Mass Effect 2 - Preview @ Resolution Magazine

Dhruin

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Game Resolution in the UK has a hands-on preview of Mass Effect 2. This snip on combat seems to run counter to the official PR but many players will appreciate "careful" play, if correct:
Much has been spoken of Mass Effect 2’s new combat system. Watching from a distance earlier on, I wasn’t convinced. It looked slow, sluggish and a little weak. Having spent twenty minutes diving to and from cover, firing wildly and commanding my squad effortlessly, I’m far more impressed.
It’s true that battles seem slower and more drawn out. Of the playable twenty minutes, a good fifteen consisted of a single fight against multiple, well-armed enemies. But the tactics have been brought to the fore, the emphasis on cover more prominent than before. Mass Effect’s health bar is gone, replaced with the ever-popular regeneration system. Initially, it feels wrong, but it quickly makes sense. This is a game that encourages slow, careful play during combat, and wants you to stay in cover as much as possible. Being able to munch down health packs would undoubtedly soil that vibe.
More information.
 
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I have never been a fan of Health Regen, we can thank console game development for that genius and Forced Cover Systems, too. Yuk.

:shakefist:
 
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There's an article on gamasutra about health regeneration in video games. Interesting read.

The author argues that basically health packs encourage exploration while a regeneration model feels more like an action movie with straightforward pacing. From what I've heard ME2 is less RPG and more action oriented than its predecessor, so this development isn't all that surprising.
 
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