Rating: A
Commander Shepard is back, and this time he's got a new crew, company and enemy. Needless to say, Mass Effect 2 is going to kick interstellar butt.
With tons of new weapons to play with, planets to explore, and all-new characters on Shepard's team, it makes sense that this game needs two discs to handle all of its phenomenal nuances.
The plot picks up right where it left off: Shepard and his crew are enjoying their victory when, out of nowhere, an unknown ship devastates the SSV Normandy, killing the majority of the crew. Then the game tosses the player into the fray, throwing in a simple tutorial along the way to aid players new to the franchise.
Players of Mass Effect have fond memories of the hours they spent on Bioware's biggest game of 2007, and the sequel won't leave them disappointed. Bioware has included a feature that will allow players to transfer Shepard's data from Mass Effect into the sequel.
For those who didn't play the original, the sequel can be a stand-alone game, and a good one at that. The plot will be tougher to pick up, but the game itself will in no way penalize the player.
Players creating a new Shepard have the option to choose a class, which will have its obvious pros and cons. For those who want to jump right into the action, Shepard's soldier class makes drawn-out firefights much easier.
The major gripes from the original were fixed – and it shows. Shepard will regenerate health as opposed to using medi-gel to heal, which was a considerable annoyance in the original.
In addition, weapons don't overheat this time around. Instead, the game relies heavily on interchangeable ammo. These simple improvements will leave players with little to complain about and make a stronger playing experience.
Mass Effect 2 nearly perfects the action role-playing game sub-genre. The action in the game is fluent and never slows down. The on-the-fly weapon selection and the use of special powers, known as biotics, never hamper the game's intensity.
The team at Bioware has obviously been working hard on over 30 hours of dialogue contained within the game. Once again, the voice cast is incredibly strong, providing an epic experience. Thankfully, Seth Green returns as the always entertaining Jeff 'Joker' Moreau.
Despite the considerable amount of dialogue, Mass Effect 2 does a great job of not having any filler content; there's almost no fluff to this game. For hardcore gamers, this is great, pure action, and the over-the-top intensity of firefights means little time wasted. But those who are used to a more soft-core gaming experience might find the game to be a little out of their league.
Every mission of the game feels unique and different from the last. Spanning an entire universe, the game will show players some of the shadier sides of the galaxy, like the rave-induced space station of Omega and a multitude of collector-ravaged outposts.
Yet every planet is distinct and beautifully rendered. Bioware spared no expense to make this game one of the most beautiful on the console. Since the player spends over 20 hours on the game, it's certainly nice to experience well-rendered levels.
The game is a welcome mix of old and new. It takes what was great about the first and kicks in a few new features that make this game one of the best of the year.
Mass Effect 2 is a great example of what a next-generation game should be. Players can look forward to the last part in the trilogy sometime next year – but until then, Shepard has a universe to save.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
