Mass Effect 2 PC details have dropped today, bringing somewhat decent news all round. Both the system requirements and the DRM situation have been revealed today, so those of you that use the word "rig" without any shred of shame and have a love for all things BioWare are in for a treat.
The system requirements are after the jump, but it's the DRM situation that is most pleasant. We all know that Electronic Arts has a ludicrously huge bonk-on for SecuROM and loads the glorified malware onto almost everything it ships. Well, it seems that Mass Effect 2 will not be shipping with the same restrictive crap as last time and instead take a cue from Dragon Age. A simple disc check will be required to activate the game, and you're all set!
This is of course lovely news for PC users who are sick of this DRM nonsense, a fad that slowly seems to be dying out now that publishers are realizing that is doesn't stop piracy, but does manage to piss off paying customers. Hopefully the likes of SecuROM can be eradicated in due course, especially if such supporters as EA are shying away from it.
Hit the jump for those requirements, in any case.
PC MINIMUM System Requirements
- OS = Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
- Processor = 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent AMD CPU
- Memory = 1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7
- Hard Drive = 15 GB
- DVD ROM = 1x Speed
- Sound Card = DirectX 9.0c compatible
- Direct X = DirectX 9.0c August 2008 (included)
- Input = Keyboard / Mouse
- Video Card = 256 MB (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support). Supported Chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or greater; ATI Radeon X1600 Pro or greater. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, and 9300; ATI Radeon HD3200, and HD4350 are below minimum system requirements. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.
PC RECOMMENDED System Requirements
- Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
- 2.6+ GHz Cure 2 Duo Intel or equivalent AMD CPU
- 2 GB RAM
- ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, or better recommended
- 100% DirectX compatible sound card and drivers
- DirectX August 2008
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
1:20 PM on 11.25.2009
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And the DRM situation is always a plus point, even if I intended to buy through Steam. That is, if it's ON Steam. No DRM = Me happy.
not trying to be a snob here, but if you're not running a dual core by now, you're probably not a PC gamer.
I think these are pretty average system requirements. A little higher for the gpu than the first game, but I guess that's to be expected.
@ Jim
So now that you have a PC are you actually gonna play this on PC and review it for PC from the PC version? or are you gonna play it on Xbox and give a PC review like you did for DA: Origins?
It could be your first real PC to PC review! Get excited! BTW what are the specs on your new PC system?
Anyway, that's good that ME 2 will go the non-existent shitty DRM route. I'm plan on picking up the CE edition, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with any DRM-related problems.
I won't review Mass Effect 2. I hated the first one and I don't have any interest in the second. It'll be reviewed by someone who cares about the series far more.
Companies are pulling it left and right from their products, but I guarantee this only means that other companies like SecuROM are going to get wise and make DRM measures that aren't obtrusive, clunky pieces of shit and suddenly it's DRM time again. But hopefully it'll be a bit more bearable.
I have a dual core AMD X2 5800+, and I'd agree with you on the snobbery about needing a dual core these days. I just find it really odd that where most games state "3GHz P4 OR 1.8 Dual", ME2 only states the dual core requirement.
@Narishma
The one thing I find strange about that though, is that the 8-series GPUs that "aren't supported" are probably done so because of clock speeds and fill rates. However after a bit of reading, the clock speeds are better on the 8200 than the 6800GT, and I know that those cards support all the shader functions that are needed. So I'm just a little confused. God, it's hard to believe that the old 6800GT sitting in my cupboard still has a use. Heh.
(Yeah, I know there's more to the speeds than just the clock speed, I just wanted a rough comparison)
You never did say your PC specs or why as such a hardcore console player decided to get one. What resolution are you running at?
The cards they list under the 8 series as not supported are the ultra-low end models. If the second digit is a 6, it's the entry level. Anything under that is the bargain-bin version
I don't give specs because I'm still not all that clued in on hardware shit. I know it's a quad core Alienware deal, and has two Nvidia GEForce (I think that's what they're called) video cards in it.
The PC was a business decision. It's actually so I can edit HD video for Destructoid (until now I was trying to produce The Videogame Show on a shitty laptop). Of course, since I am a reviews editor and always like to expand my gaming coverage, moving into PC games was an obvious move.
Anyway, good specs, not surprising. This is an obvious PC choice for those with a decent PC and consoles, the original game was far better on PC.
@ Jim
The only specs that matter are RAM, GPU and Processor. You can find all that out by running a program in Windows called "dxdiag" which you can search for using the search entry bar on your start menu. I don't care about your specs, but if you ever want them, that is where to go.
Coolz system probably better then mine ;) I only have one video card in my uber7337 PC (though it is watercooled). Not sure why you would need two video cards for video editing... unless the editing software uses the GPU's as processors. Most of the editing stuff is math intensive which is CPU based.
That's pretty hardcore!
Which is a good thing. Speaking in general here, but if you're against DRM as a concept, you are an idiot and/or lazy pirate. Being against obtrusive, system-slowing DRM like SecuROM is about as decisive and complex a stance to take as M.A.D.D..
System specs seem quite doable. I wonder if they'll do a DX10 mode for this. I doubt it, though, I don't think DA:O supports DX10.
I think he meant that he needed a new one for the video editing, and went ahead and got one that was good for gaming too.
Depending upon the software, some packages actually use GPU acceleration now. I know Photoshop CS4 does. Dunno about AfterEffects CS4.
Props to you sir. How much did it cost?
Also, Alienware ruined me. I got one (via a replacement for a dead Dell laptop) and I don't think I can use another for gaming. =X It is the hotness.
Nice specs btw.
Anyone wanna take bets there is going to be a PS3 ME2 announcement next year?
That's not at all how consoles work. When you have a system that is entirely optimized to play games, which a console is, it pumps out results that are much higher than what you would get running on Windows.
That's one of the reasons that despite having a video card and processor much, much better than a PS2, my lovely rig still struggles to run emulated PS2 games at a solid framerate.
"but sheesh, I had no idea the mid range x100-x500 GeForce cards were SO underpowered."
When your graphics card costs somewhere south of "Budget Wii title", it should be a pretty big sign of how capable it is. Also some of those models they mentioned, like the HD3200, are typically seen as integrated chips in budget systems these days.
@ Jim:
"Quad core alien-ware"
I feel sorry for your wallet (unless Dtoid/the alienware ads covered it in which case disregard)