1UP present their final thoughts about Mass Effect 2.

<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">I think this is an extremely important distinction between Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. I've heard people say that they don't like the second game because it doesn't feel as "epic," or that it feels like a "series of sidequests." But I would argue that Mass Effect 2's universe feels like a much larger and more interesting place, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that all the history established in the first game is in action for the second. Mass Effect 2 drives the story forward, but it also fleshes things out quite a bit.

I had the impression that the story in ME2 wasn't being *driven forward* all that much.

<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;">What I appreciate the most about Mass Effect 2 though is how ruthlessly the fat has been excised and perceived flaws corrected. What it sacrifices in depth it gains in the purification of its gameplay, as I discussed in my most recent entry. I actually enjoyed the combat, which is a lot more than I can say for the first Mass Effect. It's a pity that BioWare opted to significantly pare down the skill trees (they're more like skill bushes now), but I feel like they had to perfect the game's mechanical foundation before they could expand upon it. Now that they've got the actual shooting down, there's plenty of time to add increased armor, weapon and skill customization.

The gameplay has been purified. And all that has been necessary was to sacrifice the depth.

Spotted at: RPGWatch