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. funboby
    Apr 17, 2020
    10
    An under rated gem that has amazing story, characters, gameplay, and music. RPG fans need to play this.
  2. Piruz
    May 7, 2020
    1
    i feel so much cringe when i listen all this reviewers and game experts. Especially when it is about ultra overrated bad projects like Mass Effect 2. If you really need arguments about this position, you should work on yourself
  3. ErhanCeylan123
    Jul 17, 2020
    10
    One of the most epic stories told in the history of video games and it's pretty good at that.
  4. Johnobudiman77
    Jul 1, 2020
    0
    Gw sangat merekomendasi Mass effect 2 bagi kalian yang suka game rpg, shooting, maupun adventure. Mass effect 2 dikeluarkan pada tahun 2010 yang mempunyai story yang bagus dipadu grafik keren, penyuara karakternya mantap. dan gameplay yang lumayan mudah kalo udah mulai terbiasa. Wajib lah menurut gw kalo lu lagi bosen trus nyari game yang bagus. Gile sih EA tahun 2013 kebawah. mereka punyaGw sangat merekomendasi Mass effect 2 bagi kalian yang suka game rpg, shooting, maupun adventure. Mass effect 2 dikeluarkan pada tahun 2010 yang mempunyai story yang bagus dipadu grafik keren, penyuara karakternya mantap. dan gameplay yang lumayan mudah kalo udah mulai terbiasa. Wajib lah menurut gw kalo lu lagi bosen trus nyari game yang bagus. Gile sih EA tahun 2013 kebawah. mereka punya game yang bagus-bagus dengan storyline yang keren. Eh kesini-sini malah DLC dan microtransaction.… Expand
  5. HugoTarga
    Apr 1, 2023
    10
    One of the most creative, engaging and brilliant science fiction stories ever made. The theme, universe and lore are so masterfully created, the characters and dialogue are so well written, and the main narrative is so incredible that even people that don't like RPGs, 3rd person shooters or science fiction will be pulled in by the game and enjoy it. The game isn't perfect, but for everyOne of the most creative, engaging and brilliant science fiction stories ever made. The theme, universe and lore are so masterfully created, the characters and dialogue are so well written, and the main narrative is so incredible that even people that don't like RPGs, 3rd person shooters or science fiction will be pulled in by the game and enjoy it. The game isn't perfect, but for every bad aspect there's dozens of amazing things that pull the game up and make it great. This is a must-play.… Expand
  6. 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
  7. Hyperfailure
    Nov 27, 2022
    10
    (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
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    ┻━┻ ︵ ＼( °□° )／ ︵ ┻━┻

    ┬─┬ノ( º _ ºノ)

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    (╯°Д°）╯︵ /(.□ . )

    ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ ︵ ┻━┻
  8. DiegoVildez
    Jan 31, 2023
    10
    this game is something else, I enjoyed so much , thanks for everything guys
  9. 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
  10. JohnR.
    Feb 1, 2010
    8
    I really like this game. The graphics and frame rates are great on my high end PC. My only gripe is with not being given an alternative choice of control. Bioware refuse to support the wireless 360 controller for PC. I hate it when companies refuse to listen to their customers.
  11. SteveB.
    Feb 1, 2010
    8
    This game is no longer a RPG it's a glorified shooter. Not saying the game is terrible but not even close to what Mass Effect 1 was all about. Exploring is very limited option as well as building up you're character and weapons. Improved combat and graphics are the only thing that saved this game. I gave this game a 8 because of what it lacks as a RPG.
  12. TomiN
    Feb 3, 2010
    8
    Though I have disliked "rpg's" with AI-controlled helpers from the beginning, I consider it a necessary evil nowadays, so let's not go there. The biggest surprise to me was the phenomenal Character dialog. I found my self laughing out loud on some totally unexpected reactions and the likeability of the supporting cast. Much better than, for example, the Dragon Age: Origins. The Though I have disliked "rpg's" with AI-controlled helpers from the beginning, I consider it a necessary evil nowadays, so let's not go there. The biggest surprise to me was the phenomenal Character dialog. I found my self laughing out loud on some totally unexpected reactions and the likeability of the supporting cast. Much better than, for example, the Dragon Age: Origins. The plot was a letdown: although, there was more to it than in the first installation of the series, it didn't matter. The things you did on your "freetime" didn't really affect the plot or its outcome and the critical storymoment were far and wide. At some point (while mining an asteroid, a dreary job at best) I started to wonder, what I was expected to do, anyways? It's nice not to have a leash around your neck, but a little nudge to the right direction for now and then wouldn't hurt. Combat in the first Mass Effect was dodgy at best, but you could do it relying on your shields or taking cover behind something. It the number 2, shields have no meaning: they're just a healthbar and when they're gone, you are going to die unless there's time to regenerate, behind a chest-high-wall. This I hated a lot. Why they had to adopt the Gears of War coversystem? Ok, it might be a good thing for the consolegeneration, but it really doesn't work on PC. The battles are dull. You cannot control your surroundings when you are glued to the wall and sometimes, when you can see everything from your cover, popping-up and shooting limits your view to a wall and another wall. This was horrid, and I thought for a time to quit playing for this sad reason. The combat does have some improvements to the earlier installation. The hits have more impact and there is a slight chance of tactical thinking and "curving-the-bullet" with superpowers. Also, I miss the chaos of the first ME's inventory. Ok, there were a ****load of guns and gadgets, but you learned to pick out the best and scrap and sell the rest, plus upgrading and customizing weapons and armor was fun! In ME2, the whole inventory is forgotten, replaced by few guns with slightly different abilities, only Shepard can customize his armor and there's ammoclips for the weapons. What was wrong with the overheating of the first ME? It was rather original, and after playing through it first ME, the ME2 clips felt like a downgrade (which it was) to a OK combat and Sci-fi scenario. The new heavy weapons could have had this option, but there was nothing to be gained by implementing this idea to the normal weapons. The only reason I can see for the down-grade is that it's easier for a standard FPS-player to adapt to the reloading of guns than waiting them to cooldown after being overheated with impunity. The second reason must be that the progarammers wanted people to rely more on their superpowers in battle (which do look nice), for as I remember while playing ME1, I didn't do as much because good weapons. Hoping the third instalment of ME isn't "the X-Men in space". But in overall, I enjoyed the game. It wasn't a groundbreaking gamegod, which the hype suggested, but a nicely written moviegame, nerfeddown to fit consoles. It is an episodegame, so if you haven't played the first Mass Effect, you're going to miss out quite lot of puns and dialog for not really knowing, what happened "in the past".… Expand
  13. KM
    Feb 8, 2010
    8
    Its a fantastic game to play. But has absolutely no replay value. Also, the vast majority of the galaxy is empty, so you end up at the end of the game pointlessly looking around for a few questions. There are just some of the problems I had with this game, however they are in the minority. Rent, not buy. But when you do play it, you will enjoy it.
  14. Tac-2
    Feb 1, 2010
    8
    An ok game, but still not as good as the first one. I had no quarrels with the FPS/RPG mix or the gamplay in general, but where this game lacks is in coherent stroytelling. There are individual segments that are good (such as NPC loyalty quests), but they don't really knit together at any point, leaving a very fragmented experience. That said, despite those few good quests with the An ok game, but still not as good as the first one. I had no quarrels with the FPS/RPG mix or the gamplay in general, but where this game lacks is in coherent stroytelling. There are individual segments that are good (such as NPC loyalty quests), but they don't really knit together at any point, leaving a very fragmented experience. That said, despite those few good quests with the NPCs, the cast you can recruit this time left me slightly disappointed.… Expand
  15. EssayanF.
    Feb 1, 2010
    8
    All i can say, is that i'm impressed. I feared a feeling of "dejà vu", but mass effect 2 is much more than a simple sequel. The many good points i noticed : Just after the public release, this game looks far more polished than the first one was in its last version. There are a lot more fighting, but it is really exciting to go threw them. They're more dynamic than in ME1. All i can say, is that i'm impressed. I feared a feeling of "dejà vu", but mass effect 2 is much more than a simple sequel. The many good points i noticed : Just after the public release, this game looks far more polished than the first one was in its last version. There are a lot more fighting, but it is really exciting to go threw them. They're more dynamic than in ME1. You can't save the game anytime you want. You'll have to go threw an entire fight to be able to save. ( And when you're playing in insanity difficulty, it is really making a difference... ) Scanning sequences to get resources are a bit boring, but it's nothing compared to the exploration with the MAKO ... I can't say how gratefull i am about the idea of not driving this thing again... Bye bye, infamous inventory system, now you only carry the necessary and don't have to turn 500 old pieces of equipement into omnigel... ( i exagerate a bit ) You're no longer restrained to the current appearence of your armor, each part can be replaced with another (if you found some), and you can customize the colour. If you regret some choices you've done about the attribution of your ability points, you will be able to reset them and choose again. That's a lot of improvements... And there are more and more. It has been well thinked. Some people will say that the RPG aspect was minimized to let the action take a major place. It isn't true. What is true, is that there are certainly a lot more combat, but there are also many quests and subquests. Moreover, the dialogs remain rich and are implementing new features such as the "instant actions".(you'll need to play to see it) ME1 lacked the diversity that ME2 is offering and wasn't more an RPG than its sequel. It was just more boring and repetitive. So don't worry, the RPG side is still there, and proud to claim it. Importing a character from ME1 really got some interest. And i'm not talking about bonuses you get by doing so. Many details about what you've done in ME1 will be used in ME2, and will affect the story. I really appreciated that. Graphicaly, this game is a nice looking one and you won't need the last GPU to run it with decent settings. The audio is better than in ME1, and i'm talking about the weapons, the environmental sounds, the music... The voice acting is as good as in the first. The level design ? I read that someone said it was pathetic. Hell no... The areas are full of details, and the design is far more better than in ME1. You won't visit 10 times the same place in 10 different planets as you did in ME1. The bad aspects, because there is no perfect game : - You can't crouch anymore in ME2 while NPC are able to do it... Why ????... it doesn't make any sense to me... Every game with action sequence are allowing the character to crouch... How frustrating... - There are still some bugs that are quite annoying..like : My character got stucked many times in some area and in the middle of a fight... Some bugs with voices in the dialogs... - The hiding system during fighting sequence and the control of the character could be better... It looks like bioware won't get a headache when importing stuff from console. It's a great game, really. But it's tainted by some stuff like that.... A shame really... Let's hope they do something.… Expand
  16. 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
  17. MarkoT
    Mar 1, 2010
    8
    Would have rated it 8.5 if the site was able to handle it. Main thing that brings it down a notch are the many problems I had with the PC version of the game. It felt like a complete and lazy console port in the UI and control, I barely felt any mouse/keyboard support and I couldn't plug in a gamepad too because the game won't let you (officially) play it with such. The cover Would have rated it 8.5 if the site was able to handle it. Main thing that brings it down a notch are the many problems I had with the PC version of the game. It felt like a complete and lazy console port in the UI and control, I barely felt any mouse/keyboard support and I couldn't plug in a gamepad too because the game won't let you (officially) play it with such. The cover mechanic needs a lot of improvement, I can't count the number of times I died because of it or maybe just because cover/use/sprint were mapped to one button and the game couldn't tell what I wanted to do. Another issue I had was the characters. While many and interesting, they weren't as deep and fleshed out as those in the first game. I barely cared for any of them while I was deeply invested in those of the first game. Just as a reference, I gave Mass Effect a 9.… Expand
  18. shaun
    Apr 4, 2010
    8
    Relatively good game. Voice acting was thought thoroughly and did not feel cheap all the time, yes like usual theres an occasional cheap cut scene. Graphics are pretty good keeps up with modern day almost always more to improve. Music was my favorite part helped out with making the moments in cut scenes. Camera work was interesting helped define each character in their own way. Game play Relatively good game. Voice acting was thought thoroughly and did not feel cheap all the time, yes like usual theres an occasional cheap cut scene. Graphics are pretty good keeps up with modern day almost always more to improve. Music was my favorite part helped out with making the moments in cut scenes. Camera work was interesting helped define each character in their own way. Game play was all right could add some more features. Great RPG but compared to the PS one days where world maps were huge, although you do get to explore more than DA:O offered. Would suggest going to your local retail store and see if the price of it went down there. Steam offers it for 50 got mine from Gamestop for 40.… Expand
  19. MarkS.
    Jan 26, 2010
    8
    I would have rated this game 8.5 if I had the opportunity. This is a fantastic game. The graphics are awesome the story is above average and you really feel truly involved in the story line. The shooting is really tight and feels really polished. This game is excellent and a great sequel to the first one. I do have a few complaints however, I have finished the game and the ending I would have rated this game 8.5 if I had the opportunity. This is a fantastic game. The graphics are awesome the story is above average and you really feel truly involved in the story line. The shooting is really tight and feels really polished. This game is excellent and a great sequel to the first one. I do have a few complaints however, I have finished the game and the ending wasn't really satisfying. This game lacks a lot of long missions. There are a lot of short ones. Not enough grinding. Also the game is really easy on the normal setting. That is strange because Dragon Age is very difficult for me on normal. Don't get me wrong an excellent game, but not quite 'epic' enough for me to give it near perfect. Also I got stuck in the wall 4 or 5 times and had some audio loss. Those are small technical problems though.… Expand
  20. RickJ.
    Jan 31, 2010
    8
    All in all this is an impressive game which almost belongs to the best of its genre - well, almost. The story is fine but even according to genre rules less convincing than the story of mass effect 1. The difference between the rich story and its many aspects one the one hand and the repetitive game play on the other hand is a bit disappointing. Basically you have a shooter with some rpg All in all this is an impressive game which almost belongs to the best of its genre - well, almost. The story is fine but even according to genre rules less convincing than the story of mass effect 1. The difference between the rich story and its many aspects one the one hand and the repetitive game play on the other hand is a bit disappointing. Basically you have a shooter with some rpg elements added and some minigames thrown in. The shooter can't hold up to the top shooters of the last years, because most of them have developed a good rhythm adding complexity and variety to the basic setup. The rpg elements (ways to improve the character, access to better weapons, new ways to fight) have been dumbed down in comparison to mass effect 1 which wasn't so complex to begin with. The mini games to hack something are as usual nice in the beginning and getting boring really fast. The minigame around the scanning of the planets makes doing your taxes look like fun and aims straight for the worst mini game ever. The way the story is told is very old fashioned: cut scenes, conversations and some sound messages. On the good side: it makes it easy to make a good movie out of this game. On the bad side: if you cut out the interactive parts of the game you don't lose a lot of the story. The moral decisions you have to make are the one exception here. Well, no need to hold this against Bioware: a good integration of story telling and game play is the holy grail of the industry. No one yet has found a convincing way to combine the demands of story telling, first of all the need to control the rhythm of events, with the demands of game play, first of all to allow the players to decide themselves. And as in Dragon Age: Origin it works, you are emotionally involved beyond the adrenaline kick of the shooter sequence. The characters belong to the best we have seen in games which is due to the cinematic rendering of the cut scenes, the (mostly) excellent voice acting, and the depth added by the loyality quests which often center around core elements of their life stories. The conversations with them on board of the ship Normandy add more facets and make them round. It is a bit of a pity that most of the more interesting characters, for example Jack, Grunt or Zaeed are mentally - or in the case of Grunt: racially - disturbed killers without a lot of room for subtlety in their psychological profile. But even without someone like Ashley, the all American girl with her racist tendencies from the first part (I killed her, so I didn't see her in ME 2), there are some intriguing characters like Mordin, the scientist and 'mass murder'. The mysterious illusive man, always smoking, makes a good impression when you meet him first, and looks stereotypical and silly when you meet him later on. Characters play such a big role because the story arc is rather thin this time and in this aspect you do feel that you are in the middle section of a larger story, because you mainly build up your team. Game graphics have improved in comparison to ME 1 - which doesn't mean a lot - but still can't be compared to the excellent visuals often to be found nowadays (think Call of Duty 4 or Crysis). A notably exception is the rendering of faces, especially in cut scenes. The design and architecture of the worlds provide your standard variety, nothing more nothing less: from the run down post war world of Grunt to the high tech merchant world of Illion. I never had the impression that it intensifies my insight into the characters and the chain of events like it did for example in Bioshock. The fighting sceneries mainly consist of long corridors with lots of cover and are often as boring as it sounds. So without doubt this is a good game and in its better moments even a very good one. Coming from a pc gaming background the affinity to console game play, especially the clumsiness of the controls and the cloddish interface geared towards console players, is less than attractive but probably something we have to live with in future. It is a worthy successor to the much acclaimed Mass Effect 1 and improving on it in some aspects, especially the graphics, but the reduction of the role playing elements and the general tendency to win a mass market by cutting off anything which could pose a challenge is not always convincing. Catering for a mass market is fine but why then use the old fashioned grammar of games. Now you have an uneasy mixture like the boss fight at the end but pointing out in large letters where the weakness of the boss is. Bioware is not known for innovation but for good games - mass effect 2 confirms that.… Expand
  21. SeanH.
    Jan 30, 2010
    8
    First impressions as perhaps the most impressive and immersive game for single-player-philes like me to come out in years. The fight sequences and friendly A.i are much improved, however there were some things missing. For example, like being able to travel with more free form around the citadel, and 3 hrs into the game and I still haven't been able to drive anything! All in all, First impressions as perhaps the most impressive and immersive game for single-player-philes like me to come out in years. The fight sequences and friendly A.i are much improved, however there were some things missing. For example, like being able to travel with more free form around the citadel, and 3 hrs into the game and I still haven't been able to drive anything! All in all, I'm looking forward to finishing this game. It might not be better then ME1, but its sure as hell better than anything else out there for singleplayers… Expand
  22. AndyG
    Feb 1, 2010
    8
    Not a bad game, but i don't want to play it again. Core shooting game-play get a bit repetitive. The level design is a little uninspiring. RPG elements...hmm you level up but there are no visible stats. Game was not designed for a pc, the menus don't take advantage of the mouse. You can't double click on anything. Mini games were bad, and really take you out of the game. In Not a bad game, but i don't want to play it again. Core shooting game-play get a bit repetitive. The level design is a little uninspiring. RPG elements...hmm you level up but there are no visible stats. Game was not designed for a pc, the menus don't take advantage of the mouse. You can't double click on anything. Mini games were bad, and really take you out of the game. In fallout 3 you had the lock picking that wasn't to bad... The problem with the mini games is you must play them in order to upgrade. The whole time i'm scanning the planets looking for minerals i keep thinking why can't my annoying ship secretary do this. Maybe a flying mini game or space stock market mini game would have been more fun. The other problem is i just play dragon age for PC and loved it, so i was hoping for a similar experience, however this is an action-shooter-adventure. I liked the ending, trying to use plot devices to kill off the more annoying characters, plus i also like the final boss and most of the cutsceens were fun. Thought the music was pretty good. About 19 hours of game play. A lot of Polish, nice graphics.… Expand
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. NathanielW.
    Jan 29, 2010
    8
    A solidly good game, but too linear and simplified in terms of the plot Voice acting was not all that, shooter mechanics abve avergae but nothing special, voice synching and graphics a step below the rest (Dragon Age, Fallout 3, Oblivion). Still overall a very good game,
  26. SimonS
    Feb 11, 2010
    9
    i buy game after game and this is the best yet in 5 year. The storyline excellent 10/10. I enjoy the game play but not the cover system. i don't use it and hide behind head hight cover, it works better. The weapons choice is very good and fun. i play on the hardest setting which i find hard in places, perfect. To tell you the truth the graphics could be better, they are good but i buy game after game and this is the best yet in 5 year. The storyline excellent 10/10. I enjoy the game play but not the cover system. i don't use it and hide behind head hight cover, it works better. The weapons choice is very good and fun. i play on the hardest setting which i find hard in places, perfect. To tell you the truth the graphics could be better, they are good but theres not much difference from the last game to the sencond one. i would give it a 9.5. Theres a couple of improvements i would like but thay only count for about 0.5 / 10. im very happy with the game. one more note, its a very slick game,flows brillant from one stage to the next.… Expand
  27. user1234
    Sep 25, 2010
    8
    Big depart from original. In giving the shooter-happy kids pleasure, immersion is sacrificed. No elevators, no Mako, no planet exploration, no polish in story progression (no constant buildup to resolution), no infinite ammo, no thermal heat dissipation. The cine is worth watching, but there isn't much to bother beyond one or two replays. Graphical updates is probably one aspect that'sBig depart from original. In giving the shooter-happy kids pleasure, immersion is sacrificed. No elevators, no Mako, no planet exploration, no polish in story progression (no constant buildup to resolution), no infinite ammo, no thermal heat dissipation. The cine is worth watching, but there isn't much to bother beyond one or two replays. Graphical updates is probably one aspect that's truly improved. In overall, though, style is apparently cut and sliced to dismiss, not improve, the original. Hold airlocks tight, the game might blast your brains through. One can argue it is better, but there is much mainstream influence. For the fans of original... lower your expectations. For the fans of plain entertainment.... a must-have.… Expand
  28. Fireside
    Apr 9, 2011
    8
    Played as a vanguard on the hardest setting (yep, I eat sandwiches with the crust cut off) and had a blast. Was hardcore hard, but doable. Combat is well done and the story is top notch, but there's something about the small restrictive environments that makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. I'd like someone to somehow combine a game like this with the open-world feeling of the Elder Scrolls games.
  29. liho1eye
    Dec 30, 2010
    8
    Great story. Nice improvement to combat since ME1. Cool and fun game.
    On downside upgrade system was dumbed down. Dialogs make me want to punch people. Clipping into walls and ceiling.
  30. 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
  31. mjwilliams84
    Mar 17, 2011
    8
    Mass Effect 2 has the feel of directing a multi-million dollar blockbuster. You don't create your own character nor roleplay it per sé, you just guide and direct the epic sci-fi story as it unfolds. Superbly written characters, a much improved cover/shoot combat system and streamlined stats make it a very worthy time-sink indeed. Highly recommended for fans of RPG andMass Effect 2 has the feel of directing a multi-million dollar blockbuster. You don't create your own character nor roleplay it per sé, you just guide and direct the epic sci-fi story as it unfolds. Superbly written characters, a much improved cover/shoot combat system and streamlined stats make it a very worthy time-sink indeed. Highly recommended for fans of RPG and FPS-centric games alike.… Expand
  32. AnnoyingPourage
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    Easily a 10 for the first 90% of the game. The only thing kept me from calling this "perfect" was how much it built up to the conclusion and then ending abruptly (which is to say how badly I wanted more from it). Great game! As for all the haters that are clearly outnumbered here, why not do yourself a favor and actually try to enjoy this game? Don't you know it takes more muscles to typeEasily a 10 for the first 90% of the game. The only thing kept me from calling this "perfect" was how much it built up to the conclusion and then ending abruptly (which is to say how badly I wanted more from it). Great game! As for all the haters that are clearly outnumbered here, why not do yourself a favor and actually try to enjoy this game? Don't you know it takes more muscles to type hate than to do this - - - > ^_^… Expand
  33. LuisHQ
    Apr 6, 2017
    10
    Excelente RPG de ação, com uma narrativa um pouco arrastada, mas que compensa com incríveis missões de lealdade, que engrandecem o relacionamento dos personagens. Um RPG impar que merece ser jogado.
  34. Tata
    Sep 20, 2011
    8
    I don't know what others see in this game. Yes,it is good, no, It isn't great. Story is kind of a mixed bag; good, but feels extremely unrealistic (yes, I know this is a sci-fi game). The combat part of the game is the worst. I don't know if the console ports have this, but you can shoot from behind a wall even though you don't flat to the wall and companion abilities are done from yourI don't know what others see in this game. Yes,it is good, no, It isn't great. Story is kind of a mixed bag; good, but feels extremely unrealistic (yes, I know this is a sci-fi game). The combat part of the game is the worst. I don't know if the console ports have this, but you can shoot from behind a wall even though you don't flat to the wall and companion abilities are done from your perspective not the one who uses it. These things weren't present in the original game. Insanity difficulty is challenging, despite these irritations/bugs. The other problem is the inventory. You can't change companion armors and when you have to choose yours the stat display feels very misplaced. Character development is great, dialogue is the same. After 3 play-through I can say this game is good, but not great like the original.… Expand
  35. rpm
    Sep 24, 2012
    8
    Having played all three games in this series multiple times with a variety of characters, my conclusion is that ME1 is still my favorite followed by ME3 and then ME2 close behind.

    When ME2 came out I imported my ME1 saves, and then when ME3 came out, I imported my saves from ME2 and carried on with the story. After playing ME3 with several of my characters, I then went back and started    Having played all three games in this series multiple times with a variety of characters, my conclusion is that ME1 is still my favorite followed by ME3 and then ME2 close behind.

    When ME2 came out I imported my ME1 saves, and then when ME3 came out, I imported my saves from ME2 and carried on with the story. After playing ME3 with several of my characters, I then went back and started new characters in ME1 and played all three games back to back to back, and it was enjoyable to play it as one huge story arc.

    This brings be to both the praise worthy elements and criticisms of this review of ME2.

    1. Brilliant opening cinematic and basis for creating/recreating your character.
    The opening sequence provides both a dramatic narrative and a clever method of providing the player with the option of sticking with the same character played in ME1 or choosing another type.

    2. Graphics +/-
    When you play this series one after another, you really notice how the graphics evolve over the years these games were produced. While there is a stark improvement to the environments from ME1 to ME2 and character models are superior, I do feel that there was more artistic skill involved in rendering the characters in ME1. As an analogy, some artists can do more with 6 colors than less talented artists can do with 24. It seemed to me that the artists involved with ME2 had superior software and got a little lazy. There are exceptions...Jack, for one...but the rendering in ME2 seems a little plastic compared to ME1.

    3. Story
    This is basically a squad building game. Find the unique new characters and add them to your team. Both you and the enemy are trying to add to their teams. Nothing really happens storywise that progresses you from the end of ME1 to the beginning of ME3 other than each side trying to add to their strength through numbers. It isn't a bad story, just not as good as ME1.

    4. Gameplay
    To me, ME2 seems much more like a 3rd Person Shooter than ME1, which had more RPG elements. How much you enjoy ME2 is very much dependent on what style of play you want. If you are an RPG'er like me, then you will probably be disappointed with the changes made to ME2. Most RPG'ers like to micro-manage their squad. ME2 streamlines many of the elements in ME1, removing many of the choices which were, to me, a fun aspect of ME1. But if you want to just blow away enemies and not worry about details, this will be a lot of fun for you.

    Conclusion:
    Mass Effect 2 is a great game. The story is just enough, the new companions are well done, and the visual style is effective. I just happen to enjoy ME1 more (except for a few really silly dialogue sequences such as Matriarch Benezia's main scene). Try playing all three games in a row to get a good idea of how they compare!    … Expand
  36. Yann
    May 6, 2011
    8
    [FR] La suite magnifique d'un jeu exceptionnel. Mass Effect est un jeux qui mélange jeu de tir à la première personne et jeu de rôle où chaque décision prise influence intégralement l'avenir de votre personnage... Les actions et décisions que vous prennez dans Mass Effect 2 se[FR] La suite magnifique d'un jeu exceptionnel. Mass Effect est un jeux qui mélange jeu de tir à la première personne et jeu de rôle où chaque décision prise influence intégralement l'avenir de votre personnage... Les actions et décisions que vous prennez dans Mass Effect 2 se répercuteront (parfois de manière dramatique) dans la suite tant attendue; Mass Effect 3. Le système d'amélioration d'armes est un pur plaisir et la manŅ Expand
  37. Admiral_TSon
    Nov 21, 2014
    10
    A rare exception to the rule of sequels, ME2 is even more enjoyable than its acclaimed predecessor. ME2 continues in the tradition of the series with a solid plot, exceptionally well-written companions, the ability to shape the plot, and gives the user a truly immersive gaming experience.

    Pros: -Well written plot and dialogue -Well written party and ample room for character    A rare exception to the rule of sequels, ME2 is even more enjoyable than its acclaimed predecessor. ME2 continues in the tradition of the series with a solid plot, exceptionally well-written companions, the ability to shape the plot, and gives the user a truly immersive gaming experience.

    Pros:

    -Well written plot and dialogue
    -Well written party and ample room for character development
    -Vastly improved combat system with cover/heat clips
    -Excellent music
    -Side quests are generally enjoyable and much improved over ME1

    Cons:

    -Would have liked to have had more options for main character to interact in political settings like we saw in ME1 and ME3.

    This game is certainly a "must play" for any gamer.    … Expand
  38. snowshreder
    Jul 5, 2011
    8
    I have to admit, this game was fun i enjoyed it quite a bit, Although I cant help but feel like this was meant to be a movie more than a game and i'm talking about a Sci-Fi Grade B movie. I still think the game is worth buying but doesn't deserve a 9.
  39. TheMaximalist
    Sep 28, 2011
    9
    From Bioware comes the next installment in their sci fi shooter Mass Effect 2. Things begin right after Mass Effect 1's ending and the Normandy and it's crew are sent to investigate the Terminus System where ships have dissapeared. Once again you can play as Shepard who is violently killed when the Normandy is attacked then the organization Cerberus rebuilds you and you have to find outFrom Bioware comes the next installment in their sci fi shooter Mass Effect 2. Things begin right after Mass Effect 1's ending and the Normandy and it's crew are sent to investigate the Terminus System where ships have dissapeared. Once again you can play as Shepard who is violently killed when the Normandy is attacked then the organization Cerberus rebuilds you and you have to find out what is happening and stop it. Instead of being bossed around by the alliance you are bossed around by the Illusive Man voiced by Martin Sheen. The Game looks beautiful and the sound of plasma rushing past your head is great too. The combat is similar to Mass Effect 1 there is some new powers it is lighter on the RPG side but I did not mind that because the devs put extra detail into the battles. This time you have ammo instead of guns heating up which is great. You go to different planets in the game and gather up a crew to fight the enemy. There are little side missions to gain the crews loyalty too to increse the survivability on the final mission and if you suck bad on the final mission you can even get Shepard killed. I didn't make any sexy relationships this time over all that I did was have a girl over for dinner though but then she died. The game is great I have played through it 15 times since i got it ill give it a 9.5 this review will be on my blog also at http://www.maximalistgtg.blogspot.com/… Expand
  40. AlienSpaceBats
    Jan 27, 2013
    8
    Chest-high walls everywhere! Mass Effect 2 trades in most of the RPG (inventory, loot) elements from the first game, changes its tone (darker, more serious) and expands on the combat elements. Thankfully the dialogue wheel and conversations are just as expansive as before, although hub worlds and areas have been minimized, marginalized (the Citadel is tiny now). No vehicle sectionsChest-high walls everywhere! Mass Effect 2 trades in most of the RPG (inventory, loot) elements from the first game, changes its tone (darker, more serious) and expands on the combat elements. Thankfully the dialogue wheel and conversations are just as expansive as before, although hub worlds and areas have been minimized, marginalized (the Citadel is tiny now). No vehicle sections (amended somewhat with DLC), though the "N7" missions are back and aren't repetitive this time around. Stellar voice acting, music and cinematography as to be expected, writing is very dodgy in places but as far as experiences go, this one is hard to beat - the endgame ("suicide run") is second to none.… Expand
  41. Sangman
    Aug 5, 2011
    8
    To put things into perspective: I liked the first Mass Effect, however I will likely never be able to replay it again because some things in it annoyed me so much, the planet exploration being the biggest offender... Now on to Mass Effect 2, it plays like the first game, except the combat has been much improved and the most annoying things from the first game have been cut out (the tediousTo put things into perspective: I liked the first Mass Effect, however I will likely never be able to replay it again because some things in it annoyed me so much, the planet exploration being the biggest offender... Now on to Mass Effect 2, it plays like the first game, except the combat has been much improved and the most annoying things from the first game have been cut out (the tedious exploration being one of them). Fear not though, in most cases there is a... suitable replacement for those things, so it's not like things like exploration are gone entirely. It's just different, simpler - 'dumbed down' if you wish to call it that.

    Indeed, the RPG elements from the first game have been simplified a bit. The inventory system is gone, the skill/level system has been edited (I don't like the changes to that), the weapon/armor mods are gone for the most part... I'm not too thrilled about all the changes, but it all makes sense in its own way. The inventory was very cumbersome to use in the first game, I felt. Improving it would have been a better idea rather than cutting it though.

    I guess you could say that Mass Effect 2 is now an action/adventure game with some light RPG elements but I'm not sure if that's fair. The dialogue things are still very in-depth and choices you make still affect the outcome of things (albeit sometimes in an unexpected or even nonsensical way) which is what makes an RPG in my eyes and not things like an inventory system.

    Now speaking of dialogue... this is my main pet peeve with Mass Effect 2: the story is not very interesting and most of the characters are just really unlikable. You meet most of the characters from the original game again (depending on choices you made in the first game, if you decide to import a save) but all of them have turned into complete bastards. I liked Garrus in the first game, he seemed like an honorable vigilante kind of guy who'd fight to do the right thing. Mass Effect 2 continues that idea but goes a bit overboard with it by turning Garrus into a bitter, violent guy who shoots criminals like there's no tomorrow. It might seem like an OK evolution of the character but I didn't like it. The same can be said for many other characters.

    There are a lot of other things I could say about Mass Effect 2 but what it boils down to for me is this: it's an excellent action/adventure game with RPG elements, lots of dialogue, an interesting story that **** itself inside out near the end, if you like long epic games you'll enjoy it. I spent 35 hours beating the game (this includes sidequests) and it was time well spent, despite the flaws. I'd say it's better than the first game.    … Expand
  42. BasilZero
    Sep 12, 2015
    10
    Game: Mass Effect 2
    Genre: Third Person Shooter - RPG
    Developer: Bioware/EA System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 95/100 Value Score: 9.5/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 9/10 • Graphics: 8/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 8/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 10/10 • Player Value: 10/10 Pros +Storyline elements from the first game are retained with    Game: Mass Effect 2
    Genre: Third Person Shooter - RPG
    Developer: Bioware/EA
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 95/100
    Value Score: 9.5/10

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 9/10
    • Graphics: 8/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 10/10
    • Replay Value: 10/10
    • Player Value: 10/10

    Pros
    +Storyline elements from the first game are retained with Paragon/Renegade choices which lead to different results and scenarios.
    +Fantastic voice acting
    +Save files from ME1 can be imported to ME2 and ME2 save files can be exported to ME3
    +New DLC content is heavy with Storyline elements
    +Ability to collect figurines of ships and artifacts
    +Achievement system specifically designed for ME2 is included
    +Ability to scan planets and explore the galaxy is much better than the first game unlike the first game where you go through barren planets.
    +Side missions are more beneficial and much more exciting and challenging than the first game.

    Cons
    -The ability to alter a character's appearance depending on what equipment they have on no longer exists
    -No more armor equipment for any characters, only weapons
    -Class system still exists but barebones compared to the original
    -Game is more of a Shooter than a RPG unlike the first game
    -DLC is expensive and can only be obtained either via Amazon or Bioware Store    … Expand
  43. PictoPirate
    May 17, 2017
    9
    Mass Effect 2 improves on the already impressive Mass Effect in almost every way. Space exploration feels deeper, the characters and missions more varied and even better your squad mates can take their guns from their holsters without shooting themselves in the face, an absolute must play.
  44. Darkmark
    Mar 9, 2013
    9
    Definetly the best game in the series in my opinion. The gameplay is pretty much the same as the other games, but the missions are much more interesting and i really liked the system of having to earn your squads trust. The story is probably also the best in the series and it comes up with some difficult choices every now and then.
  45. stvartak
    Feb 25, 2013
    8
    If you haven't played the original Mass Effect, what are waiting for? Go play it...it's great. And if you disliked the original, you won't like this sequel any better...it's not that different. And finally, if you played and liked the original, there are numerous changes that you may find pleasing or annoying, but overall it's the same look and feel, the same world, many of the sameIf you haven't played the original Mass Effect, what are waiting for? Go play it...it's great. And if you disliked the original, you won't like this sequel any better...it's not that different. And finally, if you played and liked the original, there are numerous changes that you may find pleasing or annoying, but overall it's the same look and feel, the same world, many of the same characters, and an exciting progression toward whatever conclusion awaits in Mass Effect 3. It does suffer a bit from middle-child syndrome, as part two of any three-part series does, giving you neither the thrill of witnessing the beginning nor the satisfaction of a final conclusion. Still, ME2 has at least 80% of what you liked in ME1, so spend a few bucks for 40+ hours of solid entertainment.… Expand
  46. theirrelephants
    May 25, 2018
    8
    I know this game gets a lot of flack for focusing more on the shooter aspects rather than the rpg ones, but I found the party members more than made up for it. Liara, Miranda, Jack, etc were all fun characters.

    The story suffers a bit compared to the first game, but the slightly (very) improved gunplay and what I feel is better dialogue makes up for it. The renegade interrupts are    I know this game gets a lot of flack for focusing more on the shooter aspects rather than the rpg ones, but I found the party members more than made up for it. Liara, Miranda, Jack, etc were all fun characters.

    The story suffers a bit compared to the first game, but the slightly (very) improved gunplay and what I feel is better dialogue makes up for it. The renegade interrupts are hilarious and some of the one liners had me laughing out loud. Probably the last good game Bioware made.

    For those of you who haven't played Mass Effect 3 that are reading this review: Don't.    … Expand
  47. 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
  48. Ensaabahnur
    Mar 8, 2019
    8
    Good game, gameplay is improved compared to the original but i feel like the story is inferior somewhat. Still a great experience overall!
  49. TURJAN
    Aug 8, 2023
    9
    This game is the peak of BioWare that will never come back. Commander Sheppard comes back from the dead to stop the Reapers from invading the Milky Way. New companions are awesome and reoccurring ones are 100 times better than in the first game. Gameplay is less rpg and more action oriented. No more weapons that differ only in stats. Plot has a weird pacing that entire game is just aThis game is the peak of BioWare that will never come back. Commander Sheppard comes back from the dead to stop the Reapers from invading the Milky Way. New companions are awesome and reoccurring ones are 100 times better than in the first game. Gameplay is less rpg and more action oriented. No more weapons that differ only in stats. Plot has a weird pacing that entire game is just a preparation for an ending. Everything feels like side quest beside begining, 1 mission in the middle and ending. The number of companions is the biggest in the entire series and their missions are the most extensive though. Every character can also die, the game can even end with everyone dead, won't be able to upload that save to ME3 though. Its an epic adventure don't expect deep existential metaphors. Flirt with your squadmates and you'll be good.… Expand
  50. tiho
    Jul 5, 2015
    10
    An awesome sequel to the first Mass Effect, with an engaging story and graphics far superior to its predecessor. They removed one annoying element (cumbersome inventory management) with another one (tedious scanning of planets to collect resources for upgrades), but overall gameplay goes smoothly and is very entertaining. The RPG elements are a bit light though, with the limited choices ofAn awesome sequel to the first Mass Effect, with an engaging story and graphics far superior to its predecessor. They removed one annoying element (cumbersome inventory management) with another one (tedious scanning of planets to collect resources for upgrades), but overall gameplay goes smoothly and is very entertaining. The RPG elements are a bit light though, with the limited choices of skills and upgrades.… Expand
  51. Kydos
    Dec 20, 2012
    8
    I feel like they really ironed out a lot of the problems I had with ME1 in this game. It felt a little more balanced from the start especially since your weapons now require ammunition, even if they do shower ammo upon you at least for the lower difficulties. There seemed to be a lot more choice in this game having the option to not even pick up all available team members and being askedI feel like they really ironed out a lot of the problems I had with ME1 in this game. It felt a little more balanced from the start especially since your weapons now require ammunition, even if they do shower ammo upon you at least for the lower difficulties. There seemed to be a lot more choice in this game having the option to not even pick up all available team members and being asked to make decisions which could cost the lives of certain members. Unlike in ME1 you could make it through with your entire team or you could lose a lot of lives so it felt like there was actual pressure to make the right decisions. Ultimately though the way forward in terms of squad preservation was glaringly obvious and only required the patience for a bunch of sidequests so when a team mate dies it doesn't feel like you made a mistake, it feels like you just couldn't be bothered saving them. Lots of improvements on the first game and another great experience.… Expand
  52. CrusherTM
    Dec 26, 2012
    9
    Very good game from BioWare. Excellent graphics, fantastic fight mode. I have no words to describe this game. One of the most amazing games from EA - this words could be fine.
  53. Bloov
    Feb 17, 2019
    10
    Вторая часть - это настоящий шедевр. Захватывающий сюжет, отличные и сбалансированные механики, невероятный потенциал для перепрохождения (я не сильно ошибусь, если скажу что пререпроходил вторую часть раз 10). Ужасно грустно от того, что треться часть перечеркнула все решения и убила серию.Вторая часть - это настоящий шедевр. Захватывающий сюжет, отличные и сбалансированные механики, невероятный потенциал для перепрохождения (я не сильно ошибусь, если скажу что пререпроходил вторую часть раз 10). Ужасно грустно от того, что треться часть перечеркнула все решения и убила серию.
  54. MeritCoba
    Nov 28, 2015
    1
    (I changed my review and changed my score to 1. Mass Effect 2 is a terrible badly written story)

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The fun part is perhaps to try out various combinations of powers and team members in various settings and to explore the personal missions of some, if not all of your team mates. But don't be surprised if you forgot what it all was about as it doesn't really matter. And don't worry: there is always a big sign pointing which way to go. You can't miss it. And even if you do miss it, it will force itself on you eventually.    … Expand
  55. AngryGRG
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games ever made, it's amazing soundtrack, its gripping story, amazing made characters including your love interest. It is a awesome game made upon hard decision making and assembling your team for the ultimate-suicide mission. The game has a satisfying ending to it, making you want to reply it over again and wanting you to play the next game in the Trilogy.Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games ever made, it's amazing soundtrack, its gripping story, amazing made characters including your love interest. It is a awesome game made upon hard decision making and assembling your team for the ultimate-suicide mission. The game has a satisfying ending to it, making you want to reply it over again and wanting you to play the next game in the Trilogy. Though this game does have bugs and glitches, but those are minor and acceptable, nothing to ruin the experience. If you are a Mass Effect fan or not, this is a must own.… Expand
  56. Pityek
    Jul 15, 2013
    9
    For me, this is one of the greatest game of all time. I played through 6 times if not more!

    Ofc there are problems like minor bugs, but the ultimate blow to this game is the lack of equipment!!!

    Beside that, i extremely satisfied with this game.
  57. LXQUICKJUSTICE
    Mar 25, 2015
    10
    Gonna keep this short and sweet. You need the "Better ME2 (unofficial patch)" mod to enjoy this game, but it's amazing. Anti-aliasing is a MAJOR problem on PC, because there's no way to activate it in the mass effect 2 launcher, but the quick mod I mentioned instantly clears it up. Besides that it's outstanding and just as good as the original.
  58. 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
  59. Sean-M
    May 23, 2020
    10
    One of the best story-driven games I have ever played. The best in the series too, of course. 10 out of 10.
  60. sft
    Jun 15, 2014
    8
    Very nearly the full kilo

    I enjoyed Mass Effect 1 but was only able to give it 3/5 due to some pretty annoying flaws. I’m glad to say that most of those flaws have been eradicated in ME2. Gone are the endless slow elevator rides. Gone are the tedious, bouncy buggy rides on dull, lifeless planets. And gone is the ridiculously complex HUD. What hasn’t changed are its strong points, which    Very nearly the full kilo

    I enjoyed Mass Effect 1 but was only able to give it 3/5 due to some pretty annoying flaws. I’m glad to say that most of those flaws have been eradicated in ME2. Gone are the endless slow elevator rides. Gone are the tedious, bouncy buggy rides on dull, lifeless planets. And gone is the ridiculously complex HUD. What hasn’t changed are its strong points, which remain in the storyline and RPG elements. Once again there is a detailed and compelling story along with many side plots and missions, which are more diverse and creative than those in ME1. The voice acting is excellent throughout as are the character models and animations, which are fluid and naturalistic. Graphically it’s very good for a four-year-old game, although there’s little in the way of physics, which is a shame. The combat has also improved, although it remains rather clunky and lacklustre compared to other games. The Mass Effect franchise is clearly about providing a rich and developed universe in which to place the player and to give that player a full-bodied RPG experience peppered with combat and action along the way. And in this respect ME2 really delivers. If not for the so-so combat I would have given it 5/5.    … Expand
  61. AJCk19
    May 6, 2023
    9
    It improves on the original formula, but certain things are missed like unlimited ammo.
  62. paulraised
    Nov 12, 2018
    9
    Not as good as the first game, but it has some interesting changes and twists that should be praised. The only thing that seems forced is the segue of the stories between the games, the transition is a bit far fetched, but it does offer some open ended thoughts at the end.
  63. iddqd4
    Mar 17, 2018
    8
    В этот раз сюжетец можно описать вообще двумя словами, собираем команду и летим на одну последнюю миссию. Написано гораздо слабее первой части. И так во всем.
  64. lutteres
    Jul 29, 2013
    9
    The Good:

    Great story Memorable Characters Better character development (in particular of Tali and Garus) Superb voice acting Great visuals for an RPG game (but not at "The Witcher" level) Excellent soundtrack and sound effects Tons of Re-playability The Fair: The ending Generic Villain The Bad: Mini-games are still boring More linear than Mass effect 1 The Gameplay is    The Good:

    Great story
    Memorable Characters
    Better character development (in particular of Tali and Garus)
    Superb voice acting
    Great visuals for an RPG game (but not at "The Witcher" level)
    Excellent soundtrack and sound effects
    Tons of Re-playability

    The Fair:
    The ending
    Generic Villain

    The Bad:
    Mini-games are still boring
    More linear than Mass effect 1
    The Gameplay is Less RPG oriented    … Expand
  65. TheSlayerZ
    Sep 10, 2013
    9
    I would have to say that Mass Effect 2 is the best game I've ever played, at least so far as story and character development. That's not to say the gameplay wasn't superb; it just doesn't quite give you the same adrenaline rush as blowing you enemies into little bits as you can in Borderlands 1 & 2, or sprinting through Call of Duty (4 or beyond) with a shotgun: getting an insane scoreI would have to say that Mass Effect 2 is the best game I've ever played, at least so far as story and character development. That's not to say the gameplay wasn't superb; it just doesn't quite give you the same adrenaline rush as blowing you enemies into little bits as you can in Borderlands 1 & 2, or sprinting through Call of Duty (4 or beyond) with a shotgun: getting an insane score streak and calling in a VTOL or something. The graphics were very good, especially considering that it is from early 2010; sure, it's not Crysis, but I really don't care. Also: the mineral collection pretty much sucked. I spent at probably 3-6 hours collecting minerals just to get all the upgrades I could: upping my first play through time to around 60 hours: of course, that is with beating virtually every side quest by the end of the game, (save a couple, and this is without DLCs). Another very annoying thing too me as an Infiltrator was the sniper slow-mo. I mean, seriously, around 5 seconds of slow motion (apparently at max level, which I did very early) to find your target I will admit, it does make the game much easier in hardcore/insanity, but it takes a lot of the challenge away. There was also far too much ammo around; I think they should have made it more like Crysis 2 in that regard, having some kind of tactical battlefield view, having to sprint with your tactical cloak to grab some more ammunition for your squad. There also should have been more weapons, and an inventory. While there were *enough* weapons to get the job done, I think it would have been much more enjoyable to once again have weapon/armor pickups, and weapon/armor mods instead of *powers* that do the same thing. Can't decide if I like or dislike not having grenades. The characters were again simply amazing: so much though and effort obviously went into them, and it was definitely a good choice on the devs part. There (can be) so much interaction between Shepard and the characters that by the end they really felt like more than just my crew, they were like family. What you say and do can have so much influence on what happens with and to them, (and vice versa, if you at all care about them), that you just really start feeling connected with them. Starting in the first game, but even more so in this game, did I really start too understand and sympathize with the plight of the Quarians (if you've played it, you can probably see some real world connections). You may also begin to reconsider the Geth as a whole, depending on what you do. Too sum it up: I give the Story 10/10, Characters 10/10, Voice Acting 9/10, Sound FX 9/10 Graphics 8/10, Overall Gameplay 8/10, Music 7/10 (Daft Punk works pretty well with it though), Space Exploration 6/10, Tactics 6/10. Last thing I have to say: Play it!… Expand
  66. Munkey
    Feb 16, 2015
    8
    The sequel to the first ME it's good but not that good as the first.
    The things I did enjoy in the sequel. NPC's still good and there is a lot more to chose from. I missed Wrex and the other Krogan Grunt was not my type. Favorite characters in this part are Garus, Thane, Jack and Zaeed.
    Dialogue options were expanded even more. Combat was improved and the cover system felt more fluid.    The sequel to the first ME it's good but not that good as the first.
    The things I did enjoy in the sequel. NPC's still good and there is a lot more to chose from. I missed Wrex and the other Krogan Grunt was not my type. Favorite characters in this part are Garus, Thane, Jack and Zaeed.
    Dialogue options were expanded even more. Combat was improved and the cover system felt more fluid.
    What is missing is the world exploration. Now it's just scamning. The game is more combat focused. The side quest are mostly gone. Insted we get NPC side quests which are interesting but there are only few of them.
    Good game but they didn't have to change it in that many ways. Played it twice from start to finish.
    For me 8 out of 10.

    PS. There is a good selection of interesting DLC. Worth to play them just for the story.    … Expand
  67. Kyle2086
    Oct 1, 2014
    10
    For the most part, Mass Effect 2 improves on it's predecessor in every way, from the combat to the squad characters and production values, ME2 gives the player a customizable cinematic experience. The game has some small flaws, such as bugged quests and the mining mechanic which can become tedious, although it's a fun diversion the first few times. The enemy variety is a little lessFor the most part, Mass Effect 2 improves on it's predecessor in every way, from the combat to the squad characters and production values, ME2 gives the player a customizable cinematic experience. The game has some small flaws, such as bugged quests and the mining mechanic which can become tedious, although it's a fun diversion the first few times. The enemy variety is a little less diverse than ME1, but it fits with the narrative and the shift from un peacekeeper to corporate mercenary. The end game, while dramatic, can be frustrating as keeping your crew alive isn't overtly explained, although through trial and error given the proper precautions it can easily be done. Although it follows some sci-fi tropes, it feels fresh enough to warrant exploring its universe, and stands up just fine on its own.… Expand
  68. jssrfx
    Sep 9, 2014
    10
    I only have one word: Masterpiece! There is no other way to describe this game.

    Especially, and I can't stress this enough, if you have been continuing from Mass Effect 1. If you haven't, you're missing out. Granted, there is the Genesis DLC which apparently lets you make all the important decisions from ME1, but you're still not going to get the full experience. You might get the    I only have one word: Masterpiece! There is no other way to describe this game.

    Especially, and I can't stress this enough, if you have been continuing from Mass Effect 1. If you haven't, you're missing out. Granted, there is the Genesis DLC which apparently lets you make all the important decisions from ME1, but you're still not going to get the full experience. You might get the knowledge of the storyline, but not the ambience. The essence of what makes Mass Effect what it is, the beginning of it all, is lost.

    ME1 is by far not as detailed and "massive" as the second installment (also referring to the places you can visit, and mission diversity), but it's still a lot of fun and the amount of "aha" effects and experience of encountering all your former squad members again in ME2, after a few years have passed and things have changed, are one of the greatest experiences in computer gaming today.

    Bioware also did a great job at carrying over your ME1 character's appearance. There are not many games where your character becomes that important. In the game itself, and to the gamer. You care about the reputation and notoriety you achieve. That hasn't really ever happened to me before in a game. Not on this level.

    The atmosphere overall is excellent, the combat satisfying, since it turns out differently depending on which squad members you take along for the mission, there is a lot more emphasis on resources since they are required for researching new abilities, but it's a fun way to achieve this, and you can quickly do some resource grinding between missions. No longwinded MACO surveys that yield a few resources that really didn't seem to have much of any effect other than credits.

    The new Normandy is much bigger, it has 4 separate decks and it's a nice motivation that parts of the ship unlock, the further you progress through the storyline. It's worth seeing. You're not going to get to drive the MACO as far as I've seen, but a DLC offers a hover vehicle which you can control in a set of missions.

    The voice acting and animations are top notch, and especially Miranda's character was also modelled after the actress who lent her voice (Yvonne Strahovski). This was done so well, that I recognized the actress in the CG character. Great job Bioware! There are also a number of other, well known actors involved, all of them reprising their roles from ME1 (incl. Lance Henriksen & Seth Green), which provides great continuity. Names include Carrie-Anne Moss (Matrix), Adam Baldwin (Chuck, Firefly, X-Files etc.), Michael Dorn, Armin Shimerman, Dwight Schultz (all in Star Trek among others), Claudia Black (Stargate, Farscape) and Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now, Wall Street) -- [movies/shows quoted from memory, I realize all of these guys have done much more]!

    If you ever watched a great science-fiction action-adventure movie and wished you could be part of it, this is your chance. In Mass Effect you can be. Stop reading, and go protect the galaxy! Do it now!    … Expand
  69. Genezi
    Jun 10, 2017
    9
    Great game. i have spent a lot of time on this title. It has a great story with memorable characters. Good gameplay with lots of possibilities during missions and best cut scenes with good dialogs.
  70. 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
  71. prossnip42
    Jul 29, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a continuation of me reviewing the entirety of the Mass Effect franchise which i had the pleasure of purchasing and playing through it throughout it. I already reviewed Mass Effect 1 and thought it was a good start to this franchise. So what about the 2nd one? Well let's find out

    Pros:
    -The graphics have definitely gotten an upgrade. everything looks better, flashier and prettier. The worlds you land on look interesting with their own habitats and cities to explore. Don't be mistake though, this is a linear game but you have so much wiggle room in the areas that they put you in
    -Once again the story is fantastic. It continues the story to Mass Effect one where Sovereign was destroyed and a new threat called the Collectors are wiping out human colonies. Commander Shepard is hired by the Illusive man (played brilliantly by Martin Sheen by the way) to investigate the disappearances of the colonies. What happens next i won't spoil because if you're a loser like me and have only just discovered this franchise then i don't wanna spoil it for you
    -The combat has been improved by a ten fold. No more is getting to cover a chore, now it's seamless and fluid. No longer does aiming feel like somebody's pushing your right hand, now it's perfect. And most importantly. NO MAKO!! Thank the spirits for that
    - The characters. Dear God the characters are so good. Every single one of your companions has their own stories, backgrounds which you'll need to discover in order to keep them alive and so on. And the love interests are actually good (P.S Tali is the ultimate space waifu and i will strangle you if you think otherwise)

    Cons:
    -One thing i will complain about when it comes to Mass Effect 2 is that it feels less like an RPG than the previous installment. Not that Mass Effect 1 was very RPG to begin with but they took out the most basic RPG elements to make it more action oriented. Which is fine by me but for some people it might get them turned off

    In conclusion in my opinion this is the best game in the Mass Effect franchise. It has everything you'd want and more. And at the end of the game, when you see the big terrifying space octopuses flying in mass towards Earth, you know **** is about to go down. In the 3rd one at least    … Expand
  72. EggManStudio
    Feb 6, 2015
    10
    There are very few games which can be described as having truly perfected their formula. One could say that Mario and Sonic perfected the platformer, that mario galaxy perfected the 3D platformer, perhaps even that games like GTA: San Andreas perfected the open-world formula. Mass Effect 2 is a game that has created its own formula by delicately fusing RPG elements with third-personThere are very few games which can be described as having truly perfected their formula. One could say that Mario and Sonic perfected the platformer, that mario galaxy perfected the 3D platformer, perhaps even that games like GTA: San Andreas perfected the open-world formula. Mass Effect 2 is a game that has created its own formula by delicately fusing RPG elements with third-person shooter gameplay, and the result is simply pure perfection.

    The game picks up a few years after the first Mass Effect game and revolves around the protagonist from the first game, John (or Jane) Shepard, who after waking up from a coma and being essentially brought back from the dead by a shadowy organisation named Cerberus must stop an invasion of deadly aliens known as the Collectors, who are abducting entire colonies of humans for some unknown purpose. To do this, he must assemble a team and travel beyond the Omega 4 Relay, from which no ship has ever returned. As he recruits new allies and old friends for his suicide mission, Shepard makes new discoveries which reveal more and more of the mysterious Collectors' nature and goals.

    The story in this game is absolutely amazing. How the plot progresses depends partly on the actions that Shepard took in the first Mass Effect, so I highly reccommend playing that first before this. The rest is decided through the game's morality system - "Paragon" choices make Shepard a much more noble, just character, whereas "Renegade" choices make him bolder, harsher and colder. This allows for a different experience and different character developments for Shepard depending on what choices the player makes throughout the game and its predecessor - anything that you do could change the course of the whole game. And when you reach the ending, I absolutely guarantee that you will be on the edge of your computer chair with tension. Also returning from Mass Effect 1 is the ability to start a romantic relationship with one of the characters on board the ship. This has little effect on the storyline itself but it's kind of cute to see Shepard finding love.

    As for the gameplay, Mass Effect 2 builds upon the starndard third person shooter formula with some innovative features, for instance Shepard and his team can use various abilities in battle, including various technological abilities, different weapon ammo types and "biotics" - psychic-like abilities which can be used for both offence and defence. This seems to make battles flow much more as you swictn betwnn shooting and using your powers to find the best way of dispatching your enemy.

    The game has a "loyalty mission" system, wherein you can gain special missions from particular characters, and if you complete these missions you will unlock an extra outfitm and extra power and that character's "loyalty" - in the endgame thhis will become very important, so after you start receiving these missions, try to avoid other missions until you have recruited everyone and completed all of their loyalty missions. Shepard can also purchase upgrades for his allies and for his ship, the Normandy - these will also be much needed in the endgame.

    All in all, Mass Effect 2 is hard to describe with any other word other than its own title. With an awe-inspiring story, action-packed gameplay and endless replay value, no self-respecting gamer should pass it up.    … Expand
  73. TranHere
    Aug 8, 2014
    9
    The controls....all the details....the storytelling....THE CHARACTERS! Mass Effect 2 improved a lot on Mass Effect's flaws, but kept all the lovely characters and details in storytelling the same. Mass Effect 2 was thrilling all the way to the end, nothing of it felt tedious and boring. I would always recommend this game to anyone.
  74. smeeeee
    Aug 29, 2014
    10
    EA surprised me with this game. Normally EA doesn't do so well with gaming, but this! EA and BioWare really did a good job on improving this franchise. Let's start from the top: A near-perfect beginning, that got my heart racing and immersing me into the story (I'm not gonna spoil it). The rest of the story is near perfect, giving more room than all other games for what you want yourEA surprised me with this game. Normally EA doesn't do so well with gaming, but this! EA and BioWare really did a good job on improving this franchise. Let's start from the top: A near-perfect beginning, that got my heart racing and immersing me into the story (I'm not gonna spoil it). The rest of the story is near perfect, giving more room than all other games for what you want your character and your squad to be. Example: You can have your character be a warm-hearted kind guy who does stuff for the people, or the epic badass who always trusts the bad way of doing things. You can have your squad master this power or that, or have an even balance between things. The combat is the best I've seen ever, and makes Mass Effect 1's combat seem poorly done (ME1's combat is great, btw). And powers are greatly improved, as well- cool-down reduction, great looking, and very useful (especially for biotics). Infinite ammo is removed, which really removes a lot of stress (overheating weapons in ME1 is a pain in the @**). All in all, I think this game's a genius's work. Credits to EA and BioWare!… Expand
  75. Tomle1202
    Jul 2, 2017
    9
    Mass Effect 2 is like Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight - the type of outstandingly amazing sequel that surpasses every aspects of its memorable predecessor.
  76. dinosauryoshi
    Aug 24, 2014
    10
    There is nothing bad I can say about this game. It pretty much single-handedly got me back into sci-fi in a big way. Great characters, great plot, massive worlds and seemingly endless scope for exploration. This thing sucked me in like few games do and I couldn't get enough of it. One of the truly great games on PS3 that's for sure.
  77. safteygamerpro
    Jul 6, 2014
    10
    This is my favorite game ever the story was hands down the best it had a huge improvement from the first game like NO **** ATV (it annoyed the hell out of me) and I do like the clips instead of unlimited (it was so overpowered) the characters are just bad-ass and you also get to see the characters from the first game and fight with some of them again the gameplay is just fun (u finallyThis is my favorite game ever the story was hands down the best it had a huge improvement from the first game like NO **** ATV (it annoyed the hell out of me) and I do like the clips instead of unlimited (it was so overpowered) the characters are just bad-ass and you also get to see the characters from the first game and fight with some of them again the gameplay is just fun (u finally get to slide over things). I have played over 200 hours on this game doing ever choice every class every ending. Overall amazing game I highly recommend getting this game.… Expand
  78. 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
  79. 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
  80. gyamtso
    Sep 21, 2014
    6
    I've played Mass Effect I enough to say that the sequence isn't worth the grandiosity of its predecessor.

    The sequence has its qualities and I really want to write a fair review here. The graphics are nice, the soundtrack its still good, the combat is more action based than the first, but the plot and the dialogues suffered a great loss. This first big let down is the plot and the    I've played Mass Effect I enough to say that the sequence isn't worth the grandiosity of its predecessor.

    The sequence has its qualities and I really want to write a fair review here.

    The graphics are nice, the soundtrack its still good, the combat is more action based than the first, but the plot and the dialogues suffered a great loss.

    This first big let down is the plot and the sensation that the game is pretending that I can change things when, really, it's just a soap-opera that wants to deceive people to get their audience.

    It just sucks. All the choices in the first game, the difficulties because of the *right* path, turned into ashes. It just doesn't matter. If you chose the "A" path, they put some different dialogues, if you chose the "B" path, they change a bit in one or two scenes to pretend that they aren't lazy to make something worth.

    The game was a complete let down for me. Luckily, it didn't spoiled my experience on the first game, but I don't want to play mass effect II for some time. On other side, I'm going to play the first again, for the sixth time.    … Expand
  81. aciphex
    Oct 7, 2014
    10
    I emplore anybody to find a game of its kind that makes you care about the story or its characters more...one of the best pecies of art to grace any platform
  82. Machine1211
    Aug 2, 2015
    9
    It's more like a science fiction TPS than an RPG but it still has some elements of it like the free to go places with many NPCs, and there are always some smaller missions. But character upgrade is quite linear, and the missions are always a big shooting fest, a real adrenaline rush. The world of the game is incredibly detailed and I also like the characters who join us during theIt's more like a science fiction TPS than an RPG but it still has some elements of it like the free to go places with many NPCs, and there are always some smaller missions. But character upgrade is quite linear, and the missions are always a big shooting fest, a real adrenaline rush. The world of the game is incredibly detailed and I also like the characters who join us during the missions. Overall it's a nearly perfect game with nice graphics and well-written story.… Expand
  83. dabyd1304
    Jun 15, 2020
    6
    El principal problema de secuela es que su trama es totalmente innecesaria, no aporta nada.

    El juego sigue teniendo esa riqueza en la creación de su mundo y sus matices. Pero quizá estos se muestran con misiones secundarias obligatorias para avanzar en la historia. Y solo por esta decisión de diseño aberrante, no puedo tomarmelo en serio. Aun así, 100% aconsejable si uno es fan del    El principal problema de secuela es que su trama es totalmente innecesaria, no aporta nada.

    El juego sigue teniendo esa riqueza en la creación de su mundo y sus matices. Pero quizá estos se muestran con misiones secundarias obligatorias para avanzar en la historia. Y solo por esta decisión de diseño aberrante, no puedo tomarmelo en serio.

    Aun así, 100% aconsejable si uno es fan del original, como es mi caso.    … Expand
  84. SaifHeat
    Oct 22, 2014
    9
    There's a very, very few games out there as satisfying as Bioware's action RPG masterpiece. From combat strategy variations to mining planets to gather resource, from taking important decisions (specially at the final stages) to pursuing a relationship with crew members; everything is mind bending. not for a single moment, you'll not fell thrilled. It's a must, must play game for anyThere's a very, very few games out there as satisfying as Bioware's action RPG masterpiece. From combat strategy variations to mining planets to gather resource, from taking important decisions (specially at the final stages) to pursuing a relationship with crew members; everything is mind bending. not for a single moment, you'll not fell thrilled. It's a must, must play game for any gamer.

    I don't know when I'll play something like Mass Effect 2 in future - probably ever? Yeah, this is simply THAT MUCH good!!    … Expand
  85. Dexter664
    Mar 10, 2020
    10
    Unforgettable and the most badass sci-fi journey ever created from my point of view.
  86. alanmacd
    Nov 19, 2014
    10
    Brilliant. Other than DA:O, never have I cared so much about a group of characters. The writing, the dialogue, the story-line, the depth of characterization, the graphics, the game play are all stunning. Bioware has created a space epic masterpiece with this game. From the awesomeness of the opening sequence to the nail-biting suicide mission, I was enthralled. Highly re-playable too. EachBrilliant. Other than DA:O, never have I cared so much about a group of characters. The writing, the dialogue, the story-line, the depth of characterization, the graphics, the game play are all stunning. Bioware has created a space epic masterpiece with this game. From the awesomeness of the opening sequence to the nail-biting suicide mission, I was enthralled. Highly re-playable too. Each side mission had delicious moments as well. Nothing felt throw-away. Kudus Bioware!… Expand
  87. jimbobslimbob
    Nov 24, 2014
    9
    A well-rounded and very solid sequel to the original. It improves on the first game in almost every aspect. The combat feels more fluid and much more fun, the graphics, story, and sound are better than ever.

    It plays much like the original - an over the shoulder action/RPG. If you liked the first one, you will love this. There are reoccurring characters from the first game and the    A well-rounded and very solid sequel to the original. It improves on the first game in almost every aspect. The combat feels more fluid and much more fun, the graphics, story, and sound are better than ever.

    It plays much like the original - an over the shoulder action/RPG. If you liked the first one, you will love this. There are reoccurring characters from the first game and the ability to import your ME1 character, along with all the decisions (and consequences). A really nice touch.

    My only (minor) gripes is that the inventory and level-up system seems even further dumbed down compared to the first one. A definite con for those of you that like customisation in their RPGs. The galaxy map is also a little silly (and pointless). These however, are nit-picking an otherwise superb game - a game that it probably on my top 10 games of all time. Everyone should play it. Period.

    Jimbo Rating: 9/10    … Expand
  88. dair
    Mar 14, 2015
    10
    A brilliant game, one of my all time favourites. Awesome story, immersion, cut scenes, quests, graphic style, decisions, companions (Miranda!!, Tali,...) and NPCs. It's just a pity the RPG elements were cut back.
  89. 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
  90. guilhermes
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    Simplesmente o melhor jogo que já joguei, mudou minha maneira de ver narrativas e jogos.
  91. TonyKontana
    Aug 8, 2018
    10
    Любимейшая часть любимейшей серии. Отличные миссии как сюжетные так и побочные, отлично прописанный лор, атмосфера, музыка. В этой игре хорошо если уж не все, то почти все.
  92. scorp332211
    May 17, 2021
    10
    Simply put- ME2 is one of the best games of all time! In my top 5. Shepard is at her best in this one. It’s great building your crew and going on loyalty missions for them. There’s such a wide variety of missions- never gets boring. It’s a great action rpg. There are great boss fights- but the worst enemies for me are those damn husks! It builds up to a great ending mission- although itSimply put- ME2 is one of the best games of all time! In my top 5. Shepard is at her best in this one. It’s great building your crew and going on loyalty missions for them. There’s such a wide variety of missions- never gets boring. It’s a great action rpg. There are great boss fights- but the worst enemies for me are those damn husks! It builds up to a great ending mission- although it sucks losing some of your crew. The 4k graphics look great- especially in several face models like Thane. It builds well off of ME1 and leads well to ME3. It’s the best in the series by far- but you should play all 3 games to truly experience the ME world. I’ve played this many, many times- and I highly recommend!… Expand
  93. inkblowout
    Jun 26, 2015
    9
    Mass Effect 2 is mass effect's greatest peak in the entire trilogy. And perhaps bioware's magnum opus at their time. Mostly everything was improved from mass effect 1, such as the poor optimization for PC ports. But some sacrifices had to be made from mass effect 2 which wasn't in the previous games. Such as the RPG elements in mass effect 2 are very, very limited compared to the previousMass Effect 2 is mass effect's greatest peak in the entire trilogy. And perhaps bioware's magnum opus at their time. Mostly everything was improved from mass effect 1, such as the poor optimization for PC ports. But some sacrifices had to be made from mass effect 2 which wasn't in the previous games. Such as the RPG elements in mass effect 2 are very, very limited compared to the previous entry. But otherwise, the story was interesting as you fight with Cerberus, learning from the previous game, Cerberus was know for their terrorist acts.

    Squad members improved as well. They included 2x more squad mates in the second installation as well as 2 old squad members from mass effect 1 rejoin you as well. Not only that you get to have a dedicated mission to increase their loyalty as well as increasing their chances of a romance for some characters.

    So overall this game gives a lot more than it's their previous entry which results in a lot more longer gameplay. (Mass effect 1 clocks around 19-20 hours of 80% gameplay completed and mass effect 2 clocks in about 28-30 hours of 90% completed plus 10 more hours of dlc completed at 100%). Although it does remove RPG elements from the first game and looting and limited the amount of weapons and armor plus the mako removed from the game. I think the game is still worth looking at if you liked the first game. This game has many planets to explore as well as an interesting storyline.

    So to sum it up... Get the game. You won't regret it.    … Expand
  94. VmsCritic
    Apr 13, 2020
    10
    After 10 years, I've played this game in April 2020. I can say without a doubt that this is definitively the best RPG I've ever played. With one of the most engaging interstellar histories I've ever seen. The protagonist, the team, the missions, the DLCs, this game is just so fluid, with an astonishing soundtrack and action moments, this is an epic interstellar action history that you needAfter 10 years, I've played this game in April 2020. I can say without a doubt that this is definitively the best RPG I've ever played. With one of the most engaging interstellar histories I've ever seen. The protagonist, the team, the missions, the DLCs, this game is just so fluid, with an astonishing soundtrack and action moments, this is an epic interstellar action history that you need to dive into. This game is definitevely a masterpiece 10/10, and has became one of my favorite games ever played.… Expand
  95. Paciorr
    Jan 9, 2021
    10
    Probably the best game Bioware produced if judged without the DLC content. If that doesn't make you wanna play it idk what will.
  96. MenaBanana
    Jun 30, 2015
    10
    One of the best video games there is out there. A true turning point for bioware in understanding the importance of creating interesting characters for their players. The attachment to these characters will stick with you long after you have played this game.
  97. kyle20ellis
    Mar 10, 2022
    10
    Mass Effect has become one of the most iconic franchises in the growing field of gaming, and it's easy to see why: it feels like a franchise that's always been there and it has a self-constructed history that we buy, just like the worlds of Star Wars, Star Trek and Doctor Who. However, Mass Effect 2 is debate-ably more ambitious than those franchises combined. And dare I say it: MassMass Effect has become one of the most iconic franchises in the growing field of gaming, and it's easy to see why: it feels like a franchise that's always been there and it has a self-constructed history that we buy, just like the worlds of Star Wars, Star Trek and Doctor Who. However, Mass Effect 2 is debate-ably more ambitious than those franchises combined. And dare I say it: Mass Effect leaves the Halo franchise for dead (but that's just my opinion).

    This game is one of the most phenomenal experiences I've ever seen play out before my eyes, and I'm happily replaying it now. The whole series is immersive, deep in character development and freedom of player-choice: I can't fault this game if I tried. It's gorgeous, fun, exciting, and it's got an engrossing story that can take you on so many side-quests that are necessary to your choices as the player.

    The characters are three-dimensional, graphically and figuratively speaking, and they don't bore you; they compliment the world of Mass Effect even more with their presence. No character is a carbon copy of the other; they're all their own persons, something that a lot of developers wish they could say; but most cannot.

    Mass Effect 2 is a masterpiece of the video game medium and I think it's even suitable for non-gamers who want to try something new in the world of sci-fi.    … Expand
  98. shatarah
    Dec 2, 2020
    9
    greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  99. SaturnFX
    Apr 19, 2017
    10
    many years later, just wanting to add this is the game that other games measure by. 10/10 is a bit extreme, but by hindsight comparison, this game had it all and it was at Biowares best with all the talent, the creativity, and the love for games.
    May they one day reclaim some of this past glory.
  100. RainbowDenix
    Jun 6, 2017
    10
    Звёздные Войны от мира игр:часть вторая.

    Игра продолжает рассказывать историю начатую в прошлой части и если говорить без спойлеров,а просто,то она делает это великолепно 9,7/10.Графику чуть улучшили смотрится играбельно 7,6/10.Геймплей и боёвка стали намного лучше и стрелять приятней,и спелы выглядят более привлекательнее 9/10.Сайд квесты стали намного лучше чем в 1 части    Звёздные Войны от мира игр:часть вторая.

    Игра продолжает рассказывать историю начатую в прошлой части и если говорить без спойлеров,а просто,то она делает это великолепно 9,7/10.Графику чуть улучшили смотрится играбельно 7,6/10.Геймплей и боёвка стали намного лучше и стрелять приятней,и спелы выглядят более привлекательнее 9/10.Сайд квесты стали намного лучше чем в 1 части 9,6/10.Музыка,звуки,атмосфера всё на месте(хотя в 1 части атмосфера была чуть лучше)10/10.Диалоги,даже не знаю что сказать кроме того что они стали ещё лучше чем в первой части.Система диалогов,её тоже подправили и теперь Шепард говорит практически в точности то,что ты хочешь(хотя иногда случаются проёбы).Ну вот вроде и конец,в итоге могу сказать вот что 9,7/10/

    P.S.Я кстати ни ебу кто придумал называть ME ЗВ,наверно потому что они оба про космос,ну или потому что они оба шедевральны!    … 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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