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The shining star in the role-playing firmament

The second installment of the Mass Effect-trilogy from Bioware was released three years after its predecessor - a whole three years! Unimaginable. EA and Activision managers are on the verge of a heart attack at the mere thought. Mass Effect 2 was even distributed by Electronic Arts... o tempora, o mores - what have you become EA? But 2010 was a different time. I digress.

The second game is an almost seamless sequel to the first Mass Effect . Once again we take on the role of Commander Shepard, once again we have to fight vicious alien aggressors, and once again the fate of the universe is at stake. We are joined by our crew of old and new faces, who become part of the story, which itself is more extensive this time than in the first episode. And of course, our own spaceship, the Normandy, is once again part of the wild adventure.

Same old, same old?

Nope! As soon as we find ourselves in the first firefight, one of the first major changes becomes clear: Mass Effect 2 is much more action-orientated than its predecessor. Searching for cover is now fundamental, strategic advancement and careful use of special abilities are essential, and well-aimed shots are vital for survival. Whereas in the predecessor you only had to shoot tiredly out of cover and occasionally throw in a medigel, in the sequel you are forced to adapt to your opponents' strategies and stab them in the back by cleverly flanking them. The fights are also more exciting thanks to the newly introduced ammunition. If you run into a room firing wildly in typical Rambo style, you will often find yourself in hopeless situations that result in reloading.

It is a shame, however, that many of the talents and active abilities familiar from Mass Effect 1 have been replaced - here the step towards more action becomes even more evident. However, this is not a shortcoming, as the new pace fits in wonderfully with the feel of the game and emphasizes the narrative of the story: We're a commander with a mission, and as such we must surely be able to leap over minor obstacles at the touch of a button and blast hordes of humans, aliens and robots, right?

Of course you can play Mass Effect 2 that way, but it's still a role-playing game... with action... but also role-playing. So Shepard can strike a more peaceful note and resolve conflicts with words rather than weapons. But the dialog system is now also much more direct. Whereas in the first installment you had to put talent points into categories such as Flatter and Intimidate, these skills have now been completely removed. In their place are quicktime options that allow us to intervene directly in certain conversations.

Example: We find a survivor who is on the verge of a mental breakdown. We can talk to him and try to calm him down, or bring him to his senses with a well-aimed shot next to his head - this saves time, but is penalized with renegade points. If you don't want to be a rolmodel e anyway, you'll be happy to have shortened the babble by 5 minutes. Everyone else simply ignores the option, lets the conversation take its course and, conversely, can even speak compassionate words at the end, which has a positive effect on their karma account.

Secondary missions and other important things::

Anyone who knows the predecessor also knows about the agony that was called: Exploration. The sci-fi off-road tank “Mako” was a cool vehicle... but unfortunately, the planetary surfaces with their repetitive exploration missions in the always identical bunkers and mine shafts were really annoying in the long run. You don't have to do it, but if you want to see everything like I do, you'll also see these ugly sides. Bioware has learned from this and divided the side missions in Mass Effect 2 into two types: Companion missions and the standard side missions. The former, as the name suggests, deal with the background story of one of your crew members. Sometimes it's the lost sister who needs to be found, sometimes an unfulfilled task that burdens our comrade. And often it's coming to terms with the past. If we complete the mission, this increases the crew member's respect for us. There's also an alternative outfit and a unique ability. For all those who want to get the most out of their team, the escort missions are a must.

The usual side missions, on the other hand, are available as usual through quest givers and appear as anomalies on explorable planets. However, instead of landing on every fourth planet, you now scan them for resources in the form of a mini-game. We need these to improve our equipment and the Normandy. In addition to items, experience points are available as rewards everywhere. As already mentioned, these are no longer as essential as in the previous game due to the reduced skill tree. If you have increased two active skills to the maximum, you can already do a lot of damage. So side missions really are side missions. Those who are keen to explore will be pleased with the rewards, while those who prefer to follow the main story won't have too many disadvantages. By the way: If you import your Shepard from Mass Effect 1 you start with a few advantages such as starting credit, a character bonus and experience points. Plus the fact that decisions you make have a direct effect in Part 2: We let person X die in part 1? Too bad, then there won't be a happy reunion in part 2 either.

A plea for sequels well done

I like Mass Effect 2 for two simple reasons: It plays to its strengths and tightens up where the predecessor was a little weak in my eyes. Role-players may weep bitter tears over the radically trimmed talent tree. On the other hand, action lovers will be delighted with the more challenging battles and greater tactical variety. Personally, I don't think it's a bad thing that there are fewer talents to choose from, as the active skills have been made much more varied and diverse in return. I also don't miss the lack of item management from part 1. When I think back to how Ashley's squeaky pink armor went from crewman to crewman in game 1, and how I ran through the Citadel with my ragtag team in chameleon-colored suits, I think the reduction to the essentials is more of a step forward. Sometimes less is more. And Mass Effect 2 isn't even less. The world is bigger, the story more exciting, the characters deeper. And the music? A dream.

For all these reasons, I think Mass Effect 2 is a worthy successor to the first installment. It introduces change, but at the same time proves what positive changes can look like without affecting the core of a game or a brand. An improvement on all levels. That can only mean good things for the future of the Mass Effect-brand, right? I bet the third installment will be great, right? And maybe there'll be a spin-off in a different setting? THAT'S BOUND TO BE GREAT TOO, RIGHT? OR?!