Bioware sets the standard for a new era of RPGs. Again.
The release of Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2 so close to each other is hard to comprehend from the outside looking in. Developing one memorable game is hard enough, but releasing two RPG masterpieces within months of each other is just unbelievable, even moreso when each represents such different views of what RPGs were and where they can go. It sounds a bit like sacrilege considering how much I worshipped Baldur's Gate, but Mass Effect 2 really represents the best RPG Bioware has ever created and possibly the definitive template for RPGs moving forward.
The highest compliment you can pay Mass Effect 2 is this is a universe that's very easy to get sucked into and very hard to pull away from. Whereas the attention to detail in Mass Effect 1 felt overbearing, in ME2 the world feels fully realized and you simply sink into the details, rather than being clobbered over the head with them. The level designers have really outdone themselves. Each city, base and world in ME2 has a distinctive feel and gorgeous aesthetic. It's hard to play without constantly lingering over a beautiful landscape or scenic interior, especially when you want more time to linger but combat forces you to focus on what's directly in front of you.
Speaking of combat, ME2 also represents Bioware's first truly great combat system since the Infinity Engine era. Most RPGs developers have struggled with innovating on classic rules-based RPG combat systems and how they fit into modern action games, and Bioware's no exception. But ME2 is genuinely a joy to play as a shooter with fairly easily managed group tactics. While it's obviously not as robust as what's on display in Dragon Age or pure shooters, ME2's mechanics work for what the game is trying to accomplish and it's combat never really feels tedious.
It certainly helps that the overall pacing of the game is second-to-none, with standout loyalty missions being the game's true storytelling highlight. The central campaign is interesting on its own, if not a little standard for space marine sci-fi action games. But each of your party's personal backgrounds and individual missions are absolute stunners. The final stages of the game are some of the most riveting action I've ever played. The way Bioware integrated your decisions on squad leadership and roles, and the way events can unfold in those final moments is nothing short of amazing. Everyone who plays will likely lose key party members, and each one feels like a honest-to-goodness punch in the gut. You wouldn't feel this way if you didn't care about the people, so it's a tribute to how well Bioware has developed these personalities that they have the dramatic weight it does. Many of the missions in ME2 play out like episodes of a great sci-fi TV show with remarkable writing, voice acting and drama. Mix in a Hollywood blockbuster quality musical score to enhance all the combat and conversation, and you've got a piece of science fiction that can rival the best we've seen on film and TV.
Mass Effect 2 is one of those special games that really feels like the first page of a new era of game development. Not just in terms of blending genre mechanics, but in terms of elevating storytelling in games to a genuine Hollywood level. Playing through Mass Effect 2 can be an impactful experience, just as impactful as the first time you ever saw Blade Runner or Star Wars. It's an experience that will stick with you in a game world that's impossible to forget.