Games review: Mass Effect 2, Xbox 360, £49.99 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Games review: Mass Effect 2, Xbox 360, £49.99

5:55pm Monday 8th February 2010

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They often say the 1980s was the golden age of videogames.

But when you consider such delights as Bayonetta, Modern Warfare 2, Batman Arkham Asylym and my personal favourite Uncharted 2, you realise that the true best is here and now.

Play Mass Effect 2 and you will see exactly what I mean. This is the sequel to 2007’s critically-heralded Mass Effect role-playing game and already it is an early contender for game of the year.

This second part of a planned trilogy continues the heroic space adventures of Commander Shepard in the 22nd century with the introduction of many new characters, weapons and plotlines.

It is worth playing the first game if you have not already done so, just so that you get a feel for the story ahead. That said, you don’t need to play the original to understand this follow-up and that should earn it a new legion of fans. The game takes more than 30 hours to complete in single-player mode. The plot revolves around a mysterious new threat to humankind and Shepard’s reluctance to work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization (bordering on terrorists, says Shepard), in order to stop “The Collectors” in their path of destruction.

As with the first game, there are also love interests, betrayals, mini-games and numerous side-missions that will also affect the story.

The human characters look real, including faces that convey emotion during these exchanges. As Shepard, you'll guide the conversation based on the questions you ask.

Mass Effect 2 is an extraordinarily fun and great-looking action RPG for the Xbox 360 and PC. A brilliant start to the year.