Mass Effect 2 - Reception

Reception

Mass Effect 2 received considerable acclaim from video game publications and sold more than two million units in its first week of release. At the review aggregate website GameRankings, the Xbox 360 version holds an average review score of 95.69%, making it the third highest rated Xbox 360 game released to date, behind The Orange Box and Grand Theft Auto IV. Substantial praise was given to the game's diverse characters, interactive storytelling, voice acting and art design. IGN reviewer Erik Brudvig called Mass Effect 2 a very personal game, with a lot of emotion involved. He praised the option of importing a character, stating that the overall experience changes as different saved games from the previous game are used. Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer highlighted positively the weight of social interaction on the outcome of events and that players feel actual pressure for their decisions. Further praise was given to the game's characters. Edge credited them for their complex personalities and great characterization, while Game Revolution pointed out that the loyalty missions "reach deep enough into their characters to make you empathize with all of them."

The game's visuals and atmosphere received similar praise. GameSpot reviewer Kevin VanOrd remarked that Mass Effect 2 is more detailed and darker than its predecessor. He wrote that "deep reds and glowing indigos saturate certain scenes, making them richer and more sinister; eerie fog limits your vision in one side mission, while rain pours down upon you in another. Subtle, moody lighting gives certain interactions great impact." Reviewer Adriaan den Ouden of RPGamer credited the conversations and cutscenes for being better shot than the first game, stating that "it's hard to imagine them becoming much better in Mass Effect 3." Critics also gave high marks to the game's extensive cast of voices, in particular Martin Sheen's performance of the Illusive Man, which was singled out for "steal the show." Andrew Reiner, writing for Game Informer, opined that the music "flows beautifully" in both the story and action sequences. The IGN review felt that the game's presentation and direction are "miles ahead of the competition."

Numerous publications declared the gameplay was an improvement over the original. John Davison of GamePro wrote "BioWare has done a spectacular job moving the role playing genre forward, and blending disparate gameplay styles into genuinely exciting sci-fi epic." VanOrd praised Mass Effect 2 for possessing an identity, which was something that its predecessor lacked. He noted that the shooting is "more immediate and satisfying, which keeps the pace moving and intensifies the violence of each encounter." Similarly, GameSpy's Gerald Villoria observed that, while the original Mass Effect "walked the line between RPG and shooter Mass Effect 2 has become a much more focused shooter experience." Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com credited the combat for being more balanced, stating that the game encourages players to use different weapon classes and squad abilities when the situation requires it. Despite the praise, some publications such as GameCritics and RPGamer expressed concerns about the game's simplified gameplay compared to the previous game in the series, calling it "stripped-down" and with a "dumbed-down feeling." Some reviewers also criticized the slow planet scanning. Game Revolution felt it was a "chore, mandatory if you want upgrades and boring because there is no tension or challenge", but ultimately concluded that the game as a whole "does more than enough to live up to its predecessor."

Reception for the PlayStation 3 version was similar. Colin Moriarty of IGN described it as "the best, most complete version of the game available" due to the upgraded game engine and the extra downloadable content packs. In contrast, VanOrd criticized the inclusion of the character Kasumi Goto from the Kasumi - Stolen Memory pack, stating that "she never fits in with her more fully developed cohorts." He also remarked that the PlayStation 3 version suffers from technical issues such as frame rate inconsistencies, graphic glitches, and other minor bugs, which are mostly present in the downloadable content sections of the game. Game Informer reviewer Joe Juba reacted negatively to the lack of save importation from the original Mass Effect, which was originally not released on PlayStation 3, and pointed out that the decisions made in the Mass Effect: Genesis interactive comic book "have practically no context." Despite the criticism, he stated that the game itself is equally as good on PlayStation 3 as it is on Xbox 360.