There’s no denying it, Mass Effect was one of the finest action sci-fi RPGs ever made, and the sequel, Mass Effect 2, not only improves where the first one was lacking, it takes all the good stuff and makes it even better. For one, there’s a lot more action and shooting in Mass Effect 2, and that’s very welcomed for a game that supposed to be an “action game”.

The story of the Mass Effect universe is quite a complicated one, and you’ll certainly get more out of Mass Effect 2 by playing the first one — and we won’t dive into the story here because we don’t want to spoil it for you. For starters, Mass Effect 2 improves on a few things, most noticeable improvement is the new shooting mechanics, which now actually work. Visually, the game looks more interesting as well, with an added detail to art design and the surroundings (which tended to looks a bit the same though out the first game).

As with the previous game, you’re accompanied by two squad mates, to whom you can give orders and lead though battles, which now definitely seem to be more action packed, as most of Mass Effect 2 plays like Gears of War: get into cover, squeeze off a few shots, take down your enemies, and move on. The AI, especially your teammate’s AI isn’t perfect by any stretch, and it might just be the biggest shortcoming of the game, but overall, it’s good enough not to ruin the gameplay. The enemies however, are sometimes a bit too easy to take out, as they don’t seem to like taking cover that often.

However, despite the improved combat and shooting systems, the action can get a bit repetitive, as you’ll seek cover, shoot, seek cover, shoot, and basically repeat that though out the levels. It doesn’t get too bad, as it’s often broken up by other types of gameplay (like exploring), and of course, the RPG element. The RPG element has been somewhat reformed — there’s no more tedious inventory management, instead, you get to select and upgrade your weapons from a Tech Lab before each mission, and leveling up has changed as well. For one, there’s less leveling up, and two, the amount of skills you can explore and upgrade has been limited as well. Overall, the RPG element has been streamlined, but perhaps streamlined a bit too much.

Mass Effect 2 is, like we said in the beginning of the review, a better game than its predecessor, which was already top notch. It’s a lot more action packed, there’s less cut scenes and item management and all that, and the overall feel and the story of the game is much darker. The visuals and the audio are close to perfect, and especially the art work is a lot better than before. Players also have the option of importing their character from Mass Effect 1, and continue from where they left off. Overall, Mass Effect 2 is the first entry to the 2010 game of the year (and it’s only January), and it will satisfy any action RPG fan.

The Good:
Excellent story
Great depth
Great characters
Immersive combat
Great visuals and art work.

The Bad:
AI can get clumsy
Combat can get repetitive

Overall score: 9/10