Interesting read, and I'm definitely glad I didn't buy Mass Effect 2.
http://www.infoaddict.com/the-many-failures-of-mass-effect-2

It raises good points, but much like anything oriented around "So and so sucks", it ignores all the things that work;
To rebut/comment:
New Surveying System: I didn't dislike it, but I actually loved the Mako, so I am probably not indicative of most players. That being said, I would have preferred the old system of surveying deposits (but the new system makes research less painful)
"British Roman Effect" Who says they are speaking English? Who says WE are speaking English? Shepard isn't going to random colonies (well, he goes to random Human colonies...), but instead major population centers. Wouldn't it make sense for everyone to speak "Common"? As for the Krogans: They are mercs. They need to communicate with people. And if you add in a fake language, you either include subtitles (thus, annoying everyone and hurting immersion), or you don't understand them (making that character pointless).
"Awful Combat Stages": Would the author rather we constantly reenact the scene from The Rock where all the SEALs die? And I found that there was a good bit of variety. Sometimes you advance through narrow corridors, other times open areas, and sometimes you get a nice defense battle. Yeah, you still used boxes and low walls (would he prefer an arbitrary reinforced fruit cart? :p), but I never really felt like "Oh, that is just set up for combat". Keep in mind the context of the levels. Shepard is advancing on enemy positions/advancing through battlefields. Wouldn't it make sense that people didn't want to reenact Napoleonic warfare? :p
Log Book-based exposition: Actually, most of the exposition WAS through conversation. And the log books were well done. I for one LOVED the logbooks involved in Jacob's loyalty mission and Tali's loyalty mission. Yeah, it is cliche, but there is a reason for that...
GUI issues: Your mileage may vary. For what it is worth, I didn't mind it, although I found that it was oriented much more toward the shift/pause thing for changing equipment. But, by doing that, it encouraged me to actually use my party's powers (and not just Shepard's). So I am neutral on it. If he is complaining about the codex: That really is just fluff. Just like with DA:O (and ME1), you don't need to read it to enjoy the game.
"Too Little Interaction with Environment": So he wants a pixel-hunter? We used to not have stuff highlighted, and while it WAS very useful for hiding stuff, it just slowed down gameplay. Show of hands: How many of you would spend hours in a single dungeon looking for every single lootable? :p
Merchant's & Stores: Agreed, I kind of missed the variety of weapons. But the stores DON'T only sell that stuff. Listen to the people who asked you about vaccinating-err, genetically modifying their kid in ME1 :p. They were buying other stuff. It just wouldn't make sense for Shepard to go buy a new pair of underpants or a new TV.
"Repetitive Time Fillers": It would be nice for more variety, but whatever. And I question if this guy played the game. I actually found money to be somewhat more scarce this time around. I still afforded everything that I felt like grabbing by endgame, but that was by endgame (not halfway).
"Mission Arcs": I like how he says "Bioware, you are better than that". No, they really aren't. They are the KINGS of "cookie-cutter". Every game they have ever made (probably even Shattered Steel :p) has that "problem".
"False Sense of Complexity": He is complaining about loading screens. Do I really need to address this?
While he does raise a few decent points, it is obvious that he is just trying to get traffic by presenting a differing viewpoint. And take a look at what he actually complained about: Half of those are a matter of personal taste, half are true of countless games, and many of them suggest he doesn't really know much about Bioware. That should tell you something. The big complaint on ME2 was nitpicking.
Nothing is perfect. Absolutely nothing. But when your hope for finding a way to bash it involves such blatant nitpicking...

In my opinion, all Bioware games since Throne of Bhaal are hugely flawed but somehow still really enjoyable. Well, except for Neverwinter Nights, that one was just a mess.
Mass Effect is a prime example, I could list of dozens of elements I hated:
- Heavy loot scaling.
- The loot is boring anyway, just slightly better versions of the old stuff, with no special abilities.
- Clichéd story.
- The worst inventory system in the history of video games.
- Awkward combat.
- Bland, extremely repetitive side quests.
- Thousands of stale genre tropes.
- Archaic party NPC interaction, including romances.
- Shallow RPG system.
- Almost no environment details.
- Lots and lots of other stuff.
Still had lots of fun. I'm sure I'll feel the same way about ME2. I'm just a sucker for games with loads of story and dialogue bits.

Well, so far Mass Effect 2 has been one of my favorite games of the last year (certainly my favorite game in the young 2010 by far).
I am thrilled to own it and I'd be shocked if I see three games that exceed it in all of 2010.

well there's one thing I can say about a doubt that you won't feel about ME2, there is no loot.
I'll do some rebutting of the article as well...
Planet Survey - I actually spent six hours, enjoy this new feature. You can actually upgrade it so it goes faster. I hated the fact that the mako was near uncontrollable, but don't worry, you'll get the Mako back in DLC later next week.
British Romans Effect - speaking english is fine, because I want to know what's going on.
Awful Combat Stages - I thought the combat was fine, yes I did notice when combat was coming, it was called loading into a combat zone, hurrdurr..
effective interface - I could pick my weapons easy, mousewheel up or mousewheel down. :(
interaction with environment - didn't bother me just doing a little bit at a time is cool, I like the blue highlight stuff, having to rummage through shit that doesn't matter is for adventure games, not action rpgs.
merchants and stores - yeah the stores are messed up
mission arcs - I didn't have any real problems with how the arcs went. I realized it, but it didn't detract.
false complexity - guys retarded, it works fine.anyone who's fought a harbinger could tell you that.
his closing- pbltbltlbtlbltblbth guys retarded.

Guess the guy never heard of Universal Translators or any other system likely to exist at that time to facilitate communication with other species. (If that explanation is good enough for Star Trek, it's good enough here too).

I would like to counter that article by saying it's a load of toss. Typical attempt to get attention by hating a high profile game. I am sure Yahtzee will be along soon with a review to tell us all how shit it is too.
As it stands I started playing it on Sunday and have spent 35 hours on it. Either I really, really like games that fail or Mass Effect 2 is great.

You shouldn't rely on reviews... even this type of review. Mass Effect 2 may be bad, but definitely not because of any of the reasons that ox posted.

My thoughts exactly. Mass Effect 2 is not a perfect game (no game is), but the "tone" of the article is so obviously "oh, look at me, I'm edgy, I don't conform, I go against the mainstream, I'm not a sheep" that I kind of feel bad for whoever wrote it.

I love both this post and your buddy Christ icon. That thumbs up is for you.

Some of the points were valid, but many of them were inane. Complaining that they didn't create alien languages? Complaining about reading? Come on.
Although, I'm a bit weird, as I prefer games where it is possible to avoid combat completely (although this would be too easy in the ME games, as you could just choose the top right/paragon choices and always avoid combat).

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games ever, I'm tired of everyone trying to pretend like their taste in games is more refined by hating on mainstream games.
Case in point 'I wish the aliens would speak an entirely new language that no one playing the game could possibly understand. The designers are lazy for not creating several entire languages.' In a game which is so good because it's become so streamlined.
If this guy ever designed a game it would be pretentious and it would still be terrible.
EDIT: oh wow three people beat me to it while I was typing this.

Meh, who cares what he thinks? All I care about is whether or not I'm enjoying the game and whether or not I got my money's worth. At this point, I can say 'yes' to both. What someone else writes about it is of no consequence, as far as I'm concerned.

I agree. I'm getting married this year and if someone demanded it I could make a quick top-ten list of things that make my future wife unsavory. However, the list of reasons I want to marry her is much longer.
I could easily make a list of things about Mass Effect 2 that didn't work for me--but there's so much freedom that I was able to avoid most of those things entirely. Try that with a game like Final Fantasy 8--where you're forced to sit around and draw magic for hours just to be viable--there's no avoiding that--you MUST do it.
Aside from being good press (like the ipad article I read this week comparing the ipad to al Queda), negativity is easier to write--and it's often more fun.
I'm working on my graduate degree in writing, and there's one thing you can bet on in any workshop setting. There is always lip service given to listing something you like and something you don't like about a piece, but when it comes time to weigh how much time was spent on each topic, the class will have talked about what they hated for 90% of the class.
If this is true of trained professionals in higher education then we can expect nothing less from amateurs online with an agenda to go along with it.

From what little of the game I've played through a friends copy I just think the article is a waste of cyberspace (no offence to the OP!)
Some of the so called 'problems' are just non-issues, the aliens all speaking in English is there for an extremely obvious reason.
The quality of the voice acting, not to mention the sheer quantity of it puts other games firmly in the shade, the fact that aliens dialogue should be in alien tounges [And I mean, really. Should it? It's Bioware's Universe, they can do as they please it's not like a factual error ;P] as opposed to English is immaterial as far as I'm concerned, the quality and quantity more than makes up for it. Something the author completely misses out on.
Nah, this is someone who's decided to nitpick with a game that's currently very, very popular just to appear edgy and cool, they've done a poor job an' all.