Playing the first game in this epic trilogy was one of the best times I ever had with a game this generation. I loved the story, the setting, the characters and the epic feel to the game. So I was anticipating the arrival of the sequel the moment I had finished the first one. The first game was great, but it had some technical and design issues that prevented the game from reaching its highest potential. The folks at Bioware have had never disappointed their fans with any game so we already know that Mass Effect 2 will be a great game, but did the sequel improved drastically over the original?
 
 

The sequel begins not long after the events of Mass Effect. You have defeated Saren, Sovereign and saved the galaxy from the reapers, temporally. The real threat to the galaxy is still there and it’s up to Commander Shepard and his companions to end this. Though an unpleasant event happens, the Normandy (the protagonist Commander Shepard’s ship) comes under attack by an unknown assailant. The ship suffers extensive damage, forcing the crew to evacuate in escape pods. A very big plot twist happens afterward and that’s where the game truly begins.
 

You will be introduced to the Illusive Man who’s in charge of a dark pro human organization named the Cerberus. You will be joining forces with Cerberus in an attempt in combating a new threat which has been abducting entire human colonies. With Cerberus help, Commander Shepard gets his new upgraded Normandy and starts his journey in recruiting a new team to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of human colonies.
 
 

Although the main story of the game is great in its own, it isn’t solely what makes the story of Mass Effect 2 so enjoyable to follow; it’s your companions stories and personalities that will get you excited for the game story. Every character in your team has his own story, his own issue and you will be helping them to overcome their issues if you choose to do so. Also, the game lets you import your save files from the original game which means that it will import all of the decisions you made in the original game. While the main plot will not drastically change, the experience most certainly will and that’s what makes Mass Effect 2 a unique and great experience.
 

One of the many aspects that sees major improvements in the sequel over the original is the combat. Now the game plays more like an intense third person shooter while also granting you the ability in tossing some great biotic powers instead of being a simple shooting game. There are six classes to choose from with each one of them has his own benefits. As an example, the Vanguard class can’t use sniper rifles at the beginning of the game while the Soldier class can. Also, your character biotic powers and abilities will change from a class to another. What has improved also in the sequel is the level design. Now, the levels in which you will be battling foes are designed as battlefields with more objects and larger areas to roam in. The inventory system has been revamped in the sequel as well. This time, you won’t get annoyed from managing the huge number of useless weapons and gears in your inventory. Instead, at the beginning of each mission you will be asked to choose which weapons you and your companions will be using during the mission.
 
 

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best looking games on Xbox360 and the best looking action RPG on any system thus far. The technical issues that bogged down the original game are things of the past; there is no texture pop up/in issues in the sequel and the game also runs at a steady frame rate. Mass Effect 2 has some of the best looking character models in any game especially for the non human character models. Technically, visually and artistically Mass Effect 2 is really something to behold. Also, the game has a great soundtrack and one of the best voice acting I have ever heard in any game. Mass Effect 2 presentation is stellar.
 

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games this generation and it really is a huge improvement over the original. The game looks great, plays great and has one of the most memorable stories in recent memory. This is a game you will playing multiple times because it’s fun and because it has tons of replay value. I highly recommend that you play through the first game before diving into the sequel as you won’t be enjoying the sequel as someone who did finish the first one. Mass Effect 2 is a masterpiece and I can’t wait to see what Bioware is going to do with the final game in this excellent trilogy.

 
 
Score: (9.6/10)