Today is a damned good day for owners of Mass Effect 2 for Xbox 360. Easily the most-hated aspect of the game, scanning planets for valuable minerals, has been addressed in the best possible way. A new patch, which is now live, has "optimized" the process.
I took it upon myself to see what BioWare meant by that -- the end result was pleasing, to say the least. The scanning reticule is now larger, much faster, and turning the planets themselves is noticeably quicker too. The patch fixes a number of lesser issues, which you can read about after the break.
If you were waiting for something like this to come along before embarking on a second or third ME2 playthrough, now would be the time to start your quest up. As for PC players, your patch is in the works; keep an eye open for more details sooner rather than later.
Mass Effect 2 Xbox 360 patch offers 'optimized' planet scanning [Joystiq]
Stuff that's no longer broken:
- Scanning for minerals has been optimized
- Fixed an issue with marking all entries as viewed in the Journal
- Fixed an issue relating to text and the menu screen
- Fixed an issue relating to players starting a new game and loading a save
- Fixed multiple issues when loading a save containing DLC when DLC isn't present
- Fixed an issue with ammo flashing when it can't be picked up
- Fixed an issue with crosshairs
- Fixed an issue with Grunt's Fortification power
- Fixed an issue with enemies and cover
- Fixed an issue where players could receive additional talent points
- Fixed an issue where squad members would overwrite ammo powers the player had assigned them
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Contest:
8:00 PM on 05.17.2010 | 
Just skip the whole thing.
THAT is your story, right there.
I think once ME3 hits, ME2 will have just as much replay value.
Oh god. Fucking hated this.
It's a bit late, but it'll make my future Renegade run a bit smoother.
I love the franchise and its universe to death, but ME2's story is weak. Things need to happen that the player cannot fix. You shouldn't be able to renegade/paragon through every problem, and character death shouldn't be a lame multiple choice question and depending on your answer, one dies or one lives.
It's not dramatic, nor interesting; it's merely an experiment in player control and in my eyes it shows why authorial direction is so important when you're trying to weave an excellent story. Interaction can still exist, but if you allow the audience to save everyone and have no problems, you're not going to move people.
Anyway, The updated scanner is something I am very happy about and definitely makes me more willing to replay through the game multiple times.
Really though, good on Bioware, it's not like this was something they needed to do.
But also, @carg0, what? It's a fantastic RPG and people are pushed out windows. In space.
I felt like I was brain dead...
Hey, now I know how game testers feel...
"there are people still playing this game? sad..."
Umm... why? I actually just started playing it for the first time this weekend, and it is fuckig stellar.
And I'm sooo glad they fixed the scanning. I've only scanned two planets so far, and now I'm actually looking forward to scanning my third.
yeaaahhhh ooooh never mind. I guess I still can't get it.
2nd playthrough already underway, and if I keep at it like I did the last one, the 14th playthrough will been like buttuh.
I know Im going to miss driving the Mako around though :-( that gave the first game a more 'Star Trek' feel, which I realy dug.
I'm guessing that's the glitch where you could add points and exit the menu at the same time and get all you points back while raising a power. Kind of glad to see that temptation removed form the game....
I played my first as an Engineer and its not too bad. You throw fireballs, electric balls, and ice balls at people. Not revolutionary but pretty fun in a sadistic way.
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