THE GAME GUY
Mass Effect 2: Love, betrayal, fighting and fun
February 6, 2010
Marc Saltzman
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Mass Effect 2
(out of 4)
For Xbox 360 and PCs. $59.99
Rated M for mature
A message to sci-fi fans eager to play the follow-up to 2007's Mass Effect role-playing game: Run, don't walk, to pick up this stellar sequel.
If you can find one, that is. Mass Effect 2 sold more than 2 million units during its first week.
Developed by Edmonton's BioWare for Electronic Arts, Mass Effect 2, the second in a planned trilogy, continues the heroic space adventures of Commander Shepard in the 22nd century. In fact, you can even import your saved game from Mass Effect to continue as your customized Commander.
The extraordinary story in Mass Effect 2 revolves around a mysterious race threatening humankind, and Shepard's reluctance to work with Cerberus, a terrorist-like organization, to stop "The Collectors" in their path. As with the first game, there are also love interests, betrayals, minigames and numerous side-missions.
Mass Effect 2 offers a deep storyline with memorable characters in exotic environments, and there's also plenty of action. Third-person combat plays a huge role, with many character classes to choose from (including a brute soldier, tech specialist or stealthy infiltrator), as well as multiple futuristic weapons and special powers.
Mass Effect 2 isn't without its issues, however. For one, the "Power Wheel" and "Weapon Wheel" interface you call up during combat is hard to see, with a small font for the names of the weapons and powers. As a result, unless you can make out the silhouette or remember where a favourite selection is on the ring, you might need to squint to read what you're choosing, even on a 60-inch television.
Another beef surrounds some anticlimactic moments, when the dialogue builds up to what you think will be an epic fight that ends before you know it. One of the early missions, for example, involves joining a mercenary group to find the elusive "Archangel," and despite 20-odd minutes of conversation about his motives and whereabouts, the actual fighting that leads up to the meeting with him takes only a minute or two.
Shortcomings notwithstanding, Mass Effect 2 is an extraordinarily fun and great-looking RPG. And a code in the box lets you download new missions and special items free.
Toronto Star