LogFAQs > #941497293

Final Analysis: Mass Effect 2

What I thought of ME2: Solid game, worthy of a high seed
Would I play ME2 again? Yes, at least if it wasn't bound to ME1
Did it deserve to win its division? I don't mind, but I don't expect it to make my top 8

Choice-based narrative games were all the rage at the start of the decade. After ME2, I'm going straight into Heavy Rain, another game that emphasizes this element. There is, of course, a much better game to discuss this with, but it seems like the popular conception of that type of game is much less approving today. I think it's partially because, as more and more people finished second and third playthroughs, the flaws in the construction became visible. For example, a seemingly-pivotal choice in Mass Effect 1 is whether to save the life of Kaidan or Ashley, but these two characters go on to do precisely the same things for the rest of the trilogy. Given the complexity of human beings, you would expect some changes in career trajectory between two people.

Mass Effect 2 is a much more polished game than its predecessor, with modernized controls and the removal of tedious elements like the equipment management and the poorly-made vehicle sections. Its revamped combat system makes ability choices more strategic, classes more differentiated, and party composition more important, which help its case as a shooter-RPG hybrid. It still isn't what I'd call a thrilling shooter. You spend most of the time huddled behind cover waiting for your health to regenerate, combing cleared-out areas for ammo clips, or playing totally inane hacking minigames for small change. Its rare for the gameplay to deviate much from the mission structure of shootout after shootout, which, at least for me, led to a certain feeling of monotony. The newly-added planet scanning is about as much of a chore as playing a video game can be, and I stopped doing it as soon as was viable.

Like its illusion of a branching narrative, Mass Effect's illusion of a wide-open galaxy has major holes. There are about 5 tiny hubworlds in the galaxy and the rest of space is just a progression of chest-high walls for combatants to bob behind and shoot each other. It's a work of sci-fi intended to instill a sense of adventure, but its universe often feels more like the terrain of a bored contractor or businessman. Another thing (and you know it's bad when a guy like me makes this complaint,) is that there are too many boys. Over the whole course of the first two games, I did not encounter a single female Krogan, Turian, or Salarian, despite various characters' insistence that they exist. No kids either. This is the case because Bioware couldn't spare the budget to model female or child aliens, I suspect.

Those complaints aside, the characterization and world-building are what make Mass Effect worth it. There are enough different concepts and species to give the impression of a self-contained world, it's often quite funny, and the numerous crew members Shepard picks up are ultimately all well-developed. I would keep playing just to make it to my next conversation with the squad mates. Over the course of two straight games, I definitely felt as though I had built up a strong relationship with a lot of them.

I also appreciated the character of Commander Shepard a lot more this time around. In my first playthrough I thought of Shepard as a dull blank-slate character, but this time I found it interesting to see her methods in action. They did a good job writing her as a persuasive speaker - I noticed that she would respond in very different ways depending on who she was speaking to. She would take a more aggressive stance with a Krogan, for example, because she knows that's the sort of thing they respect and respond to. When I started the first game, I was worried that playing Paragon would be boring compared to the headbutt-happy hilarity of Renegade mode, but I would say those fears were ultimately unfounded. I liked Shepard as the caring team mom.

Mass Effect 2 is a game whose appeal is difficult to sum up in a quick synopsis. It doesn't really come down to any single moment or idea, at least not for me. It's more a case of consistently decent writing that builds upon itself. By the end of that 30-hour process, I was mostly converted.

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I'm playing every game from GotD 2020! Games Completed: 4/129
Currently Playing: Heavy Rain