Mass Effect 2 will reset Shepard's skills
Player skills and abilities will be completely reset for Mass Effect 2, though carrying savegames over is still worthwhile.
Speaking to Computerworld, Mass Effect 2 producer Casey Hudson confirmed that all of Shepard's abilities and skills will be completely reset at the start of the second game, though decisions you made in the first game will still be carried over.
The move has doubtlessly come about to help put fans of the original game on a level playing field with those making new characters and to stop players starting the game with every skill already maxed out. Still, it's a little disappointing to know that Shepard is going to have to retrain in biotic and weapon skills all over again, even if Bioware says the reset is incorporated into the story.
"There's something that's happening with the story that explains what happens with your abilities," said Casey Hudson. "It's something we can't go into detail about for obvious reasons."
Whatever the reason for the reset is, it'll probably tie into the darker and grittier tone that Mass Effect 2 is said to be taking.
Mass Effect 2 is currently down for a 2010 release and looks to be a departure from the style of the original game, possibly even with a multiplayer mode of some sort. Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums ReplyFair enough to me, you'd split the playing base down the middle. Remember your choices have a huge effect on the game, everything from who lives to who's in control of the galaxy at the end.
That's what I was thinking. I wonder what the default starting point will be though. Who will be dead/alive if you don't have your savegame, Ashlely/Kaidan/Wrex?
I think I actually have both savegame files from the 2 times I completed it, is it really going to be worth keeping them so I can play through ME2 again from a slightly different starting point after having completed it the first time?
Tut tut Joe...
Really?
You didn't seriously expect them to let you start a new game with level 60 skills, did you?
Although, considering there's a Salarian scientist, a Krogan warrior, an assassin, and a planet full of hot blue women the likes of which William Shatner can normally be found cavorting with (plus "You're a human before a Spectre", etc, so there'll be plenty of non-blue wimminz), I can't see us actually "missing" anyone who may or may not have vanished.
And now for the funny side of that last statement!
In AD 2183, war was beginning.
Shepard: What happen?
Kaidan: Somebody set us up the bomb.
Joker: We get signal.
Shepard: What?
Joker: Main screen turn on
Shepard: It's you!
Saren: How are you gentlemen!
Saren: All your Ashley are belong to us!
Saren: She is on the way to destruction!
Shepard: What you say!!
Saren: She has no chance to survive make your time.
Saren: Ha ha ha ha....
Joker: Captain!!
Shepard: Take off every "ZIG!"
Shepard: You know what you doing.
Shepard: Move "ZIG!"
Shepard: For great justice.
And yes, I DID type that out.
Well, the people who've got up to level 60 - I doubt they're gonna be playing on Casual, so level-scaling is in place...
I just wants me a Krogan, a Pistol, and Master Marksman, and then I can quite happily walk through the game. I reckon a 6-hour finish is possible on ME1 with those 3 things, so ME2 shouldn't be too bad. I just hope it's long enough, without dragging it out.
Oh, and as for amnesia, does anyone remember Kaidan's throwaway comment on the ship "If they give you the L3 biotics, one slip and you don't remember your own name"?... Just a thought...
You should have put a comma after "Tut tut". If you're going to go after other people's grammar, you'd better make damn sure you don't make any slip-ups of your own! (I bet I get caught out now.)
kicked wrex in the face but I didn't want to.. the game was off the hook- played on crt with grain and it was like watching a movie.. hope they keep that effect
reset of skills doesn't bother me too much.. didn't backup the saves
Agreed.
It's been done to death, that particular plot idea.
True.
I just think they'll go the easy route and say the Prothean beacon damaged his/her brain somehow and that, basically, is amnesia. ;)
Still, only playing the game will tell for sure, so I'm more than willing to be proven wrong. :D
Could be the reason...
Antares
Yep, doesn't matter what it's called, it's still the tired old amnesia plot. Let's hope ME2's more like BG2 and lets you start at high level and configure a powerful character from the start.
Oh, hang on, that means a imprisoned-and-stripped-of-all-your-kit start, which has also been killed to death by games makers...
Still, as it's Bioware, maybe it'll be something new, or at least will be fun in spite of being cliché.
I would have thought it would be by default as if you had done everything the good way. So the council are all there plus your commander dude as the minister (cos no-one would pick that ambassador dick head). Wrex would be alive, and seeing as the commander is male in all the promo stuff I'd guess maybe Ash would be the survivor.
Or maybe there will be a little recap video if you don't have a save game and at each point where there's a choice you get to choose which one to do.
That would be a fairly tidy way of doing it. I like it. :)
I am ashamed to have missed that, but Joe is being paid to write.
Being paid doesn't means that he is perfect. At least I understand 99.99% of what Joe have said.