Dhruin
SasqWatch
Not surprisingly for such a high profile game, there are a massive number of release-day reviews. Over half of the scores are straight 10/10s, though some bugs and graphical issues are noted in a few. These are almost all X360 articles, though NowGamer is for PC. 1Up is the most critical, feeling the RPG aspect has been too streamlined.
I'm going to line list them, because there are just so many.
<ul> OMX UK - 10/10, "gaming's best told story" and "superb acting and script".
Videogamer.com - 10/10, "everything is stunning".
TeamXbox - 10/10, "A game that ranks at the top of the medium", but they note "strange, though infrequent bugs".
Games Radar - 10/10 - "BioWare's most fully realised work to date". They have a section at the end that compares to Borderlands, Dragon Age and Fallout 3, saying the game is better than all of them. On Dragon Age, they say "Mass Effect 2 has a better combat system, better voice acting, better dialog, better animation, better graphics.."
Eurogamer - 10/10 - "BioWare's greatest success in Mass Effect 2 has been taking a complex RPG and making it effortless to understand, play and enjoy on a constant basis, because it has done this in a manner that should prove utterly essential to veterans and newcomers alike, and more than enough to suggest Mass Effect 3 will be the most important game in BioWare's history."
PlanetXbox360 - 10/10 - "My journey with Commander Shepherd opened up a new view of what this form of entertainment can do, and allowed me to emotionally connect (and care) with the virtual characters on my television screen."
Destructoid - 10/10 - "Flawless victory", "So, combat is improved and much faster than before. Part of that reason is because weapons now use clips, meaning there's no more waiting behind a wall for precious seconds as weapon heat dissipates. Guns also now have unique identities and different battlefield applications. The right gun is just as valuable as the right type of ammunition (and there are plenty of ammo options to choose from, all of which exploit some core weakness). The other part is that Shepard now has more effective powers that can be tied to the face buttons. On the AI side, however, a radial pause menu construct is still needed to queue single actions. Perhaps most importantly, there are no apparent dice rolls. Guns are accurate, and damage is based on, in large part, where you shoot. Headshots are vital to the space cop."
GameSpy - 5/5 - "With Mass Effect 2 BioWare takes the videogame sequel and shows us how it's done. The combat's better, the space exploration's more satisfying, the writing's as clever as any the studio has put forth, and the artistic vision behind this sci-fi galaxy -- down to the Hollywood-talent voice work -- is top-notch. But it's the way that Mass Effect 2 expands upon the narrative established in the first game that marks a true breakthrough for interactive storytelling."
Gamer Limit - 9.5/10.
CVG - 9.3/10 - "Unlike the original, Mass Effect 2 kicks off with a bang and is generally well-paced throughout. Much of the sequel revolves around Sheppard combing the galaxy to recruit an elite team to tackle the Reapers, which naturally leads to you solving each individual's problem before they hop onto your ship.
These missions are, for the most part, unique, interesting and, most of all, fantastically written. Though cinematic wonder Heavy Rain looms near on the horizon, Mass Effect 2 is arguably the closest to an interactive movie we've ever come." IGN AU - 9.3/10 - "The determination of Shepard's disposition – the Paragon / Renegade process – has been further ...More information.
I'm going to line list them, because there are just so many.
<ul> OMX UK - 10/10, "gaming's best told story" and "superb acting and script".
Videogamer.com - 10/10, "everything is stunning".
TeamXbox - 10/10, "A game that ranks at the top of the medium", but they note "strange, though infrequent bugs".
Games Radar - 10/10 - "BioWare's most fully realised work to date". They have a section at the end that compares to Borderlands, Dragon Age and Fallout 3, saying the game is better than all of them. On Dragon Age, they say "Mass Effect 2 has a better combat system, better voice acting, better dialog, better animation, better graphics.."
Eurogamer - 10/10 - "BioWare's greatest success in Mass Effect 2 has been taking a complex RPG and making it effortless to understand, play and enjoy on a constant basis, because it has done this in a manner that should prove utterly essential to veterans and newcomers alike, and more than enough to suggest Mass Effect 3 will be the most important game in BioWare's history."
PlanetXbox360 - 10/10 - "My journey with Commander Shepherd opened up a new view of what this form of entertainment can do, and allowed me to emotionally connect (and care) with the virtual characters on my television screen."
Destructoid - 10/10 - "Flawless victory", "So, combat is improved and much faster than before. Part of that reason is because weapons now use clips, meaning there's no more waiting behind a wall for precious seconds as weapon heat dissipates. Guns also now have unique identities and different battlefield applications. The right gun is just as valuable as the right type of ammunition (and there are plenty of ammo options to choose from, all of which exploit some core weakness). The other part is that Shepard now has more effective powers that can be tied to the face buttons. On the AI side, however, a radial pause menu construct is still needed to queue single actions. Perhaps most importantly, there are no apparent dice rolls. Guns are accurate, and damage is based on, in large part, where you shoot. Headshots are vital to the space cop."
GameSpy - 5/5 - "With Mass Effect 2 BioWare takes the videogame sequel and shows us how it's done. The combat's better, the space exploration's more satisfying, the writing's as clever as any the studio has put forth, and the artistic vision behind this sci-fi galaxy -- down to the Hollywood-talent voice work -- is top-notch. But it's the way that Mass Effect 2 expands upon the narrative established in the first game that marks a true breakthrough for interactive storytelling."
Gamer Limit - 9.5/10.
CVG - 9.3/10 - "Unlike the original, Mass Effect 2 kicks off with a bang and is generally well-paced throughout. Much of the sequel revolves around Sheppard combing the galaxy to recruit an elite team to tackle the Reapers, which naturally leads to you solving each individual's problem before they hop onto your ship.
These missions are, for the most part, unique, interesting and, most of all, fantastically written. Though cinematic wonder Heavy Rain looms near on the horizon, Mass Effect 2 is arguably the closest to an interactive movie we've ever come." IGN AU - 9.3/10 - "The determination of Shepard's disposition – the Paragon / Renegade process – has been further ...More information.