Mass Effect 2

The original Mass Effect was a flawed masterpiece. It successfully blended space-age action with role-playing and an involving plot, although some aspects of the game worked better than others.

Occasional technical glitches sometimes spoiled the game’s otherwise-excellent visuals, certain sequences were too dialogue-heavy, the vehicular sections were dull, and loading screens disguised as long rides in lifts stick out as less welcome aspects of an otherwise excellent title.

Instead of repeating these problems in the sequel, the Mass Effect team has managed to address all these issues and produce a magnificent science-fiction role-playing game (RPG).

The story picks up directly from the end of first game. If you played Mass Effect and still have your save game file, it’s possible to import your original character and continue his or her story. The decisions and story paths you took in the first game can also have an effect on some of the events in the sequel. It’s an intriguing and original idea that developer Bioware plans to continue on through to Mass Effect 3, potentially giving your character a vast, trilogy-spanning story arc.

Don’t be put off if you’re a first-timer, though. It’s entirely possible to enjoy Mass Effect 2 without having been anywhere near its predecessor, and those who are new to the series can choose the default male or female Commander Shepard or create their own hero or heroine using Bioware’s superb character-creation tool.

Anyone discouraged by the complexity of RPGs needn’t worry, either. Mass Effect 2 dispenses with many of the more convoluted aspects of RPG micro-management and lets players get on with the fun stuff instead.

After an explosive opening sequence, a curious twist of fate sees Shepard shacking up with a morally dubious ally, in order to save humanity from the new bad boys on the interstellar block, The Collectors. You must assemble a team of expert scientists, soldiers and technicians in order to take the fight to your foe. This is actually an oversimplification of what is, in fact, a deep and engrossing plot, compared with those of other games. And for much of the time you are able to explore the galaxy at will, uncovering new characters, side missions, items and other bits and pieces as you go.