Looking Back at the Mass Effect trilogy - Part Two

Mass Effect 2 (2010)

  To be honest, throughout my replay of the first Mass Effect I was mostly just excited to move onto the sequel. In my memory ME2 was always the standout in the trilogy and its rare metacritic score of 96 certainly supports this. But after the first game’s poor aging I was slightly worried about how ME2 would fare 8 years later.

  Immediately the improvements made to ME2’s combat are most evident. ME2 feels much more like a third-person shooter then the original did. Even though initial criticisms stemmed from the game dumbing down the more RPG elements of its predecessor, in hindsight it wasn’t ‘dumbing down’ as much as it was just trimming the fat. Guns have more of a kick to them, and aren’t as clumsy to use as they use to be. Movement has also been streamlined to feel more responsive and moving into cover is as snappy as it should be.

  What’s perhaps most impressive about ME2’s gameplay enhancements isn’t just that it feels better, but that it finds an identity. The first Mass Effect’s combat was plain and lackluster, but ME2 remedies this largely thanks to its satisfying abilities. Turning enemies into ice just to smash them, lifting them off of the ground to get a better shot and overloading their shields are just a few examples of ME2’s abilities giving you the thrill of embodying a sci-fi super soldier. Cover based shooting is still prominent but not necessary in every situation, almost becoming the ‘Bioshock’ equivalent of third-person shooters. The combat as whole is just an excellently paced joyride. Plus, the removal of the terrible MAKO doesn’t hurt.

  ME2’s progression system is also less of a headache; instead of being loot-based with Shephard coming across a new weapon every few steps, instead you simply have the ability to buy upgrades to your weapons and armor which is also customisable this time around.

  The sequel finds its footing in its art style too. Moody neon lights drench nightclubs; deep reds saturate other scenes with an ominous mist or abnormally large alien sun. Whether it’s the richer colouring\lighting, or more detail when it comes to textures and material, ME2 is just an infinitely more interesting game to look at then its predecessor. Just glancing at the two games side by side makes it clear that ME2 is much denser with detail, from posters, signs, plants or even a picture of Liara (who I previously romanced in the last game) in Shepard’s room. Despite it’s heavy use of neon lights and moody environments in certain sections, ME2 dodges feeling like another ‘Balderunner’ clone, aesthetically. There’s enough of a light tone in most of ME2’s hub areas and the world never feels overly industrial or apocalyptic like many other futuristic games. It’s certainly helped by the fact that all of the architecture, ships, weapons, aliens etc. have a distinctly Mass Effect look to them, nothing looks like it can exist in a ‘Halo’ game, or a ‘Star Wars’ movie. A strong sense of self is just another major improvement from the original.

  The sequel somehow also manages to outdo the originals immaculate story with an innumerable amount of great character moments and a larger sense of desperation with the looming threat of the Reapers. ME2 comes out swinging straight away with Commander Shepard actually dying. Talk about setting the tone. A hulking, mysterious alien ship blows up Shepard’s ship, the Normandy, in one of the coolest moments of the trilogy. Shepard desperately goes through a half-wrecked space ship with debris floating all over the place and a beautiful backdrop of a planet visible through a hole in the Normandy’s ceiling. After you’ve made sure your entire crew’s been safely evacuated the Normandy blows up with Shepard in it, sending him flying out into the darkness of space. The game quite literally starts with a bang.

  Shepard’s death doesn’t last long however, (at least not in the real-world) as the game jumps forward 2 years to a human interest group, Cerburus, spending billions to revive Shepard. You slowly learn about the new state of the universe; the Council is convinced the Reaper dreadnought from the first time is an isolated case and the threat has been eradicated, and the Reapers themselves have graduated from an alliance with the geth, to an alliance with an enigmatic race, the Collectors. Despite knowing Cerburus’ shady, often illegal and immoral past, Shephard has no choice but to accept their leader’s (the Illusive Man’s) help and financing since the Citadel Council is seemingly a fan of the phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’. It’s up to Shephard to essentially form a suicide squad to find the Collector base and stop whatever they’re planning with the Reapers. Just like the first game, the plot is nothing groundbreaking, but so much of ME2’s emotional crescendos, urgency and world-building are shouldered by its cast, perhaps more than any other game I’ve ever played.

  This time around the cast is quite a bit larger with 10 party members rather than 6. Only two of your previous squad members return with Garrus and Tali, while initially being disappointed by the lack of returning squad members this actually works in the game’s favour. The new cast makes even more of a profound impression than the originals and allow for more opportunities to mix character-driven moments with the overarching story. Mordin Solus in particular steals the show, being a salarian scientist involved in revising the genophage that led to mass infertility in the krogan there’s a lot of chance to flesh out this fragile political situation. With my first conversation with Mordin about the genophage my stance seemed obvious, it’s a terrible disease, we learnt this in the first game from Wrex, it’s almost a death sentence to his people. After pointing this out to Mordin his response shocked me after it added a layer of grey morality to the genophage. He felt that he did what was needed to prevent another krogan rebellion if they regain the numbers, while also avoiding the extinction of the krogan. Mordin’s dead-set on his reasons at this point and everything else about his character comes together spectacularly. His monotone voice and fast, no-nonsense speech adds comedy to his character. I enjoyed talking to him so much between missions he actually pulled Shephard aside to tell him that he wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship and that it was nothing personal, a hilarious moment. It only makes his upcoming ethical crisis and contemplation of his role in the genophage more effecting.

  Jack, a violent, often unhinged ex-convict that Shepard busts out of jail is another highlight for me. Having thought that the originals romance options were limited, I wasn’t expecting this particular romance choice to be so layered and emotional. Learning about how Jack got into jail by leaving a crater on a moon and other sometimes hilarious misadventures makes her endearing enough, but her backstory of being brutally tested on by Cerburus as a child and her tragic violent life after is borderline heart-wrenching. While most romance storylines culminate in a sex scene, this one ends with Jack crying in Shepard’s arms right before the suicide mission, with the implication that Shepard’s helped her work through her past trauma. Breaking through to a character and having them unravel is another reason Mass Effect’s dialogue and relationships are so mesmorising, and it’s in full effect with Jack’s romance storyline.

  The rest of the cast are similarly endearing and interesting. The addition of a geth squad member adds some much needed context for the previously hostile race, while also adding inevitable drama between it and Tali. But some of ME2’s best missions actually revolve around a single character. Once a strong relationship is built with one of your squad members they’ll ask you for a favour leading to a character specific side mission, loyalty missions. After learning about every character’s history, helping them deal with past demons is immensely satisfying and gives every character their own arc in a way they might not have had otherwise with the grander proceedings of the main plot.

  Just like the beginning of the game, the end closes with a bang too. After an entire game’s worth of setup the game’s final mission, the suicide mission, doesn’t disappoint. Your knowledge of every squad member is put to the test as you assign each character to a role based off of their abilities to infiltrate the Collector base. Make a wrong choice and that character will die permanently and won’t show up for ME3. The stakes are high and the execution is devilishly dramatic. The game’s final shot just the cherry on top with a fleet of Reapers looming over the Milkyway with the galaxy painfully underprepared.