BioWare has built up quite a pedigree in the RPG genre over the years. After building success after success using popular licenses such as
, the studio has more recently begun an effort to create entirely original new universes as canvases for their games. In 2007, they brought us the sci-fi epic
, the first entry in a pre-planned trilogy and a game many would argue as the best game on Xbox 360 if not any platform. With the sequel, the acclaimed sutdio has promised a dark second act that will broaden the story and refine or overhaul the gameplay features of the first game. They not only succeeded in their goals, but they have also once again set a new standard for interactive storytelling, crafting one of the most complete pieces of entertainment ever made.
Right from the get-go, Mass Effect 2 starts off with a bang--quite literally. The game has one of the better introduction sequences I've recently played; the sound design in particular adds to the mystery and tension immensely, and seconds after starting up you are already treated to the stellar voice cast. It is also here that I became consciously aware that most games lack a proper introduction and title sequence--a common characteristic of most movies. You'll get to choose (or re-choose, if you wish) your combat class from a much more varied, well-defined selection; BioWare has done such a good job differentiating the different classes that you truly will want to go through the game multiple times just to see the way the combat changes. The game will also give you bonuses based on the level of your completed character in Mass Effect 1--a very nice touch. In addition, all your major (and even some minor) decisions from Part One of the trilogy will craft your own personalized Mass Effect universe in the sequel, and you even get some glimpses as to how your decisions will also be reflected in Part Three.
Following the opening narrative sequence, you get your first taste of Mass Effect 2's vastly upgraded combat system. You'll instantly recognize that BioWare has crafted a more legitimate shooter this time, and the very first pistol you get feels more responsive than even your fully-leveled guns in the first game. The HUD is also more streamlined to further emphasize the games shooting credentials. For example, enemies are no longer highlighted by obnoxious red triangles; instead, they have very faint, light orange boxes around them, and the end result is that you pick out enemies naturally in the environment. All combat options--from different ammo types to biotic and tech powers--have now been relegated to the combat wheel, allowing for much smoother and varied combat that is tailored to the player's preferences.
It is also during the initial combat sequences that you will start to see how Mass Effect 2 leans more heavily toward action shooter than RPG, as well as where the few complaints about the game lie. Fans of the original may feel a little disappointed that there is less customization in skill trees, armor, and weapon mods, noting that the entire looting system in the first game has been replaced by the new streamlined system. While at first feeling like something is missing, while continuing through the game you notice that you do not miss the clumsy looting (you always pick the best stuff anyway and it just becomes tedious) and the refinements to the combat engine have made for a much more action-oriented Mass Effect game, which in the end is a huge plus. The cover system also is much improved, though a little shy of Gears of War's fluidness. Finally, BioWare was brilliant decision to let you "expand" your combat prowess at a key point in the game really opens up your options during fighting. The only other grip is that the studio has ditched their innovative ammo-less overheat system for a "thermal clip" (read: ammo) system; in short, running out of ammo is really annoying when you never had that limitation in the first game.
One of the hallmarks of the first Mass Effect was its innovative conversation system that allowed the player to fluidly react with thoughts rather than explicit dialogue, which also made the superb dialogue itself that much more interesting. BioWare has kept this system in tact, but added a few new wrinkles that raise the bar even further. One of the more publicized new aspects is the ability to interupt certain dialogue sequences with Paragon or Renegade actions; these are context-sensitive and vary from pushing someone off a building to giving someone medigel. While the payoff is indeed very satisfying, its hard to not initiate these actions whenever you get the chance. In addition, conversations have a decidedly more cinematic and fluid feel. Gone are the static figures and expressionless faces; in their stead are dynamic camera angles and movements, body expressions, camera cuts, framing, and character interaction. These qualities make conversation scenes look and feel like the well-orchestrated talking scenes of Hollywood movies, except with the added benefit that you are actually choosing where the conversations go. The studio absolutely nailed it these scenes this time around, adding to the overall well-roundedness of Mass Effect 2's presentation.
Despite its extremely tight narrative, the actual mission structure of the game is quite open-ended. I did not even realize this until the end of my first playthrough when I was reflecting back on it, which really speaks to just how well-crafted all the little parts of the game are. Basically you have a couple missions in the beginning that you have to do, and then the game starts opening up more and more until you can pretty much do whatever you want in whatever order. Occassionally, the game will interject mandatory missions involving the Collectors, which break up the pace very well and keep you feeling like you're constantly progressing. The entire experience culminates when you finally decide when (as yes, you can pretty much decide whenever you want once you've gone through the few Collector missions) to use the Omega-4 relay and launch your offensive on the Collectors. You're decisions throughout the game will alter this final mission drastically, which in turn will change the course of the third game--if your Shepard makes it out of the final mission alive. If you do survive, you'll also be allowed to go back and continue your exploration of the galaxy and whatever DLC comes down the pipeline...but honestly, you'll probably want to jump right back into the beginning with a different class.
Though the crux of the overall conflict revolves around the mysterious Collectors and what you must do to get through the Omega-4 Relay, most of the actual substance of the game revolves around BioWare's fantastic characters. This, of course, starts and ends with your squad, whom you spend the majority of the game either recruiting or completing personal missions to gain their loyalty--a key mechanic to determining survival in the final conflict of the game. These loyalty missions really flex BioWare's narrative muscles as they deal with complex personal themes such as family, coming of age, redemption, and a bevy of other heavy topics, each specifically tailored around the squad member they are associated with. It is in these missions that your squad is fully fleshed out, and many of these missions also leave you with key decisions over how to proceed in completing them.
The only drawback is that you wish BioWare had a chance to go even further into depth with these characters as every single one is genuinely engaging and enthralling and has a story to tell. Even if you really don't like a character (I for one had an extreme distaste for Jack) they are still very believable and fleshed out; on the flip-side, characters that you do like will truly shine. Mordin in particular is one of the funniest characters in any video game, providing much-needed comic relief during the desolate story. Best of all, its very intelligent humor and not just some cheap fart jokes or something. Minor characters outside your squad, though not as riveting or incredibly fleshed-out, also provide many unique narrative and gameplay opportunities, in some cases again altered based on decisions you made in Mass Effect 1.
As far as the presentation goes, Mass Effect 2 is leaps and bounds above its predecessor as well as its competition, not just in games but in other media as well. Jack Wall's musical score for the game is among the best of any audio-visual creation, bar none. The voice acting is among the best in games, pillared by Hollywood greats such as Martin Sheen, Keith David, and Seth Green. Sound design is phenomenal in every aspect, from soundless void of space to the heat of battle to the bustle of futuristic metropoli. The graphical presentation has also been stepped up dramatically, and every part of the game can visually be described with two words: stunningly gorgeous. The technical hiccups that plagued the first game--frame rate drops, screen tearing, sound cutting, etc--are virtually absent this time around. Every part of the Mass Effect 2 experience shines with polish.
Between the peerless characterization, the epic musical score, the Hollywood voice acting, the varied and engaging combat experience, the innovative conversation system, and the fully-realized universe, Mass Effect 2 is one of the most complete pieces of entertainment ever crafted. It's a very mature piece of art that--like the best sci-fi in any medium--grounds its futuristic setting in a firm sense of realism, tackling many themes common in real life but absent in most video games. These themes include racism, genocide, morality, politics, love, and other heavy topics, and most impressive of all is that the game never beats you over the head with this stuff; it's simply there, realistically blended into the world and open to individual interpretation and analyzation. Few games ever incorporate any one of the mature themes listed above, yet Mass Effect 2 tackles them all gracefully, truly a pioneer in its medium.
The entire Mass Effect experience thusfar culminates into the final endgame sequence. This sequence is unlike many others in video games and does a lot of things that other studios should take notes on. It's not a quick, one-off mission, but rather an extended web of choices and repercussions that reverberate past the resolution of the game (and yes, this is a video game that actually has a resolution after its climax!). Based on your actions throughout the course of the game, some of your squad members (including yourself) may not even make it to Act Three. This hangs over your head in the final mission as you have to make decisions knowing full well you might be condemning that character to a permanent fate. In addition, BioWare did a great job of incorporating entirely new gameplay elements into the final mission that dynamically change up the pacing of combat in creative ways. Unforunately, there is a bit of a dip near the end of this dramatic crescendo with a questionable battle near the end of the mission. Regardless, overall the game wraps things up tightly and sets up what is sure to be an epic final act in Mass Effect 3.
Once you finish Mass Effect 2--particularly if you also finished Mass Effect 1--the third game will be set up for a battle of epic proportions. You will know the direction where the story is heading and how all your decisions, big and small, from both of the first two games, will create variables in the way the final chapter plays out. Despite lacking a true "cliffhanger" style of ending, the game will leave you pawing for the sequel like few other games do--a testament to the incredible world BioWare has crafted. Not enough can be said about how exponentially more powerful the story is if you take a character through Mass Effect 1 and 2 and into the third game (though if you missed one and have no way to play it, ME2 is fantastic on its own merits). This is the game by which all others will be judged this year. This is the standard by which interactive storytelling will be measured for years to come. This is the most grounded, believable, and enthralling science fiction universe ever crafter (yes, even more so than the classic Star Wars). This is the most complete video game ever crafted in every single aspect of its production, and one of the best pieces of artistic entertainment regardless of medium. Mass Effect 2 is everything fans wanted it to be and so much more. And it just gives you shivers when you think about how everything will come to a head with the conclusion of the trilogy in Mass Effect 3.
OVERALL GRADE: A+
