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I agree with a lot of your points. I'm about 40 hours into it and haven't finished the game yet. It looks like I still have quite a bit more to go. I'd estimate another 10-20 hours left. I tend to take a lot longer than most people :p With that said, I'm really disappointed in the removal of RPG elements from ME1. I'll also list my likes and disklikes so far:
Likes
New camera and lighting system - much more cinematic!
New conversation interrupt system
Improved textures
Runs well and scales properly on my Portrait Eyefinity setup
Rebalanced classes so that every class is now useful
Rebalanced powers
Great story (had some intense/emotional moments, for example without spoiling anything, Mordin's and Samara's loyalty quests)
Interesting characters
Dislikes
No more equipment customization, one of the most enjoyable part of ME1, IMHO. This is my biggest disappointment.
Addition of thermal clips
Missions feels too episodic and disconnected, especially with the mission summary at the end
Too much covering
Planet scanning - it'll bore you to tears.
Removal of the Mako
Overall, I'm enjoying the game a lot. I would say ME2 is no longer a RPG, but a story driven shooter. I don't think it's better than ME1. Instead of moving a step forward, it moves a step sideways. But given that ME1 is one of my favorite games, that means ME2 is still very good! :)
As an aside, I tried various party configurations, but ended up with the exact same party as what's on the game cover :lol: It's me as a Vanguard, with Reave as my Advanced Training ability. Miranda, and Thane.