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Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published byElectronic Arts. The game is a sequel to Mass Effect, and the second game of the series. The game was released on PC and Xbox 360 in January 2010, and on PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011.[9][10]
After the events of the original game, Commander Shepard is killed in an ambush by a mysterious alien species called the Collectors. Shepard is revived two years after the attack by a pro-human extremist organization called Cerberus, and is tasked with finding out more about the Collectors and why they are abducting entire human colonies. Shepard must recruit and gain the loyalty of a diverse team in order to accomplish what seems to be asuicide mission. Many elements and locations from Mass Effect return, in addition to ones new to the series.
A critical and commercial success, Mass Effect 2 had shipped over two million copies worldwide within a week of release,[11] and has also received highly favorable reviews.[12] It is ranked third on the Xbox 360 according to GameRankings, and is, overall, the fourteenth best reviewed game of all time.[13] The game holds over 30 perfect scores and has an average of 96 for the Xbox 360 and 94 for the PC and PS3 on Metacritic.
New features
According to Casey Hudson, BioWare tried to improve every part of Mass Effect 2 from the firstMass Effect, especially combat.[17] The game feels like a precision shooter with accurate and powerful weapons, and there are also physics-based special abilities that can be fired in real time.
In combat, players have regenerating health, but cannot heal themselves with medi-gel like in the first Mass Effect; however, medi-gel can still be used to revive downed squad mates.[18] The ability to fire a weapon no longer relies on an overheating system; instead, ammunition is used.[19] Ammunition is universal across most standard weapons, unlike in most other third person shooters where different weapons require specific ammunition.[20]
The galaxy in Mass Effect 2 is more in-depth than in the original Mass Effect. Uncharted worlds, which the player could only explore for "cheap thrills" in the first game, are now smaller but much more detailed.[21]
During conversations with the A.I., camera positioning has been improved. Previously static, the camera now moves around to provide a cinematic touch.[22] Another new feature during conversations is a context-sensitive interrupt system; in addition to neutral, Renegade and Paragon dialogue options, Shepard is now able to interrupt the conversation when prompted with on-screen controls.[23]
The Mako - used for planetary exploration in the first Mass Effect - was not included in Mass Effect 2.[24] A drop shuttle is used instead, directly transporting the player to areas of immediate interest.[25] Long elevator rides, used to disguise loading times in the original Mass Effect, were removed entirely, replaced by loading screens.[26]
There are 19 different weapons divided into 6 types in Mass Effect 2, which is considerably less than in the first Mass Effect.[27] Grenades from the first game have been replaced by heavy weapons,[28] and sub-machine guns have been added as a weapon class. Characters are no longer required to invest in weapon skills; instead, they are given class-specific weapons from the get-go and can easily upgrade them fully. Research can be done for damage upgrades, ammo capacity upgrades and weapon accuracy upgrades. Armor restrictions have been removed[29] and players are able to upgrade different armor components through purchases and individual components.