Xbox 360 – Mass Effect 2 – Review

Mass Effect 2 takes the bleak vacuum of space and flushes it with color, the light of stars and galaxies, the red and violet swirls of far-off nebulas, and the glimpses of comets as they burn through the void. It begins with dire events that foreshadow the game’s darker tone, an attack that leaves the SSV Normandy in pieces and the fate of series protagonist Shepard temporarily unclear.

Never fear: Shepard returns thanks to the efforts of the controversial pro-human organization called Cerberus and under the watchful eye of its chain-smoking overseer, The Illusive Man. Entire human colonies are disappearing without a trace, and Cerberus needs you as Shepard to investigate and confront the vicious forces behind the mystery.

Whether you make your contempt for Cerberus questionable methods clear or espouse the organization’s manipulations, you owe The Illusive Man your life. Like it or loathe it, he casts his shadow on every action you take.

Mass Effect 2 wastes no time in delivering the action. Players are given the chance to select either a character from the previous game’s save date, or creating a brand new character – and the impressive part is how much of a difference this makes in the games experience. From cutscenes to in-game options, to dialogue, Mass Effect 2 is a game heavily affected by choice. While a completely new character submits to a default storyline, not being able to see the culminated effects of Shepard’s work is like missing an experience in itself.

This is where the game really shines, as two different playthroughs can yield some extremely different results. Not simply in the choices a player makes, but in the NPCs that are encountered or will even be seen. Areas cleared through with a default Shepard will offer a wide variety of encounters, but characters who’ve been transferred from a previous save file will meet a whole new host of people. Friends from past adventures will treat Shepard differently, allies will approach and comment on the times and how they’ve changed, even going far enough to offer additional quests. It’s these subtle nuances to Mass Effect 2 that shift it from a great game, to a great experience.

Controls are similar to the first games, with a few changes that compliment the more cinematic feel that Mass Effect 2 has. Players can now hotkey moves and weapon swaps in addition to the Squad Command Interface, which makes for an overall smoother combat. A new cover system is also in effect, allowing players to shift much more easily around corners, or behind various parts of the environment. When this is combined with the more intuitive biotic powers that will snake around walls or through objects, players should find a surprising amount of depth. Knowing what abilities to use against what opponents is pivotal to fights, and while it’s completely possible to power through most encounters, this is far slower and more treacherous then instead shifting tactics to accommodate each enemy.

Character classes remain mostly intact, however, moves have been decreased significantly in order to define each class to a better role. These more defined classes not only operate better then the last game, but add another element of strategy – selecting what characters best compliment Shepard is a lot easier when each can only do a limited amount of things. It’s also possible to unlock more abilities for team members by gaining the loyalty of individual members, which in-turn grants Shepard new unique abilities to choose from. All abilities in game are upgradable to four tiers, the fourth allowing players to further upgrade their moves into one of two selections.

For all its variety in gameplay, the driving force behind Mass Effect 2 is the story, and it does not disappoint. Those new to the game will find themselves put in the middle of an extremely epic adventure, but fans of the previous will find a lot more depth and many more surprises from beginning to end. The only downside would be the sheer amount of freedom Bioware has let their players have this time around, it can be a little daunting……………..

While main planets that contain direct plot oriented characters are highlighted for the players ease, there are a host of worlds unexplored and undiscovered that sit tauntingly on the map. Each world has its own story, profile, and scanning worlds for minerals is necessary to upgrade items. Now, while it’s nice to see a little more detail involved in scanning a planet than push the Y button, it seems unnecessary to require an extremely slow moving rectitude around an entire planet to find very vague points of data. If it wasn’t for the fact that scanning for materials is necessary to upgrade various parts of the ship and weapon this would no doubt be the most skipped sequence ever created in an RPG. However, scanning aside, planetary exploration does yield some surprises. Treasure troves, abandoned ships, and distress beacons await those who’re patient enough to find each planet and star charts can be purchased to find new star systems.

Graphically Mass Effect 2 qualifies as the best looking game the Xbox 360 has to offer. All of the new alien races have a fantastic amount of detail placed upon them, and with most of the cutscenes using in-game graphics, it’s hard not to be impressed. Loading times range from frequent to nonexistent depending on what’s happening. Any encounters on worlds, or missions on planets barely have any, while travel to different levels of Shepard’s ship requires a moment or two to launch. The largest complaint of the last game, elevators, has been removed as well. Loading screens are much more interesting to look at then three people in an elevator staring at the wall, which is a plus for anyone who particularly hates elevators.

There’s a lot to appreciate in a replay of Mass Effect 2 as each of the class and teammate combinations really offer a new experience. In addition to selecting new Paragon or Renegade routes, it’s possible to experience a different side of the storyline, or see various aspects of characters in a different light. Though most will consider a run-through of any RPG more then enough entertainment, Mass Effect 2 does have a few tricks up its sleeve for those who’re willing to give it another go.

Mass Effect 2 is improved shooting mechanics are no-brainers, they’re the expected advancements that clean up the flaws of its predecessor. But what makes this sequel so rich isn’t mechanics, but vision. Mass Effect 2 is the kind of game that you return to, not just because it’s fun to play multiple times, but also because its universe is a place you wish you could call home.