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. SuperkenGaming
    Feb 28, 2017
    8
    Mass Effect 2
    Overrated.
    Mass Effect 2 is a 3rd person shooter that continues the story of Commander Sheppard... Who is customizable if you choose... When the game starts you have the choice of loading your character and choices from mass effect 1 or start fresh and choose the important decisions from that game during a brief recap… Which I was thankful for since the first mass effect    Mass Effect 2
    Overrated.
    Mass Effect 2 is a 3rd person shooter that continues the story of Commander Sheppard...
    Who is customizable if you choose...
    When the game starts you have the choice of loading your character and choices from mass effect 1 or start fresh and choose the important decisions from that game during a brief recap…
    Which I was thankful for since the first mass effect wasn’t interesting enough or fun enough for me to finish…
    Thankfully Mass Effect 2 is much more enjoyable...
    Youre still dealing with the threat of the reapers here…
    You wake up from a 2 year long comma.. Things have changed, past relationships have changed, and now you have to deal with the collectors who are working for the reapers…
    And you spend the entire 24 hours of this game going to different planets, recruiting the best mercenaries out there and gaining their loyalty by completing their own missions with them after they join your crew…
    And if you see a fine piece of booty on that ship, you can hug them...
    You can hug them all…
    The sex scenes are no witcher 3 scenes...
    But the option to romance is there if you want to see bras or naked backs I guess.
    Or pretend that someone loves you while you shoot things with them.
    Between each mission you’re back in your ship the Normandy, and you choose the solar system and planet to travel to, you can then mine some of the planets for materials to upgrade your weapons and ship, or land for the mission…
    And before every land you choose the 2 characters to bring with you as well as edit unspent skill points and change their weapon loadouts…
    But the journey to the credits is fairly repetitive…
    There are a few cool missions in here that mix things up, making you use your brain to investigate or figure out how to get inti a secured location..
    But for the most part you’re clicking r3 to get the tiniest idea where to go with the games added objective compass, which is for the most part useless as it goes crazy and often points in the wrong direction…
    And you shoot everything in your way…
    Take cover... wait for these super spongey enemies to need to reload, use your powers... swap your weapons or command your squad to use their powers and swap their weapons…hop out of cover, shoot them, move on… along your ways hack some doors for credits or to progress and do all of it over and over until you get a mission complete…
    And none of these levels are interesting to run through.. They look and feel the same throughout... 0 cool moments... even the boss battles are lame... They’re just for the most part larger and spongier enemies...
    This is all 24 hours of the game…
    The combat is spaced out as you always have to find an npc to talk to and then they tell you to go this location and talk to someone else…
    But none of this is ever interesting.. none of the dialog choices seemed to hold any weight…
    And seemingly didn’t matter…
    I found myself just shooting or assaulting every time the option popped up to get on with it…

    I understand why people love Mass Effect 2…
    There are so many interesting characters with interesting backstories…
    But beyond that I just don’t get it…
    Did I have fun with the game? Yes
    But it never blew me away…. The story was a cool idea…
    The delivery of the story was a cool idea…
    But the repetitive mission structure and level design stops it from being amazing
    Mass Effect 2 is a Great game
    but nowhere near this masterpiece that everyone has made it out to be.
    I give Mass Effect 2
    an 8/10    … Expand
  2. VFerreira93
    Apr 5, 2015
    8
    Must I say that I adored the first Mass Effect game!
    It was very much entertaining, unique in its own way, action-packed and both the story and the characters are very well developed. I'm not a big fan of science-fiction in general but this franchise made me reconsider some of my choices and probably in a near future I'll try to play other videogames within this genre.
    Mass Effect 2 was    Must I say that I adored the first Mass Effect game!
    It was very much entertaining, unique in its own way, action-packed and both the story and the characters are very well developed. I'm not a big fan of science-fiction in general but this franchise made me reconsider some of my choices and probably in a near future I'll try to play other videogames within this genre.
    Mass Effect 2 was a really good sequel and I enjoyed it a lot. A more darker tone was present throughout the whole thing that made the story itself more compelling and addictive and also managed to shape the characters somehow along the way.
    A new set of squadmates was present and we get to see some familiar faces such as Tali and Garrus. And each one of them had their own storyline (or sidequest, if you want to call it that) that explored more of their backgrounds and if you succeded, their loyalty towards you would increase. And I can honestly say that character development was one of the best components in ME2.
    There was an obvious improvement in graphic quality, which I appreciated. In terms of gameplay, not so much. There were still a couple things that I liked but at the same time, it felt like there was almost nothing that I could pinpoint that felt trully good in this specific component.
    The weapons were basically the same with just slight differences between each other and only a few newer ones were added that really helped defeating the enemies. There was also a new component in ME2 which was the "Planet Scanning" and even that felt a little bit disappointing. Yes, in order to have more upgrades to either the Normandy itself or the character's power, we'd have to scan a lot of planets searching for resources that allowed to make the said upgrades. I guess it was okay, I never really cared about that... and it could be distracting at times.
    But the thing that bothered the most was the map. Whenever I wanted to check the map and see where I had to go, I always had to click on a specific button and a few seconds later, the map itself would disappear. This made me repeat the same process a lot of times and that, in comparison to ME1, was really difficult to deal with.
    Overall, it was a very enjoyable videogame that had its ups and downs with a really good storyline.    … Expand
  3. agurczuk
    Jun 21, 2016
    8
    A second instalment in what is probably the best sci-fi shooting RPG.

    In game you become resurrected captain Sherppard to face the ever present danger from the Reapers and their newest lackeys in the form of Collectors. To stop them from harvesting humans you need to travel the galaxy far and wide to recruit your allays and defeat the Collectors. This game does not differ very much    A second instalment in what is probably the best sci-fi shooting RPG.

    In game you become resurrected captain Sherppard to face the ever present danger from the Reapers and their newest lackeys in the form of Collectors. To stop them from harvesting humans you need to travel the galaxy far and wide to recruit your allays and defeat the Collectors.

    This game does not differ very much from the first part but it doesn't have to to be good. The graphics, the voice acting, the music - everything is top notch. You get a wide array of weapons with which to shoot your enemies. And special powers to augment your weapons and strike your enemies. The gameplay is very nice and smooth, you control your character from third person view, and can give commands to your two team mates. In most situations they do just fine with only once in a while necessity to directly issue orders.

    The environment is pretty, varies from place to place and is well designed. The shooting in most cases is a familiar cover based fire fight. You one from one cover to another, reload and shoot with weapon best suited for the situation.

    The only problem I had with the game is that there is not that much of a main story line. Most of the missions can be treated separately as most of them is either recruiting a new team member or helping him out with his specific task. Almost all of them need a separate recruitment and all of them come with a single mission not really related to the main task. For a completionist this sets the main mission on hold and you get the feeling of "no hurry - we've got time" contrary to the what the game would like to make you feel.

    Space exploration is fun as well though looking for resources can be a bit tedious at times. But each mission is designed with care and creates a solid, atmospheric experience.

    Overall really liked the game and can highly recommend it to anyone liking sci-fi.    … Expand
  4. Leptoi
    Jul 10, 2016
    8
    a master piece if wasn't for all the buyable dlcs that increases a great part of the game , thanks to EA and his abillity to launch games missing parts to sell after .
  5. JaapStam
    May 19, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Al reconstruir a Shepard este olvida como disparar... A mitad del juego se vuelve bastante repetitivo pero el final vale la pena.

    When rebuilding to Shepard this forgets how to shoot... Halfway through the game it becomes quite repetitive but the end is worth it.    … Expand
  6. albasile
    Mar 31, 2017
    8
    With the world of ME already established, Mass Effect 2 brings it back with its continued story of Commander Shepard. ME2 spans on its characters from ME1 bringing them to a more personal level. If the world and plot were the greatest strengths of the first game, the characters and their motivations are the strengths of ME2.
    Even though Graphics and combat have both been improved from the    With the world of ME already established, Mass Effect 2 brings it back with its continued story of Commander Shepard. ME2 spans on its characters from ME1 bringing them to a more personal level. If the world and plot were the greatest strengths of the first game, the characters and their motivations are the strengths of ME2.
    Even though Graphics and combat have both been improved from the original game with combat being revamped to a cover system, not all of ME2 is an improvement from the original. ME2 suffers from the cutback of RPG elements, worlds being more streamlined and smaller, reduced exploration, and main story plot holes that are big enough to fit a Collector Base in. However, even with ME2's weaker world and storyline, it makes up for them on its fleshed out characters their personalities, backstories, and their loyalty missions. These are the saving graces of ME2 and it is still great game. 8.5/10    … Expand
  7. Gor1945
    Apr 8, 2017
    8
    Увы - деградация РПГ составляющей налицо, но планку удержали персонажи интересные (Явик, Джек, Миранда да все практически интересны) и шикарная финальная миссия.
  8. PappyBakesCakes
    Dec 12, 2017
    8
    This game is great as both a standalone venture and as a sequel. The highlight of the game is the combat which is both simplistic and complex enough to feel rewarding without having to put too much effort. Compared to the first game there are a lot of improvements, namely in the combat and character development, but at times the dialogue does suffer from being a bit out of place. In factThis game is great as both a standalone venture and as a sequel. The highlight of the game is the combat which is both simplistic and complex enough to feel rewarding without having to put too much effort. Compared to the first game there are a lot of improvements, namely in the combat and character development, but at times the dialogue does suffer from being a bit out of place. In fact behind the whole game there is that feeling of being "out of place" which is the main reason I gave it an 8... beyond the fact its super easy to accidentally get stuck behind cover.… Expand
  9. Trenos
    Nov 29, 2017
    8
    Nice Sequel, again great story, soundtrack and characters but this time game-play and side quests are very good, and last mission......last mission is the best mission of all games! Very Good game and definitely best Mass Effect.
  10. Beeshu
    Dec 22, 2022
    8
    ME2 strikes a nearly perfect balance between the fun of action and the importance of dialogue that very few other RPGs understand. The story is great and very well told, with some fantastic characters and incredible moments. It's like playing an epic sci-fi movie! The combat can feel very basic at times, and there are some moments that get boring, but, as a whole, ME2 is a fantastic experience.
  11. nWoSkylite21
    Jul 7, 2020
    8
    Great continuation of the story. Hit and miss game-play wise. They tried to do something different, but not everything was good imo.
  12. MatikTheSeventh
    Oct 8, 2020
    8
    I have played all the Mass Effect games one after another and I loved them all.
  13. 4ya5h1
    Jun 7, 2021
    8
    most of people played this game says that this is the best part in all triology, but iunno, i ruined my walkthrough so much, i lost almost every character i liked)
  14. JaydenPickens
    May 8, 2019
    8
    Compared to the first one, this game is legendary. While I couldn't decide whenever Mass Effect 1 is a good game or not, I can say that this one is great. Loved the story and the characters. I made my decisions and was happy to see how they affected the story. Music was okay, nothing bad, nothing good. The only flaws I can find in this one are the gameplay issues. It's not a secret that ICompared to the first one, this game is legendary. While I couldn't decide whenever Mass Effect 1 is a good game or not, I can say that this one is great. Loved the story and the characters. I made my decisions and was happy to see how they affected the story. Music was okay, nothing bad, nothing good. The only flaws I can find in this one are the gameplay issues. It's not a secret that I hate games with regeneration and cover system and this is not exception. Battles in this game are mostly sh****. Always the same stuff, break the shields and finish the enemy, it got tedious very fast and that's the main reason why I can't consider this a 10/10 or 9/10 game. Also Shephard still can't run properly. This is what's wrong with game nowadays. Stop making slow main characters just to lengthen the game. I rather spend less time with the game and run fast and have fun, than be annoyed that the character runs slowly like he's snail or something. The other thing I must oppose are the sh***y dlc choices. And i'm not talking about game choices, but publisher choices. Stop releasing 1 hour dlcs for 10/20$... this is a fu**ing joke. This stuff should have been in the game from the very beginning. So yeah, ME 2 is great, but has flaws... still you'll love the story. Pickens approves!… Expand
  15. Vanco
    Jun 4, 2019
    8
    Lots of interesting new and recurring characters to interact with. The main storyline form ME 1 is unfortunately not really followed up on. Improved combat system with significant cuts to the RPG elements compared to ME 1.
  16. Corefitz
    Feb 15, 2020
    8
    As for RPG elements, this game blows the roof off any day!

    Combat system is another matter though...

    Very immsesive story
    Relatable characters
    TONS of stuff to explore
    In all caps: CHOICES MATTER
  17. Wrathzo
    Mar 21, 2022
    8
    Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010, and for PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the Mass Effect series and a sequel to the original Mass Effect. The game takes place within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, where humanity is threatened by anMass Effect 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010, and for PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the Mass Effect series and a sequel to the original Mass Effect. The game takes place within the Milky Way galaxy during the 22nd century, where humanity is threatened by an insectoid alien race known as the Collectors. The player assumes the role of Commander Shepard, an elite human soldier who must assemble and gain the loyalty of a diverse team to stop the Collectors in a suicide mission. With the use of a completed saved game of its predecessor, the player can impact the story of the game in numerous ways.… Expand
  18. ProfAmateur
    Jul 4, 2022
    8
    + The story is exciting / good setting
    + 'Live actions' during cutscenes
    + Many team members to choose from + Use of skills +/- Hacking has been expanded, but becomes repetitive over time. - It is still not a good shooter experience. Very clunky gameplay. - Farming-heavy. To get resources for upgrades, dozens of planets have to be farmed out using probes. Very time consuming and not    + The story is exciting / good setting
    + 'Live actions' during cutscenes
    + Many team members to choose from
    + Use of skills
    +/- Hacking has been expanded, but becomes repetitive over time.
    - It is still not a good shooter experience. Very clunky gameplay.
    - Farming-heavy. To get resources for upgrades, dozens of planets have to be farmed out using probes. Very time consuming and not fun.
    - Graphics lag behind for a 2010 game

    -> Playtime: Around 30 - 40 hours    … Expand
  19. EsteticBomzh
    Jun 24, 2020
    8
    Отличная игра, в которой были исправлены недостатки оригинала. Понятный сюжет, акцент на раскрытии напарников, улучшенная шутерная часть. Наверное это последняя хорошая игра BioWare.
  20. apokalipto
    Aug 9, 2023
    8
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  21. CalderX
    Nov 10, 2022
    8
    A great answer to the over-saturation of space sci-fi atmosphere created by Star Wars. A truly superb space opera with an outstanding script that I plan to return to with the re-release of the entire trilogy.
  22. DustinEchoes
    Feb 5, 2021
    8
    As the follow up game to the critically acclaimed Bioware RPG Series: Mass Effect. Mass Effect 2 is one of the best story and gameplay upgrades of the decade. However the disheartening lack of true RPG mechanics cannot be ignored. In conjunction with clumsy character combat animations, this makes for a rather average gameplay experience, however this is greatly made up for by a phenomenalAs the follow up game to the critically acclaimed Bioware RPG Series: Mass Effect. Mass Effect 2 is one of the best story and gameplay upgrades of the decade. However the disheartening lack of true RPG mechanics cannot be ignored. In conjunction with clumsy character combat animations, this makes for a rather average gameplay experience, however this is greatly made up for by a phenomenal cast of characters. Mass Effect 2 is one of my must play games of the mid 2000’s.… Expand
  23. AgentLvi
    Dec 27, 2022
    8
    Great game. The story is decent. The scoring is great, visual is really amazing, the voice & sound is also amazing
  24. FelipeRam
    Aug 18, 2022
    8
    Muito bom, seguindo para o terceiro jogo, uma pena que a Jack morreu, uma das melhores para lutar.
  25. kesik93
    Dec 7, 2022
    8
    This is a very good game, but it's definitely not the "perfect sequel". Compared to ME1 many things were completely cut or dumbed down. In fact, i would say this is the weakest game in Shepherd trilogy. This game basically don't have any story. This is just one big filler which is completely irrelevant to the main plot. You're literally completing your team for the entire game and thenThis is a very good game, but it's definitely not the "perfect sequel". Compared to ME1 many things were completely cut or dumbed down. In fact, i would say this is the weakest game in Shepherd trilogy. This game basically don't have any story. This is just one big filler which is completely irrelevant to the main plot. You're literally completing your team for the entire game and then you do one mission. That's it.… Expand
  26. guncooper
    Sep 7, 2023
    8
    + Good shooting part
    + Nice main story
    + Awesome companion stories
    + A couple of story twists are quite good
    + Good repeatability (It was fun to play different classes)
    + Tali is always in my heart

    - The RPG system looks simplified even in comparison to the 1st part
    - A sense of the scale of events taking place is a bit lower than in 1st and 3rd
    - Pointless resource grind
  27. AlexG
    Feb 11, 2010
    7
    The storyline is great, acting is second to none and combat is top notch, I love the characters and their loyalty quests, the cerberus dlc is a great way of putting out dlc. However there are minor flaws for the pc version of this game, this is mainly due to the mouse and it's irregular movement, easily seen on the bypasses, add into the effect you have to bypass for different The storyline is great, acting is second to none and combat is top notch, I love the characters and their loyalty quests, the cerberus dlc is a great way of putting out dlc. However there are minor flaws for the pc version of this game, this is mainly due to the mouse and it's irregular movement, easily seen on the bypasses, add into the effect you have to bypass for different missions and upgrades and its a nightmare, I much preferred the simpler "frogger" in Mass Effect 1, this and the fact that objects don't get triggered to use most of the time puts it down to a 7 for me, however I have stuck through and am 34 hours into it.....I do get distracted.… Expand
  28. Rilke
    Feb 1, 2010
    7
    Mass Effect 2 deserves quite a bit of the acclaim it
  29. CommanderShepard
    Feb 2, 2010
    7
    Basically, a complete upgrade from it's predecessor. While it still has its flaws, the positive sides of this gem clearly dominates the bad ones. However, the game is not as perfect as the critics claim it to be. Some of the reviews are clearly way too generous and doesn't take any notice whatsoever of the bigger disappointments when leaving their ratings here. An extremely Basically, a complete upgrade from it's predecessor. While it still has its flaws, the positive sides of this gem clearly dominates the bad ones. However, the game is not as perfect as the critics claim it to be. Some of the reviews are clearly way too generous and doesn't take any notice whatsoever of the bigger disappointments when leaving their ratings here. An extremely well-made game, but not completely on par with games like the Orange Box (every one of them) or Zelda: OOT. Still, it is far beyond worth your money!… Expand
  30. Meshelle
    Feb 5, 2010
    7
    I came into Mass Effect 2 with high expectations after totally LOVING the original. Bioware, unfortunately, took a few steps in the wrong direction for me. Story? Epic quality was still there from the old game. A wonderful ride and build up. Looking forward to ME3 and seeing how this all works out. Gameplay? Ehhhh...I have a few issues with it. The gun battles had far more the feel of I came into Mass Effect 2 with high expectations after totally LOVING the original. Bioware, unfortunately, took a few steps in the wrong direction for me. Story? Epic quality was still there from the old game. A wonderful ride and build up. Looking forward to ME3 and seeing how this all works out. Gameplay? Ehhhh...I have a few issues with it. The gun battles had far more the feel of other console shooters than what most would expect from other RPG type games...no health bar, no needing to heal your health, you just...healed if you found cover and stopped getting shot. It makes the battles easier, but...I'm not all about the easy. inventory. Whyyy did you do this Bioware? Looting and customization and the like are bread and butter! Without those, it's just another shooter where you're trying to keep your ammo up and money rolling in. I love looting, never knowing what you'll pick up next, how well it'll protect you, mod your guns/armor, or kill the enemy even better. Current 'inventory' system or lack thereof is a definite lose for me. Flying around the galaxy and scanning planets. C'mon!! This is tedious and boring! Shepard is the commander of the crew...Joker is the pilot of the ship. You should be able to say 'scan this planet' and they do it. You should be able to say 'go here' and it happens. You should not need to fly the ship and manually scan the planet with the equivalent of a metal detector. Fails on both of those issues. The Mako. I loved it. it was awesome! They completely removed that element from the game...no new vehicle to drive around in and explore...just the shuttle to ferry you from the ship to the next shooting battle and back. Ammo - I have no issues with having ammo in the game. But it really doesn't make sense to implement that story-wise after Mass Effect, except for the heavy weapons. Yes, I know they're 'disposable heat sinks'...but that really doesn't make a lot of sense. Why go with a gun that could run out of things that let it shoot, when you could get a model two years older and shoot the night away? Also, the whole thing of 'everyone' using universally sized heatsinks is just...laughable. Different aliens developing different weapons...even if you say it all became sort of conglomerated together after they became spacefaring, how do you explain the more advanced or isolated alien spacefarers using 'the exact same thing'?? Minigames...great change from the previous hacking/bypassing mechanic. All good there. Overall, giving it a 7 for storyline, overall playability, and the fact it doesn't seem to have come out before it was ready like so many games seem to do nowadays. Lost points for some of the changes they've implemented and really hoping they don't continue down this change path for ME3.… Expand
  31. TimD
    Feb 6, 2010
    7
    This felt like just another console port. Most of my time with this game was spent in that tedious planet scanning mini-game trying to get an upgrade which was a total waste of time. A few of the mini-games did not even have mouse support for moving the cursor which was ridiculous (you had to use WASD to move it). The story was really good, but the decisions you made felt like they had no This felt like just another console port. Most of my time with this game was spent in that tedious planet scanning mini-game trying to get an upgrade which was a total waste of time. A few of the mini-games did not even have mouse support for moving the cursor which was ridiculous (you had to use WASD to move it). The story was really good, but the decisions you made felt like they had no impact on the outcome (You prevent your comrade from shooting a guy she is really pissed off at, some other chick immediately kills him). Replay value is extremely low and the game is short. If you absolutely have to play this game, don't do it on PC, play it on an Xbox.… Expand
  32. JustinR.
    Mar 4, 2010
    7
    I enjoyed the game, but I'm shocked at some of these 100 scores. Great graphics, sound, and voice acting. RPG elements downgraded...less skills per class, and seriously shortened skill trees that make you "save up" points in order to skill up, unlike the first ME where you can spend your points as soon as you get them. Planetrary Scanning for resources is about the worst mini-game I enjoyed the game, but I'm shocked at some of these 100 scores. Great graphics, sound, and voice acting. RPG elements downgraded...less skills per class, and seriously shortened skill trees that make you "save up" points in order to skill up, unlike the first ME where you can spend your points as soon as you get them. Planetrary Scanning for resources is about the worst mini-game I've played. Other mini-games (hacking, opening doors) are ok as they do not seriously hinder gameplay. The planetary scanning is almost there to make the game seem longer than it is.… Expand
  33. KillerJ
    Apr 15, 2010
    7
    Huge disappointment. Totaly idiotic story, which takes you nowhere in the end so you spend 30+ hours just to get to the same position you were in the beginning. Story which you have to follow by working for mass murderers and terrorists. Story, where 80% are loyality missions... No RPG just a really poor TPS, idiotic minigames, no armor for squadmate, only two weapons of each category and Huge disappointment. Totaly idiotic story, which takes you nowhere in the end so you spend 30+ hours just to get to the same position you were in the beginning. Story which you have to follow by working for mass murderers and terrorists. Story, where 80% are loyality missions... No RPG just a really poor TPS, idiotic minigames, no armor for squadmate, only two weapons of each category and the most "brilliant" innovation, the ammo system. This all ending with the most funny final boss I have seen in a decade. Sorry Bioware, but an overgrown Terminator may scare 5 years old kids, other people just have to laugh... ME2 is the biggest disappointment I have ever had in my 20 years of playing games. But this will teach me not to preorder games in the future and to to believe all that nonesce and hyped 10/10 reviews.… Expand
  34. acac
    Jan 29, 2010
    7
    To put the rating in perspective. Star Control 2 9/10 ME1 8/10 ME2 7/10 GTA Vice City 9/10 Another World 9/10 I think it has taken a turn from "action-adventure with light rpg elements" to "action-novel with light adventure elements". I'd like to still say it's a 8/10 but it doesn't feel as engaging as ME1, the art/lighting direction/atmosphere (sounds,music) seems weaker. To put the rating in perspective. Star Control 2 9/10 ME1 8/10 ME2 7/10 GTA Vice City 9/10 Another World 9/10 I think it has taken a turn from "action-adventure with light rpg elements" to "action-novel with light adventure elements". I'd like to still say it's a 8/10 but it doesn't feel as engaging as ME1, the art/lighting direction/atmosphere (sounds,music) seems weaker. I installed ME1 at the same time to do some comparison and ME2 on-planet locations or the stations aren't quite as compelling. The battles have improved and I like that I could start on the most difficult setting immediately as the first game was rather easy except for couple boss fights, ME2 with Insanity the difficulty is just right. Where in ME1 there was too much easy money and drops of weapons, here atleast with the Insanity setting I feel compelled to get tech upgrades. The down side to this is the new planet scanning minigame, which is ridiculous. First, the scan speed is relative to mouse sensitivity and second it's just completely boring. Star Control 2 did everything* better (*where comparisons can be applied, mainly the exploration/scanning and non-linear feeling story).… Expand
  35. DonC.
    Jan 30, 2010
    7
    It's a good game that i can't get into. maybe it's me. or maybe it's the clunky combat system. controls and movement are not as refined as uncharted 2. maybe it's the graphics. yeah, excellent facial models but a lot of jaggies and bland textures everywhere else (even on 16x AA). or maybe it's the mini-game, good thing they are optional, and the sometimesIt's a good game that i can't get into. maybe it's me. or maybe it's the clunky combat system. controls and movement are not as refined as uncharted 2. maybe it's the graphics. yeah, excellent facial models but a lot of jaggies and bland textures everywhere else (even on 16x AA). or maybe it's the mini-game, good thing they are optional, and the sometimes funny AI (both friendly and enemy). the best feature of ME2 are story, voice-acting, and atmosphere. all in all, no way this game is a 10 or maybe it's just me.… Expand
  36. ScottG
    Jan 31, 2010
    7
    It's a decent game, but not really a roleplaying game. Most of the traditional elements of RPGs, like exploration, character development, and loot have been "streamlined" out of the game. What's left is a very pretty third-person shooter with a good story. In sum, great for shooter fans, but RPG fans might want to think twice.
  37. D.S.
    Feb 1, 2010
    7
    I don't feel the need to repeat what has said by millions of gamers and reviewers, so I'll just cut to the chase, which explains why I gave this game an 7 rather than the 10 that I gave ME1. As I have played 100% PC and only PC games in all my life, I am able to smell "CONSOLE ORIENTED GAME" from ten miles away. This game is so rank of CONSOLE that PC gamers will need to plug I don't feel the need to repeat what has said by millions of gamers and reviewers, so I'll just cut to the chase, which explains why I gave this game an 7 rather than the 10 that I gave ME1. As I have played 100% PC and only PC games in all my life, I am able to smell "CONSOLE ORIENTED GAME" from ten miles away. This game is so rank of CONSOLE that PC gamers will need to plug their noses with cement to avoid the that vile substance of CONSOLE from creeping up their nose and leading to the explosion in to tiny gooey bits of one's poor head. EVERYTHING about this game has console caked all over it like a raging infestation, from the uber-clunkazoid controls and the lack of any engaging or all-too-useful RPG elements, to the lack of any challenge whatsoever (on any difficulty). In short, if youre looking for an RPG with interesting, fluid gameplay and a satisfying array of RPG elements, you might want to avoid. Otherwise, if you're looking for a general run-of the mill shooter with a nice blockbuster story, pick it up, you wont be disappointed.… Expand
  38. ChadW
    Feb 13, 2010
    7
    While technically the game is superior to the first game a lot of the spark was lost in the sequel. It has much improved combat, the voice and digital acting is great and the attention to character development is much appreciated. However the complete lack of acknowledgment of the previous games decisions and the removal of some of the previous games most important characters takes away a While technically the game is superior to the first game a lot of the spark was lost in the sequel. It has much improved combat, the voice and digital acting is great and the attention to character development is much appreciated. However the complete lack of acknowledgment of the previous games decisions and the removal of some of the previous games most important characters takes away a lot of the emotional attachment fans of the first game may be expecting to find.… Expand
  39. funkymarlon
    Feb 14, 2010
    7
    Me2 is a refined pancake. Looks great, feels okay. But when you play enough of it. You'll find it's infested with mini-games. Combat-to-combat paths are landmined with mini-games. Dialog occationally has a minigame of whack'em. (re)Exploration is there as a minigame. All new mineing is there... minigame. You can buy ME1 for far cheaper and make it look the same by adjusting Me2 is a refined pancake. Looks great, feels okay. But when you play enough of it. You'll find it's infested with mini-games. Combat-to-combat paths are landmined with mini-games. Dialog occationally has a minigame of whack'em. (re)Exploration is there as a minigame. All new mineing is there... minigame. You can buy ME1 for far cheaper and make it look the same by adjusting contrast on you're TV/monitor and play tons of free minigames on you're phone every five minutes. In short, it would be stupid to pay full price for this game as it would be a direct assault on common sense. Signed ME2 CE owner. P.S. Pancakes are not or should not in any legal or other ways be assosiated with Mass Effect or Bioware.… Expand
  40. LarryL
    Feb 19, 2010
    7
    All in all it is a bad shooter with role playing elements. The AI is bad, both friend and foe. Fighting is easy; just stay in cover and wait to shoot, regardless of the difficulty level...BUT the story is good, and the NPC:s are interesting. Space exploring quite boring, just point and click your ass off, but every planet has a detailed inscription and they make sense. Kinda. But to say All in all it is a bad shooter with role playing elements. The AI is bad, both friend and foe. Fighting is easy; just stay in cover and wait to shoot, regardless of the difficulty level...BUT the story is good, and the NPC:s are interesting. Space exploring quite boring, just point and click your ass off, but every planet has a detailed inscription and they make sense. Kinda. But to say it's a best game ever made...hope not. It's not even a game at times, just an interactive movie.… Expand
  41. SteveM
    Feb 26, 2010
    7
    It's an okay game, but nowhere near as good as ME1. The shooter mechanics are better this time around, but the story and RPG elements are stripped down. Character progression and customization is pretty much none-existant. The writing is pretty terrible. They used a different writer for ME2 and it was pretty obvious. While the characters are good and the dialogue is excellent, the It's an okay game, but nowhere near as good as ME1. The shooter mechanics are better this time around, but the story and RPG elements are stripped down. Character progression and customization is pretty much none-existant. The writing is pretty terrible. They used a different writer for ME2 and it was pretty obvious. While the characters are good and the dialogue is excellent, the storyline is garbage and I probably won't bother playing through ME2 again anytime soon.… Expand
  42. byF
    Feb 3, 2010
    7
    It's a good game despite a few flaws. It's epic, the story has a drive, locations are beautiful and characters are believable. I'm glad they've got rid of long elevator rides and generic cut-and-paste environments (including riding MAKO while searching planets). The new "scan-a-planet" system is pretty well-done. However, the flaws overweigh: It's a quite short It's a good game despite a few flaws. It's epic, the story has a drive, locations are beautiful and characters are believable. I'm glad they've got rid of long elevator rides and generic cut-and-paste environments (including riding MAKO while searching planets). The new "scan-a-planet" system is pretty well-done. However, the flaws overweigh: It's a quite short for an "RPG". I feel there is a lack of subsidiary quests. I'd like to see ten more at least. Some of them were really great with a quite some invention inside! Unfortunately, some of them were not. All about three kinds of merc gangs or three kinds of mechanoids. I thought the Milky Way in Mass Effect universe was a living, full of challenges and exciting opportunities - especially in Terminus systems! It's sad, but do not except anything like that... The personal terminal is not duly utilized. A lot of people write you, but almost no missions come through. And I think the developers tried to use as much persons from the first game as they could. I don't recall any new interesting (!) non-recruitable character except Illusive man which I'd like to met in ME3. I feel inconsistent about gameplay. It's more fluid than in the first one, but it's a way too much console-like. If I wanted to play console game, I'd buy a console. Nevertheless, if there were more complex content I would -maybe- put up with that.… Expand
  43. ChrisR
    Feb 9, 2010
    7
    First off, I want to say I'm not a hater or a lover of this game. Reviews of this game have been astoundingly good but honestly I didn't find it to be anything special or groundbreaking. ME2 continues Bioware's legacy of great RPG games with a deep, intriguing storyline as always. However, it doesn't flow as well as past Bioware games. The one word that pops into my First off, I want to say I'm not a hater or a lover of this game. Reviews of this game have been astoundingly good but honestly I didn't find it to be anything special or groundbreaking. ME2 continues Bioware's legacy of great RPG games with a deep, intriguing storyline as always. However, it doesn't flow as well as past Bioware games. The one word that pops into my head while playing this game is "formulaic" because every level is designed the same. Every planet you go to, it's "find some person" or "kill this dude", which results in you having to do some trivial task. The task usually is just "survive from point a to point b." As you travel, it's one hallway leading to an open area...guess what it's an ambush..another hallway, hallway, open area again, elevator, repeat it all again. I don't really know how to describe it but it just feels super repetitive. Yeah each "mission" has a story that goes with it but in terms of gameplay/level design it's all identical. On the bright side though, I loved the fact that there are 10 members in your party (11 with DLC) and each is very well developed. Gun selection is surprisingly diverse for an RPG...close to 25-30 weapons in all. Oh and unfortunately for PC gamers, the UI has been overhauled and is more friendly for consoles so yeah. Mass Effect 3 is in production but the ending of ME2 is really lame...it's like ME3 is really ME2 part 2. ME2 didn't have an ending really like ME1 did. I know my thoughts have been a little scattered throughout this but hopefully my review sheds some light on the strengths and weaknesses of this game. If you take anything out of this review, take this advice: don't expect anything groundbreaking or you'll be disappointed. It's definitely a fun game but a 94/100...really?… Expand
  44. RobC
    Mar 3, 2010
    7
    Awesome graphics, images and voice talent...but only decent game play...it's just that it's very 'you have to go here and do this' to continue through the game. Additionally there is no real freedom of movement, you cannot jump over things or climb to different locations unless it is coded into the game. It's just too limited, maybe I'm spoiled by MMOs, the Awesome graphics, images and voice talent...but only decent game play...it's just that it's very 'you have to go here and do this' to continue through the game. Additionally there is no real freedom of movement, you cannot jump over things or climb to different locations unless it is coded into the game. It's just too limited, maybe I'm spoiled by MMOs, the Elder Scroll series or even the Baldar's Gate 2 but you cannot leave the coded area of play which basically gives you one option to get to the end. Brilliant to look at yet lacking in several ways...I'm really surprised to see so many '100' scores on the official critics page.… Expand
  45. Ben
    Jan 29, 2010
    7
    Its cool but when you play it A LOT it gets so boring you hardly have any guns but yes i know great graphic but miner glitches need to be fixed and also the catacters,Some of the level are awsome and difficulty is awsome so a give it a thumbs up and player out there you should get it and all and all its Thrilling and Fun i Give at least a 6.5-7
  46. ChrisW
    Feb 15, 2010
    7
    Mass Effect 2 was a really good game, but it was too linear. In that game, you were basically told what to do every step of the way and the discoveries made on the important missions didn't really carry as much weight as the did in ME1. In ME1, you really didn't know what to expect, but in ME2, you knew what you were up against every time. I also dislike the leveling system. But Mass Effect 2 was a really good game, but it was too linear. In that game, you were basically told what to do every step of the way and the discoveries made on the important missions didn't really carry as much weight as the did in ME1. In ME1, you really didn't know what to expect, but in ME2, you knew what you were up against every time. I also dislike the leveling system. But overall graphics and gameplay is really good.… Expand
  47. apaeth
    Feb 19, 2011
    7
    Kill a few enemies, recruit a party member, mine for minerals, purchase upgrades. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. Prepare for final battle, engage enemy - GAME OVER!!! A good game but not a great one.
  48. Brumbek
    Jul 2, 2011
    7
    First, ME2 has brilliant production values. The art design is amazing and the presentation is stellar, like most BioWare games. But strip away all that, and you have a very lacking game, sadly. Missions are greatly stripped down compared to ME1, and even character interaction is "streamlined" for the sake of "accessibility". Actual driving was replaced with a load screen...physicallyFirst, ME2 has brilliant production values. The art design is amazing and the presentation is stellar, like most BioWare games. But strip away all that, and you have a very lacking game, sadly. Missions are greatly stripped down compared to ME1, and even character interaction is "streamlined" for the sake of "accessibility". Actual driving was replaced with a load screen...physically finding minerals was replaced with the infamous mini-game...weapon customization was removed...how is this progress? But the biggest crime is the story...it's totally contrived. Nobody can explain why the bad guys did what they did...the end boss made no sense and was never explained. Where's Saren when you need him... So sorry to say but ME2 has suffered the BioWare effect where they take a great game and make the sequel vastly inferior in order to misguidedly appeal to the "masses". Well this "masses" effect is NOT making things better. ME2 is still a great game...just fatally flawed and is more of a tragicomedy than its developers realize. I score it a 3 compared to ME1, 8 or 9 compared to most games, and a 7 overall.… Expand
  49. rambostyrer
    Jun 26, 2011
    7
    Good game, But a weaker story, and the fact they cut out most of the roleplaying elements, makes it a weaker game than the first, witch is a shame, because what it does well it does really well. good action sequences, I thought the characters, were a lot more interesting this time, we got to see more of the galaxy, places like illium and the Krogan homeworld were interesting places. SoGood game, But a weaker story, and the fact they cut out most of the roleplaying elements, makes it a weaker game than the first, witch is a shame, because what it does well it does really well. good action sequences, I thought the characters, were a lot more interesting this time, we got to see more of the galaxy, places like illium and the Krogan homeworld were interesting places. So Bioware if you wanna make the third Mass effect a smash hit classic, you take a strong story and the roleplaying elements of the first game, and mix it with the action, and more interesting setting of the second.… Expand
  50. Morring
    Apr 7, 2013
    7
    Good game, with a few flaws. Graphics and sound are quite good, and while you may have less sidequests than ME1 if you're not interested in the DLCs at least this time you won't be exploring the same three maps with a few crates in a different position. The plot offers you a limited choice, to be fair most of the time you will just have different ways to get to the same result, but theGood game, with a few flaws. Graphics and sound are quite good, and while you may have less sidequests than ME1 if you're not interested in the DLCs at least this time you won't be exploring the same three maps with a few crates in a different position. The plot offers you a limited choice, to be fair most of the time you will just have different ways to get to the same result, but the characters, voice acting and the one plot you have are actually very enjoyable. If this approach is something you don't like then consider buying something else, like The Witcher 2, before ME2. The inventory system is quite different from ME, you will only have a few versions of each weapon and some upgrades, this again is a matter of taste. ME had a clunky, console friendly inventory which I don't mind at all forgetting, the old grid based diablo and nwn system would have been a better choice than what you had in ME so I can't see any reason to complain, while some people seem to miss it. Combat manages to be fun for the whole game. Based on your class you will have different ways to hack trough you enemy's defenses and go for the kill, by sheer firepower or trough one of the many abilities, freezing and shattering them with an headshot or just push them up above or down into a pit with your biotic powers. The final boss is probably the easiest battle in the whole game toh. You can find something better in the "Lair of the shadow broker" dlc.

    Some very annoying flaws: you're going to find your character slide up on a few obstacles without any way to get back down. This only happens on a few obstacles, but it is quite frustrating having to reload your game for a bug like this. Another common problem is the game crashing at some points when you try to change the weapons equipped on your characters. If you bough some weapon dlc this adds some extra irony.

    All in all, for me it felt like playing a not too recent final fantasy game, with less grinding, good graphics and a fighting system that isn't annoying. It may not be your cup of coffee, but if it is then you're going to love this game.    … Expand
  51. Underscore
    Mar 15, 2011
    7
    Initially, I had fairly low expectations for the game, I'd seen it in passing by GameStop a couple times, heard the name, confused it with Dead Space, Fissure (Or whatever the name was, where you have some nice Spore World-Shaper guns), and any other sci-fi shooter.
    My friend insisted I play it, and I was reluctant, to say the least, but eventually I tried it.
    Great story, great    Initially, I had fairly low expectations for the game, I'd seen it in passing by GameStop a couple times, heard the name, confused it with Dead Space, Fissure (Or whatever the name was, where you have some nice Spore World-Shaper guns), and any other sci-fi shooter.
    My friend insisted I play it, and I was reluctant, to say the least, but eventually I tried it.
    Great story, great characters, great voice acting (Besides male-shep. Weird, seeing as it's a talented voice actor, maybe the director is to blame here?), great graphics (Though I'm not one to end a decision on graphics at all), and a wonderful assortment of Mage/Warrior/Rogue-esque classes brought into the future. The explanations for some of the things in the game are a little wonky, but it's a fantasy game.    … Expand
  52. obscurus166
    Mar 16, 2011
    7
    I enjoyed Mass Effect 2, I really did. But when I'd finished it, I felt...unsatisfied. Perhaps it was because the tactical element to the game - issuing orders to squad-mates - was really a bit of a fig-leaf, because I could get on perfectly well without them for most of the game. Perhaps it was because there wasn't much opportunity to interact with my crew. Perhaps it was because theI enjoyed Mass Effect 2, I really did. But when I'd finished it, I felt...unsatisfied. Perhaps it was because the tactical element to the game - issuing orders to squad-mates - was really a bit of a fig-leaf, because I could get on perfectly well without them for most of the game. Perhaps it was because there wasn't much opportunity to interact with my crew. Perhaps it was because the dialogue wheel is perhaps one of the most frustrating means of interacting in a conversation ever devised in an RPG, and what I thought I was saying was frequently not what I actually said. But mostly it's because the game runs on rails. There is no real opportunity to go off on a frolic of your own: BioWare has a story, and they're going to tell it, whether you like it or not. It feels like a smaller game than the original. On the positive side, the graphics are an improvement on the original - which wasn't bad --, the voice acting is good and the plot is engaging, when it's not being rammed down my throat. But there isn't actually very much to do and I did have the impression that I was just pressing buttons between cut-scenes for quite a lot of the game.… Expand
  53. frax_bigos
    Mar 28, 2011
    7
    Too many differences between the first and second chapter of this title may disorient some Mass Effect's fans. The game is drastically action-oriented and it should be classified as an action-rpg.
    The game experience is fun and immersive. It has many strengths, but also some weaknesses that puts it still away from being a true masterpiece. Pros:
    -Great storyline: worthy of Star Wars    Too many differences between the first and second chapter of this title may disorient some Mass Effect's fans. The game is drastically action-oriented and it should be classified as an action-rpg.
    The game experience is fun and immersive. It has many strengths, but also some weaknesses that puts it still away from being a true masterpiece. Pros:
    -Great storyline: worthy of Star Wars series
    -Detailed background history
    -Great character psychological profiles
    -Fluid and intensive action
    -Immersive scenarios
    -Good sound-tracks
    -Many hours of game

    Cons:
    -Too easy, even the most difficult levels of play
    -Some graphical glitches in the dialogues
    -Really poor and boring exploration feature
    -Few and anonymous sub-quests

    Love it or hate it... two thumbs up for me!    … Expand
  54. HighwayUK
    Sep 5, 2011
    7
    Expands the story very well, although heavily spoilt by amount of DLCs that you have to buy to make the game even halfway decent in length. Paid DLCs is a ripoff no matter how it's marketed, the game is VERY short even with them all.
  55. kriskizlyk
    Jan 20, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. They took away the original concept of Mass Effect and made it a FPS...disappointed but still like the story. I dread the mind numbing planet scanning, would definitely not miss this in the next game.… Expand
  56. Sirius
    Sep 29, 2011
    7
    Mass Effect 2 is a game based on races and universal proportions. It is a Third-Person Shooter with RPG elements and levelling system, seem similar to Bethaseda's Fallout 3 and Gears of War. It is developed by Bioware and Produced by EA.

    To start off with the advantages to this game brings is it's newly improved user-friendly GUI than the one previously used in Mass Effect 1 letting    Mass Effect 2 is a game based on races and universal proportions. It is a Third-Person Shooter with RPG elements and levelling system, seem similar to Bethaseda's Fallout 3 and Gears of War. It is developed by Bioware and Produced by EA.

    To start off with the advantages to this game brings is it's newly improved user-friendly GUI than the one previously used in Mass Effect 1 letting players decide their custom characters and their 'powerups' that they may use. but reductions in custom armour might disappoint fans. Bioware has introduced many optimizations, making performance better. Visuals are on a high standard, giving low-poly models a high-resol look. Gameplay is frantic and fast yet feels less of a challenge than that of Mass Effect 1, it fails to become more strategic and more Gears of War-esque fighting. Landscapes are lush and surreal giving the player or user that xenophobic feel. Artificial intelligence is realistic if a little untactical, if any player hides it does not move if it has superior damage it simply stays put on any difficulty.

    Mass Effect introduces innovative quasi-Fallout dialogue choices, giving the user to become more of a "Paragon" or "Renegade" soldier, deciding the overall afflictions decided in the running franchise. Characters have interesting backstories and plots but yet feel somewhat impersonal to the player, disrupting their curiosity to know more about the fictional characters, leaving the interaction a little dry during cutscenes, leaving players to read about them using 'Codex'.

    Mass Effect 2's minigames, while novelty in their own right, give the player larger abilities by extracting minerals for different planets, somewhat supporting the lack of customization mentioned before, the armour cannot not be changed but can be coloured to suit the players taste. Overall, I'd would rate this game a 7, it is not as good as it's predecessor ME1 but definitely improves and elminates niggles that would otherwise, frankly, irritate the player. It's lasting appeal is little though, giving the player little reason to play it again on a harder level. Difficulty is sustained well but not enough for extraordinarily hardened players such as myself.    … Expand
  57. JimCorbett
    Jan 30, 2014
    7
    Not sure why this game gets showered with praise. On top of the ho-hum gameplay, there is a confusing story packed with filler characters that have no meaning. I didn't give a crap about half of my "team." The start of the game is evolution of your character and the decisions you get to make that transform you. That aspect of the game is very well done. The missions themselves are allNot sure why this game gets showered with praise. On top of the ho-hum gameplay, there is a confusing story packed with filler characters that have no meaning. I didn't give a crap about half of my "team." The start of the game is evolution of your character and the decisions you get to make that transform you. That aspect of the game is very well done. The missions themselves are all basically the same: Go here, kill a bunch of bad guys, interact with this thing at the end, leave, start over again. I'll give the game the benefit of the doubt, though, since I never played it when it was originally released. I wish it was more of a fully fleshed-out game than it is. Oh well, slightly disappointed.… Expand
  58. hit925
    Nov 22, 2011
    7
    This game was definately good but I didn't see as much in it as many others. It looks great and the voice acting I think is top-notch. However, while at first it seems really good, the shooting becomes a bit monotonous later on (cover, shoot, cover, shoot. I know shooting is always like that but still....). In addition, you have to gain necessary upgrades by scanning which is just sheerThis game was definately good but I didn't see as much in it as many others. It looks great and the voice acting I think is top-notch. However, while at first it seems really good, the shooting becomes a bit monotonous later on (cover, shoot, cover, shoot. I know shooting is always like that but still....). In addition, you have to gain necessary upgrades by scanning which is just sheer boredom and the game seems like such a chore at times to do side-missions for no particular reason and if you don't do them then that character of your team dies. Nowhere near a bad game, it's very enjoyable in parts, just not as great as I was expecting.… Expand
  59. billtheturnip
    Mar 7, 2012
    7
    Not as great as the first game in my opinion. The fact that the whole game kinda moved in a different direction put me off. Still a decent game that I would play again if I had the time.
  60. Niceguyreviewer
    Mar 8, 2012
    7
    To start off I'm going to say that I enjoyed the game and I'm giving it a 7/10. This game is best thought of as a separate game from the original Mass Effect. The gameplay is very different, many of the RPG elements that Mass Effect DID have, they have removed in this game; the inventory system from the first game has been removed and replaced with a tiny inventory with a very smallTo start off I'm going to say that I enjoyed the game and I'm giving it a 7/10. This game is best thought of as a separate game from the original Mass Effect. The gameplay is very different, many of the RPG elements that Mass Effect DID have, they have removed in this game; the inventory system from the first game has been removed and replaced with a tiny inventory with a very small selection. Weapon pickups are a very rare and scripted event. The story on its own is good and interesting, the characters are darker and the whole theme of the game seems to have been influenced at least a bit by film noir. The music has perhaps too much orchestra and "epic" sounding music rather than the iconic synthesized space music that was in the original game but it is still present to a reasonable degree. One of my main complaints about Mass Effect 2 is that, rather than keeping the good things and improving upon/ fixing the flaws which were present in the original game, many of the flaws are still present and even some of the good things about the first game are not present in the second. One of these good things which has been removed is something I am very sad about; the planet/ galaxy exploration. In the original game you could drive around in a recon vehicle on the surfaces of many planets even if it wasn't required by the plot. This gave the game a very 'big' feel. The galaxy seemed vast, yours to explore and discover. Now, admittedly, the physics for this vehicle were quite silly and unpredictable and didn't quite work with the hilly terrain, but the music on these planets, the beautiful background art and the cool effects like a blizzard or meteor shower made it an amazing experience. Rather than fixing the handling of this vehicle for the second game, Bioware decided to remove planet exploration completely. They replaced it with the ability to 'scan' planets for resources with the option of occasionally landing for a scripted mission in a small area or corridor shootout. The game suffers for this. The universe seems much MUCH smaller. Scanning planets is very tedious and dull.

    The game also seems a bit rushed or incomplete. The characters don't quite flesh out and some aren't developed very well at all. One example is the character "Garrus" and alien companion who returns from the first game. In Mass effect 1 & 2 you can move around your ship conversing with the various characters who are traveling with you and most of them have quite a lot to say. Garrus, however, keeps telling me to 'wait a bit' because he's in the middle of calibrating something. Garrus was an interesting and relatable character in Mass Effect 1 and a fan favorite and to see him left underdeveloped like this is really quite disappointing.

    Criticism aside, many of the side quests in this game were interesting and the locations were a lot of fun to explore. The story was good sometimes and bad others. Overall I enjoyed the game though it was very different from the first.    … Expand
  61. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    7
    Stripped of RPG elements, this is a disappointing sequel given the premise that was built in the original. It seems the popular thing to do nowadays is turn every franchise into Gears of War or Call of Duty because that's what Bioware did with this game; Mass Effect 2 is effectively Gears of War with a chat wheel. On it's own it would've been an excellent spin-off but calling this an RPGStripped of RPG elements, this is a disappointing sequel given the premise that was built in the original. It seems the popular thing to do nowadays is turn every franchise into Gears of War or Call of Duty because that's what Bioware did with this game; Mass Effect 2 is effectively Gears of War with a chat wheel. On it's own it would've been an excellent spin-off but calling this an RPG shows what a sad state of affairs the game industry is in. If you played the first you can import your character and your actions from the previous game do have some weight but this also presents the problem of killing the replay value. This is a good squad-based third person shooter but it's no RPG.… Expand
  62. xTobyMc
    Feb 7, 2015
    7
    After seeing the game with such a high user review I went into the game with high expectations. Unfortunately however I felt Mass Effect 1 was more enjoyable and this was more of a 'I just want to cut to the chase and see the ending' type game. The first 7 hours or so were quite tedious as you go around finding new crew members and then carrying out their tasks. It wasn't until the lastAfter seeing the game with such a high user review I went into the game with high expectations. Unfortunately however I felt Mass Effect 1 was more enjoyable and this was more of a 'I just want to cut to the chase and see the ending' type game. The first 7 hours or so were quite tedious as you go around finding new crew members and then carrying out their tasks. It wasn't until the last few missions that I felt the game started to shine as the tasks became evermore difficult, action packed, and full of decisions that actually made you take a moment to think. Overall the game wasn't bad, it just wasn't anything incredible. I look forward to playing Mass Effect 3 next though.… Expand
  63. celtqy
    Jun 18, 2013
    7
    Deserves better RPG mechanics and more various gameplay, Bioware is kinda lazy in terms of replacing or repairing parts of its games that didn't get a good response (i.e. vehicle sections). Solid lore and dialogues are not accompanied by interesting world. Except few locations it just feel too empty, all the shooting galleries look the same, not telling anything about the place you're in.
  64. Osmium
    Jul 30, 2013
    7
    By far the best part of the series. Mass Effect 2 offers great RPG gameplay within a very well-designed world, tense atmosphere, interesting characters, and some choices and decisions that really matter (at least to some extent). Half of the game is exploring, talking to people, making decisions. I have to admit that I never really very much liked the other half: The actual gameplay isBy far the best part of the series. Mass Effect 2 offers great RPG gameplay within a very well-designed world, tense atmosphere, interesting characters, and some choices and decisions that really matter (at least to some extent). Half of the game is exploring, talking to people, making decisions. I have to admit that I never really very much liked the other half: The actual gameplay is rather dull, but for a third person cover shooter, it does provide a decent gameplay experience. It's a bit disappointing that this is actually the part of the series with the RPG elements dumbed down the most (a lot more in ME1, a bit more in ME3), but still a very good game with excellent storyline.… Expand
  65. Iluvatar21
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best; 5-below score: serious flaws.
    ===========
    This is exactly what Mass Effect was destined to become. Story, pacing, visuals are top notch sci-fi material but gameplay wise it's just boring: kill this, kill that.
  66. gamesgonewild
    Mar 22, 2014
    7
    I really did enjoy playing this game, and i played it when all three were released ,so i played this knowing i would buy the third game. And whats weird is that because I've now played Mass effect 3, my opinion of the second one has decreased. Why is that....let me tell you

    Mass effect 2 is basically you going around the galaxy in a ship to recruit the best team in the galaxy to stop    I really did enjoy playing this game, and i played it when all three were released ,so i played this knowing i would buy the third game. And whats weird is that because I've now played Mass effect 3, my opinion of the second one has decreased. Why is that....let me tell you

    Mass effect 2 is basically you going around the galaxy in a ship to recruit the best team in the galaxy to stop the bad guys. To do this you need to act like some kind of psychologist and sort out everyone's problems. Now i played lots of side quests so for me i spent 23 hours zipping around helping everyone out. when the time came to face the bad guys the game took me 1 hour to complete. I wasn't so bothered by this because i thought that the third one will pick up where i left off....but it never.

    So while i enjoyed playing the game looking back i feel like i wasted so much time on a game that bears little fruit.

    (see my Mass effect 3 review)

    Overall the game was good, and i really did enjoy it but, and i hate to day this, but the game is kinda pointless.    … Expand
  67. whitepawn
    Jun 27, 2014
    7
    Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm more for Sword & Sorcery than Space Odyssey, but I found this game somewhat boring and repetitive. The story did nothing for me. Oh, Bioware made good efforts with characters and dialogue, but the whole thing felt uninspired. The graphics also felt flat, though I suppose that fits with the whole 'streamlined' space/science thing.

    It's playable but I find    Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm more for Sword & Sorcery than Space Odyssey, but I found this game somewhat boring and repetitive. The story did nothing for me. Oh, Bioware made good efforts with characters and dialogue, but the whole thing felt uninspired. The graphics also felt flat, though I suppose that fits with the whole 'streamlined' space/science thing.

    It's playable but I find myself wanting to jump to the end without finishing the companion quests just to finish it off already.

    Buggy too. I find myself repeatedly resetting to the last save due to getting stuck in midair. I'll round a corner in a city and find myself halfway in the wall with no way to get out. I'll be walking up and down a stairs guardrail, trapped. I'll be floating above a rock just off the path, unable to walk off. You get the point. It happens often enough to be annoying, especially when you haven't saved in a bit.

    The mining for ore bit on endless planets gets really old. If I hear the sound of probe deployment one more time...ugh. The memory match game for circuitry bypass on doors and datapads is VERY old. I wish there was an ingame reward for bypassing the tedium.

    Bioware's character image sliders are very limited, both DAs had much more depth and detail. And the prospect of alien 'woohoo' is cringe-worthy over lol so I skipped that bit.

    No mods to speak of which is a terrible thing.

    Even so, I suppose    … Expand
  68. 7ShadesOfEffort
    Apr 18, 2017
    7
    This game was a great surprise for me after a huge disappointment of Mass Effect 1. I wasn't expecting anything good from BioWare after they proven that they've entirely became EA's slave and console fodder provider instead of awesome RPG developer. But Mass Effect 2 is a surprisingly decent game.
    Not so grindy side quests (globes probing is still a grind however), not so trashy action    This game was a great surprise for me after a huge disappointment of Mass Effect 1. I wasn't expecting anything good from BioWare after they proven that they've entirely became EA's slave and console fodder provider instead of awesome RPG developer. But Mass Effect 2 is a surprisingly decent game.
    Not so grindy side quests (globes probing is still a grind however), not so trashy action (thanks for allowing my biotic adept to use something besides pistol) and greatly simplified equipment management made it much less painful to play. It still has some of fundamental issues that just can't allow a game like this to be a truly entertaining masterpiece, but developers also handled some of these problems I wasn't even hoping to see fixed. It even offers you a self-sufficient story that doesn't only feeds you with expectations.
    Finally, the most important improvement of all is that you can just end your story here. Don't waste your time on side quests, ignore your whining teammates, just run through the game and enjoy a bittersweet ending which is billions time better than RGB abomination of Mass Effect 3. That rare occasion when your actions have real consequences. Trust EA and their slaves and witness the trilogy of grandiose disappointment. Ignore their lies and enjoy a pretty decent dilogy. How ironic.

    5 out of 7: nice.    … Expand
  69. CoreGamer1408
    Dec 19, 2018
    7
    More polished than the first game, but more dumbed down combat, inventory, exploration than the first game. Replacing the fun real time land exploration in a buggy with a crappy space probe mini game on board the command ship just hell and no. Story felt weaker and just a filler until they could release the next game.
  70. AntiqueOne
    Sep 20, 2020
    7
    Comparing to the first game story could have been better. While the game prefers to focus on independent stories, the story in the background wasn't as compelling as the first. And the biggest problem is the logic behind all quests, except for two, were exactly the same. Just spawn on a random map, fight through the end, then the quest is completed. This is just a poor design and lacks theComparing to the first game story could have been better. While the game prefers to focus on independent stories, the story in the background wasn't as compelling as the first. And the biggest problem is the logic behind all quests, except for two, were exactly the same. Just spawn on a random map, fight through the end, then the quest is completed. This is just a poor design and lacks the feel of involvement. Fortunately, most of these quests have interesting enough stories. However, regarding the first game and the comments on this one, I had imagined this game way better.… Expand
  71. BenzoSt
    Jul 12, 2022
    7
    This game features many improvements above the first Mass Effect game: the universe is more richly detailed with more worlds to explore, there are more unique characters to recruit and interact with, the graphics are sharper, and the previously dull action is improved to the point where it is now acceptably fun. Unfortunately, many of the missions in this game involve traveling all overThis game features many improvements above the first Mass Effect game: the universe is more richly detailed with more worlds to explore, there are more unique characters to recruit and interact with, the graphics are sharper, and the previously dull action is improved to the point where it is now acceptably fun. Unfortunately, many of the missions in this game involve traveling all over the galaxy to do menial favors for your crewmates, which feels utterly preposterous given that the main story involves confronting an urgent, cataclysmic threat to the entire universe.… Expand
  72. Giero
    Jan 4, 2023
    7
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  73. Naked_Snakee
    Apr 7, 2023
    7
    Just text (crutch) to save the game to the list. Such things. Maybe I'll do a review later.
  74. OlafH.
    Feb 4, 2010
    6
    I really wanted to like this game and I was keen about it, until i got through. I am sadly disappointed and I know this is a very subjective estimate. It may be a very well made game for the mediocre shooter crowd, but it's a letdown for rpg players. Good thing is it's still a rich and detailed world with interesting characters that embraces you and want to spend more time in I really wanted to like this game and I was keen about it, until i got through. I am sadly disappointed and I know this is a very subjective estimate. It may be a very well made game for the mediocre shooter crowd, but it's a letdown for rpg players. Good thing is it's still a rich and detailed world with interesting characters that embraces you and want to spend more time in it. I also still enjoy the conversation system thanks to the dialog. The soundtrack is still inviting and the graphics are solid peppered with some formidable compositions. What's told to be happened in the galaxy between the two titles is acceptable to me. Now to criticism. First of all the story: In ME1 I had the feeling I was closing in on Saren and to uncover his worked out plan and for whom he is working. Although Saren was the personalized evil, even he had shades of gray, an assistant, an army, the mysterious boss and the mentioned plan, the perfect antagonist for creating suspense. Mass Effect 2 lacks it all! The only great enemy is an army of stupid cannon fodder which, in the end you discover, doesn't even seem to have a great plan for galaxy domination. There are 3 more very similar mercenary gangs for variety. The second Mass Effect is all about recruiting the league of extraordinary gentlemen. That's the plot and there's barely more to it. Throwing a handful of badass people against an army directed by superbeings only figures in the mass effect universe. The end is just ridiculous! Beside the 3 or 4 missions that correlate to the threatened galaxy plot the whole game feels like a sidequest. Whilst in the first ME some of the secondary missions still offered some dialog and decisions, or somebody to save or to tackle to create not only mini tasks, but mini INTERACTIVE stories, ME2's sidequests mainly exist to shoot stuff, since everything already happened and you're just the cleanup crew. But thanks there is no MAKO involved! As for gameplay: The game got stripped off of most RPG elements except the dialog system. The skill bars were already a weak point in the first installment of the series. Instead of improving the inconvenient inventory of ME1 they simply got rid of it entirely. There's almost nothing to buy in the stores and since you can't loot any equipment there's not even an option to sell anything. Where you could customize your gear for every teammate in ME1 if I'm not mistaken, you have only universal upgrades and few armor parts only to be used by Shepard in ME2. I liked playing around with different setups for different situations in the first title. Now it's lock and load and you're ready to go. I don't know what to make of your allies yet, most seem to have quite similar equipment and abilities. So Bioware upgraded the shooter part of the game and got rid of the apparently unnecessary part of tense storyline and rpg gameplay in order to get the hype to the modest, but large number of shooter players. But thankfully they eliminated other flaws on their way. 6/10 for immersive gameworld, enjoyable dialog and the nice try.… Expand
  75. WDI
    Jan 29, 2010
    6
    The PC version is an absolute garbage, controls are sluggish, UI is not adapted for mouse. For instance you cant double click to select items from a menu. Story and especially characters is quite good. On the minus side, it is very linear, small ( the citadel is now the size of a tennis court ). Fights are better than ME1 but repetitive. It is well produced and definitively worth a look.I The PC version is an absolute garbage, controls are sluggish, UI is not adapted for mouse. For instance you cant double click to select items from a menu. Story and especially characters is quite good. On the minus side, it is very linear, small ( the citadel is now the size of a tennis court ). Fights are better than ME1 but repetitive. It is well produced and definitively worth a look.I would rate it 7+ but minus 1 for the horrible PC port.… Expand
  76. MarcusG
    Feb 10, 2010
    6
    If you let yourself get involved in the story and actually take the time to complete ALL (both sides- all character interactions) the quests from ME1 and ME2, it's a wonderful experience. Some of the best written dialogue and voice acting ever done in a video game. Being with the Marines, I can relate to the terminology, mission and posistion of authority, so maybe I'm biased. If you let yourself get involved in the story and actually take the time to complete ALL (both sides- all character interactions) the quests from ME1 and ME2, it's a wonderful experience. Some of the best written dialogue and voice acting ever done in a video game. Being with the Marines, I can relate to the terminology, mission and posistion of authority, so maybe I'm biased. The choices are very ambiguous, if you're playing renegade it's easier, but paragon has some *really* difficult decisions. I found myself saving and re-loading a lot to figure out what I wanted to do. The game makes you care what you say or do. I laughed, got angry, got pumped and almost busted a tear or two. It's that good. Voiced codex entries were excellent. I liked to eat my dinner as I listened to them, and found myself listening to them after I was finished! You have to let yourself become invested in the universe and the inclusion of ME1 save data is an AWESOME idea to accomplish this. Way to reward gamers Bioware! All this praise, why a six? Let's face it, no real gamer reads 10 rating reviews with out saying "yeah, right". I honestly skip most of them (I read them if they are particularly long) The first thing I look for are red and yellow reviews. Then I check for believability with proppor speeling and right grammar use. I throw those lacking out the window and focus on dedicated, thought out reviews. Again, why this game is a six. All the points people have brought up before. No inventory! No Mako! (come on, blasting stuff in that wobbly difficult to control wreck and roving around a planet was fun) Very small towns and levels (which can be a good thing sometimes), however I miss the sprawling landscape of ME1. I liked getting totally lost at first and then feeling like a local by the end of the game. Liara- gone. Why? She was like the Lady Heather from CSI of ME1. Extremely linear missions (which kept the plot moving though). Just no much freedom in the game at all, yeah you can roam around the galaxy and scan planets, but that's it. Some glitches that caused reloads. Abilities- not all that useful. I went the entire game, save the last few missions without using a single one. Minigames- as many have said, repetitive and boring, distracts from gameplay and adds no significant content. Running around in the mako, blowing stuff up, bailing out to mark the resources, or find dead salarians, or just having to scale massive hills/mountains was time consuming but at least engaging. Not to mention not knowing if a maw was about to ruin your day. There is just not as much wonder and mystery as ME1. Krogan loyalty mission/writing totally sweet by the way. Excellent storytelling. No XP for killing enemies. No stats! How do I know which weapon is better? You figure it out according to your tastes, but still, the "Wow, now I'm more awesoem" factor of picking up a sweet weapon/armor/item ala Diablo is not here, at all. the nuke weapon was awesome though, nothing like seeing the last boss almost die in one hit....sigh. Last boss- awesome graphics and plot relevation, but hasn't that been done before in some very popular movies from the 80's/90's? Probably on purpose. Also, very repetitive gunplay. Hide, shoot, move forward, hide, shoot. It was like that in every map. COD: MW, that's gunplay done right. I hate FPS'ers and I loved that game. The only thing keeping me moving forward was the story. Speaking of, I want my old crew back- playable. Not that I'm not just as attached to my new crew. Please don't do that with ME3. Give us a few choices from ME1 and 2 to pick from at least. Depending on who is still alive, of course. Jack must return. Best written/acted character ... yeah. Ever. Illusive man = smoking man from X-files. So obvious I think it may have been on purpose. Yes, the graphics are excellent, for the most part (still some glitches in texturing), soundtrack is still outstanding, and the story is still amazing. Overall, gameplay wise, it just feels rushed and that a lot more design went into ME1. If you haven't played ME1, what are you waiting for. If you have, expect massive changes, maybe some disappointments in ME2, if you liked the story from ME1 then it is definitely worth picking up and you won't be disappointed overall. On it's own, the story only carries it so far and I would not recommend purchasing without having played ME1.… Expand
  77. JohnG
    Apr 12, 2010
    6
    Take away the Gear of War type fighting you have a giant movie that you play through, it has taken the Role Playing genre and turned it upside and gave it to Mass Effect 2. This game does include great action while fighting with good graphics. I'm just waiting for Bethesda to get there hands on this one and make Mass Effect 3. I dont suggest buying something like this unless you want Take away the Gear of War type fighting you have a giant movie that you play through, it has taken the Role Playing genre and turned it upside and gave it to Mass Effect 2. This game does include great action while fighting with good graphics. I'm just waiting for Bethesda to get there hands on this one and make Mass Effect 3. I dont suggest buying something like this unless you want to see how great other RPGs are like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout or Baldar's Gate.… Expand
  78. StefanS
    Feb 11, 2010
    6
    In spite of having a fun time with this game, i do regret spending money on it. I was expecting a new epic RPG, but it wouldn't provide. This may be great fun for casual gamers, but it lacks depth and complexity in story as well as gameplay mechanics to be more. The main storyline is linear, the only choice you get is when you want to continue. Sidequests are 1 mission each. Missions In spite of having a fun time with this game, i do regret spending money on it. I was expecting a new epic RPG, but it wouldn't provide. This may be great fun for casual gamers, but it lacks depth and complexity in story as well as gameplay mechanics to be more. The main storyline is linear, the only choice you get is when you want to continue. Sidequests are 1 mission each. Missions fall in 2 categories: linear level combat mission and easy puzzles. You cant get lost, and you generally cant lose with a little care applied. Combat is simple and repetitive to the point of feeling like work. There is a little variety, providing 3 types of enemies: ranged and melee standard units and tanks. Take cover by pressing a button, wait for breaks in enemy fire, shoot the enemy with your ranged weapons or magic powers. You dont get to melee (you'd have to leave cover) and if you did there still only was a button-press to swing a fist. Weapon types are useless beyond assault and sniper rifle; there is a shotgun, but its near-useless in even the expected area of use against melee guys that got too close. Just mow 'em down with your assault rifle, it will be faster. The required understanding of game mechanics is minimal; shooting works on everything. A slight bonus is provided for selecting one of 2 basic ammo types, one that burns armor and live-enemies, another to fight machines. The above mentioned tank-types are fought with heavy weapons like grenades/missiles (although shooting still works). There are magic powers that help fight the enemy, falling in the above mentioned categories. These have a long cooldown however, and power-only combat wont work, so it feels awkward to use one every few seconds if you could just keep shooting for the same effect at less work. For lack of real sidequests, you get to find teammates by doing a combat mission, and then to gain the team mates loyality by protecting or killing one of their direct relatives (for lack of work put into depth?) in another combat mission. Doing this unlocks a special ability for the team mate to use. Your main character also gets to learn and use one of the teammates unlocked Loyalty-Abilities. Time spent to unlock almost everything and doing lots of boring ressource harvesting and a few mini-missions on top: 23 hours. When the main campaign moved on after 2 or 3 character additions, getting the others felt like work (and not-getting them and their loyality felt uncomplete). Overall game could probably be completed in 15 or less hours. Rating: 6. Thought of giving it a 7, then recalled i accidently killed half my crew without real warning by re-clicking on the start-mission button of a 1 minute anomaly side-mission after my crew got kidnapped by the main storyline (which is triggered when you accept a mission, but you dont get to DO the mission then, in spite of already leaving the ship!). After re-running 3 hours of gameplay, as the game had deliberately overwritten every auto-save before the side-mission, i then discovered that the cute secretary-like Kelly i had romanced wouldn't even unlock the romance achievement.… Expand
  79. Snk
    Mar 12, 2010
    6
    First of all, ME2 is by no means a bad game. The characters are appealing, the graphics are good and the voice acting, while over-the-top at times, is overall convincing. The problem is, unless you've been living under a rock for a past ten years Mass Effect 2 has absolutely nothing new to offer. Recycle a good chunk of plot elements from previous Bioware games, add GoW-style First of all, ME2 is by no means a bad game. The characters are appealing, the graphics are good and the voice acting, while over-the-top at times, is overall convincing. The problem is, unless you've been living under a rock for a past ten years Mass Effect 2 has absolutely nothing new to offer. Recycle a good chunk of plot elements from previous Bioware games, add GoW-style shooting, add a scoop of tedious and pretty much mandatory planet probing and there you have it. The RPG system had been significantly simplified this time around. You still can make choices in dialogues, being a hero or a jerk, whatever you feel like, but ultimately your choices do not affect the game in any significant way. ME2 is also surprisingly short, it took me 23 hours or so to beat it on veteran, while doing all of the side quests and acquiring pretty much all the upgrades. And that is not to mention it's horrible loading times. In short, ME2 is Avatar of video games. It's solid, looks good, and most people will probably enjoy the ride, but it lacks substance, new ideas, and is hardly worth playing through for a second time.… Expand
  80. Axlin
    Aug 14, 2010
    6
    Playing this game felt like playing a mediocre movie. Character development was poor, the characters were generally bland, plot development was practically spoon-fed to you (e.g., characters made major discoveries as if through sheer epiphany whereas ME1 would have taken the time to gather and piece together the clues). The game was severely watered-down; I don't need to get into the majorPlaying this game felt like playing a mediocre movie. Character development was poor, the characters were generally bland, plot development was practically spoon-fed to you (e.g., characters made major discoveries as if through sheer epiphany whereas ME1 would have taken the time to gather and piece together the clues). The game was severely watered-down; I don't need to get into the major complaints that you've likely already heard about the new weapon/armor/ammo system - they're pretty common. Recruiting characters was a tad ridiculous because, unlike ME1 where the people you recruited were random encounters during your mission, in ME2 the people you recruit are specifically targeted and all of their recruitment missions made them out to be essentially demigods of raw physical/biotic/mental superiority, only to have them suddenly turn into lame ducks when they were in your party (for the sake of game balance). Half the game's missions involved recruitment and loyalty missions for your squad; there was very little in the way of actual side missions or of a main quest line. You'll waste a ton of time scanning planets for minerals and launching probes to harvest them - a ridiculously tedious process, although not quite as tedious as exploring in ME1 was - and you'll be left wondering where the $%!# element zero is. Character reappearances in this game were awkward and their personalities (except for Garrus/Tali) made huge, seemingly random changes. Speaking of random, the dialog options seemed to award Paragon/Renegade points completely randomly. You'll finish a dialog to find you got both Paragon and Renegade points, wondering where on earth one or the other could possibly have come from. If you decide to be Paragon (good guy), many of the "Paragon" options involve making intimidating threats, extortion, use of force, or even for having somebody killed. That does not sound very "Paragon" to me. Very seldom are the Paragon choices truly "Paragon" in nature. This game was definitely made to be played as a Renegade, which should probably be somewhat expected, considering the entire plot line involves you being forced to work with terrorists and thug gangs.

    All in all, the game was passable, but it simply lost the magic that Mass Effect 1 had, which is a shame because they could have so easily have stuck to the original formula, focused more on making a solid plot with great character development, interesting characters, and a strong quest line, and had an amazing game. But hey, at least EA decided to ship this game with only a simple CD key check, and no other restrictive DRM. That's a huge plus over the first. Still, I wouldn't pay more than 20 bucks for this game. It was simply a bland experience overall. And another note, if you played ME1 on the 360, you may want to Google for a "character import tool" for ME2 so that you can make sure you're truly starting where you left off instead of going with the default story line. It makes a huge, huge, huge difference.    … Expand
  81. kram789
    Oct 16, 2010
    6
    Barely enjoyable. I did not play ME1 and I bought ME2 through Steam on-line. Those two conditions probably did me in as I have never gotten comfortable with the combat interface. I am ok with guns. They are simple and work like you think they would. The special talents always seem to go awry. When they work they are great, but its luck. Maybe if I had the game manual it would makeBarely enjoyable. I did not play ME1 and I bought ME2 through Steam on-line. Those two conditions probably did me in as I have never gotten comfortable with the combat interface. I am ok with guns. They are simple and work like you think they would. The special talents always seem to go awry. When they work they are great, but its luck. Maybe if I had the game manual it would make more sense. I have played it for hours, but I am not even interested in finishing it.… Expand
  82. Sapphon
    Jan 17, 2011
    6
    Mass Effect 2 is a very playable, often exciting, beautifully crafted, very flawed game. If it had been named something else, say "Space Times With Ttitielady And Toadman Clone", I'm sure I'd even say I was impressed. But it's not named that; it's named "Mass Effect" and it does not live up to its ambitions in that regard.

    +The game's graphics are pretty. +You don't have to manage your    Mass Effect 2 is a very playable, often exciting, beautifully crafted, very flawed game. If it had been named something else, say "Space Times With Ttitielady And Toadman Clone", I'm sure I'd even say I was impressed. But it's not named that; it's named "Mass Effect" and it does not live up to its ambitions in that regard.

    +The game's graphics are pretty.
    +You don't have to manage your inventory anymore.
    +Play (in combat) as some classes is as engaging as the original; play as others has vastly improved; in no case has it gotten worse. This is a big plus.
    +BioWare's usual well-acted scripts with attention to plot holes and detail.

    -The game has a mere shadow of a plot. Most of the game is incredibly meta about its lack of a plot in a way that will rip you out of the immersion in no time. It is this author's opinion that the writers of this trilogy know what they want to do and how, but only really have the material for games 1 and 3. 2 was a marketing necessity.
    -Some of the game's characters are written like they crawled out of a bad JRPG. Let's not go back to those days.
    -The characters that aren't bad are engaged in some pretty heinously fanservice stuff.
    -If you liked all the inventory management and number crunching from ME1, you'll miss that (I didn't especially).
    -There is a "final boss". And he will make you laugh.
    -The number of choices the player can make that affect the game with ME2 has greatly increased, but they are almost all superficial. Usually when you play a BioWare game, sooner or later you are afforded an option that really clicks with what you've been thinking. In ME2, for the purposes of the meagre plot, the only decision that you might have made that would really change things, you can only make one way. In pen and paper gaming this is called "railroading" and is looked on as very poor writing indeed.    … Expand
  83. JonesR
    Feb 17, 2011
    6
    This is a cross between third person shooter Gears of War and RPG Dragon Age. While being good at both genres, the game never strives to be great at either. The graphics, voice acting, and cinematic scenes are what really shines the most. However, the 94 metascore rating seems very generous. The level design is linear, character development is flat, the RPG experience is weak, and theThis is a cross between third person shooter Gears of War and RPG Dragon Age. While being good at both genres, the game never strives to be great at either. The graphics, voice acting, and cinematic scenes are what really shines the most. However, the 94 metascore rating seems very generous. The level design is linear, character development is flat, the RPG experience is weak, and the story provides paltry excitement at best--an over-hyped snoozer.… Expand
  84. fleischverpacku
    Jan 19, 2011
    6
    Downgraded mainstream sequel

    Most missions follow an identical procedure. RPG depht suffers from poorer skilling options and a more linear levelstructure than the first title. architectual patterns often repeat. The story adds additional depht to the universe, but conservative implementations such as ammunition or fuel subvert the logic of the immersive gameworld. Visuals are stunning!    Downgraded mainstream sequel

    Most missions follow an identical procedure. RPG depht suffers from poorer skilling options and a more linear levelstructure than the first title. architectual patterns often repeat. The story adds additional depht to the universe, but conservative implementations such as ammunition or fuel subvert the logic of the immersive gameworld. Visuals are stunning! The characters are well drawn and bring their own background story.    … Expand
  85. agalloch
    Jan 25, 2011
    6
    Starts out with an unnecessary, and hypocritical bang, and doesn't get much better. The characters are stiff in my eyes, though have well developed background stories. The fighting is fun at first, but the game is far too easy and fighting becomes very expected (hint: if you see barriers, you're in for a boring fight). Hacking is interesting, then repetitive and dull. The story is notStarts out with an unnecessary, and hypocritical bang, and doesn't get much better. The characters are stiff in my eyes, though have well developed background stories. The fighting is fun at first, but the game is far too easy and fighting becomes very expected (hint: if you see barriers, you're in for a boring fight). Hacking is interesting, then repetitive and dull. The story is not enough to fill up the lengthy gameplay. Annoying bugs.… Expand
  86. GeorgeA
    Jan 25, 2011
    6
    Mass Effect 2 definitely has positive sides, but it's terribly overrated. The plot is mediocre at best, half of the game you will be just looking for your future team members and only some of them (like Samara, Garrus or Tali) are interesting, the rest are boring or even annoying. The game is also pretty short for an RPG- about 25 hours if you complete every sidequest and explore half ofMass Effect 2 definitely has positive sides, but it's terribly overrated. The plot is mediocre at best, half of the game you will be just looking for your future team members and only some of them (like Samara, Garrus or Tali) are interesting, the rest are boring or even annoying. The game is also pretty short for an RPG- about 25 hours if you complete every sidequest and explore half of the galaxy. Exploring planets is for resources is extremely annoying and ruins all the fun. Also there is almost no freedom of choice and it is purely cosmetic. The replay value is also pretty low: you will be doing the same thing again and again and changing classes will only make the game harder. So why not just stick to the soldier class, which is virtually unbeatable? The shooting also felt boring and on some levels, i thought i was playing some mediocre third-person shooter with hordes of enemies to beat, rather than an action RPG. By the way, there are almost no RPG elements left and as for what's left, it doesn't have any significant impact on gameplay. Graphically, the game is also a major disappointment. After so many critics praised the game's graphics, I thought the game would look near photorealisitc. What a letdown! Models look generally good, but textures are bland and the game lacks details. As for positive sides, the voice acting is good, storyline has it's good moments, music is excellent, the world, where the game takes place, is also very interesting. In all, the game is worth playing once, but without the replay value, it quickly becomes boring and dull.… Expand
  87. PalladiumGM
    Mar 11, 2011
    6
    Mass Effect 2 is a very polished and occasionally brilliant RPG. Prepare to be disappointed by a lack of customization, a loss of freedom and the nagging feeling that it's just an on rails shooter in disguise. Also DLC delivery is this game's reason to be and if you don't want to pay through the nose, wait for the eventual 'ultimate' package with everything in it and buy it shortlyMass Effect 2 is a very polished and occasionally brilliant RPG. Prepare to be disappointed by a lack of customization, a loss of freedom and the nagging feeling that it's just an on rails shooter in disguise. Also DLC delivery is this game's reason to be and if you don't want to pay through the nose, wait for the eventual 'ultimate' package with everything in it and buy it shortly before/after ME3 comes out.… Expand
  88. animefan1976
    Mar 12, 2011
    6
    Disappointed in the direction the devs took with this one. The first game was so much better in respect to the the RPG roots it branched from. This game seems more like a comic book than a story in a novel, which is what the first felt like. While it is a fun game, it's really to dumbed down. Many things were made far too simple and the game lost all complexity and about the only thingDisappointed in the direction the devs took with this one. The first game was so much better in respect to the the RPG roots it branched from. This game seems more like a comic book than a story in a novel, which is what the first felt like. While it is a fun game, it's really to dumbed down. Many things were made far too simple and the game lost all complexity and about the only thing you can customize is weapon loadouts and your armor. Can't even customize the weapons themselves anymore. Mirnada is walking around in a catsuit with high heels in space! Come on! Ammo powers passed off as skills by class? What a joke. If I didn't actually care what happened in the story and the romances, I would give this game a far worse review than I have.… Expand
  89. karmasleeper
    May 30, 2011
    6
    ME2 PC

    Mass Effect trims many of the RPG elements of the first game resulting in a mostly third person shooter experience. One of my biggest gripes about the first Mass Effect was combat â
  90. OmnipotentGamer
    Aug 5, 2013
    6
    The fact that this game feels like just another generic TPS with a dialogue wheel bothers me if this could've combined the RPG elements of Mass Effect 1 and blended them in perfectly with the new gun mechanics it would've have been much happier, also the fact they give the finger to decisions the player made in ME 1 really bothers me still a fairly decent game.
  91. OhTheDerp
    May 29, 2012
    6
    The least fun in the trilogy. ME2 took almost everything that I loved in ME1 away, but at least they made the controls tighter and much better. It's definitely worth playing, and I've but ~50 hours into it total in two playthroughs, but compared to the first game it just doesn't quite cut it. Even ME3 is better.
  92. choppy
    Oct 14, 2011
    6
    I agree with other people here: It's a console port shooter. The RPG elements and freedom of the first game are eliminated. It proceeds narrowly on rails, the choices are highly constrained and built around fixed set-pieces. It's still pretty, movie-like and interesting, but just not as good as the first one. BioWare, I am disappoint. I will not be buying ME3, because it will only beI agree with other people here: It's a console port shooter. The RPG elements and freedom of the first game are eliminated. It proceeds narrowly on rails, the choices are highly constrained and built around fixed set-pieces. It's still pretty, movie-like and interesting, but just not as good as the first one. BioWare, I am disappoint. I will not be buying ME3, because it will only be dumbed down and consolized further.… Expand
  93. wrexmer
    Nov 9, 2011
    6
    Graphics 8/10
    Gameplay 7/10
    Controls 8/10
    Story 5/10
    Characters 9/10
    Level design 8/10
    Presentation 8/10
    User Interface 7/10
    Sounds 7/10
    Music 7/10
  94. DoctorBabies
    Dec 22, 2011
    6
    i am going to **** about how they ruined this franchise for people that knew enough to know why they liked it. being lazy/removing the rpg elements the devs altered this series drastically (skill tree has been neutered, equipment is vanilla or chocolate, etc.) rendering it another pseudo-immersing over-the-shoulder-kill-things-game that despite being presented as an open world, is really ai am going to **** about how they ruined this franchise for people that knew enough to know why they liked it. being lazy/removing the rpg elements the devs altered this series drastically (skill tree has been neutered, equipment is vanilla or chocolate, etc.) rendering it another pseudo-immersing over-the-shoulder-kill-things-game that despite being presented as an open world, is really a straight line you can jump to different points on.

    they would be better served by just culling what few RPG elements they left in it and going FPS. it gets a 6 because its pretty, and the fights are sometimes interesting.    … Expand
  95. Dramatic
    Jan 16, 2012
    6
    Mass Effect 1 was great, it had its problems but they never got in the way of your enjoyment of the game.
    Mass Effect 2 failed as a sequel for many reasons. Before I get to the bad stuff, i will say the things I like.
    The characters, although not brilliant, are well done and entertaining. The graphics are nice and environments are well detailed. The gameplay is great for what it is.    Mass Effect 1 was great, it had its problems but they never got in the way of your enjoyment of the game.
    Mass Effect 2 failed as a sequel for many reasons. Before I get to the bad stuff, i will say the things I like.

    The characters, although not brilliant, are well done and entertaining.
    The graphics are nice and environments are well detailed.
    The gameplay is great for what it is.
    Levels are more diverse than it's predecessor

    Now the bad:

    Mining and exploration is tedious and boring, a well designed level should have all the resources you need.
    The story is horrible, and a slap in the face considering this is from Bioware and a sequel to Mass Effect.
    The DLC stories are what the game should have been about.
    The game is less RPG, and more Gears of War clone.

    Overall, fans of the original may be disappointed, but for what it is, not a bad game.    … Expand
  96. Orctownorc
    Oct 4, 2012
    6
    Mass Effect 2 is stunning space opera and a stunningly mediocre game. It boasts some of the best NPCs and voice acting ever seen in gaming. Then it sticks the 'actors' in the most constricted spaces imaginable, playing about the most asinine 'campaign' ever made. You have beautifully conceived characters like Jack, trapped on a tiny space ship where nothing happens, playing a minigame toMass Effect 2 is stunning space opera and a stunningly mediocre game. It boasts some of the best NPCs and voice acting ever seen in gaming. Then it sticks the 'actors' in the most constricted spaces imaginable, playing about the most asinine 'campaign' ever made. You have beautifully conceived characters like Jack, trapped on a tiny space ship where nothing happens, playing a minigame to 'travel the galaxy' which means running around to encounters on tiny little maps that are supposed to represent 'planets. The parts of the game that are good are really great, but the total experience is good cinema in a BAD game. If they keep the cionema and get around to building proper cities and planets one day this franchise might become AWESOME. Cross your fingers and PRAY.… Expand
  97. CommissarPetitt
    May 23, 2013
    6
    The RPG elements have been removed almost entirely of this game and makes this game only a third person shooter. The story in the game is full of as many plot holes as a cardboard box after you took a tommy gun to it, and the characters, although good, have no purpose of being there for the most part. if you want a nice TPS this game is for you, otherwise just find something else you willThe RPG elements have been removed almost entirely of this game and makes this game only a third person shooter. The story in the game is full of as many plot holes as a cardboard box after you took a tommy gun to it, and the characters, although good, have no purpose of being there for the most part. if you want a nice TPS this game is for you, otherwise just find something else you will thank yourself latter. There is no connection to the main plot and the events that transpire are pointless. How this game is considered one of the best ever is beyond me but for a TPS it is passable. Overall a 6/10 a above average game that can only be recommended to some shooter lovers of games like Gears of War.… Expand
  98. uberdoku
    Jan 11, 2015
    6
    Without a doubt, the gameplay is excellent, and much better than ME1. Unfortunately though, that's about the extent of the game. It's like the first-person equivalent of the recent Final Fantasy games: all gameplay, really weak storyline. At least in the first game, the storyline was fresh and interesting. Now it's old, and so is the entire style. I really hoped for something compellingWithout a doubt, the gameplay is excellent, and much better than ME1. Unfortunately though, that's about the extent of the game. It's like the first-person equivalent of the recent Final Fantasy games: all gameplay, really weak storyline. At least in the first game, the storyline was fresh and interesting. Now it's old, and so is the entire style. I really hoped for something compelling from this game, but the only thing that's driving me to beat it, is to beat it. The characters' interaction and rapport with Shepherd all seems contrived and "forced", extracting any sense of fluidity. I'd also like to see less repetition within the NPC dialogue. Overall, I want to like the game, and sometimes I do, but way too inconsistently. If it was rated 80, I could cope with that, but this is way overrated; a rating of 94 is completely unwarranted.… Expand
  99. rscl
    Jan 1, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A great continuation of Mass Effect series which clearly tries to fix the flaws of its predecessor. It greatly improved combat and AI, but somehow manages to do it at the cost of meaningful gameplay.
    For me, this game was focused on the combat aspects rather than story. As a third person shooter, it was a fun experience. Of course, if you realize how to get rid of the mouse acceleration/dampening.

    It has loads of abilities, max level talents and insane amount of followers. But the main story is forced, and you end up spending most of the time forcefully collecting followers and helping them out with unrelated personal quests, in addition to side quests that's already available.

    I would definitively recommend the game. Mainly because it contains enough story plot that shouldn't be missed before ME3. The follower stories are negligible but few matter to the main story. With the good combat elements and customization - it's definitively worth playing, but also very hyped imho.    … Expand
  100. Ekonomistas
    Jul 29, 2014
    6
    I was excited to try play ME2 for my first time after playing ME1 which as I remember left me with good feeling and an interesting story I uncovered and was left wondering how it should unfold in later ME series. I don't remember the exact year when I tried ME2 first time nor do I remember my first impression of that game. But it should have been not long after its release on PC. I don'tI was excited to try play ME2 for my first time after playing ME1 which as I remember left me with good feeling and an interesting story I uncovered and was left wondering how it should unfold in later ME series. I don't remember the exact year when I tried ME2 first time nor do I remember my first impression of that game. But it should have been not long after its release on PC. I don't remember much from that time, but I know that I didn't finish the game that time. So I remember trying to play it for second time after some time, again failing to finish. Only that time I got bored of doing side quests, while building up my team, so I lost the main story line. And now in 2014 year summer I heard that ME 4 is coming up so I said to myself: "I Need to finish ME2, in order to try ME3 and I could try ME4 after it launches". So I started again journey to ME2 universe. I had the time I pushed myself harder and further to the story to other side quests, I even lower difficulty because fights took way too long in order to progress in story. And still I failed, lost interest, I understood that ME2 has an interesting story, interesting characters, locations but fights are boring and tedious, game play is very linear. I could say that its like interactive movie. You are annoyed by boring fights but are attracted by interactive cut scenes and big interesting story.

    From FPS game I wanted more player movement freedom
    From RPG game I wanted more character development, more inventory management, items.
    From TBS game I wanted more deeper strategy, resource management    … Expand
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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.
    Read full review
  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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