Mass Effect 2 (2010)

After being revived from death and having to join a pro-human organization without a choice, Commander Shepard must assemble a team, battle a new threat, and make tough choices in order to save the galaxy from total annihilation once more.

Director:

Casey Hudson

Writers:

Chris Hepler, Drew Karpyshyn

Stars:

Shohreh Aghdashloo, Maggie Baird, Adam Baldwin

9 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shohreh Aghdashloo	...	Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay (voice)
Maggie Baird	...	Samara (voice)
Adam Baldwin	...	Kal'Reegar (voice)
Michael Beattie	...	Mordin Solus / Aresh (voice)
Claudia Black	...	Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh / Matriarch Aethyta / Rachni Envoy (voice)
Steve Blum	...	Grunt / Wilson / Crewman Matthews / Shadow Broker - Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC (voice)
Keith David	...	David Anderson (voice)
D.C. Douglas	...	Legion / Crewman Hawthorne / Unit 431 / Vij / Feral Hunter / Fired Miner / Krogan Guard / Merc Radio Chatter / Nakmor Warrior (voice) (as DC Douglas)
Keythe Farley	...	Thane Krios / Fortack / Guard / Mine Foreman (voice)
Seth Green	...	Jeff 'Joker' Moreau (voice)
Jennifer Hale	...	Commander Shepard - Female / Blue Suns Dispatcher / Refinery Worker / Party Guest - Kasumi: Stolen Memory DLC (voice)
Tricia Helfer	...	EDI (voice)
Michael Hogan	...	Captain Bailey (voice)
Brandon Keener	...	Garrus Vakarian (voice)
Adam Lazarre-White	...	Jacob Taylor / Additional Voices (voice)

Storyline

Following the conclusion of the first Mass Effect, Shepard and his ship, the Normandy, are dispatched to wipe out any further geth resistance. During the patrol in space, the Normandy is attacked by an unknown ship. Most of the crew escapes the Normandy, but Shepard is killed. Fortunately, Shepard's body is retrieved and is revived by Cerberus, a pro-human organization that is at odds with the Alliance, whom Shepard was a part of. Two years later, Shepard learns from the Illusive Man, the leader of Cerberus, that numerous human colonies are vanishing, but the latter does not know why. After Shepard visits a colony that was recently attacked by these unknown belligerents, he learns that the belligerents are in fact Collectors, the same species that was behind the downing of the Normandy. Attacking the Collectors home world would be suicide. In response to this growing threat posed by the Collectors, Shepard creates a team made up of former squad members from the first Mass Effect was ...

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Plot Keywords:

choice | commander | autism | playstation 3 | xbox 360 | 

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Taglines:

Fight for the Lost.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

M

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 January 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mass Effect 2

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bioware

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Illusive Man's voice actor Martin Sheen says in the Mass Effect 2 Documentary DVD that he would not trust the Illusive Man. Additionally, in an interview Martin Sheen said that he thought that the Illusive Man was a horrible man.

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Goofs

In the codex entry of the Mass Relay the still image of the relay has a "LOADING" watermark in the lower left hand corner of the codex's image, even though nothing is loading when reading this entry which means the image is a direct screen shot grab from the first game.

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Quotes

Commander Shepard: I couldn't do this without you, Garrus.
Garrus Vakarian: Sure you could. Not as stylishly, of course.

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Connections

Featured in Outside Xbox: 7 Alien Races That Look Like Beautiful Human Women by Amazing Coincidence (2016)

User Reviews

One of the deepest sci-fi universes ever created

When the original Mass Effect came out, Bioware established a very typical sci-fi universe, complete with massive orbital cities, foreign planets, and plenty of alien creatures. What separated this universe from others was the plethora of individuals and relatable issues that came with them. This was a sci-fi universe that was relatable and deep. You could get to know those around you and, even more than the most well known sci-fi universes, you could really explore the world the universe you lived in.

Mass Effect 2 ups that. Shepherd returns, this time working for a faction known as Cerebrus, one that few seem to trust. As they have done you a great favor, they are now tasking you with saving the universe once again. The game is a direct sequel in what is a proposed trilogy. And it's an effective chapter in the saga. You once again have choices to make, some difficult. Do you let a colony of people die because you want the loyalty of a team member, or do you stand by your principles and save them. These are the kinds of choices you have to make, and this ultimately affects your relations with the universe around you. The aforementioned scenario is also an example of how directly you affect your new team as well. The characters who comprise your team of warriors now give you a direct glimpse into their lives by tasking you with missions that directly affect them. At several points you will have to make tough decisions, and these will, once again, affect the rest of the game.

But, even without directly helping these characters, they're still a fairly interesting bunch. You have a variety of characters, all multifaceted. Some who seem to be bitter and hard have good reason to be so, while others who seem too nice can show a side that is as dark as any villain. As the commander of this crowd, you have to make the choices that will affect their outlook on you and ultimately affect their performance during the mission. Act too harshly, and you may lose some support. Act too naively, and you may let a criminal slip loose.

Gameplay, in my opinion, takes a backseat. My issues with the first game were also gameplay related, and while a few things have improved, the primary issues remain. I always found gameplay in the original to be a tad dull. Here, gameplay remains as dull. While there are several options, it's also quite formulaic. You run, take cover, and play shooting gallery with enemies. Occasionally you run into some hacking minigames, but those lose their charm after a little while. It would have been nice if Bioware could have included some variety, but the lack of truly exciting gameplay moments leaves the game lacking. And with so many games out there these days that contain a plethora of cinematic gameplay moments, one has to wonder why Bioware has settled for a more mundane formula of gameplay. However, the gameplay keeps the game moving, and it's not so bad where you dread having to shoot more bad guys.

Thankfully, the makers of the game listened to players and did away with certain annoyances. Gone is the Mako, which took up a chunk of time in the original having to explore planets. Gone, also, are the long and unnecessary elevator sequences and the plethora of backtracking to get back to the Normandy. Everything is streamlined to put you right where you want to be. It's nice to see a company that cares enough for what its gamers want to cut out the bs and get to the good stuff.

Mass Effect 2 isn't a giant leap for the series. But, with a game as good as the first chapter, the sequel doesn't have to be. It's another fantastic game that continues a rich and exciting universe full of life to explore. And, that alone, makes it a worthwhile purchase.