Disclaimer: There are NO SPOILERS in this review.
“Mass Effect 2”, Bioware’s new Action Adventure RPG, continues the events of Commander Shepherd’s heroic (or sinister, depending on the player) quest to save the galaxy from certain destruction.
Fans who have long awaited this sequel’s release will not be disappointed.
The combat system has been heavily upgraded: battles feel less like an RPG and more like a shooter, without losing the best aspects of both genres. The A.I. are smarter and more tactical, and the damage modeling engine has been vastly improved.
However, one complaint is that when something dies, the “rag-doll” physics exhibited in the corpse takes away from the realism.
“Mass Effect 2” also features regenerating health as its primary health mechanic, instead of being able to heal with “medi-gel” as in the first game.
In addition, the overheat system for weapons has been replaced with collectible heat sinks. This system is functionally identical to the ammunition systems in other third-person shooters, but instead of having different ammunition types for different weapons, the heat sinks are universal for all weapons.
Characters are now able to use any weapon their class is trained for at full effect, meaning the player is no longer required to or able to invest in weapon skills.
Armor skills have also been removed, and there are no longer class restrictions on armor.
Also, there are more types of weapons ranging from rocket launchers, to sub-machine guns. Grenades were removed from the game.
The world is more open-ended in this installment; the random planets in the solar system that you could explore in the first game return, only this time they have more to offer the player in terms of detail and content. Thankfully, the M35 Mako is no longer available for planetary exploration, instead, a Kodiak drop shuttle, which the player cannot directly pilot, will deposit the player on foot into areas of immediate interest.
The camera positioning for conversations with A.I. characters has also been improved, instead of a static view, a new cinematic-type camera is used, adding a new dimension to the gameplay.
Another new feature during conversations are context-sensitive controls; Shepherd is now able to interrupt the dialogue with aggressive tactics when prompted with the on-screen controls. Bioware also included a character import feature, allowing you to import your character from the previous game, assuming that you beat it. Players who have not played the first “Mass Effect” will start a new character in “Mass Effect 2,” and will be brought up to speed on the story elements that have taken place thus far in the series. Also, characters from the previous game will come back, provided that they were not killed.
When transferring a file from the first “Mass Effect,” players have the option to change their class to a different one. For example, if the player wanted to play as an Engineer instead of an Infiltrator, the player may change their character’s class while still importing the choices made in the first game. In addition, there is a story explanation as to how the character’s abilities have changed.
Players receive bonuses for importing save games; for example, importing a level 60 Shepherd provides the player with one hundred thousand credits, ten thousand of each resource, bonus paragon and renegade points, and allows them to start at Level 5. Additionally, the achievement Long Service Medal requires the player to beat the game twice; however, the player can also get the achievement for completing it once with an imported Shepherd.
Erick’s Score- 5/5 Stars
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