One of the greats. It's been a while since I have been so immersed into a game world.

The shooting has been improved from 1 and progression is a lot more meaningful and enjoyable even if the rpg elements were stripped back. They also removed the bad car segments from the first game which automatically bumps the rating up half a star. I also like that the renegade options aren't strictly evil, but more so just aggresive. In the first one, renegade was just being a horrible person which made me wonder why anyone would ever go that path for the first time. The best part of this game is how it makes you feel like you are Shepard.

Immersion is hard to establish and it doesn't hit the same for everyone, but giving players key options for all of their teammates is major. The ending is great and makes you ponder on all your choices before and during it. This is not a main story game however, if you just rush through the main story, you probably will not like it much. This is one where you have to take it at your own pace and savor it.

So far, I am enjoying the Mass Effect franchise way more than I thought I would. How great 2 is in comparison to 1 is not blatantly apparent at first but it gets you right into it. The game went from like a 8 to a 9, to a 10 in the course of like 3 hours of playtime. I would try these games even if you aren't a sci-fi guy, because I am certainly not. It's like 6 bucks on sale for all three.

Reviewed on May 17, 2024


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