Mass Effect 2 PC
User Score
8.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1889 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,682 out of 1889
  2. Mixed: 84 out of 1889
  3. Negative: 123 out of 1889

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  1. PStakhiv
    May 16, 2013
    10
    To my mind the best game of my generation! Gun shooting improved, nice variety of missions(no boring quests at all), voice acting the same top class, more memorable characters that I've seen in the video game so far! And continuing with your save from predecessor another genius decision from Bioware! And of course 30+ hours of super engaging main plot & lot of appealing side missions makes it a full package!… Expand
  2. Xarran
    May 11, 2013
    10
    What can i say about this game? It is still the best game I ever played. The combat mechanics are much improved from Mass Effect 1 and feels much more fluid.The story is is great, it keept me intrested the whole time. All characters are intresting each in their own way(especially Mordin & Legion). The game is full of decisions wich have consequences that ripple thru the story and also effects in Mass Effect 3. Only gripes i have with the game is that the planet scanning minigame becomes a bit tedious. It takes too long to scan the planets and get the ressources you need. Also the rpg elements have been reduced quite significantly and there is not enough of Liara T'Soni! So are you gonna be the Paragon Shepard who is nice to everyone or are you gonna be Renegade Shepard who punches people in the face? The choice is yours! I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite game on the citadel!… Expand
  3. Herbis
    May 9, 2013
    5
    One word to describe this game would be: betrayal.
    In order to round up a greater audience for the game, they made the game as similar to any other game out there, mainly Halo.
    RPG elements-removed, no-ammo-removed, planet exploration removed.
    Mass Effect 1 wasn't a pure open world game, but hey, compared to Mass Effect 2 you could call it just as open as GTAs. I mean Mass Effect 2 is     so linear, so that a monkey with a controller could complete this game on easy (you'd have to teach him to shoot and collect ammo if you'd want him to beat harder difficulties).
    Don't get me wrong, the story is great and all, but the gameplay is awful at this point. The second time I played it I used mods to make it feel more like the first game.
    Another annoyingly stupid thing is the DLCs. There are too many of them. Ok, maybe that's not the biggest problem point. They are to expensive for what they are. You wont get more than 2 hours of gameplay with each of them, but they sure cost like if they were at least 10 hours of gameplay. And the fact that the characters got released one by one after release, you had to replay the game over and over again, if you wanted to have the full experience with each of them. It's just frustrating, if you want to know every little bit of the story, which is the best part of the game.
    Essentially, this game was a big disappointment for me, and didn't feel like a Mass Effect game, at least gameplay wise. The removal of all the best stuff from Mass Effect 1, was the worst part for me, that really hurt the franchise in my eyes.    … Expand
  4. mckw
    Apr 26, 2013
    10
    I had friends recommending me this series for quite a long time and I never saw what the big deal was about. One day I bought it cause it was on sale and the next thing I know I was sucked in to this universe, in love and like an addict that just wanted more doses of it. I have never played such an engaging and game so rich in depth. The gameplay is not the best, but it's the universe and characters that really reel you in. A well deserved 10/10. A MUST OWN… Expand
  5. 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 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
  6. MatiMata
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    I've just finished it for the second time, after restarting my character, making a new different shepard. the second time was even better than the first one, it took me long hours, I think between 20-30 to finish it, with lots of side quests.
    This game is amazing for how it makes you get sucked into the characters, the plot, the reactions, the environment, you actually feel they are alive    , they exist somewhere else, that's the amazing sense you get along the game, and after you finish it.

    I always recommend starting with the first Mass effect, which is a bit uncomfortable by game-play meanings, but is also amazing, by plot and characters.
    Even though some elements were removed like, inventory etc... it won't affect the game in general, hell I didn't even notice that it didn't have those options, until the end. and I didn't care.

    This game gives you the spice and makes you want another one, like this isn't finished yet, and bioware already provided ME3. what else can you ask for?    … Expand
  7. Stugorna
    Mar 18, 2013
    9
    The game contains more than 10 playable characters and all of them have fully fleshed-out background stories that make you genuinely care about all of them. The dialogue is always well written and the fact that you decide the outcome of the conversations yourself make you feel really engaged. Also, the facial expressions of the characters are amazing and make them look like they are expressing real feelings, more than in any other game I have played.
    You often learn more about the back stories of the playable characters by helping them out in side missions. These missions also make the game becoming more non-linear so that you, most of the time, can decide yourself what to do the next.

    The environments and the music manage to capture the essence of a dark science fiction world and make you feel really absorbed in the game.
    Developing your characters and receiving new powers is satisfying. The powers are fun to use and makes for a dynamic combat. However, despite having a disposal of different kind of powers the combat gets slightly repetitive in the long run.
    Aside from the somewhat repetitive combat there isn't anything to complain about and overall Mass effect 2 is an amazing game.    … Expand
  8. 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. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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 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
  11. Jaz
    Feb 24, 2013
    9
    The successor of ME1 improved graphics but removed RPG components from the previous version. Also no world exploration and areas feel more dungeon like than open worlds. Still, its strong point -the story- is still strong -if stronger- and that is the important part.
  12. Epic_Cutscene
    Feb 15, 2013
    8
    Overall I have to rate this game an 8 out of 10 this game excels in story. I love the way you control you're actions that is one of the things that separates this game from most RPG's, however this games is lacking the control of the abilities your character should have. You should be able to pick better skills from the skill tree, but their is no reason to hate this game it has almost all of the key elements a game should have.… Expand
  13. Setsudo
    Feb 7, 2013
    10
    Saga continues with the second opus. Just a new hit from Bioware. Graphisms are totally correct, the gameplay is faster than the first opus.

    The story is more around the caracters this time. I didn't like the planet's system but that's really not a big deal. Buy without hesitation if you like SF products of course
  14. alex82101
    Feb 4, 2013
    9
    Mass Effect 2 is amazing game from the start. The beginning tells us that this game is going to be epic and massive. The graphics are gorgeous even though the facial expressions can be bit clumsy sometimes. None of this really matters because the part where the game really shines is exploration. You can explore every planet and learn about its history and its properties. The cities are gorgeous. You can see that the developers put a lot of effort in the cities and they look really beautiful. Sadly the game faces a small problem. The combat can be very clumsy sometimes. It is not very dynamic, instead it reminds me of trenches combat in World War I. Enemies almost never rush you and as long as you stay in cover you won't die. Your movement is limited also which can make you frustrated sometimes. Overall this game is brilliant in what it tries to do. If you are fan of sci-fi games and like exploring this game is for you. Look no further.… Expand
  15. notsolittlejon
    Jan 31, 2013
    9
    A better-than-average sequel. Many of the gameplay elements have evolved from the first game--for better and for worse. Many of the RPG elements were stripped out, leaving the overall RPG-ness feel less fulfilling than the original Mass Effect. The gameplay and action sequences, however, were much more enjoyable. Surprisingly, the addition of the thermal clips greatly affected this. The continuity of the storyline and decisions from the last game was quite refreshing, and at the end of the game it really left me craving for the next installment.… Expand
  16. LeyendaV
    Jan 28, 2013
    9
    El juego es mas un título de Acción que un RPG, algo que no me agradó mucho. Sin embargo, los errores del primero se corrigen en esta secuela directa, que te permite usar el save del juego original para que la narrativa sea exacta, con una historia absolutamente maravillosa de trasfondo.
  17. 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 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
  18. Pedlahwol
    Jan 19, 2013
    9
    I recently bought the Mass Effect trilogy, played through the first game, loved it, and came into the second one with very high hopes. While it lived up to many of my standards, I see why some do complain it doesn't live up to the original. Mass Effect 1 was more focused on RPG elements and choice based plot, with less focus on shooting sequences. Mass Effect 2 changes that. Since ME2 was a very anticipated release, I think Bioware tried to make it a more crowd pleasing game. ME2 thrives in it's combat elements, graphics, and plot, but lags in being an RPG. Leveling up was toned down, along with various other elements. Other than that though, I feel Mass Effect 2 is a great game, with good gameplay as well as a plot and characters that makes you care for others on your pixelated screen of choice.… Expand
  19. hellgate007
    Jan 18, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fist play through on the 360 later I got this for this PC on budget buy OMG no gamepad support again for the sequel, really!? The combat is much more fluid almost fun but taking away the buggy rides and keeping in the chatting up your crew to get laid is so inane and pointless.… Expand
  20. HomeCritic
    Jan 10, 2013
    3
    Mass Effect 2 has the worst continuation of story in any sci-fi. It destroyed the lore of Mass Effect 1, made main antagonists into brain dead morons, and it actually serves no point, because we didn't learn anything really important in it, for example, how to stop the reapers or how to unite a galaxy against this threat and so on and fourth. The beginning just happened and later on no further themes of this "revival" weren't addressed nor the whole process explained. Shepard died and got resurrected, just to serve the plot, it adds no meaning nor change to main characters character, Shepard seems to be just a static brick. Overall, the storyline was not good, at all.
    Other problems contains game mechanics and oversimplification of RPG elements and lore breaking transition from unique concept of weapon mechanics to general ammo clips. Exploration is also dumped down to boring planet search minigame. Customization was improved on some parts, but overall it was also majorly oversimplified and generalized. They really tried to push this game to general audience, which they shouldn't have been doing in the first place.
    ME2 marks the beginning of the complete wreckage for the whole franchise, ME3 being the second mark on that path. This game shows how lack of attention to the detail and story can destroy the potential of interesting and engaging lore.    … Expand
  21. 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.
  22. DoesntMatter
    Dec 24, 2012
    4
    What I expected: More from what I got in the first game. What I got: A dumbed down, consolized game with bad game mechanics and a terrible UI. Good things first. The presentation (graphics, animations, voice over) works great, pretty much like in the first game, and the story is nice. Unfortunately, that's where the good things end. The decision that guns now require ammo is something I can accept and would even prefer. But why does my boss spend billions on a star ship with an advanced armory, yet doesn't have enough cash to buy me some ammo? That way, I have to rely on the ammo I find from dead enemies, which don't always drop the ammo I need. Great, but that's one of the minor flaws of this game: Before I started playing, I had to fix several bugs with the mouse speed and colorization of the game. Many players are complaining about this on forums, but Bioware never bothered to patch these things themselves. Then, I can hardly enjoy anything in this game, because the user interface is so *** **** bad. You can't double click in menus, always need to "click item", then "click ok button". It's not even possible to confirm with ENTER, you have to click the button. Every time. Same goes for the star map. On top of that, there are no shortcut keys to get to the important menus, you have to hit ESC and then click the menu you want to bring up. You can navigate there with the arrow keys, but for some reason unknown to anyone in this galaxy, the controls are reversed. Left goes right, down goes up. Doing simple things takes forever, because the interface is just such a damn mess. Also, every time you pick something up, a message about the item will pop up and fill about half of your screen. They got most of this right in the first game, then changed it to this to "improve" the game for gaming consoles and didn't bother to change it for the PC version - but not only is it bad for PC players, it's also an insult to console gamers. They must really think you're stupid when they dumb down a game like that. Then again, maybe many console gamers are.… Expand
  23. 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 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
  24. 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 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
  25. idohaker
    Dec 12, 2012
    10
    i dont belive that the best game in the frenchise i got in free i buy dragon age 2 so because of that i get the game in free i am a huge fan of the mass effect frenchise my first game of the frenchise was mass effect 2 that i got on free from that point on i became a huge fan the great story the gameplay side quest and the women mass effect 2 is the best in the frenchise for now until mass effect 4 will come out and then i will test again what is the best in the frenchise… Expand
  26. Voorhees
    Dec 3, 2012
    10
    I loved the first game. This second game is the first with everything improved.In my first gameplay I played 7h without stopping. Nice characters,story,everything! It's perfect!
  27. balente
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    this game is awesome... just the launch trailer gives me chills and the game itself makes me cry... seriously... im really looking forward to see Mass Effect 3 someday...
  28. Undersky
    Nov 22, 2012
    9
    If you like RPGs this game is a must. Very nice story line combined with charismatic characters and a decent combat system mixing the engaging FPS style with the tactical RPG elements. The scenarios are small and linear but the game itself is so epic that I can't see myself giving it anything but a 9.

    WARNING: Half or more of the game are dialogues and cut scenes, you can skip everythin    g if you want of course but the very essence of the game you won't experience if you do. ME2 isn't Counter Strike, RPG comes first, FPS second. Keep it in mind.… Expand
  29. OneVoice
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    This is probably my favorite game of all time (fighting for the top spot with Deus Ex). The world's are fascinating, wandering around them is like exploring a real life community. ME1 was also a phenomenal game (also in my top three or four games of all time), but this one improves upon it's graphics and continues the same amazing quality of writing and character development. It's really a must play. The only problem is I really want to play a game I enjoyed as much as this one again, but just can't find one (ME3 just didn't cut it).… Expand
  30. oliver1h
    Nov 16, 2012
    10
    In my opinion this is the best installment of the series. We are introduced to some of the best character in the series ■Grunt ■Jack ■Jacob Taylor ■Kasumi Goto
    ■Legion ■Miranda Lawson ■Mordin Solus ■Samara or Morinth ■Tali'Zorah vas Neema / Normandy
    ■Thane Krios ■Zaeed Massani
    And the old friends also returned. I loved th    e dark and grim atmosphere of the game. The collectors were very interesting villains. The pace of the game and the story were perfect. The graphics were improved. For the first time the player could explore the galaxy, which was a great addition. Weapon and armor customization was introduced. Player decisions really changed the outcome of the ending. I can only recommend the game. Don't forget to import your save files from ME1!… Expand
  31. birdman3
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I have not played Mass Effect 1- but I still found this game to be amazing. The characters, the story, the gameplay - it is pure fun. The cover-based squad combat works great. The downsides to this game are that you have very limited options when it comes to choosing weapons- there is often one clear weapon to choose over another when picking a shotgun, pistol, SMG, etc. Also, the game seems to get into the end-game very quickly- just when you think you're just coming together as a team, you hit the last level. Finally, it seems that choosing different squadmates has a very small impact on gameplay- it makes little difference who I choose to bring with me. They all do about the same amount of damage- the only thing that changes are your abilities, which means that teammates with the more useful abilities should ALWAYS be chosen over those that don't have useful abilities. Other than this, everything about the game (except for the mining mini-game. Don't get me started on that) is phenomenal- there is a universe here that is meant to be explored, and boy is it fun.… Expand
  32. FineSpirit
    Nov 4, 2012
    8
    If you love the sci-fi genre you will be satisfied. Immersive, good dialogues, good character developement; good cinematics. The whole experience has been truly enthralling. Worth every dime.
  33. Orctownorc
    Oct 4, 2012
    6
    Mass Effect 2 is stunning space opera and a stunningly mediocre game. It boasts some of the best NPCs and voice acting ever seen in gaming. Then it sticks the 'actors' in the most constricted spaces imaginable, playing about the most asinine 'campaign' ever made. You have beautifully conceived characters like Jack, trapped on a tiny space ship where nothing happens, playing a minigame to 'travel the galaxy' which means running around to encounters on tiny little maps that are supposed to represent 'planets. The parts of the game that are good are really great, but the total experience is good cinema in a BAD game. If they keep the cionema and get around to building proper cities and planets one day this franchise might become AWESOME. Cross your fingers and PRAY.… Expand
  34. 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     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
  35. grazr
    Sep 13, 2012
    5
    The game is good and a must play for ME fans, but the move from non-ammo count firearms to ammo seems almost nonsensical as it completely changes how one sees the unique futuristic weapons. Scrounging for ammo is one of the least enjoyable aspects of shooters. Game was kinda ruined by the constant purposeful delaying of the final mission and the environment (galaxy) seemed so much more claustrophobic for some reason. Due to the above issues the game feels more of a grind than the first.… Expand
  36. chronoT
    Sep 2, 2012
    10
    One of my all-time favorite PC Games ever. This is truly an epic video game with a wonderful story and beautiful graphics. There really aren't many games I enjoy replaying like this one. I have played through the game 3 times and each play through was literally as fun as the last. It really makes me sad because this is the one game I kind of wish would go on forever.
  37. themrchook
    Sep 2, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect 2 is a sequel that has been stripped of everything that made the first game enjoyable for me. Reduced to a simple, linear cover based third person shooter with token rpg elements and mini games. The story is the only thing that holds this game up, but it is still a tattered, sorry flag.
  38. Rayken
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Let's start with the good points of the game. The combat has been vastly improved and is now way better. The characters are great, they're all unique and have a good backstory to them. The story is... ok for the most part, a bit stupid and nonsensical here and there but it's nothing big. Now for the bad: exploration is completely gone. Instead of improving it like they did with the combat they just removed it completely. The replacement for it, the mining game, is not any better. The galaxy seems smaller now but the multitude of hub worlds sort of fills in the gap left by it. They also removed the inventory system (which was very bad in ME1) and replaced it with an upgrade system. It's good but it still would've been better to have an inventory. Conclusion: Small problems here and there but the good parts outweigh them. 9/10… Expand
  39. cgriff63
    Aug 15, 2012
    10
    Hands down one of the greatest games I've ever played. The story is incredible, and the gameplay is near perfect, and the worlds themselves are beautiful. But the best thing about this about this game would have to be the characters. Each character in your squad gets a unique and thrilling two missions devoted to them that help flesh them out as characters along with a ton of dialogue that helps establish their backstory. Of all of the characters I had on my team, I didn't find a single one to be generic, or uninteresting. I recommend this game to anyone who is into or even has an appreciation for space related science fiction (i.e. star wars, star trek.)… Expand
  40. Jouna92
    Jul 31, 2012
    8
    A true Sci-Fi game. With amazing visuals, music, writng, voice acting, and gameplay, a diverse cast of characters, a dark and mysterious plot. You can feel actual pressure for your decisions. Option of importing a character from ME1 is amazing.
  41. SAMURI_A
    Jul 27, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 2 should be the game that sets the bar for all other games, from its amazing combat system to its interesting paragon/renegade effects i couldn't bring myself to stop playing it. Perhaps one of the greatest features of this game is that every shepard is different, not just aesthetically but in the advancements, weapons and classes. I spent close to 36 hours playing this game with all the DLC and enjoyed every second of building up a squad and slowly playing through their loyalty missions in order to leave no one behind at the final mission. My only criticism is that it is it is less open world then it should be as after all you are given a galaxy to explore and yet can only walk around on a small number of them and 3/4 have no purpose other than mineral gathering. But overall the style of this game has one me over 9/10.… Expand
  42. kane148
    Jul 24, 2012
    9
    This was the first Mass Effect game that I played, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like most Bioware RPGs, it featured above-average writing and character development. Throughout the game I felt invested in the story and the characters, who I grew to care about and (eventually) mourn their deaths. The gameplay in general was fun and the environments were interesting. My main complaint is that there is little you can do to customize your characters: your main character can wear different armor pieces which are slightly different, and along the way you collect weapon upgrades which are automatic. The only real customization is in your talent points, but there are few of these and they do not generally affect gameplay as much as you might expect. I ended up taking these limitations with a grain of salt and just enjoyed blasting things instead, but I could see this being a significant setback for some players.… Expand
  43. Ghoster
    Jul 23, 2012
    10
    No much to say here! They fixed all bad things which was annoying in 1st part continuing awesome story and characters. Map system and fighting is also improved which made this game almost perfect. Play 1st part because of story line and this part for fun!
  44. TheFlaminboy
    Jul 21, 2012
    10
    This game's suicide mission is one of the best game sequences which combine gameplay, action and atmosphere (The music/soundtrack!!) that I've ever encountered. Overall, this game is truly epic and worth it's 10 out of 10, I still play it regularly. Unfortunately, there are a few too many characters in this game, making squad selection less strategic than in Mass Effect 1. But still, each character's individual personality and their loyalty missions more than make up for that.… Expand
  45. zareh_m
    Jul 6, 2012
    10
    The continuation of amazing Mass Effect 1. The scenario and variety of options are still great. The graphics have been hugely improved. All the characters and the world is really beautiful. Besides, you can still choose how to end the game, whether die or to end like a hero and save the world. You can choose whether to be cruel boss or a great leader, whether to be friendly of flirty... This is the best RPG I have ever played. 100% recommend to buy it !!!… Expand
  46. Zonerider
    Jun 29, 2012
    3
    3 points for graphic and storyline. The game is a nice action adventure, but not a RPG. Wolfenstein from 2008 is more a RPG than Mass Effect. With 3 team members your avatar wipe out all life in the galaxy in 2 long weekends, than you have get the maximum player level and when you have all the upgrades, perks, abilitys and items the games ends abruptly, you can drop your lovely leveled avatar in the trash and start a new game. For me the game is only a stand alone graphic patch for Star Wars KOTOR. Extreme potential wasted!… Expand
  47. Amig
    Jun 19, 2012
    5
    This game is like high budget action movie. Exciting and visually orgasmic, but only the first time around. After that, you see past the special effects, notice it's flaws and decide it wasn't that great after all. The worst part is that ME2 looks exactly the same on every playthrough. Freedom of choice or non-linearity? Forget it! The only choices you can make are whether you want Shep to be a jerkass or a slightly nicer jerkass when talking to people. Even paragon Shepard isn't really someone you'd want to meet. The only thing I really liked about ME2 were the squad members - while they aren't exactly nice people, they're all well written and generally likeable. Overall, ME2 is a dumbed down ME1 (which was hardly a complex cRPG) stripped of it's non linearity and fitted with better graphics and a more Gears of War style combat system. Good for one go, but no more.… Expand
  48. Zoso
    Jun 15, 2012
    10
    I'll start by stating that I'm anything but a Sci-Fi fan, so I guess what I have to say might carry a bit more weight than if I was.

    I must say I dind't enjoy any game like I enjoyed Dragon Age:Origins for a long time, and yet, given the choice to play DA:O (which is more in line with the games is enjoy the most) or ME2, I'd have to think for a while and then probably choose Mass Effec    t 2.

    I loved it so much I even started looking for a tactical first person shooter (which not my kind of game, really), which eventually lead to the discovery of Battelfield 3.

    Overall, though not in my usual vein of games, probably the most satisfying game I ever played.    … Expand
  49. grandpajoe6191
    Jun 9, 2012
    9
    To be simple, "Mass Effect 2" is a astounding game that fixes the problems "Mass Effect" had and even surpasses them with superiority. The gameplay is more of the same thing like "ME" but it's still awfully fun. Graphics and the player screen has drastically improved as well as the money system. Yes, in "ME2" weapons and armor aren't overpriced as they were in "ME". Overall a powerful space opera SF role playing game, a game you WILL play.… Expand
  50. jim109109
    May 31, 2012
    8
    The acting is almost movie worthy. It's incredible. The story is great, so is the amount of content. The graphics are gorgeous, the maps and design is great. There is only one problem for me - the gameplay, which isn't captivating enough to make me particularly enjoy it. Basically, the gameplay is always the same from start to end and changes little in the entire experience. You duck behind objects and shoot enemies. I find this game to be overhyped for this reason, along with the fact that ME1 did everything this did. The game deserves a solid 8, overall.… Expand
  51. OhTheDerp
    May 29, 2012
    6
    The least fun in the trilogy. ME2 took almost everything that I loved in ME1 away, but at least they made the controls tighter and much better. It's definitely worth playing, and I've but ~50 hours into it total in two playthroughs, but compared to the first game it just doesn't quite cut it. Even ME3 is better.
  52. Aegrus
    May 22, 2012
    10
    I really love this game. It seems that people who think ME 1 was better are suffering from nostalgia, because I played both in order within a week of eachother, and ME II is by far superior. P.S, I'm a Talimancer. Tali FTW!
  53. Zerk
    May 21, 2012
    10
    ME2 is a brilliant game. The graphic, the atmosphere and the characters catch you deep in a story about all or nothing. Sometimes the storytelling is a bit slow, but this is just my opinion. I love this game and play it many times - One of the games I would tell 'Game of the Year'.
  54. 410MaXiMuS
    May 14, 2012
    10
    The start of the BEST story-driven trilogy in gaming history. It literally rivals Star Wars in terms of history / content. You'd be a fool not to play this game.
  55. LewisMweiR
    Apr 23, 2012
    10
    Amazing,beatiful,compelling story from the master Drew Karpyshyn a genius writer that give us one of the greatest scifi histories ever,if you love RPG,action and a good story fulll of amazing characters mass effect 2 is for you
  56. tazzon22
    Apr 9, 2012
    10
    Great game albet inventory and mods dummed down from the original, not the butchery that DA2 is, totally abandoning the standard of the original game.
  57. bosnian
    Apr 6, 2012
    5
    After completing ME1 and enjoying it quite a bit, the expectations were very high for the sequel. First game laid some great foundations on which the sequel could build on while at the same time the few annoyances from the first game could be improved on or removed, thus making this game a true masterpiece. After watching every publication give this game 9+/10, and in general higher marks then the first game, excitement was high. Well, it took me over a year since purchasing the game to complete it, and not because it was particularly difficult, but rather that I would have to take some serious time away from the game every time I was dissapointed, and there were quite a few of those moments throughout.
    First, the good.
    Cut sequences are longer and better than in the first game. Music, the atmosphere during these scenes are on par with any major movie production and it can be quite breathtaking.
    No more vehicle levels. The biggest annoyance with the first game was the grind that one had to endure while driving the vehicle around for 10-15 min at a time (but it felt like hours).
    There is certain epic feel to the game, that you are a part of a grand story. Writing/action/feel of the main story line is very good.

    However, negatives are many.
    It seems that Bioware took the first game and decided to dumb it down in every aspect. Character build went from 10-18 unique stats to 4-8, depending on the class. Weapons have no stats. Weapons can't be moded (other than generic "all rifles deal +10% damage"). Game truly does feel like a less polished Gears of War with few dialogue options and illusion of choice.
    Main game itself is very short. Maybe 3 hours total? The rest is spent assembling the team (and waiting for the timed event to allow you to finish it) and doing very short and straight forward side quests... and mining. Mining replace Maco levels from the first game and its fun for about 12 seconds. You need to mine to upgrade weapons/armors/gear/ship, thus you need to keep doing this. And it ain't fun at all.
    Finally, the illusion of choice. Your actions from the first game don't matter. Your romanced Liara or Ashley, yeah you get 4 seconds of different interaction and that is about it - you still get to do everything exactly the same. Wrex lived in the first game? Little different dialogue, but still the same game with 100% of the options available. Also, while ME1 may have been somewhat revolutionary in a concept of an adult romance story, in ME2 you are on a ship with bunch of single humans and aliens that at the same point in time will let you make a move on them and every love story is exactly the same arc with cut scenes that are little different (with the exception of the Asaris).
    Finally, the final level, while intense and fast moving, ends with a boss fight that gets introduced to the story in the last 3 minutes of the game. It seems that they felt the game needed something massive at the end and so they created this lame and relatively easy fight against something big.
    Overall, not a bad game. It just is not an RPG, let alone a great RPG. Its a dumbed down ME1 with the same epic feel and few brilliant moments, but less of everything that made ME1 so good.    … Expand
  58. Bossk-Office
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    I am a big fan of Mass Effect who loved the first game, and this one is even better. Hopping around the galaxy, walking through the Citadel, and talking to your squad on the Normandy is as cozy as it always were: you snuggle up with blankets, listen to the same lovely music as in Mass Effect 1, and just let yourself be enveloped by the game and by the world. There is no more driving the infamous Mako, a major drag in Mass Effect 1.

    Combat is as much fun as in Mass Effect 1 â    … Expand
  59. Kashim
    Mar 28, 2012
    10
    I personally love it. I started the game with crying as is see what´s happend with my Normandy. So its the perfect continues story and the gameplay is bether than before. but you have to patch it because ther were many buggs.
  60. gerthanis
    Mar 27, 2012
    10
    I LOVE THIS GAME. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. sorry, i know this is not how you start a review but i've never played a game that got me so engaged i actually cried for joy at some points. love the 'angel' & 'devil' choices as well!
  61. Nauglamir
    Mar 26, 2012
    8
    First off, people should not rate Mass Effect as an Rpg, as this is not the case. Mass Effect 2 presents a solid narration, framed by a deep and compelling sci-fi universe, further enriched by an epic Vangelis-like soundtrack. Most important, the game is not as dull as it has been portrayed. The information you are given throughout the game about the lore and the various civilizations are just accurate and interesting; the dialogues, though not within Bioware standards, are well-presented, even though they do lack a more precise choice system, sometimes making the player look awkward.
    On the other hand, the plot is consistent and at times rises to the greatness of the true legend, even though there's a couple of side quests (companions related ones) are definitely below-par.
    Technically speaking, the graphics have been enhanced if compared to the first episode, while the game engine runs flawlessly without any noticeable frame-rate drops. The weapons you are equipped with play just fine and, along with the biotic powers, give the player some really exciting combat sequences (provided you play at least on hardcore more). The overall experience will not be forgotten, as this game will stay with you for quite a long time.    … Expand
  62. Jobles
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    I quite enjoyed this game. It improved on ME1s combat and it was a great story as well. The customization of the weapons saddened me. Too few weapons, no way to improve via modifications. Also, I disliked the running. You couldn't run any other direction but straight, and you couldn't even run for too long. But none of this affected my score too much, if I could give a 9.5, I would. And despite these minor faults, the game was still an absolute blast to play.… Expand
  63. ultraviper
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    Took away 2 points because it's hard to transition from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2. A lot of the customization has been stripped away, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (no more having to sell/gel items every 5 minutes because of the item limit) but some players enjoy the incremental upgrades in games. The other thing is the sudden change in controls. What used to be run is now pause. What used to be pause is now run. What used to be interact is now order squad mate, and the new run key is also the new interact key. So if you're coming straight from ME1 be prepared to get frustrated while you get used to the new controls. Besides those 2 things the game is great and a huge improvement over (the already great) mass effect 1. And the way it carries over decisions made in the previous game adds a whole new layer of immersion and replayability.… Expand
  64. Stylus
    Mar 19, 2012
    4
    Mass Effect was never a clever game but in this sequel it takes a turn for the dumber. RPG mechanics are stripped out but not properly replaced with good TPS mechanics, there was no sense of urgency (which is unforgivable in such a linear game) and the main story was underdeveloped (to be specific it felt like the writers wanted it to be like a movie heist such as Ocean's Eleven but there was never any pay-off after assembling the team and nobody had a coherent plan). . As I mentioned before the shooting mechanics aren't particularly good; comparing this game to Gears of War would be an insult to the folks at Gearbox. There are little things like being forced to slap the spacebar all the time and bigger things like the lack of interesting enemies that force you to change your play style. The only redeeming aspects of the game were the little call backs to your saves in the original game and the side characters and squad mates who provided all the game's interest. Unfortunately the small joys provided by the characters aren't enough to offset the fact that most of the time you will be playing an uninspired shooter. Two stars.… Expand
  65. e_x_p
    Mar 18, 2012
    8
    Game of a generation. My kids will enjoy this 10, 15 years down the line (if there is still Earth to play this on)
    This is a fine-made RPG/FPS game and great sequel to the already successful Mass Effect game. Two points were taken off for these reasons: 1) Looting system is gone. This is not cool (especially when they decided not to bring it in ME3); 2) DLCs involve story-critical missions    . I had to go back and get all the DLCs before I start ME3. These years this has been a game publishing trend - (FFXIII-2 I'm talking about you) using DLC as a lure out of hard-working (or playing) gamers' pockets. We'd pay if it's an excellent (or is a fanboy of) game, but not through these little DLC packages. There should totally have been a GOTY edition made to include all DLCs so I didn't have to collect them one by one painfully through the Cerberus Network. I am saddened today to learn that the Mass Effect series ended up like every other (pinnacle at 2, tragedy at 3): Uncharted, Gears of War, God of War etc...… Expand
  66. Matseb2611
    Mar 18, 2012
    10
    Simply mindblowing! Mass Effect 2 is much darker than the first one in its atmosphere and more of a cyberpunk. It gives off the same vibe as the Deus Ex series. I'd even go as far and to say that perhaps it is even more immersive and engrossing than ME1.
    I loved the first Mass Effect and I wondered how the second could possibly top it. Well, it has managed to improve on a lot of aspects fr    om the first one, even though it did dumb down a little bit on the RPG element. Now you no longer have a huge inventory full of weapons and their upgrades. In some ways this is good, because you no longer need to spend time cleaning your inventory off the useless stuff, but on the other hand the game lost out on a lot of customization aspects. Mass Effect 2 is a lot more of a squad oriented shooter than the first one was. It improved a lot on the shooter aspect of the gameplay, like making the cover system better, the weapons are more fun to use, and generally the gameplay feels fresher and more polished. Just as with the first game, Mass Effect 2 is incredibly immersive. Not only do you get to travel all over the galaxy again and completing quests, but this time you have 10 team members (plus 2 more with DLCs) instead of 6. Although it might seem a lot, but each and every one of those characters is captivating and has been developed superbly. Although the main plot is not as much the focus of the game as it was in ME1, the game does not lose out here, because the story is more character-driven. You get to recruit each and every team member separately, and additionally you can also do a loyalty mission for each of them, which helps to uncover more of their background and you get to really know what makes each of them tick. On the romance front you have a lot more choice than in the first game too. The galaxy exploration aspect has improved as well. Now you get to actually scan each planet manually and harvest resources from it, which you then need to use on upgrades to your weapons, armor, and ship. I also want to mention that I was incredibly impressed with the final mission. "Epic" is simply not good enough of a word to describe that finale. The whole team is involved in that mission, and this is something I felt that the first game missed out upon. I am glad ME2 had the finale that it deserved. The mission was so intense that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Your decisions in that mission could have huge effects on whether your teammates would survive or not. It is one of the most dramatic and most memorable moments of video gaming for me. And so to conclude, I'd say that Mass Effect 2 is almost perfect of a game. Sure, it might've lost some of the RPG feel that the first game had, but it's amazing in its own right. It did not remove the good stuff. It simply replaced it with something different. The only thing I can nitpick on is that the same button is used for taking cover, running, and interacting with stuff, so at times you might for example want to run, but Shepard will start talking to a nearby person instead, or you might accidentally take cover on the wrong side of the object in the middle of a gunfight. But that is a very minor nitpick and does not detract from the mindblowingly divine experience this game will provide you with. It's only been a day since I completed it and I am already longing to replay the game, so I started a new playthrough. That is how addictive it is.… Expand
  67. Elenoe
    Mar 17, 2012
    9
    This game is simply "Michal Bay" style production. You could call the game... limited. I do. But I still can appreciate that the way story is told is really amazing. And I mean REALLY. It is worth playing just for seeing it, feeling the loud sound while watching incredible camera doing. Even when I prefer game to be "a game", ME2 still has it's place. And I would recommend it for anyone who hesitated playing this because "it is bad game" comments but still can feel something special watching trailers like Skyrim's or DXHR's over and over :) You will love ME2 in the same way :)… Expand
  68. Flash_Over
    Mar 15, 2012
    8
    This game was actually very good. I am personally not into Sci-Fi RPGs, but this game really got me involved. The story and especially the ending were fantastic. Though there a few bugs such at getting stuck on top of objects requiring you to load your last save and lose your current progress was annoying. Another was the character face creator seemed to be lacking, specially for the female character. However, the games ending really soaks up all the problems into a fantastic 'you are the hero' feeling in the most interactive cinematic experience i have ever had at my fingertips.… Expand
  69. Holo_Benkai
    Mar 13, 2012
    10
    This is one of if not the best game I have ever played. Loved the first Mass Effect but this is one has everything going for it imo, story, action, choices etc etc.
  70. Gonzi
    Mar 13, 2012
    9
    I love that game. I have beaten it few times now, which is a lot for a 30 hours long game. I guess that says everything. As much as it could be better game and it could incorporate your choices in more distinctive way (they are mainly one-liners in dialogue), It still has lovable universe, great plot line, rewarding gameplay and it is a "Star Wars saga of Games".
  71. SoManyGames
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    My review for this one is similar to the first. Gameplay: Walk slowly down hallways, aim slowly at bad guys, press a button to take cover as they slowly walk and aim at you. Like every other console third person shooter, only especially slow. The story; you are a space marine fighting an alien force bent on destroying life. Sound familiar? It should, and I shouldn't have to list the HUNDREDS of examples. The definition of average. The one thing this game has over similar titles is the speech options and customizations that allow you to feel like your game is special. It's not, but at least they pull off the ability to make you feel it is. Mass effect 2 has one issue in particular that I feel should be discussed. Many of the things you attempt are oddly limited, despite the games hinting towards your ability to accomplish such things. For example, the second time I played the game, I played as fem shep, just so I could totally lez out (Im a typical 20 something bro). The game seemed like it would allow you to do whatever (or whomever) I wished, but then at the end, denied. So I just figured girl on girl action just wasn't in the game...until I found out later that is was, only with specific characters. One of those characters is NOT the girl who says shes slept with women before! Say what you will about gay stuff, but that's just bad game design. A good game will either flat out tell you something is impossible (fable will show you if a character digs chicks before you even talk to them) or never present you with an option to waste your time (halflife has no romance). A bad game design will let the player waste his time doing something it hints towards being possible, only to punish them later. We play games to get away from that crap. Many aspects of this games choose your own adventure style play are bad game design, even more so than the first.… Expand
  72. JMDubya
    Mar 10, 2012
    5
    Mass Effect 2 is the definition of hit-and-miss. Story-telling is great while the story itself was barely satisfactory. Fighting the various Geth incarnations was thrilling, where swatting the husks on the Collector's ship was frustrating. That mission is at best a fly swatting simulator, at worst, the laziest level design I've ever seen. If you want Sci-Fi story, watch Fire Fly. Grab ME2 if it's in the bargain bin.… Expand
  73. Wulfburk
    Mar 9, 2012
    8
    Great game but doesnt stands up to Mass Effect 1, improved on gameplay but downgraded the RPG elements of the prequel, improved on some aspects such as the inventory but also simplified it by alot.
    Epic beggining and even more epic end!
  74. Niceguyreviewer
    Mar 8, 2012
    7
    To start off I'm going to say that I enjoyed the game and I'm giving it a 7/10. This game is best thought of as a separate game from the original Mass Effect. The gameplay is very different, many of the RPG elements that Mass Effect DID have, they have removed in this game; the inventory system from the first game has been removed and replaced with a tiny inventory with a very small selection. Weapon pickups are a very rare and scripted event. The story on its own is good and interesting, the characters are darker and the whole theme of the game seems to have been influenced at least a bit by film noir. The music has perhaps too much orchestra and "epic" sounding music rather than the iconic synthesized space music that was in the original game but it is still present to a reasonable degree. One of my main complaints about Mass Effect 2 is that, rather than keeping the good things and improving upon/ fixing the flaws which were present in the original game, many of the flaws are still present and even some of the good things about the first game are not present in the second. One of these good things which has been removed is something I am very sad about; the planet/ galaxy exploration. In the original game you could drive around in a recon vehicle on the surfaces of many planets even if it wasn't required by the plot. This gave the game a very 'big' feel. The galaxy seemed vast, yours to explore and discover. Now, admittedly, the physics for this vehicle were quite silly and unpredictable and didn't quite work with the hilly terrain, but the music on these planets, the beautiful background art and the cool effects like a blizzard or meteor shower made it an amazing experience. Rather than fixing the handling of this vehicle for the second game, Bioware decided to remove planet exploration completely. They replaced it with the ability to 'scan' planets for resources with the option of occasionally landing for a scripted mission in a small area or corridor shootout. The game suffers for this. The universe seems much MUCH smaller. Scanning planets is very tedious and dull.

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

    Criticism aside, many of the side quests in this game were interesting and the locations were a lot of fun to explore. The story was good sometimes and bad others. Overall I enjoyed the game though it was very different from the first.    … Expand
  75. billtheturnip
    Mar 7, 2012
    7
    Not as great as the first game in my opinion. The fact that the whole game kinda moved in a different direction put me off. Still a decent game that I would play again if I had the time.
  76. fastblood
    Mar 6, 2012
    5
    Though expanding the universe and bringing in more colorful characters, the overall story falls flat on its face when it comes to wrapping the game up. The cheapness and lack of interest from the team during the final moments is almost palpable. There is a decent amount of character customization, but far less when compared to the previous installment. Exploring the different planets is a fun affair, but lacks solidness.

    Also, the fact that the game is bogged down by countless DLC snippets of storyline leaves a bad taste in this gamer's mouth. I am all for more content, but the majority of it felt as though it were being ripped out from the main game on the disc. The days when video games were video games, instead of constant sources of income for companies that already have billions of dollars are long, long gone.    … Expand
  77. Mogul
    Mar 3, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 2 took everything that was great about Mass Effect, and made it better. Most of the annoying aspects of the first game were removed, and I really only have one complaint about the second one (the planet mining -- ugh). What really stood out for me was how well the sequel built upon the decisions that you made in the original. What BioWare has done here is something truly special.
  78. ChoicestGames
    Mar 3, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect 2 is simply Bioware's best RPG to date and is the closest I've played to gaming perfection. Mass Effect 3 will have to do wonders in order to knock its predecessor off its perch.
  79. bernlin2000
    Feb 28, 2012
    9
    Bioshock has invented a new genre and I like it very much: a tactical-third person-role playing-shooter. If you enjoy playing video games of any kind, I highly recommend it: they've perfected the type of game they were shooting for in the original game (a somewhat flawed, but also brilliant role-playing shooter). It reminds me most of Deus Ex, but far more fantastical and fascinating. Go buy this game now, as well as it's original incarnation!… Expand
  80. Kosheus
    Feb 27, 2012
    10
    Just love it (ME1 too).
    Definitely one of the biggest games ever.
    Beatyful storyline, characters, sci-fi setup, deep and detailed world, nice graphics.
  81. Duderoth
    Feb 24, 2012
    5
    I'm sorry I just don't get it. I don't understand how anybody could like this game better than ME1. I guess the visual style was sleeker? People thought the controls and fighting mechanics were better? Here's what I've come to realize. Mass Effect was a great RPG, with some action/3PS (3rd person shooter?) elements mixed in. Mass Effect 2, was an action game at heart, with some pretty shoddy RPG elements. Gone are the multiple tiers and classes of armor, with corresponding types and tiers of upgrades. Gone is any tactical setup of your squad for combat. Just spam all of the abilities you can at the enemy. Gone is a much more detailed and better implemented leveling point system. And gone is planetary exploring, which I think would have been cooler if they fleshed it out instead of getting rid of it entirely. People say the combat in ME2 was better. Not to me. I read all the codex. What they had implemented in 1 made sense with the lore. Didn't like overheating? Too bad, get a *better weapon* or *better upgrades*. Jesus it's called customizability. That's what an RPG is all about. There were some *really* cool things they implemented in 2, however. So here is the good part of the review. Just the plain fact that you could actually continue a character on from 1 was amazing to me. However, I thought ME2's characters were better than 1's anyway, so I'm glad you got to work with an almost entirely new cast. (Although they kept my favorite Quarian :D.) Planet scanning was also way better than that side quest to find minerals from ME1, and I appreciated that you could actually integrate resources you find into your ship and customizing your character. Although once again, I would appreciate more options. Finally, there were things I thought were better and worse about the story. I really liked the loyalty missions, but I think it would have been better to have a central questline instead of making the loyalty missions the central component of the game. The problem here was that the story lacked focus, as there was literally no plot up until the end when you finally did the suicide mission (which was awesome!!!) ME1, by comparison, had an extremely focused central questline, but lacked in detailing the side characters perhaps a little bit more. So that's pretty much it for this review. Overall, I think what really got to me was that they took what was supposed to be an RPG series and kinda did away with all that. I didn't appreciate that very much. But since I am all about story, I will say that Mass Effect continues to have a strong story and character design, just perhaps not at the same time. I am still looking forward to ME3.… Expand
  82. drake_avi
    Feb 22, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect 2 is definitely one of the best action-rpg games in history. Even though people criticize the lack of inventory and different option, i actually like the streamlined changes. It puts more focus on the story and gameplay instead of stats. The story is definitely one of the best and the voice acting is terrific. t's hard not to love the hateful Illusive Man or Legion or Grunt. Mass Effect 2 seems to have done many things right and i am glad that it is a commercial and critical success.… Expand
  83. Kislen
    Feb 19, 2012
    9
    This game is well written, has a good variety of options and while I can agree it did get simplified slightly from the first one, I can't say those are bad things. This game was very enjoyable in all facets - story, amazing music, game play, leveling, everything is interesting and fun. They did a great job with the game and the only thing keeping me from giving it a 10 is that parts of it felt a little rushed, it was mildly buggy at times, and it was abused with some rather stupid DLC .. weapons/armor packs anyone? That's EA at work, though, not Bioware. God, I hate EA so much. Everything they touch is tainted with bad, greedy marketing and the taint of stockholders who care more about profits this year than long term.… Expand
  84. OliverGrau
    Feb 13, 2012
    2
    First things first it's no RPG, the quests are boring as hell, they're always the same, shoot some idiots with no brains and at last there's a boss. I've really tried to play it since I spent 5 euros on it some months ago, but everytime I've plaid for 20 minutes, I just quit, it's so boring. Worst 5 euros ever spent.
  85. whitespider999
    Feb 13, 2012
    10
    Overall, I like mass effect 1's more rpg like focus to it's mechanics and stats than mass effect 2's more functional and bare streamlining. However, while this game is a better rpg - it also has more lows in it's pacing. Some sections in mass effect are incredible and interesting, others are slow moving. I think mass effect 2 should have never removed the planet exploration. In the end. I score both games the same. 9/10. For different reasons, mass effect 2 is a perfectly paced game, that was successfully streamlined. However lost some of it's scale as a result. Mass effect 1 was more ambitious, however it was occasionally boring.… Expand
  86. Biokiipper
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    If you still don't know MASS EFFECT, you should... Its all a RPG action game should be. To travel in many areas of the galaxy exploring, (like it would be with that technology), researching, doing espionage, rescue infiltration and search and destroy missions is extremely entertaining in this title. It makes the first title to look slow in combat and other elements (inventory and credits makes it slow a bit), funny is that MASS EFFECT 1 is very entertaining, innovative and fun as well, but the second is awesome!! If MASS EFFECT 3 surpasses the second the same way it did to the first, we are not going to see another game so good in years to come, it will elevate you gaming experience. The DLC material is very good indeed and worth every penny spent, believe it, you dont want to leave it out of you gameplay. I singed up metacritic because of it and to warn you against the negative score that seemed nonsense. The mixed opinions are related to their taste for games.Im a big fan of STAR WARS games movies, magazines, toys and other, but everything that born must die a some day. MASS EFFECT came in that way.… Expand
  87. SJ_pl
    Jan 31, 2012
    9
    Developer's decisions are weird sometimes. Replacing simple weapons stats with a description box... yyyy... haven't they read any design book? How does a pile of text make up for some easy and graphically-presented stats?! Than they replaced a good, interesting story-line with a simple gather-a-team-and-finish-them-all thing. In result the only two thing that I've remembered from this episode is that I've died at the beginning (nice one Bioware!) and then picking up some members of my team only to make some wrong decisions at the end and almost killed them then... xD The game is very good and I had a lot of fun but I don't agree with some decisions made there.




    Overall:
    ------------
    Graphics 10/10

    Audio 9.5/10 (hate the death sound)

    Gameplay 9/10 (getting companions -> finishing the game)    … Expand
  88. Slartibartfast
    Jan 28, 2012
    9
    Absolutely fantastic game! Story, setting, mood, action, companions and looks are all 10/10, but unfortunately I hated the scanning planets for various materials - terrible idea! Therefore it is 9/10 instead.

    Can´t wait for ME3 to come out and enthrall me again for hours and hours!
  89. Dejakritz
    Jan 28, 2012
    10
    It is easier to list the things i disliked than the things I liked about this game. There was one main character I found slightly annoying, and I found myself wishing I could still drive ME1's landing vehicle around at will. What isn't there to love about ME2? Great characters, exciting plot. You really are compelled to gather a great and loyal team. Every character has his or her own entire plot line dedicated to them to ensure your success in the climactic battle, a time where you make gambles as a leader as well as a fighter. Epic stuff in this box! I would have paid more than the $60 I laid down at its release in hindsight.… Expand
  90. Canamavrick
    Jan 26, 2012
    10
    Simply awesome, at first its "good" but as you start playing it, it gets a lot better. Depending of what you say or do in the game, affects the story in some way. They are only a few problems like crashing and audio glitching out, but they appear rarely so it doesn't ruin the experience. I highly recommend this.
  91. Chapa9dj
    Jan 23, 2012
    10
    ...:::GAME OF THE DECADE:::...

    An epic intergalactic experience that'll totally blow you away..
    This game just totally rocked my world

    Must buy if you love the sci-fi genre!!
  92. Sasori261
    Jan 21, 2012
    10
    The games pretty fun, I love the storyline and is one of the best roleplaying games that wasn't made by Bethesda. I found the game not as fun as the first one, but it still doesn't affect my score. It is a fun game until you have to acquire minerals which is pretty boring. I loved how they included Genesis so I could transfer my player from the first game. Overall, I loved the game and I can't wait until the 3rd comes out.… Expand
  93. Ztride
    Jan 21, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While it does vastly improve the combat and gameplay of its previous iteration, the story of the game feels so illogical, despite being good and quite interesting. Why do you have to go around the galaxy doing unnecessary sidequests for each character to gain their loyalty, and why would they all want to follow you into an almost certain death anyhow? And how come Shepard with just a small squad is capable of obliterating a god-damn reaper and defeat the whole collectors base on his own, when none else can in the whole damn galaxy with billions, and billions of inhabitants. How come he succeeded so easily?… Expand
  94. kriskizlyk
    Jan 20, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. They took away the original concept of Mass Effect and made it a FPS...disappointed but still like the story. I dread the mind numbing planet scanning, would definitely not miss this in the next game.… Expand
  95. Dramatic
    Jan 16, 2012
    6
    Mass Effect 1 was great, it had its problems but they never got in the way of your enjoyment of the game. Mass Effect 2 failed as a sequel for many reasons. Before I get to the bad stuff, i will say the things I like. The characters, although not brilliant, are well done and entertaining. The graphics are nice and environments are well detailed. The gameplay is great for what it is. Levels are more diverse than it's predecessor

    Now the bad:

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

    Overall, fans of the original may be disappointed, but for what it is, not a bad game.    … Expand
  96. alexfitz
    Jan 1, 2012
    10
    Simply one of the best games i've ever played. and definitely my all time replayability title.It is a roleplaying/shooter with excellent voice acting, amazing graphics, and the most intense atmosphere!. This game pulls you in and keep you and a wonderful ride. Highly recommended!
  97. roboticsun
    Dec 31, 2011
    8
    There are non-stop complains about mass effect 2 after its release. I, for one, genuinely believe this game is a ground breaking game that beautifully combined shooter gameplay with a role playing storyline and it's also the best game Bioware offered so far after Baldur's Gate series. The most problems people complained at are actually what makes mass effect 2 truly shine. I understand die hard RPG fans are very hard to please, but the game has to evolve to get better. Mass Effect 2 did it and did it brilliantly. First, the removal of redundant inventory makes mass effect 2 a very well paced game. One of major bad design in mass effect is its painful inventory system. so you are a distinguish soldier and a spectre and you still have to kill mobs to loot better weapons and armors or sell those stuff for credits? why the council does not supply the best gears and funds to you? Also, dont you feel weird that a human being can carry dozens of guns and armors with him. Mass Effect 2 did it right, shepard can only carry several guns on mission and every weapon you start with is still viable in later game, also you get funds directly from Cerberus. Those changes are made for better experience. One thing I do miss is the weapon mods. they could do it like deus ex that gives a small and limited space to store some extra stuff. Second, character development is still a huge part of gameplay and the skills and abilities are still necessary for combat and social especially when mass effect 2's shooting mechanics is actually not that great. Some people think that role-playing means running around for meaningless side quests (mass effect 1 comes to mind) and keeping track of stats. I would those are not what defines role playing game. Mass Effect 2 gives the player the true immersion that you can expect from a role playing story line. That means taking a role and feel your role not plodding with meaningless exploration and stats.… Expand
  98. KyleShepard
    Dec 28, 2011
    10
    So the sequel to one of the best sci-fi games arrived, and even though it came back in 2010 I felt it should be my first review for anyone interested, so lets start through my evaluation method comprised of: Graphics, Gameplay, Story and Soundtrack & Effects.

    Graphics: in 2010 we had a few graphic showcases but nothing as mind blowing as 2011's Crysis 2 or Battlefield 3. However Mass Effe    ct 2 had a very interesting way of mixing the futuristic art-style with the lightning and effects, by that i mean the game is beautiful but do not expect to be amazed by it. All I can say is it shines on where it needs to and shows extremely well how a sci-fi graphic style should be. Graphics Grade: 9.5/10

    Gameplay: this is where Mass Effect 2 really differs from its predecessor, the gameplay is less focused on pointless exploration and more fluid, I believe that the removal of many RPG elements was necessary in order to make the game less level dependant. I tend to prefer a game that relies on my skills; not my level. Of course that completely changes the genre, but in my opinion Bioware has taken the great RPG elements, which were the conversations and decision making and mixed those with a very good shooting dynamic mechanism that simply works better than having to change weapons and go to inventory at every 10 minutes. Gameplay Grade: 9/10

    Story: The story of Mass Effect 2 is simply fantastic, I won't spoil it here, but what i can say is that the player's decisions take a heavy impact on how the characters are developed so think well before choosing just any line of dialog. If you finished the first game than you can already have an idea of how the story plays, however the plot is more focused on character development this time around. Story Grade: 10/10

    Soundtrack: I consider the soundtrack of a game to be of vital importance in order for its atmosphere to be sustained, and Mass Effect 2 has every thing a person needs to hear to become hypnotized by its contagious sci-fi fantasy. The sound effects are the very edge between realistic and fictional and the soundtrack has variable tones of intensity and tranquility. Soundtrack & Effects Grade: 10/10

    The Final Grade is composed of an average of the previous four, so the...

    Final Grade for Mass Effect 2: 9.625/10 which means 10/10.    … Expand
  99. DoctorBabies
    Dec 22, 2011
    6
    i am going to **** about how they ruined this franchise for people that knew enough to know why they liked it. being lazy/removing the rpg elements the devs altered this series drastically (skill tree has been neutered, equipment is vanilla or chocolate, etc.) rendering it another pseudo-immersing over-the-shoulder-kill-things-game that despite being presented as an open world, is really a straight line you can jump to different points on.

    they would be better served by just culling what few RPG elements they left in it and going FPS. it gets a 6 because its pretty, and the fights are sometimes interesting.    … Expand
  100. Pandarve
    Dec 22, 2011
    4
    Mass Effect 2 isn't like its predecessor; they took out what many RPG-fans love so much: inventory management and exploration in the hopes of finding something really cool or some place that will teach you just a bit more about the universe you're playing in. Mass Effect 1 wasn't perfect but it had a lot going for it, it was fresh yet familiar. The story isn't as grand either and you can pretty much have sex with everyone in your party, save a few. There's even a counsellor on board whose only roll seems to be to have sex with the captain and judging from the subtext, anyone who needs a quick pick-me-up. I don't mind romance or sexuality in games but it lacks the spirit and memorability the romances had in Mass Effect 1 where you were forced to make a choice between love and duty. Now it just comes across as cheap entertainment. I also absolutely despise the huge amount of DLC they released for this game. I don't mind -paying- extra to get an add-on for the game but I'm not going to replay an entire game just so I can see some 30 minute mission that wasn't there before. I usually end up buying the complete packages a year or two later so I can have the full, almost bug-free experience that you can't have if you pay the game right after it's been released. Regardless, even that didn't stop me from trying Mass Effect 2. What made me stop trying was the fact that if you do not have a save game from Mass Effect 1, it randomly makes historical decisions for you: blew up the Ascension? Might just be back in Mass Effect 2 and it will haunt you till the end of the game. Or maybe you saved the big bug queen in that glass container. Won't matter, the game might just decide you killed her anyway. I actually went through my third game of Mass Effect 1 just to reconstruct my save-game. (Which I gladly did) unfortunately, I got bored two-third through Mass Effect 2 and just gave up. Was looking forward to romancing Tali (My favourite character) but she ran out of things to say, we grew apart and I gave up being a space captain and went back to doing other things. I'm assuming Tali is still out there in space somewhere with another starship captain that doesn't like long talks and beach walks and I wish her all the best. The whole savegame deal is also the reason why I won't play Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 3 or any other title that relies on save-game history any more. Unless they add some way of reconstruction your save-game by making the choices in a text-form, it's just a waste of time and to me, a huge distraction from the story if I am constantly bombarded with choices I did not make yet have them rubbed in every other conversation.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
94 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 55 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 55
  3. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. Vandal Online
    96
    Mass Effect 2 resumes with pride the path opened by the first game. This sequel is a lesson of how things should be made.
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  2. AtomicGamer
    96
    Mass Effect 2 delivers a story that's deeper than what many novelists are capable of, and its action is better than what most Hollywood directors are creating nowadays. It's an addictive, engrossing experience that many gamers will replay over and over while they hold their breath waiting for the third game.
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  3. PC Games (Germany)
    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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