Mass Effect 2 - Xbox 360

Honestly, I’ve struggled to write an introduction to this review for about 15 minutes, but rather than try any clever wordplay I’m just going to say what I feel – this game kicks ass.

That’s the best way to describe Mass Effect 2 in all its glory – it’s a huge improvement on the first game (which was brilliant in its own right) and ticks all the boxes for both space epic and top next-gen game.

Putting you back in the environment boots of Commander Shepherd, Mass Effect 2 picks up shortly after the events of the first game, but while you can start again with a new Commander Shepherd, gamers who graced the halls of the Normandy in the previous instalment will probably want to import that save file into this game, warts and all.

In my playthroughs I played once making the decisions I would make personally (which turned out well, thankfully) and once playing as a renegade psychopathic lesbian (don’t read too much into that).

Upon importing the first save file, I found the galaxy of ME2 has reacted to my actions in the first game, making the whole experience feel like your own personal story, and one which is apparently going to continue into Mass Effect 3- so keep those save files.

While I would like to go into the specifics, I’d hate to spoil the frankly brilliant plot, so to summarise: Shepherd must assemble a team to travel into a dangerous part of the galaxy and stop some evildoers, and it’s up to you whether the mission is a success, or if you’re going to die in the attempt – yes, if you don’t do things right, it could be a suicide mission.

Bioware has been careful to tackle all the issues raised by the first game- combat, loading, exploration and length.

First off is the combat, which has had a huge overhaul, disposing of the clunky cover system and terrible squad AI and replacing it with something more akin to Gears of War.

A press of the ‘A’ button will stick Shepherd to cover, with the same button making him or her vault over it or do a GoW-style roadie run. Once in cover Shepherd can peak out to fire, or throw biotic attacks at enemies.

The power wheel also makes a return, allowing you to utilise your two partner’s attacks in real time, or order them to change weapons for specific enemies.

You can also order them around with the d-pad, and the AI is thankfully clever enough to pathfind its way from cover to cover with no problems.

Biotic attacks have also had an overhaul – there are now more attacks available and you can now bend them around corners or over barricades, rendering the combat more fluid and fun.

The weapons available have also changed a fair bit. Rather than carrying every weapon, each crew member only carries the ones they are proficient with, including Shepherd.

He or she also gets to take advantage of the newly-added heavy weapons, which are ideal for taking on Krogan or the huge mechs standing in your path.

Along for the ride this time are a diverse team of operatives Shepherd will need to recruit for his mission. The roster includes a powerful but unstable biotic, a pure-blood Krogan, a deadly assassin and a decent selection of humans, all who have their own motivation and whose trust you have to earn if you want to keep them on side.

Your ship will also need upgrading along with you armour and weapons, as you can’t just buy new armour and upgrades at the store, and instead need to find and research them yourself, using resources mined from the myriad planets of the galaxy.

The exploration aspect of Mass Effect has also improved exponentially. Planets are scanned from orbit, allowing you to locate and mine resources without ever leaving the galaxy map, and unlike the first game many of these planets have side missions to attempt, ranging from stopping slavers to recovering operatives, all with considerable bonuses to levelling up your squad, which is still as essential and easy to do as ever. The Mako APC has been dropped however; so don’t expect to go bouncing over the hilltops any time soon.

There is also a definite ‘gritty’ feel to the locations on offer this time. No longer is Shepherd frequenting the high-and-mighty planets, this time he’s visiting the dregs of ME’s society – drug dealers, slavers, pirates and all the scum of the galaxy, but rather than going the ‘emo’ route so many games have dipped into in their second iteration, ME2 instead offers a rounded look at the galaxy, offering both the order of the Citadel and the grime of Omega – a mining station, and hive of scum and villainy – it’s just more fun to be on the outside, with no rules or regulations and a galaxy to save, or doom – it’s all down to your choices.

Graphically the game is a cut above its predecessor, and the problems with graphical pop-in have been largely dealt with. There is still the occasional problem with loading textures, but it’s minor at best.

The tedious ‘elevator’ loading screens have also been cut, replaced instead with Star Trek-style information screens displaying the inner workings of the Normandy. There is, however, still a lot of loading screen to stare at, and this can get a bit tedious at times.

The game is also a little buggy. While they are only minor flaws, on my first playthrough I encountered conversations that wouldn’t end, a rotating Krogan who appeared to be dancing and the incredible flying Shepherd (I took off after being hit by a rocket), but these are few and far between, and do not mar the game in any significant way.

Sound-wise the game is as good as ever. Bioware have once again produced a brilliant score, and all the voice actors are on top form, especially when paired with the excellent facial animations in game. The combat has also been improved with a raft of new noises and the general battle noises of a modern universe- it’s visceral and noisy, and all the more compelling for it.

If I could encapsulate Mass Effect 2 in one word, it would be ‘more’. There are more planets to explore, more people to meet and more to study. There are more difficult decisions and more mistakes to make, there’s more to see and do, and a more compelling storyline than ever before, shot through with issues of trust and loyalty.

And, though the loading screens can be excruciating, this is one suicide mission you won’t want to miss.

Of course the fact that you can buy a ‘space hamster’ to keep as a pet in your personal cabin never hurts either.

Score: 9/10

Good Stuff:
Loads to see and do
Streamlined gameplay
Brilliant plot

Not So Good Stuff:
A little buggy
Looooong loading times

• Darksiders
• Army of Two: The 40th Day
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (again)
• Bayonetta (and how much she looks like Sarah Palin)
• Jet Set Radio
• Farenheit
• Dante’s Inferno
• The upcoming DLC for Resident Evil 5
• Mass Effect 2
• Final Fantasy XIII
• God of War 3

Enjoy

Compared to the rather meagre offerings from the MCM Expo last week, Eurogamer was a relative feast for the gaming senses, ranging from the hilarity of ‘new’ Super Mario Brothers Wii to the relative sobriety of Heavy Rain, all in the halls and vaults of the surprisingly massive Old Billingsgate building on the shores of the Thames.

Here’s my highlights from the Expo, but more details are covered in our Game On Podcast: Eurogamer Special, so listen to that too if you get a moment!

Here’s my take on the day’s best offerings:

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
A massive booth set up on the main floor of the building was running BC2 games throughout the day, and with my shiny press pass I was one of the first gamers to get my hands on EA’s hotly-tipped squad shooter. Playing similarly to its predecessor, BC2’s graphics had clearly had an overhaul, and a variety of new vehicles and weapons were on offer.

I jumped on to a quad bike at one point, then hijacked a tank and drove through a building – needless to say EA’s Frostbite graphics engine is still up to the task of simulating dozens of buildings exploding in sequence, so expect more of the falling bricks and mortar of the previous titles.

The enhanced radar and tighter controls were a welcome improvement on the last game, but it remains to be seen wether EA can improve the laggy gaming typically associated with playing Battlefield games online.

Aliens Vs Predator
I missed the last game in this series, and having seen the movies I was hoping Rebellion wouldn’t be using those terrible insults to SciFi as any point of reference for this new game – luckily I was right.

Playing in a booth off the main showfloor, AvP was showing off a deathmatch mode, pitching Colonial Marines (armed with traditional guns and a flashlight) against the deadly aliens (who can clamber over every surface in the game and even cling on to the roof) and the stealthy Predators (who come with the familiar red-tinted heads up display and a wicked pair of claws ideal for ripping the enemy to shreds).

Though the action suffered from a fair few graphical bugs, the game was a blast to play, with each of the three combatants offering their own variety of advantages and disadvantages.

It’s early days for the game though, so wether the high speed of the alien and the Marine’s overpowered pistol-whip will be in the final build is up for debate, but either way, I’ll be keeping an eye on this one.

God of War 3
Ex-servant of the Gods, Kratos, returns in the blood-drenched conclusion to the venerable Playstation series.

Screens in the over-18’s section of the expo (watched over by a suitably massive bouncer) were showing the game in all its brutality, with Kratos in fine form tearing enemies to bits with his familiar chain blades, as well as some funky new magical powers, an improved bow and pair of rather nifty wings.

Also making a return are the massive bosses so beloved by fans of the series, and I can promise that the boss battles are just as spectacular as before – I saw Kratos rip the horn off a demon and stab it through the head with the bony protrusion – It doesn’t get much better than that!

Mass Effect 2
Not much to say here which hasn’t already been discussed.

Sadly BioWare didn’t have any new songs to sing, showing the same game scenes released in earlier months. I was happy to see the improved combat system in full swing, with Spectre agent Commander Shepard gunning down robots and organics in equal measure, pausing now and then to hold a conversation with his target. The wheel of conversation choices I loved so much in the last game (with the added bonus of being able to interupt your partner in mid flow!) also makes a return.

Graphically the game’s had an overhaul, and the ever-annoying pop-in textures seems to have been done away with, hopefully along with the game’s notoriously long elevator loading times…

The Saboteur
Tucked away in the basement was a preview build of Pandemic’s World War 2 shooter. A quick play of this revealed a control scheme familiar to anyone who’s played Star Wars: Battlefront or Mercenaries 2, and the previous game’s open-world action makes a welcome return in this game.

I played my way through a factory level, slaughtering Nazi’s left and right and taking in the interesting colour scheme the developers have implemented, as killing Nazis gradually restores the colour saturation to the area, bringing the world back to life, as it were.
However, the main character’s terrible Irish accent didn’t help the proceedings.

‘New’ Super Mario Bros. Wii
Since this one was Colin’s game of the expo, I’m going to let him write this bit, as though I enjoyed the new Super Mario Bros. I was rubbish at it…

“For me, the game that surprised me most at Eurogamer was Super Mario Brothers Wii. While not really a game that I have paid much attention to, I was vaguely aware that it was due to come out this side of Christmas.

Upon taking the wii-mote from the friendly PR lady I was immediately taken with how familiar the game was. For me, it was almost like hooking up with an old friend.”

“Nintendo have very wisely stuck with the familiar 2D layout, giving the game the retro feel that will appeal to gamers of all ages. Those who fondly remember playing Super Mario Brothers on the NES back in the 80s will feel at home playing this game.

The level we played was 4-player co-op, and was immense fun. I was controlling Luigi and Andy was a toadstool. Needless to say, naturally, I used and abused the opportunity to jump on Andy’s head, several times.

It’s not often I get excited at the release of a Wii game, but this one has perked my interest.”

Left 4 Dead 2
This was the game of the show for me, and the new mode on show – Scavenge – only continued to keep me excited for the return of Valve’s venerable zombie blaster.

Graphically the game hasn’t really changed much, though the textures have clearly had an overhaul.

New weapons were on show though, ranging from a katana and frying pan for melee combat to a whole variety of rifles and pistols. Good thing too, as Valve also bought the new special infected into play, with the Charger – a massive hillbilly who can send survivors flying, and the Jockey – who clambers on to survivors and can steer them off cliffs and into fire (all while screaming horribly) being two particular favourites of mine.

The new mode, Scavenge, pitted the survivors against waves of the infected, while they worked to collect petrol cans and get them back to the safe zone.

This looked a total blast on versus mode, and the relatively short rounds seemed ideal for combating the familiar rage-quitters which mar the Left for Dead versus’ online experience.

I really can’t wait for this one, so watch this space.

So those were the highlights of the expo for me, but to hear more about what Colin and I got up to, along with a whole bunch of hear-say and other whispers of a pair of deranged gaming journos, have a listen to our special podcast.