by those points.
So remind me again, why do we have ammo now?
2. Why Are We Perfect Shots Now?
Related to point #1 this addresses the change from a (slightly, tiny bit) auto-corrected style of gameplay to a clear-cut point and shoot game. Where you aim is where you shoot - exactly.
This addressed a huge complaint about ME1 that I never understood - that the game rolled dice from behind the scenes. Well, of course it did! It was an RPG! And the fact remains that it was very, very sutble about doing so unless you, as the player, set the auto-aim on high. Otherwise, where you pointed was where you shot, more or less, within the targeting reticule - a mechanic that exists not only in ME1 and several other RPG-shooter hybrids but several straight-up shooters as well (ever notice how in some games crouching or zooming causes your reticule to contract - that's because the margin of error in your shooting is decreasing - i.e., the dice rolling is falling under a smaller range).
Now, in ME2, there's no targeting fidgeting at all - even with sniper rifles (your scope doesn't wobble a bit when you're targeting - or zoom for that matter). How this is more "realistic" is beyond me, since it's pretty common knowledge that sniping is damn difficult line of work. Most FPS acknowledge this to some degree by requiring you to hold your breath (metaphorically, obviously) in order to get a steady aim. But ME2 lacks this completely, making sniping a big downgrade from ME1 (though it is thankfully much, much more powerful).
Seriously? What was so wrong about this?
In many ways, I actually like some of the combat changes and I don't even really dislike the change from auto-aim to point and click - it certainly makes for faster, more streamlined combat. But they really do seem unnecessary to me and some aspects just irritate me (like still sniper scopes).
3. Okay, So... What Are We Doing Exactly?
I hate to say it, but the story, while interesting on a piece by piece basis, hasn't quite come together for me yet. I like it, I really do, but there doesn't seem to yet be a coherent narrative the way there was in ME1 by this point (about halfway or slightly over I imagine). By now, I, as the player, understood at the very least that Saren was allying with the geth to bring back the reapers, an ancient race of all-consuming AIs with nebulous purposes. I didn't yet know that Sovereign was a reaper, sure, but I knew enough to give me an idea where the story was going.
This is not the case in ME2. As impressive of an opening sequence as the (much-spoiled) destruction of the Normandy and death of Shepard was, it didn't lead to much. Okay, so the Illusive Man calls me up and, for some reason, my Shepard, in spite of my very bad history with Cerberus (particularly given that they were responsible for the deaths of 60 comrades in the backstory option I chose), simply goes along with this. Oh, sure, Cerberus spent bajazillions resurrecting Shepard and sure, the reapers are bad, and sure Shepard can say he doesn't trust Cerberus, but it comes off as fairly weak.
There's no build-up, you see. As far as I can see it the game has a beginning, it has a mini-climax, it (probably) has a bigger climax, and it has an end - but there's very little in-between. As annoying as the Council could be in ME1 (a tradition I see is carried over into ME2), their little communiques with Shepard at least gave the impression that the story was advancing. No such thing in ME2; the closest you get is the mission debriefings which are essentially a "well done, Shepard" Hallmark card by the Illusive Man - they lack any kind of personality or dramatic impact.
The Illusive Man: Shepard's very own overbearing obsessive stalker.
As I said, the individual parts of the story so far impress me (although the collectors' leader seemed to come out of nowhere) but so far, I don't feel as though they're coming together into as strong of a narrative as ME1 (or most of BioWare's previous games) was.
Anyhow, those are my thoughts on ME2 so far, which is shaping up to be a great game, despite a few flaws. I'd be happy to hear what the rest of you think so far.
And yeah, I haven't finished it yet (if anyone's curious I've picked up every party member except for Samara and the one I presume is the much-hyped but still completely unseen Legion). When you have Dragon Age, school, friends, D&D, family, and work (both professional and amature) distracting you that tends to get in the way of finishing things quickly. Rest assured though that I'll write up a review as soon as I'm finished (I'm already working on a Desk From the Past for the first game).
In the meantime, here are my thoughts on the game so far (warning: minor spoilers!). Let's see how many of my suggestions a year ago made it in.
Things I Love (So Far)
1. The Graphics
Okay, the first thing that I noticed, immediately, upon starting up my game (based on the ME1 playthrough I had just finished literally minutes earlier) was how much prettier the game was. This was also probably the thing that surprised me the most. I expected the graphics of ME2 to improve, yes, but only marginally. I was expecting something like Gears of War to Gears of War 2... you know, fewer texture pops and a few touched up textures. What I got was a radically improved look and feel in just about every possible way.
Just look at the comparison!
No texture pops, at all. Significantly better anti-aliasing. Vastly improved textures and models. I almost couldn't believe this was in fact the same engine because, in fact, Mass Effect 2 looks better than Gears of War 2, formerly the pinnacle of the Xbox 360's graphical capabilities. Not to mention that the art style and the environments are just... Anyway, full marks here, so far, BioWare. There are a few hitches and glitches here and there but this is one terrific looking game in just about every way.
2. The Characters
Although the graphics leapt out at me the most quickly and surprised me the most, I have to say the the thing that I find best about the game so far is the richness of characters. Mass Effect the first had great characters, that's for sure, but Mass Effect 2 has upped it in just about every way. First of all, the people who join your team are, from the start, interesting characters who are less prone to single sentence summaries than the characters in the first game were (not that it would be honest to do so, but it would be easier). Jacob and Miranda, who I got no impression of whatsoever from the PAX demo (I've just decided convention demos are a lousy way to preview a game), are not simply Kaidan and Ashley clones - far from it and their motivations go a long way towards making the Illusive Man's case seem more favorable.
Tali's back - and better than ever (and I wasn't even a Tali fanboy originally)!
Similarly, the party members you collect later on in the game are a very diverse cast. So far I've grabbed Zaeed (from the release day DLC), Archangel (though I'm sure most of you know who that is by now), Mordin, Jack, Grunt, Tali, and Thane. So far, I've loved 'em all and if I dare say it, it's a better crew than Mass Effect, including actual improvements on some of the characters from the first game (Tali was always interesting, but now she's kickass, and even Joker's a more rounded character than he was in ME1). Even the non-party member NPCs, like your helpful yeoman Kelly, Dr. Chakwas (there's a face I didn't expect to see again!), Joker, the cook, and the engineering Scots-Irish duo (I can't remember all their names at the moment) are a great addition to the crew - far better than their equivalents in ME1 were, who seemed kind of like window dressing to be honest.
So, characters, pretty good so far.
3. Side Quests
Hey, BioWare listened! Okay, maybe not to me personally, but they took into consideration this common complaint. Side quests in Mass Effect Uno were not universally bad and playing it again I realized how underrated some of them are, but there's no mistake that they were kind of... empty I suppose is the right word, compared to games like Fallout 3 or even BioWare's own previous games (particularly Baldur's Gate or KotOR). They were clearly just there to fill in the hours of a game that was otherwise about thirty hours (max) long - and they do a fine job at that, bringing it up to fifty. But considering a heavy amount of that time is spent wandering aimlessly in the Mako, that's not exactly a big bonus.
He may be an ass, but Zaeed's character quest makes him your ass. Wait... no, that came out wrong.
As I said back in early '09 when the game's first trailer was released, it would have been nice if ME1 included some significant character quests (instead of the "grab the MacGuffin" bits we got instead for a handful) along with more story-threaded quests (like the Cerberus setup). And BioWare has answered my call, at least from what I've seen so far. Every party member it seems has a side quest (and not something lame like find Wrex's armor in a generic storage depot like four dozen others you've seen before) and several non-character based quests also exist. Not all of the latter hold up to BioWare's narrative standards, unfortunately though, generally, the former do, which I am happy to settle for.
4. World Building
I'm going to confess a deep, dark secret here. I never found the Mass Effect universe that compelling.
Oh, it was interesting enough as a playground and a game setting - the same way Gears of War's setting is - but it never fascinated me the way that Star Wars, Babylon 5, or Firefly did. It seemed, you know, kind of generic and while it certainly had its own personality (few popular science fiction settings focus so much on the cultural impact of technology, which is refreshing) it lacked... diversity. Everywhere and everyone seemed kind of the same. The Citadel felt like a set. The colonies you visited were even worse. The only place that came anywhere near to wrapping me in was Ilos and that was a dead planet.
Omega. They don't call it the anti-Citadel for nothing.
Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect Ascension (which I reviewed last summer) have changed my mind. The Mass Effect universe is now, in my eyes, a wonderful, diverse, and living universe with still so much untapped potential. Focusing on the Terminus systems was a stroke of genius by BioWare. It allows the universe to easily escape the bounds set by the culture of the previous games, while allowing subtle retcons into place without much fuss (such as the new look of the Citadel, which I vastly prefer).
Plus, any game that can make one planet scream at me Blade Runner, followed by another that screams Babylon 5, followed by yet another that screams Star Wars - while giving each a fair amount of room to branch out in other ways - earns some points in my book.
4a. Corollary: Alien Species
On the note of diversifying the universe...
In last year's speculation I suggested that the alien species in ME1 (alongside making new species) needed to be diversified. Were they ever. In ME1, aliens largely were defined entirely by their species - the asari were diplomatic seductresses, the turians were stoic warriors, the krogan deadly thugs, etc, etc. By now I've already met bitchy asari, emotional turians, intellectual krogan, and so much more. Plus, the request for more quarians was met and exceeded - while making each and every quarian somehow seem incredibely unique, in spite of the fact you never see their face (seriously, that's some incredible character design).
A cigar-chomping elcor. Tell me it ain't awesome.
As for the new species - the vorcha, drell, and collectors (those are the ones that come to mind so far), I haven't seen enough of either to have an opinion. But at least the species from ME1 have been beefed up, including the often forgotten batarians.
Bravo.
5. Gameplay
Now I won't say that I like everything about the new gameplay - elements of which I will get into later - but I do like a lot of it. The way that powers work in Mass Effect 2 is simultaneously easier and more tactical than in Mass Effect 1, which is an improvement over the sometimes clunky (though I did love it) interface of ME1. Also, hacking is a huge improvement, as is the inventory system, both of which were widely complained aspects of ME1. I also love the fact that you can command each party member individually - having it any other way was always a dead end in my mind.
It's funner than it looks.
Things I Dislike (But Am Reserving Final Judgment Upon)
1. Characters
"Wait!" you say, "how can you put characters on as both a love and a dislike?" Simple, there are things I both love and dislike about ME2's new approach and both are so diverse and intertwined with the characters as a whole that I can't really separate the two.
You see, I really like the new party members. And I really like the fact that they all get some kickass missions where you go and do something to earn their loyalty. But you know what I don't like?
You can't talk to them. Ever. Once you've finished up about three dialogue trees with them they will never ever talk to you again until their side quest comes up.
Now I know in part where this is coming from. A lot of people, particularly people for whom RPGs are not exactly their forte, really dislike the whole "let's talk to one another about one another's problems" sort of thing in RPGs. And to a degree, they have a point. BioWare in particular (though Obsidian on occasion as well) has a tendency to turn such conversation trees into psychotherapy sessions that can, and sometimes do, break the sense of immersion that their games try so hard to build up.
But you see, half (actually, probably more) of the reason I play RPGs is for this very thing - talking to people. Conversations are to me, what makes an RPG live and breathe. This was also my major problem with Storm of Zehir (my review of which I am currently working on) - there's very little interaction between yourself and those in your party. And yeah, sure, you probably wouldn't take on the role of their psychoanalyst but certainly you'd be their friend (unless you're not). And you know what friends do? They talk.
Similarly, I find BioWare's "loyalty" system incredibly shallow. I was hoping for something like Obsidian's influence system, a mechanic that BioWare smartly imported and streamlined for Dragon Age. But no, insted it's a simply on/off switch mechanic where a party member is either loyal - or they aren't. Worse yet, Tali and Archangel's loyalty seems completely unaffected based on your character's previous interactions with them in ME1. In the words of Jubal Early, "does that seem right to you?"
But hey, at least you unlocked my sexy black leather catsuit.
2. Exploration
One of the things that surprised me about ME2 is how much I miss the Mako.
Granted, the Mako was a buggy, ill-designed vehicle that was a transparent attempt to cash in on the success of vehicles in first person shooter games. Yeah, it was irritatingly difficult to drive and was either a gamebreaker in combat because of how powerful it was or a deathtrap because of how easily geth colossi and the like tore it to shreds.
All the same, I kind of miss the roving around planet surfaces from ME1. Not so much that I'd want it back in whatever condition, but my hopes for ME2 was that the exploration would be improved rather than wholly cut out of the game entirely. I mean, sure, you still scan for resources (and I will readily admit this is a far better way of doing it) but the number of planets you can land on seems truncated and when you finally do find a planet you can land on, you're always limited to a very small area.
What do you mean you want to land on the planet? Silly Shepard.
I understand that this is tied into making the side quests more interesting. But it is possible to make a game that balances storytelling with exploration. You need look no farther than Fallout 3 for a clear example of that.
I don't know, somehow I was just expecting... more from BioWare in this department, particularly based on their specific promises to expand the game.
Things That Confound and Frustrate Me
1. Why Do We Have Ammo Now?
This has got to be the most transparent attempt to appeal to FPS fans in a long time - and there have been several. Why on earth do we have ammo now in ME2? Was there something wrong with having weapons that overheat and jam? It seemed pretty much the same to me and you even had a convincing explanation for why there wasn't any (tangible) ammo in the universe. So why change it?
See, technology has advanced in the past two years. Now our guns overheat more quickly. Progress.
It wouldn't be so awkward if it at least made an impact on gameplay, the way that ammunition does in most shooters. In games like Halo or Gears of War it's important - very important - to conserve your ammo. In ME2 this is anything but the case, since you'll find "heat clips" on dead enemy bodies, in crates scattered throughout the game, and, quite often, random locations that will suddenly regenerate it should you need anymore. And, of course, there's the fact that the heat clips for any one gun will work for every other (except heavy weapons). So any kind of meaningful impact that having ammo in the game would make is completely negated by those points.
So remind me again, why do we have ammo now?
2. Why Are We Perfect Shots Now?
Related to point #1 this addresses the change from a (slightly, tiny bit) auto-corrected style of gameplay to a clear-cut point and shoot game. Where you aim is where you shoot - exactly.
This addressed a huge complaint about ME1 that I never understood - that the game rolled dice from behind the scenes. Well, of course it did! It was an RPG! And the fact remains that it was very, very sutble about doing so unless you, as the player, set the auto-aim on high. Otherwise, where you pointed was where you shot, more or less, within the targeting reticule - a mechanic that exists not only in ME1 and several other RPG-shooter hybrids but several straight-up shooters as well (ever notice how in some games crouching or zooming causes your reticule to contract - that's because the margin of error in your shooting is decreasing - i.e., the dice rolling is falling under a smaller range).
Now, in ME2, there's no targeting fidgeting at all - even with sniper rifles (your scope doesn't wobble a bit when you're targeting - or zoom for that matter). How this is more "realistic" is beyond me, since it's pretty common knowledge that sniping is damn difficult line of work. Most FPS acknowledge this to some degree by requiring you to hold your breath (metaphorically, obviously) in order to get a steady aim. But ME2 lacks this completely, making sniping a big downgrade from ME1 (though it is thankfully much, much more powerful).
Seriously? What was so wrong about this?
In many ways, I actually like some of the combat changes and I don't even really dislike the change from auto-aim to point and click - it certainly makes for faster, more streamlined combat. But they really do seem unnecessary to me and some aspects just irritate me (like still sniper scopes).
3. Okay, So... What Are We Doing Exactly?
I hate to say it, but the story, while interesting on a piece by piece basis, hasn't quite come together for me yet. I like it, I really do, but there doesn't seem to yet be a coherent narrative the way there was in ME1 by this point (about halfway or slightly over I imagine). By now, I, as the player, understood at the very least that Saren was allying with the geth to bring back the reapers, an ancient race of all-consuming AIs with nebulous purposes. I didn't yet know that Sovereign was a reaper, sure, but I knew enough to give me an idea where the story was going.
This is not the case in ME2. As impressive of an opening sequence as the (much-spoiled) destruction of the Normandy and death of Shepard was, it didn't lead to much. Okay, so the Illusive Man calls me up and, for some reason, my Shepard, in spite of my very bad history with Cerberus (particularly given that they were responsible for the deaths of 60 comrades in the backstory option I chose), simply goes along with this. Oh, sure, Cerberus spent bajazillions resurrecting Shepard and sure, the reapers are bad, and sure Shepard can say he doesn't trust Cerberus, but it comes off as fairly weak.
There's no build-up, you see. As far as I can see it the game has a beginning, it has a mini-climax, it (probably) has a bigger climax, and it has an end - but there's very little in-between. As annoying as the Council could be in ME1 (a tradition I see is carried over into ME2), their little communiques with Shepard at least gave the impression that the story was advancing. No such thing in ME2; the closest you get is the mission debriefings which are essentially a "well done, Shepard" Hallmark card by the Illusive Man - they lack any kind of personality or dramatic impact.
The Illusive Man: Shepard's very own overbearing obsessive stalker.
As I said, the individual parts of the story so far impress me (although the collectors' leader seemed to come out of nowhere) but so far, I don't feel as though they're coming together into as strong of a narrative as ME1 (or most of BioWare's previous games) was.
Anyhow, those are my thoughts on ME2 so far, which is shaping up to be a great game, despite a few flaws. I'd be happy to hear what the rest of you think so far.