Mass Effect 2 is being awarded game of the year accolades left, right and centre with even our very own PCGZine giving BioWare’s masterpiece the much sought after label. Nevertheless for all its amazing moments there were a handful of issues which stopped the sequel from reaching true iconic status amongst gamers.
Understandably everyone is very excited about the prospect of Mass Effect 3 after its debut trailer during the VGAs, but if the following issues aren’t rectified the concluding chapter won’t be everything it could and should be. Here are the five things Mass Effect 3 must avoid:
5. Mission Critical Reports
We understand that the mission critical reports were supposed to be for the benefit of the Illusive Man, but the way they interrupted exploration and quests really pulled us out of the game. So much of Mass Effect’s appeal is about immersion and feeling like you are part of a universe filled with amazing locales and characters. Seeing the outcome of a mission being boiled down to XP earned or weapons unlocked felt needlessly simplistic. BioWare either need to bin this concept entirely or figure out a less intrusive way of communicating how a recent mission has contributed to a player’s overall progression.
4. Simplification of the RPG Formula
The streamlining of the original’s formula was definitely needed, but there were some aspects which didn’t go down well. Killing legions of enemies in the Mass Effect 1 actually earned players XP, but in the sequel it didn’t. Ending any enemy’s existence should be rewarded and contribute to your betterment as a warrior, rather than just feeling like you’re cleaning up the environment of pesky obstructions.
3. Needless Sex Scenes
We enjoy the down and dirty as much as the next website, but no game has mastered the art of pulling off a sex scene appropriately. Kudos to BioWare for trying with so many of their games, but they need to limit the nookie possibilities to only involve individuals that are actually important to the plot. Our lady Shepard got her leg over with so many inhabitants of the new Normandy that it all got a little bit awkward towards the end and the PG-rated scenes were often cringeworthy.
2. The Same Click, Talk, Fight Formula
No matter what mission you were tasked with in Mass Effect 2 the core gameplay formula was always the same; talk to an NPC, kill a variety of henchmen, make your way to an object and interact with it. Occasionally there were hacking or unlocking mini-games to mix things up, but after those momentary distractions it was right back to the walking, talking and fighting. Why not add in a vehicle section, a DIY surgery segment, a mix and match card game or something?! Admittedly this is less of a problem with Mass Effect 2 than it is with the action RPG genre as a whole, but BioWare need to think of new ways to vary up their campaign as missions did seem monotonous at times.
1. Too much focus on Earth
There is a very important reason why players couldn’t visit Earth in the first two games and it’s very clear that the blue and green planet will play a substantial role in the third chapter’s campaign, but we have our fingers crossed that Commander Shepard will still have enough time to navigate the length and breadth of the galaxy looking for new comrades and resources to harvest. So many sci-fi properties do their best to ignore Earth, often because it’s the last place anyone wants to visit when there’s intergalactic exploration to be done.
Sure it’s interesting to see London at the mercy of an army of Reapers, but let’s not forget what made this series so brilliant in the first place.
Tags: Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3
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