Mass Effect 2 was one of our favourite games of 2010. The news that the series was making the leap across that console divide was welcomed by swathes of excited PlayStation 3 owners who had been quietly envious of the Xbox 360 and PC gamers who had been raving about the adventures of Commander Shepard ever since BioWare first let you build him (or her) in 2007.
There will be casualties
Obviously the storyline remains identical to earlier versions. You play as Commander Shepard, a human in a diverse galaxy populated by many various races. The rough plot synopsis of the first Mass Effect game, missing to PlayStation 3-only owners is summed up via an interactive comic, after the “prologue” action sequence, which serves the important points but skims over some of the more intricate subtleties which may have stuck with some who played through the epic beginnings of this saga.
In this second visit to the Mass Effect universe you must assemble a team of mercenaries and interested parties before embarking on a grand heroic mission to save the galaxy. This end game is repeatedly referred to as a suicide mission so you should prepare yourself for tough decisions and decisive branching in the way the game plays out. Unless you’re either very lucky or very well studied and careful, there will be casualties along the way.
In Mass Effect 2 you form emotional attachments thanks to the hours you spend with the supporting cast. The hundreds of lines of dialogue and the many hours of combat and exploration you spend with them will leave you with a genuine emotional bond which is played upon at many points in the game but especially so during the final act.
The success of this release should be assured
The emotion, the compelling narrative, the engaging system of branching dialogue and the character depth and development that you really shape with your choices are all still there in this PlayStation 3 version. The success of this release should be assured, those points are what Mass Effect has always been about and the complex dialogue branching and encompassing universe are still, a year after its initial release on the Xbox 360 and PC, better than anything else out there.
So, to the differences between this and previous versions. The PlayStation 3 game boots up into a lengthy install which is unavoidable so expect to be staring at that progress bar for around thirty minutes when you first slip the disc into your machine. Sony fans are well used to this process by now and while it is a little tedious, it is not a huge drawback, especially as it should lead to improved load times and better overall performance.
If you choose to immediately input the cerberus code that comes in the retail box (it unlocks various extra game content and acts as the incentive to buy new at retail rather than go pre-owned) you will have another wait while you download and install 676MB of new content.
Once all of your installing and upgrading is done you can enter the game properly, select your initial gameplay options and dive into the opening cinematic and action sequences. Visually, things seem a little superior the Xbox 360 version with improvements to lighting, textures and models. It might not look as crisp as the PC game running on a high-spec machine and there are some issues with bad or non-existent anti-aliasing in the shadows (something which is becoming a trademark of PS3 games) but it’s certainly not far away.
The action sequences are exceptional
The interactive comic which delivers the backstory allows you to make the key decisions that came during gameplay in the first Mass Effect so that even this expedient history of the series becomes your own. In this way you can begin your journey through this sequel with knowledge of what led to this point and with a sense of involvement in the preceding events. Once that is out of the way you’ll be put into the meat of the game, essentially recruiting a team and solving the galaxy’s problems like a smarter-dressed Captain Kirk with better guns and biotic powers.
The action sequences are exceptional. Even though each mission follows the same general structure (usually to fight your way through an area to a key plot point) the levels are built intelligently and the cover and shooting mechanics are competent enough that the combat is a joy. Add in the ability to direct your squad-mates separately and time the use of tech or biotic powers so you can shape the way the team attacks (or defends) and you will realise the depth that is available in the action oriented scenes.
Mass Effect 2 is a quality action shooter but that’s not all it is. The RPG elements may have been honed and tuned from the first so that they can be almost unnoticeable if you wish but they are still there and they still make a difference. You select a character class at the beginning of the game and that choice makes a huge difference to how you develop your character and how you play the game.
This version is the best available for consoles
So, perhaps we could describe Mass Effect 2 as an action RPG. Even that is woefully underselling the game though. It’s almost impossible to adequately define just what this game is. So much of it is based around the drama of events. Much of that drama is born out of the dialogue and the events which your dialogue choices lead to. So, is it an interactive drama? That gives adequate credit to the scripting, direction and voice acting, which is all exceptionally good, but would seem to gloss over the quality of the gameplay aspects. Mass Effect 2 is a cover-based, action shooter. It’s also a (fairly shallow, admittedly) squad-based RPG and an engaging, intelligent drama but above all it’s a unique experience which envelopes you and drags you into its world.
Mass Effect 2 is a confident continuation of BioWare’s unmatched, epic space opera. It rectifies almost all the issues that were present in the original while adding new systems and refining old ones to make something that is as close to a perfect sequel as we’ve ever seen. The PlayStation 3 version, running on the new game engine that the third game is destined to use, improves the visuals and reduces loading times and pop-in/fade-in that was present (although not a huge distraction) in the 360 version. It’s fair to say that, even with the very occasional frame rate drops during heavy action sequences, this version is the best available for consoles.
The inclusion of the previously downloadable content on the disc means that there are another several hours of gameplay there, along with many more hours of reading if you allow yourself to become engrossed in the gargantuan Codex that catalogues everything about the galaxy as you progress.
Pros:
- One of the best games of 2010, now even better.
- Updated game engine is noticeably better for textures.
- Scripting and narrative are still unmatched.
- Combat is a pleasure.
- Most small irks from previous versions have been smoothed out.
Cons:
- Dialogue can still be slightly stilted due to the wealth of options available.
- The final boss is a bit of a cliche.
So this latest release is still one of the best games in recent history, with a few visual improvements, a load of extra post-release content and all the refinement that twelve months at market can encourage. A year ago we urged all Xbox 360 owners to experience this game and now we have no hesitation in encouraging PlayStation 3 owners to do the same. BioWare may just have done something incredible: Mass Effect 2 is a genuine contender for Game of the Year 2010 and for the same title in 2011.
Kennykazey
Going to buy this game some time this year, whenever I have time… Too many games coming out…
beeje13
Very nice review, i’m still 50/50 as wehter to get it (don’t have enough time on my hands)
gordon_strange
now to decide on the digital or retail version…
TURRICAN-808
Please correct me if i’m wrong but i’d guess that the retail disc would be cheaper….
minerwilly
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minerwilly
Whoops not sure what happened there . I was going to say i really liked the demo but i got stuck at this bit with a gunfight between two balconies and seemingly no way of progressing the game . A door kept opening on other side and more and more enemies would come out and no matter how many i killed nothing happened. I just gave up a bit frustrated then tried again a week later and same problem . I will 100% pick this up (perhaps even new!!) But i will wait a few months and get it for around £28 quid or something , only Battlefield can make me buy a game on release day.
colossalblue
I know the bit you mean, very early into the demo, just after you meet Jacob? Sounds like a glitch, there’s only supposed to be one enemy refresh there. Did you instruct him to use his biotics? That’s the point of that bit, to show you that you can tell your squad mates to zap enemies for you (R2, left stick to the appropriate power, right stick to target an enemy, then X to select the power and release R2 to use it). I’m just thinking that it’s possible they keep refreshing enemies until you do that?
minerwilly
Thanks Colossal , that sounds like where im going wrong . I remember something being said about a biotic but it was only said once and i didnt know how to request it (it was easier on The Hobbit on the old Speccy ) … Give Biotic
Kovacs
Set fire to Treebeard.
Get marshmallows.
Eat Treebeard-flavoured marshmallows.
Tuffcub
I’m afraid the demo put me right off.
Kronik76
I didn’t think that much to the demo either. May pick this up when it’s cheaper.
TURRICAN-808
Bare in mind that demo’s can be misleading. For example, the demo for Dead Space 1 was crap, people had no idea what was going on and your weapons were unbalanced when compared to the enemies you fought. Play the fulll Dead Space 1 and the situation you find your self in in put into context by the narrative….
Yersal
I didn’t think to much of the demo of DS1 either. It seemed like a strange and quite difficult part of the story for a first timer to walk blindly into.
minerwilly
Yea that DS1 demo was awful as was the Red Faction Guerilla one , luckily i bought them years later both for under a tenner and they more than redeemed themselves .
Hur4d
I had the opposite thing, oddly I really didn’t like the first Mass Effect demo on the 360 but really enjoyed the ME2 demo, almost considering buying it now. Curses.
MadBoJangles
I have £65 in GAME vouchers from Xmas still, can’t decide between this and Dead Space 2.
I loved the 1st ME on 360 and ur review made 2 sound even more awesome than I had already been told! Arrrrgggghhh I’m crap at making decisions lol
TURRICAN-808
If you want horrow buy Dead Space 1 & 2. If you want an engrossing SCI-FI story with dynamic characters get Mass Effect 2 :)
Yersal
Throw in £15 cash and get ’em both… Go on you know you wanna ;)
MadBoJangles
I might just bite the bullet and buy both lol
Wondering what Two Worlds 2 is gonna be like as well, the first was dire though…
Yersal
I’ve absolutely no idea what this Two Worlds thing is, must’ve slipped right under my radar
MadBoJangles
Its the sequel to (possibly) the worst rpg on 360.
I hated the first game so so much, but by all accounts the developers have really pulled it out of the bag this time.
I bought ME2 btw and still have enough moolah for Dead Space 2 :D
Burgess_101
i must be part of the 4 people that dont like mass effect found it rather boring IMO .
l C0D3 M0NK3Y l
Recently received the 360 version for Christmas… really looking forward to giving it whirl, since I have heard so many good reviews. Who knows, perhaps I’ll grab it for the PS3 at some point as well… we shall see. Nice review… THANK YOU!
moshi
I just got a little bit more excited.
llcj112
Have this game already on pre-order. Cannot wait for it, have always wanted to play this, but dont have an Xbox. So glad its come too the PS3!