NOTE: THIS REVIEW WILL BE 70% SAME AS MY XBOX 360 REVIEW. I WILL ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE PS3 VERSION IN THE QUOTATION BOXES.
Mass Effect 2 is probably one of the best Action RPG games that I have ever played. It was a vast improvement from the original game, Mass Effect.
Storyline
As the first game, you will be controlling Commander Shepard in a quest of eliminating the Reapers.
The game starts few weeks after Mass Effect. During a patrol, Shepard's ship, the Normandy is under attack by an unknown spaceship. The unknown spaceship totally obliterated the ship, while Shepard orders anyone who survives to evacuate. Unfortunately, before he is able to evacuate himself, the ship has been destroyed, creating an explosion and a debris damaged Shepard's armour. This in effect, killed Shepard in the space vacuum.
Each main characters have their own side missions which has something to do to affect their own personalities (except one or two) and their own histories. Each of it are beautifully told with emotional storytelling. This, in turn, gives us insight on how they become to be, giving them rather realistic personalities.
As you can see, the first Mass Effect has a great story. This one is no exception, except even better, in my opinion. As I said in above paragraph, your crew (Garrus, Jacob, Miranda, etc.) has their own stories to be told and own side mission to complete. I would dare say that by doing their side missions, the story felt more complete when you are finishing the game.
However, there is one problem. With the freedom of choosing outcomes to affect the story, it is hard to guess which path that you take is canon to the Mass Effect universe. However, I can only say that there is only one ending is not canon, and other endings will lead to Mass Effect 3, eventually.
Regardless, the story is well told, epic, awesome, and can be shaped by your own choices. Although different choices affect certain outcomes, the core of the story will remain unchanged, and this includes the ending. So, it is up to you to shape the game's story, and it is rather satisfying to do that.
Gameplay
Your decisions will still affect each outcomes in this game. If you transfer the Mass Effect save file to this game, the choices that you made in the first game will be included in the second one as well.
If you transferred the save file from the first Mass Effect game to this game, you will get various bonuses, like bonus credits, extra Paragon and Renegade points, etc. It is highly recommended that you transfer the save file, as it is to keep in continuity from the first game. However, one thing should be noted. If a certain member in the first game is already dead, he or she will stay dead in Mass Effect 2, and vice versa. If you feel that your Mass Effect save file is good enough, transfer it to the second game for a great gaming experience. You can also start a new game instead of transferring the first Mass Effect game if you wish to do that.
The important changes from the first game makes the second one much better with improved gameplay.
Like the first game, this is an Action RPG, with some modifications from the first game.
You don't have to wait for your weapons to cool down after firing. However, you must 'reload' with thermal clips. Thermal clips is used to cool down your weapons, and it can be considered as your 'ammo'. Most enemies drop it when they are killed, or certain places have it in the battlefield.
Instead of using grenades, Shepard can use Heavy Weapons. Heavy weapons are devastating, and it is useful to take down a group of enemies or bosses. However, ammo for heavy weapons are scarce, so it would be best if you conserve it until you fight bosses or other difficult enemies.
Another change is that you have self health regeneration. If you are damaged critically, you can sit in cover and wait for your health to recover itself. This also applies to your teammates. In the first game, medi-gel is used to heal yourself and your party. However, it is only needed to revive your party members if they are in KO status.
The cover system is much simpler than the first game, just go to a wall, or a small one, press a button, then Shepard will be in cover, protecting him from most damage. Like any other games, covers are important for offense and defense, so use it wisely.
You can also target enemy's body parts with varying damage. Shooting in the head can do major damage, shooting in the leg may cripple them, yet alive.
There is no customization for your weapons unlike the first one. This is much better, as the first game's weapon system are rather confusing and messed up. However, you can change equipments for Shepard and other members, as well as their appearances.
You can use powers like Unity as in the first game. However, powers in this game recharges faster than normal, making it more useful than the first game. You can also combine your power with your two squad members for maximum effect.
Also, you do not need to use the Mako (a space tank car) to explore. Instead, you will be sent directly to any cities or dungeons in each planet. This actually saves a lot of frustration, unlike the first game.
I like the new changes from the first game. This gives better gaming experience, in my opinion. The changes make this much more action paced, with better pacing.
You have two choices. One, convince him nicely using a Paragon option. Two, beat him up using a Renegade option. The choice is yours.
Like the first game, conversations play a major role in telling the game's story. Decisions will effectively affect most outcomes, and will decide whether you are a Paragon or Renegade. By choosing a positive choice/response, you can get Paragon points, and will also make you become more popular. If you make a negative choice/response, you will get Renegade points, and you will get more notoriety than usual.
As the first game, Shepard has Paragon points and Renegade points. Doing good deeds will net you Paragon points, and doing evil deeds will net you Renegade points. By getting high Paragon or Renegade points, you have access to exclusive choices for certain conversations, which can be very important. For example, by getting high Renegade points, you can persuade someone in a shop to give you a discount, which is a good deed. This also in turn, will net you bonus Paragon points. This also applies to Renegade points. Paragon and Renegade choices affect the outcome of the story heavily, so think wisely whether you should be in Paragon path or Renegade path. Before making any decisions/responses/choices, you can inquire from the person for further information which may relates to the game's story and universe.
You can also do Paragon and Renegade interrupts. By doing one of this interrupts, you can get extra Paragon and Renegade points as well. This also affect certain outcomes in a mission. For example, by saving a certain someone using a Paragon interrupt, you will save that person's life from the eventual outcome of an event where he is supposed to be dead. This also applies to Renegade interrupt, so plan accordingly.
Romance subplots are also available in this game. If you have romanced someone from the first game and you transferred the file to this game, the romance will remain. However, you can choose to romance another person to abandon the old one. In other words, being unfaithful, or cheating, as they say.
Plan accordingly on which new ability a character should learn.
You have character levels in this game as well. By gaining a level, you will receive points. The points are needed to learn new powers. As each characters have different sets of powers to learn, so it would be wise each character to learn a different one from another.
Experiment on each powers that your squad member have on your enemies to determine their effects.
In battle, there are many types of enemies. Organic, synthetic, different races play a part in this. For example, krogan enemies have self regeneration if they are still alive. Robots have high defense, and can only be brought down by hitting their critical points. You need different strategies to defeat each type of enemies. Your powers also useful on defeating them. For example, Incinerate works well on armored enemies. Some enemies have Barrier and Armor as their extra layer of health. You need to destroy either one of them (or both) to damage directly to their health. Using powers is essentially important to take down enemy Barriers and Armors. Bosses especially have both Armor and Barrier as their extra health, so use the right powers to defeat them.
In this game, you will be doing Missions as well. Different missions have different objectives. However, most of the missions are involving recruiting someone, yet the process to do it are varied in a number of ways. As I said before, Paragon and Renegade choices can affect some outcomes in each missions. There is a lot of variety to the missions, which makes the game feel more fresh and non repetitive.
However, traversing from a planet to another is cumbersome, and it is the same one like the first game. You can also get minerals from uninhabited planets to get upgrades for your squad, your ship, etc by scanning the planets. It is a rather tedious task to get the minerals for your upgrades, but it is still acceptable.
Shops now sell a variety of items. You can buy weapon upgrades, personal armor upgrades, etc for your squad. Some characters have their own exclusive upgrades, which they can use it for better advantage. It is recommended you get those to increase your winning chances.
The gameplay is a massive improvement than the first game. I love the new changes, and I loved how good it is. My only complaints are the tedious planet scannings, as well as some minor bugs and glitches. As in the first game, I always find myself addicted to this game's conversations as they are amazing, emotional, etc. Regardless, this is a great game.
Mass Effect 2 is probably one of the best Action RPG games that I have ever played. It was a vast improvement from the original game, Mass Effect.
Storyline
As the first game, you will be controlling Commander Shepard in a quest of eliminating the Reapers.
The game starts few weeks after Mass Effect. During a patrol, Shepard's ship, the Normandy is under attack by an unknown spaceship. The unknown spaceship totally obliterated the ship, while Shepard orders anyone who survives to evacuate. Unfortunately, before he is able to evacuate himself, the ship has been destroyed, creating an explosion and a debris damaged Shepard's armour. This in effect, killed Shepard in the space vacuum.
Each main characters have their own side missions which has something to do to affect their own personalities (except one or two) and their own histories. Each of it are beautifully told with emotional storytelling. This, in turn, gives us insight on how they become to be, giving them rather realistic personalities.
As you can see, the first Mass Effect has a great story. This one is no exception, except even better, in my opinion. As I said in above paragraph, your crew (Garrus, Jacob, Miranda, etc.) has their own stories to be told and own side mission to complete. I would dare say that by doing their side missions, the story felt more complete when you are finishing the game.
However, there is one problem. With the freedom of choosing outcomes to affect the story, it is hard to guess which path that you take is canon to the Mass Effect universe. However, I can only say that there is only one ending is not canon, and other endings will lead to Mass Effect 3, eventually.
Regardless, the story is well told, epic, awesome, and can be shaped by your own choices. Although different choices affect certain outcomes, the core of the story will remain unchanged, and this includes the ending. So, it is up to you to shape the game's story, and it is rather satisfying to do that.
PS3 players does not need to fret about not playing the first Mass Effect in order to get the whole idea of how the story carries out. The interactive comic, Mass Effect: Genesis, covers 90% of the contents from the first Mass Effect game.
As you all may know, there is no Mass Effect for PS3 as it is copyrighted by Microsoft. This applies to the Xbox 360 version, but not the PC version as it is owned by EA. In other words, PS3 players will not be able to enjoy Mass Effect experience as the game is not available for PS3.
However, fear not, as BioWare did a smart move by releasing an interactive comic called Mass Effect: Genesis, that covers 90% of the events happened in the first game. The length of the comic is around 15 minutes, and you can sit back and enjoy the story narration by Shepard (male or female) as he/she explains the events in Mass Effect one by one.
However, there are several key decisions that you need to choose in order it to be carried out while playing Mass Effect 2. Although it sounds simple, one decision can greatly alters the storyline in the game.
Here are the choices you need to make during the interactive comic:
Spoilers ahead
1. Who is your love interest?
A. Ash or Liara for male Shepard.
B. Kaidan or Liara for female Shepard.
C. A neutral choice that allows you to not have any love interests.
2. Should Rachni Queen in Noveria to escape or get killed by Shepard?
A. Yes
B. No
3. What happens to Urdnot Wrex on Virmire?
A. Lives
B. Dies
4. Who will be sacrificed on Virmire to save the other person's team?
A. Ash
B. Kaiden
5. What is your decision for the Council during the Battle of the Citadel?
A. Save the Council, at the cost of many human lives.
B. Let the Council die, with the expense of their own lives and let the humans take over as the new Council.
6. Who do you want to be the humans' representative?
A. Anderson
B. Udina
This is a smart move to allow the PS3 players to have general yet rich details of the events of the first Mass Effect. It proves to be a great alternative than playing Mass Effect on another console.
Gameplay
Your decisions will still affect each outcomes in this game. If you transfer the Mass Effect save file to this game, the choices that you made in the first game will be included in the second one as well.
If you transferred the save file from the first Mass Effect game to this game, you will get various bonuses, like bonus credits, extra Paragon and Renegade points, etc. It is highly recommended that you transfer the save file, as it is to keep in continuity from the first game. However, one thing should be noted. If a certain member in the first game is already dead, he or she will stay dead in Mass Effect 2, and vice versa. If you feel that your Mass Effect save file is good enough, transfer it to the second game for a great gaming experience. You can also start a new game instead of transferring the first Mass Effect game if you wish to do that.
The important changes from the first game makes the second one much better with improved gameplay.
Like the first game, this is an Action RPG, with some modifications from the first game.
You don't have to wait for your weapons to cool down after firing. However, you must 'reload' with thermal clips. Thermal clips is used to cool down your weapons, and it can be considered as your 'ammo'. Most enemies drop it when they are killed, or certain places have it in the battlefield.
Instead of using grenades, Shepard can use Heavy Weapons. Heavy weapons are devastating, and it is useful to take down a group of enemies or bosses. However, ammo for heavy weapons are scarce, so it would be best if you conserve it until you fight bosses or other difficult enemies.
Another change is that you have self health regeneration. If you are damaged critically, you can sit in cover and wait for your health to recover itself. This also applies to your teammates. In the first game, medi-gel is used to heal yourself and your party. However, it is only needed to revive your party members if they are in KO status.
The cover system is much simpler than the first game, just go to a wall, or a small one, press a button, then Shepard will be in cover, protecting him from most damage. Like any other games, covers are important for offense and defense, so use it wisely.
You can also target enemy's body parts with varying damage. Shooting in the head can do major damage, shooting in the leg may cripple them, yet alive.
There is no customization for your weapons unlike the first one. This is much better, as the first game's weapon system are rather confusing and messed up. However, you can change equipments for Shepard and other members, as well as their appearances.
You can use powers like Unity as in the first game. However, powers in this game recharges faster than normal, making it more useful than the first game. You can also combine your power with your two squad members for maximum effect.
Also, you do not need to use the Mako (a space tank car) to explore. Instead, you will be sent directly to any cities or dungeons in each planet. This actually saves a lot of frustration, unlike the first game.
I like the new changes from the first game. This gives better gaming experience, in my opinion. The changes make this much more action paced, with better pacing.
You have two choices. One, convince him nicely using a Paragon option. Two, beat him up using a Renegade option. The choice is yours.
Like the first game, conversations play a major role in telling the game's story. Decisions will effectively affect most outcomes, and will decide whether you are a Paragon or Renegade. By choosing a positive choice/response, you can get Paragon points, and will also make you become more popular. If you make a negative choice/response, you will get Renegade points, and you will get more notoriety than usual.
As the first game, Shepard has Paragon points and Renegade points. Doing good deeds will net you Paragon points, and doing evil deeds will net you Renegade points. By getting high Paragon or Renegade points, you have access to exclusive choices for certain conversations, which can be very important. For example, by getting high Renegade points, you can persuade someone in a shop to give you a discount, which is a good deed. This also in turn, will net you bonus Paragon points. This also applies to Renegade points. Paragon and Renegade choices affect the outcome of the story heavily, so think wisely whether you should be in Paragon path or Renegade path. Before making any decisions/responses/choices, you can inquire from the person for further information which may relates to the game's story and universe.
You can also do Paragon and Renegade interrupts. By doing one of this interrupts, you can get extra Paragon and Renegade points as well. This also affect certain outcomes in a mission. For example, by saving a certain someone using a Paragon interrupt, you will save that person's life from the eventual outcome of an event where he is supposed to be dead. This also applies to Renegade interrupt, so plan accordingly.
Romance subplots are also available in this game. If you have romanced someone from the first game and you transferred the file to this game, the romance will remain. However, you can choose to romance another person to abandon the old one. In other words, being unfaithful, or cheating, as they say.
Plan accordingly on which new ability a character should learn.
You have character levels in this game as well. By gaining a level, you will receive points. The points are needed to learn new powers. As each characters have different sets of powers to learn, so it would be wise each character to learn a different one from another.
Experiment on each powers that your squad member have on your enemies to determine their effects.
In this game, you will be doing Missions as well. Different missions have different objectives. However, most of the missions are involving recruiting someone, yet the process to do it are varied in a number of ways. As I said before, Paragon and Renegade choices can affect some outcomes in each missions. There is a lot of variety to the missions, which makes the game feel more fresh and non repetitive.
However, traversing from a planet to another is cumbersome, and it is the same one like the first game. You can also get minerals from uninhabited planets to get upgrades for your squad, your ship, etc by scanning the planets. It is a rather tedious task to get the minerals for your upgrades, but it is still acceptable.
Shops now sell a variety of items. You can buy weapon upgrades, personal armor upgrades, etc for your squad. Some characters have their own exclusive upgrades, which they can use it for better advantage. It is recommended you get those to increase your winning chances.
The gameplay is a massive improvement than the first game. I love the new changes, and I loved how good it is. My only complaints are the tedious planet scannings, as well as some minor bugs and glitches. As in the first game, I always find myself addicted to this game's conversations as they are amazing, emotional, etc. Regardless, this is a great game.
The PS3 version has all of the previous DLCs included for free, including Lair of the Shadow Broker, Overlord, and other great stuffs.
The PS3 version has a number of DLCs included, such as extra missions like Lair of the Shadow Broker. Also, you have access to new weapons, armour, etc as bonuses. You can also recruit the two DLC characters, Zaaed Massini and Kasumi Goto.
Unfortunately, all of this bonus stuff is included in a DLC that you need to download from the PlayStation Store. Every copies for Mass Effect 2 for PS3 has a redemption code, which allows you to download the DLC pack, called Mass Effect 2 Cerberus Pack for free. Please take note that the DLC pack has 636 MB storage space, so it may takes a while to download it, depending on your Internet connection speed. Also, Mass Effect: Genesis is also included in Cerberus Pack. In other words, if you do not download the Cerberus Pack, you will be starting the Mass Effect 2 game using the default storyline, which is not desirable from most people.
I think BioWare made the wrong move. A single Blu-Ray disc can easily fit all of the DLC content as it is only 636 MB, yet they chose not to store it in the disc, and sells it on PS Store. If you do not use the redemption code, you need to purchase the DLC with a high cost, especially the separate DLC contents. If somehow you lost the redemption code, buy the Cerberus Pack as it can saves you some money instead of buying it one by one.
In conclusion, I am happy that to see that the PS3 version has all the current DLCs available. That way, PS3 users won't miss much in that game compared with Xbox 360 and PC players.
