Xbox 360 Review: Mass Effect 2 (Spoiler Free)

The original Mass Effect, released over 2 years ago on Xbox 360 and PC, provided a rich and compelling single player experience praised by critics. The game raised the bar for similar games, but it was not without it flaws. Long loading times and often weak vehicle side missions marred the full experience, distracting from the high quality core game play it offered. With Mass Effect 2, Bioware have done an amazing job listening to the fans and have improved on every conceivable part of the original Mass Effect to create what quite possibly is the best single player experience on the Xbox 360 to date.

The story centres once again around Commander Shepard, and his attempt to save the known sentient worlds from extinction at the hands of the Reapers. Players will scout the universe assembling an elite team of different individuals (some human, some very alien) in an attempt to take the fight to the enemy. These individuals are all unique and well constructed. The voice acting is superb (Martin Sheen, Seth Green, Michael Beattie) and character animations convincing. Mass Effect 2 has built upon the conversation trees used in the original game, it is now possible for players to directly interrupt conversations and perform Paragon/Renegade actions. These choices even more so than before, can have dire implications to the outcome of the game, and encourage multiple playthroughs to witness the different outcomes.

The world created by Bioware is rich and diverse, steeped in fictional culture and is very easy to get lost in. Even the side missions offer compelling plot and intrigue. Most impressive is that players of the first Mass Effect game can import there character, carrying forward both traits and any decisions he/she made previously. Characters who recognise you from before will remember the choices you made previously and respond accordingly which is an incredible feeling of immersion.

Mass Effect 2 is likely to consume upwards of 30 hours of your time completing the game and its various side missions. Long gone is the need to roam empty planets looking for resources. Instead players scan planets for resources from ship orbit, occasionally picking-up on radio signals of areas to explore. Once one of these signals is found you can venture to the planets surface and investigate. Any resources gathered can then be used to purchase upgrades for Sheppard, the squad or even your ship - the Normandy. It is worth noting however that mining resources is not likely to be to everybody's taste. Whilst I personally believe it is a better approach to planet exploration than the methods used in Mass Effect, I can appreciate that some may find it laborious. Luckily it does not have to be a large part of the game, and can be mostly overlooked if required.

The visuals of Mass Effect 2 are excellent, characters are very detailed and the size of the worlds rendered impressive. Occasionally Mass Effect 2 will suffer from some texture drop-in, but this is far between and does not distract from the general game play. I particularly liked the use of lighting to create moody environments, especially in the various clubs and bars you will visit.

Another good thing about Mass Effect 2 is that you do not need to be a die-hard RPG fan to enjoy the experience it offers. The game has an easily accessible levelling system that is not over-complicated and means that players can tailor there own character to their style of play. The options available for customisation range from combat focused firefight techniques to tech and biotic skills.

The combat is one of the best features of the game as it is tight and responsive. The cover system and third-person shooting is similar in quality to Gears of War, it is easy to use and the level design complements it perfectly. Taking cover, running and jumping over obstacles can all be achieved through a single button and the directional pad; leaving you time to focus on gaining a tactical advantage over your enemies. The weapons are much more varied than in the original game and, as mentioned before, can be upgraded to improve accuracy, damage etc.

Summary

Mass Effect 2 is a technical wonder and improvement on it's predecessor in every way. In my opinion no other game on the Xbox 360 has offered more compelling storylines and varied missions, coupled with a great combat system that is both responsive and easy to use. No matter what style of game you enjoy, Mass Effect 2 offers something for everyone and with downloadable content already available (and more to come), complete with the incentive for multiple playthroughs - the game will last you a very long time. Perhaps the one drawback is that people who have not played Mass Effect will not experience the technical feat that importing your character has to offer, that said it should not be a reason to overlook this game which in my eyes is one of the best next-gen games so far.