The true beauty of the original Mass Effect can’t be seen during one play through. The game throws an incredible amount of information at you, making it difficult to understand just how much is actually there until you take a step back and look at it as a whole. It’s like playing an epic symphony in a way, one that even the deafening silence of space can’t squelch. One specific area that the original game excelled at was in character interaction, which offered the player a level of free will not seen before in gaming. The astounding depth of the dialogue made the cutscenes feel more like they were a real time conversation than the predestined imaginings of a Hollywood bard, allowing those who were able to look past Mass Effect’s many shortcomings to soak in the majesty of an extravagant sci-fi universe.

 

In Mass Effect 2, Bioware dealt with the player’s ME1 decisions in a very unique way. The player is allowed to import their character from the original game into the sequel, which carries over the look, style, and story decisions previously made by Commander Shepard. While Shepard’s appearance and class traits can be changed, the choices that were made during the original Mass Effect play an important role in the progression of the sequel. Characters will be missing or dead, certain planets will either be thriving or on the verge of destruction, and Shepard will either have fans or foes waiting for him or her in each location, all of which are the direct result of choices made during the previous game. Thankfully, those new to the series won’t be left out in the cold, as all of the necessary back story is automatically filled in for the player.

 

As interesting as the character import feature is, the main plotline of Mass Effect 2 feels a bit patched together, with dozens of separate story threads being amalgamated into a jumbled heap. Despite that, the character interactions once again steal the show, as the voice cast is exceptional at capturing true emotion in a way rarely seen in games. Every squad mate is memorable, avoiding cheap stereotypes and hollow characterizations in favor of well rounded, multifaceted creations. Each also has some wildly different combat styles, encouraging players to evolve new strategies and select different characters based on the world that they are diving into. Mixing and matching crewmates keeps the game from feeling stale, and a balanced cast means that no character is truly better than the rest.

 

 

It’s apparent that Bioware spent a lot of time refining the gunplay for Mass Effect 2, as the clunky combat from the original has been replaced with some top notch shooting mechanics. The weapon accuracy has been finely tuned this time around, relying more on the deft thumbs of the player than a randomized roll of the dice. Location damage has been added to enemy characters, which becomes immediately noticeable once you blow the arms and legs off of a synthetic creature. The weapons are diverse and powerful, though a depressing lack of spec information means that a lot of guess work and experimentation are necessary.

 

Of course, Mass Effect 2’s flat difficulty curve will probably negate the need for much worrying. As players upgrade, the enemies seem to adjust accordingly, resulting in a mostly even fight that shouldn’t lead to much frustration. The downside to this is that you never really feel challenged, as the game lacks an epic battle or skin-of-your-teeth escape that leaves your body surging with adrenaline. Even more disappointing is the final boss, who bumbled around as I destroyed him with a single clip of rifle ammo.