Again, Bioware outdoes themselves and soars to the top of the RPG medium at the Bridge of the USV Normandy.
The first thing that one will notice when playing MASS EFFECT 2 is the ability to import your old Commander Sheppard from MASS EFFECT, along with all the decisions (and casualties) you encountered intact. Certain crew members may be dead. Certain ones who are alive (and I won't tell you which) may prove to be a help or hinderance. In any case, the system of variables at work on this game are staggering. It also makes you think twice when you encounter more tough decisions later on in the story.
The gameplay has been refined to reflect more of a "shooter" style mentality this time around. Combat is much more immersive and easier to navigate. Powers and weaponry can be accessed on the fly without taking you out of the action for one moment. Your squadmates AI (for the most part) is quite intelligent and will do what they can to support in a firefight. They follow orders well and create cover or suppressing fire in a pinch. The Boss fights are also much more epic this time around. Each provides unique challenges without making you feel overwhelmed. The same can be said of your opponents, who are deadly and numerous. There is no such things as "a small cluster of husks" in MASS EFFECT 2. They come at you in massive swarms and attempt to overwhelm you. If you rely on your squad and keep a cool head, you'll prevail...and it feels awesome to take them on.
Another welcome addition to the game is a far more interesting cast of characters. The mysterious assassin, Thane being a favorite of this reviewer. But they all have incredibly deep histories to explore and become more and more fascinating as you progress through the plot. A genetically altered Krogan, a homicidal Human Biotic are all part of what make the journey so much better the second time.
The inventory system has also received an improvement...kind of. Gone are the days of looking through bins for armor and weapons. Now you research and salvage parts to create new weaponry. It sounds great, until you try it. In order to make the upgrades work, you need a supply of rare elements that you get through exploring planets. Unfortunately, the scanning system on your ship is incredibly boring and tedious and it makes upgrading a bore. And truth be told...I kinda liked buying all my weapons and equipment.
The graphics recieved a significant amount of polish, not in terms of presentation, but in terms of efficiency. The game now has a smooth framerate, meaning no more glitchy textures or stuttering animations. The lag is also gone for good and gives the game a much more polished look. A small complaint would be that they replaced the elevator sequences (which I found kept you in the game emotionally) with fancy loading screens. I hate loading screens. But it's only a small issue and I hope to see it rectified in future titles.
The sounds of MASS EFFECT 2 are also fantastic. Nothing is cooler than leaving an airlock from your ship into the massive void outside...and the only thing you hear is your respirator. It's a fabulous moment in the game and stuck with me the whole way through. Enemies scream in pain and bark orders when under fire. Your teammates make conversation at tense moments in the levels. It's a fantastic to see the sound has been given equal polish to rival the visuals.
Finally, the most important factor of MASS EFFECT 2 is the sheer SIZE of it. You can lose yourselves in different galaxies for HOURS at a time. There's no need to play straight through to the final mission like a train from A to B (although you can if you want). Explore the universe they give you and you'll be rewarded with hours of side missions and quests. As well as upgrades and weapons that can't be found otherwise.
For those who waited 2 years to board the USV NORMANDY one more time, you will not be disappointed. MASS EFFECT 2 is a truly worthy sequel and makes good on all of its promises. If you haven't played MASS EFFECT, please wait before playing MASS EFFECT 2. Trust me. You'll know why. And it'll make even more sense when MASS EFFECT 3 comes out.