Review: Mass Effect 2

is a decent game. It may be introducing a lot of novice role-playing-gamers to the genre and that could be why it’s being so celebrated but for veteran RPG fans, this is a light and sometimes boring affair.

While the game makes some suave moves to improve on its predecessor Mass Effect, the sequel still lacks the sweaty palm pressure of a true shooter and doesn’t ingratiate itself far enough in the role-playing realm to be universally accepted either. There are fewer options to upgrade and customize your armor and weapons than even in the first Mass Effect. This strikes me as  a very decisive strategy by the game’s developer Bioware to streamline the complexities of role-playing. Even the scripted recruits for your squad have been streamlined to the point of an overall redundancy. You’ll end up with nearly 10 or so by the end of the game, yet there is so much overlap between their skill sets I found myself just choosing the ladies so that I may have something to look at while i’m picking up there rear in battle scenarios.

Bioware also noticeably upgraded the third-person shooter aspect of the game, getting closer to Gears of War greatness, but not quite. And what do we have at the end of the day? An iPad for RPG fans. Something that offers a shallow yet novel iteration of one of gaming’s most beloved genres.