Mass Effect 2

I have a somewhat irrational fondness for Mass Effect 1, given its vast multitude of glaring flaws. ME2 manages to patch up many of them, and tries some interesting ideas, but introduces so many new flaws that it's ultimately my least favorite entry in the Commander Shepard trilogy. It is a technically far more polished action game, but it's visually dreary and rather ugly, with an unpleasantly narrow FoV (which you can mercifully hack on PC). Gone is the loathsome Mako and the boring-ass playtime-padding planets you explore with it, but ME2 finds a new way to disrespect your time with the planet scanning minigame. ME2 feels deliberately narrower in narrative scope, which is not really what I go for in my pulpy space operas, and its consistently darker tone just feels unnecessary and wasn't a positive direction for the series IMO. The teammate-mission-centric structure of the game is more deliberate/regimented and fast-paced, and feels less open as a result. The artifice of the gameplay loop and its "kill a bunch of mooks in box-filled hallways -> narrative beat -> repeat" rhythm becomes quite palpable after a while. The writing hits lower lows than ME1; there are several characters I can't stand, like utterly insufferable cringe dispenser Jack. Many people seem to love the final mission, but I personally find it rather meh, a disappointing endgame fighting bugmen in some boring space dungeon with a laughably stupid final boss after the buildup of the last 30 hours. The DLC fleshes this game out quite a bit and is essential, in my opinion.

Blade Runner was one of those films I saw as a kid that left me with an equal amount of anticipation and trepidation of what the future may hold. It's "the future" and we don't have cyborgs, flying cars, or dystopian vistas filled with smoke and fire. You know, I'm kind of okay with that. This is mostly because Mass Effect 2 lets you explore the cyberpunk milieu proposed in the '80s with a graphical fidelity, atmosphere, and realism unrealized before in games. Starting where the original left off, you continue humanity's plight to survive in an era of galactic governments, alien bigotry, and shadow corporations. Where the original found aliens doubting the human race's sustainability, ME2 finds you the bane of the universe. There is a cliche, evil insect race at the core of ME2's story, but it's the more intimate scenarios and character interaction that makes ME2 a memorable experience. The amount of choices and consequences that can occur is staggering. Even a cute, virtual gesture like ordering a drink has unforeseen consequences. On the combat side, the game plays like Gears of War, a huge achievement unto itself but it lacks the tactical depth and loadout options of the original (which weren't particularly deep to begin with). The game might have thinned out many of the original's RPG elements, but ME2 is a much more focused, aesthetically-pleasing experience. It's a shame then that the plot, characters, scenarios and combat are far more shallow and less interesting than the original.

it has sex scenes both hetero and homo

dialogue system is actually fun, combat is kinda shit but it can have some cool moments. i enjoy'd leveling up the character and progressing through the universe, although it did feel pretty menial at times. its worth a play, at least

6/10