This past week saw the release of what possibly could be the candidate game of the year for 2010, the sequel to the first true space opera RPG to hit the XBox 360, Mass Effect. The original game was wellwelcomed and received a round of positive critical response by nearly everyone. What had set the game apart from similar games were its remarkable graphics, intuitive game play framework, catchy futuristicambient tunes, and gripping storyline that helped to initiate a great cult following similar to that of the Star Wars and Star Trek genre. Luckily enough, Bioware managed to provide us with a great sequel thatimproved on the original in every possible way, from the combat system to its graphics and even storyline.

If you have enjoyed the story of the first Mass Effect then you will surely be happy to know that the game steadily improves on its predecessor. This is because it manages to keep a good balance between the main plot of the game as well as keeping a clear focus on the historical background of each of its main protagonists. In fact Mass Effect 2 can be defined as one of the most personal games that you will end up playing, meaning that you have the chance and the power to establish the outcome of your characters as well as that of the game's progress.

Furthermore, if you happen to have finished the first Mass Effect and decide to import your old character, the choices that you made at that time will be carried over so again we see that the progress of the game will take course depending on your past decisions. You will meet up with many familiar faces as well as plenty of new characters to make things even more interesting. One will also note that this time around the storyline is much darker in context and feel. Unlike the main storyline which is not as intense and overwhelming as that found in the previous game, all side quests that you undergo feel sad and more emotional. This helps to bring out the true persona of each of your team members and one strong aspect present in the game is the interaction that you establish between Shepard and the other characters. If you want to gain their loyalty and trust you would need to help them in any way possible, or else things might end up badly for you when the game is finished. The main story takes place a few years shortly after the events in the first game and the game boasts to have one of the coolest introductions everas it jump starts you straight into action. Essentially Shepard will have to face up with a new type of enemy, who mysteriously enough is kidnapping humans from their colonies in order to perform weird experiments. The game is not short and the fact that it is on two discs is enough proof, however the game takes roughly about 25 to 30 hours to complete (including side quests).

Mass Effect 2 brings about a number of changes that in my opinion improve drastically the feel of the gameplay. Exploration has become more streamlined. Gone is the mako (space buggy) and instead of traversing unexplored worlds you just scan planets directly from the Normandy and deploy probes to collect different minerals which are used as resources for researching and purchasing weapons, items andother materials. The idea of probing for minerals works well, albeit it tends to get boring and tedious, however it helps in saving time from having to drive vast landscapes. One might also notice a downscale when exploring cities present in the various solar systems (mainly the Citadel). Cities are just like hubs, meaning that they will look big when approaching them with the Normandy, but once you start your missions you will see that the places are just smaller portions of what we were used to in the previous game. This streamlined approach to exploration works well though at times one might prefer bigger locations but personally this is way much better because you will not get lost in sections that are not required to be checked by your team.

The biggest change in the game however is seen in its gameplay and a revamped combat system. Shooting has been tightened to feel more in line with games like Uncharted and Gears of War. The cover system is more fluid this time and is a blessing when compared to the one in Mass Effect. Weapons in this game abandons the heating system in favor of ammunition, termed as heat sinks, which can be used on specificweapons that you will be equipping. This works well though running out of ammo for your favorite gun is never pleasant. Biotic powers have been improved for the better except for the fact that some biotics canonly be used if the enemy is unshielded. There is also a greater focus on action and roughly every mission consists of shooting through waves of enemies similar to that of a shooting gallery. Due to this the gamecan be seen to deviate from its RPG roots such as Leveling up, looting, EXP, and weapons. Leveling has been tweaked as there are no longer weapon or armor stats.

The player is now faced with skill levels that you can upgrade to and become more expensive as you go up. You no longer gain EXP from enemies or any other method in the first game. The only way to gain EXP is to complete missions to the end at which point you are then awarded experience points. You are also not able to purchase weapons, armor or licenses and the inventory screen is gone. You find weapons during your missions and if there is a better weapon it is equipped or you will find schematics that can be researched via your tech lab so as to create new weapons or eventually upgrade them. The same applies to armor, and other upgrades. Ammo customizing has been replaced with tech skills in order to change your ammo, though there are only a few types. Some of these changes feel more at home than others and at time it feels as if the RPG elementshave been stripped off as opposed to streamlined. In my opinion I prefer this system to the one found in the original Mass Effect, simply because targeting is more polished and realistic. On the other hand, Paragon and Renegade points are still here, however the good Vs evil aspect is more evident. This means that you have a better choice to build your character modeled on becoming either a good hero or a malevolent and sadistic bastard. In fact if you decide to gain more Renegade Points, Shepard's face will become more scarred and his eyes will turn red. Do the terms Jedi and Sith ring any bells here?

Conclusion

All in all Mass Effect 2 is an amazing game and can be classified as one of the best RPG games you will ever get to play. It is fun, ultra addictive, has incredible re-playability, and has a unique charm thatonly Bioware is able to relay back to the gamer. With that being said one can wonder about whether some of the changes made were necessary as in making the game more streamlined and action oriented. Theoverall feel of the game is more in tune with that of a third person shooter with some RPG elements incorporated. Bring on Mass Effect 3!