Mass Effect 2

When the original Mass Effect came out, Bioware established a very typical sci-fi universe, complete with massive orbital cities, foreign planets, and plenty of alien creatures. What separated this universe from others was the plethora of individuals and relatable issues that came with them. This was a sci-fi universe that was relatable and deep. You could get to know those around you and, even more than the most well known sci-fi universes, you could really explore the world the universe you lived in.

Mass Effect 2 ups that. Shepherd returns, this time working for a faction known as Cerebrus, one that few seem to trust. As they have done you a great favor, they are now tasking you with saving the universe once again. The game is a direct sequel in what is a proposed trilogy. And it's an effective chapter in the saga. You once again have choices to make, some difficult. Do you let a colony of people die because you want the loyalty of a team member, or do you stand by your principles and save them. These are the kinds of choices you have to make, and this ultimately affects your relations with the universe around you. The aforementioned scenario is also an example of how directly you affect your new team as well. The characters who comprise your team of warriors now give you a direct glimpse into their lives by tasking you with missions that directly affect them. At several points you will have to make tough decisions, and these will, once again, affect the rest of the game.

But, even without directly helping these characters, they're still a fairly interesting bunch. You have a variety of characters, all multifaceted. Some who seem to be bitter and hard have good reason to be so, while others who seem too nice can show a side that is as dark as any villain. As the commander of this crowd, you have to make the choices that will affect their outlook on you and ultimately affect their performance during the mission. Act too harshly, and you may lose some support. Act too naively, and you may let a criminal slip loose.

Gameplay, in my opinion, takes a backseat. My issues with the first game were also gameplay related, and while a few things have improved, the primary issues remain. I always found gameplay in the original to be a tad dull. Here, gameplay remains as dull. While there are several options, it's also quite formulaic. You run, take cover, and play shooting gallery with enemies. Occasionally you run into some hacking minigames, but those lose their charm after a little while. It would have been nice if Bioware could have included some variety, but the lack of truly exciting gameplay moments leaves the game lacking. And with so many games out there these days that contain a plethora of cinematic gameplay moments, one has to wonder why Bioware has settled for a more mundane formula of gameplay. However, the gameplay keeps the game moving, and it's not so bad where you dread having to shoot more bad guys.

Thankfully, the makers of the game listened to players and did away with certain annoyances. Gone is the Mako, which took up a chunk of time in the original having to explore planets. Gone, also, are the long and unnecessary elevator sequences and the plethora of backtracking to get back to the Normandy. Everything is streamlined to put you right where you want to be. It's nice to see a company that cares enough for what its gamers want to cut out the bs and get to the good stuff.

Mass Effect 2 isn't a giant leap for the series. But, with a game as good as the first chapter, the sequel doesn't have to be. It's another fantastic game that continues a rich and exciting universe full of life to explore. And, that alone, makes it a worthwhile purchase.

Bioware have really outdone themselves this time. Mass Effect 2 is just awesome on so many levels. There's the cinematic feel of the cutscenes, to the fast-paced action, and of course, the character interactions and moral options. Everything has been expanded in this one, including the romantic relationships, and full loyalty missions for each recruit. Nearly every one of these is played out brilliantly and you really develop connections with the characters, and each one has some moral decisions you need to make. The overall plot may seem a little simplistic, but it forces you to play the game patiently and not rush through the story missions. It's also hugely replayable, with different moral paths for virtually every mission. I spent the majority of the game doing side missions, exploring locations and wandering the ship talking to people. I'm a huge fan of Knight of the Old Republic, and unfortunately they didn't go all the way with the character developments in Mass Effect 1 like they did in that series. Mass Effect 1 was a good game, but it had some fairly obvious flaws. Nearly every one has been fixed for this installment, and this game now feels truly rewarding from an action standpoint and an edifying one. The inventory system has been made way more manageable, but maybe too much, as it sometimes feels like there isn't enough variety of weaponry. I was also confused by the key bindings screen, which promised some sort of vehicle combat, not like the clunky mako, but something, then there were no vehicles in the game. Why have key bindings for them then? Also the hacking puzzles were way too easy in this game. They should come up with some different ones. Anyways, I am eagerly awaiting the 3rd installment in this series. They have the potential for this series to go down as an all-time gaming classic. Every race has a story arc that has things unfulfilled in it. There's a lot to do in part 3 besides just the defeating reapers. The krogans have to defeat the genophage, the quarians have to retake their homeworld or make peace with the geth, the geth have to break free of the reapers, and of course the different individual character arcs. Maybe they could delve deeper into who Sheperd is as well. The potential for the finale is palpable. If you haven't played the first game, it's not really a requirement, but you need to play this second one if you haven't. The only game I can say I've enjoyed more is Fallout 3.

This game in 2023 is still in my all time favourite five The storyline is absolutely thrilling interesting and emotional.

An amazing line-up of characters with their own quests actually make you emotionally attached.

The combat system is very good easy-to-understand.

Voice acting is on point The DLC a really immersive ID like taking time out and spending time with the crew members after every mission.

The team at bioware really have done a number on this game.

The world's are fun to explore.

Resource gathering to upgrade your ship had some funny little perks and quirks.

Well done bioware.

It's not pay to win or anything. It's just a genuine good all round game.

Wow! At 50 years old my son introduced me to it, and it's my first xbox game since playing Mario Nintendo years ago. Its my favourite game. Completed it and now I'm playing Mass Effect 2. Lovely game for any age.

When I first played this game, I had never heard of the Mass Effect series, I wasn't expecting much. How wrong I was. Within about an hour, I couldn't believe how good this game was. The story, the game-play, the graphics, the voice cast, character development, it has it all. When I wasn't playing the game, I was imagining playing the game. One of the few games these days that I was able to go back to and complete multiple times. I retrospectively bought the first Mass Effect, which is more of a standard RPG, still great but just not quite as perfect as this game. Mass Effect 3 was immense as well, but I still feel this one was the pinnacle. The only downside is that since I played this game, all other games seem inferior, some come close (Dragon Age, Skyrim), but nothing has gripped me as much as this one. I'm expecting big things from the next installment for the next generation of consoles, hopefully, I will have a new favorite game in ME4.