Mass Effect 2
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Game Reviewed: Mass
Effect 2
Publisher: EA
Developer: Bioware
Reviewer: Thaius Tydane
Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PC)
Category: Action RPG
ERSB Rating: M
Game Description: (Warning Review Contains Spoilers!)
After saving all known galactic life from the machine race
known as the Reapers, Commander Shepard is on patrol when his ship, the
Normandy, is attacked by an unknown force.
The Normandy is destroyed, killing much of the crew and propelling
Shepard into space, where he dies. His
body is recovered by a human supremacist group called Cerberus, and through a
mysterious program called the Lazarus project, he is restored and brought back
to life in order to face a new threat.
Human colonies are disappearing all throughout the galaxy: no signs of
battle, no remains, no bodies, everything is just gone. Commissioned by a company that he does not
trust, Shepard sets out to recruit a ragtag group of “the brightest, the toughest,
and the deadliest allies he can find.”
It is likely a suicide mission, but with humanity and possibly all
galactic life at stake, Shepard and his team are willing to put it all on the
line in order to save humanity and the rest of the galaxy.
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to a game largely known for its
epic story and well-developed characters.
The first game offered much player control over the story, and allowed
the player to make choices that molded Shepard’s personality into either a
Paragon or Renegade type of hero. Mass
Effect 2 continues in the same vein as its predecessor, with a long epic story
and a cast of some of the most well developed characters seen in any game.
Mass Effect 2 is played from a third-person perspective: the
player sees his/her character as if from a floating camera. During gunfights, the camera is positioned
over the shoulder as the player battles many different kinds of aliens, humans,
and robots. The player has a variety of
guns to choose from, as well as many different biotic and tech powers:
abilities that do many things, from flinging your enemies in the air to
overloading their shields. Another large
part of the game is dialogue sections, where the player can have Shepard talk
to various people and choose how Shepard responds. These are shown from cinematic camera angles,
and usually do not involve violence.
However, a new feature in Mass Effect 2 is the ability to interrupt with
a paragon or renegade response when prompted by the game. Some of these
interruptions can be violent, such as punching the person you are talking to.
Mass Effect 2 is rated M for a reason, as it tells an
intricate, dark story that spans over 30 hours of gameplay (much more if you do
everything the game has to offer). There
is definitely content that is not meant for younger players, so caution is
recommended.
What Parents Need to
Know
Violence
Shepard and his crew must kill many types of enemies, from
robots to aliens to humans. Robots will
sometimes explode when destroyed, but such lavish deaths are not applied to
living creatures. There are little
splatters of blood when an organic enemy is hit, but there is no dismemberment
or gore. Some gory deaths are talked
about in detail, and a few are implied off-screen. There are also a couple of levels where the
player will encounter dead bodies that look like they have been skinned.
Biotic abilities give the player more powerful ways to
destroy enemies. This, however, is no more gory than shooting them, though
possibly more disturbing. For example,
if an organic enemy is set on fire, he may scream wildly for a few seconds
before death. If an enemy is frozen,
they can shatter into ice shards with enough force.
Language
As many different dialogue options are possible, it would be
impossible to count exactly how much bad language is used in the game. Likely, there would be more on the Renegade
path than on the Paragon path.
The F-word is used sparingly, but multiple times.
The S-word is used throughout the game.
“Damn” is used throughout the game.
G-d damn is also used
a few times.
“Ass,” “bitch,” and other expletives are used throughout the
game.
Sexual Content
As in the first Mass Effect, it is possible to follow a
romantic sub-plot with one of multiple characters. If followed to completion, this ends with a
sex scene right before the final mission. These scenes do not feature the
partial nudity, however, that sparked controversy over the first Mass Effect
game. In my experience with the game the female character straddles Shepard
while they kiss. She starts to unzip her top allowing the player to see her
bra. They then continue to kiss at which point the camera pans away.
Also, in various nightclubs, there are alien women dancing
in revealing outfits. There are also a
few sexual references throughout the game, some with sexual intent, and others
simply referring to alien reproduction for informative purposes. Though I have to say I enjoyed one alien’s observation while being reluctantly
forced into a bachelor party by his human friend: “So humans celebrate lifelong
commitment by tempting infidelity?” Wise
observation, my friend.
Spiritual Content
Many of the various alien races in Mass Effect 2 have some
sort of religion. Some basic details of
said religions are given throughout the game, though it is rarely focused on. One character is an assassin, and he has
three prayers to three gods that he prays before, during, and after each
assassination. But the story itself has
no real fantasy elements, and in fact bases itself in some ways on the idea of
evolution.
There is another character whose alien race often refers to
the goddess. This character can be seen meditating in her room.
Misc
Mass Effect 2 gives the player the option to be a kind,
caring leader, or a violent do what it takes to get the job done even if it
means going against good morals such as betraying a teammate, leaving innocent
civilians to die or killing someone who refuses to give you information: this
freedom is gauged by the terms Paragon and Renegade. The player can choose to simply make Paragon
or Renegade decisions throughout the entire game, but it is also possible to
sometimes go one way and sometimes the other depending on the situation that
presents itself. For example, I played primarily as a Paragon, but there were a
few times when the situation called for a Renegade response in order to more adequately
get the job done.
Mass Effect 2 will also sometimes call the player to make a
morally grey decision. I will not
specify any for the sake of spoilers, but not every decision is an easy one,
and Mass Effect 2 uses that in its narrative, forcing the player to make
choices where neither choice is obviously right or wrong.
Reviewers Thoughts
Mass Effect 2 delivered on its promises, offering a
compelling story with likable characters in what is unquestionably one of the
greatest sci-fi epics of our time. It
takes advantage of gaming’s unique abilities as a storytelling medium by
allowing the player to have a huge amount of control over the story, genuinely
making it their own. To those who
question gaming’s abilities as a storytelling medium, I simply say: “Mass
Effect 2.”
But, like many great stories, it comes with a price. Violence, bad language, and a bit of sex
provide enough of a downside that you will have to decide whether your teen, or
you, are willing to wade through some mud to experience this gem of a
game. Though much of the content is
optional (just make good choices and go for a Paragon alignment to avoid much
of it), it is still there, and you will have to choose whether it is worth the
effort to see the brilliance behind a layer of moral muck.
