Review: Mass Effect 2

The original Mass Effect was critically praised for its unique blend of RPG and shooter elements as well as its incredibly detailed universe of alien planets and alien species. The storyline was large in scale and creative. For the second game of the announced trilogy Bioware took everything that was criticized from the first game and fixed it creating one of the most immersive and impressive games in history.
I really can’t explain the plot without spoilers so here they come; you play as Commander Shepard, a spectre and the commander of the SSV Normandy. The Normandy is attacked by an unknown alien vessel at the beginning of the game and Shepard is lost in the evacuation of the ship. A pro-human organization known as Cerberus takes in Shepard’s dead body and resurrects him. It takes two years and for that period of time Shepard is considered dead by the entire galaxy. The Reaper threat from the original Mass Effect has been discredited by the council and most of the galaxy so Cerberus has resurrected Shepard to help them stop the Reapers. Whole human colonies have been vanishing and it is up to Shepard to find out who is behind the abductions and how to stop them.
The game relies heavily on the choices that you made in the first Mass Effect if you still have a save on your hard drive. Many characters will reappear or plotlines will change based on how you played the first game. This is one of the best applications of this idea ever to be put forth in a game, you feel like your actions had actually consequences and will have additional consequences in the next game.
The story is superb and is presented in a very cinematic and dramatic fashion. The end of the game feels like watching an incredible sci-fi action movie and it will keep you on the edge of your seat while you play it. Your actions have dynamic consequences and you may lose many of your squad members in the final battle if you make the wrong choices.
The missions are laid out in a semi-linear fashion but there is still plenty of freedom for the player to do missions however he wants to. A big part of the game is recruiting specialists for your mission and each of them has a quest to recruit them and a loyalty quest to gain their loyalty. (duh) There has also been a huge emphasis on exploration of the cosmos and you can scan planets in a system to find resources you will need for upgrades. While scanning planets you will also come across some that have an “anomaly” and this will lead you to an unmarked quest.
There are tons of weapons and armor that can be upgraded but in a different way than in the original Mass Effect. Instead of buying completely new armor, you buy or create upgrades to your base N7 armor. You can also upgrade your weapons damage and the amount of rounds that you can carry for it. About halfway through the game you have the choice to become trained in the use of another weapon that you don’t already have training for. Leveling up allows you to evolve your biotic powers and each one, when evolved fully, will allow you to choose one of two options, usually increasing either the intensity or the range of the power. You can also have ammo powers that you can equip to your weapons to increase damage to certain opponents, the ammo power will last an entire mission and can be re-equipped for the next mission.
The different classes of character allow for different abilities, Vanguards can use a biotic charge to slam into their enemies even if the enemies are far away. Tech specialists can utilize tech armor to increase damage resistance. The other classes have similar perks and it is fun to replay the game with a new class of character. There are a large variety of weapons to choose from, heavy weapons in particular, and they all deal a lot of damage when used correctly.
The dialogue system is the same as the first game but with an added feature where an icon will appear on screen with either the left or the right trigger button symbol next to it. When this happens you can choose to hit that button an Shepard will perform a renegade or paragon action (left trigger is paragon, right trigger is renegade) This on-the-fly system adds a nice new element to the dialogue which is already very well done.
The missions have been streamlined so there will be no more aimless wandering through cookie-cutter landscapes in the Mako. Each mission has unique cut-scenes for the way in and out and instead of the Mako you have a shuttle craft.
Wall safes and datapads can be hacked just like the first game but you don’t need to be at a certain level and instead of a small game of Simon, there are unique mini-games for wall safes and datapads. They can be slightly confusing at first but after a while they become relatively easy.
The graphics are stunning and the assets don’t take 10 seconds to load like in the first game, however the load screens are pretty long which is slightly frustrating but understandable. The gameplay is even more polished than in the first one and really feels more like a third person shooter than an RPG. There is a new cover system and you can send your two squad members to two different locations unlike the first game where they both flocked to one. Though tactics will still be pretty straight forward in this game the cover system and the new squad commands will help make the battles easier.
One last thing that is great about Mass Effect 2 is that along with the game you get a code to register with the Cerberus network, all DLC will be available via the Cerberus network and it is all free to download once you are signed in. As of right now there is a new squad member with a loyalty mission, 2 new heavy weapons, and a new vehicle pack that includes 5 missions. There is already another new character will several new missions slated to be released in April or May. It is a great change of pace to get free DLC and I am hoping that this formula will catch on.
Overall Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games on the market right now, it has an immersive storyline, awesome gameplay mechanics, fantastic graphics, and free DLC. It is an early contender for 2010 game of the year and rightfully so.
Pros
-Awesome Gameplay
-Stellar Graphics
-Dynamic Consequences for your actions
Cons
-Mineral Scanning can get boring
10/10