Mass
Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 (2010) is a science fiction shooting game where you must assemble a squad to take on a suicide mission to save human colonies. Play involves completing missions with either combat or conversation. The game stands out for continuing the space saga, but particularly for how it builds to a crucial final mission dependent on the team you've built.

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You continue the story of Commander Shepard, who teams up with a shadowy organisation to investigate and prevent the disappearance of human colonies. The tone and visuals of the game are darker and grittier than those of the first Mass Effect, not least because you get involved in the galaxy's criminal underworld. While retaining the lengthy dialogue, this game shifts towards combat and away from planetary exploration.

As you progress, you form a task force with a wide range of skills to give you a chance of success in the ensuing suicide mission. This makes the game centre everything around recruiting characters and gaining loyalty. People you recruit often need help that, if completed, earns you their loyalty. Who you decide to help is up to you, but it does impact how you can tackle the finale.

This results in a sombre game with memorable characters that require a lot of effort to keep alive. The final mission has you delegating tasks to your crew in a scramble to survive.

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Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Mass Effect 2 11 weeks ago. It was re-examined by Rhys Burtt-Jones and updated 10 weeks ago.