Mass Effect 2 is one of a handful of games where my opinions on it changes dramatically, bouncing between something I recognize as good to something I just barely enjoy. Since I played the series when I was an impressionable teen that very easily fell into word of mouth territory instead of playing something for myself, this meant I went through so many arcs, saying it's the best game, to saying it's the downfall of the series and perhaps BioWare as a whole, to saying it's aggressively decent with high highs yet abysmal lows. How did I feel about it when I replayed it yet again last year? It's pretty damn good, though it very much marked the shift of BioWare's goals and prospects of before to the new ones they formulated today, as well as building up problems and holes that practically set the third game up for failure anyway.
Unlike last time where I started with the story, I'm actually gonna talk about the combat, cause it very much shows how gigantic of a shift the sequel made after the first. Since ME2 came out after Gears Of War established itself as one of Xbox 360's killer apps and popularizing - not introducing - the cover-based system, as well as Call Of Duty finally cemented itself as not only one of gaming's biggest franchises, but one of the biggest franchises ever, BioWare decided to follow the suit of many dev studios at the time to chase that newfound shooter trend, even going as far as to sideline the RPG mechanics during initial development solely to work out and get a feel for the shooting aspect entirely. I may have enjoyed initially, but nowadays I find myself disappointed. ME1's combat was fascinating because of how varied and expansive build opportunities can be, my timeline of Soldier -> Infiltrator -> Vanguard -> Engineer -> Sentinel becoming drastically different from one another, alongside how powerful and distinct Biotic and Tech powers can be. ME2, while not completely throwing it away, doesn't feel quite as significant or impactful by comparison. Alongside the fact that individual skills were gimped in between games, making it feel less like a spreadsheet and more like a pamphlet, being compensated by one companion skill you can choose from an upgrade, the only thing separating my Sentinel run for this playthrough from my Vanguard run several years ago, is that the latter was a smidge spongier in the health pool, and they lessened how powerful Biotic and Tech powers are to a degree that, while allowing for Funny Ragdoll Moments, feel just watered down enough to be noticeable. You can lone wolf in ME1 for some parts, but in ME2 I found myself doing it more often than ever, forgoing a proper team composition.
That's just for builds though, as for the actual mechanics of the combat, it's like, fine? Very basic and rudimentary cover-based formula, sparse dynamics with how enemies can be handled differently (though in fairness, this is also a problem the trilogy has as a whole), clunky controls when it comes to movement and operating behind covers, a newly introduced global cooldown that's truthfully needless and doesn't impact much, but whatever. All of it works, and that's the best I can say about it. Also doesn't help that even on Insanity, my go-to difficulty for this trilogy, it's rather easy, and rarely in a way that keeps it engaging. In fact, I'm actually shocked there's a group of people that say ME2's Insanity option is the hardest iteration of it, cause aside from some moments - those that have played this will probably know which ones I'm referring to - I got through it just fine, even way back in my mid-teens. I will say though, I'm surprised these levels aren't typically "video gamey" for the most part, dipping its toes into the territory yet still creating an illusion that each place does feel like an area that could be lived-in. For as much shit as I give ME3, I will concede in that its combat SPECIFICALLY is very much an improvement over 2's in most regards, even if some issues still linger over.
What about the other aspects of the gameplay loop 1 established? Well, they either threw them out entirely, or streamlined the shit out of them, to mixed results. I actually don't mind planet scanning as much as others have, in fact clearing out about 2-4 sectors around the first third of game meant I rarely ever do this since, but I won't blame people for using a mod to bypass it, either One Probe or Zero Probe. Because of the new planet scan though, you'll rarely land down on a planet to do missions, only doing so when finding a sidequest or uncovering an anomaly. They range from cool to rather mundane and unremarkable, though at least some tries to do some unique stuff unlike last time, such as using several beacons as waypoints due to your map being busted, or exploring an area first before hurrying back to the shuttle once you awaken a horde of enemies. I briefly mentioned upgrades, and this aspect I actually do think is a good addition to the formula. Due to story reasons, you can upgrade your "new" ship, your squad, or even yourself with the materials you gather from planet scans or found within the levels and overworld, and it does feel like you're making a difference. Only issue though, is because of how easy it is to get every material needed for every upgrade, this aspect goes from being an aspect that looms over your thoughts and could make-or-break your Final Assault, into something that'll only ever fail if you willingly decide to not choose those upgrades. Finally, there's the Paragon/Renegade dialog stuff and it's... blech. The new Interrupt mechanic is cool, even leading to hilarious moments, but regardless the whole implementation is sloppier, never developing proper sense of roleplaying as one, the other, or even trying to mix it all up in a manner that feels believable, cause now unlockable options are done by having a specific amount of one side or the other... meaning you're gonna be forced to pick a side if you're opting to get the best shit possible. Thankfully, it seems like the team behind the remaster knew about the complaints, cause they actually seemed to have lowered the overall requirement for both spectrums, meaning you can mix-and-match whichever option you want without as much trouble.
The combat is already rather divisive, but the writing is the boiling point. There's just, such a strange disconnect and difference between the two games that despite the core team majorly being the same, it still somehow feels totally different than before. Fans, jokingly or seriously, talk about this being a filler arc, and it's not hard to see how and why, this shit breaks off yet returns to the status quo so often it feels like a centrist. You die, but then you come back via a supremely powerful operation job funded by Cerberus/The Illusive Man. You lose the Normandy cause of this, but it's OK because this same group got you a brand new one, even having Joker and Dr. Chakwas (two people who I completely forgot to mention last time despite liking both a lot) back on board. The Alliance doesn't trust you now because of your newly made ties to Cerberus, but this doesn't matter cause you go back to them and ditch Cerberus after the events of this game. The Collectors are supposed to be this new enemy faction this time around, but they practically disappear (for... somewhat justified reasons) after this game outside of OGME3's multiplayer mode. You barely learn more about what the Reapers are doing besides "they're coming to Earth" and their plan of making a Giant Human Reaper is just... what? This approach feels like it's supposed to be episodic, yet it doesn't work well for Mass Effect compared to even Dragon Age because so much of the former is tied to making All These Big Choices matter even when they really shouldn't.
As for the squad now, man the expansive roster is INCREDIBLY hit-and-miss. Everyone points to Jacob one of the worst companions in a BioWare game - as they should, holy FUCK the writing for him is atrocious and I dunno how that shit flew by - but Zaeed's a big bag of nothin, despite the concept of an incredibly aggressive, do-or-die commando archetype fitting the intent for this game to a T. Plus, the Whedonfication #girlboss mindset of most of the female companions this time is dire as hell, even reinforcing the point as to how bad and even sometimes gross the romance in this series can be. Theoretically Miranda, Jack, and even returning characters Tali and Liara should be cool, but their personalities are insipid and rarely expanded upon aside from the tropes, with the last two received such an overhaul they're practically different characters from before. There's only two exceptions from this, one I'll get to later, and Samara, who's main problem is that she lacks presence and oomph despite her arc and problem being fundamentally solid, though that outfit is uh, hmmmm, little too much. At least they got rid of the dumb ass shots Miranda suffered. Mordin's odd cause I do like him, a lot even, but his whole thing with the Genophage and BioWare's insistency to do political dilemmas despite them being bad at it drags him down, at least in this game. The characters that are good though, do feel on par, and even sometimes better than the ones in the first game, especially the returning members. EDI's straightforward yet informative approach makes for great inversion and develops some hilarious banter for Joker. Wrex and Garrus are back, the latter being a party member again, and their continuations of their arcs feel just right and make them better than ever, even if Garrus' can be downright edgy at points. Thane and Grunt are both good for similar yet different reasons, taking on the prospects of maturity and growth yet Thane having to deal with how lost and basically non-existent his familial relationship is and wanting to make up for it while there's still time, and Grunt basically needing to go through adolescence due to only having knowledge of what the process is like from the intakes he received from his tank creator. Kasumi, while still having some Weird moments, at least manage to avoid some of the bad pitfalls the other female characters unfortunately fell victim on, to the point she was actually more or less a mainstay in my party comps.
Honestly, much like with SlayerOfCis in their review, my waning yet omnipresent positivity on ME2 is still there because when it works, by god it works. The worldbuilding is still as strong as ever, doubly so since you're now within lawless territories for a majority of the time, really making the whole clusters and systems in this universe feel more alive than ever. I love exploring the nearly archaic and ludicrously messy Omega operated by Aria T'Loak, the Krogan homeworld of Tuchanka, as well as the bustling megapolis aspect of Illium, even despite the obvious downscale of the Citadel hub's size they still feel fun and cool to explore and soak in the atmosphere over, especially when you bring specific members along to hear their thoughts on something. The score this time is a downgrade unfortunately, but even still there's some great tunes and proper hits within the moments, particularly when you go deep into enemy territories. The Collectors might be super questionable, but exploring their ships will always present a feeling of dread and unease due to how they operate and the structure of what's going on. Every time I see that scene of Mordin singing, I still manage to form the goofiest smile possible. I don't even need to mention Suicide Mission, where despite having some baffling design choices like the aforementioned Human Reaper, still manages to delivery that top-form adrenaline rush of action and bombastic setpieces.
Mass Effect 2, while no longer being my favorite in the trilogy, does at least a good job at summarizing my thoughts on the series: It can and has been extremely messy, and you can very much tell the crew was scrambling to make things work during a hectic and incredibly busy devcycle, yet when all's said and done, I've made some goodass memories and partook in breathtaking moments within the medium of gaming. Though, I'm still bummed Garrus isn't available as a Bi option.
Unlike last time where I started with the story, I'm actually gonna talk about the combat, cause it very much shows how gigantic of a shift the sequel made after the first. Since ME2 came out after Gears Of War established itself as one of Xbox 360's killer apps and popularizing - not introducing - the cover-based system, as well as Call Of Duty finally cemented itself as not only one of gaming's biggest franchises, but one of the biggest franchises ever, BioWare decided to follow the suit of many dev studios at the time to chase that newfound shooter trend, even going as far as to sideline the RPG mechanics during initial development solely to work out and get a feel for the shooting aspect entirely. I may have enjoyed initially, but nowadays I find myself disappointed. ME1's combat was fascinating because of how varied and expansive build opportunities can be, my timeline of Soldier -> Infiltrator -> Vanguard -> Engineer -> Sentinel becoming drastically different from one another, alongside how powerful and distinct Biotic and Tech powers can be. ME2, while not completely throwing it away, doesn't feel quite as significant or impactful by comparison. Alongside the fact that individual skills were gimped in between games, making it feel less like a spreadsheet and more like a pamphlet, being compensated by one companion skill you can choose from an upgrade, the only thing separating my Sentinel run for this playthrough from my Vanguard run several years ago, is that the latter was a smidge spongier in the health pool, and they lessened how powerful Biotic and Tech powers are to a degree that, while allowing for Funny Ragdoll Moments, feel just watered down enough to be noticeable. You can lone wolf in ME1 for some parts, but in ME2 I found myself doing it more often than ever, forgoing a proper team composition.
That's just for builds though, as for the actual mechanics of the combat, it's like, fine? Very basic and rudimentary cover-based formula, sparse dynamics with how enemies can be handled differently (though in fairness, this is also a problem the trilogy has as a whole), clunky controls when it comes to movement and operating behind covers, a newly introduced global cooldown that's truthfully needless and doesn't impact much, but whatever. All of it works, and that's the best I can say about it. Also doesn't help that even on Insanity, my go-to difficulty for this trilogy, it's rather easy, and rarely in a way that keeps it engaging. In fact, I'm actually shocked there's a group of people that say ME2's Insanity option is the hardest iteration of it, cause aside from some moments - those that have played this will probably know which ones I'm referring to - I got through it just fine, even way back in my mid-teens. I will say though, I'm surprised these levels aren't typically "video gamey" for the most part, dipping its toes into the territory yet still creating an illusion that each place does feel like an area that could be lived-in. For as much shit as I give ME3, I will concede in that its combat SPECIFICALLY is very much an improvement over 2's in most regards, even if some issues still linger over.
What about the other aspects of the gameplay loop 1 established? Well, they either threw them out entirely, or streamlined the shit out of them, to mixed results. I actually don't mind planet scanning as much as others have, in fact clearing out about 2-4 sectors around the first third of game meant I rarely ever do this since, but I won't blame people for using a mod to bypass it, either One Probe or Zero Probe. Because of the new planet scan though, you'll rarely land down on a planet to do missions, only doing so when finding a sidequest or uncovering an anomaly. They range from cool to rather mundane and unremarkable, though at least some tries to do some unique stuff unlike last time, such as using several beacons as waypoints due to your map being busted, or exploring an area first before hurrying back to the shuttle once you awaken a horde of enemies. I briefly mentioned upgrades, and this aspect I actually do think is a good addition to the formula. Due to story reasons, you can upgrade your "new" ship, your squad, or even yourself with the materials you gather from planet scans or found within the levels and overworld, and it does feel like you're making a difference. Only issue though, is because of how easy it is to get every material needed for every upgrade, this aspect goes from being an aspect that looms over your thoughts and could make-or-break your Final Assault, into something that'll only ever fail if you willingly decide to not choose those upgrades. Finally, there's the Paragon/Renegade dialog stuff and it's... blech. The new Interrupt mechanic is cool, even leading to hilarious moments, but regardless the whole implementation is sloppier, never developing proper sense of roleplaying as one, the other, or even trying to mix it all up in a manner that feels believable, cause now unlockable options are done by having a specific amount of one side or the other... meaning you're gonna be forced to pick a side if you're opting to get the best shit possible. Thankfully, it seems like the team behind the remaster knew about the complaints, cause they actually seemed to have lowered the overall requirement for both spectrums, meaning you can mix-and-match whichever option you want without as much trouble.
The combat is already rather divisive, but the writing is the boiling point. There's just, such a strange disconnect and difference between the two games that despite the core team majorly being the same, it still somehow feels totally different than before. Fans, jokingly or seriously, talk about this being a filler arc, and it's not hard to see how and why, this shit breaks off yet returns to the status quo so often it feels like a centrist. You die, but then you come back via a supremely powerful operation job funded by Cerberus/The Illusive Man. You lose the Normandy cause of this, but it's OK because this same group got you a brand new one, even having Joker and Dr. Chakwas (two people who I completely forgot to mention last time despite liking both a lot) back on board. The Alliance doesn't trust you now because of your newly made ties to Cerberus, but this doesn't matter cause you go back to them and ditch Cerberus after the events of this game. The Collectors are supposed to be this new enemy faction this time around, but they practically disappear (for... somewhat justified reasons) after this game outside of OGME3's multiplayer mode. You barely learn more about what the Reapers are doing besides "they're coming to Earth" and their plan of making a Giant Human Reaper is just... what? This approach feels like it's supposed to be episodic, yet it doesn't work well for Mass Effect compared to even Dragon Age because so much of the former is tied to making All These Big Choices matter even when they really shouldn't.
As for the squad now, man the expansive roster is INCREDIBLY hit-and-miss. Everyone points to Jacob one of the worst companions in a BioWare game - as they should, holy FUCK the writing for him is atrocious and I dunno how that shit flew by - but Zaeed's a big bag of nothin, despite the concept of an incredibly aggressive, do-or-die commando archetype fitting the intent for this game to a T. Plus, the Whedonfication #girlboss mindset of most of the female companions this time is dire as hell, even reinforcing the point as to how bad and even sometimes gross the romance in this series can be. Theoretically Miranda, Jack, and even returning characters Tali and Liara should be cool, but their personalities are insipid and rarely expanded upon aside from the tropes, with the last two received such an overhaul they're practically different characters from before. There's only two exceptions from this, one I'll get to later, and Samara, who's main problem is that she lacks presence and oomph despite her arc and problem being fundamentally solid, though that outfit is uh, hmmmm, little too much. At least they got rid of the dumb ass shots Miranda suffered. Mordin's odd cause I do like him, a lot even, but his whole thing with the Genophage and BioWare's insistency to do political dilemmas despite them being bad at it drags him down, at least in this game. The characters that are good though, do feel on par, and even sometimes better than the ones in the first game, especially the returning members. EDI's straightforward yet informative approach makes for great inversion and develops some hilarious banter for Joker. Wrex and Garrus are back, the latter being a party member again, and their continuations of their arcs feel just right and make them better than ever, even if Garrus' can be downright edgy at points. Thane and Grunt are both good for similar yet different reasons, taking on the prospects of maturity and growth yet Thane having to deal with how lost and basically non-existent his familial relationship is and wanting to make up for it while there's still time, and Grunt basically needing to go through adolescence due to only having knowledge of what the process is like from the intakes he received from his tank creator. Kasumi, while still having some Weird moments, at least manage to avoid some of the bad pitfalls the other female characters unfortunately fell victim on, to the point she was actually more or less a mainstay in my party comps.
Honestly, much like with SlayerOfCis in their review, my waning yet omnipresent positivity on ME2 is still there because when it works, by god it works. The worldbuilding is still as strong as ever, doubly so since you're now within lawless territories for a majority of the time, really making the whole clusters and systems in this universe feel more alive than ever. I love exploring the nearly archaic and ludicrously messy Omega operated by Aria T'Loak, the Krogan homeworld of Tuchanka, as well as the bustling megapolis aspect of Illium, even despite the obvious downscale of the Citadel hub's size they still feel fun and cool to explore and soak in the atmosphere over, especially when you bring specific members along to hear their thoughts on something. The score this time is a downgrade unfortunately, but even still there's some great tunes and proper hits within the moments, particularly when you go deep into enemy territories. The Collectors might be super questionable, but exploring their ships will always present a feeling of dread and unease due to how they operate and the structure of what's going on. Every time I see that scene of Mordin singing, I still manage to form the goofiest smile possible. I don't even need to mention Suicide Mission, where despite having some baffling design choices like the aforementioned Human Reaper, still manages to delivery that top-form adrenaline rush of action and bombastic setpieces.
Mass Effect 2, while no longer being my favorite in the trilogy, does at least a good job at summarizing my thoughts on the series: It can and has been extremely messy, and you can very much tell the crew was scrambling to make things work during a hectic and incredibly busy devcycle, yet when all's said and done, I've made some goodass memories and partook in breathtaking moments within the medium of gaming. Though, I'm still bummed Garrus isn't available as a Bi option.
5 Comments
When it comes to BioWare's awkward handling of moral dilemmas or "important choices" I always point back to Mordin's quest with the Genophage because it's such a no-brainer black-and-white concept but Shepard thinks trying to cure mass genocidal extinction to one of their own friends is bad and not worth it at all because the guy killed a few people? You don't even get a real choice to side with him on the matter he's just treated like this heartless monster whose just trying to desperately make amends for what his race and Mordin did to the Krogans.
The thing with the Genophage Cure in his Loyalty Mission is that it was about the other dude's experiments causing multiple deaths of the populous female Krogans Wrex/Wreav (but who ever gets Wreav lol) gathered under the unified banner, meaning you have to trust him entirely from the ordeal despite it all or throw it out in case it doesn't justify the means, but it uhhh doesn't work cause you only learn about this right near the end, you have more reasons to pick up the cure than reasons not to regardless, and the most that happens upon learning this revelation is Mordin going "this is kinda immoral wtf" yet not like, learning from it? It's so odd.
also this made me realize I forgot to talk about biotic and tech stuff as well as noticing some typos, edited all that now
I agree with nearly all your points here. the game certainly has it's weak moments, it's push away slightly from the more RPG aspects of the first game, some plot holes, character development issues and an ending sequence that would have been better as the ME3 finale for the trilogy rather than hamstringing ME3 from the gates. Despite that though I love ME2, as you say when the game hits those highs, boy does it smash them out the park. Great review.
BlazingWaters
1 year ago