Final Judgement: Mass Effect 2

This final judgement has been a long time coming. I've just had too many games to play. This will be short and sweet.
Highly Recommended.

Mass Effect 2 made me care about characters in a game more than anything else to date. There is a point near the end of the game where I was physically worried about some of my crew while waiting to see if they would die or not.

Mass Effect 2 felt like a continuation of the previous game more than any other sequel. The second I saw my Shepard (the one true Shepard) with her red hair, I was transported back two years ago and couldn't wait to see what happens next, and see how the things I did in Mass Effect 1 would effect this new game.

Mass Effect 2's story starts with amazing impact and is quickly paced in such a way that somehow you forget about your old crew and are immediately enthralled by all the new crew members you find.

Mass Effect 2 initially rubbed me a little wrong, I was off put by the 'removed' RPG features of the last game like weapon/armor management and stat points. After playing the game for a bit and getting used to the new mechanics I saw most changes as improvements. I still miss loot. I think since the game is so much a gears-like-shooter I couldn't help but notice the cover mechanics timing and controls were off a little. I spent too much time mining. These are purely minor complaints.

I'm shocked by the huge amount of drastic gameplay changes that went into Mass Effect 2 compared to it's predecessor. Going logic is if a game sells really well, like Mass Effect, you should make a sequel and not change too much. Bioware really took fan and review feedback to heart. They cut away all sorts of things that were detracting from the story and core combat. Instead of making another decent RPG with guns, they made a good shooter with a story that you can truly effect, something that no other shoot has even come close to.

I applaud them for it. I can't wait to see where the franchise goes next, and I can't wait to import my save game into Mass Effect 3.

I guess my biggest disappoint with Mass Effect 2 is that it made my time with Dragon Age feel like even more of a waste.