Mass Effect 2 Review [500 words] – CallsignHUSKER
. Let’s face it: video games are sometimes a shallow form of entertainment, lacking imagination, depth, or artistic merit. Even good games may only improve slightly upon their predecessors. But every once in awhile a game is released that redefines its genre, sets a higher standard for future games and even moves video games forward as a medium. This is exactly what Mass Effect 2 accomplishes.
. ME2 picks up wherever you left off in Mass Effect. You play as either John or Jane Shepard, hell bent on saving human- and alien-kind from extermination. Your decisions, relationships and experience from the first game can follow you via your saved game. This serves to further personalize a game that is already one of the most personal games ever created.
. Divergent plot lines present themselves often and your decisions have far-reaching consequences. These crossroads define who Shepard is for you. The freedom you have with Shepard’s actions and dialogue is not a gimmick. Two people playing ME2 can have very different experiences. From who you choose to recruit to your crew to the places you explore, you get what you put in.
. The star-studded cast of voice actors draws on exemplary talent from Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer and Michael Hogan, Star Trek’s Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis, The Matrix’s Carrie-Anne Moss, Martin Sheen, Seth Green and many others. The sheer variety of personalities you can meet and environments you can explore conveys a relentless impression that the world of ME2 is alive and complex.
. ME2 improves upon its predecessor in every way. The combat in ME2 is greatly improved. Squad commands are streamlined as is inventory management. Cover mechanics are more fluid. Level design encourages improvisation and a variety of tactics.
. If you neglect the side quests in this game you will miss out on hours of some of the best character development and action in the game. You can learn much more about your companions who all turn out to have quite compelling stories of their own. The universe is just more full in this sequel. There is more to explore and more to do.
. The art design in ME2 is fantastic. ME2 is the kind of game where you see things and go places that are visually stunning, so much so that you may find yourself stopping simply to look around.
. Additional downloadable content is already available for ME2 with more on the way. Flexibility of narrative and numerous decisions also bolster replay value.
. ME2 is as epic in its scale as it is nuanced in its design. Masterful storytelling combine with finely tuned gameplay mechanics to create a truly immersive experience.
. Mass Effect 2 is a landmark storytelling achievement in the video game medium with over 90 voice actors portraying 546 distinct characters that speak, grunt and digitize more than 31,000 lines of dialogue. Even if you’ve never played a role-playing game or you prefer other genres, you should still check out this mind-blowing accomplishment.
Immersive – 10 – ME2 is absorbing and moving and it will leave you wanting more.
Technical – 10 – Graphics and gameplay have improved in every way from the original.
Value – 10 – The production values of Bioware’s ME2 make other developers look like swindlers.
Average = 10/10
I have some sympathy for Bioware on this one. Mass Effect was such an amazing, nearly perfect game that surpassing it was an effort almost automatically doomed to failure. But what surprises and disturbs me is how Mass Effect 2 seems to have intentionally fumbled that effort by taking much that was great about Mass Effect and deleting it on purpose.