I know you don't want space or magic, but since I didn't see mass effect 1 or 2 in the games you've played I'm going to have to ignore you and insist on it anyway. If it's any consolation, as mentioned above, the guns don't fire lasers, they fire tiny slivers of metal at ludicrous speeds. The fact that ME2 is pretty much at the top of everybody's year end list for best game, best story, best rpg etc. is not a product of good marketing, or bland mass appeal. (see what I did there?). The game is really THAT good, moving, meaningful, fun, funny, beautiful, and deep. For an example of how meaningful the game can be, watch this: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/1974-Enriching-Lives. Unless you're super strict about spoilers, I wouldn't worry about the spoiler warning. What they talk about really isn't part of the MAIN story line. Plus, I think it would be worth it to spoil a side-mission in order to encourage you to play the game, than to never go near it in the first place.
The only reservation I have is I kinda' forced ME2 on one of my friends. He eventually played it and thought it was bleh. In conversation I made a reference to one of joker's (Seth Green's) funny lines in the game and got a blank stare. I explained that it was a reference to one of the funny things joker says when you go up and talk to him. My friend said, "Meh, I kinda' just had an itch to shoot things, so I didn't really walk around looking for people to talk to" Thinking about the wholehearted recommendation I gave ME2 I said, "I think I've made a huge mistake" to which I got another blank stare. I now have one less friend.
The only reservation I have is I kinda' forced ME2 on one of my friends. He eventually played it and thought it was bleh. In conversation I made a reference to one of joker's (Seth Green's) funny lines in the game and got a blank stare. I explained that it was a reference to one of the funny things joker says when you go up and talk to him. My friend said, "Meh, I kinda' just had an itch to shoot things, so I didn't really walk around looking for people to talk to" Thinking about the wholehearted recommendation I gave ME2 I said, "I think I've made a huge mistake" to which I got another blank stare. I now have one less friend.
