Mass Effect 2

⭐ 7.5/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

I've been beginning to come to terms the fact that maybe these aren't the perfect games for me. I certainly have enjoyed playing, but this is supposed to be the best game of the series and I guess I just didn't think it was a masterpiece. The biggest part is just I don't engage well with the hundreds of conversations this game puts you through. Standing, listening to dialogue, and choosing questions just wears me a little thin after this many hours.

BUT there is still tons to love. The biggest upgrade over the first is the character development with each one offering a truly interesting story and moral dilemma. Most dilemmas can be solved a little too easily, but I simply like the questions this game forces you to ask yourself. The Krogan issue is still one that haunts every waking hour of my life. The combat is also much improved with some fun abilities, but I still found them not actually useful, especially on hard. I had to go down to medium to actually enjoy combat because on hard all you're doing is taking cover and shooting between reloads.

Otherwise, this game didn't quite have the same magic of the first for me. To me, the important parts are the world building and story, and the first game just had more intrigue, better reveals and higher stakes. The world had mostly already been built by now, so I wasn't as fascinated by every new world or species. I was also pretty disappointed by the decisions you can make, as Becky knows, because there always seemed one "good" outcome, but the results were so random you need a walkthrough to achieve them. I wanted my choices to feel organic, yet I didn't want to ruin the rest of the series by doing so.

So anyways, this game is still a terrific sci-fi experience. The music is kinda meh, but the visuals on this game are a big upgrade. It's an awesome world, but just an okay story. The characters are a lot better, but there is still a lot more they can do. I really do wish this was more of just a tight 20 hour game that focuses on the story the developers want to tell. I'm very excited for 3, but 2 more just felt like a middle entry between what should be great bookends.