It plays out differently according to whomever you saved or chose different options for at the start of ME2.

Here is what I can tell as far as RPG degredation if you want to call it that:

• You now have limited ammo
• The number of powers available to each player is much smaller (instead of 6-8 now 3-4)
• No defined damage characteristics on weapons. You don't know how much more or less powerful weapons are. However, biotic/tech powers still have defined amounts of damage they give (e.g incenerate does 150HP damage at level 1)

That is what I can think of. The game is still an RPG, its just a lot better of a TPS now, too as combat is a lot better in terms of firepower and AI.

Also, this:

• No loot from killing enemies
• No exp from killing enemies
• No accuracy stat
• Much more limited number of weapons
• Standard Health regeneration instead of using Medigel

Apart from the powers and fact that you can pause there is nothing in the battles to suggest this is an RPG.

However, don't let this discourage you from buying the game. It's actually better for it.

That sucks, Shepard.

In ME1, I had to break my habit of trying to reload during the lulls in combat, but I loved wantonly spamming bullets everywhere.

I like that there's no loot from killing enemies. In the first i would have to stop playing just so I could spend 10mins reducing all my stock to gel.
Not sure how I feel about no exp from killing as counting exp and leveling during a battle was good .
More limited number of weapons, Do you mean in game overall because that could be good. No longer having to compare every single weapon against what I have every time I kill someone and get loot but then again choice can be a good thing.
Are you sure that there's no way to tell if one weapon is more powerfull than another?

Also the battles not being like a tradional RPG is good to me. As great as fallout was it's combat let it down. It worked in Oblivion due to the fact it was largely melee and KotOR was sort of roll of the dice turnbased which suited that game wouldn't this so a more TPS feel to it makes sense.

I too would spam ammo at a bad guy on the far end of the area. Even if I couldn't see him just spamming would eventually get him.

You have the five standard types of weapons; Pistol, shotgun, assault rifle and sniper rifle. Then you have about three different of each type to choose between. And then there are 5 different heavy weapons. One of them is uber cool.

I really missed a way to compare weapons to each other. As it was, I just looked at the weapons loadout screen (which is where you change weapons, available when entering a mission and at certain points in missions only) with disgust, not knowing and not caring which weapons my crew was armed with, and only looking briefly at which weapon I had. I really loved outfitting my character with weapons and armor in the first game.

But as I said, this doesn't kill the combat at all. It makes it even better. But it's not really an RPG anymore. Or it's trying very hard not to be.

I guess it makes sense to only change weapons and armour at certain points.
I never did see where they were hiding 75 different weapons on their persons in the first game

From what I'm hearing it sounds like a TPS. What RPG elements does the game have left outside of the dialog/choices?

That's what I meant by it being the complete antithesis to a JRPG. Whereas JRPG's only share the battle system with a roleplaying game, Mass Effect only shares the roleplaying elements.

Of course, you DO still level up. You DO get better equipment (just not from battles). But those elements are available in just about any game nowadays. They are no longer strictly RPG elements.

Well, the thing is that combat is way more TPS than ever.

The rest of the game, IMO is just as RPG as ever:

• 80% of the game is exploration and talking. There is just as much of that in ME2 as there was in ME1. I am 10 hours in and have completed a whopping total of 2 'essential' missions (the equivilent of the 'search these planets for new crew members')
• Massive backstory and in-game codex. All ME1 codexes forward to ME2, while ME2 adds just as much more to the codex
• Tons of side-quests ala ME1. They're a lot better this time around. Way better.
• Huge emphasis on planet exploration...Much larger than ME1. Rather than randomly hop from planet to planet to check for minerals, you have a Star Control-esque game for exploration. You have to expend fuel to go from star to star, and have to scan planets for minerals which can upgrade weaponry and ship stuff.
• Skill upgrades are still there, and very critical for character advancement. You have less techs, but they matter far more in the game. I'm playing as a pure engineer, so I use more techs than weapons.....And it works wonderfully.

I'm sure theres a lot more than I listed. ME2 still maintains a lot of what made ME1 great. The thing is, ME1 was so awesome, its not hard to note what they changed that may make it different. The fact is that the storyline of ME2 and character interaction are better than ME1 which to me is what makes a RPG great - a great story that is effectable by choices in the game.

And having said that, ME2 integrates so much of your characters' ME1 choices that its not funny. Almost everything you did in ME1 carries over in some way.

Didn't buy the ME1 expansion DLC? Terra Nova is gone.

Saved flux in ME1? You meet him.

Ect ect ect. Obviously the big things you did are there, but it makes constant references to other things you did from ME1.

And don't forget the RPG setpieces. This game is a true fantasy game with the set pieces. There is more attention to detail in ME2 than just about any game before it. You really feel like your in alien worlds that are insanely vast.

Damn, I never got the DLC and killed flux. He was a dick anyway.
Even though I am lvl 60 and completed the game would I still be able to get the dlc and have the choices from that carry over with my main game save to ME2?