Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 came out last Tuesday and I find myself a week later having completed a full play through, clocking in at 37 hours. As I try to think of how to describe the experience a few things come to mind... deep immersion, outstanding audio and visuals, and the best dialogue sequences I've seen in a game to date.
Immersion: There are a number of different elements that work together in ME2 that almost seamlessly draw you into the game. Storytelling, voice work, and visuals all combine to make you feel like you are in Shepard's boots deciding the fate of the universe yourself. The end result is that while being drawn in the game it eventually becomes a story about you. I have a feeling that Bioware worked very hard at this aspect of the game and I believe they pulled it off as close to perfect as current gaming technology allows.
Audio and Visuals: I should start off by saying that ME2 by far has the best voice work in any video game I've played yet. NPC personalities shine mainly due to the great voice casting and performances. An additional bonus is that any NPC in ME2 that was in the original is being voiced by the same actor. This is another area that I think Bioware worked very hard on and they definitely hit their mark. The spacey ambient techno tracks throughout the game add nice flourishes of personality and the driving battle music draws you right into the action.
ME2 has really awesome visuals. Levels designs and environments are supremely detailed and there are points where you just have to stop and admire the incredibly high level of talent that went into creating this game. Character models have awesome detail and Shepard's textures and facial expressions are particularly well done. I should note that Bioware specifically worked on facial expressions and eye movements for this game and it really payed off.
Dialogue: The writing for the character dialogue throughout the game is very well done and Bioware's implementation of their conversation system makes it shine. ME2 is ultimately a story about you and your crew members with a small framework of the main plot built around it. They did an excellent job developing the backstories of your potential crew members and how you eventually handle them is completely up to you. If five different people you know play this game I'd bet that everyone one of them makes five different sets of choices and the story would end differently for each one of them.
I'll cut off my thoughts on ME2 here. The game tailors itself to each individual so it is hard to talk about it other then in broad terms. Almost all gamers should find ME2 accessible since Bioware worked hard on streamlining the RPG elements of the game to make it a sleeker experience overall. The best thing about the game is that if you don't take the story seriously and blow past the recommendations it throws your way you will find yourself disappointed in the end and wishing you had done things differently, just like in real life.
Immersion: There are a number of different elements that work together in ME2 that almost seamlessly draw you into the game. Storytelling, voice work, and visuals all combine to make you feel like you are in Shepard's boots deciding the fate of the universe yourself. The end result is that while being drawn in the game it eventually becomes a story about you. I have a feeling that Bioware worked very hard at this aspect of the game and I believe they pulled it off as close to perfect as current gaming technology allows.
Audio and Visuals: I should start off by saying that ME2 by far has the best voice work in any video game I've played yet. NPC personalities shine mainly due to the great voice casting and performances. An additional bonus is that any NPC in ME2 that was in the original is being voiced by the same actor. This is another area that I think Bioware worked very hard on and they definitely hit their mark. The spacey ambient techno tracks throughout the game add nice flourishes of personality and the driving battle music draws you right into the action.
ME2 has really awesome visuals. Levels designs and environments are supremely detailed and there are points where you just have to stop and admire the incredibly high level of talent that went into creating this game. Character models have awesome detail and Shepard's textures and facial expressions are particularly well done. I should note that Bioware specifically worked on facial expressions and eye movements for this game and it really payed off.
Dialogue: The writing for the character dialogue throughout the game is very well done and Bioware's implementation of their conversation system makes it shine. ME2 is ultimately a story about you and your crew members with a small framework of the main plot built around it. They did an excellent job developing the backstories of your potential crew members and how you eventually handle them is completely up to you. If five different people you know play this game I'd bet that everyone one of them makes five different sets of choices and the story would end differently for each one of them.
I'll cut off my thoughts on ME2 here. The game tailors itself to each individual so it is hard to talk about it other then in broad terms. Almost all gamers should find ME2 accessible since Bioware worked hard on streamlining the RPG elements of the game to make it a sleeker experience overall. The best thing about the game is that if you don't take the story seriously and blow past the recommendations it throws your way you will find yourself disappointed in the end and wishing you had done things differently, just like in real life.
