Mass Effect 2 for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

No Spoilers

Let me start off by saying that this game stands on its own; for those of you who have not played the first Mass Effect, this game is a breathtaking experience in itself. Players who import a character from the first game will start with a few extra resources, but it can be gained if you don't import a character too.
This game has very little downside to it. The combat system has be completely reworked to be near perfect, for a third person shooter with a full cover system. There are six different classes to choose from each with its own benefits to work with.
This game has the most in depth character creation ever made. Each person in the game is unique in personality and background. This goes along with the voice acting which is some of the best I've ever seen in a video game. The conversations in the game flow as smoothly as they would in real life. It truly feels like you're directing your own movie as you connect with characters in the game. You can isolate yourself as one who is just trying to achieve the main goal, or you can develope relationships with those around you by helping them with their problems, becoming romantically involved, and plenty of other things too.
Now for the one flaw I found in the game: Planet Scanning, the process of scanning a planet for minerals to upgrade things in the game, it comes to be a bit irritating. For me it just didnt hit the right notes though, but it certainly did not even make me consider not giving this game a great review.
One of the most recognizable things about this game is the choices you make in it. You could be the good guy who does everything in the morally correct way, for the right reasons. Or you can be the one who goes to extreme lengths to get any job done no matter what the cost. And lastly you could be a steady blend of both. Every decision matters for the outcome of the game, who lives, and what will happen in the third and final game.
Dont miss out on this game. Its amazing.

Leading up to the release of ME2, this was the first game in a long time I have been REALLY excited for. That kind of expectation level can lead to a let down.

There was no letdown. This game is AMAZING.

From a pure gameplay experience, the game is flawless so far. It starts with a bang, quietly giving you a tutorial while distracting you from it even being a tutorial. The story and gameplay then move so seamlessly you don't even realize when you are out of the "learning" areas.

The graphics are stunning, with artistic vision put on the screen with some of the best graphics of an XBOX game yet. There are great graphics touches all over, from the back of Shepard's suit having a Dead Space-esque look to tell you about health and biotic power levels, to there being windows in the space stations you have to stop and look out just because the view is THAT good. The character models are clean and animate great, and the dialog is perfectly synced with the words and the people look as real as any video game person can get.

The battle system is much like Gears of War, just more advanced and much more flexible due to it being squad based where YOU can dictate commands to your squadies. Its flexible for all players - if you want non-stop cover based action, map your squadies powers to the D-pad and you never have to break. If you are like me and like to pause the action, assess and dish out multiple commands, it lets you do that. The action is crunchy and bloody - target a head and you can pop it like a grape. Throw an enemy into the air and explode it with a shot and itll rain blood and body parts.

The story, just like in ME1, is very, very good, with tons of dialog and really deep characters. Every character is intriguing, and every mission is intense. There are no "go and bring me 5 wolf feet" missions. You are doing important work here.

This game is about as good as it gets. You WILL get lost in this game - prepare for a huge time sink.