Ameratsu: "I guess collecting Turian emblems and recovering stuff from broken satellites over and over again is your idea of a good time, huh?"
Don't misunderstand me. ME2 is the better game overall but the seven short, linear quest planets I have managed to find do not replace the ability of the player to decide which planet s/he wants to explore and when. Some of the side quests were quite interesting in ME1 and at least you gained experience by grinding it out.
Collecting minerals in ME2 is only worth doing for the upgrades. Is moving a reticle in a search pattern of your own choosing better than the Mako? I enoyed fighting Maws, Colossi, turrets etc. You didn't, fine. I'm not sure why you are angry as your viewpoint prevailed. Would the majority have wished away vehicle combat and exploration? I doubt it. Was it necessary to deliver the game as is? Probably.
Another example of bioware's move to a more linear style was the unavoidable quest for the Reaper IFF. (SPOILER) There's an email and you're off! I'll be sure to hit level 15 before they force me into the same trap, again. A surprising trend from an rpg dev. known for at least the illusion of choice. I've gotta go play some Renegade now so enjoy.
