Games of 2010: Mass Effect 2

By Tom Bramwell Published 27 December, 2010

Survivor.

They got me again when I found the MSV Estevanico.

In truth, Mass Effect has had its hooks in me since the first time I stood in front of the Citadel Council and dobbed in that crazy old bastard Saren. Back then, as I struggled to assimilate the quirks of the stupid inventory system and put up with a cover mechanic apparently thrown together on someone's lunchbreak, the scale and disposition of the universe was suddenly sold to me in seconds. With the fates of billions of lives at stake, I was told, I would need something a bit more convincing than, er, dozens of eyewitness accounts of Saren killing a fellow Spectre and ransacking Eden Prime in search of Prothean leftovers in order to get him into trouble. Disbelief: suspended.

So while everyone else sobered up at the beginning of 2010, I tore into a slightly buggy review copy of Mass Effect 2. (Don't worry - I played the whole way through a retail copy to double-check my conclusions. Twice.) At the time, I was amazed how far BioWare had gone to overpower criticisms of the first game - by scrapping my beloved Mako, streamlining all the major systems and breathing action into static conversations - but it wasn't until I first diverted myself away from the main story quest that I really fell in love again.

1

I restarted the game as a woman once just so I could nail this guy. I love this guy.

The MSV Estevanico disappeared without a trace roughly a year before the events of Mass Effect 2, only for Commander Shepard and his intergalactic recruitment roadshow to discover its epic bulk teetering over a cliff edge, crash-landed on the planet of Zanethu (Ploitari system, Hourglass Nebula - but I'm sure you knew that). And in a game where I spent most of the time ducking, diving and slinging magical homing fireballs around in-between firing sniper rounds, I found myself climbing over the gigantic corpse of the Estevanico, listening to the ghostly sighs of its creaking bones and looking for an explanation.

I flew away and landed on Canalus (Pylos Nebula, Dirada system - obviously), where I could barely see my hand in front of my face, let alone enemies popping up in the middle distance (or Miranda standing next to me - cruel and wonderful Miranda). So I tiptoed around in the fog fighting off Geth and looking for weather beacons. I think I saw a dragon. Anyway, I found some meteorological survey team corpses or something and left again.

By this stage I had completely forgotten what I was meant to be doing. I was exploring. Alone among the dozens of RPGs I've played and loved over the years, Mass Effect 2 really made me want to explore, rather than simply giving me the option to do so, and it did it really cleverly - first it encouraged me to mine unsurveyed planets using the scanner device, and then sometimes it located an anomaly, which meant it was time for an away mission, and unlike the bouncy, homogenous wilds of Mass Effect 1's epic fringes, each new destination planet had character and a story to tell.

It was on one of these mini adventures that I had my saddest experience in Mass Effect 2. For me it wasn't you-know-what, but finding the corpse of a tortured Cerberus operative and being forced to contemplate dying slowly, billions of miles from home with no hope of rescue.

Perhaps I'm a bit soft like that (most people's reaction was probably to shrug, pick up the nearby Palladium and then dust off). I was certainly a bit soft on the planet-scanning aspect of the game and the streamlined inventory in my review, or so some of you noted (screamed, whatever), but then I like it when games give me a bit of time to calm down and meditate between the heavy lifting, which the hypnotic, slow-paced scanning provided, and I like it when games weed out unnecessary maintenance and labour, as the pared-back weapon and upgrade systems seemed apt to do. (You may never agree with me on this, incidentally - but then I loved the Mako, and I don't care who knows that either.)

With a few notable exceptions (Heavy Rain, for one), we've had 12 months of safe sequels since I started Mass Effect 2, and the year's left me relatively cold. I adored Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and I had no trouble letting myself be swept along by Call of Duty: Black Ops and Halo: Reach. And even though I thought it was disappointingly staid, I still play FIFA 11 every day. But while advances have been stark in many areas of the games industry in 2010, especially motion control, I don't think they have among our core blockbusters, which have played it so safe that we predicted the five best-selling games for Christmas weeks in advance.

2

Ah, Frog Guy. (I do wish you could rename the characters like the old days.)

Mass Effect 2 is probably as guilty as anything else released this year of playing it safe. The things it changed may be bold in the context of its overly complicated predecessor, but it sticks doggedly to the BioWare funnel of RPG design: big thing happens, go find some dudes, big thing happens, maybe go shopping occasionally. And you're still exploring those conversation trees because eventually you might get to see the chick from Chuck grinding herself against your body armour in spectacularly unerotic fashion.

But still it turns out my favourite game of the year was also my first game of the year - and rather like Fable III, which I also enjoyed more than it perhaps deserved - it's the universe that won me over. Looking back on what I said when I gave Mass Effect 2 a whopping 10/10 in January, I'm drawn to one particular pretentiously written comment above all others: "Space is every bit as mythological and diverse as the old worlds of high fantasy to which RPGs are so frequently and unimaginatively confined, but in space it's rather more difficult to predict what you will encounter." Bring on the Reapers.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (73) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • HugePS3Fan #1 1 year ago

    Eh this game felt like autopilot compared to the freedom of the first one. First one was brilliant despite and partially BECAUSE of its flaws. Second one was satisfactory but one dimensional with those "flaws" removed.

    Not close to game of the year, sadly.

  • dmt2 #2 1 year ago

    The first one was great but this one got dull halfway through. It was the streamlined inventory that did it for me. I like saving up for unaffordable guns and taking away this element was a big chunk of the game. I preferred the Mako wandering but became a dab hand at the scanning. I'll give it another go in the new year, but its a measure of my dissatisfaction that its taken me a year to getting round to playing it again.

  • ubergine #3 1 year ago

    I'm hoping for the third game they find an inventory system somewhere between the first and second game. I wanted them to streamline the inventory from Mass Effect but they basically threw it out altogether! Same with the Mako, I was looking forward to the improved version. Which I guess was the entirely-optional Hammerhead Tank from the Overlord DLC.

  • HugePS3Fan #4 1 year ago

    Well said DMT. Hoping they strike a better balance in ME3

  • metalangel #5 1 year ago

    Y'know, if the 360 GOTY/ultimate edition never materializes, I am starting to wonder if that could turn out to be a good thing? I loved the first but see a lot of comments citing disappointment with the second.

  • bad09 #6 1 year ago

    Gotta agree ME2 left me slightly cold. It felt small in scale to the epic saving of the galaxy and my sexy looking galaxy saver was now an errand boy for Martin Sheen. It was hardly complexed in the original but the streamlined RPG elements took away a lot of the fun from ME1 and I found myself not really caring about the inventory. I know the Mako missions were repetitive and ultimately poor but I really liked wondering around alien planets like some away team from the Enterprise, I think they should have improved those missions rather than replace them with the god awful planet scanning.

    The story was also boring as you went around snagging new characters who were just not interesting, I didn't enjoy or care about talking to them (bar the old friends from ME1). You spent the game rounding up this boring crew and then bam end game (a rather silly and poor end game at that).

    I've said before I was almost in tears when ME1 was over and the galaxy saved and I was gagging for more but with ME2 I felt dissappointed with game right up to the abrupt and silly ending, unlike the original it was a cold experience and I was left not really caring what happened next. I will still get ME3 (even though coming back to Earth is a bit poo) as I did have some fun with ME2 but I am no longer as keen on saving the galaxy as I was after ME1 truth be told.
    Edited by bad09 at 27/12/10 @ 07:53

  • fatboy996 #7 1 year ago

    game of the year for me, loved everything about it and the download content has been the best I have seen. The Shadow Broker level is really worth buying and playing as its one of the best levels in the game.

  • CaptainQuint #8 1 year ago

    Preferred the first one. The repetitive squad loyalty mission system totally ruined the flow, for me. It was a tiresome and predictable addition to the overall structure; next time I hope they do away with the ridiculously large squad (I didn't use most of the characters) and instead concentrate on two or three sidekicks.

    Must mention the 'boxy' action environments, too. They were bland as hell. I hope the art department gets a bigger resource budget for the third game - let's see some imagination - warehouses and dull corridors are rubbish places to have shootouts in a sci-fi game.
    Edited by CaptainQuint at 27/12/10 @ 09:31

  • toy_brain #9 1 year ago

    Echoing what others have said, I was dissapointed with ME2.
    ME1 was rough and buggy in many places (I had to hard-reboot my 360 a number of times while playing it) but somehow it was more convincing in its portrayal of an entire galaxy to explore. ME2 just fealt more like a series of linear cover-based shooting sections with dialogue options at either end.
    The stripped-down inventory and planet-scanning didnt help either. Clear steps back from ME1.

  • dustrat #10 1 year ago

    Wonderful game. I think I have plowed through it five or six times :)

  • z.e.r.o #11 1 year ago

    ME2 was a bit too flat to me...
    Combat was tedious, characters where OK, but most of them are a retelling of the first one racial stereotypes.
    And, more importantly, what the hell happened to the openness? Can every location be reduced to just a huge open space (populated almost only by secondary NPC of the last chapter)?
    The Drells really seemed a last-minute addition. In all the game only 4 exists and three of them are post-launch DLC... How can a game with so many weak points be even near to a GOTY status? Gamers really need to point and shoot to be happy?

    Very sad for someone like me that really liked the realism and detail of the first game. It seemed a lot more organic, more an interactive story than a linear, level-based, mediocre shooter.

  • TheNinkyNonk #12 1 year ago

    As with every other shooter/action/RPG hybrid I've played, this did a grand job of the RPG elements but wrapped it up in a dated, mediocre shooter (one where I couldn't even swap shoulder-cam to look round corners without walking out!!). Same with Oblivion, Fallout and Bioshock. The only one that's nailed the shooting was Borderlands but that was very hollow and flat when it came to story and characters.

    When will they ever learn to properly fuse all the ingredients?

  • MadCaddy13 #13 1 year ago

    My game of the year

  • The-Bodybuilder #14 1 year ago

    I thought ME2 was awesome. Sure not as good as the first, but it's the 2nd of the trilogy, which is always the hardest game storywise.
    Yes taking out the mako was dumb, and the world did seem a bit streamlined, but there were fantastic bits.Sorry, I disagree with anyone that says the cast were boring, as they were far more fleshed out than the first. The mission of Jacob's Dad is still one of my fav missions. And people who say that clearly didn't play the shadow broker DLC (best DLC by far).

    Awesome game, can't wait for the 3rd.

  • Chalee #15 1 year ago

    Mordin is entirely awesome.

    That is all.

  • Killerbee #16 1 year ago

    I'm surprised by all the negative comments here. You miserable lot! Personally this game is second only to Heavy Rain this year for the way it drew me into its fiction and wouldn't let go until the credits rolled. I agree that the first game had the better story (and i missed the Mako too) but it played better and I loved ME2's characters and settings and the whole universe.

    I also think Bioware deserve enormous credit for the way all my decisions in the first game were carried over and I really can't wait for Mass Effect 3.

  • anomagnus #17 1 year ago

    My game of year 2010. I replayed it 8 times, 3 pf them back to back. Naysayers aside, nagging about the trees, while missing the forest, this game was a massive success for bioware, and I'm pleased for them.

    Roll on ME3

  • 43n1m4 #18 1 year ago

    Definitely the best game I've played this year - and I've been through a lot of games.
    The first game was great but technically flawed, ME2 is much more in-depth with its characters and the dialogue is excellent throughout. I understand that people have different opinions, but calling ME2 for 'disappointing' would be the same as calling Blade Runner 'mediocre' imo. Make of that what you will.
    The only thing that seemed a bit out of place was the ending. But that's it.
    Edited by 43n1m4 at 27/12/10 @ 10:18

  • Shrike #19 1 year ago

    My game of the year simply because it took up so much brain time - even if part of that was trying to rationalise my disappointment. I'm a Mako-loving ME1-ite at heart, and had ME2 been just a little more callous in its rejection of the first game I probably would have hated it. As it is, the little tributes kept me going through what, ultimately, was simply a different experience to the one I was expecting.

    Couldn't be more excited for ME3, even though I can see the whole process repeating itself. The difficult thing is going to be ignoring any and all news from here on out: I simply do not trust EA's marketing department not to ruin plot points in their shitty little PR drip-feed. It's getting to the stage now where my main criticism of modern BioWare, and the one I wish they'd take most to heart, is that they're in the business of telling stories and the way they sell them is fundamentally detrimental to that. The Garrus reveal in ME2 was probably my favourite gaming moment of the year. Had I watched the launch trailer, I wouldn't have had it.

  • menage #20 1 year ago

    Jeez, some of you people should find another hobby, Bunch of vinegar drinking sour grapes the lot.

    I get why people think the first is better, they're just wrong:D

    The inventory in the first was so crap I was glad it was gone. I never get why that stuff was that important anyway if you're just going to select the best weapon anyway Filling up the inventory with useless crap like FFXIII is not the way. I'd rather have cool chahacters and great story's than a lame stat screen and missing a shot while standing at point blank range just because the dices are being thrown in the background. Don't get me started on the Mako missions. Filler crap.

    GOTY for me, although RDR is inches away from it.
    Edited by menage at 27/12/10 @ 10:27

  • bladdard #21 1 year ago

    Goty for me no brainer, I loved the loyalty missions and the general plot, the ending was a mess and as for the mineral planet raping mini game don't even go there but ME2 was more than the sum of it's parts.

  • Inquisitor #22 1 year ago

    Surprised with all the downvotes for people saying they prefer the first, it's hardly raging fanboyism to hold that opinion. I'm torn to be honest, on the one hand there are certain things I loved about the first, some of them were unjustifiably complained about so much BioWare either had to drastically improve them or remove them (lifts, Mako), it's unfortunate they chose the easy option.

    On the other hand the mechanics in ME2 are mostly far superior. I do miss the staid customisation options but again, they took the easier option of instead of refining the inventory system just stripping it back to it's most basic elements. So, you're right Mr Bramwell, in many ways this is a 'safe' sequel, instead of fixing anything people had complaints about in the first they mostly just ripped them right out. Still, the quests were mostly more enjoyable, the story was great if not as epic as the first and the characters were as fun and interesting as before.

  • Hei #23 1 year ago

    Why is Miranda so damn ugly when her real model is so cute?

  • Old_Books #24 1 year ago

    My 2nd game of the year after Galaxy. I do think it's inferior to the first but then ME1 is my favourite game this gen. Hope they get the story back on track; aside from a couple of good plot points, it seemed Bioware got carried away with the fact that Martin Sheen voiced The Illusive Man.

  • mazzl #25 1 year ago

    i loved me2 ! just perfect how the first game is connected to the second, loading you're old savegame.
    great story telling and loads of drama on the side. thane's son, the duaghter of that asari, and other people.
    the planet scanning was a bit meh, but the dlc with the taxi driving was great!

  • Chalee #26 1 year ago

    Now I insist that one of you writes up Bayonetta.

  • HistoryTeller #27 1 year ago

    Great read and, for me, without competition game of the year! And You are so right about the mining and Mako bits. It fits very well into the game.

  • GamesConnoisseur #28 1 year ago

    Game of the Year for me and no I m not tabloid reading and easy to please type!

    ME2 may have it's critics, who are entitled to their opinions, but seem to me they would be happier with the Morrowind the Space Opera game but at the expense of the game itself! As certainly wouldn't be well taken by huge number of fans and even then EA are disappointed that ME aren't as hot as Halo, God of War etc.

    So BioWare got the toughest job of trying to keep the game within role playing genre AND appealing to a greater number of gamers,

    Between the two big tent poles of RPG this year, FFXIII and ME2, delighted that BioWare succeeded, and now adding PS3 fans to the mix. Looking forward to ME3 and BioWare don't go Morrowind on us, however excellent the actual game was, the mechanics simply put off many people at the very first hurdle.

  • LiamK #29 1 year ago

    I'm surprised that some people think the characters in the second game are dull. Granted, Jacob is only a bit better than Kaiden, and Jack is a bit... meh. But Thane? Zaeed? Frigging Mordin? Put them up with Garrus, a vastly more interesting Tali and Joker and the characters alone make this my game of the year.

  • killemoff #30 1 year ago

    So much hate for those who didn't like ME2, sheesh.

    Well, i personally join that crew. ME1 is one of my favorite games of the decade, probably ever. The scale of the plot and events surrounding it was huge, and although it was a bit more streamlined than previous Bioware titles, it still had some exploration and choices available that affected the outcome of the area you were in.

    ME2 was a streamlining of a streamline. The sidequests were now a secondary mission to the main ones, exploration was cut down to a bare minimum, when it existed at all, and the scale of events just didn't hold up to the original game, but then again, it would be hard to top that without making it way over the top.

    Did i think ME2 was a great game? Yes, undoubtedly. Does it top ME1 in my book? Not at all.
    Edited by killemoff at 27/12/10 @ 11:59

  • septimus #31 1 year ago

    GOTY.

  • BlinkeredAxis #32 1 year ago

    Big fan. You know, if I had a preview of ME2 in 1990 I would've gone into a stasis pod and
    slept until release. It's just so great. And as an OCD guy, the mining was fun too.

  • The_Inquisitor #33 1 year ago

    I 'nailed' Garrus too. The conversations leading up to the 'deed' made it worth it, he was so funny as he awkwardly asked about how to do it with a human. :D

  • Lukree #34 1 year ago

    Was pretty as hell, design wise really epic proportions for space operah.

    Will be downvoted for sure, but in the end ME2 was way too linear compared to the first one. Hated that they abandoned inventory system. The fights were even more dull compared to the first ME: throw some magic and shoot, no matter who the enemy is - repeat.

  • deiseach #35 1 year ago

    I hear Mass Effect 3 is going to consist of Shepard reading the London telephone directory out loud. Should be good with the female Shepard. The male one, not so much

  • DiamondIce #36 1 year ago

    My GOTY plus discounted DLC tomorrow. Looking forward to playing through again.

  • dr_faulk #37 1 year ago

    I made the wrong choice on Tali's loyalty mission - genuinely believing I was doing the right thing - and the ensuing after-shocks in the game put me in a very strange emotional state for the rest of the day, feeling guilty, feeling confused. Very few games can do that to you.

    Easily in the top 5 of the decade.

  • Hindle #38 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 23:04:43 04-04-2012

  • icematt12 #39 1 year ago

    I loved the Mako. Worst part was the planets (and a couple of moons with an asteroid), said it a few times and saying it again. Large, empty areas with poor textures and getting stuck on mountains is not fun.

    Here's hoping ME3 is more like a hybrid of the first two. ME2 however is still my GotY, now to import my just finished Infiltrator.

  • chris_ace #40 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • JoeBlade #41 1 year ago

    Loved the game, although also thought the RPG aspect was a bit too dimmed down compared to ME1. I played it through as a vanguard the first time but despite focusing heavily on close combat I was still forced to fight from cover most of the time. This left me feeling the investment in gear and skills was somewhat wasted and there was really only one 'right' way to tackle the bulk of the encounters, which is very un-RPG.
    And a +1 to the streamlining of the inventory system being excessive. Simply stacking identical items and adding item type filters would've been sufficient to make ME1's inventory pleasant to use.

    However, I for one was very, very glad to be rid of the Mako and generic planet exploration.

    Roll on ME3!

  • RelaxedMikki #42 1 year ago

    I loved ME2. Obviously improved shooting mechanics and graphics over the original are a big boost.

    Like a lot of folks, I reckon the 'shape' of the plot in ME1 was much more interesting though. In ME2 the structure and length for each of the recruit and loyalty missions, for each of the characters, was very similar. It became very predictable. Even the side missions were all pretty similar in structure and length (with just a couple of exceptions).

    In contrast, ME1 was convoluted with interconnected side-missions and planets with different amounts of stuff to do on. You had no idea what to expect. And then the last few hours of ME1 are (in my opinion) really great. I got pulled right into the plot from the revelation of what Saren's spacecraft really was right up to the conclusion. Real sense of urgency and excitement - what a great video game can really do that other mediums cannot.

    So ME2 was great. But ME1 using the ME2 engine would be better than ME2.

    Also, anyone else a little worried that the ME3 trailer seems to be full of versions of the end boss from ME2? I was kind of hoping they'd forget about that thing! It was a little embarrassing...!

    EDIT: attempt to make my rambling sentences a bit more coherent...
    Edited by RelaxedMikki at 27/12/10 @ 15:26

  • Zaiz #43 1 year ago

    ME2 is my GotY, narrowly beating Red Dead.

    ME1's RPG elements were immersion breaking, especially the tweaky inventory system. I'm a little disappointed they removed the Mako, but I'm also glad they did, since 90% of the time I was in the Mako it was incredibly repetitive and dull. Oh, and ME1's shooting elements were just ridiculously poorly done. To see ME1's mediocrity with a good universe turn into ME2 was a delight.

    Edit: Person above me just reminded me about, uh the end boss. I actually admittedly enjoyed him, mostly because I hit him with the nuke twice. I was basically amused by the dumb gamebreaker that had been handed to me than anything else.

    I also actually didn't mind the mining all that much in my second playthrough. I paced myself on it, and rapidly found myself with more than 50k of everything except Element Zero without feeling like I'd spent real time on it.(Note: I used a mouse. Analogue sticks turn the mining into hell.)
    Edited by Zaiz at 27/12/10 @ 15:28

  • natashaspice #44 1 year ago

    dont know why people are getting negged for saying they dont like the game, everyone has different type of tastes. certain people get drawn in by the hype to find out they dont like that type of gameplay style. take heavy rain for example a excellent game but i have no doubt in my mind some people are not gonna like it, think its the same thing here. i dont like it neither it still doesnt make it a bad game its just not for me.
    Edited by natashaspice at 03/01/11 @ 21:03

  • dfua #45 1 year ago

    I really enjoyed ME2. It's a great game but I only played through it once compared with the three times for the original. It gained a lot of good will continuing your story and being reminded of your decisions from the original but in the next one they need to step back and give some more freedom back to the player.

    I just hope they dont continue stripping the game back ala Fable in the name of accessibility. The inventory only needed minor tweaks, the mako just needed proper content, the lifts were far better than loading screens, and I really liked the rewards for achievements in ME1. The second game felt much smaller and more linear, if they carry on we'll end up with a shiny Gears of War with dialogue and the occasional choice thrown in.

  • Khorrax #46 1 year ago

    I checked this expecting to see ME2 praised as the best game ever and to my surprise, there are lots of people saying the first one was better from many points of view. I'm glad to see there are still gamers out there who don't get carried away by the hype surrounding a game.

    And I'd love to see an article or a comment section for ME2 without mentioning the word "streamlined". To me, it's just a fancy way of saying dumbed-down (at least in the case of Mass Effect 2).

    I'm hoping Mass Effect 3 will be more like the first game of the trilogy, where I actually cared about characters and I was torn when I had to make a certain choice (Virmire mission). Not to mention the joy of exploring (explore as in actually going on a planet and roaming around, instead of playing a stupid mini game and entering a tiny map when you found the right spot) new worlds and see those amazing skies.

  • MiY4MOTO #47 1 year ago

    Far and away my GoTY 2010. Nothing came close to it for my money. I was a big fan of ME1 bur I did feel that they were a little over zealous with some of the streamlining they did (I loved the Mako) but although I hated the original inventory I missed the customisations etc. possible in the first game.

    Other than that, it never put a foot wrong for me. Finished it a few times, got a save part way through on Insane that I need to revisit and even thinking about picking up the PS3 version as well to complete a 5th play through with a female Shepard. (I've yet to play as a female Shepard in either game)

    Roll on 2011 and Mass Effect 3!

    (Just please don't do a Fable and ruin the third chapter!)

  • Graveland #48 1 year ago

    This may make me sound like Cynic of the Century, but I've noticed increasing criticism of this game from the 360 crowd since it was announced for the PS3. When it was an exclusive for the 360 (ignoring the PC) it was heralded as the best game since Sliced Bread (fantastic game released in 1986), but now it's making its way to the PS3 there seems to be growing criticism from the 360 side. Makes me think that either it was praised so vehemently simply to taunt PS3 owners, or there's a serious case of sour grapes from the 360 side now that it's moving to the PS3.

    Personally, I think it looks awesome and really enjoyed the demo so i'll be picking it up regardless.
    Edited by Graveland at 27/12/10 @ 16:40

  • brazzauk #49 1 year ago

    Not just GOTY for me but one of my top 5 of all time.

    Played through 3 times now. Never once been bored. Stunning game added to by some great DLC (Shadow Broker is great, Overlord is very good)

    Cant wait for ME3!

  • dfua #50 1 year ago

    ME1 was a flawed masterpiece while ME2 is a well polished great game. As others have said they played it safe. I think if you loved the first it's hard to feel quite the same way about the second, while if you didn't get on with it or didn't play it then you'll love ME2. ME1 is an RPG with shooter elements, ME2 is a cinematic space shooter with rpg elements.

    In ME2 it felt less like my Shepard as you had less control over your skills, appearance, weapons/ammo/grenades, and I didn't bond with the squad in the same way. I wouldn't have cared about losing any of them. It was only the continuation from ME1 that provided that link.

    Also, I hope Bioware allow Shepard to remove his/her helmet when not in combat in ME3. Wearing a helmet all the time was a really bizarre decision in a game where conversations and facial expressions are such a big part.
    Edited by dfua at 27/12/10 @ 17:28

  • JediMasterMalik #51 1 year ago

    Great game, rubbish RPG. I doubt they plan on taking it back to RPG roots, so I suggest they just make the 3rd an excellent TPS.

  • LiamK #52 1 year ago

    At this point it should be pointed out that Female Shepard > Male Shepard. By far.

  • photoboy #53 1 year ago

    Beyond a shadow of a doubt my game of the year. I enjoyed the first Mass Effect but it was distinctly flawed, particularly the combat, cover, inventory and Mako portions. But ME2 utterly blew me away. I guessed even back then that it would be my game of the year, and it's been a hell of a good year for games too.

    The story, the characters, the gameplay were all nigh on perfect in my book. I saw Avatar not long after finishing ME2 and was left distinctly unimpressed with that world, I'd fallen in love with a much more exciting and compelling universe.

    I'm very excited about ME3, but ME2 has set the bar so ridiculously high that I'm not sure it could ever live up to my expectations now.

  • Stuz359 #54 1 year ago

    IMO ME2 was far superior to ME1. I love both, but the simple fact is, ME2 is bigger, has more and more varied side missions and has vastly improved play mechanics. Yes, things are streamlined, but I would rather have that than the overcomplicated mess of ME1's inventory system. ME1 also had the unfortunate side mission thing where every single one of them was EXACTLY the same, in terms of mission structure and in terms of graphical variety.

    However, the ending on ME2 felt strangely truncated, like it should have been at least one more mission before it ended. It just seemed rushed.

  • DogbarDust #55 1 year ago

    I loved ME1 but two felt weird i could tell i was bein tricked into thinkin it was an open world instead of it actually bein open, and losin the mako was was a fuck up, sometimes the low points in a game serve to highlight the high points.
    Edited by DogbarDust at 27/12/10 @ 20:03

  • figaro7 #56 1 year ago

    Took me from release til 2 weeks ago to get back into mass effect 2, just didnt grab me in the first few hours but im glad i went back to it. Its a thoroughly enjoyable experience and probably sits in my top 5 games of the year.

  • carlosdfn #57 1 year ago

    One of the best games ever. One of the very best new IPs this generation has brought us, simply brilliant.

  • dancingrob #58 1 year ago

    the main story from ME1, with the side missions and engine from ME2 would be almost the perfect game.

    It had a serious case of 'middle part of trilogy' syndrome for the most part, and the overall story arc was pretty poor, particularly the ending. However, the loyalty missions, notably Thane's were comfortably better than any side missions from the first game.

    Unlike some, I can't get particularly upset by the loss of a fairly dull and fiddly weapon customisation system, but the loss of the mako, and the introduction of the planet scanning (pre title update version) both feel like mis-steps.

    All in all, a very enjoyable game, but one that was somehow less than the sum of it's parts, whereas ME1 was most definitely the opposite.

  • CaptainTrips #59 1 year ago

    For me Mass Effect 2 is not only game of the year, but quite possibly the greatest game of all time (the other contender for me being SMG 1 and 2).

    i enjoyed Mass Effect 1 a lot - it had a great story built around an expansive Sci-Fi universe, but there were far too many "traditional" RPG staples preventing it from achieving true greatness - a ridiculously crappy inventory system, terrible vehicle sections, and cookie cutter side missions which all felt exactly the same. These issues, on top of a cover shooting system which felt half finished left the game feeling like a flawed masterpiece, which had soooooo much potential.

    Mass Effect 2 is the biggest leap in quality between sequels I can remember in a game (with the possible exception of Assassin's Creed 2). Inventory system too cumbersome? Lets get rid of it! Mako sections not fun? Gone! You want unique side missions? There you go! Granted, the planet probing is horribly laborious, but the rest is Western RPG gaming at it's very, very best.

    As far as I am concerned, the only game that has any chance of coming remotely close to Mass Effect 2 in the action RPG genre in the next five years is Mass Effect 3. Roll on winter 2011!

  • Badassbab #60 1 year ago

    I love this game....but I think the gaming press went way way overboard with it's praise. I mean technically it's only a middleware UE3 and I thought the Reaper storyline from ME1 was way better than the Collector storyline if ME2. Also I preferred the RPGness of ME1 to the more linear TPS gameplay of ME2. There's something very sterile about ME2. Don't get me wrong I think it's amazing but after playing Uncharted 2 it didn't seem as amazing.

  • ShiroBen #61 1 year ago

    ME2 is my favourite game of 2010 for many reasons, but more than anything else it's because it made me care about its characters. There are a lot of games I'm interested in, quite a few I'm looking forward to, but Mass Effect 3 is the only game I'm actually excited about.

  • coley89 #62 1 year ago

    @brazzauk
    Totally agree, brilliantly addictive game that kept getting better :)

  • mushroomyakuza #63 1 year ago

    Can't believe the slating this game is getting. Easily GOTY, no doubt.

    Sure ME1 had it's moments - much tougher decisions that had severe consequences, and most importantly, a more story-orientated main quest as opposed to ME2's recruiting and loyalty missions taking up the vast bulk of the game.

    But the inventory system was just a mess and the Mako was like a two-legged horse. I was glad to be rid of both. That said, some criticism here is valid: BioWare's aesthetics were far better here than ME1 (except for the Citadel) but there was a sense of the game being a corridor shooter at times.

    For ME3, I sincerely hope they add a level of inventory customization, but nothing on the scale of ME1's disastrous hoarding. I also advocate a smaller squad, but hope most of them are characters returning from both ME1 and 2.

    As for the minigame system, as far as I'm concerned, yes the probing was dull, but still better than ME1's system, which was just tedious. It's hard to criticize BioWare when I myself have no better suggestions, but I think they need to make the minigames more interesting and reduce the number of them drastically. Leave us wanting more. More puzzles, less point and click. Think the puzzle in the Noverian reactor core.

    The main thing I'd like to see more of is a balance of side missions and main quests. ME1 had some side missions but they were dull, dull, dull. ME2 had tons with the character loyalty stuff, but it ended up overwhelming the main storyline missions, if which there were very few. Find a balance BioWare, make it a 65/35 split with the storyline as the majority. This the final chapter and I'm not excited about any book, movie TV show or game as much as this one. Roll on next year.

  • tyrant1 #64 1 year ago

    This review does a very good job of making out those pathetic, 5 minute side missions ME2 offered were anything other than complete crap.

    Pile another on the dissatisfied crown here. The game was too constricted and linear, and too 1 dimensional for my taste.

    Deny it all you want, but most of the game will not be spent exploring a vast, interesting galaxy. It will not be unraveling the main story the first game introduced, or even exploring the many characters backstories, like some people claim ME2 does.

    No, most of the game will be spent engaging in a linear, cover shooting trawl. Just because you stick a "gain characters loyalty" tag on these linear shooter missions doesnt mean the game is character driven, or has character depth. Many of the characters will not speak to you unless you romance them for gods sake.

    No Mass Effect 2 is my disappointment of the year Im afraid. They had me down on my knees begging for more with ME1, even as horrifically flawed as it was, and in response in ME2, they ignored my needs and focused on trying to appease shooter fans. Both those who complained about ME1, and those who didnt care about ME1.

    My wish from Bioware to rectify this would be in ME3 to give RPG players equal thought in development, instead of just blatantly neglecting them. Also concentrate on making the traditional gameworld and solid story structure that Bioware are known for. Maybe then the characters can fit in as more than just mere objectives, but fully realised people trapped in these epic events, like in ME1.

  • Talbot #65 1 year ago

    Give the RPG side a good going but for Gods sake don't turn it into some Micro rubbish that only Asians and Germans like.

  • Lalaland #66 1 year ago

    This was the definition of 'safe' sequel, they threw out anything that required thought or strategy and turned into a slightly non-linear third person shooter. I mean they even brought ammo back to appease the twitch crowd ('why cant I fire mah lazer????').

    I too loved the last vestiges of roleplaying and exploration left in the game but to call the planet scanning mechanic anything other than make work is ridiculous. The best levels were indeed those side missions but they were gutted (remember the 'flip three switches and go' planet?).

    A 9/10 shooter a 7/10 RPG

  • sakealex #67 1 year ago

    Haters sound like the fat comic guy from the simpsons, they like to complain about anything. Relax and play the game you might even like it. I love it and would have it's babies ;). PS never played the first, maybe that's a good thing. HATERS GONNA HATE.

  • Genji #68 1 year ago

    Someone said it before, and I'll say it again: ME2 was ME1 with all the shit bits removed.

    Superb game, and I can't wait for the third!

    And I don't hate people who preferred the first. Despite how utterly, utterly wrong they are. :)
    Edited by Genji at 29/12/10 @ 08:55

  • geeza2020 #69 1 year ago

    ME2 was a great game, easily one of the best of this year. I was just a bit disappointed with the planet scanning nonsense, and the slightly over-streamlined RPG mechanics made it feel a bit shallow in places. But the characters, places, and amazing story more than make up for this. I just hope that for the third game they put a bit more RPG back in to the mix.

  • intpleeus #70 1 year ago

    ME2 was never going to have the emotional impact of the original. It is better when judged against almost every objective criterion, but it doesn't matter because the original was first. By ME2, people had already seen the Citadel, the reapers had been exposed, and the codex had been combed over for information. Some of the wonder that accompanies entering into a vast and unknown universe is lost when it is revisited. ME2 like going back to a favourite vacation spot: it may be nice, but some of the thrill is inevitably lost when one already knows what lies beyond the hill on the horizon, or is at least is in a position to make a good educated guess. It wasn't really until the final scenes of ME2, when passing through the Omega Relay into the unknown, that such feelings were ignited once again. The final couple hours of ME2 were spectacular, in my opinion, even if some of the events that went before were merely very good.
    Edited by intpleeus at 29/12/10 @ 22:48

  • Number1Laing #71 1 year ago

    This is a good game but I really don't like how Bioware streamlined so many things out of the game. It just doesn't feel like a sequel to the original as much as an action-y spin-off. Even the storyline felt a bit like a spin-off.

    No fan of Mass Effect 1 is denying the problems that game had but it is incorrect to say the choices were ME1's flawed options or ME2's nothing. Yea the Mako sucked but all it needed were some control tweaks and different planets to explore. The inventory system and interface was a total disaster in Mass Effect 1, yes... but come on, there are good RPG inventory systems. Bioware's even designed a few. Why not use one of those? I was hoping that Bioware would approach ME2 the way they approached Baldur's Gate 2 but obviously that's not the case.

    I wouldn't necessarily complain about an action game with some light RPG elements, but some of the streamlining is just shabby. The weapon/armor system feels confused and arbitrary. The lack of places to explore on the Citadel is downright criminal considering how amazing that place was in the first game. Character customization is so limited. Planet scanning is just awful, a terrible idea poorly designed and implemented.

    Yea the dialogue system and choices are amazing, the mission design is great, the graphics are stunning and the combat is truly good. But this is still a deeply flawed game.

    Edited by Number1Laing at 30/12/10 @ 06:15

  • Darth_Flibble #72 1 year ago

    The Mass Effect inventory system was terrible but instead of fixing, they throw the idea away and come with something dumbed down (they can call it streamlined all they want) The mako and the planets just needed to be better, the planet terrains didn't work with the mako. Instead they come up with planet mining from orbit, it was dull and boring. There is no hate at ME2 here just some disappointment at some of the choices to aim it for the shooter market. The trouble is these type of gamers are never happy till it becomes "generic shooter #320000" Some gamers on other forums hated the conservations and boasted they rushed past them to get back to shooting.

  • AgentCool #73 1 year ago

    I was hugely disappointed with this after loving the first one. In fact, I couldn't even be bothered after ten hours though I may give it another go at some point. As others have said, it just didn't have the same feeling of freedom as the first and the story was nowhere near as involving.