Mass Effect 2 Review

February 1st, 2010

One of the most technologically advanced games we have had the opportunity to play was the massive hit Mass Effect. BioWare, during their development stages, had been creating a stir in the industry.  With the launch of the Xbox 360 would come the release of Mass Effect. The truth was that they overshot their estimations and kicked the game back almost 2 years. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

ME became instant classic hit and left gamers around the world wanting much more. BioWare was committed to bringing ME2 to their fans in a timely fashion while delivering a product that would exceed expectations.  Low and behold, they gave birth to another blockbuster hit, which easily sold in excess of 2 million copies in its first week alone.

Were there really any serious doubts about the sequel? I don’t think so.  ME was an epic Sci-Fi RPG adventure that blew minds with an amazing story and really fresh gameplay. What set it apart were recurring elements like space exploration and the ability to make truly personal choices that just made it a uniquely enjoyable experience.  Much like the first ME made us anticipate the sequel, the minute the credits roll you will be aching for the trilogy finale.

Mass Effect 2 will take you through a journey through space and to worlds with countless new and distinctive living beings.  The character design is incredibly detailed, especially up close.  There are a wide variety of environments you will encounter all the way to the last mission.  Anywhere from beach-like levels, fighting along the ocean side, to infiltrating a rogue station in the middle of a storm, to fighting indigenous creatures in a foggy level where you cant see twenty feet in front of you.



ME2 also takes level design to the next plateau by assuring the gamer that they’ll never see the same textures or art styles repeated anywhere throughout the galaxy. Anything can and should be expected from this title.

It is needless to say that the graphics were updated and the game looks smooth as ever, running at a clean 30 fps with tons of astonishing visual effects.  All the biotic and tech effects like lifting enemies 40 feet in the air and slamming them down with furious anger, or simply lighting an enemy’s ass on fire with incinerator are all visually stunning.  Every type of specialty ammo will give a different effect also.Cryo ammo freezes enemies after a couple shots, while armor piercing ammo will show enemies armor being chipped away.

BioWare knows how to do sound. The sound production quality is as good as it gets. I could never get tired of the sweet click I hear every time I reload my M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol.  The music is in ME2 is obviously epic but most of it can also be varied and is almost always beautiful.  It’s all in the things that the music can make you feel, getting eerie at times when exploring a quiet abandoned base or frantic when trying to detonate and escape a space station while enemies continue to battle.

An updated user interface and the pacing of ME2 were some the biggest step-ups. Now you will be less reliant on your journal because any mission available will be displayed on your galaxy map.  This makes for less pausing and an overall improved gameplay experience.



Upgrading your character's skills and weaponry has been further simplified this time around.  There will be four levels to max out any skill branch, and this time around you will rarely come across armor and weapons.  When you do, it's a treat. Say you come across a better pistol.  When you equip yourself with it, you will actually equip it for your whole squad.  Say goodbye to the hassle of assigning separate guns to different squad members.  Clearly they did this to accommodate for a bigger audience and invite them to join the experience that ME has to offer. This might leave some hardcore RPG enthusiasts a little steamed, but in the long run, this will be nothing but a positive memory of this game.

I remember when I first completed the first Mass Effect and how proud I felt to have beaten the game as a Paragon. The story line here is more of a comeback story with surprising elements that perfectly built on the first while adding a few twists to keep it engaging.  The key in ME2 is that you can play the story anyway you like.  Your choices.  Your consequences.



Often times you will be forced to do something one way or another, each with it's own benefits or consequences. Without revealing too much, if you choose to import your ME1 character you will see the consequences of all your choices you had previously made enveloped into ME2.  All your actions and all your choices will also continue to ME3, whenever that comes around.  Based on the all the hints for ME3 throughout the game, the fact that the 360’s lifespan is running out, and the fact that EA rarely teases us without a full plan, we are estimating that Mass Effect 3 will be out by December 2011.  BioWare wanted gamers to experience a trilogy that truly continued with all your decisions, accomplishments, and even failures.



Our favorite part of ME2 was the combat, particularly the multiple ways of disposing anything and anyone.  If you have played the first one, you will have no trouble going full speed early on in the game.  You’ll immediately notice that the flow of battle has been greatly improved. ME had pacing issues with the battles because most of the time you were pausing the game to choose your next move.  Even though the combat never got boring, it felt like it was missing something.  Unless you were ready to invest hours into simple fights, you were not going to get anywhere in ME.  So what was the solution to this? You can now conveniently map skills through three main buttons (LB, RB, and Y), giving you more time to focus on the battlefield and rarely pause the game to view your skill wheel.



Mapping skills make the gameplay feel smooth as ever and allow battles to be more exhilarating.  The good news is that if you really liked the old ME system by continuously pausing to use your skill wheel, you can still choose to do so.

There are a total of 6 classes with multiple unique skills.  As Adepts you are outfitted with L5x implants that can span a micro-singularity, damaging enemies and pulling them into the air.  Adepts are biotic specialists, capable of disabling and killing enemies with raw biotic power.  While they lack advanced combat training, they are the best at defeating enemies without firing a single shot.

Infiltrators are equipped with cloaking systems that allow them to avoid detection for short periods of time, granting a tactical advantage over enemies.  Infiltrators are tech and combat specialists with the unique ability to hide themselves from visual and technological detection.  Infiltrators are deadly at any range with a wide variety of weapons, equipment, and powers that can take down an enemy.

Vanguards are outfitted with L5n implants, enabling them to perform a biotic charge that strikes the opponent with incredible force while bringing the Vanguard in close for short-range combat.  Vanguards are feared for their high-risk, high-reward combat style, closing in on enemies quickly and destroying them at close range with weapons and biotic abilities.

Sentinels are equipped with the most advanced ablation armor system.  If overloaded, the system will stun all enemies within striking distance.  Sentinels are unique, bringing both tech and biotic abilities to the battlefield.  While they lack the focus of Adepts and Engineers, they are versatile and can handle any situation.

Engineers can spawn combat drones to harass enemies or force them out of entrenched cover positions.  Engineers are tech specialists, the only class able to employ combat drones on the battlefield.  Engineers are the most effective class at blasting through defenses and disabling opponents.

High-level operatives are outfitted with ocular synaptic processors that allow them to focus on targets with lethal accuracy.  Soldiers are pure combat specialists. No one is tougher or more effective at taking down enemies with gunfire.  Soldiers have the most thorough weapons training and can use all special ammo types.



Believe me when we say that you will be playing through ME2 multiple times because of these classes.  Each class will allow you to play and approach the game with new perspectives and strategies that were unimaginable before.

Clearly ME2 has remarkable replay value and is a long 30-40 hour game to beat in itself.  I am already on my third play-through of ME2 and easily imagine myself playing it at least 2-3 more times before giving it a break, only to continue again in the future.  It is mind bending how many ways you can play this title.  Between being good or evil and the selectable classes, there should be a good amount to satisfy any gamer who is into Sci-fi Action, Adventure, or RPGs.



We urge you all to go out there and get Mass Effect 2… Now!  It is one of the best ways to start off what will be a memorable year in gaming.  This is the most fun we have had in gaming, let alone a sequel, in a very long time.  The nonstop action right from the opening sequence, extraordinary environmental details, and irreplaceable cast of characters should make for a satisfactory experience for all gamers. Buy a ticket.  Take the ride.

By Avik Sogoyan and Arshak Torossian



 

Submitted by: theprofessor29