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[align=center]Mass Effect 2 Review

By Eric Bush

 

Bioware is one of those video game developers that other companies strive to be like, creating entertainment experiences on the Xbox 360 that are unrivaled in terms of story, dialogue, and pure emotional investment. For that reason the Mass Effect trilogy is one of the most anticipated events in our industry and after three years of waiting Mass Effect 2 is finally ready to hit retail shelves. The first Mass Effect debuted back in 2007 and was easily one of the best western-made RPGs ever created; critics everywhere (me included) praised the game as doing something few titles had ever done before, even though it did have some technical deficiencies. Thankfully the 40+ hours I spent playing ME1 will not go wasted, as the sequel includes a feature that allows players to import their character – resulting in a number of story changes and gameplay bonuses. I tried to continue the same style of decision making from my Mass Effect 1 playthrough and in the end the two games flowed together (connected) very well. The opening scene of Mass Effect 2 sets up exactly what the entire 20+ (on an average play-through) hour campaign will be like: an epic adventure that is unparalleled by any other video game on the Xbox 360.

 

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It takes everything you thought you knew about the Mass Effect universe and turns it on its head, just like an episode of your favorite sci-fi show. By the time I had finished my review period with Mass Effect 2 I knew one thing with 100% certainty, this was the best story-driven video game I have ever played and the first to connect with me on a truly emotional level. Anything and everything I found to complain about with the first Mass Effect has been fixed for the second, and middle game, of the planned trilogy. Being a middle child can be difficult as the developers must keep the story interesting without giving any sort of conclusion or “oh wow – that’s how it ends” moment. The story in ME2 continues to center around the Reapers from the first game but includes a couple new twists that fans won’t be expecting. In Mass Effect 2 Sheppard has a whole crew of characters to help him save the human race, some new and some old but altogether a great cast of unique beings. I don’t want to ruin anything, as this game includes one of the most well written stories of any video game created, but I will tell you that it succeeds on every level and has me more excited for the final Mass Effect game than I ever imagined I could be.

 

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Mass Effect 2 does something that most video games can only dream of; it pulls the player in and forces them to emotionally invest in not only each and every character but also the entirety of the story. As you go through the game you will be forced to make minute and massive decisions that impact how the rest of the game will play-out. More than once I found myself questioning whether or not I made the right decision, and if I should restart a certain checkpoint just to see what a different one would result in. Bioware is known for great story telling, and the first Mass Effect had a great story; where Mass Effect 2 goes above and beyond is the gameplay. For example there is a completely new enemy this time around, the Collectors – but the Reapers also come into play in a big way. The development team decided to go for a much more action-influenced experience this time around, with a lot less exploring (although there is plenty of it there) and more team-based combat. Mass Effect 2 reminded me exactly what it was that I used to enjoy so much about playing video games, and for that I'll never be able to repay the developers at Bioware.

 

Gone are the boring side-missions from the first game that people dreading wasting time on, Mass Effect 2 is all about building a top-notch team of soldiers and gaining their loyalty on an individual basis to Commander Shepard. If you aren’t progressing through the main story you are travelling to countless outer-rim planets in an attempt to gain each one of your team’s loyalty – and these side-missions are fantastic, both in design and execution. Never once did I find myself bored with Mass Effect 2, even flying to unexplored planets and firing probes off in an attempt to discover rare materials (used to upgrade guns, armor, and your ship) was a fun and interactive experience. Mass Effect 2 feels like the most complete video game experience that I have ever had the joy of putting my hands on, and watching Shepard live out this science-fiction tale is something every gamer must experience. The Renegade/Paragon choices are back with the ability to choose in mid-cut scene, which results in one of two different actions taking place (from saving someone’s’ life to punching a bad guy in the face).

 

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By the end of my first play-through Commander Shepard’s face was showing extreme signs of war, and it was obvious that the tough Renegade choices I was putting him through were wearing him down physically and emotionally. Graphically Mass Effect 2 is leaps and bounds above the first game; character models look at a minimum twice as good and the lighting effects throughout the game are simply stunning. People that don’t even appreciate quality graphics will see ME2 and comment on how ultra-realistic the game looks; Bioware has created a top-notch looking game that can compete with any other title on the Xbox 360. The combat reminded me more of Gears of War than Dragon Age and for a game like Mass Effect it just seemed like the correct evolution. The RPG-esq wheel and upgrade system (although not nearly as confusing as ME1) is still there and the amount of strategy that goes into playing the game at a high skill is astonishing, even though it seems like a bunch of cover and shoot style gameplay. At the end of the day Bioware’s second outing in the Mass Effect franchise resulted in one my personal favorite video games ever created.

 

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My journey with Commander Shepherd opened up a new view of what this form of entertainment can do, and allowed me to emotionally connect (and care) with the virtual characters on my television screen. The dialogue, story progression, graphics, soundtrack, controls, and presentation are all well above what so many other games of this genre are offering these days. As of now there is already free DLC available and Bioware has promised more to come, as well as the guarantee of a third Mass Effect game sometime in 2011-2012. I will undoubtedly be going back to Mass Effect 2 at least one or two more times because I will get to experience something different than I did the first time. This game has me so excited for what the final game in the sci-fi trilogy will bring that I found myself dreaming about Reapers and Cerberus last night. PlanetXbox360.com has never given a perfect score, until now; Mass Effect 2 earned every bit of a perfect 10 and for the first time ever I don’t have to think twice about awarding a game such a score. There is no reason you should not pick up this game when it’s released tomorrow; Mass Effect 2 is the end-all of role-playing games, the best in its class – a perfect 10. [/align]

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