Launching a new intellectual property into the world of big budget games is risky, sequels are so much safer. But with its tantalizing blend of RPG and shooter game mechanics, Mass Effect was very close to the perfect game when it arrived in 2007. It got a lot of attention and sold plenty of copies even though it released in a storm of excellent titles. Personally, I lost track a long time ago of how many times I have completed that game on the Xbox 360 and PC – over a dozen times certainly.
What lured me back? The terrific writing and well-realized universe of Mass Effect is the main reason (although the poor quality and short staying power of triple A games that superceded it in 2008 and 2009 is another reason)
Needless to say, I was looking forward to the sequel, but could it live up to the hype?
UNless you have been living under a rock, you probably already know the answer. Yes, Mass Effect easily lives up to its considerable hype. It is about as close to the perfect game as I have encountered.
Here is a list of what I liked and disliked:
Likes
- Great writing – the characters live and breath on your screen. Humour, pathos, rage – you will see and feel a wide spectrum of emotion.
- Lush design – the game is gorgeous. Characters are exquisitely detailed and environments represent Bioware’s vision of what the ideal science fiction universe would look like.
- Amazing continuity from the first game – your actions in Mass Effect carry over into the sequel, some with grave consequences. Having lots of former colleagues and contacts keeping in touch was a nice touch.
- Tight pacing – unlike almost all RPGs, this one never leaves you feeling ‘what should I do next.’
- Streamlined gameplay – Mass Effect 2 cuts out the clutter and distractions. Mini games are optional but worth the effort.
- Extreme variability – the game tells you what you need to do in order to win, but you can rush into the suicide mission any way you’d like which will provide many possible outcomes. Not all are positive.
- Runs great on modest hardware – the game was completed using an Alienware M17x notebook (1900*1200, max detail settings, 2x AA, 8x AF). Sure, it is a fast notebook but even an average dual core PC with a $150 video card can exceed its performance.
- Always leave them wanting more – my complete play-through, with best case scenario ending in the final mission required 34 hours. I prefer quality versus quantity and now I’ll play it using a different type of character to see what outcomes I can change.
- No DRM! I don’t consider Steam or Bioware Social Club DRM – EA has figured out a great compromise that keeps it’s stockholder and customers happy while avoiding evil Securom.
- Staggering replay potential – even after two years I was still uncovering new experiences in the first game (some things you really have to go looking for). There seem to be many more story forks in Mass Effect 2.
Dislikes
- Mass Effect a New Game + feature after completing the game once. Its New Game+ explanation is not clear. Presented as an either/or choice, in reality you can continue your game after saving the galaxy and start a new game with your Mass Effect 2 character at any time (keeping level, extra powers and resources).
- New Game+ does not allow character class change. A shame, as it would make experiencing the game in a different way much easier.
- Certain weapons are unbalanced – low sniper rifle ammo, low sub machine gun damage.
Verdict: Buy it if you haven’t already. This could be the best $60 you spend on a game this year.
