Mass Effect 2

The games plot is pretty ok and just copies the first Mass Effect for sure. Shepard also doesnt really grow as a character in here, its more about all the other characters. The game is best for a bunch of different side stories than an actual plot. The gameplay is fun and level design is great. If you liked the first one I would say pick it up

Very good game

Yes, this is the best, most satisfying game of the three. So there. Mass Effect 2 is probably the best the Xbox has to offer when it comes to blending story into gameplay. Its not the best shooter youll ever play, its not the most robust RPG (not even close), but somehow all elements come together in what is one of the most compelling, most satisfying experiences you can get from a console game. Much like its predecessor, the biggest payoffs come in the third act, and the more time and effort youve put into team members and side missions up until then, the more compelling and satisfying an experience it is. Its also one of the few sequels Ive ever seen (and this is a hallmark of the series) thats BETTER if youve played the original. Thats something, isnt it? I mean, is Gears 2 better or worse if youve played Gears 1? Marginally, maybe. But Mass Effect 2 is an exponentially more satisfying game if youve taken the time to dig through the first one. In effect, the sequel adds replay value to the original, which feeds replay value back to the sequel again. If that isnt a masterful stroke of artistry and brilliant way to get the most out of an interactive medium, I dont know what is. But thats all high concept stuff. Lets strip some nuts and bolts. Visually, the games a treat. Colors are richer, but still in the same palette, so the world still feels like the Mass Effect world (which is nice). Locations are busier, with a great deal of added detail and the NPCs are more dynamic and mobile, which is a nice touch. The locations that are supposed to be crowded now feel it and your inundated with things like advertisements and news reels when youre on the Citadel or in any major population hub; its really smart design all the way across. Wealthy areas feel posh and poor areas feel shady and dangerous. The wilds are wild and ruins are ruined - I cant think of a location or character that doesnt employ some sort of successful design element. The world we knew has been bumped up, polished off, enhanced and yet is still the world we knew. Thats no small feat. Combat has been GREATLY improved. For better or worse, we now have a dedicated cover button, which works well enough (some will like it, some wont). Enemies are where we see the greatest improvements and they now employ a variety of strategies and youll have to adjust your survival tactics based on the type of character youre playing. The baddies have also been given a series of different skills and protections, like armor or biotic barriers, which forces you to readjust the types of weapons or ammo or skills you chuck at them. Its a much richer and more immersive experience overall. The redesign is most effective when it comes time to square off against a Krogan. A huge chunk of the games mythology is dedicated to just how powerful and dangerous the Krogan are. And yet, in the last game, fighting them was just like fighting anything else. But now, watching a Krogan charge down the aisle, shields up and shotgun out, will just about ruin your day! Its a nice touch and another layer of rich gameplay. So, the actions been bumped, is what Im saying. I do lament the loss of some RPG elements, I must say. Instead of the dozen or more skill sets you could balance in the last one, we now just level up about six or so different powers(even less for team members). An infiltrator is no longer different from a soldier because of how you choose to develop it, but simply by virtue of having completely different powers. Its a narrower approach thats going to bother a lot of people (myself included). Its not BAD, or BROKEN in any way, its just an unnecessary step to the side. I dont really understand it, myself, but there it is. Other things have changed, but its not all that important: the Makos gone, as is the barren planet exploration. Take that for what it is. The hacking mini-games have been replaced with some different ones. Whatever. Inventorys gone and replaced by a few armor upgrades and a few different weapons. Eh, it is what it is. And, wait, whats this thermal clips crap? One of my favorite little Sci-Fi touches to the previous game was the idea that guns had advance so much that they didnt even need bullets anymore. They literally ripped chunks of metal from a block you put in them, so they could essentially carry thousands of rounds at a time and all you had to do was keep it from overheating. Now Im back to bullet hunting and ammo hording? Boo, I say, boo. All that aside, what the game is really about is character and character development. Youve got a team of about 11 distinct individuals this time around, a big jump from the last game. And thats because building your team and gaining their loyalty is almost the ENTIRE focus. Yes, theres a main enemy - the Collectors, a group of creepy-ass bug-alien-things that are abducting humans by the tens of thousands from around the galaxy. Theyre a worthy addition to the series and their mythology just adds to the tapestry... but you only encounter them three or four times throughout. The rest of the time is wholly focused on building (or ruining) relationships with the people around you. You come to know them, come to care about them and, by extension, the piece of the galactic stage they represent. We have avatars of Turian stubborness and frustration, Quarian desperation, Salarian genius and guilt, Krogan ferocity and hopelessness - its all woven so well and we get a ton of information in really efficient ways. Add onto that some seriously effective voice acting and when the endgame comes, when the lives are in your hands for the first time... Well, the way the final mission plays out is VASTLY variable and immensely satisfying. It all depends on how much effort youve put into your crew and how successful you were at building them up. The many branches you can take and their spread of outcomes adds a great deal of tension to the final scenes and lends itself to multiple play-throughs. Again, as I said before, its a masterful blend of story and gameplay. To the point where any problems it may have are almost completely dismissible. Its a must play, as simple as that, awkward sex scenes and all...

great game

Great game

I love role playing games and sci-fi so I thought I would try this. I fell in love with it! I have never played a game that cause me to invest my emotions into it as this did. I could totally get lost in the story. When my charactors died at the end (it was the ending I chose) I was like NOOOOOOO! I was really feeling for these characters. Even though this is a wonderful stand alone game, at some point I will get the others to complete the set. Excellent! If you like RPG games this a fantastic one to start with.

First let me say that, having played a friends copy of this game, that it is awesome and possibly the best installment in the Mass Effect series. Unfortunately the copy I received from the seller C&W Direct was too scratched for my XBox to read, depriving me of playing this fantastic game.

Love this game!

great gameplay and graphics. Love it

I was initially taken aback when I saw that some features of ME1 had changed (menu style/color/positioning and gameplay features - heat clip reloading instead of overheating, etc) but once I got used to it, I enjoyed this game even more than ME1. It is an awesome series! :)