Mass Effect 2 is a game that will be surprising with its depth and be a joy for every moment spent playing it. The best part of Mass Effect 2 is the story, which is made personal by every choice a player has their character make. Players start off the game by creating a character, called Commander Shepard. If players own Mass Effect 1, the story is made even more personal by the fact that they can import the Commander Shepard from Mass Effect 1, and any choice you made in the first game has impact on its sequel.
Once Commander Shepard is imported or created, the game begins with a bang and doesn’t stop till the end credits roll. As Shepard, players are required to recruit various squad members who are experts in different fields and are required to complete a “suicide mission” to save the galaxy. The depth of the characters is where the game shows off its strengths. Squad members that Shepard recruits have their own loyalty missions that players must complete to survive the impending suicide mission. Each loyalty mission shows how well rounded each character is and how much thought and work the writers put into the game.
The combat sections of the game have vastly improved from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2. It plays more like a first-person shooter game than a conventional role-playing game. The various powers, like the telekinetic biotics, and tech powers add an extra level to the playing experience that makes it more tactical.
One downside to the game is the necessity that players have to play a planet scanning mini-game to collect minerals necessary for upgrades for weapons, and the player’s spaceship. Also at times a player’s character might get stuck in the environment or the sound might cut out, but not often enough to really affect the majority of the game.
Overall, Mass Effect 2 is a very polished game that will leave players with the desire to replay it again and wondering when Mass Effect 3 is going to be announced. The consequences of the player’s choices have immediate impact in the game and provide endless entertainment just to see what choice will cause what kind of result. This game definitely deserves a five out of five.