Mass Effect 2

In November 2007 a space-themed RPG by Bioware came about and took the gaming world by storm, featuring simple but addictive gameplay, beautiful graphic design and execution, and an epic, over-the-top storyline. Two and a half years later, its sequel is here. Have Bioware met the huge expectations attached to all major sequels? Have they brushed against the bar they themselves set so high? Is Mass Effect 2 worthy of standing besides its predecessor, a regular modern classic in its own right?

Mass Effect 2 takes place two years after the first one left off, and features the same Commander Shepard we know and love, especially if you import your old save game. If you've played Mass Effect, doing so is a no-brainer, because it guarantees this game becomes something incredibly personal, by remembering both the huge and the little choices you made all along way.

Unfortunately, Mass Effect 2 is hugely referential, you can clearly enjoy it if you've never played the first one, or if you've forgotten something (impossible considering just how damn good the story is in these games), but you'll miss out on a huge amount of inside-jokes, subtle references and nods that make it the most believable alien universe you've ever visited (sorry, Pandora!), both gaming or otherwise.

The actual gameplay is improved this time around, the tedious side-quests of Mass Effect are done away with, and are replaced with either a mini-game (that still manages to feel right, even though detractors might accuse it of breaking the game's mood) or a more clear-cut mission. Even if you try to breeze throughout the game, and skip all non-essential missions, get no upgrades and ignore all the little details the plot offers, you still wind up with an almost twenty hour no-holds-barred action extravaganza. Double that if you want full completion, and that's one play through, with one character class.

Taking it all from the top without being bored by the game is no small task, and Bioware deliver the goods, because Mass Effect 2 is so broad its choices. It dispels the common myth that videogames tell you not only what to do, but give you not much choice in doing it. With its sharp dialogue (hats off to the writers), and polarizing choices, it becomes a mirror of the player's self: more than once, I struggled to choose what to say for minutes at a time. In Mass Effect 2, there are no right or wrong answers, only repercussions, and there are more lessons to be learned here than in many other works of art that are presented as "educational". It's perfectly conceivable for two different people to play the game and extract two completely different experiences, as far as both story and gameplay are concerned. That's no small task.

Graphically, the characters are more detailed this time around, showcasing the unique and unforgettable supporting cast. The soundtrack is epic and alert, seemingly torn out of any Hollywood blockbuster, and the voice acting is absolutely exemplar. The most striking example is Martin Sheen as The Illusive Man (also the best name of 2010 so far), who always gives off the impression of knowing more than he lets on. Most familiar faces return, but in unexpected ways that will surely bring about a smile for fans of the first game. From scientists to soldiers, and everything in between, the rag-tag team Shepard gathers stays with you long after the game is finished, provided everybody survives the bloody, epic and jaw-clenching affair that the final act is. By making you care about the characters, putting them in grave danger is hard, and making some bold decisions is even harder. I've intentionally stayed away from the plot, because it's surprising even if you've played the original, especially the first few minutes. It's the kind of story adjectives like "stupendous", "riveting" and "thrilling" were invented for.

The few nit-picks are irrelevant on the grand scale-some glitches and graphical hiccups, and the fact that it might seem simpler, dumber than the first, but it's more accessible, and that's no sin. Bioware should be commended for actually having the guts to overrule decisions they made that proved to be unpopular. All in all, the last few years have proven that gaming as an art is coming of age, and that for every few lousy games that come along, the response is a Bioshock, Fallout 3,Modern Warfare, or indeed Mass Effect 2 that remind us why we fell in love with the hobby in the first place.

This is one of the few games everybody should play: if you don't like it, or at least appreciate it, you not only need to stay away from gaming as a whole, but from anything that even remotely resembles art as well. Bioware have their work cut out for them: Mass Effect 3 now needs to be nothing short of perfection to avoid being a disappointment, but if anyone can pull it off, they can. Mass Effect 2 simply is an astonishing achievement: it pushes the envelope so far, we need light speed to catch up with it.

10/10 Stefan