Editor’s note: This review was written by Charles Hartley, a student at Full Sail University. Charles grew up playing videogames but only as a minor distraction whenever he was over at a friend’s house. Though he always wanted a Nintendo for himself, it was not meant to be. It was not until age 10 when his older brother placed in front of him all the parts necessary for a personal computer and simply said, “Build it.” That was all no instructions and no guidance. Three hours and two replaced parts later, Charles had a working computer of his very own.

Once that computer was done, his brother loaded it with some of the best games on the market, such as Red Alert, Age of Empires and Warcraft II. Ever since, Charles has been an avid and dedicated gamer for all genres and platforms and is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in game design with a desire to pursue a master’s degree in game design as well as a master’s degree in creative writing at Full Sail University.

Very few game design companies manage to create truly epic games consistently, but Bioware has managed to do so time after time — with Mass Effect 2 being no exception. The crew at Bioware has been hard at work since finishing the first Mass Effect to expound upon the engaging story of Shepherd, the first human Specter, and his fight to save humanity from an impending galactic apocalypse posed by the ominous and mysterious Reapers introduced in the first game.

Mass Effect 2 wastes no time pulling players right into the game’s engaging storyline in which the first 10 minutes, the intrepid hero Shepherd manages to end up dead only to be resurrected by the shadowy corporation known as Cerberus. Your new chance at life comes with a price, though, but one that cannot be turned down. Your goal is clear with the results of failure proving to be catastrophic not only for yourself, but for all life in the galaxy. From the very beginning, the fact remains clear; this is a suicide mission.

To reward the loyal following from the first game, Bioware made it possible to import saved games from the first Mass Effect to give players a boost in money and levels, as well as resources used in the research system introduced into this game. You will play as one of six character classes, each with their own unique abilities with strengths and weaknesses, making it imperative that you depend on your teammates. Though your team members are handy in a fight, they will truly earn your affections by providing you with engaging side quests that unlock their loyalty and with it additional powers that can be learned by Shepherd. The only downside is that you must choose a single ability to learn rather than unlocking each additional ability for Shepherd. The quests provided, both by your team members and nonplayer characters found throughout the game, do provide a feel of impending doom that will keep you on track with your main objectives while uncovering new story elements that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The first thing players will notice is how much has changed from the first game. Mass Effect 2 almost feels as if it is an entirely new game, with only the story being continued. Gone are the ways of gaining XP from kills to gain level, and instead, each mission Shepherd embarks on has a set amount rewarded for completing the objectives. Inventory management is out as well as the constant loot drops vendor trash with only a mere smattering of new weapon choices positioned in key points of the game’s key missions. With the new system of leveling, the cap stops at 30, and each level gained allows for 1 skill point to be spent on havoc-wreaking special abilities to increase damage from weapons and powers. This combined with the research system allows the player to increase the damage output, thus increasing the levels of mayhem and enjoyment.

Even with so many changes, the game remains the same on the basic level of being addictive and fun. It quickly becomes a challenge to stop playing after a single mission as the new cast of characters, mostly new with a few old faces, endear themselves to the player with rich dialogue and believable backstories. Each mission presents new challenges that require the player to balance out the mission team each time, creating a sometimes entertaining interaction between party members as artificial personalities seem real and sometimes clash with each other.

Much of the free roaming from the first game still exists as it allows for the players to explore the galaxy, but there are no planetary interactions available unless a mission exists for that world. This is a welcome change, as the first game’s exploration system seemed strained, and often the players would find themselves struggling to find a path to the next mission marker.

Overall, the play experience is incredible, and every facet of the game forces the player to focus on the incredibly rich storyline provided to them. Even as a return to the galaxy of Mass Effect, the players will find themselves learning new interesting facts about the fictional species and technology they encounter, keeping them immersed in this fictional galaxy. Mass Effect 2 feels less like a videogame and more like an interactive story with the player merely guiding Shepherd along to a climactic confrontation discovering that much of what they knew was a lie, and the Reapers are far more dangerous than imagined.

Though Mass Effect 2 can be beaten in a short period of time if played straight through with no side missions, the ending will come as a shock as it is possible for the unprepared Shepherd to end up dead once again. No matter what ending the player encounters, the feeling of anticipation for the final chapter in the Mass Effect series is abundant.