Mass Effect 2: Just A Damned Fine Action Adventure

As a long time fan of just about every RPG Bioware has made and as someone who loved the original Mass Effect, it would be an understatement to say I am disappointed with Mass Effect 2. It's not that it's a bad game; it's a great action adventure. My problem is I expected an improved Mass Effect and instead got a wholly different game.

As stated, I think Mass Effect 2's problem is that instead of being an RPG it's more of an action adventure. It's actually very much like Jade Empire, a game Bioware released on the Xbox several years ago. Both games have robust dialogue systems but when it comes to character development, inventory management, and combat, are very light weight.

Many may argue that Mass Effect 2 and Jade Empire before it are still RPGs, and technically they may or may not be, but in terms of complex game systems that take time and effort to master, these games more closely resemble action adventures. They are story driven, focused on decision making with some puzzle solving, with only modest combat and character development contrivances to drive the story forward and little else.

I argue that a true RPG is deep and complex. Its game systems can be difficult to master, which takes time and effort, and the player can often find him or herself far into a play through before they have approached mastery. This steep learning curve is one of the reasons RPGs tend to be replayable; once you finally figure out how things work you can then replay the game to take advantage of your new found knowledge.

But Mass Effect 2's game play is simple. It's game systems arguably take no more time to master then those of a game like Uncharted 2. It's character development, research, and combat systems are easy to understand and use. This makes the game very approachable, which hopefully means more people buy it and the series continues because it's popular.

And while this might be good for Bioware and EA, it's not necessarily good for end users. For example, the original Mass Effect is a game I played a total of six times, using the same character twice in the game+ mode at the hardest difficulty level. It was smaller in scope than Mass Effect 2 but had enough depth and complexity to make it highly replayable.

Some may replay Mass Effect 2 as well but I have been unable to. The depth of game play Bioware put into the first game is not here. Mass Effect 2's character development system has few mysteries, its combat feels inconsequential, and its story, while generally excellent, just isn't enough to carry the game for more than a single play through.

What I find most interesting is how the same reviewers who didn't like Jade Empire wholeheartedly love Mass Effect 2. The game has received universal praise and everyone appears to think that the dumbing down of the franchise is nothing but good news. And when you first dive into the game, it's easy to defend the changes. They really do seem to be for the best.

When you really spend some time with the game though, and you realize there isn't any nuanced game play to be found, you start to understand how similar Mass Effect 2 is to an action adventure. Like many similar games, there's some variation based on decisions you make, and there are a few interactions you might see on one play through versus another, but ultimately, what you see is what you get.

As someone who loves RPGs, and specifically loves the first Mass Effect, I find what Bioware did with this sequel very disturbing. While the developer has the right to strip the series of its RPG elements if it wishes to, I as the consumer have rights too. I might choose to not play it at all, I might choose to rent instead of buy it, or maybe I'll just choose to do what I've done with Mass Effect 2: Sell it. Regardless of which of these I choose, in the end both Bioware and I lose.