Bioware’s release of Mass Effect in 2007 was something of a statement of intent from the producer in what it wanted to produce.Perhaps tired of the restraints given to them from producing Star Wars games, Bioware produced what was potentially a masterpiece which was unfortunately flawed.  Although it was a massive success and a whole new franchise was built with their own space opera, Bioware understood that enhancements and adjustments needed to be made if they were to cement this franchise into something a lot more sustainable than the original.

The moment you put Mass Effect 2 into your drive and you begin the opening sequences you have a feeling that something special is about to happen.  Perhaps it is the anticipation from the amount of hype that has surrounded the game or perhaps you realise that Bioware has absolutely nailed the composition of storylines and the immersive adventures that you plunge head first into from titles like Dragon Age: Origins.  Whatever it is, Mass Effect has that feeling of grabbing you with a vice like grip, squeezing every last ounce of feeling from you until you will be sitting there thinking.  I want to play again, or for fook sake, when is Mass Effect 3 coming out!  It can be that intense at times and that thrilling and has definitely found itself as the master of the genre which may be hard to beat for sometime yet.

Mass Effect 2 plays in the same way as the original, build your team, gain their loyalty through a solid dialogue system and progress through the game unearthing the stories many cliffhangers but the refinements in every aspect of the game makes Mass Effect 2 a truely remarkable achievement.  The storyline itself is worthy of standing against any great film script and although I will not go into it here as I want you to experience it for yourself is something to behold.

The combat system has been overhauled to with more a more precise targeting and cover system that will not fail you at any point.  With the amount of action and things to think about whilst in combat even the most casual of gamers will not struggle to be able to pick this up and learn to play quickly.  Weapon mods, ammo and cooldowns have also been looked at to provide a fluid fighting experience that is very accessible for people well versed in the art of Mass Effect gameplay down to the gamer who’s first experience with Mass Effect 2 will not diminish feeling that they are out of their depth.

Side quests from the original Mass Effect title were shallow and felt as though they were not worth completing.  In Mass Effect 2 the side quests have depth, meaning and an understanding where making the right decisions will change the scripting over the course of the game.  Planets are accessed through an improved map on the Normandy which can be mined for minerals to help re-strcture your weapons and are now fun to visit, scan and send probes in to extract the minerals found.  Side quests can also be opened in the same way and with a personal messaging system you will never be too lost on what to do, where to go and how to tailor the adventure for your own personal taste.

Another massive change is the character depth.  We are not talking the main protagonists here but the characters that work in the background to make the adventure more believable.  Mass Effect had a problem with characters that were bland and not developed properly.  Not with Mass Effect 2 though.  Every character that you can talk to has depth, meaning, an agenda and sometimes their own personal nuances that become apparent further into the game.  These character actually have personalities that make it a joy to talk to, gain information from and change the course of your story depending on how nic or how much of a bastard you want to be.  Something that has definitely been learnt and built upon from previous Bioware products.

There are small problems with Mass Effect 2 but nothing that will overshadow the grandeur of the title.  You squad may glitch in certain places as they did with me.  Is it something to be concerned about?  Well, not really, it didn’t bother me, was not a game breaker and didn’t destroy the flow at any point.  It did happen enough though for it to be worthy of writing about but I am, at present, being the pickiest bugger I can to find fault with what could be considered a pretty faultless game.  With over 20 hours of main storyline to go through and what I consider as near a perfect lesson in the art of storytelling, graphical and level design, something has to go wrong somewhere and this was the only thing that stood out a little.

Overall, Mass Effect 2 is the space adventure RPG shooter that people have wanted for a long time.  It excels in every part of its structure and fails to disappoint for a moment.  The game plays better for Mass Effect officianadoes due to the fact that your stats can be imnported from the first title and decisions that were made there will have an effect in this game as I would imagine that anything carried from this game will have an effect in Mass Effect 3.  This should not put off the gamers that want to delve into the Mass Effect universe for the first time as you will be immersed in the depth of its gameplay and immediately fall in love with it.

Mass Effect 2 delivers the RPG element and story arc very successfully but never lets you forget the fact that there is a solid third person shooter embedded into the game’s fluid production.  Probably not the game for everyone but certainly the game for the RPG masses and the best rendition of a game in this genre to come out ever.  Bioware has excelled itself once again in delivering a masterpiece that can now take the flawed tag away and replace it with perfect.  A game in this genre comes along once in a blue moon and I feel that the only game that will eventually topple it will be the next release of the final part in its trilogy.