I can't understand all the praise this game recieved for it's so called "improvements" over the original. Bioware haven't tried to "improve" anything, though I'm not too sure how to improve a perfectly simple inventory in the first place. Oh..wait! That's right! By removing it altogether! So ya' can spend more time blastin' and less time trying to read those big words. Let's just cut the crap, apart from it's superficial impovements, this clearly is a step backwards in every way, at least for anybody with any brain cells anyway.… Expand

Ignore the fanboys. Ignore the haters. If for some reason you don't own this amazing game, please download the demo and see for yourself how perfect it is.

The disappointing follow up to a good (not great) game: Mass Effect. ME2 differs from the first ME in almost every regard. Gone are the opportunities to craft your own personalized weaponry (through mods). Gone is the focus on saving the galaxy from the "Reaper" threat. And gone is the weapon heatsink system and the Mako (granted, the mako sections had horrible level design, but it was fun to drive). Instead, we are given a "recruitment" and monotony simulator, where we (the player) is tasked with recruiting a bunch of mercenaries, psychopaths, and forc- I mean, telepathy users. While the start of the game plays out nicely enough (balance of shooting, dialogue, and character development), it all ends up falling apart in the second Act. It is here that every single one of your squad members forgets that you are on a mission to stop the Collectors and starts whining to you to solve their "crippling" emotional and legal problems. Apparently, none of them want to utilize Kelly's counselling services (too cheery?). The game at this point shifts from "let's save the galaxy" to "Now counselling #267... #267?". Aside from the "Counselling Effect", game is further bogged down by the "scanning" minigame; necessary to obtain resources to upgrade the ship, and to do sidequests. Imagine having to do a 3 minute scan for every planet in a system... that's 10 minutes of nothing right there, per sector. Speaking of sidequests, they tend to have little to no impact on the main quest, or the game in general; they're just diversions with equipment upgrades thrown in to give you a reason to do them. DLC is poor as well (see: firewalker pack... that thing is supposed to replace the Mako?). There is an overabundance of dialogue in this game (an understatement), with many characters having long winded conversations with the NPC, which encourages dialogue skipping. Combat is similar to ME, but with a horribly inefficient "clip system", when compared to the heatsink systems in ME. This frustrates combat (especially against Collectors, who can become possessed and have their defenses regenerate instanteously). Tech powers and Biotics all share the same cooling system now, which is to say that if you use a power with a long cool down time, you will be crippled powerwise and techwise for that power's cooldown duration. Skill management has been severely reduced, from say 12 down to 5, leading to little customization of your character's skill set and a feeling a uniqueness. The A.I. is still pretty dumb; at times, they will use cover. But for the majority of your playthrough, they'll stand there and get shot repeatedly until they keel over and croak. Defenses are laughably weak in this game; in ME, you had the option of turning your suit of armor into a walking shield generator, ensuring you could soak up gunfire while poking out and taking potshots. In ME2, your defenses seem to be able to stand the collective force of four bullets before collapsing, and upgrades tend to do very little to increase their strength. The mechanics for how the end game plays out is ridiculous as well. Your squads ability to survive depends on the quality of your counselling services, upgrades to the ship, and upgrades found in boring side quests, and is not determine by skill, luck or chance. Instead, its determined by a series of conditions. Fail to meet just one of these conditions, and that teammate(s) chances of dying increase greatly, end of story . No epic gun battle, no consideration of the overall defense strength of your squad; just a behind the scenes checklist. Given the choice of the buffoons the Illusive Man wants me to recruit and run of the mill soldiers, i'd take the soldiers. At least they'd be focused on the mission, and wouldn't bug me about their "problems".… Expand

The first game is one of the best RPG's you will ever play, but the sequel is a massive step backwards with a lot of pointless changes for the worse.

One pointless change is the firing of weapons. It's now a case of holding down shoot and spraying until you need to reload. Your weapon will never overheat and your accuracy never affected.

They've listened to complains about the inventory in ME1, but instead of fixing it, they've removed it entirely.

They have turned Mass Effect into a mindless action shooter like Gears of War. Steer clear.… Expand

Mass Effect had issues. (Can anyone say Mako?) Mass Effect 2 puts all of Mass Effect"s faults into a hat, sprinkles magical pixie dust, and out jumps a sexy, seemingly genetically engineered marvel of epicness. The characters are epic, the graphics and consistent framerate doubly so. The story is more action oriented with a polished combat system similar to GoW's. People complain that there is no variation in the classes. They obviously didn't use an engineer after their soldier. This game gets a 10/10 for graphics, story, gameplay, and badassery*. *G4 probably has a copyright on badassery.… Expand

Biggest disappointment of 2010 for me... I enjoyed the original ME even though it could have been a lot better gameplay wise. The story really hooked me and I found the setting, soundtrack and artistic style familiar but very interesting in its own way. ME2 on the other hand I didn't like at all. It feels much more generic and less mature. All the feedback the fans gave on the Bioware forums didn't seem to have made any impact on the games development. The only thing they did seem to acknowledge was the unimpressive combat and A.I from the first game. Everything else was either watered down or simply scrapped entirely. Most of the interesting aspects like the RPG elements and the planet exploration just got removed. These things could have been improved vastly over the original, but instead they took the easy option and replaced them with much more casualised ideas. I saw a lot of potential for this IP after playing the first game, now all that has gone to waste with ME2. ME3 is no longer of interest to me.… Expand

There comes a rare time every once in a while where a video game hits the market, and it transcends the industry. Be it a huge impact, an unforgettable memory, or an intense experience like nothing before. For one reason or another, there is always something noticeably more special than everything else. This does not happen very often, but on the day Mass Effect 2 released, it did.

Mass Effect 2 expands on the original formula of creating your character, gathering a squad, and having the universe at your hands. Literally everything that unfolds after is your choice, it is on your shoulders, and there are consequences. Normally games like KOTOR or Jade Empire (which utilize this choice of response system) are very clearly defined between good and bad. There is no shade of grey, there is just right and wrong. The beauty in Mass Effect is that there really is no right or wrong choice, it is simply the player's choice. This feature, making it feel as though it was an interactive movie playing out rather than a game, makes for one of the most unique and deep role playing experiences gaming has to offer.

The original Mass Effect was considered an awesome game, though it had it's share of problems holding it back. Texture pop-ups, loading times, bland side quests, and rather mediocre gameplay all kept it from being what it truly could have achieved. It was not a bad game by any means, but it was clear that more work was needed. What BioWare has done since the period of Mass Effect 1's release and Mass Effect 2, is fix, or rather, completely get rid of all previous problems.

The texture pop-ups? There are none. In my 40 plus hours of playing, there has not been a single issue with the graphics appearing properly. Loading times? Long elevators? How about five second load screens and no elevators at all? The side quests have been elevated to the scale where they are cinematic and made just as important as the story in presentation. There is no Mako to explore worlds, making these simplifications give the game a much more fluid and polished feel.

The best improvement by far, is the gameplay. No longer being a bland, non-challenging system where you have cover but never use it, Mass Effect 2 relies on cover the way Gears of War does. You can rarely run out in the open and try to play this like the first game without proper armor, defensive powers, and precaution. No longer can you pile up every overpowered power in your arsenal on enemies to dispose of them in seconds. They have made it balanced and smooth. The guns all feel different, the classes all feel VERY different, and the restrictions to which class can use which guns/powers is very well done. You could barely tell the difference between classes in the original, but in the sequel, you would have to be blind not to.

One thing that was awkward about such a dialogue, story-telling game in the first Mass Effect was the character expressions. The voice acting was superb (and is even better now), but the feel of immersion and belief was sometimes lost with the faces of character models being utterly inexpressive. Someone would raise their voice and their face would look like they just ate a rotten apple, it made no sense. Luckily this was all greatly remedied in the second game and there is no loss of feeling in these scenes. The camera was even made more cinematic in comparison to the static camera in the first game, which gives it a much improved cinematic scope.

Furthermore, the character development itself has improved greatly. BioWare did a good job with the cast of the first game, but in the second, not only is the main squad more endearing, but even the NPCs come off very entertaining and interesting. I found myself applauding the backstory of each character, and I even enjoyed the logical development of characters from the first game greatly.

Speaking of developing from the first game. Mass Effect 2 is really something else. Players can import a completed save game from the original (which means you HAVE to play both otherwise your gamer pass is revoked) and all their choices from the original carry into the second game. This is no exaggeration. EVERYTHING, every little thing you may have wondered the consequence or benefit of carries through. Playing Mass Effect 2 without importing a character or without having played the first one just isn't the same experience.

It's the little things, the realism of the universe itself that BioWare has put together which makes Mass Effect 2 a nearly perfect game and easily one of the best games ever made and the 2010 Game of the Year. The gameplay, graphics, story, atmosphere, soundtrack, voice acting, everything about this game is absolutely amazing. Missing out on this is missing out on a great part of gaming history.… Expand

Great game, with spectacular sound and graphics. Althought it don't grip as the first mass effect. History isn't so interested and deep and characters haven't a lot of of charisma.

For all that is done right (improved visuals, great backstorys of side characters, amazing voice talent) too much is paired back and streamlined from the original game. Almost all the of RPG elements are stripped back and simplified. Weapons and armour are limited in variety, as are upgrades to equipment. The shooter mechanics are tighted to the n-th degree, Gears of War the obvious template for controls. But exploration is no longer a pillar for the gameplay. Loot is reduced to a handful of the same elements. The variety just isn't here any more. Thankfully the writing is still sharp, the dialogue improved and the characters are all interesting for the most part. I just wish Bioware would refrain from going to such extremes to make the game more accessible to non-rpg gamers...… Expand

Guess you finally got that big Ad deal with EA Metacritic? That's why you removed 90% of the nagative reviews even though they didn't violate any rule? No but seriously, f you and f your sh*tty site. Pirate the game and see for yourself if it's any good before you buy it. Don't listen to payed reviewers and the 1% of the people who played it that actually liked it and therefore was given permission to voice their opinion here.

There is only about 5minutes before this message is deleted by the EA death squads. But I hope I can save a few souls.… Expand

I read other peoples reviews, some people are so in love with this game that they give it a 10, some people hate it with as much passion and give it a 0. its a good game but it doesnt deliver on that promise that its a RPG. Its a shooter with RPG elements and that are barely noticeable. thats the games biggest flaw and the reason why so many people hate dragon age 2 ( WORST ENDING EVER ). They have dumbed down the RPG aspects to appeal to the casual gamer but that doesn't make it a **** game. It comes close to being perfect but it isn't.… Expand

This game was supremely disappointing, in so many ways. It threw away its RPG roots for a more consumer friendly 3rd person shooter feel. Smooth gameplay, but you can tell this game was made for money, and not made to contribute a real, lasting RPG element to the realm of classical RPG's. This game is basically twenty hours of shoot this, shoot that, with a very predictable storyline and a few useless side missions that contributed little to nothing to the story. I was a huge fan on the first ME. And Bioware disappointed me greatly in their effort to make more money. They were clearly not supporting the hardcore fans that bought and enjoyed ME 1. The gameplay came out smoother then the first, and the graphics were even better. That is why I am giving it a five. Otherwise it was a very lackluster game. On a side note, the music in this game was hardly noticeable, and was in no way as memorable as the first, or as creative as the first. Basically the only songs I enjoyed were the remakes of the songs in the original… Expand

The surprising event to occur at the start of ME2 got me very intrigued on my first play through and as the story unfolded I became hooked in anticipation. ME2 is not a good game because it improves on the short comings of Mass Effect 1, its good because it has an interesting story and setting that has depth and things are at stake to care about, well designed characters aesthetically and with personality, the decision making is not only ambitious but is pulled off very well, brilliantly and originally designed environments, creatures, costume and armour, and technically performs well with game play that feels satisfyingly good. The characters are good and memorable, I actually felt dread when some of them die, if you dont fall in love with Garrus, Tali, Legion, and Thane by the end of ME2 you have problems, I even grew attached to the space ship. I also want to make a big shout out to the legendary soundtrack, everyone must download the track Suicide Mission from Itunes now, its freaken awesome. The lack of depth in the RPG at first seems like a good thing as the shooting mechanics are good but after playing the game for over 60 hours it starts to show is thin side. I also dont think the decisions a player can make are executed perfectly, who in their right mine didnt save the alien counsel in ME1? Who didnt save Wrex? But overall ME2 is a remarkable achievement and a new benchmark for modern single player games!… Expand

Any game that gets me to replay through the story 3+ times is worthy of a 10 in my book. There's really not anything bad I can say about the game, it's pretty much a masterpiece.

Based on only playing (and loving) the first game, this one seemed like a slap in the face. The premise being, that if you love a game, then surely the sequel will be made with you in mind, right? Wrong. These days it's all about catering to the haters, and throwing yourself after the lowest common denominator in pursuit of wider marketshare. This is probably the most disappointed I've ever been with a game in my life, and from all indications I've seen ME3 is following down the same path. We'll see.… Expand

YES! I'm still on the first mission, and I'm giving the game a 10! But come on, its BioWare, does anyone expect anything less than perfection out of them? Even the media keeps giving the game 100s, despite the flaws that would no doubt sink a lesser game. Congratulations BioWare! You are officially the developer of the decade and the Mass Effect trilogy is the IP of the century! Please get us ME3 soon (but not to soon), I can't stand the wait. I'll go ahead and give ME3 a 10 right now, just for posterity.… Expand

I do not say this lightly but this is in my top 3 games I have ever played! It was like watching a great movie that you are part of. Incredible story telling, great characters that i cared about (except for a couple). They also did a phenomenal job on improving a few small things. The planet side random missions were so much better done then first game. No two missions were exactly alike. Even though the mining is tedious, I still liked the way they gave that option for you to get materials. Also, the developers made a bit easier for you to keep track of missions by letting you know where they are in the galaxy view. Overall, Bioware has done it again. Thank you Bioware for being one company that consistently brings us incredible games, Especially this one!! I can't wait till the 3rd one!… Expand

Just wanna point out that the review that "K" guy gave this game is the most ridiculus review I have ever read. Not once did the guy ever make a statement that made sense and he basically just babbled about how much he hated the game. Pointless review and an obvious PS3 fanboy. Gave barely any reasons as to why he didn't like the game except by saying it was horrible a million times. Anyway, this game is absolutely amazing. Buy this if you love a great story with a great world and great characters. You will love this if your into any form of game. It's sooo good.… Expand

Mass Effect 2, simply, overrated. I love the Mass Effect series as a whole, I do, but people are making it seem so perfect when it's really not. Yes, the combat is better and of course the graphics but that's all you really here about that has improved because that's all that pretty much has. Hacking is much less annoying and a little less repetitive. The genre is Action, Role-Playing Game, but even a game like Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 seems to have more RPG elements than this. Woo! I can change the kind of bullets I want to shoot! Really, that's all? Too much shooter, not enough RPG! Need I remind you again that's what the game is. The story telling is good, even though the Collector's don't seem as much as a threat as Sovereign did in the first. Another issue, I don't understand how a Universe could go from having practically infinite ammo to using some cheap thermo clips. It's like the technology actually Devolved. I don't think I found an explanation in the game for it either. Personally I hate ducking and covering all the time, there are so many games the same "Shoot, Take Damage, Restore Health, Repeat" system that the first one didn't rely on. It also seems almost impossible to only get all renegade or all paragon the entire game. I'm usually always half and half. I do enjoy the team mates way more in Mass Effect 2. Most of them have some interesting back story that you actually want to learn. Bioware if you ever read this, thank you soooo much for getting rid of the long elevator rides! They were dreadful. In Mass Effect 3, can there just be a happy medium, please? Oh, and deeper RPG elements and raise the level cap higher without DLC.… Expand

Those who are giving this game a 6 or below, would you really like to discourage future gaming companies to make anything along the lines of this? a 3 is insinuating that the game is nearly broken, i mean come on everyone stop acting so immature, this game at least deserves a little respect... i personally think it's the best game ever made, and i think it deserves a lot more reviewer respect than grandtheftauto4 (i don't get whats so cool about that game) yet, because of how controversial mass effect 2 is, it will not get the score it truly deserves from many.… Expand

OK Let Me start off saying F**K YES THIS GAME IS WORTH IT the game play is much better then the first much much better, characters are much more dark than in the first Mass Effect namely the famous Vigilante Archangel who is by far (besides Grunt) is the best character in the game graphics are much better with only minor glitches and bugs the AI is much smart this time around not that smart but still smart enough to kill your enemies which i might are more strong and more of a pain to kill perticulary the biotic enemies and ill end this by saying IF YOU DID NOT SEE THE ENDING YET IT IS THE MAJOR WTF MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF SHOOTERS 10/10 it is worth the 60 dollar price tag i also strongly recommend before playing ME2 if you did not play Mass Effect 1 you are not going to under stand wtf is going on.… Expand

I loved this game....it was absolutly amazing....i dont think there was anything wrong with this game.....after a mere 20 minutes of playing mass effect 2 i was simply addicted! every aspect of this game was brilliant. the story line was very well thought and and the ending of the game was EPIC!!! i loved how you could travel to different systems of the universe and send probes to planets to get iridium and stuff.....honestly, i was upset when the game ended i just wanted it to continue! i have never played the mass effect 1 but i will be looking forward to purchasing and playing it and i can bet that it will be just as good as the mass effect 2! i love how you could interact with alot of people in the game and but upgrades and what not. the game was absolutely amazing.....i cant wait for Mass Effect 3 to come out!!!!!… Expand

Where to begin? Perhaps I should begin at the point where I sat back in my chair, lit up a cigarette, and contemplated for 7 minutes whether I should turn down the advances of Miranda Lawson in the hopes that Ashley Williams will come back at the end of the game, or whether I should go ahead and move on -as Ashley somewhat had. Perhaps the only other time I was faced with a similar pause-cigarette-decide scenario was in the first Mass Effect. Point is, that is what happens when a game becomes part of your life. When you cannot wait to leave your -possibly exciting- job to go home and spend 10 hours scanning planets for resources and getting to know your crew. This game will implant hooks into your every thought, until you are done with it, and until you play it again with different attitudes and answers.… Expand

Combining RPG and action gaming elements into cinematic and highly realistic game play immersed in futuristic realm, makes this game the best ever in the genre. The games cinematic sequences makes it more like a sci-fi movie, but still don`t lose the feeling of game, the storyline is deep and finely worked out. It`s like synergy of watching the movie, reading the book and playing the game... I`m very happy seeing that game creation takes a leap ahead in the direction the gamers like. Graphics are awesome, even on my GF 240M game looks fantastic.... I hope very much that the third part of the game will have the same amount of innovations that the second part has from first. I already understand that it will be hard days waiting for the next part or the similar quality game after playing through ME2.… Expand

Any game that treats you like a criminal simply isn't worth paying for, and isn't worth playing. The draconian DRM ruins any fun I might have had, since my spotty internet connection means I keep getting booted out of the game.

Improves on the first game in any possible way, which is saying a lot. Gone are the technical issues, this game plays extremely smooth, inventory system, graphics, have improved. The story isn't as increbible as the first one (because it is a second act) but they have trimmed the fact. Every single side mission is interesting and fun to do. A must buy for a shooter or RPG fan.

Gaming history in the making. Vastly improved on ME1 and not a dull moment. I know some people may find the resource mining a bit tedious, but it does not take long, and I liked how creative it was. The cut scenes and dialogue are amazing and it is not too shabby as a 3rd person shooter either. Easily the best game I've played on the 360.

The few negative critics here (who oddly all seem to be Uncharted fanboys) have a few points in common, some of which are valid: A) The minigames are terrible--this is true; B) The mainstreamization of the ME franchise has stripped away all RPG elements--1] That is false. With an upgrade system and a sophisticated, expanding skill system, Bioware has cut the tedious elements out of the RPG experience and brought out the essential and enjoyable qualities. Ultimately, this leads to a more consistent and cinematic feel where you do not have to become a guru of esoteric systems in order to smartly and satisfyingly advance your character. 2] Even if ME were no longer an RPG, a game not being an RPG is simply not a valid point. Being an RPG is not a prerequisite for a game's high score chances. C) The story is linear, boring and rips-off of too many science-fiction franchises--1] Part of the focus is clearly placed on decisions and the effects of them. Simply not linear, and tends to be the most engaging part of any game. 2] The other main focus is on the experience and stories of your companions. This game is about your growth and your interactions with your companions in the context of intersteller events; not intersteller events with the side mission concerning your companions. This is a major distinction that places Mass Effect 2 squarely in the realm of the general fiction and not the specialized fantasy/science-fiction genres that most RPGs will find themselves; take that for what its worth. 3] You can't steal from multiple sources while both acknowledging them and bringing them together into a harmonious whole. That kind of work is simply called impressive.… Expand

This is probably the single best game I've played since KOTOR way back in '03. Anything Bioware touches is pure gold... Just about everything about this game is an improvement over the first. The quests are more entertaining instead of simple shoot'em ups, the dialogue more interseting, even the story is better than ME1, which is saying something. Even t0he graphics, an area where Bioware is not always amazing, are off the charts. This game is so good, it feels like a personalized movie. I'm not saying this game is perfect. It definitely has some minor flaws but the good far,far,far outweighs the bad. In terms of a gaming experience, I'd give this game 10/10 which is the first 10 I've awarded since KOTOR. And coming from a guy who thought ME1 was dissapointing, this is amazing praise.… Expand

Superb game, well worth the marks it is currently getting and worth far more than the ridiculous gamecritics score, which is blatantly after the naysayer's attention award for stupid scoring. I loved the first Mass Effect despite its flaws, I love Mass Effect 2 even more as it has almost no flaws. Other than some still awkward AI in combat scenes and what some would describe as overblown dialogue it is pretty much flawless in every respect. The only down side for me is the length of the story... before you know it, the game is over. As long as the DLC that will be coming fits well with the story, then this is a truly epic game worthy of any gamer's attention.… Expand

Looking through all the user reviews for this game, I can only think that alot of people should be ashamed. I point that finger to you PS3 fanboys with agendas, and another finger to you, ignorant posters who have no basis to review... Moving on though. My Review is closer to 9.5, but in the sake of rounding up I'll make it a 10 Graphics are the best around in this game here. The story line is as indepth as it can be, if you take the time to look at it, character relationships are amazing, and gameplay is as solid as a Diamond. As for all the people that try to dismiss this game for lacking in the RPG elements, they must remember that Role Playing Game doesn't neccesarily mean tons of useless gear and attribute assigning, but can also mean a game where you "Role play" a character in a given situation using your choices... instead of predifined ones... and so this game is a gem in that department too... And yes... this is Definitely the game to beat this year for GOTY.… Expand

Mass Effect 2 succeeds in creating a player-centric RPG/shooter experience that combines satisfying combat with an intensely personal story. No other RPG, or game in recent memory, has succeeded quite as brilliantly in practically every way worth mentioning. The game has room for improvement, especially with regard to the consequences of combat sequences and party chemistry, but the overall experience is sublime. I can't recommend this game highly enough.… Expand

One of th best games ever made.took what mass effect 1 did and improved everything making this a true sequel. the story is compelling, the gameplay is perfected and the game is very technically sound.lots of stuff to do and makes me cant wait for mass effect 3. go out and buy the game you wont be disappointed.

Ever played a game that was so good that you didn't want it to end? This is Mass Effect 2, the game feels meticulously crafted, everything is polished from the original. This is what a sequel is meant to be. Never before has a sequel to an rpg made you feel like you accomplished something from the original. From the service records screen, to the pop quiz on your accomplishments from the first game, to test your memory, to finding old friends and foes, this game grabs you and never lets go. The narrative has a way of making you care for the characters. They aren't static and plastic as in traditional rpg's but feel like they are fully fledged out and developed beings. Not much can be said about this without going into the story, what i can say is that the dialogue and voice acting is brilliant. The characters brilliant, the narrative brilliant. This is the pinnacle of digital story telling narrative. No other game can come close to mass effect in breadth of achievement. It's its own genre. It feels wonderful to play an understandable well thought out and concise story. I've read a site say this is gears of war meets final fantasy. Final fantasy's stories have always bordered on nonsensical, people just play them for their sugar-rush coccain induced summon spells. ME2 is not that its something special. Pick it up.… Expand

Mass Effect 2, to me, is more than just a great game. It is an incredibly innovative, imaginative game that now sets the standard for story telling and structure for RPGs. I have been playing this for five hours now and have come across no bugs, or glitches so far, and to be honest no other game has enthralled me so much as Mass Effect. Mass Effect has done something that games like fable have been clawing to do right for almost ten years, and thats just how personal this game is. For everyone i know who has played the first, they all have a different story and experience to tell and now with the second installment that is taken to an, until now, unreachable summit. So for me a game of this quality and magnitude deserves to be in the annoles of true legend. A game that has achieved something that no other game has. For me i give it a 10, despite its few flaws i have never experienced a game that i actually cared about, a story that truly moves me. And eveyone who plays this has their own unique experience, their own world effected by their own choices. Tell me another game that truly pulls that off, i can wait.… Expand

Mass Effect is one of my favorite games of the past decade. Despite its technical shortcomings, BioWare's first in what it promised to be a trilogy took the role-playing genre to new cinematic heights. Mass Effect 2 is a better game in near every way. From the very first scene, you will be hooked. And the farther you dive into this epic action role-playing game, the better it gets. It fulfills the promise of its predecessor while continuing to push the boundaries of what we should expect in a videogame. This is the continued saga of Commander Shepard. It's the future, and all sentient life across the galaxy is in peril. An advanced race of machines known as Reapers is intent on wiping the slate clean. Shepard, a distinguished soldier, has faced this threat and emerged triumphant once, but victory is far from assured. Now Shepard must take the fight to the enemy -- a mission that is dubbed suicidal from the outset. Things don't look very promising, but Shepard has a plan. It involves recruiting the best and brightest from around the galaxy and somehow convincing them their lives are worth sacrificing for the greater good.… Expand

Well, what can I say about this game? Mass Effect is an amazing game, with an amazing story. It's something for every RPG fan to enjoy, and get sucked into the story. I must say, I am really impressed by the game. I knew it was going to be awesome but, holy crap it's one of the best games I have played in a while. First off, you can use your character that you had before. Which is certainly a huge bonus to who ever worked hard on building their characters from the first game. Second, the characters you get to interact with are just more amazing then the first one. The screen is brighter, things are just more beautiful. Bioware does an awesome job on their games. If you played the first one I would recommend going out to buy this right now. If you have not played the first one, I would suggest you go buy it, and then get this one. You will not be disappointed!… Expand

This game is awesome. from my experience i think it is the best i have ever played, except for halo ofc. i recommend buying this game immediately because its really a must-have. i give this game a definite ten out of ten not just because its awesome game, but also because it has affected me in real life. if i would define the genre RPS, this would be the meaning of it.

This is an excellent title. Bioware took everything that was wrong with the first game and scrapped it. to name a few the mako, elevator rides, and the spotty fighting mechanics . The writing is also top notch and I appreciate how you can actually here your character act out your decisions. It makes me feel a lot closer to Shepard. I have a couple of tiny nit picks which is that the game can be hard to play through multiple times since you've heard %80 of the dialogue already and the classes aren't very balanced. Oh and one more thing, I bought the game new so I had access to the cerberus network out of the box, but i think that's kind of a cheap tactic to prevent people from buying used. I blame EA for that one, not Bioware.… Expand

I never played the first Mass Effect, so I was wondering if I would be able to jump right in to the sequel and still be able to enjoy the story line. Once again the developers with Bioware did a great job of bring you up to speed quickly with the story line. After reading several reviews, I was skeptical about the A.I. party system. Many games have promised great A.I. counter parts i.e. "Operation Flashpoint" for one. The A.I. runs around, gets shot, and now you have to save them or finish missions alone. Once again you face the same A.I. problems only this time if they die, they don't come back. This can affect the outcome of the end game. I found myself several times restarting missions because a party member can't seem to understand commands to take cover or will not take cover themselves. Next up was the combat movement of the main character. I didn't like the fact that you can't kneel in game. Your character can seek cover behind barriers in Gears of War fashion, but you have to be right up on the object. This gives problems when you're trying to shoot around cover. When shooting from your weak side, sometimes the character will exposes himself completely to gun fire. The weapon upgrades are nice, yet you need to mine ore and such to be able to purchase the upgrades. This tends to be a bit of a hassle. Over all, the missions are fun and active and there is plenty to do per map with limited mind grinding side games. I would recommend this game for intermediate and hard core gamers due to the complex controls and commands. Beginner gamers might find the combat controls and complexity of the missions a bit over whelming.… Expand

Mass effect 2 was a great game because it gives a good storyline. Every choices you made in mass effect will be transferred in mass effect 2 and this time you must gather your ally to fight the collectors. the graphic in mass effect 2 was improved dramatically from the original mass effect. I enjoyed while playing this game because the graphic was amazing. I think that the graphic in mass effect2 was better than the graphic in gears of war. The main antagonist in mass effect 2 was the collectors. But the geth still make the appear in this game because of some mission. The sound in mass effect 2 was amazing and I enjoy them all. I think that mass effect 2 was the greatest game in 2010. But this game short and I hope that in the next sequel will be better and have a long time to played. And also this game have a good ai . After all, this game was great and must be played by every gamer in the world.… Expand

This is the best game I have player since KoTOR. It's immersive, deep, cinetmatic, exciting and most importantly-three playthroughts later you're coming back for more. Basically everything wrong with ME1 is ammended here. Planetary exploration is better in every way. The only thing lacking is the Mako, but the hammerheads coming soon. Wrex and Garrus at times were the only 2 squadmates with any consistent personality in ME1-in ME2 it's pretty much the whole squad, even tali who I found bland in ME1 was now a much more interesting character. Gameplay is better, specifically combat wise. As an RPG, dialouge (Interrupts FTW!) is much more streamlined and you have much more controle. It's also great how things import and how you decisions in ME1 affect ME2 with the exception of Liara, but I hear a DLC may be coming, so heh. On topic, the DLC so far is imo better then pinnacle station and bdts put together. The armors this time are, while being much rarer, much more unique. Instead of just being the same armor with different colours, ALL the armors are unique, and have a vary of bonuses, some being suited to different missions. Customization for N7 lets you create all those other armors the first had anyway. Weapons is a low point, but you get different rate of fires where as no such thing in ME1. (Vindicator and Avenger, shruiken and tempest are examples. Carnifex and predator). I miss grenades, but heavy weapons offer much more. The loyalty missions really add extra immersion, Garrus' one showed more depth to his character, Legion';s taught you alot about the geth, Tali's finally revealed the migrant fleet. Finally, "hardcore rpg fans" rave about how this game is a failure as an RPG (ZOMG no ability to carry 100's of weapons and armors at any time!!!!!111), but they can just not appreciate change. This game is the modern equivelant of Baldurs gate.… Expand

When I saw the first cinematic trailer for ME2, I was hoping that this was not another sequel bust like so many other games released recently. But once I saw the opening cutscene, I was convinced that ME2 was definitely worth the $60 and countless hours of anticipation. Once I beat the game, I had a sense of accomplishment that I have not felt since beating only a few of the games that I have ever played. On the basis of the best graphics I have ever seen on an Xbox 360, the best storyline I have ever seen in a video game, some of the best game mechanics to date, and the realistic characters I encountered during my epic quest; this game deserves nothing less than a perfect 10 and I feel that it will be Game of the Year for 2010.… Expand

I bought Mass Effect 1 along with my xbox and Halo 3 at the end of 2008. It almost took me a year to but the disk in my machine, but when I did I was pleasantly surprised. I played through and beat it three separate times. I was lucky, I only ended up waiting 6 or 7 months after completing Mass Effect 1 for Mass Effect 2. however it would have been worth a three year wait. Simply put, Mass Effect 2 is the best game on xbox 360. I don't see where any criticism can come from, other then the slow paced planet scanning, who's only crime is taking to long to execute, even with the advanced scanning upgrade. Characters are perfect, Classes are more unique then the first one, and combat is fantastic and fun. Above all, the story is better then 99% of the sci-fi genre as a whole (movies, books, comics, games, ect). All these elements, along with a streamlined RPG style that puts wait on choices, you have a game that is both personal and epic. BioWare is among the top game developers, and along with Valve, they always make games that are within the 90th percentile of gaming. This game is the perfect 100 on there stellar roster.… Expand

I was expecting an RPG. Bioware has taken out almost all of the RPG elements and turned it into a TPS in space. Instead of improving upon the criticisms of the first game they have just outright removed those elements. The shooter aspect of the game is greatly improved from the first but has taken the front role in the game. In many ways I find this is a step backwards in the series with most of your time spent accumulating alies. Closing note: This game has very little replay value. It is essentially the exact same game each play through. And considering you can beat it in under 20 hours I would suggest it as a rental. Also don't play this if you haven't played the first.… Expand

I can not explain why but after only 5 hours of gameplay this game bored me so much. left to take the dust.graphically is ok but this game is nothing more than a usual tps with rpg style decision making.

Being a massive Mass Effect 1 fan, I was hyped for number 2. Mass Effect 2 IS good and I enjoyed the storyline, however there were many flaws I just couldn't overlook, like the not-so-amazing cover system, linear gameplay and, most annoying of all, the suprisingly average visuals. Like I said, this game is still a good RPG and I would recommend it to any ME1 fan, but it just seemed to overhype and under-deliver to me. I would advise renting it.… Expand

Interactive movie. Why not... But the main problem is that Heavy Rain, is just a interactive BAD movie. With the "brownish" color palette, Heavy Rain could intrigue with the David Fincher's Zodiac look, but the Story telling is amateurish, the acting is bad. Characters have nothing to rely on emotionnaly. Heavy Rain gave the player the feeling that David Cage is too busy watching himself "creating" instead of offering the player, at least, a satisfying movie to watch. Heavy Rain is not even as interesting as a non-interactive benchmark demo. You want a interactive-cinematic experience? Get Uncharted 2. You'll have the thrill, the emotional and charismatic characters, without the pretention.… Expand

Mass Effect 2 made me go back and replay Mass Effect 1 over 2 years later...just so I could play through Mass Effect 2 with a different character with different choices from Mass Effect 1. Any game that gives 80 hours of gameplay in its first month of release and leaves me wanting to play it MORE deserves a 10.

Please disregard the sub 9 scores, they are just sony fanboys who cant cime to grips that this is the game of the year, and is better than anything ever released on a sony system. I have all consoles including a pc...you have no concept of what a stunning game me2 is. Going back to the days of the 2600 to now, it is the single greatest game I have ever played, and if you asked 100 different people how thei game played out, who lived who died, it would be a different story from each of them. Its your movie playing out, its your decisions playing out, its your shepard! Greatest game of all time!… Expand

I was really expecting to like it allot more but the game just seemed way to open , long and directionless for me. Also i thought the graphics would have been better. I guess they were counting more on the story.

I don't usually give games 10s, but this is a solid exception- its not perfect but its easily one of the closest games to that point that ive played in a long time. It improved on pretty much everything from the original: load times are handled much faster, and theres far less flow killing sequences in alot of places they used to be, most if not all glitches have been taken care of, and combat is more sophisticated. the storyline was a really nice standout too, as was with the original mass effect, its honestly one of the first games where ive actually cared about alot of the allied characters too, all are very effectively developed, and when in combat they dont get in the way half as much as they did in ME1. combine that with a 25 to 45 hour gameplay experience that can play out drastically different each time in accordance with the player's choices, you get nothing short of one of the best single player experiences ive seen yet. resource collecting was admittedly meh, but whatever, its not a deal breaker of any sort for the game, the rest of the experience makes up for it in full. great game.… Expand

For any fan of sci fi, or dramatic storytelling, you can not go past the Mass Effect Series. ME1 was the most engaging story in a game I have ever played, with characters and visuals and acting that were second to none. It was not perfect, and had its bugs, but it was an overall triumph. ME2 picks up where the 1st left off, and does it in style. I honestly could not fault this game, as everything you do in the game has a purpose, and fuels the richness of the epic story that is being played out. I was a fan of Star Wars as a kid, but would have to say I am now a converted Mass Effect fan. Bioware has created a world that rivals the Star Wars Universe in terms of depth, history and memorable characters. I think the story is just so brilliant, and the characters are so deep and compelling that it will hard for any game to challenge this for a very long time. I would usually say I can't wait for this game to be turned into a movie, but this game is so perfect I think every person who plays it realizes that it pretty much already is a film, a rich world that is pure escapism. Eagerly awaiting the 3rd installment...… Expand

If you never played any rpg before,this game will be good start for you.mass effect 2 is an artistic game with new style exploring the planets of galaxy with recruiting strong troops of this deadly space is excitement and i must say that i did not play any role playing game until this time and this was good start. trials of a rpg like mass effect 2 looks awesome.mass effect 2 is mixed of 2 style of game,rpg with action.playing this game has a sweet taste. if you didnt play any rpg before and you like action games like me but you want to try this one too,believe me this game is for you,you can enjoy this game even if you are action fan.you can play this game with pleasure i can explain this about mass effect 2 that you travel in galaxy so as to find perfect troops of space.in the middle of your journey you will visit some strange existing.you choose your tactic to join them for your team against collectors.as commander shepherd needs to build powerful team for his purpose,he recruit them.you never be alone in this fight with unique soldiers of galaxy,you will have strongest ship and your mission is depend on your team. these mysterious missions of commander shepherd makes this one of best solid games on xbox360. certainly you will have good times with this unforgettable game and when you playing this game you will see new kind,new gene,new experience and different weapons that you never seen before. in the future i hope to see so many game like this. good work,thanks bioware and electronic arts for this artistic game.… Expand

Mass Effect 2. The first ME was an astounding action-RPG from the masters at Bioware, with an extremely memorable plot, brilliant gameplay mechanics and fantastic visuals. ME2 takes it to the next step, and it may be simply the best game on Xbox 360 right now. Graphics - 10/10 WOWOWOWOW. The level of detail here is absolutely astounding. Character models look brilliant, costume detail is sublime and the environments are lip-smackingly tasty. The amount of variety found here will amaze you, and all adds up to an impressively gorgeous experience. There are a few blurry textures, but these are few and far between. Gameplay - 10/10 The shooting mechanics from the original have been considerably beefed up here, although at the loss of some deeper RPG elements, but you don't really miss them after you've played for a while. It's just so much fun, as the shooting is top notch and the integration of powers is a lot smoother than ME1. The inventory doesn't even EXIST anymore however, and this may an issue for some. But not me. Lifespan - 10/10 Endless DLC, loads of sidequests and a very replayable storyline with several different endings will make this one last. Overall, its a huge improvement over ME1 and the undisputed king of 360 action games and a clear front runner for GOTY 2010. Just oustanding, well done Bioware.… Collapse

By now you must have heard of the Mass Effect series. You are a human male/female known as Commander Shepard. You go around the galaxy saving lives and taking almost as much. In Mass Effect 1 you pretty much put together a rag-tag team of humans and aliens and you have to prevent a just machine called "The Reapers" from destroying all life in the galaxy. You do so, everyone is happy. In Mass Effect 2 things have been stepped up. [SPOILER ALERT] In the beginning of ME2 you are attacked by a lesser known alien race called "The Collectors". They destroy your beloved ship, but not before most of your crew mates get to escape pods. Things happened and you get blown into outer space, only to plummet into a planets orbit. Dying in the process. You are found by the terrorist group "Cerberus" and brought back to life with cybernetic parts. It takes them 2 years to fully bring you back. You are informed that the Reaper threat isn't over, you've barely scratched the surface. Many of your teammates have moved on. Its time to meet some new and old friends. This time again, you need the best of the best. Assassins, Mad Doctors, Psychopaths, Thieves, Marksmen, Biotic Warriors and even Geth. It is one of the best teams I have ever seen in a video game. And you must bring them together to stop the Reaper threat once and for all. I'm leaving a lot of it out on purpose so I don't totally spoil the game for you. Trust me, you'll thank me for it. Everything about this is amazing. The visuals are breathtaking. I have never seen graphics like this outside a Peter Jackson film. The characters are so well put together, you almost think of them as real friends. The voice acting is top-notch. It's like Patrick Stewart playing Professor X, you can't really picture anyone else playing that part. This game is a must have for any collection. There was only a few drawbacks for this game. Barely any to worry about, but they are there. First is the new planet scanning mini-game. This is how you search for minerals to upgrade weapons, armor, yourself, and the ship. Its just a pain sometimes when you need a lot of a mineral and you have to go looking and dragging your targeting cross-hair sluggishly around a planet. Another thing is that you can't truly explore the new citadel now. 70% of it is blocked off now which really sucks. I loved being able to run around in the first game, its a shame they screwed us out of it. Anyways, with DLC Galore and more on the way, go pick this game up before you shame yourself and your Xbox for not doing so earlier.… Expand

This is a game that brings everything to the table. From its dialog from the redesigned FPS, its a must play. The story continues on but grows. Graphics are better and the galaxy got bigger. The mining is a little much on the boring side but I guess you must gather to build. And the other thing that bothered me at first is the ammo. Why add it now? The overheating issue was working but they probably had their reasons. I love the fact that you can build your dirty dozen and then try to gain their loyalty by helping them out with some personal issues. The free DLC is a nice touch. The new hover craft looks fun. Assigning certain powers to RB, LB and Y is a great feature. All in all the experience is beyond great. This is a game that makes you chose how you want the story to go, who you wanna take with you and how you want to be remembered.… Expand

Even if the third is not even announce yet its one of my most awaited game of all time. Mass effect 2 is probably in my opinion the best sequel ever made,if you ever played the first one youll see the difference in terms of gameplay but 90% of core gameplay thats good is still here and has been improved to much larger scale.the messy inventory system from the first game is now gone and now its more seamless knowing you dont have to check your inventory every corner after you acquired new weapons and upgrades.graphics is almost still the same(which is not bad)and the framerate issue on the first game is now long gone.without any spoilers you should play the first one in order to really immerse yourself in this epic quest plus the save game import really adds the feeling that youre the shepard thats making a difference from the first all the way to the third...good voice acting delivers with that sci- fi ambience. For some real good story and gameplay RPG wise,look no further...this is one western RPG you dont want to miss.… Expand

Mass Effect is an incredible game, and shockingly, my favorite all time. And I don't throw that around often. You'll see that describing every new game, but I don't have anything to do with that. Mass Effect 2 definitely tops my list. The game improves in every single way upon it's original, the slightly overrated Mass Effect. Mass Effect 2 doesn't have a traditional story arc, which will surprise and disappoint some when the game abruptly ends, but the ride will have been amazing. Leaving you not asking for more, but pleading for more. Craving more Mass Effect. The graphics are great, and aliens and armor rank among some of the best graphics I've ever seen. Humans are a bit bland, and animate oddly sometimes, but small complaint. The environments range from dark red's and browns on trashy city-planets where you'd expect to be mugged by a drunk Krogen at any point, to lush, bright, jungle planets. This is a great improvement over the grey warehouses of Mass Effect. Now it feels like you're adventuring in Blade Runner as opposed to Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. The combat is simply perfect. It takes the blueprint off Gears of War, Uncharted, and Resident Evil 5, and easily beats them at their own game. Third person shooting has never been so fluid and fun. Enemies react realistically to being shot, and headshots are a blast. The game does away with the clunky forced use of the attack wheel. Now you'll go into it simply to connect your favorite moves to a hotkey and get back into combat. Before you pretty much had to use it, and it didn't feel strategic, it felt like a speed bump during combat. Which brings me to the cast and story. Wow to both. This is easily the most likable cast of characters ever. Most RPGs I'll simply pick my two favorites and put the rest on the shelf until the game is over. But now you'll want to mix and match depending on the mission, or just to hear what Jack has to say. They're unique, deep, and very interesting. When the game forces a character into your party, you'll rarely mind, and welcome the chance to have Garrus at your side. The story itself is wonderfully presented, but slightly thin. You'll be on the edge of your seat, but after the game is over you'll suddenly realize that what you thought were side quests, were actually the bulk of the game, and the real action seems to be coming in Mass Effect 3. This won't be disappointing though, because it's very satisfying. And which content on the way, there's plenty of meat here. Which brings me to the reason I loved the game so very much. Mortality. Never before has a game been so visceral. I believe this is game as art, which isn't a term yet like film as art. But it will be. And this is why. Without spoiling too much, odds are, you won't finish your suicide mission with the team you started it with. And it's not a scripted gimmick like the Modern Warfare series where they kill you off six times a game for shock value. Based on tiny decisions you probably didn't put any thought into, you sealed the fate of one of the characters you loved. Hint: upgrade the ship. You don't see the point during the game, but it's key. I myself lost 4 characters and my entire crew. I was furious. I began playing reckless, as Shepard would have, but without thinking about it. Without making the conscious decision, I was running face first into combat with my shotgun blasting. The game literally affected me in a way no other game ever has. And for the first time I can think of, when a character makes a slo-motion leap into a spaceship, you have no guarantee he'll make it. How many times have we seen the Master Chief make a similar slo-motion leap of faith? Did you ever doubt the outcome? Well you will now. How many times has Dom grabbed Marcus' hand at the last second? No doubt in the outcome. But now when Shepard leaps to grab Garrus' hand right before he falls, you'll gasp and hope he gets a hold of him. This is game as art.… Expand

Released in 2007, Mass Effect was a modern classic in the Role Playing genre. It combined elements of a Third Person Shooter, incorporating the cover system which has been something of a phenomena in recent years, with the levelling up and decision making standard in any Role Playing Game. But it had its fair share of problems. The framerate, for instance, was a major annoyance and the cover system was somewhat difficult to handle. On top of this equipping weapons and armour became labourous after your inventory became vast over the course of the game. Needless to say, BioWare obviously took notice of these complains. And the result is a near-flawless gaming experience, the likes of which is very difficult to come by, especially in a market dominated by First Person Shooters. Mass Effect 2 refines everything that was great about the first game and erases everything that didn't work. You'd be hard-pressed to find a flaw in Mass Effect 2: it's that brilliant a game. Set weeks after the first instalment, Mass Effect 2 sees Commander Shepard hailed as a hero after the defeat of Sovereign and saving the galaxy. Now, about the events of the previous games: any decisions you made in the first game will carry on into this game. If you chose you kill a character in Mass Effect, they remain dead in Mass Effect 2. If you destroyed a race, they're still extinct. If you got onto the wrong side of someone, they're still going to hate you for it. Considering the countless choices you made in the first game, it's really quite impressive that everything you did carries over into this game. This game, however, is a much darker affair than its predecessor. Moments into the game, your ship the Normandy is attacked by an unknown enemy. The crew are sent to disparate parts of the galaxy and the game continues two years later. A mysterious alien race known as the Collectors have begun capturing human colonies across the galaxy for an unknown purpose. You have been hired by a shadowy organisation named Cerberus to investigate the abductions and bring an end to the Collectors. To do this, you are sent to assemble a team to assist you in your mission. Throughout the game you come across one of the finest ensemble of characters ever conceived in a video game. You will come across characters from the first game, as well as assassins, prisoners, scientists and criminals. The entire galaxy is yours for the taking as you choose whether to continue your characters do-gooding or reign of terror from the first game, or choose to totally change his appearance and personality. For those who have never played the first game, you can just create a name character and the game will play as it normally does, only without the decisions from the first game carrying over into this one. It's still hugely recommended that you play through the first game before this though, as they're both highly rewarding experiences. In terms of gameplay, the game is superior to the vast majority of Third Person Shooters and Role Playing Games out there. The combat is as kinetic and pulse-pounding as anything you'll find in Uncharted or Gears Of War and the Role Playing elements are fleshed out just as much as in Fallout 3 or Oblivion. This game perfectly melds these two genres together, much better than any game has ever done before. In fact, the two genres have been mastered to such an extent that it is quite easily possible to just play the game as a Third Person Shooter, ignoring the Role Playing elements, and it could still be an all-out classic video game. Whether you want to go in all guns blazing or take a tactical approach to combat is all up to you. This is your game, you play it any way that you want to play it. It's all up to you, as the player, to decide how the story, character development and the gameplay progresses. The sheer amount of detail put not only into the gameplay, but in the story and overall universe of the game is astounding and incredible. This game is truly the next step in action and storytelling within video games, with immense set pieces, sprawling environments, countless side-quests, endless outcomes in missions and infinite replay value. Mass Effect 2 is quite simply one of the greatest video games ever made and if a better game is going to come in 2010, it's going to have to put up one hell of a fight to beat out this. If you own an Xbox 360 or a PC capable enough of playing this game, you absolutely need to own it. If you don't, you're missing out on a landmark in video gaming. Well and truly the most essential Role Playing Game in the past decade.… Expand

I'll be honest, the original Mass Effect was a mediocre game. It lacked the great range of squad members that the KOTOR games had, it's combat system was rather flimsy, and felt a bit tedious at times with the inventory management (I remember sitting around selling/breaking down useless items for a good 15 minutes at one point). I was even uncertain about whether or not I'd actually bother with the sequel, even had a bit of buys regret as I slapped down 60 big ones for a new copy. But oh my god, sophomore slump this was not. It was worth every cent. Every complaint I ever had with the original was dealt with: Side-missions were actually unqiue and did not involve fighting through the same mine or aboveground/underground compound time after time; the squad choice was doubled (sadly no return of Wrex *tear*); the tedious inventory given the boot; and strengthened combat element including expanded weapon variety. And to top it all off, one the suicide mission is the most epic, all-consuming, and intense sequence I've ever experienced in my gaming days. The kind of choices made available to me makes playing any other RPG a vary disappointing experience. Being able (or at least being given the illusion) of influencing the course of events of this game is so great as to make any other experience lame in comparison. I honestly can't see the validity in the arguments against this game. The resource collecting is tedious, but it's inconvenience is completely dwarfed by the monolith that is this games storytelling, and that's what matters in RPG's, not the nitty little details of combat. If you just want to crunch numbers and levels all day, go play an MMO, and if you want an emphasis on shooting gameplay go play *gasp* a shooter! RPG's are for story telling and I haven't ever played a game with as engaging a story as Mass Effect 2. Ever. It literally pains me to know that I have to wait another 2 years for the (hopefully) epic conclusion to the trilogy. All that said, no game is perfect and I have to knock off a point for it's short play time, for being a two disc game it was frustratingly short. Good luck with ME3, Bioware, you've set the bar exceptionally high for yourselves.… Expand

Let me start off by saying that I hated Mass Effect 1. It was slow, clunky, glitchy, and extremely boring. I tried to play it 2 different times but the pace of the game was so slow that I couldn't ever get into the amazing story. Mass Effect 2 is nothing like the first! Every problem that was in ME 1 they have fixed in ME 2. This is hands down the best game I have played and I haven't even finished it yet. I feel like I am Marcus Phoenix with jedi powers in this game! Nuff said.… Expand

This is an absolutly amazing game and is one of the best games i have ever played with some amazingly epic moments and top-notch voice acting and graphics on top of it i cant get enough of this game.ive played it so much and im still not bored i love this game.the personality of all the character is diverese non are the same and each one has a unique backstory and are fun to find out about.The graphics are amazing in this game the art every thing its has some of the best graphics i have seen in a long time.The music is amazing aswell none of it is annoying or reptitive and it all fits the moment its in.I recomend this to any one who wants a truly epic experience with fun third person elements and rpg elements also this is already GOTY in my opinion.… Expand

I almost never give 10s. The last 10s in the last 2 decades for me would be Resi 4 and Half-Life 2. I'm 37 yrs old and been gaming heavily since the Atari 2600. This may be the best gamer's game ever made. I didn't even care for ME1 enough to play past 10 hours. I can't even describe how good it is, so I won't even try anymore. Play it and find out for yourself.

I purchased Mass Effect 2 expecting a good game, turns out I received one of the most brilliant video games ever made. The level of detail and depth that Bioware has put into this masterpiece is unprecedented, upon research I came to find that there are over 25,000 lines of dialog in this game, exponentially more than the typical game these days, which consist of mostly ''COVER ME'' and ''RELOADING''. The story is very deep, and every action the player takes affects it. Controls are excellent, and sound is superb. Graphics are a strong point, often I found myself marveling at a blazing hot sun scorching the ground, or the futuristic environment surrounding me, all during the middle of an intense firefight. Completing the game took me around 20 hours, and that's without doing every single mission at my disposal. I would strongly recommend this game to everyone who owns an Xbox 360 or a computer that can run it. Bioware has done such an outstanding job that I eagerly await the next installment in this spectacular series.… Expand

I give a rating of 1 for the simple reason that ME2 will not load any ME1 characters. I completed the game four times (yes, COMPLETE) and looked forward to being able to load them. XBox 360. My ME1 was a "Platinum Hits" edition, which caused problems with the second DLC (the Station addon). Now I have no access to saved games. I give it a 1 ONLY due to the anticipation that it MAY BE a fun game, if I ever get to play it. Starting with a brand new character defeats the anticipation and everything players like me looked forward to. Stayed on hold for 1 hour 47 minutes waiting for support, listening to a "the longest person on hold has been waiting for more than 20 minutes" being said every 2 minutes - finally gave up and hung up. EA support site has bizarre login problems (finally created a new account, which worked the second time). What the hell. BAD LAUNCH for those of us having this issue (and unfortunately for me, probably a minority).… Expand

Did I buy a game or a movie. The visuals during the cutscenes are nice. but there's WAY too much dialog and whatnot going on. Less cutscenes, more shooting! Also you run slow as hell in this game like you're stuck in molasses. Not playing the first Mass Effect and the trailers never showed that you're in third person the whole game. I HATE THAT! I'm an FPS kinda guy and hate the Gears of War fighting mechanic and third person view. This game was a waste of $50 and I wish I could get my money back.… Expand

Mass Effect 2 improves on the old formula from Mass Effect 1 in many ways while still falling prey to some of the follies. This past weekend I replayed all of ME1 to get what I wanted as an outcome and then continued onto play ME2 with that character. Playing them back to back gives a good perspective on how the graphics have advanced and how much the gameplay (aside from the little minigames) has changed. Firing and shooting (aside from the drastic universe change to a clip based system) is greatly improved. being able to map several powers to the keys instead of halting the action makes for a much more enjoyable game. The minigames break up the action and story a bit, scanning planets, hacking and such are tedious and distract from the story and action. The story, here is my only real complaint, what story? If you've played the HALO series start to finish then you know that HALO 2 is just a setup for HALO 3. There is some plot, the gameplay is fun, overall a good experience but it just doesn't have the umph that the first one did. In ME2 we find the same thing. with a total of 3 or 4 actual plot missions the majority of the game is made up of recruiting your team and earning their loyalty. While these missions are fun there seems to be little in the way of main story plot, we don't really know what is going on until the end (which is a good thing) but when we find out all we realize is that there is a big battle coming. We kinda figured that from the first one. I know this review is long but one last thing. The BEST THING about ME2 is the characters you get on your side. Their personalities are great (for the most part) and talking to Mordin was one of the most rewarding experiences in the game. I suggest you do pick up ME2 and give it a shot. Best of luck on Insanity.… Expand

There's someone below me named Adam B. that rated this game and gave it a 7. He said it was a 10 hour RPG and that the game was only worth renting. I just want to clarify to everyone that it's physically impossible to beat this game in 10 hours. You could maybe in 20 if you were really good and didn't do any exploration at all. This game is amazing and has a ton of replay value. There's a lot of different classes and also different decisions from mass effect 1 that can flip this game upside down for you. Yeah the concept is the same, recruit a good team and take them on a suicide mission against the collectors. But it's the personal relationships that can almost make the game feel totally different. This is the best RPG i've ever played and i've played them all. If you can though, use a class that has adrenaline rush(soldier class) because this is the best combat feature in the game. It allows you to slow time to increase chances for head shots and also does more damage. It sounds simple but is really an addictive and an amazing feature that will make you appreciate this game even more. Kinda reminds me of the vat system in fallout 3 even though its not exactly the same concept. And folks, please don't come out and spend time rating and commenting this game if you haven't even played it or because you're a fanboy because there are some people who rely on our honest opinions to help with there purchasing decisions. Summary: If you love RPGs then this is the best you can buy and if you don't then y are you even playing this game. And if you haven't even play the game then please don't taint the user review section with some misleading information. thank you and hopefully this review helps.… Expand

Not since I played Knights of the Old Republic back in 2003 have i experienced such a character driven game. This is one of the greatest games I have ever played because every formula that Bioware has used fits together almost perfectly. The heart pounding and beautifully composed score, the terrific camera angles, and the return of old and new heroes(and/or villains). Mass Effect 2 is the reason I can say that video games are beginning to have the same impact that movies have on an audience. Throughout the game, fighting and conversing with my squad, I really began to feel for some of my teammates. I finished the game awestruck and wished that I could have made some different choices beforehand to save some of my dead squad. My only complaint is that I felt the story should have focused more on the main mission at hand; maybe added a couple more important decisions and an extra quest before heading through the Omega 4 Relay. Also I wish the final battle had been longer; all that build up for an amazingingly put together but short lived close. Nevertheless I still cannot believe that I was so pulled into this game and how breathtaken I was as it ended, I didnt want it to end.I still cant stop thinking about the incredible battle sequences and cutscenes. Bioware is not only the future of science fiction gaming but gaming alone. Bravo on the masterpiece!… Expand

By far the best game of 2010 and we're only in April but this game is that good!! The original Mass Effect was a phenomenal experience but the sequel beats it in every category from the gameplay, story, character development, music, graphics and last but not least the pure adrenaline and excitement that the game brings from start to finish to the gamer and that's what makes this a masterpiece. Probably, the finest gaming experience I've had since Half-Life 2. All in all, I highly recommend it.… Expand

Mass Effect 2 is even better than the original. Just about every problem that people had with the first one has been fixed in this sequel. The combat is smoother and more fun, the dialogue has been made even better (yes, that's possible) and the side quests are no longer repetitive sequences of driving around an empty planet in your tank. The only thing that makes this game not deserve a 10 is some pacing issues early on in the game, but that's a minor complaint. Otherwise, Mass Effect 2 definitely deserves its 96 metascore.… Expand

This game is amazing. Surely one of the best games of all time. When I first played the game it started of quite slow and seemed mediocre, but as it went on, it redeemed itself with its superb story, presentation, characters, replayability and game play. I was totally blown away with the extraordinary attention to detail. Graphics are also very good if you consider the size and depth of the game. A must buy… Expand

This is my favorite game I've ever played so I feel obligated to write a review for it. Mass Effect 2 is almost perfect they improved many of my problems from the first game which was a very good game in it's own regard and made it excellent. In the first one the frame rate was bad, the combat was stale and the Dialogue options were much less interesting all of this was fixed in Mass Effect 2. You have an compelling story, fun combat, great graphics and amazing characters with superb voice acting. What else can you really ask for in a game? Mass Effect 2 delivers in EVERY category.… Expand

This is my favourite game ever, why ?, because no game is so fast paced while still emotional like this, the combat system is perfect, the game never lags even with the frantic action.

Absolutely love this game. More action now and it made feel sorry for most of my crew with their stories (Especially Jack). I just love this game. Awesome.

What more can a humble Biotic such as I say about a game that so captures one's imagination and draws one in on such a deeply exciting way? There just isn't anything bad to say about this game! On principle, I don't give out 10's, just because someday a game will come along (hope, hope) that will so blow all other games away that I have to finally bestow that crown on its hallowed brow. Seriously, though, if you never play this game, you will be depriving yourself of one of the greatest joys ever in gaming. Take if from me: I'm 50 years old and have played more games than most of you ever will.… Expand

ME2 is one of the best game I ever played, maybe THE best. I didn't take my time and I have like 40 hours on just one game, so if I didn't skip the cinematics, it would be even more... And I didn't finish the game. I guess it could be around the 100 hours if you take your time. It's a complete game, with no bugs, a good history, a good ( Paragon ) and bad side ( Renegade ) and it affects the game, also the members that you can help so they are loyal or not. There is a lot of side-quests, a nice thing in these kinds of games. Also, there is a lot of classes, with different guns or powers. Another thing I liked is the armor personalization. There's a lot of people to talk to so you can learn more about the universe of Mass Effect, of Cerberus and others things. The action part is very good as well. You can have a lot of guns if you're a soldier, have almost the Force ( reference to Star Wars ) or have snipers and the invisibility power to surprise ennemies. I really liked this game, and I give it a nice 9. This game is awesome. I recommend this to everyone, hardcore gamers like casual gamers, fans of RPG or action. By the way, the RPG aspect is really ncie to. I don't like so much RPGs ( like Fallout 3 ) , just a little or when I have a RPG rus, but I like this RPG part a lot!… Expand

I have to say that this game took me by surprise. I was expecting to enjoy it, but not as much as I did. The world (while linear) is expansive and great in variety. If you are brave enough to go and scan all the planets in the galaxy, you will find many mini-missions. Some of those lead into their own little plot giving Mass Effect's mythology a greater breadth. There are also the expanse of normal side-quest you can access by talking to people and exploring different places. I did about 75% of everything you could do on one playthrough and it took me around 35 hours. That is a pretty good length for am Action RPG. This game did have its flaws though. I might have given this a ten, but that is only because these flaws are very minor, and may only be here because I am nitpicking. If you want an epic story, this game does it in a strange way. There are many short stories played throughout the game as you meet new characters, but the story is only an epic tale once you complete the game. If you were expecting a "lone hero sent to save the universe" type of story, you may be slightly disappointed. The game is a great bridge that sets up the continuing Mass Effect story-line, but the game's story itself is slightly lack-luster. But remember that this is only my opinion, and you should play the game to decide for yourself.
So...the elephant in the room: Combat. I find this form of combat to be refreshing and much, much better than the first Mass Effect's. I understand that there are some gamers out there who crave a hardcore RPG that requires an insane amount of strategy and multitasking. If your one of those gamers, you will not enjoy ME2. It's combat is fast paced, shoot-em up action, with lots of enemies and sweet effects. Think of it as Star-Trek meets Gears of War. I personally enjoyed much more than the clunky combat from ME1. But, like I said, if you want hardcore RPG combat, this isn't for you. On to conversation. If you like talking, you'll love this game. I'd say more than half of the game is conversing with other characters. If you are like me, and you explore all the options in each conversation, you will open up a lot of interesting dialogue. Morality choices are also very common in this game. They can range from something as innocent as should I turn in or let someone go to who gets to live and die. These situations can be difficult to make a decision if you become connected to your party members. This is one of the reasons I loved this game so much. Bioware has actually gotten me, an average gamer, to care about video-game characters. That is not an easy task.
So overall, I found this game very enjoyable, and very well done. If you haven't checked this one out yet, save up and buy it. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.… Expand

Great game. Perhaps better than ME1, but they tweaked it so much it is hard for me to judge. The inventory, half the skills, elevators, and medigel are all gone. They stripped down the RPG elements to make the game more appealing to the masses, I suppose, which I don't particularly blame them for, as the crazy FPS fans were too confused to deal with all the aforementioned elements. I prefer this one for it's superior combat and handling of powers (love the 3 hot keys) and exploration (no more 3 hour mako drives) , but I think I favor ME1 in terms of story. This one is a little more linear, with a couple missions you don't get a choice of when to go (horizon, collector ship). That is the only dissapointment for me. Otherwise, I love the importing character option, many of the new characters (Mordin is awesome) and romance options. Great game, even more so if you import your ME1 character.… Expand

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When you start a game at eight at night, and five minutes later its eight in the morning, you know you got your moneys worth. Mass Effect 2 far exceeded any expectations I had going in. At first I was a bit skeptical because I am not the biggest fan of shooter games, they arenâ

Mass Effect 2 is a stunning piece of entertainment. I loved the original, and at first I didn't like some of the changes made to game-play, with less of a focus on precise levelling up and equipping suit and weapon upgrades. It wasn't until the final mission on my first play through that I realised this was something special. The graphics are spectacularly polished and, despite some minor hiccups in the game-play, it is an engaging story with fascinating characters, all of whom have superb voice acting behind them. The soundtrack is spectacular and the set piece cut scenes are phenomenal, making it one of the best games ever made. If you love sci-fi movies, like I do, then there's a good chance you'll love Mass Effect 2.… Expand

after thoroughly enjoying the original mass effect i was really looking forward to this the original was brilliantly written the shooting aspects were good, however not perfect though.I was incredibly pleased to find that the incredibly detailed narrative had returned in its full glory and the shooting had been vastly improved as well as using your biotic/tech abilities.If there had to be one downside it would be the actually main story of the game lacks a little bit of the quality of the first, but the conversational aspects are still top notch. However this takes nothing away from the experience or the over all quality of the game. This is my favourite game of the year so far and i don't see anything beating it as it is a perfect all round experience that pretty much everyone can enjoy… Expand

To put it simple - best action-rpg hybrid I ever played, my favorite game so far.
BioWare created great universe with well writen characters, story and action - amazing job BW!
Can't wait for Mass Effect 3!

Perfect ?... No, not really,no game deserve a 10 : for example, the level design is still very poor (1 corridor, 1 or 2 room, no really choices), and combat can be very boring after 10 hours of play...

But damn... what a good game in every other domains !!!

Through replays and expansions I have put in over 100 hours into this game, and I'm eager to play more. I think this may be my favorite game of all time.

This a great game and much better than the first. The plot is amazing, which is to be expected from BioWare, but the gameplay is also really good. The only flaw is a few control issues. Sometimes trying to get into cover leads you to jump out of cover, and the lack of a lock on button is problematic, but these flaws are over shadowed by a generally good combat system.

Pound for pound, one of the finest games ever conceived, a rival to Metal Gear Solid 4 and Sonic 3 for greatest sequel in the history of video games, and a hell of a ride from start to finish.

I've had very mixed feelings about this game, but ultimately I came to the conclusion that this game is disappointing in so many ways that I can't give it a high score. This game has a lot of positives but the negatives overshadow them unfortunately. The graphics for example: The art style is not bad, the game runs better than the first Mass Effect and the game can look really good at times. However, the inconsistency hurts the overall experience as the game can look pretty poor and have bad textures. The soundtrack has some good tracks, but overall I think it sounds too much like something you'd hear in a cheesy Hollywood movie. The gameplay, while the combat is better than the one in the original ME and is more epic in scope, is also lacking. The RPG elements in this game are poorly done and are almost non-existent. The game is also fairly linear most of the time and there is too much emphasis on the shooting, which makes it feel like a corridor shooter at times. The story is lackluster, the characters are really good IMO, I liked them a lot despite the fact that most of their loyalty missions were daddy issues. However, the main plot is bland, feels like filler and is almost non-existent. Mass Effect 2's plot can easily be summarized like this: Stop the collectors with a team of badasses. That's it, it doesn't go any deeper than that and that is truly a shame. To sum it up: It's not a bad game at all, I had my fun. But I can't say it's a good one either. It's mediocre and I'm not used to this kind of quality from Bioware. Hopefully Mass Effect 3 will be better.… Expand

Game of the Year 2010. In a year that included Red Dead Redemption, Assassin's Creed:Brotherhood and Starcraft 2, that's some achievement. Story, characterisation, the fully realised, believable sci-fi world, and the vastly improved inventory system. The best game of the year, and one of the top 5 games of all time. The third game can't come soon enough.

Brilliant sequel to what was one of my favourite games. Was worried about the loss of RPG elements, but never missed them; and the increased production values, mechanics more then made up for the loss. The last mission has to be one of my most memorable gaming moments for a long time, can't wait for the sequal to finish off the trilogy.

Ever hear the expression, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? Well, with Mass Effects 2, Bioware really fixed it. For starters, the main plot is nowhere near as well-written or cleverly developed across the gameplay experience as it was in ME1. The voice-acting is good, and the dialogue is good, but he main story arc is far too sparsely delivered, and the final boss fight is pure and utter lameness. To add insult to injury, Bioware completely butchered the talent/power system, giving the tougher enemies special defenses that can only be taken down with a few key powers. This means that you are constantly using the same few powers over, and over, and OVER, and it is nothing like the wonderfully diverse and enjoyable talent/power system from ME1. This fact alone makes giving this game a good rating utterly impossible. In addition, Bioware decided to HEAVILY restrict the character customization options in ME2, for what reason I have no idea. They completely eliminated your ability to customize your teammates' armor/appearance, making it feel like they're barely your characters at all. They restrict the main character's armor choices to an insane degree, completely gutting ME1's L/M/H armor types and leaving the player with just a few bulky armors to choose from (and that's only if you buy all the DLC's), all of which look ridiculous. They oversimplified the skill/stat system to the point of stupidity, making leveling-up seem almost completely irrelevant. They removed entirely the ability to explore remote worlds with the vehicle, and instead replaced it with a horrendously boring mini-game with which to "mine" worlds for necessary resources. Lastly, because of all the restrictions Bioware decided to impose on the player in ME2, this game has ZERO replay value. Once you've done it, you never want to do it again. Basically, Mass Effect 2 is like Mass Effect 1, only with a LOT less stuff. Being a die-hard Bioware fan, this game was one of my biggest video game disappointments of all-time.… Expand

AMAZING. This is the best game i have ever played. It has the best story, the best characters, and probably the best graphics out of all the games i have ever played.

Too much EA, not enough Bioware. Disappointing, as Mass Effect 1, just needed a few tweaks to make it one of the best titles ever. It had the action/RPG balance. The story had an epic quality, the really distinctive soundtrack.. Dark is fine, in fact it can be great. But the writers of ME2 seem to think that adding edginess can compensate for weak storytelling.

Granted, combat was a little clunky was in the first game, but the rest of the game was so tight that it didn't matter. An there were some great elements within that made it a unique experience (like overheating weapons, etc). Combat, in ME2, is certainly smoother. But the whole package comes across like a weak, more-of-the-same FPS underpinned by shallow RPG elements.

I'm amazed this game's sky high reviews - obviously people love it. I haven't been this disappointed by a sequel since Prince of Persia 2.… Expand

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games ever made, putting you into an action packed narrative, filled with memorable characters and genuine feelings. Perfect length, amazing aesthetics, and a universe you will not want to leave. Cannot wait for the next installment.

This game is the perfect balance of streamlined rpg and third person shooter action, and story elements. If you liked the hardcore rpg aspects of ME1, you may be disapointed, but If all the info in the firt game was daunting to you, then you'll love this game. Also, listing the all of improvments made to the other aspects of the game would take longer than an elevator ride at the citadel.

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best Action RPG's of this generation. Some people argue that the first was better, because of the lack of the RPG elements that were used in the first game. I can understand their need for these factors, as some people want a game that requires a lot of strategy. Yes, Mass Effect 2 isn't as strategic as the first, but that doesn't mean to say that's made the game worse in any way. Actually, it exceeded far beyond my expectation. Especially the Universal Acclaim score of 96. The official critics are very accurate with their scores for this game. The graphics have been drastically improved, as well of the overall gameplay (new, and updated engine), with an amazing cast of voice charactors. Also (it's hard for this next part not to sound repetative) the world BioWare created is such a believable world, it makes you feel like you're playing an interactive version of the original Star Wars trilogy. When i finished Mass Effect 2 i was so damn impressed i needed to spread the word of how amazing this game is. Trust me, this isn't one you'll want to miss. And just for a side note; everyone who prefers the first game, it would be a great decision for you to ignore those factors that you loved about the first game that you wanted in the second game, and just play Mass Effect 2 again to experience how it was ment to be experienced. As an action adventure title, with great story-telling and plot. Then you will see why everyone loves it so much. Havn't you been confused of why everyone but you loved this game so much. Please do play the game again though, or you will be missing out.… Expand