Mass Effect 2 is the forth coming sequel to 2007's smash hit, the aptly titled Mass Effect, scheduled to release early next year. Mass Effect 2 follows the continuing adventures of Commander Shepard and is set 2 years after the events of the first game where you thwarted the threat of the Reapers. Bioware have paid close attention to the critics and fans alike in ironing out the flaws that the first game had, be it technical or artistic.
Released in 2007, Mass Effect was one of the first break through RPG's for the Xbox 360, despite having severe technical flaws the game was lauded by the fans and critics alike. Later the game was ported to the PC with enhancements that made it a little more bearable. Bioware have paid close attention to this and have brought over several game play customizations that make Mass Effect 2 a much more approachable title from the get go.
Mass Effect 2 follows the returning Commander Shepard as the main character, and is set some time after the events of the first game. Right off the bat it's worth noting that the game features the ability to import your saves from the first game, meaning that your version of Commander Shepard's story from the first game will carry on over to the second one. Up to 11 unique end-game saves from the first game will be importable but the game still has a default story path set up if you're not satisfied with your earlier saves or have no past save to refer to.
Mass Effect 2. Bigger. Better. More Bad Ass.
Importing is not a novel feature here however as it will directly alter the events of the second game, key choices you made regarding the major story events like letting your party members live or even the fate of the Council is directly addressed, and further updates on even minor side quests like the crazy fan in the Citadel will also be derived from your imported data. You will still be able to customize your Shepard's appearance and combat style at the start of the game if you want to try something new, how ever you cannot change your gender during the process.
Besides importing story events, your character traits like the Paragon or Renegade alignment and even your preferred romantic partner from the first game will carry over. If you went through the process of leveling up your character to the cap, the game will reward some bonus incentives as well, but these incentives will not be big enough to make the first-timers feel left out according to Bioware. It seems like a good idea to brush up on the first game before ME2 arrives and even set up a preferred story path as Bioware have promised the events of the first game will not only carry over to this one, but eventually to the third and final chapter of the Mass Effect trilogy as well.
Story isn't the only big focus here however, as the game play engine behind the game has been fine tuned to perfection as well. Rather then an RPG struggling with shooter mechanics like the first one was, one can safely call Mass Effect 2 a more successful shooter with RPG mechanics, calling it a Gears style shooter wouldn't be too out of the question either as the new combat mechanics seems right at home to a bare bones shooter. Bioware have tightened up the gun play mechanics and especially the cover mechanics which were kind of a hassle in the first game, you use the A button to stick to covers ala Gears of War and can peak out and fire similar to the aforementioned game.
Join Commander Shepard in his continued adventures as the first human Specter
Biotic powers are back and they are better than before too, Bioware have revealed several game play classes which show off their new abilities. The biotic force powers seem something out of a Star Wars game now as Shepard can twist and turn enemies in mid air to his will. Other classes like Vanguard focus more on close quarters combat as the special skill for it lets Shepard do a juggernaut style charge run where he is invulnerable for a small duration and anything caught in his path goes sprawling into the distance. Bioware seems to have taken a cue from Dragon Age as the Biotics, the Magicians if you will, seem much more powerful than the first game where playing as a Soldier was the easy way to victory.
Other than that squad management has been tuned up as well. Unlike the first game you can order around both your party members separately, this is done via a simple tap of the D-pad to select the appropriate party member then pressing the trigger to give them the location to advance to. This makes for great ambush tactics and setting up choke points is a much easier task. The mechanics will be familiar to anyone who has played the Rainbow Six Vegas games, and it is put to good use here.
Mass Effect 2 will feature a much expanded roster of characters, you will have 10 squad mates, out of which only two are returning characters from the first title, Garrus and Tali. Other party members from the first game will appear as NPC's too however, so you may or may not see faces you decided to kill off in the first game depending on your choices. Other game play enhancements include a refined planetary exploration system where you actually control Normandy on the galactic map to scout for new planets and moons rather than just clicking on a pre-defined menu. Bioware have stated planet scouting will be a much more interesting task than the first game and there will be a lot more of it.
The aptly titled "Elusive Man" will serve as a counter-balance to Shepard.
The basic plot of Mass Effect 2 involves the sudden appearance of a new bug like alien race who are abducting humans from various colonies across the galaxy. These aliens are using Reaper technology which is the big link from the first game. Bioware have stated that the Rreapers and Geth will not be the central focus, instead this game will act as the darker second part of the trilogy where Shepard is involved on a personal level a lot more. The Cerberus corporation which was only hinted at as a major player in the side quests of the first game will play a major role this time around, but whether they're the good guys or the bad has not yet been revealed.
Mass Effect 2 is an incredible leap presentation wise. Bioware have mastered the Unreal Technology and it shows greatly as all the game play demonstrations have shown obvious improvements over the first game. The game now runs at a rock solid frame rate with the conversation cut-scenes even going as high as 60 frames per second according to some previews. The already so incredibly detailed character models have been given a boost as well and close up face to face conversations appear all the more realistic. Gone are the lengthy elevators, the game now opts for a much faster loading technique where an animated schematic of your area plays when you enter a new place while the game loads quickly in the background. This ensures there is no texture pop-in or fade-in as well.
If this preview didn't spell it out for you already, Mass Effect 2 looks like it will be nothing short of a great game at this point. It's the ideal sequel to a good but flawed original. It fixes the let downs of the first game while promising an even more engaging and epic space opera with refined game play to boot. Mass Effect 2 should not be missed if you're familiar with the name even if you thought the first one was somewhat disappointing, first timers should look up the back story as well as I would recommend this game be high up on every RPG fans radar. Mass Effect 2 is scheduled to release January 26th on the Xbox 360 and PC.
Play Mass Effect 2 dammit !
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