Review: Mass Effect 2

The following review does not contain any plot spoilers

By now it would be safe to assume that when it comes to RPGs, Bioware can’t do anything wrong. Last year, the RPG juggernaut delivered a near flawless old-school role-playing experience with Dragon Age: Origins. And now a couple of months later, they’re back with one of the most anticipated titles of the year – Mass Effect 2, a game that sits pretty much on the opposite end of the RPG spectrum when compared to Dragon Age: Origins. Bioware certainly has broken a lot of rules and created some new ones with Mass Effect 2. RPG purists may have some trouble adjusting to its bold new direction, but whichever way you look at it, the end result is probably one of the finest and most memorable gaming experiences you’ll have in a long time. If you’ve played the first game in the series and loved it, there really is no reason for you to read the rest of the review; just go buy the game and start playing it already. The more skeptical ones can read on.

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Mass Effect 2 is a direct sequel to 2007’s Mass Effect and the second chapter of a planned trilogy. Despite featuring a brilliantly realised sci-fi universe, excellent writing and an epic story, the first game was marred by a few technical flaws, largely uninteresting combat, a cumbersome inventory system and repetitive side missions. Mass Effect 2, however, addresses all of those flaws while making some major changes to the standard RPG template. A lot of fans (including myself) had expressed concerns over the game inching closer to a shooter than an RPG after some of the early previews. Yes, the combat system has been revamped to resemble a shooter, “quests” have become “missions”, complete with a summary screen at the end and many of the RPG elements are redone and some are stripped off entirely. However, the game is still an RPG at heart and everything you loved about the first game is here, better than ever and everything you hated is nowhere to be found.

The first thing you’ll notice after booting up the game is just how good it looks. The first Mass Effect was a good-looking game, but this one gets a major overhaul in the looks department. The Unreal Engine 3 has been around for a while and just when you were wondering how much juice is left in the ubiquitous engine, along comes Mass Effect 2 which blows every other UE3-based game out of the water. Whether it’s the highly detailed characters complete with realistic faces that are able to convey emotion, sprawling planetary vistas, stunning futuristic cityscapes, sinister alien environments, seedy nightclubs or the interiors of your ship, the game rarely ceases to amaze. All of this with minimal frame drops, screen-tearing, texture pop-in and stuttering even during hectic battles. Some of the larger set pieces and scripted sequences that are done in-engine will have you truly awestruck. The game’s closed environments may not offer the freedom of a Bethesda RPG, but the game successfully manages to create an illusion of being a part of something grand.

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The game picks up right after the events of first game and quite literally starts with a bang. The opening section of the game is easily one of its highlights and saying anything more than that would be spoiling half the fun. In fact, I’m going to leave out all details that could give away the plot. All I can say is that Commander Shepard is back and fighting a new galactic threat (and some old ones) with the help of some unlikely new allies. Like the first game, and most other Bioware RPGs, much of your time is spent scouring the galaxy and assembling a team of specialist operatives to aid you on your mission.

Along the way, you’ll also bump into a lot of familiar faces, which brings me to an important piece of advice. If you haven’t played the first game, I would recommend playing it before you start with Mass Effect 2. It’s possible to start with a new character from scratch, but the game is meant to be played as a part of an overarching narrative. The game assumes that you already know about the universe, its rules and returning characters. It’s one of the few sequels that are very closely bound to their predecessors, so if possible, play the first Mass Effect if you’re planning on playing this one.

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The much-praised conversation system from the first game is back and it’s better than ever. Characters now move around, sit and react appropriately during conversations. As expected, the writing is superb and the conversations sound very natural instead of cookie-cutter RPG dialog. It helps that the characters themselves are very interesting and have unique individual personalities. Each character has a distinct back story which also forms the basis for individual side quests for each of your squad members. These quests are optional but are some of the best parts of the game with each playing like a complete side story. Completing these also makes the squad member loyal to you, which, in gameplay terms, translates to unlocking special abilities and an alternate costume for the said character. The voice acting is impressive across the board and very rarely comes off as forced or cheesy. There are quite a few famous names in the voice cast including Martin Sheen, Seth Green, Carrie-Anne Moss, Tricia Helfer and Yvonne Strahovski, among others.

Perhaps the one area where the game improves upon the most is the combat. The first game had a functional, but ultimately uninteresting, combat system. Battles never felt satisfying and generally felt like a chore for the most part. Mass Effect 2, however, has a completely revamped combat system that plays out like a post-Gears Of War cover-based third-person shooter. Shepard and Co. can take cover behind walls and objects, vault over obstacles and even dash and slide into cover. The new cover system works brilliantly. It may not be as flexible as Gears of War’s and its many clones, but it works, and is almost mandatory during the hectic gun-fights that the game loves throwing at you.

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The shooting itself feels far more satisfying as the guns now pack some heavy punch and the impact of your shots can be felt. Shooting organic enemies results in blood splatter (which was largely missing in the first game) and you can target individual body parts. Pulling off headshots on humanoid enemies always remains satisfying. The enemy AI is also greatly improved and offers a decent amount of challenge, especially on higher difficulty settings. Like the previous game, biotic and tech powers can also be used in conjunction with the shooting. These powers, which are essentially Bioware’s sci-fi take on RPG magic, have also been given an overhaul and can be quite devastating when fully levelled up. Each of your squad-mates comes with a unique ability, which others do not possess.

Another big change comes in the form of the inventory system. Mass Effect loved throwing thousands of useless items your way, making your inventory a jumbled mess made even worse by the cumbersome interface on the Xbox 360 version of the game. Mass Effect 2 gets rid of it completely… and quite literally. There is no inventory in the game. You pick your squad’s load-out before starting with a mission and will be stuck with it until you come across a designated ‘weapons locker’ in an area. I can see an RPG fan screaming “bloody murder!” over this, but let me tell you that the system works rather well in the context of the game. For starters, none of the weapons and gear you’ll unlock as you play feel invaluable and the game does not want you to spend too much time sifting through secondary screens and comparing stats between pieces of equipment.

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It’s clear that Mass Effect 2 does not want to be like a traditional RPG. In fact, one of the things that held the first game back was the half-baked RPG mechanics that kept popping up every now and then. Mass Effect 2 gets rid of all the filler and keeps the action flowing at a fluid pace. This is evident even in the new side-quests. Gone are the repetitive base interiors, bland uncharted worlds and driving the Mako around rocky terrain (and the frustration that usually accompanied it). The side-quests are now much more focused and feature varied environments.

While you’re not out adventuring on alien worlds, you can take a break and hang out in your ship. Each area of the ship is meticulously designed, including Shepard’s private cabin, where you can maintain an aquarium, collect ship models and customise his appearance, among other things. The new tech lab allows you to research new prototypes and various upgrades for your weapons, armour and your ship itself. However, these upgrades come at a price as they require a specific element to research, which brings me to one of the slightly more dull aspects of the game – a prospecting mini game.

Next page: Xbox 360 vs PC, IVG Verdict

While navigating various star systems via the galaxy map, you can scan planets and mine them for resources through a mini-game. The mini game isn’t bad, but quickly becomes tedious as you’ll have to do a lot of it if you wish to research all available upgrades. This definitely comes off as a downer considering the brilliant pacing of the rest of the game. However, the research is generally worth it as it gives you access to some very useful upgrades and fun-to-use weapons like a devastating nuke-launcher, which can clear an area of all enemies in a single shot accompanied by an eye-popping explosion.

Mass Effect 2 allows you to import your saved characters from the first game. A lot of the decisions you made during the first game are carried over to your new game. But in case you do not have a save file, some of these decisions are made by the game itself depending on what suits the plot best. Fans of the first game who have played it multiple times will surely love how even minor characters make an appearance in some way. However, many of the bigger decisions do not have a big impact on the way the story unfolds in Mass Effect 2.

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Those expecting their actions from the first game to have a significant impact in the sequel may be a little disappointed. Either way, Mass Effect 2 does manage to feel like a natural progression from the events of the first game. It does not feel like more of the same. It’s always difficult to pull off the ‘middle part’ of a trilogy, but Bioware has succeeded at that. The game feels much darker and more sinister in tone compared to the first game. The shady new locations you’ll visit this time stand in stark contrast to the squeaky-clean Citadel and the sterile environments of the first game.

The musical score also deserves special mention. It’s a great mix of electronic synths and orchestral and sounds appropriate to the setting. It adds a lot to the atmosphere and some of the crucial moments in the game, especially the finale. There is a lot of random humour to be found in the game, especially if you have a good knowledge of the game universe. Whether it’s private conversations between NPCs, advertisements or just quips from your squad members, there’s always something that will make you laugh. All in all, Mass Effect 2 is an extremely polished game. It seems like Bioware simply refused to cut corners and compromise on the quality of the game. With that said, it’s still not perfect. The engine is well-optimised, but there are still some minor glitches to be found, like Shepard getting stuck in the environment (remedied only by loading a previous save) or enemy AI going brain-dead at times.

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A single playthrough of Mass Effect 2 should take anything from 25 to 40 hours (or more) depending on how many optional missions you choose to pursue. However, this is certainly not a game that’s meant to be rushed through. Playing it at a slower pace is a far more rewarding experience than just breezing through one mission after another. The game is also highly replayable thanks to the different character classes, harder modes and the choice of playing either as a male or a female Shepard.

Add to that the light morality system which either brands you as a Paragon if you play nice or a Renegade if you decide to be a ruthless uncaring bastard and you have a game that plays differently each time. There are also multiple outcomes for the choices you make throughout the game and they also affect how the ending plays out. Needless to say, if you’re interested in experiencing every single thing the game has to offer, you will have to play through it multiple times. The game is brilliantly paced and offers some genuinely thrilling missions and set pieces that you will want to go through again.

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Unlike the first game, Mass Effect 2 releases simultaneously on the Xbox 360 and the PC. The PC version is definitely the better-looking and better-performing of the two. The load times are quick on the PC and the command interface when the game is paused is slicker and easier to use than the radial menu of the Xbox 360 version. You can hotkey powers and abilities to number keys, letting you use them without pausing the action. The aforementioned prospecting mini game is also less time-consuming on the PC version thanks to the presence of mouse control. The PC version, however, does not have any support for gamepads or the Xbox 360 controller. If you own an Xbox 360 as well as a gaming PC and are on the fence about which version to pick up, the PC version is definitely our recommendation… unless you really, really need those Achievement Points.

Conclusion

Mass Effect 2 is everything a sequel should be. Bioware has stripped the franchise off all that held it back and has taken some major risks with the design, but in the end, it all works. Even the most skeptical RPG fans will appreciate the fresh new take on the classic RPG template and newcomers to the genre will feel right at home with its accessible gameplay. But even more than that, the game deserves credit for bringing to life an entire universe full of great locations, intergalactic politics, fantastic technology and quirky characters. The Mass Effect universe may borrow a lot from other sci-fi franchises but it’s still one of the best fully realised game worlds you’ll ever experience. Mass Effect 2 is certainly an early contender for the Game of the Year and has surely earned a place among the best games of all time. Yes, it’s that good. Why are you still reading this? There’s a galaxy to be saved!

(+) Great production values
(+) Improved combat is satisfying and fun
(+) New characters are a lot of fun
(+) Excellent writing. Conversations always remain interesting
(+) Some very well designed missions
(+) Solid visuals and a great background score

(-) Scanning planets for minerals isn’t a lot of fun
(-) Many decisions from the first game don’t have a big impact on the story


How we score games

Title: Mass Effect 2
Developer/Publisher: Bioware/EA
Genre: Action RPG
Rating: 18
Platforms: Xbox 360 (Standard – Rs 2,499, Collector’s – Rs 2,999), PC (Standard – Rs 999, Collector’s – Rs 2,999)
Reviewed on: Xbox 360, PC

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