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Mass Effect 2 Prez Review |
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Written by Ralph112233
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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 11:45 |
The First Presidential Review
Hello Battlebud Nation, after noticing all the interest in this game, I’ve decided it will be a good idea to post a review. Maybe that way those that are undecided about the game can get a better idea of what to expect and that way make their decision as to buy it or renting it.
The first thing that impressed me about the game was when I was importing the character I had already created on the previous Mass Effect game. They kept track of most major decisions you made in the past. It recalls everything from the background you chose, to the physical appearance of the character. When you start, the game gives you a review of the major things you did in the past, so that you can make sure you are selecting the right character, in case you have completed the story with a good guy and a bad guy. The good thing is that if you feel like trying a different class to the previous one you had chosen you are given the opportunity to change it.
If you never played the previous Mass Effect it doesn’t matter, you would go through the same character creation sequence those have one go through. You can either create and customize a character, or use the default Shepard. If you did previously create one, you do not need to worry about your skill points and unlocks you had because those do not carry over. You start over as a blank slate.
When you start playing the game you will notice improved graphics while not incredibly better, you will see that textures and such things look slightly more detailed. The gameplay in my opinion seems a lot more polished. You can assign certain powers of your squad members to the d-pad so that they can be used in real time rather than having to open the selection wheel every time you want to use one. Like Mass Effect 1 this one also has a cover system. The cover system in this game works very similar to the one on Gears of War. It feels much smoother than on the previous game while still not as smooth as it is on Gears of War. The hit detection seems greatly improved making it easier to kill an enemy with an assault rifle even if it is not the weapon your character favors. Mass Effect 2 also introduces ammo, which was something you did not need to worry about on Mass Effect 1. I have run out of sniper ammo in the middle of a fight, but I am a really bad shot. On a good note once you run out of ammo it automatically switches to the next available weapon you have. After every fight the dead enemies drop ammo and plenty of it so it rarely is a problem. The health system has also been changed, now you have to stay in cover long enough for your health and shields to refill automatically while the medi-gels are used to bring back dead squad members.
The game is no longer black and white while putting good and evil on a balance. When you get into dialogs you can earn paragon points as well as renegade points at the same time. You could give 3 paragon answers and 1 renegade one and you will earn points for each respectively. You can become a good guy with a mean streak, or a bad guy who is not so bad sometimes. One thing I will tell you without spoiling anything is that there is a new addition to dialogs now. While it does not happen often, sometimes in the middle of a conversation you will see either a paragon sign on the bottom left of the screen with the left trigger button next to it, or a renegade symbol on the bottom right with the right trigger next to it. These when timed correctly will queue either paragon/renegade actions giving you extra points on your given selection. You only get one chance to do these actions, you miss them and there is no second time, so keep an eye out.
The character customization seems slightly simpler than on the previous game, but it is very early for me still. I might be able to unlock more abilities later on. On the other hand without giving anything away there is now a purpose to harvesting the minerals. While it can be a little boring to do, at least on this game there is a purpose to doing it which is nice. You can also now change the colors of your characters uniform and suit patterns and he will appear on cut scenes and dialogs exactly as you made him.
In general I am very please with the game. It is exactly what I expected. There is still humor, great voice acting, well written story that draws you in right from the start. There is more action that feels a lot smoother than the previous game. While the graphics are not incredibly better, you will notice a small improvement.
For those that never had a chance to play Mass Effect 1 I recommend you to play it because of the rich story it has and because in this game you feel like past decisions you made do matter. It is not necessary for you to have played it; this is a whole new story with some references to the past, but it is very rewarding when you get to see that everything you did in the past affects the present. I hope you enjoyed my first presidential review and that you enjoy the game as much as I do if you do decide to get it. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I will do my best to give you an answer without spoilers.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 14 February 2010 16:40 |
