Mass Effect 2 Review

Tue Nov 1. 2022

Mass Effect 2 Review

Mass Effect came out a few years ago and struck great success due to its deep, intricate storyline and varied gameplay that gives players many options about the outcome of the game and the general way it progresses. Mass Effect 2 expands on those trends, delivering even more of what made the original so popular and successful – and it should definitely remain in the hearts of gamers for a long time.

Gameplay

Mass Effect 2 features a much-improved combat system, with damage now appropriately affecting different areas of your enemies' (and yours as well) bodies, and there have been various improvements to the AI as well – for example, your enemies are now much more persistent, refusing to simply die, instead they'll crawl to you even if they can't get up, doing their best to hurt you.

The healing system has been replaced by a regenerating health one, similar to what's used in some other games. The “medi-gel” that was used in the original game is still present though, as it's used to revive your allies that have been struck down. Weapons behave more realistically as well, and you'll have to be careful if you want to avoid them overheating, or other dangerous side effects of overuse.

Graphics and System Requirements

The latest version of the Unreal Engine can deliver some very high-quality graphics – you'll see lots of great-looking effects accompanying the exciting gameplay all around, and the level of post-processing is simply tremendous and adds to the atmosphere of the game immensely. You'll also get to enjoy a well-coded physics engine, which makes for some spectacular, chaotic firefights with ragdolls flying all around.

System requirements are rather high though, as with all the games running on the Unreal Engine's latest version. You'll need a good modern-day computer capable of handing current titles without problems, if you want to enjoy Mass Effect 2 as well. Toning down some of the graphics quality settings may be a small remedy, but those don't change that much in this game, so you won't get away with as much as you would in other games.

Other

Mass Effect 2 offers a lot of replay value, so don't just put it on a shelf after you're done with it – make sure you give it another try, this time taking different turns and options in your dialogues – you'll find it to be a completely different experience, and you'll actually be able to get at least several different and unique run-throughs, if you're careful in your choices when it comes to conversations.

Conclusion

Mass Effect 2 is definitely a game that deserves all the praise it got, and it should figure in your collection at all cost if you value true gameplay quality served in an aesthetically pleasing and captivating manner. It may be a bit complex at first, and you may find some of the gameplay decisions a bit irritating, but you'll still enjoy it greatly and that's guaranteed.