Mass Effect 2

 PC
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5738 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5,081 out of 5738
  2. Mixed: 426 out of 5738
  3. Negative: 231 out of 5738
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  1. RoyP
    Feb 20, 2010
    4
    I was very dissapointed with this game. I was expecting a RPG/TPS hybrid like the first one, not a Gears of War with a dialogue wheel like this game. They removed almost every RPG element it had: there is no more looting,there is no more inventory, there is like 2 weapons of each kind (about 20 in total), there is no more weapons/armor stats, there is no more weapons/armor mods, you I was very dissapointed with this game. I was expecting a RPG/TPS hybrid like the first one, not a Gears of War with a dialogue wheel like this game. They removed almost every RPG element it had: there is no more looting,there is no more inventory, there is like 2 weapons of each kind (about 20 in total), there is no more weapons/armor stats, there is no more weapons/armor mods, you can't change your squadmates armors... Even the story and dialogue aren't very good, the mainplot is too short and the squadmates run out of dialogue very quickly. I hope Bioware bring back the RPG in ME3 otherwise I will not buy it.… Expand
  2. micic00
    May 12, 2018
    4
    A dumbed down Mass Effect 2. Corridor shooter, so few RPG elements that it's actually FPS more than RPG. A teen game with lame dialogue and occasional flirting wtih sex. Main story game is decent, graphics great for the time. Overall skip if you're looking for an RPG/grownup game, play if you don't like thinking and are just looking for shooting/running/following an objective marker.
  3. Doctective
    Jun 3, 2013
    4
    As a person who's played Mass Effect 2 both on the PS3 and PC, I have all rights to say that with me being a dedicated fan to the franchise, this never stood up to be the proper sequel to Mass Effect 1 everyone wanted to be. Sure it's good compared to Mass Effect 3, but let's forget that disaster for a moment and get down to what Mass Effect 2 had, and what it shouldn't have had.

    First    As a person who's played Mass Effect 2 both on the PS3 and PC, I have all rights to say that with me being a dedicated fan to the franchise, this never stood up to be the proper sequel to Mass Effect 1 everyone wanted to be. Sure it's good compared to Mass Effect 3, but let's forget that disaster for a moment and get down to what Mass Effect 2 had, and what it shouldn't have had.

    First of all, the PC Port is pretty bad. I mean I am glad that aiming with the mouse works as it should, but binding Sprint/Interact/Cover all to the same button? What happened to the special treatment Mass Effect 1 got for PC? None of that is there, and the game really suffers greatly from having sprint and cover on the same button as you find yourself locking into cover while trying to retreat from the enemies, leaving you completely exposed to their gunfire while you go through the animations of getting out of cover again. Mass Effect 1 had you just pressing against cover without the need of button presses, and allowed you to crouch in cover too. What happened to all of that?

    Now the removal of overheat and grenades are for balance, I can understand that and honestly I wasn't bothered by it as much as I could've been, however, the in-world explanation is just so damn stupid I can't imagine how BioWare managed to laugh up the fact that it would be a good idea to choose that over the overheat system.

    A lot of missions are repetitive, which is something all three entries suffer greatly from. While Mass Effect 2 at least varies its' environments, half of the loyalty missions and sidequests consist of nothing but mindless shooting with 2 minute long cutscenes at the start and end trying to justify why it made sense to enter a gunfight, and sadly here Mass Effect 2 doesn't fare any better than any other third person shooter. If you were dumb enough to play as Soldier, you're gonna get the bore of your life as this game is all about biotics and tech, so there are some classes which are absolutely boring to play as compared to others. My personal favorite was Vanguard, which I think was amazing to play as and I had a good time playing through the game.

    Dialogue wise, it was outstanding, the story is well told and executed surprisingly well looking at the state of gaming back then. The interrupts were a great addition and you can't criticize Mass Effect 2 for its lack of dialogue. This game executes its characters really well and does an excellent job immersing you in the story and making your personal morale affect what choices you make in the game. Top notch!

    Last but not least, the save game system, which was meh at best. You'd get some letters from people or extra dialogue, however you don't miss a lot not having a Mass Effect 1 save game ready.

    Overall though, this game is really flawed in comparison to Mass Effect 1. A 4 is the brutally honest rating I'd give this game, because as far as it fares against its predecessor, it's cons largely obscure its pros, merely for the fact that Mass Effect 1 offered almost all of that too.    … Expand
  4. Pendra
    Jan 16, 2017
    4
    It is so far away from the feeling of Mass Effect, that we can call it a Reboot.

    It is not a dungeon crawling RPG anymore. The inventory management was "streamlined" to oblivion. Same goes to the stats. The maps still look nice but they are absolutely linear, COD style.The designers even removed the map function altogether in case of combat maps. If you hit M, a compass will point to    It is so far away from the feeling of Mass Effect, that we can call it a Reboot.

    It is not a dungeon crawling RPG anymore. The inventory management was "streamlined" to oblivion. Same goes to the stats.

    The maps still look nice but they are absolutely linear, COD style.The designers even removed the map function altogether in case of combat maps. If you hit M, a compass will point to a direction and that is it.

    The combat system was changed for the worse. I absolutely hate the ammo system. The overheat system of Mass Effect 1 was way better to control the damage output. I run out of ammo from the primary and secondary weapons frequently because the enemies seldom drop anything.

    The story is smaller, less interesting and somewhat forced. It doesn't feel too connected to the events in Mass Effect 1. Some background stories of the characters were nice, but the character development doesn't really fit a 2nd part. Mass Effect 2 story would have worked a whole lot better as Mass Effect 1. Then the story of Mass Effect 1 would follow.

    The ending is very weak compared to ME1. You spend 60+ hours to build up the team for the heist. And then, it is over in 45 mins. Whaat? And the last enemy is just silly. I can't find a better word for it. If it was ME1, then it would be OK. However, after ME1 ending, it pales in comparision.

    The replay value is still low. I know I will not force myself through the storyline as a renegade just to see some slightly different plotlines. The game is just too long to redo it for 10-20% difference in the outcome.

    The interface is worse than in ME1.

    The planetary exploration interface slightly more useful. However I would rather have a mix of ME1 rover maps and ME2 scanner minigame then just this or just that.

    All in all, I don't know what the idea was with ME2, but it doesn't do service or add improvement to the fans of ME1 on any level.    … Expand
  5. Zonerider
    Jun 29, 2012
    3
    3 points for graphic and storyline. The game is a nice action adventure, but not a RPG. Wolfenstein from 2008 is more a RPG than Mass Effect. With 3 team members your avatar wipe out all life in the galaxy in 2 long weekends, than you have get the maximum player level and when you have all the upgrades, perks, abilitys and items the games ends abruptly, you can drop your lovely leveled3 points for graphic and storyline. The game is a nice action adventure, but not a RPG. Wolfenstein from 2008 is more a RPG than Mass Effect. With 3 team members your avatar wipe out all life in the galaxy in 2 long weekends, than you have get the maximum player level and when you have all the upgrades, perks, abilitys and items the games ends abruptly, you can drop your lovely leveled avatar in the trash and start a new game. For me the game is only a stand alone graphic patch for Star Wars KOTOR. Extreme potential wasted!… Expand
  6. DoesntMatter
    Dec 24, 2012
    4
    What I expected: More from what I got in the first game. What I got: A dumbed down, consolized game with bad game mechanics and a terrible UI. Good things first. The presentation (graphics, animations, voice over) works great, pretty much like in the first game, and the story is nice. Unfortunately, that's where the good things end. The decision that guns now require ammo is something IWhat I expected: More from what I got in the first game. What I got: A dumbed down, consolized game with bad game mechanics and a terrible UI. Good things first. The presentation (graphics, animations, voice over) works great, pretty much like in the first game, and the story is nice. Unfortunately, that's where the good things end. The decision that guns now require ammo is something I can accept and would even prefer. But why does my boss spend billions on a star ship with an advanced armory, yet doesn't have enough cash to buy me some ammo? That way, I have to rely on the ammo I find from dead enemies, which don't always drop the ammo I need. Great, but that's one of the minor flaws of this game: Before I started playing, I had to fix several bugs with the mouse speed and colorization of the game. Many players are complaining about this on forums, but Bioware never bothered to patch these things themselves. Then, I can hardly enjoy anything in this game, because the user interface is so *** **** bad. You can't double click in menus, always need to "click item", then "click ok button". It's not even possible to confirm with ENTER, you have to click the button. Every time. Same goes for the star map. On top of that, there are no shortcut keys to get to the important menus, you have to hit ESC and then click the menu you want to bring up. You can navigate there with the arrow keys, but for some reason unknown to anyone in this galaxy, the controls are reversed. Left goes right, down goes up. Doing simple things takes forever, because the interface is just such a damn mess. Also, every time you pick something up, a message about the item will pop up and fill about half of your screen. They got most of this right in the first game, then changed it to this to "improve" the game for gaming consoles and didn't bother to change it for the PC version - but not only is it bad for PC players, it's also an insult to console gamers. They must really think you're stupid when they dumb down a game like that. Then again, maybe many console gamers are.… Expand
  7. Shmorgan
    Mar 20, 2017
    4
    Mass Effect 2 is the second best entry in one of my favorite games. Fantastic writing and gameplay.

    Pros + Storytelling + World + The gunplay and engaging in combat seems a lot more improved than in ME1, is more fun and doesn't feel stiff. Cons - Dialogue wheel, I prefer to see texts in sentences to select. - The item management in your inventory is a bit terrible.    Mass Effect 2 is the second best entry in one of my favorite games. Fantastic writing and gameplay.

    Pros

    + Storytelling

    + World

    + The gunplay and engaging in combat seems a lot more improved than in ME1, is more fun and doesn't feel stiff.

    Cons

    - Dialogue wheel, I prefer to see texts in sentences to select.

    - The item management in your inventory is a bit terrible.

    - No looting like in ME1.

    - No open planets to explore and no vehicle to drive around on the planets.    … Expand
  8. JayL
    Mar 17, 2010
    2
    The graphics look quite nice but that's about it. A few of the old characters are back from ME1 but the acting is very wooden and the things that wowed you graphically (like realtime rendered cutscenes) from ME1 just dont cut it now. The game itself is appalling; They've expanded on the really lame things in ME1, you pretty much pick up everything you can like fallout3, you have The graphics look quite nice but that's about it. A few of the old characters are back from ME1 but the acting is very wooden and the things that wowed you graphically (like realtime rendered cutscenes) from ME1 just dont cut it now. The game itself is appalling; They've expanded on the really lame things in ME1, you pretty much pick up everything you can like fallout3, you have no freedom on character advancement. It's all so linear and just an attempt to squeeze a few quid out of some existing code and a title which could have been much better. I can't give this a 0 because it loads and runs ok, but i'm not going over 2 because this game really does have no fun in it at all.… Expand
  9. guinevere2
    May 21, 2011
    4
    I do not want the rpg genre to follow the mass effect direction: oversimplifying every rpg aspect: starting from character creation, through the party management, exploration, combat and storyline part of the game. On top of that the game is ridiculous short, overuses same planet/building over and over again and has no replayability value at all. I also found the loading time between zonesI do not want the rpg genre to follow the mass effect direction: oversimplifying every rpg aspect: starting from character creation, through the party management, exploration, combat and storyline part of the game. On top of that the game is ridiculous short, overuses same planet/building over and over again and has no replayability value at all. I also found the loading time between zones to long. It is a scheme to milk as much dollars from the players as possible with shiny, superficial games full of meaningless pseudo - minigames… Expand
  10. DesmondL
    Mar 3, 2010
    4
    Most disappointing game, the graphics and story great!! But this is not RPG anymore, this game is looks like action-adventure or third-person shooter with bit RPG elements!! I played this for 3 hours and i don't see any pure RPG system, only a experience points and talents system!! I feel this sequel is not fun as Mass Effect, not only remove feature from the original game such armor Most disappointing game, the graphics and story great!! But this is not RPG anymore, this game is looks like action-adventure or third-person shooter with bit RPG elements!! I played this for 3 hours and i don't see any pure RPG system, only a experience points and talents system!! I feel this sequel is not fun as Mass Effect, not only remove feature from the original game such armor equipments and its also not same as original game gameplay system.… Expand
  11. idoge25
    Apr 24, 2011
    4
    * A Good Sci-Fi story, in a rich Universe (with good characters)
    * A crapy "on rails" third-person shooter
    * Even crapier time-based minigames, with no possibility to regulate their difficulty
    * Terrible level design, which breaks the suspension of disbelief...
  12. srdrkrm
    Jun 4, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's been a while since I've played newer video games (as in, the last time was in highschool when I owned a N64), and this series seemed well-regarded. I tried to get into it, browsing through the books, comics, trying to get a sense of the whole expanded universe they tried to create. It's sad to be disappointed. Sure, I'll play the third one, just to see how they will tie it up, but I my hopes are not up.

    The first Mass Effect was tedious, but had some charm; this game is really the same, though the source of both the tedium and it's charm is different.

    Really, the only thing I liked was the opening sequence and some of the writing, which was miles ahead of the really uninteresting story. The opening held some promise (the space you could see out of the top of the ship, the emergence of the secret group from the first game.), but quickly squandered it.
    I liked talking to Joker, but I hated going on with the story. Every possible dramatic moment (characters dying, etc.) is so obviously avoidable, it was tremendously boring. It was also kind of weird! how cold the relationship between Shepherd and characters from the previous game were, as in, they act cold around each other. Considering that many of the players of this game spent at least a bunch of hours with these characters in the last game, you'd think the developer would consider this. I also despised the way the worlds were divided into mission and non-mission areas: it's true, it was lame how almost every other bass in the first game was one of three designs, but taking dividing combat and "talking" areas is a really horrible idea that makes everything really boring. It takes out the element of surprise that a fight could break out any minute and makes it a much more uniform experience.

    Also, I know BioWare already acknowledged this, but I don't know how anybody during the conception of the game could think that the planet mining parts was permissible gameplay. Ugh.

    Sure somethings were better in this round: the fighting did feel a lot better, and the actual fighting levels I liked. Again, the actual writing was a bit better, though it was still in b-movie land. The worst part is, considering how singularly boring this plot is, there is no way I can trust any professional reviewer who has claimed that BioWare is the king of "epic storytelling" or something. You obviously have not read enough books, or movies, or music or anything to say such a thing. Unless you mean in video gaming, which means that video games still is a child primarily raised by meat-heads. Well, there goes my first video game review. Alas.    … Expand
  13. Stylus
    Mar 19, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect was never a clever game but in this sequel it takes a turn for the dumber. RPG mechanics are stripped out but not properly replaced with good TPS mechanics, there was no sense of urgency (which is unforgivable in such a linear game) and the main story was underdeveloped (to be specific it felt like the writers wanted it to be like a movie heist such as Ocean's Eleven but thereMass Effect was never a clever game but in this sequel it takes a turn for the dumber. RPG mechanics are stripped out but not properly replaced with good TPS mechanics, there was no sense of urgency (which is unforgivable in such a linear game) and the main story was underdeveloped (to be specific it felt like the writers wanted it to be like a movie heist such as Ocean's Eleven but there was never any pay-off after assembling the team and nobody had a coherent plan). . As I mentioned before the shooting mechanics aren't particularly good; comparing this game to Gears of War would be an insult to the folks at Gearbox. There are little things like being forced to slap the spacebar all the time and bigger things like the lack of interesting enemies that force you to change your play style. The only redeeming aspects of the game were the little call backs to your saves in the original game and the side characters and squad mates who provided all the game's interest. Unfortunately the small joys provided by the characters aren't enough to offset the fact that most of the time you will be playing an uninspired shooter. Two stars.… Expand
  14. themrchook
    Sep 2, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 2 is a sequel that has been stripped of everything that made the first game enjoyable for me. Reduced to a simple, linear cover based third person shooter with token rpg elements and mini games. The story is the only thing that holds this game up, but it is still a tattered, sorry flag.
  15. ZachS.
    Feb 8, 2010
    4
    This game is fun for the first playthrough -- only 14 hours on hard for me | and I did all the side-quests I could find, personally I think that there was a lack of those. I very much loved the first ME, it had a very good RPG replay value for different loot and different armor types. In this one, that value is non-existent. You only have one armor "type" which you can upgrade, no armor This game is fun for the first playthrough -- only 14 hours on hard for me | and I did all the side-quests I could find, personally I think that there was a lack of those. I very much loved the first ME, it had a very good RPG replay value for different loot and different armor types. In this one, that value is non-existent. You only have one armor "type" which you can upgrade, no armor or shield value differences really, you only get to choose between two different weapons of each type, one of which is obviously superior in all situations. It really posed no challenge to me, and I'm really surprised that Bioware would dumb down this series the way that they did. The AI is all-around stupid. Your teammates look like they are in pre-school compared to your enemies. I wish I could actually find someone besides Garrus and Legion who know how to shoot a gun correctly. The storyline is like this - gather your team - do their sidequests - have sex with one of them - then go destroy the collectors. Not really an RPG in my book, which was what I was expecting when I bought this since it was in the category of RPG.… Expand
  16. Juiblex
    Feb 8, 2011
    4
    I liked the story and combat but that's about it. The RPG element isn't there, the characters are pretty limited in abilities/weapons, the programing isn't all that good either. I get stuck in the air and in cut scenes characters would be spinning, and there was a fair deal of crashes to desktop. I cant say that this is a good game but it isn't completely worthless. Play it once throughI liked the story and combat but that's about it. The RPG element isn't there, the characters are pretty limited in abilities/weapons, the programing isn't all that good either. I get stuck in the air and in cut scenes characters would be spinning, and there was a fair deal of crashes to desktop. I cant say that this is a good game but it isn't completely worthless. Play it once through and be done with it, I don't see what big hype was with this game, it's average at best.… Expand
  17. HomeCritic
    Jan 10, 2013
    4
    Mass Effect 2 has the worst continuation of story in any sci-fi. It destroyed the lore of Mass Effect 1, made main antagonists into brain dead morons, and it actually serves no point, because we didn't learn anything really important in it, for example, how to stop the reapers or how to unite a galaxy against this threat and so on and fourth. The beginning just happened and later on noMass Effect 2 has the worst continuation of story in any sci-fi. It destroyed the lore of Mass Effect 1, made main antagonists into brain dead morons, and it actually serves no point, because we didn't learn anything really important in it, for example, how to stop the reapers or how to unite a galaxy against this threat and so on and fourth. The beginning just happened and later on no further themes of this "revival" weren't addressed nor the whole process explained. Shepard died and got resurrected, just to serve the plot, it adds no meaning nor change to main characters character, Shepard seems to be just a static brick. Overall, the storyline was not good, at all.
    Other problems contains game mechanics and oversimplification of RPG elements and lore breaking transition from unique concept of weapon mechanics to general ammo clips. Exploration is also dumped down to boring planet search minigame. Customization was improved on some parts, but overall it was also majorly oversimplified and generalized. They really tried to push this game to general audience, which they shouldn't have been doing in the first place.
    ME2 marks the beginning of the complete wreckage for the whole franchise, ME3 being the second mark on that path. This game shows how lack of attention to the detail and story can destroy the potential of interesting and engaging lore.    … Expand
  18. syrik
    May 6, 2011
    4
    This game really has to get two scores. If you play on normal difficulty, like I did my first play through, then it's great. Great story, game play, action, character depth, pretty much does everything right and it earns a solid 8. Play it the second play through on Insanity difficulty and suddenly its a game riddled with bugs and as such id score it a 1. Buggy games drive me crazy andThis game really has to get two scores. If you play on normal difficulty, like I did my first play through, then it's great. Great story, game play, action, character depth, pretty much does everything right and it earns a solid 8. Play it the second play through on Insanity difficulty and suddenly its a game riddled with bugs and as such id score it a 1. Buggy games drive me crazy and I think far far less of an otherwise good game for having them. What causes this discrepancy? On the top level of difficulty the enemies hit hard, really hard. This means you have to act fast and use cover, always, every time. Two problems pop up, first when you turn quickly your character will have a tendency to become detached from the game world and float in the air or suddenly get stuck on top of objects. This doesn't happen all the time, but enough to be called repeatable and definitive. Second problem is cover. While on normal the few times you ducked and hid it probably worked fine. Now, you are ducking and hiding everywhere, fast and frequently. This causes the many surfaces to reveal their true nature where your character will not hide completely and you'll get shot through an object, or your character won't lean out the correct direction and you'll be left open to get shot. There are many many glitched cover surfaces that cause a variety of issues with game play. Besides that there are also a few other bugs present like quests that you can't complete that don't end up affecting anything and also a game killing bug where your game will have a critical crash and close if you change your ability hot keys in combat (there is a quick hotkey UI with bad programming). These very prevalent bugs cause the game heavy problems because they get you killed when you should otherwise be alive. So, all told id give the game a 4. Great story, so so game play that is very dependent on the difficulty setting as to how decent it is and released, yet never fixed, with a repeatable bug that will cause a fatal error.… Expand
  19. Goekhan
    Feb 2, 2010
    3
    Mass Effect 1 was a challenge. And the results are an unique game. But Mass Effect 2 scraps and gets rid of many things that made Mass Effect 1 unique. If ME2 was the first game, not a sequel I mean, I'd be giving it a 10, but seeing how they "destroyed" the game, for sake of graphics, atmosphere, and sound effects, only deserves a 3.
  20. DavidN
    Jan 29, 2010
    0
    I hate the scanning and the boring minigames. This sequel is no fun with a capitol N. No Journal or Map keys. Fighting is so frustrating. No crouch key. Gun sounds are rather tinny. Story weak. This was rushed out and dumbed down for the $$$$. PC version is a terrible disappointment. Not even worth even 1 point so I've given it ZERO. Bioware are catering to console users and the PC I hate the scanning and the boring minigames. This sequel is no fun with a capitol N. No Journal or Map keys. Fighting is so frustrating. No crouch key. Gun sounds are rather tinny. Story weak. This was rushed out and dumbed down for the $$$$. PC version is a terrible disappointment. Not even worth even 1 point so I've given it ZERO. Bioware are catering to console users and the PC version was just an after thought for the $$. No attempt was made to make this any fun at all.… Expand
  21. PaulC
    Mar 2, 2010
    2
    YOu meet some baddies. You press some buttons. It doesn't really matter which ones you press. Keep pressing them till the baddy is dead. There are other characters that you control, but they rarely do what you ask them, and often just stand in your way. So press some more buttons. Even on the PC this game REEKS of console. It has the depth of spit puddle and the gameplay you would YOu meet some baddies. You press some buttons. It doesn't really matter which ones you press. Keep pressing them till the baddy is dead. There are other characters that you control, but they rarely do what you ask them, and often just stand in your way. So press some more buttons. Even on the PC this game REEKS of console. It has the depth of spit puddle and the gameplay you would exepct by a game developed to be played with the massive limitations of a joypad. I'm told that this is a great console game. I wish it would have stayed on the consoles, becasue it's a very VERY shallow PC game. OS developers! If I'd wanted to listen to hour after hour of spoken cutscenes - i'd a have rented a DVD not bought a game. "BANG BANG BANG MC Fly - Gameplay McFly" ..it's a GAME..The clue is in the genre game = gameplay not hours of listening to an annenoidal retard mumble through hours of text. I don't suppose we'll ever see a game like Baldurs Gate 2 again. Just shallow twitch games like this junk… Expand
  22. KannedFarU
    Dec 17, 2010
    4
    This game obviously has the taint of a product acquired by and developed under EA. It seems undercut, uninspired and super linear and super short. Mass Effect 1 was really a great game and this was deprived of all the things that made ME1 fantastic:
    * Great story
    * Unlimited Ammo * Large selection of stuff to buy * Really cool ATV * Tons of side quests that kept the game interesting The    This game obviously has the taint of a product acquired by and developed under EA. It seems undercut, uninspired and super linear and super short. Mass Effect 1 was really a great game and this was deprived of all the things that made ME1 fantastic:
    * Great story
    * Unlimited Ammo
    * Large selection of stuff to buy
    * Really cool ATV
    * Tons of side quests that kept the game interesting

    The only things that really give merit to ME2 is:
    * Customizable equipment
    * Weapon Proficiency

    If you want to swim in ME1 nostalgia go ahead and buy this game, it seems to have the aesthetic theme. But you will be upset with the result. This game is almost as boring as Dragon Age: Origins, at least I get to move around and shoot things. Adds some interest...    … Expand
  23. sfsf
    Feb 2, 2010
    1
    The most undeservedly over hyped game of the month award. It's also a strong contender for the 'most boring gameplay in years' award. Not that it's a surprise really, it's pretty much a regular thing now for the entire games industry media to suck up to the game developers in order to get that vital advertising contract/payola. Did I really just give this game a The most undeservedly over hyped game of the month award. It's also a strong contender for the 'most boring gameplay in years' award. Not that it's a surprise really, it's pretty much a regular thing now for the entire games industry media to suck up to the game developers in order to get that vital advertising contract/payola. Did I really just give this game a 1? I guess so. You see the reality is, there are good games out there. Even ones that get hyped up (Uncharted 2 for example). What I object to is the almost blanket '10/10 review' style anyone who likes a game feels the need to give it. Why should I care? Because of course it's up to us as players to counter the 'paid websites' and the 'shill reviewers' with the truth. The truth, as far as ME2 goes, is that it's one of the single most boring games in relation to it's 'stunning' reviews in some time. Other games (popular/hyped ones) that I've given very low scores to (Bioshock - terrible game play/all flash) (MW2 - no explanation needed) I did so because they plainly sucked on so many levels and yet were getting universal praise from professional critics. ME2 is similar except, it is actually far worse in many ways than those 2 games I've just mentioned. While it it certainly 'everything you normally require' in a game, it is also extremely 'space opera by the numbers'... dull, clinical, lacking soul, lacking fun game play. It's all about the ME universe (and it's fans), it's not about striving for gaming nirvana or exciting the player with immersion and empowering interaction. On a number of levels this game is extremely dated, from level design to texturing, from boring dumbed down RPG elements to mediocre shooting mechanics (Hey they TRIED to copy U2, Gears of War etc but failed badly.. here it just feels clunky). A review is just another opinion, so if hearing 'my' version of the truth offends you please down rate me and go back to enjoying your 'game'. I won't play along with the industry hype machine when a game this 'massive' and well reviewed is a bona-fide snooze fest to play. The problem is all the cut scenes, while well intended, are just lacking in emotion so anyone with half a brain ends up bored of them, thinking 'yes yes we've been told this particular cliched story a hundred times before in both games and movies now please let me play'... and then when you do play you find an extremely dated linear style corridor shooter. Seriously there are B-grade FPS games from 2002 that feel more fun to play than this. The mini games (hacking/scanning etc) are beyond tedious... did these developers not read about how mind numbing that kind of stuff is when looking at reviews of other games that contained them? It's 2010 and this over hyped thing is using mini game cliches still? Overall the game lacks a certain focus, and a heart. It's dull, it's not that it does anything extremely 'wrong' it's just a very very 'safe' game for a very average audience. The fact it's action portion feels like a poor man's Gears/Uncharted2 only serves to highlight that my time is better spent playing other games. I'm certain a massive amount of people who lap this stuff up only do so because of the 10/10 ratings, then hate to admit to themselves it's not actually any fun. The feeling I got from playing this game is it's a cold, by the numbers, play it safe game that doesn't have a true identity. It's neither good RPG nor good action shooter, in fact it's a really bad one of either of those. Mixing 2 bad attempts at different genres will not cancel out the badness... in my opinion it just amplifies it. If you want a TPS that rocks and has tight gameplay then look elsewhere, if you want an RPG that immerses you and excites you, look elsewhere, if you want an epic space story that feels involving and dramatic (and not overdone) look elsewhere, if you want great level design and beautiful art direction.... look elsewhere. If you want to have fun, for £40+ do yourself a favour and LOOK ELSEWHERE.… Expand
  24. North
    May 26, 2011
    4
    Hmm, how should I begin? ME1 was a blast. The story, inventory, choices, teams, exploration...and now in ME2, all the stuffs that made ME1 terrific has been disposed. And all those big gaming magazines praising this sequel with 9/10, 94/100 like scores. >.> I wonder if Bioware actually bribed them to give high scores to ME2... That's why I never read their criticisms. You gotta search forHmm, how should I begin? ME1 was a blast. The story, inventory, choices, teams, exploration...and now in ME2, all the stuffs that made ME1 terrific has been disposed. And all those big gaming magazines praising this sequel with 9/10, 94/100 like scores. >.> I wonder if Bioware actually bribed them to give high scores to ME2... That's why I never read their criticisms. You gotta search for the actual gamer to have a good introspection. And majority of the PEOPLE here would probably agree with me, as I agree with their comments. ME2 is far away from being an RPG game. And I give it 4/10, all for the sake of ME1. And the mixed comments about gameplay, graphics, characters and such are pretty much similar elsewhere. Mine too: the game is short, the story is not well developed, inventory is poor, choices of Shepard does not necessarily have effects within the game, but expected to have effects in ME3? You see how Bioware gets away with this? Thus what I will add to those nagtive and mixed comments is also gonna be my criticism of Bioware's hardline capitalistic policy in robbing people's money and stirring a "mass" anticipation for the third ME game. Now, they promise that if we buy those DLC games additionally, we'll have an idea about ME3 - DLC PRODUCTION HAS BECOME THE VILEST TACTIC IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY. Keep the game short and dully, and release some DLCs and stir up more anticipation. Surely, gamers will "buy" it! With additional cash flowing in Bioware accounts.....

    Should I say don't buy ME2? I don't think I can, cos now you already played ME1, you liked it, and now you want to see the end of it. You're surely gonna buy ME2, no matter how linear and mediocre it is. Because it is a bridge to the final game that is expected to have very high climaxes. And Bioware will have the cream of the business while experimenting RPG and FPS with ME2. ME2 is thus a rather experimental game and I hope that Bioware takes these negative criticisms into account, since they're mostly given by seasoned, experienced gamers!    … Expand
  25. MikeS.
    Jan 27, 2010
    0
    The characters and story are far weaker in this farther cliched sequel. The gameplay is better, but that just brings it to average now with the terrible level design. At least it's not a terrible TPS anymore it's average. Gathering resources is boring, weapons don't pack a punch, it all gets repetitive pretty soon. The last boss in another disappointment, the AI is The characters and story are far weaker in this farther cliched sequel. The gameplay is better, but that just brings it to average now with the terrible level design. At least it's not a terrible TPS anymore it's average. Gathering resources is boring, weapons don't pack a punch, it all gets repetitive pretty soon. The last boss in another disappointment, the AI is terrible, the direction is meh. Ultimately Mass Effect 2 is obviously more cinematic with higher off the roof production values. However, the story is pretty lame this time around as well as the characters.… Expand
  26. OliverGrau
    Feb 13, 2012
    2
    First things first it's no RPG, the quests are boring as hell, they're always the same, shoot some idiots with no brains and at last there's a boss. I've really tried to play it since I spent 5 euros on it some months ago, but everytime I've plaid for 20 minutes, I just quit, it's so boring. Worst 5 euros ever spent.
  27. TheUnicorn
    Mar 12, 2011
    1
    The gameplay was a serious disappointment from the first Mass Effect. I am an RPG player and loved the first one so much that I snapped up the second without thinking to find that I had an FPS. While I enjoy a good FPS every once in awhile, I don't look for one titled as an "RPG". They got rid of the dynamic tutorial which reflected key remapping, dropped the small battle map, which IThe gameplay was a serious disappointment from the first Mass Effect. I am an RPG player and loved the first one so much that I snapped up the second without thinking to find that I had an FPS. While I enjoy a good FPS every once in awhile, I don't look for one titled as an "RPG". They got rid of the dynamic tutorial which reflected key remapping, dropped the small battle map, which I loved, brutalized the story (Did they actually play the first game?), and made the characters into cardboard cutouts. Spike VGA gave this game the award og "BEST RPG of 2010" according to the Mass Effect 3 news release. Clearly they were incredibly high on something.… Expand
  28. polysix
    Feb 1, 2010
    0
    Ok it's not a ZERO, that is ridiculous. However, I for one am SICK of seeing every 'massive name game' getting 10/10 from the sheep players and the shilling reviewers. This has happened to almost all the big name games recently (ok.. for years) and I'll keep on giving zero to games that are getting 10s when they are worth '8' at best... on a good day, if you Ok it's not a ZERO, that is ridiculous. However, I for one am SICK of seeing every 'massive name game' getting 10/10 from the sheep players and the shilling reviewers. This has happened to almost all the big name games recently (ok.. for years) and I'll keep on giving zero to games that are getting 10s when they are worth '8' at best... on a good day, if you squint really hard. Now to the game. For all the hype and praise I was badly let down. I almost fell asleep during the first few hours play. The initial opening scene was nicely done, very good (if you want 'interactive movies' rather than games), it seemed to go downhill after that. When you compare this to the quality in for ex Uncharted 2, it shows so much lack of flair, lack of care, lack of finishing touches. The textures throughout the levels were bland, reminding me of 'poor man's FPS' from the past such as Chaser and all that crud from the early 2000s. Seriously the design is poor, lacking originality, lacking artistic direction and relying on the age old 'generic space theme'. Design was boxy, levels (so far) linear and poorly paced. It was like bioware tried to hybrid this game a bit too much and have ended up removing anything that was cool about it (the RPG depth) and making, frankly, a 2nd rate Third person shooter with clunky controls, poor interface and worst of all EXTREMELY BORING GAMEPLAY. If you play Gears of War or Uncharted 2... or even Resident Evil 4 on the GC.. THAT is how you do '3rd person' properly. This game and it's predecessor were obviously made by a team who don't truly understand how to make a tight addictive 'action' game, and instead rely on the so called 'depth' and vision of the story and concept. It doesn't wash with me. I honestly can't recall a time in recent years I've been this BORED while playing such a 'massive' game. I'm trading mine in asap while the price is still good (If I can) if not looks like I really should stop taking any review site seriously. Ask yourself, while playing this, are you genuinely feeling 'fun'? are you feeling that there is more to pull you through the game than some lame (though nicely scripted and pretty looking) cut scene? I certainly did not relish getting back to the so called 'action' (wooh more shooting with an underpowered and clunky set of weapons) I guess most of all I was astonished at the number of cliches this game spews over the player while being heralded as the second coming of gaming nirvana. I lost all connection with the game because of it's clinical delivery, it's 'by the numbers' action gameplay, and it's robotic characters. The female is annoying, often repeating her lines once too often during battle (it's 2010 people, I thought that kind of thing had been fixed in games these days?). Of course lots and lots of people are still going to buy this, just like the brainless sheep (even worse) who made Modern Warfare 2 the 'beacon' of a once proud industry. Nothing I say will damage Bioware's sales, or stop you from buying it if you are hyped up for it. For me however, it all felt like it was trying too hard to be 'something' it wasn't, with no clear, punchy definition of it's own. It's borrowed ideas and innovations from other games and mixed it up into something that lacks soul or reason to play (other than because the reviews said you should). Ahh just another game in a long line of stupidly overhyped AAA titles that are keeping the industry rich through collusion and payola with review sites. Next up? I guess we'll have Bioshock 2 being 'the greatest thing ever' according to the mags/sites... Just like they did with the first game (which was also overhyped and had terrible gameplay, as bad as I thought it's gameplay was it was actually ever so slightly more fun than ME2's gameplay so that's how bad ME2 is!). There are good 'hyped' games out there, Uncharted 2 is one of them, not perfect but it's solid, addictive and feels compelling. It's art direction and animation are worlds beyond the basic '1999 style' generic corridor shooter we see here. I know i'm picky, I can't help it... I can't help noticing things in ME2 like the lazy texturing (check out the ramps up to the outside buildings in the first levels, many have misaligned textures with no 'trimming' just stopping dead at the end of the mesh - even if it means the texture is cut in half)... that kind of thing was frowned upon way back in user created maps for games like unreal etc so why are pro devs getting away with this lazy 'mapping' and getting 10/10 for graphics/art? Ok a sum up of the bad points ( I won't list the good stuff as there's thousands of 10/10 reviews doing that if you care). .Linear to the point of boredom (Just 'working your way though cos you bought it not cos you are having a blast') .Generic level design .Bad texturing (sky/clouds even feature stretched and flat 'clouds' again say hello to 1999!) .Tiny/Bad UI - blocky and unintuitive .Abrupt level ending. No finesse, just 'map after map' with some cut scenes tacked on. Again check Uncharted2 for one example of how to do this right with 'flair' .Boring and unsympathetic characters. The complete opposite of the great work done in games like Half Life 2 (and again even U2). .Shine on everything, they like them shaders at bioware and they are using them on everything - some may think that makes for 'great graphics' but it doesn't. It looks stupid, it's still a boxy empty lifeless environment that is no pleasure to be in .Clinical to the point of feeling like numb .Ill defined gameplay - is it one thing or the other? neither, it's a mess in terms of gameplay. .Story? Hmm, probably it's strongest side but again it's nothing special, been done to death, they just changed the name of the 'baddies' ... yawn .Overhyped. When a game is overhyped such as this, it better be damned near perfect. Even with flaws it's ok but this is so lacklustre in so many areas it's a crime against videogaming to be calling this 'the best game of the year' so early. I for one hope we'll get more games on all formats this year that are at least 10x better than this. btw: IMO and YMMV. Thanks. If forced to play this or ME1.. go for ME1, it was flawed but at least it had some 'character and soul' (still not as much as other games though).… Expand
  29. LanceW.
    Feb 1, 2010
    0
    Dull, dull, dull. This is the same old boring Bioware pap, with one dimensional characters, and a completely unimaginative story. For anyone who's ever read a book (even one book) this game is fairly insulting and anti-intellectual. You'll yawn, and you might even cry at how dire it is. I'm just glad I played this on a friend's computer and didn't buy it. Avoid. Dull, dull, dull. This is the same old boring Bioware pap, with one dimensional characters, and a completely unimaginative story. For anyone who's ever read a book (even one book) this game is fairly insulting and anti-intellectual. You'll yawn, and you might even cry at how dire it is. I'm just glad I played this on a friend's computer and didn't buy it. Avoid. One day, Bioware might get a stable of half-decent writers, today isn't that day.… Expand
  30. Shaitan87
    Nov 2, 2010
    3
    I was extremely disappointed by this. The story is very linear and boring, there are almost no sidequests at all. I find the gameplay very repetitive, every battle was the same, and even on high difficulties they were trivially easy. The end of the game left me a bit shocked, it seemed to do nothing for the plot of the series, you know about as much about the story at the end of theI was extremely disappointed by this. The story is very linear and boring, there are almost no sidequests at all. I find the gameplay very repetitive, every battle was the same, and even on high difficulties they were trivially easy. The end of the game left me a bit shocked, it seemed to do nothing for the plot of the series, you know about as much about the story at the end of the game as at the start.… Expand
  31. JennyF.
    Jan 26, 2010
    0
    Commander Shepard still has a monotone voice, which seems to be the worst voice actor for a game with such great performances. The level design is average, the gunplay has been done to death. It's slightly average. What's great is the cinematic part of it. It's better than the original, however it seems to be quite tedious and repetitive with the gameplay and the boring Commander Shepard still has a monotone voice, which seems to be the worst voice actor for a game with such great performances. The level design is average, the gunplay has been done to death. It's slightly average. What's great is the cinematic part of it. It's better than the original, however it seems to be quite tedious and repetitive with the gameplay and the boring searching for money parts of the game. Choices can matter, some characters are interesting, story is cliche, but told in a good manner, besides the annoying main character. The AI is ok, the enemies are ok, the game just seems to not really have anything to call its own unfortunately.… Expand
  32. Stopdumbingdown
    Mar 18, 2020
    0
    if you are one who likes rpgs and thought the next mass effect would take what was great about the first game and add it into the mechanics of the next game, you would be wrong

    this game is standard bioware Regressivism and, its not a rpg werd to accessibility and cinematic presentation tho for those who dislike actual rpgs and, like handholding, boring companions, bottom    if you are one who likes rpgs and thought the next mass effect would take what was great about the first game and add it into the mechanics of the next game, you would be wrong

    this game is standard bioware Regressivism

    and, its not a rpg

    werd to accessibility and cinematic presentation tho

    for those who dislike actual rpgs
    and, like handholding, boring companions, bottom feeder storylines, dimwitted romances and regurgitated Regressive politics

    0/10    … Expand
  33. post_no_bills
    Mar 11, 2018
    0
    OK, so why such a bad score? Is it fair?

    I want to be clear about one thing. This is NOT a review based on how much I loved the game ORIGINALLY. It is a review of the game as it is NOW. Why the difference? The game is still for sale on Origin, which, in my mind, confers a responsibility on the part of EA to ensure that it actually works on modern systems. IT DOES NOT.    OK, so why such a bad score? Is it fair?

    I want to be clear about one thing. This is NOT a review based on how much I loved the game ORIGINALLY. It is a review of the game as it is NOW.

    Why the difference? The game is still for sale on Origin, which, in my mind, confers a responsibility on the part of EA to ensure that it actually works on modern systems. IT DOES NOT.

    Specifically, there are game ending bugs associated with both the Liara and Kasumi missions. Game ending. As in, no way past.

    I have wasted quite a bit of time on this, and I heartily regret my decision to repurchase this game (my original purchase was via CD, and it was too scratched up to reload).

    Buying this game in 2010 was a great idea. Buying this game today is a complete waste of time and money. Given the spectacular incompetence typically shown by EA in almost everything they do I probably should have expected it, but I didn't. So shame on me.

    Edit: I spent 3 hours online with EA technical support. Three (3) different people. Their technical support is singularly inept. End result? It is a BUG. They could not figure out a way around it. It is a top of the line system that I play tons of games on without any problems. It is SHAMEFUL that they are selling old software that they know probably won't work.    … Expand
  34. PaulusM
    Feb 7, 2010
    4
    I was massively dissapointed by this game. Having played the first I expected it to be an interesting follow up, all the perfect reviews didn't exactly lower my expectations. Don't get me wrong here: This isn't a "I was dissapointed so this gets a 0 review". I'm not a massive fan and I have no hard feelings toward the developers or critics or whoever. The first game I was massively dissapointed by this game. Having played the first I expected it to be an interesting follow up, all the perfect reviews didn't exactly lower my expectations. Don't get me wrong here: This isn't a "I was dissapointed so this gets a 0 review". I'm not a massive fan and I have no hard feelings toward the developers or critics or whoever. The first game was rough but visionary. Instead of refining these rough edges, Bioware decided to cut them off and remove them altogether, thus making the outcome a bit more polisher but shallower in almost every regard. It hardly feels like an RPG anymore. Here's why: Since stats are removed there isn't any sense of character progression or standard that you can measure your progress with. Enemies don't give XP thus removing the sense of accomplishment when killing a horde or boss. The cities are bleak, small and entirely pointless. No stores, hardly any upgrades and the little there are have no real progression. For example if you upgrade the assault rifle its characteristics change dramatically. Level one is inaccurate, powerful at short range and lots of ammo. Level two is accurate, little ammo and good for range. Level 3 is basically like level 1 of the rifle again. What? Why not choose the characteristics you want and then upgrade accordingly? This system is pointless. Bioware has fallen in an annoying routine of RPG development: Step 1: Assemble your crew Step 2: Please your crew by doing them or side missions that reveal their shocking past Step 3: Climatic finale where you have to sacrifice a few members and usually get a sex sequence (see step 2). Pacing is terrible, you never get a sense of immediacy and the game drags quite a bit halfway. As of now the game feels like a slow-paced shooter with an extensive dialogue system. It's a mere shadow of the athmosphere and new concepts of the first one. Buy at your own discretion and don't trust the reviews.… Expand
  35. Lindell90
    Oct 4, 2013
    0
    it is a terrible PC port, typical average console game...
    dont buy it if you want to play an FPS on your computer. clunky, dumbed down controls, MASSIVE (hence the name i suppose) amounts of cutscenes, boring combat, weak role play, no physics engine, dull graphics, no options to gameplay, stupid achievements, dumbed down game play, the list of goes on and on
    no idea why this game had    it is a terrible PC port, typical average console game...
    dont buy it if you want to play an FPS on your computer. clunky, dumbed down controls, MASSIVE (hence the name i suppose) amounts of cutscenes, boring combat, weak role play, no physics engine, dull graphics, no options to gameplay, stupid achievements, dumbed down game play, the list of goes on and on

    no idea why this game had such good reviews that made me buy it, to my dismay    … Expand
  36. beefcake124
    Mar 16, 2014
    3
    they wont add gamepad support because they dont care about consumers. This would have been a good game to i think but mouse and keyboard do not work with my 3d hdtv and couch
  37. KaienShiba
    Oct 8, 2015
    4
    This very loosely an rpg, it's more of an fps action/rpg. The game itself has very few flaw, but most glaring one are your so called team mates which you have to keep a close eye on and near you, because your Shepard is the main target for enemies. The other glaring flaw is your view point which is behind and slightly to the right of your character, and while it works for games like swtorThis very loosely an rpg, it's more of an fps action/rpg. The game itself has very few flaw, but most glaring one are your so called team mates which you have to keep a close eye on and near you, because your Shepard is the main target for enemies. The other glaring flaw is your view point which is behind and slightly to the right of your character, and while it works for games like swtor or skyrim it does not in fps. Skyrim has the best pov in a game since you can choose your pov. It would been better if this was a true fps.… Expand
  38. argo2001
    Dec 5, 2017
    1
    Самая переоценённая игра в истории.
    Именно с неё началось падение Биовар, она заложила те основы, которые сделали игры Биовар всё хуже и хуже с каждым новым выпуском.
    После почти шедеврального МЭ 1 Биовар выпустила крайне унылый почти безсюжетный шутер с отвратительным и совершенно однообразным геймплеем. И тот факт, что эта недоигра была хорошо принята общественностью - сыграло с    Самая переоценённая игра в истории.
    Именно с неё началось падение Биовар, она заложила те основы, которые сделали игры Биовар всё хуже и хуже с каждым новым выпуском.
    После почти шедеврального МЭ 1 Биовар выпустила крайне унылый почти безсюжетный шутер с отвратительным и совершенно однообразным геймплеем. И тот факт, что эта недоигра была хорошо принята общественностью - сыграло с разработчиками и издателем злую шутку.
    Единственный плюс МЭ2 - это финальная миссия, но до неё игра уже успела вызвать к себе ненависть и презрение.    … Expand
  39. Skie
    Feb 3, 2015
    2
    The user score here surprised me so much I had to write a review.
    First, it has the worst gameplay in the saga. Most RPG elements got removed, and it became a straight forward action game with pinch of other elements.
    Second, the story is between horrible to non-existent. It starts with deus ex machina, continues with ruining the Shepherd character, and ends without making any sense or    The user score here surprised me so much I had to write a review.
    First, it has the worst gameplay in the saga. Most RPG elements got removed, and it became a straight forward action game with pinch of other elements.
    Second, the story is between horrible to non-existent. It starts with deus ex machina, continues with ruining the Shepherd character, and ends without making any sense or impact what so ever. From the saga over arching plot point of view, it spends minimal amount of time to foreshadowing events that in the end aren't even used or appear in the next title. Basically, a joke of a game.
    If you're looking for a shooter action game, it could be a fun game, but don't expect anything else.    … Expand
  40. CesarV
    Jan 26, 2021
    0
    overhyped boring game that owes all of its success to a crazy fan base who tell a good game from a bad one and were the sole responsibles for the death of the franchise.
  41. EptaEpt
    Sep 13, 2022
    1
    Sorry, but positive feedback is not available in your region. At least until your leadership changes the two-faced policy in their actions and statements.
  42. Piruz
    May 7, 2020
    1
    i feel so much cringe when i listen all this reviewers and game experts. Especially when it is about ultra overrated bad projects like Mass Effect 2. If you really need arguments about this position, you should work on yourself
  43. Johnobudiman77
    Jul 1, 2020
    0
    Gw sangat merekomendasi Mass effect 2 bagi kalian yang suka game rpg, shooting, maupun adventure. Mass effect 2 dikeluarkan pada tahun 2010 yang mempunyai story yang bagus dipadu grafik keren, penyuara karakternya mantap. dan gameplay yang lumayan mudah kalo udah mulai terbiasa. Wajib lah menurut gw kalo lu lagi bosen trus nyari game yang bagus. Gile sih EA tahun 2013 kebawah. mereka punyaGw sangat merekomendasi Mass effect 2 bagi kalian yang suka game rpg, shooting, maupun adventure. Mass effect 2 dikeluarkan pada tahun 2010 yang mempunyai story yang bagus dipadu grafik keren, penyuara karakternya mantap. dan gameplay yang lumayan mudah kalo udah mulai terbiasa. Wajib lah menurut gw kalo lu lagi bosen trus nyari game yang bagus. Gile sih EA tahun 2013 kebawah. mereka punya game yang bagus-bagus dengan storyline yang keren. Eh kesini-sini malah DLC dan microtransaction.… Expand
  44. MeritCoba
    Nov 28, 2015
    1
    (I changed my review and changed my score to 1. Mass Effect 2 is a terrible badly written story)

    The story continues. Not where Mass Effect 1 left off, mind you, but with a clear break because Shepard and his/her famous ship Normandy get zapped to tiny bits by the latest threat to the Galaxy only to be reconstituted by the nefarious Cerberus organisation, headed by that sinister    (I changed my review and changed my score to 1. Mass Effect 2 is a terrible badly written story)

    The story continues. Not where Mass Effect 1 left off, mind you, but with a clear break because Shepard and his/her famous ship Normandy get zapped to tiny bits by the latest threat to the Galaxy only to be reconstituted by the nefarious Cerberus organisation, headed by that sinister individual called the Illusive Man for gargantuan amounts of money.
    This little trick is needed to make sure that the new enemy isn't dealt with at once, because with Shepard's powers, high reputation, influential Spectre status and team of experts the end mission could have gotten underway from the start. So instead, Shepard is killed and Shepard is resurrected to start the game with a clean slate so you can gain it all again. Unfortunately someone must have listened to Sympathy for the Devil once too often and and hooked up the hero of the galaxy with the biggest evil organisation of the galaxy for no reason at all. Yes, it is that bad: as in writing as well as in situation.

    The story is dreadful. A big flaw is how it fails to uphold its own moral system. ME2 uses Kotor's light side/dark side system translated into paragon and renegade. It reduces decisions to 'right' or 'wrong' options, depending on what the creators deem is 'right' or 'wrong' in a given situation. A third option does not afford any awards. Just like with Kotor: being neutral is the worst state to be in.
    An example how bad this is handled in ME 2 is the scene were you run into a bunch of looters, lecture them about stealing from the dead while you ransacked apartments down the corridors before and will do so after. You actually get rewarded for being a hypocrite.
    Another example: you get rewarded for convincing a company to buy a slave, even though that company is against slavery. Well done.
    I do not advocate a moral compass, but ME2 insists on it and it makes a mockery out of it. This is what makes ME2 at the core a flawed story.

    But the issues run even deeper.
    You are forced to serve one of the worst organisation in the galaxy whose methods and tactics haven't changed much as far as you can tell, but now you happen to be working for it. Your fellow crew members have no moral problems serving a criminal organisation, one that is known to have experimented on humans including children, not because out of loyalty for you - because everyone though you were dead - but because of any lame excuse that can explain away their lack of integrity.
    When it becomes clear that the human colony Horizon was offered as bait by Cerberus, without the Illusive Man informing you beforehand, you don't even get the option to leave. And if you are tricked again by him with the Collector Ship mission, you still can't leave the organisation.
    The writers of this game did the most terrible thing one can imagine on a player, they stripped the player of the illusion of freedom of choice. After the collector ship, neither a renegade like Snake Plisken nor a paragon like Aragorn would have stayed. Nobody would have been take for a ride twice, but for you, because the writers force you to.

    Piss poor writing is at every corner. Take Miranda's personal quest. In her quests one of her trusted friends betrays her to a bunch of mercenaries merely because she wasn't upfront about her sister to him. Years of friendship down the drain by one single incident. And he doesn't even confront her with his feelings first, but instead sells out her sister to someone he doesn't even know. Because that is how people think in the skewed world of Mass Effect.
    Terrible terrible terrible writing..

    Without a good story what is left is a game that allows you to fight spawned monsters with a team of three. For those who like shooters it will feel like a drag, especially as there are no fast buttons to switch between weapons or no way to dash. At higher difficulty levels you run into ammunition shortages, which means that you have to rely more on powers, which makes battles last longer and drawn out. At least one avatar becomes useless at higher levels because her powers don't work on armored or shielded enemies. And they all are. The AI is terrible. Enemies consists mostly of three kinds. Small ones that swarm, normal ones that hang in the back and big ones that charge at you to use their overwhelming firepower to hammer you down.

    The fun part is perhaps to try out various combinations of powers and team members in various settings and to explore the personal missions of some, if not all of your team mates. But don't be surprised if you forgot what it all was about as it doesn't really matter. And don't worry: there is always a big sign pointing which way to go. You can't miss it. And even if you do miss it, it will force itself on you eventually.    … Expand
  45. aeroslimshady
    Jul 29, 2022
    3
    This is easily the most overrated RPG of all time. Mind numbing cover shooter based combat, idiotic dialogue system where none of your choices matter and you're forced into a path from the very beginning if you want to fully benefit from paragon/renegade points or whatever they're called. Super lazy side quests, awful writing that pretends to be more mature than it really is, drollThis is easily the most overrated RPG of all time. Mind numbing cover shooter based combat, idiotic dialogue system where none of your choices matter and you're forced into a path from the very beginning if you want to fully benefit from paragon/renegade points or whatever they're called. Super lazy side quests, awful writing that pretends to be more mature than it really is, droll overused companion system where they swear their unyielding allegiance to you after exhausting their dialogue options. Most of the game is literally just pointless boring side quests disguised as a main quest. I couldn't finish it. I'm glad WRPGs have been in rapid decline and people are realizing how terrible these games actually are.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2010
3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 55 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 55
  3. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. Vandal
    96
    Mass Effect 2 resumes with pride the path opened by the first game. This sequel is a lesson of how things should be made.
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  2. AtomicGamer
    96
    Mass Effect 2 delivers a story that's deeper than what many novelists are capable of, and its action is better than what most Hollywood directors are creating nowadays. It's an addictive, engrossing experience that many gamers will replay over and over while they hold their breath waiting for the third game.
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  3. PC Games
    88
    A brilliant mix of shooter and role-playing, filled with great characters, excellent design, lots of action and clever dialogue. It's a shame though that Bioware did not improve the inventory and skill system of the first game, but actually reduced it even more. I really wished there were more customization options, more ways to develop and gear up my characters. But all these are merely small points of criticism, since there is so much to feel and experience in this game. Mass Effect 2 is a thrilling, emotional ride and ultimately every bit as good as its predecessor.
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