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Mass Effect 2 | 
| From: Electronic Arts
Category: Video Games
List Price: $39.99
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Rating:  99 reviews
Format: DVD-ROM
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP
Genre: role_playing_games
ESRB: Mature
Media: DVD-ROM
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 17 - 20 years
Operating System: Windows Vista
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.9
Legal Disclaimer: We do not in any way represent that any part we sell is legal to possess in your jurisdiction. Check with you local authorities to ensure it is legal for you to possess before buying!
MPN: 15981
Model: 15981
UPC: 014633159813
EAN: 0014633159813
ASIN: B001VJ4DHK
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Improved NPC conversation system where Commander Shepard can take matters into your own hands ? interrupting or using force to get the answer required. | | • | The second act of BioWare's epic sci-fi RPG trilogy continues the story of Commander Shepard and humanity's first steps onto the galactic stage. | | • | Integration with the original Mass Effect game allows players to import saved files and contiue play with those files in Mass Effect 2. | | • | Choose from 19 different weapons, including devastating heavy weapons that can end a battle in seconds. | | • | New location based damage system allows for targeting of key weak points, blasting off limbs, igniting enemies, or cripple and disable enemy troops. |
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Product Description
Mass Effect 2 PC
Amazon.com Product Description
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to BioWare's hit space-based role-playing game (RPG), Mass Effect. A single player adventure, Mass Effect 2 allows players to continue the adventures of the fully customizable series hero, Commander Shepard, as you take on a whole new adventure and cast of supporting characters. Features new to this latest release in the franchise include the ability to import game save files from the original Mass Effect game to continue the adventure in an unbroken fashion, a new damage system, a more flexible dialogue game mechanic and more. Story
Two years after Commander Shepard repelled invading Reapers bent on the destruction of organic life, a mysterious new danger has emerged. On the fringes of known space, something is silently abducting entire human colonies. Now Shepard must work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization devoted to human survival at any cost, to stop the most terrifying threat mankind has ever faced. To even attempt this perilous mission, Shepard must assemble the galaxy’s most elite team and command the most powerful ship ever built. Even then, doubters say it would be suicide. Commander Shepard intends to prove them wrong. 
The return of Commander Shepard.
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A new cast of characters.
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Along with familiar faces from the past.
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New damage and dialogue systems.
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Integration with original game.
View larger. | Gameplay
An space-based action RPG like its predecessor, gameplay in Mass Effect 2 revolves around the player's particular version of Commander Shepard and continuing development of this character as the game proceeds. As the game opens a variety of character classes are made available to the player, with talents, both exclusive and general, associated with each. With experience these talents are leveled up, resulting in the unlocking of related abilities and/or entirely new talents. The player has the ability to customize their Commander Shepard in a number of ways including physical appearance, gender, and certain aspects of their personal history, with the rub being that these choices can influence things like available missions, dialogue choices with non-player characters (NPCs), and character background. Accompanying this main character are a number of preset supporting characters that the player can direct and develop relationships with, which again, will alter the outcome of the story. All the characters from the original game make an appearance in Mass Effect 2, but the immediate characters surrounding Commander Shepard are new. Additional new features that players can expect to experience include new alien races; a more realistic damage system; a new heavy weapons system allowing for maximum damage; a regenerative health system; a dramatic increase in the number of character animations available to Shepard; and updates to the dialogue mechanic used when conversing with NPCs. Integration with the Original Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2 allows players of the original Mass Effect game to import save games to continue the story of their own Commander Shepard. In doing this, the decisions that were made in the first game will affect the events of the second game. In addition, characters from the first game will return, as long as they were not killed off by the player in the first game. On the other hand, new players coming to the series for the first time in Mass Effect 2 will start a brand-new character, discover the events of the previous games as they progress and embark on a thrilling stand-alone adventure that does not require the previous game for play. Key Features - Futuristic Weapons - Choose from 19 different weapons, including devastating heavy weapons that can end a battle in seconds.
- Elite Specialists - Recruit up to a dozen of the galaxy's most dangerous operatives to help you in your mission. Train and equip your team to survive insurmountable odds.
- Explore the Galaxy - Scan planets to uncover unique secret missions in the Mass Effect universe.
- Integration with Original Mass Effect - Players of the first Mass Effect can import save games to continue the story of their own Commander Shepard. New players will find a thrilling stand-alone adventure awaits them, a polished and action packed journey that surpasses the first game in nearly every possible way.
- Intense Third-Person Combat - Increased intensity with precision shooter controls to let you control the action and overcome insurmountable odds.
- New Damage System - New location based damage system allows for targeting of key weak points, blasting off limbs, igniting enemies, or crippling and disabling enemy troops.
- Character Customization - Choose a player class, customize your appearance, and tailor your own abilities and strengths. As you progress, so do Shepard’s abilities.
- Improved Dialogue Mechanic - Improved NPC conversation system where Commander Shepard can take matters into your own hands – interrupting or using force to get the answer required.
System Requirements: | Minimum Specifications: | Recommended Specifications: | | OS: | Windows XP or Vista. | | Processor: | 2.4+ GHz Intel or 2.0+ GHz AMD | 2.6+ GHz Intel or 2.4+ GHZ AMD | | RAM: | 1GB+ (XP), 2GB+ (Vista) | 2GB+ | | Disc Drive: | 8x DVD-ROM drive or better | | Hard Drive: | 12GB or more | | Video Card: | NVIDIA GeForce 6 series (6800GT or better), ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements) | NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or higher. ATI X1800 XL series or higher | | Sound Card: | DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers – 5.1 sound card recommended | | Input Device: | Mouse and keyboard | | |
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 99
 An instant classic February 3, 2010
VA Gamer (Norfolk, VA)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
SUMMARY
The long awaited sequel to the much lauded, though admittedly flawed, Mass Effect is finally here - and it's already consumed over 30 hours of my life. In short, Mass Effect 2 is the most refined and presented action RPG I have personally played. The narrative is perfectly paced, guiding the player through a well-realized world that isn't exactly an open ended sandbox, but certainly isn't restrictive or linear (you're free to complete the major missions/story points at your own pace while you pursue other content, and your decisions along the way will shape the story). The game play has been calibrated to remove almost all tedium associated with the RPG hybrid genre. Combat is real time and plays smooth as butter. The visuals, especially at 1080i or 1080p, are nothing short of spectacular. This is an incredible game, it might just end up being my favorite.
Aspects that I enjoyed are preceded by a (+), things I disliked a (-).
GAME PLAY
(+) Bioware (the developer) has taken many of the elements common to the "RPG hybrid" genre (which they themselves have greatly forwarded over the years) and stream lined and calibrated the experience to better suit the action-oriented focus of the Mass Effect series. Itemization and character customization have been made less bulky, and yet magically remain robust and even more rewarding. Just as in their past games, there are still various vocations you can pursue (soldier, engineer, etc) and many ancillary skills to learn and improve. Each vocation feels wholly unique (though many abilities share similar animations), and there are no wasted skill points or useless abilities.
(+) Combat is a blend of third person shooter (Gears of War) and tactical RPG (Dragon Age). Damage is area-sensitive (head shots hurt humanoids more than shooting them in the leg, etc), various damage types are strong against certain defenses, etc. It plays perfectly well and rewards the thinking player as well as the twitcher.
(+) It feels like Bioware took a step back and acknowledged many of the tropes common to the genre, particularly the variety that lead to tedium, and provided replacements that integrate flawlessly into the game world. These refinements vastly improve the quality of the gaming experience. For example: the process of sorting through incoming information and managing your crew. In past games you had to laboriously check your messages after each mission, run from NPC to NPC trying to figure out if they were ready to offer new dialog, etc, etc. In real life, if you were the captain of a starship, you'd have people around to help manage these tasks for you - right? Secretaries, yeoman, that sort of thing. Well, that's precisely what you get in Mass Effect 2: within your command center is a NPC that audibly informs you whenever something demands your attention. For example, you might be jogging past the helm on your way to the lab when she mentions to you "Captain, you have new messages". Or "Captain, Miranda would like to see you, she seemed upset". When engaged in conversation she will offer advice and relay information regarding the crew and the ship - just like a real yeoman would. And though she was created to fill a niche, she feels doesn't come off as artificial: she's a NPC like all of the others, with a history and personality to explore (as well as a relationship, if you choose).
There are many such refinements that make Mass Effect 2 such a joy to play. From combat to exploration, customization to character interaction, you can take every thing you hated about past games and throw them out the window. Well, almost - I'll get to that shortly.
(+) You're always an active participant, even during the conversation and cut scene sequences. Not only are they complex and responsive, but there are points in the action where you can intervene with either a "renegade" option (typically more forceful actions) or "paragon" decision (the more traditional good guy action or response). These prompts to intervene happen in real time, and they can be ignored if you so choose. This transforms the task of merely listening to dialogue and selecting responses, or watching a villain monologue, into an actual engaging experience for the player. It pulls you in and makes you feel like you're a part of the game world, instead of merely someone navigating through a series of predetermined choices like in previous games.
(+/-) Resource gathering. This will be a point of contention for many players. In your journeys through the universe, you will discover and/or learn about various technologies that you can research - such as weapon or armor upgrades, additions to your ship, new weapons and skills, etc. The currency for these research projects are elements - one of four, to be exact. You come across small amounts of these elements while you're conducting missions, but your main supply will come from scanning and probing planets. It works like this: while you're flying through space in your ship (The Normandy 2) you will enter various solar systems. You approach a planet, enter its orbit, engage scanners, and then move a radar over the surface of the planet with your mouse. A graph will alert you when a certain element is found, you launch a probe to obtain it, rinse and repeat.
Many people will find this boring and tedious. I -kind of- do. However, I enjoy the aspect of exploration and this itch is scratched here: each planet is accompanied by a brief explanation and history, such as its scientific properties, geographical anomalies, the history of the civilizations that have inhabited it or how it plays into the mythology of some alien race. Being a science and history buff, this is a lot of fun for me at times. In addition, many planets will have side missions you can find by scanning them - they range from simple exploration to search and destroy and rescue. They're all unique, and take between 10-30 minutes to complete. If you don't visit and scan the planets, you miss out on these side missions.
I gave it a mixed score because, well, it's the only repetitive task heaped upon the player during this otherwise perfectly stream lined game. But don't worry, it doesn't kill replayability: after you successfully finish the game, you'll be rewarded with 50k of each element each time you start a new game. The costs of research projects are also reduced. So even if you don't enjoy this aspect of the game, it is vastly alleviated during subsequent play throughs.
STORY, PRESENTATION, AND SETTING
(+) I mentioned that the pacing and narrative were exquisite. I'm going to go ahead and reemphasize that here. The story is so well told and presented that I could envision myself sitting back and watching someone else play it and still enjoy myself a great deal.
(+) The cast of characters are truly memorable and interesting. It ranges from prosaic space marines, to sensational bio-engineered clones, ninja-like alien assassins striving for spiritual peace, and more. The voice acting for each and every character is the best I've heard in a video game.
(+) The setting is kind of a mixed bag, though overall it's still amazing. Many locales are well realized exotically creative, and appeal to all of the players senses. There are plenty of planets and stations to explore and no two places look alike.
(-) But, on the other hand, many mission areas feel artificial - in regards to their layout. They look great, and you can tell that a great attention to detail was employed during their creation, but many things are just kind of "there". Such as obstacles and walls that facilitate combat but otherwise have no practical use. That kind of thing. And many are noticeably and artificially linear.
PERFORMANCE
(+) I have a middling system (three year old video card, one year old middle-grade CPU). However, I am running 64-bit Windows 7 and have 6 GB of RAM. I play at the highest settings - it's beautiful and flawless. Load times between zones range from 5 - 15 seconds. In one complete play through and now ten-or-so hours into my second, I've experienced no crashes or game breaking bugs. Every glitch is transient (doesn't force you to stop playing or reload).
In short, I firmly believe that Mass Effect 2 just might end up being the game of 2010, and the year just started.
Fantastic sophomore entry in the series February 10, 2010
S. Fuentes (Houston, TX)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I must first admit that I believe the first Mass Effect to the better game. But don't take that to mean that this is a bad game. Far from it, this is game in of itself is a masterpiece of game play and story telling. The combat is more enjoyable this time around with an overhaul to the cover system that both you and the enemy AI utilize. In addition you get the standard Bioware squad members who you recruit and can do missions for (if you want the mission to succeed this is imperative). These characters are for the most part wonderfully structured and along with the old and new faces you will meet along the way make for another great sci-fi adventure. Plus how can you not like Martin Sheen playing the Illusive Man?
While I do miss the old Citadel, the old upgrade system, and some former squad members these are small issues in the scheme of things. Did Bioware maybe take a safe approach to the sequel? Perhaps but lets not forget this is a buildup for what promises to be an epic finale in the trilogy. Finally a tip of the hat to EA for not including DRM in this title. 2K games opted to do continue using this ineffective and intrusive copy-protection method in Bioshock 2. I would encourage folks to buy this game to support publishers who don't use DRM as well as to support developers that make good games.
3rd Person Shooter With an Epic Story March 21, 2010
kelvinator (Las Vegas, Nevada)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Pros:
The story is fantastic. Playing 20 hours in I almost felt bad for every extra minute I put in because I knew it put me closer to the end. And with a story this good you really don't want it to end. I tried to complete every quest I could find, my entire play though lasted 30 hours total.
The gameplay is also very good, for a third person shooter. Sure they took out a lot of the RPG elements from the first game, but I enjoy 3rd person shooters too. If you like 3rd person shooters you'll like this. If you're really craving for some hardcore RPG, look somewhere else.
Driving around in the Mako to explore a planet in the first game to me is the worst part of it. Thankfully in this game they took that part out. No longer do you have to drive through miles of empty areas to get to the part of the planet that has the "anomaly". In ME2 you just land there directly. Much better IMO.
The areas are a lot more varied now. No longer will you have to fight through baddies in what seems like the same rooms again and again. The "towns" are not quite as open world as an RPG like Oblivion, but still very detailed and very much alive.
Cons:
This is nitpicking but I really don't like how they implemented the helmet wearing system. Basically you can only choose to wear or not wear a helmet from a single specific terminal aboard the ship. Once selected you will wear the helmet throughout the entire mission! No choosing while playing the mission. Why is this a con? Well, it looks stupid for Commander Shepard to not be wearing a helmet during battle while wearing an awesome piece of armor. But then it is equally ridiculous to be wearing a full battle helmet while in a completely safe part of a town, like talking to a diplomat in his office. Nitpicking? Sure, but it annoyed me enough to write it in this review.
Other Thoughts:
The game uses a simple disc check as DRM. It does not place any SecuRom registry entries on your system (I checked).
In order to change more advanced video settings, you will need to run the configuration utility. Also I have not found a way to change mouse sensitivities. Thankfully I have a really nice mouse that allows me to lower DPI settings to compensate for the game's default high sensitivity.
Registering with the Cerberus Network allows you to download some DLC, which come in the form of .exe files that can be backed-up to an external drive and used multiple times.
A must play! February 2, 2010
John Ravencroft (Oregon)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
MASS EFFECT 2 is one of the BEST games I've ever played. And I don't say that lightly. Anyone who considers themself a gamer should experience this franchise. It would baffle me if someone could play through this game and honestly not get attached to it on some level.
If this doesn't prove that video-games can be art... Then I don't know what could.
Gameplay - 9.7 - Combat is vastly improved from the first, (think Gears of war/Uncharted with force powers) the character interaction is the best out there, and besides a few technical bugs the game is a smooth ride. (Do note that that the item and weapon management has been more streamlined when compared to the first, some people feel that the game suffers from that. But personally it didn't bother me. I was too caught up with the action and story that I didn't really miss it.)
Graphics - 9.8 - Now this game might not have the most 'polished' of graphics, there's a few rough edges and some odd glitches, but I was totally blown away from the dynamic shadows and lighting. Those two aspects alone tricked my eye more than once into thinking I was watching a movie. (Oh and the art direction, animation, character eyes and cinematography should also be noted.)
Sound - 10 - The voice acting had me sold. Just about every character in the game, (even some minor ones) were exceptionally delivered and believable. The music and sound effects are also top notch.
Story - 10 - Very, very well written. ME2 has so much depth and back story that every place you go to seems believable. (You can spend hours just viewing the codex) And I found myself truly connecting to the characters. Few games have ever made me care this much.
Overall - 9.9
(Also note that you would be missing a lot if you haven't played the first Mass Effect before diving into second. It would be like watching the Empire strikes back without previously watching A New Hope. You would still be able to enjoy it I'm sure, but a ton of the details might just fly over your head. To get the full experience pick up the first one, which is also a great game.)
Mass Effect 2 - Better In Almost Every Regard February 3, 2010
Jeff Peterson
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Cinematics:
I think the strongest draw of the Mass Effect games are how cinematic they feel. During this game, it feels more like watching a sci-fi epic rather than playing a game. The characters and environments draw you in, especially if you've played the first game and are already familiar with most of the background and returning characters.
It's also a lot more fluid than the first game, both in terms of conversation, gameplay, and the cinematic cutscenes. During conversations, characters (including your own) will move around a lot more and seem more realistic in how they move and gesture. This enhances both the dramatic moments and the humorous moments. Facial animations are also a lot more animated as well, able to convey more emotion than before. There's also a new interrupt feature, that lets you take a paragon or renegade action to end the conversation early.
The game is a lot more 'gray' than the first one. It's really hard to tell what's the right decision and what the wrong decision is. Speculation is running rampant on what kind of effect decisions will have on the final game in the trilogy, but due to the nature of choices you make and the subjective viewpoint, it's really hard to do. All I know is that even though I played through as a Paragon, it was almost impossible to avoid doing some of the Renegade interrupt options, so I have to give credit to Bioware, which is usually known for having only blatant good and evil choices.
Controls and Combat:
It took me awhile to get used to the gameplay in the second game, but that might be because I was playing the first one before it arrived so I would be refreshed on what happened. The controls, at least for the PC version, have been shifted around. E is no longer the 'use/action' button, it's been changed to space. The pause button is no longer space, it's the left shift. It took me a few hours to finally get used to the new system (and ironically, this makes going back to the first game hard).
The combat style also takes awhile to get used to. You have to rely on cover a lot more than before, which I learned the hard way. There's also a new ammo system in place. I don't really care for the ammo system, but opinions seem to vary with people on how effective it is. It seems like an unnecessary regression from the first game, but that's an issue of personal taste.
Story:
The overall story is probably what I like most about the Mass Effect universe. However, for as strong as this game is, I did have some problems when comparing it to the first game.
First, the plot isn't as straightforward as the first game - that's both a good and bad thing. It's good because it keeps you on your toes in the sense that you don't know what's going to happen next. There's no real set order in how you have to do things - you are forced into certain missions at some points, but the bulk of the game is spent wandering around and doing missions in whatever order you feel like doing them. It's nice to have such freedom in a game, but at the same time, it weakens the story slightly by making it feel less focused. You don't really have much contact with the main villains of the game until the latter part. You also lack a direct nemesis plaguing you throughout the game. In the first game, it was much more focused - you had Saren, a rogue Specter with an army of geth that you had to track and stop. In this game, your enemies vary greatly and you don't have that personal nemesis that you track through the galaxy.
Like I said, it's not a bad thing, and that's for a specific reason - the strength of the characters and their personal side missions.
Really, the strength of this game lies in your quest to find allies in the galaxy. They are a diverse, interesting bunch. Everyone is going to have their own favorite, but they all have a diverse background and an interesting side quest that fleshes out their personality and the world around them. It felt that the bulk of the game was really about gathering the team to make sure you're ready to take on the final mission, and the strength of the characters you gather and their interesting dialogue makes up for the lack of focus in the overall plot. If you take the time to get to know the people you recruit to your team, it'll make the ending of the game that much more heartbreaking or triumphant, depending on how well you do.
Overall:
This game is a lot of fun. It's superior to the first game in almost every regard (though I do like the overall plot in the first game better). It's a worthy sequel, and the ending of the game has me REALLY looking forward to Mass Effect 3! Here's to hoping that we have it sooner rather than later!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 99
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