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Review - Mass Effect 2
BioWare does it again.
Written by Andy Griffiths, 26 January 2010
Only BioWare would release two gigantic RPG's in the space (get it?) of just over two months. Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2 couldn't be any more different from one another in the terms of source material, but it's clear from both franchises that each respective team has learnt a lot from each others development. That doesn't mean that you'll spot Morrigan in a space suit, but you will see improved dialogue and faster combat all of which were lacking in the original. It must be absolutely terrifying to be any other RPG maker because BioWare have pulled it out of the bag yet again!
The plot follows on directly from the events of the original, with Shepard and co touring the universe when their ship is attacked and sunk by an unknown vessel. The Human Spectre saves everyone on board but not before she/he perishes in the void of space. Slowly Shepard is revived thanks to the scientific minds at Cerburus - a shadowy human-centric organization- and after two years you're back on your feet, ready to investigate the disappearence of Human colonies. It's a fantastic plot device because throughout the experience you'll run into previous crew members who have been fairing rather differently after your high profile death. Who you meet, how they treat you, and their circumstances all change dynamically due to the decisions you made in the original, thanks to the handy-dandy save importer. It's a simple yet brilliant solution to tie the franchise together and we are sure other developers will follow suit.
As massive fans of the original game we were genuinely giddy when we were reunited with Tali, Garrus and many more old friends once again. There are plenty of former shipmates to meet and while we'd love to tell you of our encounters, they are just too brilliant to spoil.
Side quests have also been paid more attention, so you'll no longer have to fight in the same base that is inexplicably replicated throughout the entire universe.
Galaxy wide exploration is introduced very early on and you won't have to spend lots of time at the Citadel chatting before earning your wings. Every location now feels more alive and interesting- the Asari homeworld particularly stands out with it's constant bombardment of advertising and shady corporate laws.
The new characters introduced are just as interesting as the original dast and even though we were sceptical of the "Aussie" voiced Miranda at first, by the end of the 25 hour experience we were more than happy to have her in our team. Any sci-fi fan will recognise many of the game's voice actors and it was only with Martin Sheen's Illusive Man where we had problems with immersion - thinking of President Bartlett when we should have been listening to the mechanically enhanced man of mystery.
PCGZine Issue 38
For our latest Mass Effect 2 coverage, click here to download PCGZine Issue 38 for free.All of the problems from the original have been solved so there's no elevators disguising load times, no texture pop-in and most importantly no Mako! Some may miss driving up mountains at a 70 angle, but the experience is much more streamlined. You'll zip from location to location thanks to an airborne APC which will happily drop you off everywhere you need to go minus fruitless exploration.
Harvesting resources has also been enhanced, meaning now you just scan unexplored planets by combing the planet's surface with your mouse and dispatching probes to mineral enriched areas.
Mini-games are just reserved for hacking and unlocking, but they don't stand out anywhere near as much as before. To unlock doors you just have to match up symbols on an elaborate circuit board and for hacks you need to find specific code in computer routines. Each aspect replaces the mindless bashing of buttons and is much more immersive as a result.
Power and gunplay feels much weightier before. Combat feels more like a third person action title rather than an RPG playing dress up. Cover now plays a pivotal role and some enemies will cut your HP to shreds if you're aren't sufficiently protected.
Biotic powers can now be bent around corners, guns can be armed with either incendiary or ice inducing projectiles and commanding AI partners has been made much easier. If Mass Effect 2 was released in 2009 it would have been our game of the year by some margin. This game solved every complaint of the original and overshadowed at every turn.
The story is better, the gameplay is sharper and the characters are more believable. If you loved the original Mass Effect this will completely surpass your already high expectations and if you didn't, pick it up anyway because the RPG genre doesn't get more dramatic or entertaining than this.
Final Verdict: 95%
Mass Effect 2 coverage available in PCGZine Issue 38 - click here to download it for free!
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