Review: Mass Effect 2
The first Mass Effect was a fantastic game. The game delivered a cinematic play experience while allowing player choice in a way that hadn’t been done before. Add to that workable (but not great) shooter controls, impressive voice acting and a great story, and you have a great game. The game did feel a little rough though; it lacked the shine and polish that a truly phenomenal game has. The latest installment in this trilogy fixes all that, adding a nice sheen of polish and fixing things in accordance with fan feedback while not messing with the things that made the first game so great. Mass Effect 2 not only improves combat by adding tight and impressive third person shooter mechanics, but also makes strides in storytelling and presentation that make for a fantastic experience.
There’s a lot to talk about so let’s start with combat which has been touted by Bioware as being vastly improved and been the focus of a lot of videos and media of the game. Thankfully, Mass Effect 2 delivers strongly, changing combat so it’s similar to the last game but also vastly improved. Guns sound louder and feel like they hit harder. Powers rocket towards your enemies as they sling around corners and impact with a visceral thud that looks, sounds and feels (if using a controller with rumble) satisfying. Combat is also more cerebral and requires more thought and strategy, enemies must now have shields and armor that must be depleted before a lot of your skills can be used, making it nearly impossible to nullify an entire army with a wave of biotic powers. This might scare a lot of old users off since powers were freely available, but the new system is much better, as certain powers are super effective against certain defenses. It sounds complicated, but it’s simple. You’ll just have to trust me.
Welcome back to Mass Effect!
The gameplay has also been streamlined, something that many RPG fans automatically translate into “dumbed down” which simply isn’t the case. In the first game your ability to charm or intimidate NPCs was based on your charm and or intimidate skill, which would be unlocked by having a certain paragon or renegade score. In Mass Effect 2, your ability to charm and intimidate is simply based on your scores. Never again will you have to debate on using skill points on social skills or combat skills. It’s as if Bioware knew people would want to dive into combat in the new engine. This is hardly something I can blame them for. Another example is that weapon skills are gone; instead your improvements are done by purchasing gun upgrades which apply to all weapons, many of which also apply to your whole squad.
Even though the character skill pages look empty, there are probably more skills than in the last game (I say probably because I didn’t actually count.) Party members all have their own unique skill that unlocks when the player earns their trust and loyalty, and each class now has their own unique skill, each of which is fairly interesting and new, like the infiltrator’s combat cloak, or the vanguard’s charge ability.
Joker missed you.
Also improved is the inventory system, no more slogging through countless missions for gear that’s just awful. You buy upgrades, you have them. End of story. Armor is very customizable, you choose from various pieces in your private quarters which you can then color and design with various patterns. There is one, enormous problem with armor: you can’t turn off your helmet. Well, you can, but if you do you’ll take a 5% penalty to health for not wearing a helmet. It seems ridiculous that in the first game they realized that players would want to see the faces of their characters (hence the toggle) but in the game where they revamped the facial generation (and allowed players to redesign their old Shepard faces) that they’d penalize you for looking at it. Let’s patch this Bioware. Please?
You collect guns which are far more varied and interesting than their counterparts from two years ago. Instead of being just varying amounts of damage, guns now have individuality. Varying clip sizes, damage, rates of fire all make each gun a system of pros and cons that can be adapted to playstyles. The first pistol does have more rounds and bullets per clip, but the second packs a lot more heat, which one to use is purely preference. And yes, I did mention clips. Instead of the whole overheating mechanic from the last game, the new game incorporates “thermal clips” to regulate firing. This is preferable to the old system and not at all cumbersome: all guns use the same clips. No hunting for specific assault rifle ammo.
As did Anderson
The side quests and exploration appear to be a mixed bag. The dreaded Mako is gone and side quests are more varied and interesting instead of the cut and paste levels from the old one. Players now are simply dropped off at points of interest, which is a system so simple one wonders why it wasn’t done like that to begin with. Resource collection has been replaced with a scanning minigame, which while fun at first, will probably wear terribly on subsequent replays (which you’re going to want to do). Your scanning is also limited by a finite amount of probes which you launch at the planet. I don’t think it would have broken the game to allow infinite probes, (you’re going to want to probe Uranus. I’m being serious.) Another questionable addition to the game is the ship exploration parts. Now instead of freely roaming around the galaxy, players are forced to monitor fuel supplies while travelling. This doesn’t actually add anything to the game, as fuel management is pretty easy; you generally have enough fuel to travel around a cluster without having to worry about it, so it’s not a concern you bump into when charting a course across the stars, which makes the task look like a pointless cash sink.
While combat and the overall gameplay have seen a huge improvement, the storytelling and writing have come a long way too. The pacing for the game is great, it always feels like time is running out to fend off the Collector menace and you’re operating on borrowed time. The story is gripping, the mystery of the Collectors and the constant threat of the suicide mission make for a compelling game. The story also advances the plot further by throwing in multiple unexpected twists.
Meet Thane. He's awesome!
The new characters are highly interesting, and dialogue is vastly improved. Particular favorites are Mordin, the eccentric fast talking doctor, and Thane, the super awesome spiritual assassin. Each party member is unique and adds something to the experience, most of which are at least interesting, if not likable depending on your own preferences. All of the characters have their own unique loyalty quest which you’ll have to perform if you’re going to gain their trust and make it out of this game intact. Bioware does a good job of making you invest in the characters; you’ll not only be looking to save your own skin in the final mission, but the skins of your friends and crewmates. There was a very real moment of sadness when my character romance died.
The story is going to be particularly great for people who played the original game and are importing a character. The import feature is easy to use and well thought out; before importing a character you’re given a small menu to see what plot changing choices you made such as who lived and who died on Virmire, the status of the Council and who you romanced. The game will also integrate seemingly small and meaningless interactions into the sequel which makes the world truly seem persistent and real. Every little cameo is very interesting and always makes you wonder “What if I had done it differently?” Importing gives you other benefits beyond the storyline ones, starting at a high level in Mass Effect translates into extra levels to start in Mass Effect 2, and having the Rich achievement in the first game yields additional credits and resources when starting the next game.
Defend the galaxy from bad guys again.
The visuals and sound haven’t been thrown by the wayside. The old texture pop in is gone, and the game runs smoothly at a high frame rate without stuttering or lagging during intense action scenes. The visuals are complimented with an unobtrusive score that picks up appropriately during action scenes and dramatic moments, adding to the cinematic feel BioWare is going for. The game is also supported by an amazing voice cast filled with well known actors such as Adam Baldwin, Tricia Helfer, Martin Sheen, Carrie Anne Moss and many more. Old standbys are back; Mark Meer and Jennifer Hale reprise their roles as male and female Shepard respectively and turn out great performances.
Mass Effect 2 is a long game as well. My playthrough took nearly 28 hours without finding all the side quests in the game (at least, I don’t think so). Add to that multiple playthroughs as a renegade, a paragon and as different classes and Mass Effect 2 is clearly a game a person can get a lot of mileage out of. In addition to the main quest, Bioware has promised a stream of downloadable content both paid and unpaid, so it’s going to be a game you want to hold onto.
The game does suffer from a few bugs, most notably a bug in which you magically skyrocket up in the sky (usually causing a restart). Also, some of the physics can still be wonky, especially when using biotic powers which can occasionally send enemies through walls or for some reason rockets towards their targets before slowing down at the end. These bugs are minor and fairly rare and don’t really detract from the experience, but should be mentioned.
Overall, Mass Effect 2 is a game that delivers on all the promise shown by the original. Every aspect of the game has been looked at and improved on without forgetting the premise and the things that made the original a game to play over and over again. Anyone who enjoys entertainment should give Mass Effect 2 a chance, between the impressive and visceral shooter gameplay, impressive storytelling and fantastic cast the game has something for everyone.
Categories: Gaming
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