Mass Effect 2 Review

When last we left Commander Shepard he'd saved the day for humanity, but Council citadel and many lives were lost. Mass Effect 2 picks up right where Mass Effect left off. In fact one of the great things about this game is that you can upload your character from last game directly into this one. If you've played the game before, the characters that you met in the first go-around will remember your interaction and act accordingly. But this doesn't mean that all the powers you achieved in the first game will be at your disposal here. Not to give anything away, but something happens at the beginning of the game so all of this makes sense. Mass Effect 2 is available as a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC Game.

This time around you're not working for the Alliance, but for a pro-human splinter group, run by President Bartlett, ahem, the Illusive man (Martin Sheen). It turns out that events at the end of the first game have left humanity in charge, but there are greater threats that the Council doesn't want to hear about. The Reapers and other bad guys are on the way and Commander Shepard needs to build a team from the best beings in the galaxy to confront these threats.

Gameplay is improved with this version. There's a new cover system, so combat is much more fluid like it is in Gears of War. And health recovery is also changed; you can now recover from most wounds by camping out undercover out of harm's way. The developers have also tweaked the resource-gathering methods when you're exploring other planets. Although BioWare has made the game much more like a shooter, role play is still at the game's core.

If you're planning to wait and purchase a used copy of the game, EA has added a new wrinkle. If you buy the game new, you get access to the Cerberus network via a special code. Once you're in you can download additional game content and side missions. This code can only be used once with no fee. If you get the game second-hand you'll have to pay for this content.

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Mass Effect 2

4.5

Editors' Choice

See It

$19.99 at Steam

MSRP $49.95

Pros

• Deep story.
• Intuitive combat.
• Solid role play.
• You can import your character from Mass Effect.

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Cons

• Almost too many options.
• Side missions can be distracting.

The Bottom Line

This kick-ass sequel to the popular role-play combat game Mass Effect offers something for returning and new players alike.