Monday, February 1, 2010

Want some Ramen?

It's a delicacy back on Earth.  That is just one of many humorous background conversations in Mass Effect 2.  Over the weekend, I got time in on STO, WAR and Mass Effect 2.  I must say that I am extremely impressed by Bioware's latest offering.

I usually don't gush over games, but I am close to doing that with this one.  Let's start with the graphics.  On the 360, they are some of the best I've ever seen.  The nightclub on Omega (Afterlife) is a great example.  Combined with the lifelike animations and top notch sound, it is hard to get any more immersive.

Being able to import your character from the first game was a great idea.  Even if you don't like some of the choices you made, they can be changed through conversations.  In the original game, I let the council die and put humans in control.  The game really feels like it reflects that choice.

Combat is most like a FPS and not too different than the previous title.  What I do like it all the voice cue's that the AI and your teammates give you.  It's a great way of letting you know about the battle and still feeling immersed in the game.

Perhaps Mass Effect 2's greatest strength is that it is seamless.  The transitions from conversations to movements and combat feels great.  ME2 set the bar to new heights when it comes to interactive storytelling.  Your team is voiced and has their own background, just like Dragon Age: Origins. 

So yeah, you could say I like ME2.