Mass Effect 2 Lands On Store Shelves, PSN Next Week
Next week is a big week. Both LittleBigPlanet 2 and Mass Effect 2 for the PlayStation 3 hit store shelves.
And if you didn't already know, BioWare's excellent title will also hit the PlayStation Network. As announced at the PlayStation Blog, ME2 will be downloadable through the PSN if you'd rather not travel down to the store. The price will be the same but of course, you won't get the box for your collection if you download it (if you care). The Blog entry also reminds us once again that ME2 is a heck of a lot more than a port; it features the engine BioWare is currently using for Mass Effect 3, and it also boasts all the current downloadable content for the game. Role-playing fans will also get Dragon Age II in March and ME3 should drop before the end of the year, so this could be a memorable year for the RPG. Let's also not forget a few JRPGs that could satisfy the fans; both Hyperdimension Neptunia and a couple new Ar Tonelico titles are scheduled, too. We didn't have much in the way of quality role-playing in 2010 but that most certainly isn't the case in 2011.
We know a lot of PS3 owners aren't all that interested in Mass Effect 2 but we urge you to give it a shot. From what we hear, it's too good to flat out dismiss.
Related Game(s): Mass Effect 2
Tags: mass effect 2, me2, me2 ps3, mass effect 2 psn
1/12/2011 12:28:14 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (65 posts)
Zemus101
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 12:44:04 PM
Reply
Oxvial
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 12:45:43 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 12:54:02 PM
Reply
bigrailer19
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:51:27 PM
I seen some gameplay and it looks pretty solid. I like what i seen with the combat and it being more fluid and "combo-ish", hah, than say oblivion for instance. Anyways really looking forward to it!
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 1/12/2011 2:53:09 PM
Qubex
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 9:35:36 PM
ZShadowninja
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 3:03:03 PM
kraygen
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 12:59:13 PM
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Ben,
it cracks me up how much you encourage us all to check it out, when you yourself have said that to you it's just a glorified 3rd person shooter with some minor rpg elements. If memory serves me right, you've played the first but not ME2, so are you getting it when it comes out on ps3?
Oxvial
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 1:08:08 PM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 1:12:07 PM
You'll see my review; don't worry. And even if it's not my thing, if it's a great game, it'll get a great score. I don't let personal opinion impact what I believe to be the inherent quality of a product.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 1/12/2011 1:12:53 PM
kraygen
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 1:31:54 PM
If every game to come out now has to have some rpg elements, maybe that should tell devs that people want some rpgs.
Nynja
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:31:10 PM
The first time I tried ME, it felt dry and clunky. Controls didn't feel very tight and the menus were absolute crap. It was a chore to go through character inventory and equipment. I let my frustration outweigh any positives the game may have had.
A few weeks went by and I was itching for something different. I was thirsty for an RPG with an engaging story. I decided to give ME another shot. To my amazement, I actually found enjoyment in the game.
Mass Effect has an excellent story to be heard and extremely tough choices to make along the way.
I wasn't a believer at first, but I am now. Can't wait for this game.
Last edited by Nynja on 1/12/2011 2:32:42 PM
Cavan1
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 1:02:52 PM
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GuernicaReborn
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 1:25:48 PM
If they're charging the same for both versions, that is ridiculous.
But game sharing can be done on PS3, although I'd only do it with people I trust. Of course, I only loan games to people I trust as well.
Cavan1
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 3:39:40 PM
BTNwarrior
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 5:00:44 PM
GuernicaReborn
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 10:29:30 PM
Jawknee
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:44:42 PM
tridon
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:45:10 PM
Alienange
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:51:47 PM
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 3:01:30 PM
Geobaldi
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 6:26:22 PM
Not to mention some of the quests actually break the game and items disappearing from your inventory. Quest items included. In spite of this and other issues, I'll wait until it's been patched up a bit before I dive into it. And last gen graphics doesn't bother me. Graphical quality has little to no effect on the gameplay itself. It's just a bonus.
Temjin001
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 1:28:36 PM
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When looking at the generational over generational increase of data storage on Sony's Playstation consoles, there's roughly a 5-10x increase in media capacity. This could mean a PS4 would have 250GB+ storage ROMs.
If games were to ship on 250GB+ discs in the coming generation there would be several obstacles to overcome.
A) A storage medium that couldn't facilitate a generation's worth of gaming content.
B) Broadband speeds that would allow a gamer to download a game in a reasonable amount of time.
And the argument that music via digital distribution to gaming is a flawed one.
Music with a good encoder at a 256kb bit-rate can deliver near CD quality audio. Songs are also typically limited to a 3-5min span. The technology and storage capacity that's necessary to deliver music is already in an ideal and very marketable position. This is an attractive medium for consumers and businesses alike.
Also, concerning this generation. I'd rather have longer story based games on a disc. Where I'd preference having quicker pickup and play games, like an online fighter, available instantly. It was nice playing Tekken 5:DR on the fly, without having to switch discs.
Shams
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 5:12:37 PM
However, on a curious note, you reminded me something by bringing up Tekken 5:DR. We know that it performs much better than Tekken 6, sporting a higher resolution (1080p vs sub 720p), and much shorter load times. I wonder if this has anything to do with running off of hdd, thereby eliminating the latency of the bluray disc read times. I guess one would have to compare the 360 version, and the arcade version, with the ps3's to get an idea of that. Could it be that some games would actually perform better if fully installed on an HDD?
Either way, I'd still go for Bluray. Except for a handful of Sony exclusives (GOW3, Uncharted 2, MGS4, R&C's, maybe LBP) and even fewer multiplatformers (FFxiii to an extent, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Mass Effect 2), game development still hasn't taken advantage of bluray. But having the option to swap games with friends, and to save HDD space for games saves and game installs are reasons enough for me getting games on discs.
Temjin001
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 6:20:20 PM
Shams
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 6:48:50 PM
Regarding HDD vs Bluray, it's understood these are only persistent storage, where as the processing happens on the RAM, which is temporary storage, however, there certainly is a difference in latency (disc read time) between bluray disc drive, DVD drive, and hard drive disc.
This affects how fast one can load data to the RAM. To reduce the disparity between bluray, dvd, and HD reads, limiting the data to be read will further reduce the load times... Hence the drop in resolution in Tekken 6 (both ps3 and 360 versions) as compared to the 1080p Tekken 5:DR becomes obvious. Of course, motion-blur takes up a resource, but even with that turned off, even the 360 version still maxes out at 720p as you said.
Temjin001
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 9:30:13 PM
This is actually pretty important in game design. I've read in an interview that game designers have to determine early on if their game should run at 60fps or 30fps because the detail of textures need to be scaled accordingly. The role of the GPU (bare with me it's been a while since I've studied this stuff) was primarily introduced to draw textures and polygons, and still is today. Later "Hardware Transform and Lighting" was introduced where the GPU took on extra graphical tasks. GPU's have also been utilized to handle physics processing in multi-card configurations for PCs. There's a total memory bandwidth that a GPU has where it must funnel all of the information...
But anyway, I'm probably preaching to the choir here; I'm sure you understand all of this well enough already. I think you said you were a software developer, if I'm not mistaken.
Shams
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 1:15:55 AM
Nice point about T6 sporting more texture work than T5:DR. It's been a while since I played T5, but I noticed a whole lot of vascularity, and skin lighting in T6 that I didn't seem to remember being in T5:DR. Facial detail seemed worse, but as you mentioned, I'm sure that's due to the drop in resolution, and not the textures.
Temjin001
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 9:31:42 AM
Like, back then, one of them had a great interview with an ATI guy who helped engineer the 360 VPU (this happened before 360 launched). It was pretty awesome stuff back then, that Xenos chip was designed ahead of it's time in some ways, even relative to the PC market. It boasted a unified shader architecture, new memory system, and hardware tessellation that I don't believe were present on other products anywhere at the time. The RSX was actually a bit dated by the time the PS3 released. And unfortunately, within that year of lag between PS3 and 360, the RSX wasn't updated to the much more sophisticated G84 that was already proliferating computers across the globe. It was high performance and cost effective... oh well, that's where the CELL comes in =)
But as for T5. It was essentially our first taste at a PS2 HD remake. T6 showed us how far a generation's of effects and details have come. =)
Temjin001
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:10:24 PM
Temjin001
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:25:56 PM
I think it's fair to be apprehensive nonetheless seeing that the FMV was very poorly delivered judging from the demo. I EXPECT that to be fixed for the release. If not, well, someone should slap the somebody who didn't do their job very well at Bioware.
Jawknee
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:38:13 PM
I see what you're saying Temjin, though it's not something I am willing to risk $60 bucks on. The story is cheese, the graphics are ugly and the fact this game is deemed a "great RPG" by many who seem to forget what an RPG is says it all for me.
So...Pass. :)
Oxvial
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:46:50 PM
And yes they ask for 60 bucks but again it comes with the dlc, but I can see why you don't want to have it with a bunch of great exclusives this year.
Last edited by Oxvial on 1/12/2011 2:48:10 PM
Temjin001
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:54:50 PM
And this opinion comes from a person who actually has played ample amounts of ME and ME2
Jawknee
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 3:00:45 PM
I never said every game had to be like God of War III so I kindly ask you NOT to put words in my mouth. With that said, the game hardly looks as good as some or most multiplats. Castlevania LoS is a much prettier game and has NO screen tearing. Hell, Resident Evil 5 gives it a run for its money and that game is old.
Last edited by Jawknee on 1/12/2011 3:01:46 PM
Temjin001
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 3:30:48 PM
Jawknee
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 3:54:50 PM
I was never excited for this game. I've said before, space operas are not my thing. Couple that with the horrendous Unreal engine and all the technical flaws that come with this game, it's not hard to understand why this game doesn't interest me at all. I think I have been very clear and consistent for those who have been paying attention.
Last edited by Jawknee on 1/12/2011 3:56:32 PM
aaronisbla
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 5:33:28 PM
Jawknee
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 6:02:15 PM
My statement does imply I spent a great deal of time with the story, apologies. I haven't spent the amount of time you have Aaron. Though from the synopsis I have read and the one given in the PS3 demo, the story just seems very meh to me. I understand people dig it and I don't mean to be a Debbie downer. ;)
Last edited by Jawknee on 1/12/2011 6:03:27 PM
tridon
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:41:29 PM
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Personally, I couldn't get into the ME2 demo at all so I think it'll ultimately be a pass for me. I just don't have the time or money right now to put into a game that didn't really impress me with the demo. Dragon Age II, on the other hand... I am SO there! Signature Edition pre-ordered!!! :D
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2:58:58 PM
BikerSaint
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 11:50:02 PM
SirLoin of Beef
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 3:38:22 PM
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big6
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 3:44:10 PM
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Does anyone know if there are pre-order incentives for Mass Effect 2? Or Killzone 3?
Dustinwp
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 4:36:05 PM
big6
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 5:45:08 PM
Dustinwp
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 6:59:22 PM
Last edited by Dustinwp on 1/12/2011 7:00:05 PM
JSwayze
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 4:36:43 PM
Kevin555
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 1:31:06 AM
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Anyone planning on getting this i absolutely urge you to create a female Shepherd instead of the gruntish meathead male template. Jennifer Hale's voice over work & attitude on renegade fem-Shepherd makes you feel like you own the galaxy with pure "F you" authority.
___________
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 1:39:39 AM
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BikerSaint
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 11:57:20 PM
RebelJD
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:27:47 AM
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This game comes with an interactive comic book that actually won me over to be honest with you. Who wants to put in the chore of having to play the first one simply to experience the second?
Now the icing on the cake? Mass Effect 3 is an official title for the PS3 on release date! That's right, so don't go embarrassing yourself by sticking to the past. You NEED to play and support Mass Effect 2 on the PS3 if you're even possibly considering getting your hands on Mass Effect 3.
Above all, let's not embarrass Sony/Playstation by not showing support for third-party AAA titles after they've been busting their butts to make 2011 a stellar year.
SmokeyPSD
Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 10:46:06 AM
ME is a tremendously well written dramatic saga, if people are that worried about all this external crap I would encourage people to even just seek out playing the series on a PC. it is well worth the effort.
BikerSaint
Friday, January 14, 2011 @ 12:31:43 AM
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Mass Effect 2









GuernicaReborn
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Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 12:41:49 PM
Thats a pretty big file. Well, for me at least. I never upgraded my HDD.