| Mass Effect 2 - review |
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| Written by Alexis M. (Rivithed) | |
| Monday, 08 February 2010 | |
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Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 review Mass Effect 2 kicks off two years after the events of the first Mass Effect game. After defeating Saren, you find yourself thrust into yet another interplanetary crisis. This one is in the form of the Collectors, an alien race which is abducting the human species. You'll join with the human rogue group Cerberus, following a dramatic opening sequence. You may see some familiar faces from the Alliance in Mass Effect 2, but that doesn't mean you'll side with them. Commander Shepard wears his share of scars (literally), as do many of the battle-worn squad mates you recruit throughout the adventure.
Just like the first Mass Effect, you get to build Commander Shepard how you like. From looks to character classes, and more. A big plus to those who played the first game, you can import your Mass Effect save data, which gives you bonus squad points, credits, higher starting level and the history of your first playthrough. While it isn't required to enjoy Mass Effect 2, you will get more out of the game if you played through the first, especially when you meet past squad members throughout the game. Your first decision will be to pick one of six classes, each with their own specialized perk. Don't get too hung up in deciding, however, as you will get to experience most actions through your squad mates. Vanguard (biotic charge) and Infiltrator (cloaking ability) classes were among the most appealing to me.
In Mass Effect 2, you will be working for the Illusive Man, Cerberus leader and somewhat of a mystery himself. You are asked to assemble a squad of specialists to counter the threat of the Collectors. For each one that you recruit, you have the choice of gaining their loyalty to improve their performance on the battlefield. As open as Mass Effect 2 can be to your personal choices, there's definitely a more structured formula this time around. The characters are well developed. Among the most memorable are Thane, Jack, and Grunt. You can definitely relate to their feelings as social outcasts.
BioWare has learned and applied many improvements since Mass Effect. This especially shows in the combat sequences. The action is much more intense. Weapon variations have been reduced, so you don't have to waste time in deciding what to keep. There are more weapon types this time around, with the notable heavy weapons (wait until you get your hands on the nuclear M-920 Cain). Arming your squad also happens before missions, and you are occasionally given the option to change your weapon loadout from lockers in some scenarios. Inventory management becomes much more manageable this time around as well. You won't have to struggle with a full inventory and making omni-gel out of the excess. Armor options have also been moved to the non-combat Captain's Cabin.
If planetary Mako missions bored you in Mass Effect, you'll be happy to hear that the Mako is history in Mass Effect 2. Somewhat similar, but on a much more macro scale, is the Planetary Scanning you'll do from the Galaxy Map. You'll have to scan for resources that will upgrade your squad's abilities and other defense and offensive enhancements. You may also find "anomalies" which reveal more missions and more story. They can be pretty varied in length. I wasn't so annoyed by the Planetary Scanning, although it may interrupt the action for some. It's best played in little bits throughout your gameplay, rather than holding off and playing an extended mining mission. It's a simple mini-game where you play a game of hot or cold on finding mineral resources. In addition to the Planetary Scanning and Probing mini-game, there are also some other additions. In the original Mass Effect, these were just timed button pressing sequences. Hacking and Bypass mini games are like memory games, where you have to match up circuits or coding to unlock credits or doors, within a limited amount of time.
Mass Effect 2 lets you play good (Paragon) or bad (Renegade) through your actions and conversations. Although the form of the conversation wheel remains the same as in the previous Mass Effect, a new addition are "Interrupts." The Interrupts basically let you interrupt a conversation or character action be hitting a trigger button when a Paragon or Renegade icon appears on screen. This keeps you attent and will give you more options to the outcome of a conversation. Mass Effect 2 is a very deep and satisfying experience. It is only slightly blemished a few technical things. The audio completely cuts out during one cutscene (at least on the Xbox 360). There were a few instances where you may find yourself awkwardly stuck from movement. You may find a way out, or you may have to reload a checkpoint. The dual disc swapping can also become an annoyance in the later chapters, especially if you're jumping around missions on the Galaxy Map. These are a few minor things that kept me from giving Mass Effect 2 a perfect five-star rating, as much as I wanted to. A Cerberus Network code is included with new copies of Mass Effect 2. If you rent or buy Mass Effect 2 pre-owned, you will have to pay $15 (1200 Microsoft Points) to get access to the game's downloadable content.
Environments and characters are rich and varied. From the neon interiors of clubs to the lush outside landscapes, you will have to stop and soak in the scenery. The texture loading that you may have noticed in the original Mass Effect is barely visible in Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect 2's soundtrack is once again composed by Jack Wall. Some tracks will be familiar to players of the first Mass Effect, with some slight variation to freshen it up. The soundtrack is an excellent compliment to the visuals. Voice acting is also excellent, which is composed of actors like Martin Sheen, Carrie-Anne Moss, Seth Green, Tricia Helfer and more. To sum it up, Mass Effect 2 will have you hooked and immersed in a rich sci-fi action-RPG. The action, characters, audio and visuals are all solid. You will likely want to play a second playthrough to see how different the experience can be or to try a different class. Games like Mass Effect 2 come around once in a blue moon. I highly recommend it.
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