Stuff That I Played: Mass Effect 2 (Part 1)

Note: I realize that the plot is a really big deal for Mass Effect so because I'm such a nice guy (and because this post ended up a lot longer than I thought it would) today's post is going to be spoiler-free, and there will be a second post (probably tomorrow) that will contain some other thoughts and things that will probably include spoilers. In short, if you haven't played through the game, don't read Part 2.

Review is of the 360 version.

Ah, Bioware, the masters of morality-based games. Since Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic, Bioware has really pushed the idea of choice into their specific brand of Role-Playing Game, allowing a character to become a true vessel of the player's personality. This is an interesting approach to games and one that has caused a sort of video game Renaissance. For better or for worse, even the simplest action games now typically offer some sort of moral choice (usually affecting the ending of the game). The problem with Bioware games, however, is that they've always struggled with giving the player a great plot and characters, while also keeping strong gameplay intact. In contrast, most Bioware games, such as the aforementioned Knights of the Old Republic and Dragon's Age: Origins, are boring as hell when it comes to the action sequences, basing battles on invisible "dice rolls" of sorts and being almost non-interactive. Luckily for us, Mass Effect 2 changes this. A Bioware game with a wicked story AND great gameplay? Seems impossible, I know, but read on and find out why Mass Effect 2 is the quintessential Bioware game.

Let me just put this out there: I didn't LOVE the first Mass Effect game. I liked it well enough, thought it had some good ideas, and respected the shift to shooter-based action, but that game had a lot of problems. Side missions were frequently boring shoot-'em-up fetch quests; the inventory system was piss-poor, making organization a struggle and lacking a clean interface; Squad controls were half-baked and seemed like an afterthought; and the Mako vehicle sections were a cool idea for breaking up the gameplay, but the vehicle itself controlled pretty poorly and suffered from some pretty lackluster level design. Most importantly, the battle system meant well but was unable to truly make you feel in control of your skills. You didn't feel like a badass warrior who could pop out of cover, disrupt everyone's shields, fling a dude in the air with your powers and then pop a shotgun shell into his face. Most battles, especially when you were surrounded, just turned into giant cluster-fucks of bullets and particle effects.

Mass Effect 2 changes everything by totally streamlining the experience. I can imagine some people may feel a tad distressed about this, but I assure you, every change is for the better. The fact of the matter is that the original game's inventory micromanagement simply wasn't all that deep - it sure looked like it, but most weapons were pretty similar to each other, and there were less high-level upgrades once you got near the end anyways. It was the illusion of choice. That's all been taken away for the sequel; instead, weapon types are much more expansive. You've still got Assault Rifles, Pistols, Snipers and Shotguns, but now you've also Combat Shotguns, Assault Shotguns, Submachine Guns, Machine Pistols and Heavy Weapons (of which there are several), just to name a few. All of these can be upgraded by finding items as you explore, and depending on your class will be able to use several different ammo types. Not to mention your tech and/or biotic powers.

What this does is allow for a much better, more strategic system when it comes to the actual action. The battles have been given an upgrade and now play a lot more like they should have played in the first one i.e. like an actual third-person shooter (think Gears of War). Furthermore, your powers play into it a lot better. In the first game, I didn't even know what tech powers were for. In Mass Effect 2, it's pretty simple; tech powers are a bit more defensive, destroying shields, armor, and robotic enemies, while biotic powers can only be used once the enemy has had their defenses destroyed. This means that your powers matter a lot more than in the first game, and you really do need a balanced squad to prevail.

Another change that some people may be skeptical about is that you and your teammates have fewer powers than in the first game. I'm not quite sure how it is for every class; I was a Vanguard, so I had two ammo types, three biotic abilities and a general stat upgrade. All of your teammates have two powers (plus a third unlockable one) and a stat upgrade, all of which can be leveled up to Rank 4, where you then get to pick between one of two variations of the ability (usually the choice is between a really powerful version or a version that affects multiple enemies). That's it. Again though, this works marvelously; it makes your squadmates more individually unique in battle, and makes managing them a much easier task. Also, you get attached to the characters because they are all useful to you; each character has a different but equally useful skill set, and it makes deciding which two characters to bring with you on missions fun and involving. This is quite an accomplishment; I didn't care for half my team in the first game, but this game's team is almost twice as large and I cared about every single character. The squad controls are much more refined now as well; using the d-pad, you can command your squad to take cover, use specific skills and focus their attacks on one enemy, giving the action a much tighter, faster pace. It also helps that the side missions are much more exciting and fun than in the first game, with many of them being character-specific "loyalty" missions that flesh out the characters, as well as unlock new abilities, dialogue options and costumes.

I'm not going to talk about plot specifics here, but the tale in Mass Effect 2 is a pretty standard "space marine must stop evil from destroying the galaxy"-type deal. Quite frankly, the plot's not that great; it's the little details and the characters that really make the game interesting. I should note here, however, that you really should play through the first game before you play this one, as while the general plot is pretty simple, the details, specifically pertaining to the Mass Effect world and alien races, will be hard to follow for newcomers to the series. Furthermore, certain plot points and character interactions will mean a lot more if you've already played through the first game. Anyways, as Commander Shepard, you need to seek out a crew of specialists to assist you, and it is this crew that is the real fun of the game. I don't want to ruin anything - part of the fun is seeing what crew member the game will throw at you next - but every single crewmate you meet is interesting and deep in their own way (except for maybe one, Zaeed, but he's a downloaded character so it's excusable). The writing and voice acting, as per Bioware's usual standard, are excellent.

I realize I haven't talked about the technical aspects of the game too much. The graphics are just a little bit better than the first game, but very similar. Most importantly, the horrendous texture pop-in from the first game is mostly gone; you'll still see some pop-in but it's much improved and really just effects little details like planet textures and whatnot. The sound is basically the same as the first game. The music is suitably epic and the weapon sound effects are appropriate. Not much else to say in that respect.

In terms of problems, there really aren't that many. There's an armor upgrade system in place for you to customize parts of your armor for stat upgrades (as well as colours and designs for you to tailor to your liking). The system is actually really cool, but could use a bit of expanding in the next game. The scanning minigame, which has essentially replaced the barren wasteland exploring side missions, is pretty boring, requiring you to basically point-and-click certain points of a planet to gain minerals. You don't have to do it, but you need the minerals for upgrades, so it's kind of a necessary evil. Something a bit less obnoxious would be nice for the next game.

I think using numbers to denote the quality of a game is stupid so:

Play this game if:
-You liked the first Mass Effect (in fact, even if you didn't like the first one I'd recommend you give this game a try)
-You like really epic RPGs
-You're interested in a unique combination of shooter and RPG
-You like games where you're faced with moral choices
-You have 30 hours or so to kill

Don't play this game if:
-You hate third-person shooters in general
-You don't like a lot of talking in your games
-Your favourite part of the first game was the equipment micromanagement (so are you the most boring person in the world or what? I'll never understand you people)
-You have work to do. Seriously. Bad idea.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 (but only if you've already beaten the game or don't really care about having it ruined for you)!

-Daniel

Holy ass-balls this turned out to be long.