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Game Review

Mass Effect 2 – Game Review

The original Mass Effect was released in 2007 on consoles and 2008 on PC and was a groundbreaking entry for the Role Playing Game genre, rolling a Gears of War style shooter into a Knights of the Old Republic style RPG. While the result was mostly positive, it was hampered by clunky shooter controls, an overly complex inventory system and a copy-and-paste side quest structure. The stand-out, however, was the story and the universe of Mass Effect. This game, on paper, should have been a classic. However, it fell short of the mark.

Bioware, however, has more than come through with the sequel Mass Effect 2.
Before I go too far into the review, I should mention that if you haven’t played the original Mass Effect and you’re interested in Mass Effect 2, you should really play the original. While the gameplay can become frustrating, it is worth playing just for the excellent story and the universe built from it. Additionally, Mass Effect 2 has the ability to import your Mass Effect save game which brings across your original character and all of your story choices, making the entire Mass Effect 2 experience even better. There’ll certainly be copies in your local EB games’ used games bin, or you can pick it up on Steam for $19.99. Totally worth the experience.

Coming into Mass Effect 2, it’s clear that Bioware took the criticism of the original to heart. Every aspect of the game has either been replaced or improved upon greatly.

Are you looking at me?

The most drastic of the changes are the simplifying of the RPG systems like inventory and character progression. First of all, the inventory has seen the most drastic of changes; in Mass Effect 2 there is NONE. Throughout the game you cannot pick up weapons or armour from enemies or crates whatsover. All new weapons can be acquired at specific points in the story and bought at stores, however there are only 3 weapons per weapon type. Armour also, can only be bought from specific stores. While this did take some getting used to, these shifts of focus are actually quite good. Mass Effect featured a standard RPG style of fiddling with the stats and inventory of each character in your squad. Mass Effect 2 just deals with the tactics of your squad. So instead of jumping into combat and then fiddling about with menu screens to equip your squad, you jump right into the action and don’t have to fiddle at all. The combat and the game overall are better for it.

Character progression is also simplified for the better. Instead of having dozens of skills to upgrade each time you level up, you have five or six combat skills to upgrade. That’s it. Which while simpler, is designed to keep the player from fiddling with menus, which is a fantastic change. When I want something more complex, I’ll play Bioware’s Dragon Age or something Old School. Nothing in ME2 gets in between you and the combat, which is a really good change.

What hasn’t changed since the original is the quality of the story, which is as strong as you’ll find in any video game. The meat of the game surrounds Commander Shepard (that’s you) collecting a squad of the best-of-the-best for a suicide mission against a mysterious force called “The Collectors”, who are kidnapping entire colonies of humans. But for the team to work together best, you have to gain their trust. This aspect is truly rewarding; as each character has a specific mission which, if completed, will make those characters willing to trust you and gives a really interesting insight into each character.

i like a chick with a long neck...

As mentioned above, another excellent inclusion is the save game import feature. ME2 will take your Commander Shepard and every decision you made in the original and weave it into ME2 which makes the game that you play truly unique to you. These can range side from characters that you interacted with in the original contacting you and updating you on what happened to them since the first game, to huge decisions you made in the first coming back to bite you (or help you, depending on what you picked). But what I really love about the Mass Effect games is the universe and the history. The atmosphere of the game the universe is really quite unique and it is a pleasure just to walk through the alien environments and soak up the world. Additionally Mass Effect 2, like the original, features a Codex which has entries on everything. The the locations, the ships, the technology and a detailed history of each race. EVERYTHING. It’s almost an in-universe Wookieepedia that’s entirely canonical. I really love how deep and thought-out this universe. I’ve spent around 3-4 hours in the codex just reading. For science fiction nuts like myself, that stuff is fascinating.
And as always Bioware raises the bar in dialog and the voice acting.

The combat has seen the most improvement. The combat is truly a delight and is among the best, if possibly not the best third person shooters on the market. The combat operates like Gears of War; you and your squad have to take cover and will have to duck out of whatever cover you have found to open fire. The combat is viceral and satisfying, especially when you pull off that fluke head shot on a secruity mech that results in a really excellent explosion which destroys it’s former comrades.

Ok, you may be blue... but DAMN!!!

What sets Mass Effect 2 apart from Gears of War is your Biotic or Tech powers. Biotics are very similar to Force Powers from Star Wars. You can pick up and slam your enemy, make your enemy float away or use Biotics to rocket towards your enemies flinging them away. Tech powers are system hacking talents which can drop an opponents sheild or hijack an enemy mech. Biotics and Tech can truly turn the tide of any battle and add something really unique and satisfying to Mass Effect 2.

Playing through Mass Effect 2 has been one of the best experiences of this console generation. The story, the gameplay and the universe itself all came together to make something really unique and something really special. If you enjoy shooters, role playing games or just a damn good story in your games then Mass Effect 2 is certainly something you should pick up.
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Do you agree with the sandwich?  Is Mass effects 2 “all that and a packet of potato chips?”  Or is it just boring stuff like plot and character with not enough shooty shooty?  feedback and let us…and him, know!

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About The Author

Murdersandwich

He was a good lunch who played by the rules, until the rules robbed him of everything he ever loved. Now he's lettuce, tomato, cheese, bread, and a mysterious slice of meat, marching down your throat and straight to hell. He'll satisfy your hunger. FOR REVENGE!

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Comments

2 Responses to “Mass Effect 2 – Game Review”
  1. Christi Johnson Christi Johnson says:

    picking up my copy today!!

    February 9, 2010 at 7:02 am
  2. Kodo Kodo says:

    Finished it on 360 last night. I had started on PC after playing ME1 on PC for first time so transfer stats across but got a little stuck and picked it up on 360 and imported my save game from there.

    Loved the game, the story and everything about it. I have always played as a female Shepherd and love Jennifer Hales voice. Started a male toon for first time in any ME run through and his voice just doesn’t grab me as well as female Shepherd, maybe it will grow on me.

    Can’t rate the game highly enough 10/10 for me.

    February 16, 2010 at 2:10 pm

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