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Posted By: Thrungus |
We can safely say to all of you that Mass Effect 2 is the game that you have been expecting plus much much more. We can also go about saying that if you enjoy what BioWare has been putting out these past 6 months then you will be right at home. Many aspects of Dragon Age seem to lie under the belly of this sequel but that’s definitely a good thing!
BioWare have simply done it again but what of this Massive Project falls short? Or did 2 years of Biotic research all come together nicely in the end!
Story – 10
The game begins with Commander Shepard on the original Normandy flying through space, they are out searching for reaper vessels, they find more than they bargain for. The original Normandy then comes under attack and is blown into the deepest parts of space, as well as Shepard himself. Is he alive? Find out after the cut-scene…
2 Years Later, we find out that Shepard has been brought back to life by a Pro-Human organization called Cerberus (Veteran players may remember them from the original title) It seems that the Alliance have forgotten about you!
You’ve been brought back to sort out a new threat, known as ‘The Collectors’, who have been wiping out entire human colonies without a trace! Who will stop them? Someone, we hope.
Go about assembling a brand new team taking from each of the Galaxy’s races. You’ll be seeing some familiar faces and some new ones too! It’s all under your control as per usual. Personalities vary vastly to keep you intrigued in their stories which they have to tell. Some might just spend a little more time with you, If you know what I mean…
If you played the original you can go about importing your ‘Original Shepard’, wreaking the awards and feeling the consequences of your preview actions. You must play Mass Effect.
Gameplay – 9
Mass Effect 2’s gameplay elements have definitely changed, some for the better, some which will cause arguments between RPG lovers, there is definitely something for everyone who is expected to pick up the game.
Firstly the RPG elements have been thrown out, recycled and made much simpler. You no longer scout the battlefield to pick up graded weapons and upgrades, now you only get a handful of each weapons. Some have better abilities than others, something to think about when your playing through the game.
Upgrades are obtained via the specific terminals on the Normandy ship, you must go about collecting ‘valuable materials’ so you can use them for upgrading your ‘stuff’. To do this you must scan planets of the Galaxy and probing them for their materials, Its a fun little mini-game which may take hours of your life away from you, It’s somewhat surprisingly addictive!
Entering the Battlefield has been given some 3rd Person Shooter tweaks, It’s definitely for the best. The original had a snap in cover system, this has now been mapped to the ‘A’ button Gears of War style. Ammunition and shields have also been added to the mix. You use ammo clips to disperse heat from your weapon, meaning you do have limited ammo as opposed to the first game where you could infinitely spray bullets everywhere. The shields system takes a leaf out of Halo’s book, it’s one of those ultra-cool recharging wotsits, most people have them nowadays.
The shooting mechanics have definitely been vastly improved, walking into a fire fight has to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the game. The shooting gameplay has to be experienced It’s one of the best we have seen in a game of this type.
But there is one let down which happened to us a few too many times during review. The cover-system sadly does not sometimes make the cut. It can be rather sloppy about if your staying or out of cover, something to shout about. To enter cover you have got be rather close to what ever element you want to ‘attach’ yourself to. This can have you walking up to a wall, hoping you’ve pressed A at the right time and then just standing there while having 10,000 bullets fired into your fragile face. A rather painful situation to live through.
The games mission structure remains as strong as the first. Expect to be pulled into the game for hours at a time, we are talking 3-5hour sessions my friend! You’d better have a coffee machine close by, you can easily be playing into the early hours of the morning.
Missions are around 15-30min long which feels just about right, we found that with the original game that you could be caught in some really boring long missions which didn’t add much to the story itself. This time round they’ve chucked that all in the bin, only the key moments count.
Side-missions now naturally feel like apart of your day job to save the galaxy, most of the side-missions chain together to reveal even more story line which will cause some form of eruption in your underpants…that’s if your as big a Mass Effect fan as myself. Damn that Genophage!
Graphics – 9
Mass Effect is full of glowing particles, solar lens flares, flaming explosions and dark black holes. It’s never been one of the industry’s graphical standards but it’s always been a good looking game non the less. We are happy to tell you that the graphics will keep your eyes in the right places and that’s not just about the women.
Our favourite visuals have to be inside the brand new Normandy, the way it’s all laid out, especially all the fish. When your walking around on space stations you will also notice the magical adverts floating in the air for all the apartment stores, making it look proper futuristic.
We look futuristic visuals, especially when they are done well. Although these aren’t the best we’ve ever seen there is definitely nothing wrong with the graphics, nor is there anything mind-blowing. It’s just on the spot.
Overall then
| Massive Effects | Black Holes |
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Mass Effect 2 is amazing! This game has sucked us in to an experience that you won’t find anywhere else on this galaxy. We are happy to inform you that Mass Effect 2 is the game that you have been waiting for plus much much more. It’s an absolute blast to play and we can recommend this experience to anyone. |  |
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February 2nd, 2010 Posted by Thrungus | Reviews, Xbox 360 Tagged under | Amazing, Bioware, EA, Mass Effect 2, review, Video Review, Written Comment on This Post | Comments (0) Discuss this Post | On the XG:Forum |
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