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
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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

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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.
    Read full review
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