This post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Editor’s note: Jeff enjoyed his personalized adventure in Mass Effect 2 so much that he never wants to play the game again. His post is an arresting argument for a single, solitary experience in an age when replayability is so highly valued. -Brett
Note: This post is spoiler-free.
It’s only February and already Mass Effect 2 has set the bar that all potential 2010 Game of the Year contenders will need to hurdle to even enter the conversation. I finished it this morning, and I can tell you that it is definitely as good as you’ve been hearing.
Between Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2, BioWare has blessed us with two spectacular epics in the last 90 days. While two games share some similarities, and both titles definitely received a sprinkling of Ye Olde BioWare Magic, there is one glaring difference that struck me while the Mass Effect 2 credits rolled.
When I finished Dragon Age, I immediately rolled up a new character and started playing through a second time, making choices directly contrary to the ones I made during my adventure. The game’s multiple origin stories, multitude of endings, and separate good/evil Achievements definitely promoted replay while serving as a pretty effective incentive to slog through the 40-hour-plus experience more than once.
My feelings about Mass Effect 2, on the other hand, are the polar opposite. I’m not entirely pleased with every choice that I made as Commander Shepard, but I’m at peace with them. Throughout the course of the story, I played the game pretty much right down the middle, and my Paragon (good) and Renegade (evil) levels matched each other at the end.
My Shepard will do almost anything for his crew, is a fair leader, and consistently protects innocents. He also despises slavers and does not suffer fools lightly. Cross him or try to intimidate him and he’ll react quickly and without mercy. Despite having more in common with Gears of War than Planescape: Torment, Mass Effect 2 is actually a very complete role-playing experience, in the truest sense of the term. It is the rare example of a game that presents meaningful choices that aren’t obviously black or white, truly allowing players to live in the gray area in between.
I eagerly await Mass Effect 3, and I’m ready for whatever consequences I’ll have to deal with based on the decisions I made while tracking down and defeating the Collectors in Mass Effect 2. I know I could go back and play the game from the opposite angle just to see what happens, but I think that would ruin the experience for me. Over the course of two games, BioWare has allowed me to take Commander Shepard on a voyage that is largely unique to me.
I’m comfortable with my version of Shepard, and I look forward to wrapping up his adventure in the next game. Even if I’m not happy with every bend in the road ahead, it’s my road. And that’s what matters.