‘Mass Effect’ sequel delivers, like the original - Military Video Games, computer games, games, gaming - Navy Times

‘Mass Effect’ sequel delivers, like the original

Let’s get straight to the point: The sequel to 2007’s critically heralded “Mass Effect” role-playing game — and the second sci-fi epic in a planned trilogy — is an early contender for the “must have” video game of the season.

Developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts, “Mass Effect 2” continues the heroic space adventures of Commander Shepard in the 22nd century, but it introduces many new characters, weapons and plotlines. Therefore, you don’t need to play the original “Mass Effect” to understand and appreciate this sequel, which takes place two years later, though you might get more out of it as it’s part of a larger story arc. In fact, you can import your saved game into “Mass Effect 2” to continue as your own Commander Shepard, retaining his customized look, attributes and personality.

Speaking of story, the fantastic tale in “Mass Effect 2” revolves around a mysterious new threat to humankind and Shepard’s reluctance to work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization (bordering on terrorists, says Shepard), in order to stop “The Collectors” in their path of destruction. By previewing a huge 3-D map of the galaxy in his starship, Shepard can fly to various worlds to handpick an elite team of fighters to ensure a well-balanced squad. As with the first game, there are also love interests, betrayals, minigames and numerous side missions that will also affect the story.

The 30-plus-hour single-player game has many tens of thousands of lines of dialogue, all of which are spoken by actors. In fact, the human characters look real, including faces that convey emotion during these exchanges. As Shepard, you’ll guide the conversation based on the questions you ask and responses you give from the list of options.

Just because “Mass Effect 2” has a deep story with memorable characters and exotic environments, it doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of action. More so than in the first game, third-person combat plays a huge role, with many character classes to choose from (including a brute soldier, tech specialist or stealthy infiltrator), multiple upgradeable futuristic weapons and powers, and different ways to fight based on your preference. The enemy artificial intelligence is smart, quick and ready to peg you off as soon as you break cover.

As fun and polished as “Mass Effect 2” is, there are a couple of small issues. For one, the “Power Wheel” and “Weapon Wheel” interface used during combat to make selections are hard to see, with small fonts for the names of the weapons and powers. As a result, until you remember where a favorite selection is on the ring, or unless you can make out the silhouette, you might need to squint to read what you’re choosing. Another beef concerns some anticlimactic moments when the dialogue builds up to what you think will be an epic fight and it’s over before you know it. One of the early missions, for example, is joining a mercenary group to find the elusive “Archangel,” and despite 20-odd minutes of conversations about his motives and whereabouts, the actual fighting that led up to the meeting with him was only a minute or two.

Shortcomings notwithstanding, “Mass Effect 2” is an extraordinarily fun and great-looking action RPG for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and PC. As if there wasn’t enough game play here, a code in the box lets you download new missions and special items for free as part of an in-game channel for delivering new content and news on an ongoing basis. Sci-fi fans, rejoice — “Mass Effect 2” is well worth the wait.

‘Mass Effect 2’

(3.5 stars out of 4)

• Platforms: Microsoft Xbox 360, PC.

• Genre: Role-playing game.

• Developer: BioWare.

• Publisher: Electronic Arts.

• Web site: http://masseffect.bioware.com

• Price: $59.99 ($49.99 for PC).

• Rating: Mature.