slice of koh

I just finished Mass Effect 2.  All I have to say is “Wow…”  The only other game in recent memory that made me sad when it ended was Uncharted 2.  Sequels get really bad reputations, but Mass Effect 2 took the great parts of the original such as engaging story, deep characters, and interesting plot twists to keep the players happy and engrossed while taking Shepard from death to impending doom. [Spoiler Alert Ahead]The prologue starts with Shepard and his team having the worst possible luck.  The game actually starts two years later when Shepard wakes up from his comatose state finding his current location under attack.  The player will quickly learn what happened to Shepard and why he or she was brought back to life.  Thousands of human colonists have been disappearing without a trace, and it’s up to Shepard to get to the bottom of it.

Bioware is definitely the king of Western-style action-oriented RPGs.  This time around, Bioware placed more emphasis on shooting mechanics and action to keep players on their toes.  Targeting and shooting have become much easier, and the player can now assign different powers to up to three powers.  Additionally, tech powers can now curve around objects if targeted correctly.  This was huge win for me because my class of choice is the infiltrator.  I found myself using Incinerate or activating Cryo Ammo or Tactical Cloak more often than the last game.

Although I missed some of the more RPG elements like purchasing and modding weapons from the original Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 is still incredibly satisfying and fun to play.  I do admit that there were points in the original Mass Effect where I was bored and frustrated with the neverending backtracking and exploration. Mass Effect 2 is essentially a story-driven shooter.  There are some RPG elements such as upgrading weapons and leveling up your character’s class-specific powers, but they are more intuitive and simpler than the first.   Upgrading your powers will require more “points” but will make these powers significantly more powerful.  You can also customize your character’s armor and casual wear.  Hard-core RPG players may find this system too simple; however, I found the new system to be incredibly strategic.

Mass Effect 2 is a joyride.  The new characters are interesting and deep.  My favorite is Thane.  I seem to have a soft spot for romantic men with dark pasts.  Like Yeoman Chambers says, the way Thane talks is indeed worth swooning for. Every character has a rich past, and I was engaged with every one of them.  Loyalty missions to gain their trust were done very well and integrated very well with the main storyline.  The “Interrupt” system adds a refreshing way to add to the dialogue depending on your character’s moral orientation.  Players can pursue romantic relationships with their crew or choose to stay faithful to his or her love in the last game.  It would be interesting to see how Bioware handles infidelity in Mass Effect 3 assuming that your crew from both Mass Effect 1 and 2 will become playable in the third installment.

The only gripe I had with the game was the mini-games.  The constant hacking and bypassing become repetitive and get old really fast.  Planet exploration is a little less painful, but scanning planets for minerals is still a boring yet necessary task.  Too bad you’re required to explore and scan planets for minerals to purchase or research upgrades to your weaponry, armor, powers and your new ship.

This game is worth playing over and over again.  In fact, it makes me want to start from the beginning and check out other gender and class combinations to see how it will affect the second and third game.  This game was worth my $60 and 30+ initial hours to finish my first playthrough.  One can only imagine how many more hours one can play but still be engaged from start to finish.