Mass Effect 2 Review
I am simply addicted to this game! So far, I have made five Commander Shepards, three males and two females, and played through the games many times. Why? You make ask. Well, because this way, I am able to explore the multiple classes, dialogue options, team compositions, endings, combat styles, difficulties, romances, and armor layouts the game has to offer! I can also replay the game as a Paragon (hero), as a Renegade (villain), or a combination of both. I went a little crazy with the DLC (such as buying Dr. Pepper caps on an auction site to get the special helmet codes) but they were worth it! Before I ramble further with my fan boy praises, I listed below my pros and cons of the core game:
PROS
1. Engaging Story. The story continues where Mass Effect 1 left off. It may not feel as epic as the first one, but playing through your teammates' stories creates more depth and connection. Also, don't worry if you didn't play the first one, as the game does a nice job of catching you up with what happened before.
2. Awesome graphics and voice acting. At certain times, it's feels like I'm watching a really good Sci-Fi movie. It utilizes the Phys-X engine, so Nvidia is the better card to run this game on. However, the game runs great on my ATI card.
3. Streamlined game mechanics. Control is more intuitive than the first game, while commands and powers are easily executed. Teammates are more useful too, but tend to stay behind you and let you do the dirty work (which is not a bad thing I guess).
4. Six different classes. The default class is soldier. It emphasizes weapons as your main strength. The most difficult to play is Vanguard, which emphasizes close quarters combat (melee and shotgun). But it also offers the most fun as you barrel into enemies with Biotic Charge. I'll let you discover the rest of the classes for yourself.
5. Dialogue Interrupts and Skips. Conversations are more dynamic by giving you the option to interject with a heroic or villainous action and/or dialogue. Also, you can skip dialogues and scenes with the spacebar, minimizing replay annoyances.
6. Heavy Weapons. The M-920 Cain=Armageddon. Enough said.
7. 10 teammates! 11 if you buy the game new. 12 if you purchase the Kasumi DLC.
CONS
1. Cerberus Network. EA's solution to the booming resale market is to devalue a used game by locking certain content to initial game purchasers. This means if you buy this game used, you will not have access to Zaeed, the Arc Projector heavy weapon, Firewalker missions, a crash site, Inter-Stellar news feeds, and a Cerberus armor and weapon. However, you can purchase the above content as a DLC.
2. DLC economy. I don't mind paying for quality work, but the fact that I have to convert my US dollars to specific amounts of BioWare (BW) points is ridiculous. It's another ingenious idea concocted by Microsoft to maximize profits.
3. Level cap at 30. I really wanted to max out all my skills, but it's impossible with the level cap. I understand the developers did this in order to balance the game play, but sometimes I just want to kick butt!
The following list of DLC is ranked, 1 being the best and 9 being the weakest.
1. Lair of the Shadow Broker. Additional missions with unique game play and environments. You get to have Liara as a teammate as she tracks down her arch nemesis. At the end of it, you get multiple rewards, like resources and the ability to change teammates' skill distribution points.
2. Firepower Pack. Obtain three additional weapons. My favorite is the Geth Plasma Shotgun. It's an amazing weapon that has very good range and damage. Also, you can charge it up to shoot 2 rounds at once!
3. Overlord. Additional missions with unique environments and a story that leaves a haunting image in the end.
4. Kasumi - Stolen Memory. Gain an additional member and weapon. She's a good compliment to a Vanguard class Shepard, but otherwise quite useless later in the game. Her weapon, the SMG Locust is a great gun to have early on. She does have an engaging and heart-retching story (it can be quite sappy for certain people).
5. Blood Dragon Armor Set. It is simply the coolest armor set in the game. Basically, you get to wear medieval style armor in outer space! However, you'll need to buy a new copy of Dragon Age in order to obtain this DLC.
6. Aegis Pack. Gain an additional armor set geared towards melee combat and a sniper rifle that rips through shields.
7. Alternate Appearance Pack. Three alternate costumes for three different teammates. My favorite is Garrus'
8. Dr. Pepper Promo Helmets. You can obtain up to 3 different helmets. The recon hood is my favorite. The promo ends in December 30, 2010.
9. Equalizer Pack. You get two helmets and an armor set. One of the helmets is hideous to look at, while the armor set looks like a repainted Cerberus assault armor.
10. Collector Weapon and Armor* The armor and weapon are wonderfully designed. But the only way to obtain them at the moment is through auction sites. Right now, they're going for about !
11. Terminus Weapon and Armor* Once again, they can only be obtained through 3rd party reseller or auction sites. It is cheaper than the above DLC by about .
Additional Comments:
*I personally did not purchase the Collector or Terminus DLC. That's why I didn't rank them, but I can tell you they look really cool in screen shots!
Also, if you play the game at hardcore difficulty, you'll have the chance to obtain the Geth Pulse rifle!
Mass Effect 2 Feature
- Improved NPC conversation system where Commander Shepard can take matters into your own hands ? interrupting or using force to get the answer required.
- The second act of BioWare's epic sci-fi RPG trilogy continues the story of Commander Shepard and humanity's first steps onto the galactic stage.
- Integration with the original Mass Effect game allows players to import saved files and contiue play with those files in Mass Effect 2.
- Choose from 19 different weapons, including devastating heavy weapons that can end a battle in seconds.
- New location based damage system allows for targeting of key weak points, blasting off limbs, igniting enemies, or cripple and disable enemy troops.
Mass Effect 2 Overview
The second chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy takes you to the darkest reaches of space, where you must uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of humans across many worlds. Prepare yourself for a suicide mission to save mankind. Travel the galaxy to assemble a team of soldiers and combat specialists, and launch an all-out assault on the heart of enemy territory.
Mass Effect 2 Specifications
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to BioWare's hit space-based role-playing game (RPG), Mass Effect. A single player adventure, Mass Effect 2 allows players to continue the adventures of the fully customizable series hero, Commander Shepard, as you take on a whole new adventure and cast of supporting characters. Features new to this latest release in the franchise include the ability to import game save files from the original Mass Effect game to continue the adventure in an unbroken fashion, a new damage system, a more flexible dialogue game mechanic and more.
Two years after Commander Shepard repelled invading Reapers bent on the destruction of organic life, a mysterious new danger has emerged. On the fringes of known space, something is silently abducting entire human colonies. Now Shepard must work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization devoted to human survival at any cost, to stop the most terrifying threat mankind has ever faced. To even attempt this perilous mission, Shepard must assemble the galaxy’s most elite team and command the most powerful ship ever built. Even then, doubters say it would be suicide. Commander Shepard intends to prove them wrong.
An space-based action RPG like its predecessor, gameplay in Mass Effect 2 revolves around the player's particular version of Commander Shepard and continuing development of this character as the game proceeds. As the game opens a variety of character classes are made available to the player, with talents, both exclusive and general, associated with each. With experience these talents are leveled up, resulting in the unlocking of related abilities and/or entirely new talents. The player has the ability to customize their Commander Shepard in a number of ways including physical appearance, gender, and certain aspects of their personal history, with the rub being that these choices can influence things like available missions, dialogue choices with non-player characters (NPCs), and character background. Accompanying this main character are a number of preset supporting characters that the player can direct and develop relationships with, which again, will alter the outcome of the story. All the characters from the original game make an appearance in Mass Effect 2, but the immediate characters surrounding Commander Shepard are new. Additional new features that players can expect to experience include new alien races; a more realistic damage system; a new heavy weapons system allowing for maximum damage; a regenerative health system; a dramatic increase in the number of character animations available to Shepard; and updates to the dialogue mechanic used when conversing with NPCs. Integration with the Original Mass Effect Mass Effect 2 allows players of the original Mass Effect game to import save games to continue the story of their own Commander Shepard. In doing this, the decisions that were made in the first game will affect the events of the second game. In addition, characters from the first game will return, as long as they were not killed off by the player in the first game. On the other hand, new players coming to the series for the first time in Mass Effect 2 will start a brand-new character, discover the events of the previous games as they progress and embark on a thrilling stand-alone adventure that does not require the previous game for play. Key Features
System Requirements:
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