Mass Effect 2

If there's one barrier between the conception of games as a modern genre of artistic entertainment and that of them being a silly, violent distraction for kids; it's maturity. By this we don't mean swearing, sex and violence, but something which will treat an adult audience with respect, telling an intelligent tale with rounded, interesting characters who you can genuinely care about. If games are ever to be truly respected in this manner then it'll have been titles like Mass Effect 2 (ME2) which began to bridge the gap. Make no mistake, for all the flashy spaceships, rattling guns and odd aliens, ME2 is most concerned with it's characters and in trying to making you sympathise with their hopes and fears as much as possible.

ME2 picks up two years after it's predecessor and sees our protagonist Shepard join forces with a shady group named Cerberus to tackle a mysterious enemy who is targeting frontier colonies; as humanity continues to take it's first few steps into the galaxy. In the process he'll put together a team of misfits for a mission that could likely see few of them return. Much of the game is spent recruiting and meeting these people who, without exception, all have interesting histories and often a lot more to them than meets the eye. Import your character from ME1 and your choices in that game will also continue to resonate in genuinely satisfying (and sometimes depressing) ways.

The game as a whole is expertly written from beginning to end, both epic and intimate. The game is packed with dialogue and cut-scenes, but what differs this from things like Metal Gear Solid, is that rather than listen to person after person pontificate while you sit and watch, most everything in ME2 remains interactive. You can now work certain actions into conversations too, someone ranting for too long at you? Punch them and tell them to get to the point.

The voice acting is some of the best out there too. Despite the big name talents on show in the cast (of whom Martin Sheen and Seth Green are excellent), most of the main characters are played by professional voice actors at the top of their game - ME2 doesn't want to be a film, but a very good game. What also stands out is the games sense of humour; despite the dark nature of the story, a dry vein of comedy remains constant in the dialogue and is genuinely laugh out loud funny.

The biggest improvements over the original come in the combat. While the first game made a good bash at incorporating a fun third-person shooter into an RPG, it wasn't exactly world class. ME2 however has fixed this and the combat is now among some of the best going; fast paced, challenging and fun. You'll look forward to each and every violent encounter and they consistently fail to disappoint.

Exploration is streamlined too, with a more interesting array of sub-plots and side missions. Rather than grinding up and down hills on random planets as in the first game, ME2 drops you straight into relevant positions and provides an interesting variety of locales and missions. Indeed the entire game is a sleeker experience, with many of the RPG elements being condensed and simplified so that you spend less time tinkering with weapon upgrades and more with getting on with the story.

The Game too is beautiful to look at, from vast utopian metropolises, to seedy underworld bars and alien worlds baking in the glow of red suns, this is a visual feast. Facial animation is extremely emotive, especially for the aliens. The soundtrack continues to mix enchanting classical and electronic work while calm with engaging percussion during conflict. Combined with satisfying sound effects, ME2 truly is an absorbing sensory experience.

There are still elements that need ironing out of course. The odd bug will drag you out of the experience, while the act of scanning planets for resources can get occasionally repetitive. Also as good as the story is, the main narrative perhaps remains a little ambiguous during the first half, although the extra pressure put on the characters own plots does help to emphasise their own strengths. Make sure you install the game onto your console as loading times can be a little extreme.

ME2 is however more than we could have hoped for. It follows on from the classic ME1 with style, improving and amending, while pushing the genre forward as a whole. To call Mass Effect 2 a ‘cinematic' experience would be entirely wrong , not to mention condescending, this is not a film - it's a game, and a damn good one. Perhaps it's the term ‘game' itself which holds the genre back, this is immersive media at its finest, thought provoking, beautiful, humorous, touching and most of all fun. We simply can't wait for the conclusion of this epic trilogy.