Well, every game has it's detractors,but seriously? "Oh noes, they dun stole my RPG elements! It is awl dumb-down and stoopid now!" blissfully forgetting through their misty-eyed watercolour memories that Mass Effect could be muscled through with sheer gaming skill and an unleveled Shepard. Being able to be beaten by skill alone, an RPG does not make. The inventory was awful, it turned the whole game into a puzzle of managing your inventory. I'm glad to see it gone. To finish up, the romance options are much improved, instead of humans only or a 106-year old archeologist.… Expand

Loved the first game, don't know what happen in this one. Feels that they didn't feel good with the game the first time and threw everything away. Is a complete different setting, instead of the council now it has a corporate sponsor. Horrible plots with lots of holes. The last one was sci-fi, this is like gossip girl on space. Arrrgh! I can't believe I wasted 60 bucks in this. Not buying the next one for sure. And they can buy all the reviews they want. In the end, they know who are the real fans. Why buying an angry space shooter game if there is Gears, Half life, even Modern Warfare. What was this game offering that the others didn't? All that they threw it away.… Expand

A joy to play! Improving on ME1 in every way-from the conversations, to the leveling up system, to exploring the galaxy. The wonderful scripting come to be expected from Bioware is still present, but with superb references to ME1, which will make players of the previous game smile. All in all, a beautifully crafted game, that leaves us all wondering the answer to this question-how long until Mass Effect 3?… Expand

It dazzles, sparkles and emotes the senses. The combat is dazzling, from the biotic powers and squad commands to the shooting itself. The exploration and world is what the first game promised, it feels like you are exploring the universe. The music continues on from the first game with an elegent mix of 80's syn and modern day bombastic. The graphics and frame rate are both clean and crisp and skily smooth respectfully. But despite all these improvements, its the story and the way the game moved me till the very end is why this game is a once in a generation experience.… Expand

From within the first few minutes of booting up the game, it is apparent how much work went into this game. Incredible visuals, NO graphical "texture loads", fast-paced combat that provides more versatility than you usually know what to do with, and a storyline that makes 90% of any other Xbox 360 (or PS3 for that matter) pale in comparison. Mix in a deep customization option, and events that carry over from the first game into the second, and you get on epic adventure that you will want to experience again and again and again. 4 play-thrus were needed on Mass Effect 1 for me. With Mass Effect 2, even 6 probably wont be enough. Epic gameplay. Tightly polished graphics, audio and storytelling. Engaging characters and memorable events. 10/10, without a doubt.… Expand

It's sad that they removed the elevators and replaced them with generic boring loading screens. Also, I thought that going from "RPG" to "RPG-lite" really hurt the gameplay for me. I liked having more options for armor, weapons, skills, etc. The whole skill/item system felt really really dumbed down compared to the amount of choices and customization we had in Mass Effect 1. No loot=boring. Upgrades didn't really cut it. Also, the story suffers from "middle of the trilogy" syndrome. There's no clearcut single villain, there's too many last second revelations, too many new characters. This is no "Empire Strikes Back" or "Godfather 2". Saren and Sovereign were far more compelling than the Collectors. Still a great game, but inferior to Mass Effect 1 in gameplay AND story.… Expand

This game gets it right. Both Mass Effect 1 and 2 are remarkable, yet they are extremely different. I liked the simplicity the weapon system and how damage was more focused on upgrading your character rather than your weapon. Biotics are also much more fun this time around. I found it to be a good mix of rpg and shooter, just like the first one, just more tilted in the shooter direction this time around. Still takes about 30 hours to complete.… Expand

This game is downright amazing, but it does have it flaws. They totally ripped apart the RPG system and made it not even as in depth as the first game. It is more of a shooter rather than a RPG. I guess to appeal to the masses. And the new weapons system is not as good and many other little flaws that made me mad, but I still enjoy the game. Just make sure you know this is more of a shooter than RPG. It is not a defining RPG.… Expand

Felt this game was a major disappointment and letdown. While the sound, atmosphere, and dialogue are high water marks, the combat is beyond clunky (especially after having played GoW 2 and Uncharted 2) and the RPG elements are severely reduced from BioWare's other installments. Unlike in prior games, it makes little difference what class you choose or what characters you choose to bring along as almost all abilities are identical to one another. Furthermore, what kind of RPG doesn't even have maps for levels, loot drops from fallen enemies or stats for their weapons? Having greatly enjoyed KOTOR, Jade Empire and NWN I really wanted to like this game and tried for hours, but at the end of the day the lack of RPG features and horrible combat were faults too great to power through.… Collapse

One of the best games I have ever played. ME2 is immersive in a way I've never seen before and tackles some of the darker attributes of humanity. Great game.

Amazing! an incredible history and a second game in the trilogy that enhances to the limit the first one, it's simply unbelievable, is this really only a game? For me it's THE GAME. Emotionally engaging and the best adventure of all times, this is the future of the video games, welcome to the Bioware world and long live to the kings ;) Thanks for this great gaming experience.

The original Mass Effect is considered to be a true RPG/3rd person shooter hybrid. Mass Effect 2 has scaled back most of the RPG elements while keeping the dialog options available and streamlining combat. There are no longer any skill based stats(decryption, first aid, etc) and equipment is very limited. During interviews every Bioware representative bragged and boasted that ME2 was such a vast improvement because combat was so well tuned now. What they dont mention is the neglect of nearly everything that made the game an RPG. Bioware is considered a top-tier developer of only the best games, but to be a great developer you need to be able to improve aspects of your games WITHOUT compromising others. Another aspect that they seemed to always be pushing in everyones face was the ability to port your ME1 character to the sequel. Gamers were led to believe that the decisions made in the first would have a moderate if not profound effect on the second. Unfortunately it only affects maybe 5 minutes of reading text. The plot is in no way affected by any choices you made in ME1. The new Mass Effect shed its RPG-TPS hybrid format to become a TPS with a few RPG inspirations and speech sim. ME was one of my favorite games ever. ME2 is one of the most underwhelming and disappointing games i have played.… Expand

A complete game from whatever angle you look at it from. Visuals, Sound design, Music, story, characters gameplay, and replay value, it has it all.

Lack of depth, lack of personality, lack of really everthing that makes a core RPG. Mass Effects 2 is what I call a straight up 3rd person shooter. It was a epic fail for me.

The game was fantastic, and a great blend of action and RPG elements. Even without importin a save game from the first game, I was sucked into this one and thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Starting a second playthrough, this time with an imported game to see some of the things I missed.

Absolutely amazing game. Better than the first one in every way - and the first one was one of my favorite games of all time. This is a labor of love for every sci-fan out there. And even if you don't like sci-fi, this game is so fast paced, cinematic and well designed you'd be cheating yourself not to at least give it a shot. Thank you Bioware!

I have never personally given a game a 10/10. But this game utterly deserves it. It's not perfect, though. Some would argue "if it's not perfect it's not a 10/10!" I disagree. The Normandy loading times are tedious and kill the immersion in one particular mission. There is not as much armor cust as I thought. But my biggest gripe is that the game ended. Yes, I'm serious. Slight spoiler No game has ever made me feel emotion for the characters. I hated Mordin when I first met him, then I was pissed off when he died in MY playthrough. Thane and Miranda's side quests were INCREDIBLE. I liked EVERYONE on my team, even Garrus and Tali, who I thought were boring and uninteresting in part 1. The combat, the scope, the graphics, the presentation, that's all expected in a great game. But what Mass EFfect has that others do not is the best characters to ever appear in a video game. That's what sets it apart and that's why it's the best game I've ever played. Genius.… Expand

The follow-up to one of the greatest RPG games of all time, could very well be the greatest RPG of all time.

ME2 suffer from the same problem from many sequels. The Devs trying to fix what isn't broken. While they have made some superficial improvements from the original game like better graphics and smoother combat., they removed many fun elements from the first game like exploration and many of the RPG aspects of the game. The story also isn't so good as the first one, the whole game is about collecting squadmates, like pokemon, the mainplot is about 4 missions long. The squadmates which were supose to be the focus of this game were very apathetic on the ship, never leaving their places and each one has only about 4 diferent dialogues. Besides, they have only 4 powers, and you can't change their armors. I hope Bioware reevaluate their priorities in ME3, and bring back all the positive qualities from the first game.… Expand

You can stick a "W" in front of it but that doesn't make it an RPG. Mass Effect 2 is basically a glorified shooter that rips off elements from Japanese Visual Novels and Dating Sims, which these developers then mock. Mass Effect 2 also consists of some of the worst voice acting in any game ever and his really hard to take seriously due to bad voice actor choices. If this was a JRPG reviewers would be up in arms that, for example, when you leave your ship on a mission you can only take a few people with you, or point out how the plot basically just combines several different sci fi movie plots and is one big cliche. Apparently since it's a western game it's beyond these criticisms. This game is nothing special.… Expand

Mass Effect one was a wonderful game but it did have flaws. Bioware seem to have picked up on every one of those and refined it to the nth degree to create a fantastic experience. Gong is the clunky inventory management, gone is the tearing and odd frame rate dip. In is a vastly improved combat mechanic, the best visuals on 360 (probably) and a simpler more immersive RPG experience. The story is, once again, outstanding. It's only Jan yet I think we have my GOTY right here.… Expand

Good as a game, bad as a product. Includes a new consumer screw-over. "DLC" ships with it. Its not really extra content though, its part of the game they just chose to not put in (nothing new there). Its real purpose is to reduce used game sales and make more people buy it retail. Violation of our rights IMO.

Whoa. A lot of 10's here. A lot of 0's. I'm not in the love it or hate it camp. I appreciate what they tried to do. I enjoyed it more than the first one, but less than just about every other game I've played in the past year or so. It just feels outdated. The story is linear, the levels are boring, the combat--while much improved from the first--is a quite boring compared to almost every other TPS or RPG out there. (You always know when a battle is about to break out, because suddenly the room is filled with perfectly shaped things to take cover behind.) The graphics and cinematics are nice but not groundbreaking. The only thing that distinguished Mass Effect was the branching dialogue trees and story consequences, but many games do that now, and most of them do it better. ME-2 is ambitious, but ends up just a slightly above average game. They need to take more combat tips from MW, RPG tips from FF and graphics tips from Uncharted. I doubt I'll play ME-3.… Expand

Hands on the best game I have ever played on any system anywhere. Fantastic story, real emotional involvement unlike any other gaming experience. Loved every second of it. Going back for a second run through, which I have never been compelled to do with ANY game before.

Focusing more on the build up to the finale than it's own story, Mass Effect 2 does some great things with it's cast of characters and their development. Import your Shephard from the first game to enhance your experience and pick your class to play the game a number of different ways. The combat mechanics have been greatly improved on from the first game and it overall seems more polished with less glitches and more fluid controls. With so many different ways to play, you experience something a little different every time, and that in itself speaks volumes. Mass Effect is definitely a game to experience.… Expand

I'll begin this review by saying that I'm primarily a MMO-RPGer (EQ2). I occasionally play console shooters and PC RTS games. Even when I'm playing EQ2 though, I largely ignore the story lines behind the quests and the game overall. Having said all of that, I was totally drawn into ME2. The plot line is amazing, and I totally enjoyed the interactions with the other characters. My advice is to save often before interactions so that you can go back and play them another way. Combat is challenging enough without being frustrating (on "normal) for someone who is only an occasional console gamer. Hardcore console gamers might find the combat a little too easy but then again I haven't attempted it on the "extreme" setting so I'm guessing. I just finished it last night, and I'm probably going to play it again. It also prompted me to buy the first game. So, this is probably one of the only games I'll ever rate a 10, but ME2 deserves it!… Expand

In this game bioware has realized and presented science fiction better than any game has yet done. they created a world that is not only alive but moves and breathes with realistic characters and events. it also has done a fantastic job of melding genres and still delivering the high quality story we expect from bioware games. if you are a shooter fan, if you are an rpg fan, if you are a GAME fan you will enjoy this game. this isn't only my favorite bioware game ever it's my favorite game ever. pick this game up and embrace the greatness, you owe it to yourself.… Expand

Unfortunately it doesn't quite live up to the hype. The game design is average, the gameplay is average, the pressentation, is great, but I think we've seen it all before. Ultimately Mass Effect 2 is more cinematic, but it doesn't bring anything new to the table other than that it's a TPS with some worthless decision making.