Summary: Another excellent storyline with new and old compelling characters make for a great and memorable game.
Score:4/5
Platform:Xbox One (backwards compatible), Xbox 360, PC. I played it on the Xbox One.
This is a review for people who have never played the game. The review is FREE OF SPOILERS and I am covering the game from the storytelling perspective.
This game rewards players who have played Mass Effect 1 but considers that this may be an individual’s first Mass Effect experience. To that effect there is a process by which new players can make key decisions for Mass Effect 1 that will help prepare their Mass Effect 2 characters. Thus it is not necessary to have played Mass Effect 1 in order to enjoy Mass Effect 2.
For those of us who played Mass Effect 1 we get the option to import our character, complete with all the decisions made and the level at which we finished the game. It makes for a richer experience for returning gamers.
Overview
Once again you play the intrepid Commander Shepard (male or female) who is faced with another epic galactic threat that he must overcome. (My commander Shepard was male).
The Positive:
There is an amazing pre-credits sequence with results I completely did not expect. Without getting into spoilers, there is a two year story jump that makes for an interesting narrative with respect to the characters from Mass Effect 1. This jump yields more than a few surprises.
There were excellent storylines for Tali, Garrus, Thane and Miranda who were my favorite characters by far.
I found it interesting that once characters begin to trust Commander Shepard, it unlocks a new outfit for that character.
Beware: Actions and the sequences in which you undertake certain missions have serious consequences. This really enhances the gameplay/storyline as you feel the impact of your decisions throughout the game and the series.
Commander Shepard's quarters are interesting, telling you a bit more about him. He has Ashley's photo on his desk (if you romanced her in Mass Effect 1). He has a customizable armour interface allowing you to change his armour appearance and from what I could tell, questionable taste in music – you can toggle through his music from his bedside music player.
The M-98a Widow anti- material rifle was a pleasant surprise. Amazing firepower. It was as if the shotgun and the sniper rifle had had a love child.
The Gameplay:
The overall gameplay has improved significantly with improvements to Melee attacks and the level up power selection process. As with Mass Effect 1 we have a great Role Playing Game (RPG) / 3rd person shooter.
The slow elevator transition sequence has been replaced by a much better transition animated sequence.
Instead of encryption failing, forcing you to use Omni-gel by taking weapons and other items apart, you now have an encryption screen that requires you to do a timed screen-match as traps and screens scroll by. It is slightly challenging but the reward is worth the effort. You no longer need a decryption specialist in your group, which was a handicap for Mass Effect 1.
There is an improved local area map with prominent labels, making it easy to find specific locations in an area.
The assignments and missions page is designed to help you achieve your goals without having to search the galaxy aimlessly.
The Galaxy map uses a different interface which includes the ability to scan planets and mine them for minerals, replacing the tedious planet surface exploration required to obtain weapons and artifacts in Mass Effect 1.
The Surprise:
The pre-credit sequence, the compelling narrative and another epically, epic ending. The cast of stellar actors who voiced the characters are back in addition to new voice actors. SPOILERS AT THE VOICE CAST LINK: Check out the voice cast here.
The Negative:
Mineral collection is tedious and the player cannot tell which planets have certain minerals making it challenging to find specific minerals as you have to do planet-by-planet sweeps.
The Future: I enjoyed this game so much that I jumped straight into Mass Effect 3 which I am currently playing at the time this article was published. I highly recommend Mass Effect 2.