I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I shook my head in disbelieve.
MASS EFFECT 2 MAP DESIGNER SERIES
With this being the case I am truly excited to see where they'll take the series from here. So why only a 9/10? Because BioWare has proved that they're willing to scrutinise over a game so as to improve any future productions. A shame really seeing as last time all my concerns were addressed and fixed. I hesitate to call it flawless because no doubt there are things I haven't thought of and differing opinions to consider but really I have nothing to add in terms of constructive criticism. So in conclusion Mass Effect 2 is a fantastic game, I can think of very few that could be considered on par with it. It's a shame but like with anything you can't please everyone. Personally I have no problems with this but understandably the RPG crowd who like more complicated customisation may be disappointed with Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect 2 has taken a step away from the RPG genre, scrapping the equipment micromanaging of the first game, (no loss in my opinion,) keeping other items simple and having a very basic leveling up system. I can only really offer one bit of criticism and it's one that doesn't concern me personally. The acting is fantastic, the score by Jack Wall is amazing and really keeps up the epic feel of the game, the continuity of the choices you made in the first game, (if you port over the character from your first game which I highly suggest you do - if you've played it which I also suggest you do,) make it that much more immersive and interesting and the choices you make in the game itself actually have an effect on what happens in the story - to a significant extent too. There are a number of other great aspects of the game. Since the story can unfold differently depending on how you play it and a brief overview of the story really doesn't do it justice I'll leave any explanation and instead simply suggest that you play the game. Mass Effect 2 is, above everything else, a great bit of storytelling. The driving sequences are gone as are the long elevator rides, streamlining the process and leaving more room for things like dialogue and action, (action which has been significantly improved from the first game and is now a lot more satisfying.) All the good things from Mass Effect are still there the complex and compelling universe, the various races, the characters, (a few of whom are familiar,) but tying these all together in a way that had me hooked from start to finish was the story itself. The side-quests, (which I noted for Mass Effect 1 were repetitive, pointless and seemed unnecessary even by the game's own emphasis on getting you to hurry up and attack the main missions,) in Mass Effect 2 are not only more interesting, varied and fun but the majority of them are also essential to the later events of the story. As I read through the review now I note that not one of my previous small complaints remain in Mass Effect 2. I feel obliged to write a review of Mass Effect 2, not just because I wrote one for the first game and I'm a sucker for tradition but because it is so rare that a game evokes a feeling of "wow I really don't want this game to end but I REALLY want to know what happens next." In my earlier review I offered a few criticisms of Mass Effect 1 that could be worked on for the eventual sequel. And, although I am glad the Mako is gone (I hated its mechanical guts), exploring whole planets instead of just landing sites can be fun - put it back in ME3, only without the awful physics of the Mako, please. The micro-management of the inventory has been simplified to the point of becoming shallow. Some moments (the final boss fight.) are pure schlock compared to the cosmic horror foreshadowed by the first game. So, what doesn't work? Well, while the sidequests / loyalty missions are stellar, the whole Cerberus plot feels kind of meandering. This creates the feeling of continuity of the best epic sagas. Also worth noting: if you import a character from the first game using the final savegame, some decisions you made suddenly become relevant, showing the consequences of your actions - what happened to characters or groups you saved or ruined, spared or sacrificed. I enjoyed the quality of the writing, the phenomenal voice acting, the huge cast of memorable characters, visiting distinctive locations on different planets, facing interesting side quests (a step forward from the "go to planet XYZ, find the bunker and kill everyone" of ME1), dealing with an intriguing morality system (with the Paragon/Renegade choices). The second chapter of the Mass Effect trilogy is a triumphant achievement by Bioware and, along with Dragon Age: Origins, one of their best games since Baldur's Gate 2.
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