Last week we reviewed the original Mass Effect, a sci-fi action RPG developed by Bioware that I have been meaning to play for a very long time now. In it I discussed how the game contained a variety of problems and numerous rough edges. Aspects that make Mass Effect feel quite dated by today’s standards. However, I ended up really liking the game. It had an engaging story to follow, a universe stuffed full of lore, memorable characters, and fun RPG leveling. It dragged me on an epic space adventure and delivered on all its main fronts. The original game is a great proof of concept of what was to come, and it did well enough for Electronic Arts to pump more funding into these games. With the success of Mass Effect and Bioware’s other new RPG series at the time, Dragon Age, the publisher wanted to commercialize these new found IPs. Returning to serve as lead director was Casey Hudson, and hopes were high when it came to making the sequel. Not only did they have a bigger budget, but they were allowed to go wilder with where they would take their universe next. Expand on the cultures of each alien race, expand the lore, introduce new factions, show how the player’s actions get dragged over into the sequel, and add those quality of life improvements to make the sequel feel more like a functional game. It was hard work, but it ultimately paid off as Mass Effect 2 blew up bigger than the first.
Mass Effect 2 to a lot of gamers is considered one of the greatest games of all time. Nothing but universal acclaim across the board, and it ended up winning numerous game of the year awards back in 2010. Its story is ever so engrossing and delivers dozens of characters more memorable and lovable than the first. It carries over actions made during the first game, which adds impact to what the player had done before. Exploring the galaxy was made less confusing and more fun, and there were rewards for seeing every bit of what Mass Effect 2 had to offer. Better upgrading, better abilities, better combat, better mission structure, etc. Mass Effect 2 is a perfect example of how to make a sequel. Understand what made the original great and tune it to eleven. Ask any Mass Effect fan which one is the best and most likely they’ll respond with the second. Most criticism either dealt with animation or bugs, but they were barely noticeable to both critics and gamers. Mass Effect 2 is a great game, and although I knew I was in for an amazing time my expectations were exceeded. I think Mass Effect 2 deserves all the acclaim it has gotten. It’s a sequel made with love, passion, care, and delicacy. I’d probably play the first before hopping in, but I’m just gonna say right now this is a must play for any RPG player out there.
However, I will say though that some aspects that may have made the first game special may be gone in service of making a better video game. Mass Effect 2 leans a bit more into combat than roleplaying, and its cinematic presentation makes it feel more like a hype-fueled film rather than an interactive space for which the player can immerse themselves in. This is a game where you don’t have to think as much as a majority of RPGs, and I’ve seen some players claim a lot of the RPGs aspects of the original have been dumbed down to appease more general audiences. Yeah, I somewhat agree with what they’re saying. Yet, I still believe Mass Effect 2 makes up for all of these downsides and criticisms by doing well in the new stuff it set out to do. Mass Effect 2 is great, and today we’ll be talking about why it deserves your attention.
Story
The game takes place shortly after the events of the first. Commander Shephard managed to find out what Saren and the Geth were planning. To resurrect an ancient being known as a Reaper and have it wreck havoc across the universe. They defeat Saren, chase back a huge Geth invasion on the Citadel, and defeat the Reaper they somewhat managed to resurrect. Commander Shephard is praised as a war hero, and stands as a military icon for the Citadel. Now their team is being sent out to destroy whatever Geth remains in the universe. All of them must be purged so that nothing like what happened before happens again. However, during their travels to hunt down more Geth they are attacked by a ginormous vessel. The ship is of unknown origin and before they know it they are blasted by a ginormous laser. The crew of the Normandy begin evacuating, and good old heroic Shepard sacrifices themself to bring his pilot Joker to safety. Another big explosion causes Shepard to be launched into the vastness of space where they run out of oxygen and suffocate to death. Their body begins to decompose and they’re declared to have died during action.
This isn’t where the story ends though. Shepard’s body is picked up after the strange attack and they are seen being operated on a medical table. Machines begin putting them back together as if nothing had happened that day. They are able to perfectly walk, talk, see ,and feel what’s around them. During their medical operations they overhear the individuals who rescued them from the attack, and that’s when they find out where they are. Cerberus, a group of human specialists who operate outside of the Alliance and Council, has been watching Shepard for a very long time. Impressed by their heroics and will to fight alien forces beyond their comprehension, Cerberus recruited Commander Shepard for their cause. To do that they had to put them back together, so that’s what the last two years were spent doing. When Shepard finally awakens they discover the ship they are on is under attack. Someone hacked the droids aboard the ship and they have been killing the crew. Shepard manages to find a gun and team with a Cerberus soldier named Jacob. Together they kill all the droids, save the station, meet the lead scientist who worked on Shepard named Miranda, and eventually Shepard meets the one in charge of the organization. A man who sits in an office chair gazing at the starry night, the Illusive Man. He reveals that human colonies have been disappearing and it could deal with the ones who killed Shepard.
He sends Shepard, Miranda, and Jacob out on missions to discover who is responsible for these abductions. The group behind these terrors are known as the Collectors, and they may have some association with the Reapers, the beings which Shepard fought before. The Illusive Man creates a new goal for Shepard. Assemble an elite squad diligent enough to fight the Collectors. Train this squad and storm into the stronghold where the Collectors lie. To aid Shepard along their journey is an old member of their crew, Joker. A newly constructed Normandy has been forged for this very task and they may even run into some old faces willing to help in their cause….
Gameplay
I’d say Mass Effect 2 focuses around three main categories; combat, character progression, and a considerable amount of downtime between missions. Select a planet you want to go to and then embark on a quest or two. Combat is very much the same as the first, but with a lot of quality of life improvements. Instead of using energy weapons you have actual guns now. Guns that must be reloaded, have a set ammo carrying capacity, and you must collect these capsules to get more ammo to use. It’s not like a majority of RPGs though where each gun has a specific type besides the heavy weapons. However, here in Mass Effect 2 it works because there’s a heavier incentive on gun fights. Shoot at enemies to knock them dead, and shoot at them some more if they have a few energy shields on them. You can now command your comrades to take or move to specific vantage points, and this allows you to play more decisively or form unique strategies. We’ll talk more later on why all of the changes are great. You and your squadmates also have powers which you can whip out during fights. Unlike the last game where it was doing something like increase defense or attack power these are actual powers. Levitating enemies through the air so you can shoot them while they are exposed. Summon a combat drone to harass foes from across the field. Light them on fire or better yet freeze them in place. Shoot an armor piercing round or bullet that'll knock 'em over. Have an immediate shield regen, etc.
If one of your allies is knocked down you can revive them using Medi-Gel, but the carry capacity for this material is quite limited and it can be awhile until you find more. That’s why you want to check around the environment or hope the next foe you kill randomly drops one. To avoid any shots and attacks you can get behind cover, and instead of having cover be inconsistent you just press a button and the game positions your character to do it. You can even run across the field and swiftly get into cover position. You have a variety of weapons to choose from and they all work wonderfully. Pistol, heavy pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, grenade launcher, ion laser, and you can change the weapons for your companions too. Every time you complete a mission and kill a considerable amount of enemies you gain experience points, credits, and sometimes materials. If you are carrying data over from the first game then a considerable amount of your credits will transfer over to. Credits can be spent at shops, but they can only be used to improve your gear & buy fuel at fueling stations. Something you will need if you want to access planets further away from Mass Relays. You have materials which are also needed to improve gear, but the materials you gain from missions may not always be good enough. That’s why you must probe planets. I said that correctly. Probe them real good boys. Exploring the galaxy is quite simple now and the probing process is really easy. Select a planet, scan, look for increases in seismic activity, and shoot one down there. Get your resources and spend them.
Experience points are pretty simple to understand if you’ve played literally any RPG out there. Everytime you level up you get skill points and these can be spent on your several powers. You don’t have as much control of stats unlike the first game, but what you’re upgrading here is still useful. You increase the efficiency of these abilities, and when you max one out you have the choice between one of two perks. These perks then increase your stats, but the ones with higher increases in specific fields will depend on which of the two perks you decide to choose. Finally there is the downtime and this is how Mass Effect 2 classifies as an RPG instead of being considered a full out action game. In between missions or when you land on certain worlds you can talk to NPCs. Sometimes they’ll give you quests or teach you more about the world. Other times you may get thrown into moral choice situations where you have to decide what is best in the long run. Bigger focus this time around was on companions and your relationships to them. As you progress through the game you’ll be given what is called a Loyalty Mission by them. If you go on these missions you can increase the loyalty with your companions. Meaning they will have your back during the most stressful scenarios, and you’ll want this as a late game event will decide the fate of these companions depending on whether they have loyalty to you or not. Aside from all that there’s nothing much else to say. The game has a fun combat loop and gives enough player influence over its world & story. Hopefully you can save the galaxy, again!
Thoughts
Mass Effect 2 is an outstanding action RPG that improves on almost every problem the first entry had. It exceeded my expectations and has quickly elevated Mass Effect into being one of the best pieces of science fiction I think I’ve ever seen. Story, character development, and world building is as good if not even better than that of the first game. The places you go to and how much more fleshed out each alien race is. Your actions from the first game get brought over to the second if you have any save data, and it was nice seeing them. How sparing my Krogan squadmate in the first led to him becoming the leader of a clan. Trying to protect his people and guide them down the right direction instead becoming vile. The image for which a majority of the public have on the Krogans. It’s nice seeing Liara become a head figure for her people, or one of the two human buds I had in the past be promoted and protector of a settlement. That isn’t to say the old cast and events blocked my view of what was here now. The new cast is great and I think they are a huge highlight for this game. There’s more companions than before and they are more colorful, there’s more variety in race, they are bursting with personality, and are above all memorable. I did their loyalty mission as soon as I got them, because I wanted to help them get to a better place or help make peace with themselves. I helped a master thief named Kasumi sneak into a mansion just so she can obtain a message leftover from her dead partner. An elderly assassin, Thane, confronts his son and prevents him from going down the line of killing he went down. A scientist, Mordin, locates his apprentice and realizes the reason the apprentice left was because of his bitterness and racism to other species.
Miranda, Jacob, Grunt, Samara, Zaeed, and two returning companions Garrus and Tali. I love all of them so much and I wanted to see them till the end. I think my favorite has to be Tali. She has spent the last few years researching for her people and trying to provide them the best. Her work has become too stressful, too hard to manage, and one day she’s accused of something she didn’t do. Turns out the thing she was accused of was providing active Geth for a research lab, and said the lab had her father. Her father gets killed during the attack which she incredibly regrets, and then we discover her father was the one caused the attack. Which then leads to me fighting for her innocence and allowing her to walk out peacefully. I love Tali. I wanted to romance her, but that felt a bit too much and I thought it would be best if we stayed friends. The main story is still really engaging as you go out to discover what the Collectors are doing. Uncover the horror lying underneath and embark on one last dangerous mission to thwart their plans. The final boss is an epic conclusion to such a long journey and the presentation of it is just staggering. In fact, if it’s one thing Mass Effect 2 does better than the first it’s probably the presentation and getting you hyped up for the smallest of things. Part of it has to do with the budget and how they had a lot of time and tools to work with. The animation is much better, cutscenes are wonderfully done, and the graphics are a delight. For a game that came out in 2010 it looks absolutely f*cking stellar. There were moments I stopped and just gazed beyond the horizon. You venture across beautiful beaches, neon lit rave parties, glistening city spires, cryptic halls, and so much more. Lighting helps contribute to these epic sceneries, but a few times it didn’t look good during conversations.
The combat, as I said earlier, is much better than the first game. Whereas the first game was fun but had a lot of finicky elements, the second feels great and plays buttery smooth. Taking cover works now and can be done by pressing a button. Your guns are ammo based instead of energy based like the last game, but doing this allows them to prevent the problem of overheating every five seconds. Ammo refills are considerate as one capsule should give you a ton for all of your guns. Battlefields are more spread out, give you a ton of room to work with, and you want to be shifting your position around a lot. For the silky smooth combat they compensate by making the game a lot harder. I died way more times in Mass Effect 2 than I did in the first game. However, I wouldn’t say the game was overwhelming and each death was fair. Checkpoints are considerate too and you can even restart a mission if you want to use different gear and companions. I like how you can command companions to move around and take cover. Whereas in the first game I had no control over this aspect. Each of your abilities are actually unique, and seeing how every companion has two different abilities it gets you to consider team composition. You can choose to map skills into specific buttons instead of having to open up a menu, which is convenient. It’s just a more fun game to play in general, and they even trimmed out all the unfun stuff in the first. Exploring the galaxy is made much easier and they label where missions are instead of having you try to figure it out. Instead of crappy space exploration across several similar looking planets you instead probe for resources to upgrade gear. There’s no more vehicle sections that play like ass and by doing this the game contains more focus and better pacing. Something you want for a game centered around its narrative and the choices the player makes throughout.
I will say though that the moral choices you make in this game aren’t as good as the first game. The first game had a problem where it was hard to be a bad person, and the second game makes it even harder to do the wrong thing. Most moral choices fall down to “Do you want to be a big jackass or not?” They highlight good choices in blue and during certain cutscenes they flash an icon showing you can do a good thing during that moment. Moral choice is still bad, but you still have enough control over the narrative. I can forgive Mass Effect 2, because remember the story is engaging and it tries its best to get you to care about the cast. Put the main objective aside so you can help them with their problems. Something a lot of games struggle to do either because side objectives feel like a waste of time, or the characters you helped weren’t particularly good. A major flaw the first game had when it came to side content. Another simplified aspect of Mass Effect 2 that I can see a lot of people arguing over are the leveling and progression system. There’s no more armor or leveled gear to worry about. You don’t have to worry about character stats, and instead you now level up your powers. What made the first game’s leveling system fun was increasing the fields you want to specialize in. Changing your build and making an overpowered Shepard, but I can understand why they changed it. Having to always loot boxes and cabins for better gear can get annoying after a few hours, and what you don’t want to follow afterwards is inventory clutter. A whole list of things you’ll never use. A whole list of items with the same function, and if you do use something most likely it has better stat numbers than what you had at the moment. Leveling was simplified, but the powers and their upgrades are still very useful. The final perks you gain from maxing an ability out get you to choose what build you want for a character going forward. This also prevents becoming overpowered early in the game, another problem for which the first game had as combat became a bit too easy.
Now, what I’m about to bring up is considered a huge spoiler for Mass Effect 2, but this game has been out for almost 14 years and I think everybody knows about it. The Suicide Mission is a great concept albeit with a few flaws. It’s the final mission in the game and it’s what ultimately decides where you and your buddies go next. The survival of your companions are determined by their loyalty to you, and the success of the mission depends on what upgrades you bring in. That’s why it’s so important to do the side missions instead of blow through the main plot. Look for supplies and invest in equipment that will aid you the most. It’s a great conclusion much like the final boss, but at the same time the game is inconsistent with what gear counts to the survival of your companions. I knew ship upgrades were, because we would fly through a field of debris and death. All my companions’ loyalty was gained, but then one of my buds who I chose to hack a door with died from a rocket to the face. Another one, the lethal assassin, died when I selected him to defend a point. One guy, who I did not choose for anything, died too. Yeah, turns out a few companions have armor enhancement you may want to buy, but I had some who I didn’t buy any for and they ended up surviving. That’s why I said the survivability seems to be inconsistent. Aside from all these odds I would consider Mass Effect 2 a nearly flawless game. It takes a few couple steps back, but huge lunges forward. It compensates for its simplicity by telling a more engaging tale and having better gameplay. It’s what a sequel should be.
Mass Effect 2 is brilliant and I think you can already predict what my end score will be. I will say though that it has made me afraid of the third game now. Mass Effect 3 from what I heard is still great, but divisive amongst the fans. For how it handled the story, lore, and ending the series. It’s one of few occasions where one entry was so good it doomed every else to come. That’s why I’m gonna take a break before ending my run with Mass Effect. This semester is going to be a little bit stressful and I want to play a few calm indies I missed out from last year. I’ll keep any of the expectations I have moderate and pray Mass Effect 3 isn’t as bad as a majority of people say. In the end I strongly recommend Mass Effect 2 and give it a 10/10 for being incredible.
