“Awesomeness Achieved” 
Overall Rating: A+ (9.7)
I’ll be honest; when I played the first Mass Effect I did not play it through until completion the first go-round. I played halfway through, stopped playing for about a year, and decided to give it another shot. I was so upset at myself for not giving it a fair shot. As a matter of fact, I placed it in my Top 10 Games on the Xbox 360. Once I finally finished it, I could not wait for Mass Effect 2. Once I got my hands on Mass Effect 2 and placed Disc One (out of two) in my 360, I did not stop until I finished it. This was one of the first times I actually played a game straight through and never placed another game in the console. Mass Effect 2 took the original Mass Effect and did the almost impossible; made a great game even greater. This was the best gaming experience I’ve ever had since owning my Xbox 360, and every owner of an Xbox 360 should buy this. Period. So what makes Mass Effect 2 the best gaming experience on the Xbox 360? Read on.
If you played the original Mass Effect and kept your last save, Bioware implemented a system that carries over the decisions you made into Mass Effect 2. This keeps a unique synergy between the two games and also gets you even more excited about how your decisions in Mass Effect 2 will transfer into Mass Effect 3. Now don’t worry if you didn’t play the original Mass Effect. Although it will enhance your experience during Mass Effect 2, you will still have a lot of fun playing through the game with a lot of key decisions to make throughout.
The main plotline of Mass Effect 2 is much darker than the original Mass Effect. Of course you have to save the galaxy again, but this time it involves a lot more people with a much bigger impact. Without giving too much away, humans are disappearing from various colonies around the universe, and you not only have to figure out why, but you must also go on a suicide mission to stop it. Before you go on this suicide mission, however, you must build up a team of very capable recruits whom will “ride or die” with you no matter what you decide to do. There is much more involved with the story, MUCH more, but I don’t want to spoil it for you J. Just know that every decision you make during the game will affect how the game ends. Who lives or dies is all in your hands, including your own. Yes, you can die as well! The plotline isn’t the most original, but it gets the job done.
So how does Mass Effect 2 play? If you wanted more “RPG” out of the combat, unfortunately you will be disappointed. Bioware decided to make Mass Effect 2 more of a shooter a la Gears of War. Now with that being said, this is an awesome shooter. If you ever wished Marcus Fenix could cause enemies to float and throw them with Star Wars force, you will love Mass Effect 2’s new shooting focus. Personally, I loved the idea of being a sniping Adept, what with being able to cause enemies to float in the air and popping them with a headshot is pure bliss! Does it become too much of a shooter at times? Yes. Is that necessarily a horrible thing? Absolutely not. As long as you are aware that Mass Effect 2 is an RPG with 3rd person shooting combat, you will not be disappointed. Go into it with an RPG mentality and you will be disappointed. It’s as simple as that.
The class system works much better than the original Mass Effect. Each class feels much more powerful and have greater distinction in Mass Effect 2. Engineers, for example, have the ability to not only spawn a “pet” bomb that attracts enemies, but they can also control enemy robots to fight for them. Soldiers, however, are the shoot first ask questions later class. If you choose the right squad layout, you will have a blast with Mass Effect 2’s combat system.
See More Mass Effect 2 Screenshot at IGN.com
The graphics in Mass Effect 2 are the best I’ve seen on the Xbox 360. Bioware took the Unreal 3 engine and had a field day with it. Each planet has a distinct feel to it. The night club on Omega is just insane! I also enjoyed visiting Illium just to look out into the horizon. I think this is the only gripe I have with the design of Mass Effect 2. I wished we could explore more areas of a particulare planet. Most cities felt very small compared to what you can see. Illium, for example, has a beautiful backdrop, but the actual area where you are is tiny. Hopefully Mass Effect 3 is even larger when it comes to issues like this. Maybe give us the option to actually drive a space car instead of warping to the next area? Do it Bioware.
The voice acting is of course top-notch. Not only are the voices distinct, but the actors can actually…act. The music is great along with the sound effects from your biotic powers to the guns you shoot. Even the ambient sounds and chatter in each city added an uncanny sense of realism.
It took me about 12-hours to beat Mass Effect 2, but could have been way shorter if I wasn’t a completionist. Bioware is committed to releasing DLC at least for the near future, with Kasumi’s Stolen Memory due out soon. The Normandy DLC was cool to experience, especially if you played the original Mass Effect. The point is, there is a lot of replayability after you beat the main mission. You can finish up side missions, try to get in the sheets with a crewmate(Miranda I’m coming after you!), or just explore the vast amount of planets in the different solar systems. Why not start a new game with the same Shepherd and try to get a different ending? There are just plenty of things to do.
Mass Effect 2 is a must-play game. The conversation system alone is a game in itself, and throwing combat in it is just icing on the cake. I highly recommend experiencing Mass Effect 2 even once, especially if you didn’t play the original. Fans of RPG’s and shooters alike will find enjoyment with the various classes to choose from and the story to match.
Storyline: A- (9.2)
Gameplay: A (9.5)
Graphics: A+ (9.8)
Sound: A (9.5)
Replayability: A (9.4)
Overall: A+ (9.7)
Click Image to Rent Mass Effect 2 Form GameFly.