Sci-fi action RPG sound like your cup of tea? ME2

Bioware is pretty well known on the RPG scene, it made its name with the vast Baldur’s Gate, a game for the now ancient Window’s systems that had five discs and an isometric view that to the over-the-shoulder games witness (which I was for so long) seemed crowded and incomprehensible. However it cemented itself in the annals of critical acclaim for making Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic for the Xbox, also its first foray into the heady world of science fiction as opposed to fantasy. They blew everyone away myself included for managing to make a Star Wars game that surpassed the achievements of the prequels that had left fans of the original struggling to overcome shock of Jar-Jar Binks and Hayden Christensen. Compelling, well written characters, engaging story and simple turn based mechanics all amounted to an instant classic. Bioware would forever be synonymous with the people who restored people’s faith in the Star Wars franchise and knew how to make games that didn’t sacrifice story for game-play or vice-versa.

The first Mass Effect I enjoyed immensely but wasn’t without it faults. Unsurprisingly Bioware had trouble letting go of it’s turn based combat roots and as a result mass Effect wasn’t sure if it was a third-person shooter trying to be a turn-based game or a turn based game trying to be a third person shooter, small wonder then that the game-play often misfired as badly as the game’s sniper rifles. The cover mechanic was more than temperamental and the constant need to micromanage force powers, sorry “biotics” meant that the action didn’t flow nearly as well as it could. Hoarding weapons was another unfortunate carry over from the old days, as you constantly opened crates looking for improved radioactive rounds or a better shotgun, in the end you’re inventory was crammed with a lot of junk whose tiny statistical variation didn’t seem to warrant all the bother. It seemed that the game being something of an experiment had also suffered budget issues, and as such the “vast universe of diverse planets” actually boiled to the same lifeless, mountainous  hunk of rock in a slightly different colour. These huge moons were traversed in the awful rover that handled like a shopping trolley with a wheel missing, the soul highlight of these planets being a bunker that came in only three variations inside and out. However despite all this the game was lifted by a compelling story about your mission to stop galactic apocalypse wrought by ancient machines that look like colossal head-lice.

So we know that Bioware know how to tell story, so with that in mind it comes as little surprise that the opening cinematic for Mass Effect 2 is one of my all time favourites. Following a little intro-scene providing some skilful plot exposition reminding us that we are Shepherd; saviour of the galaxy and possibly the alien answer to the UN (depending on whether you chose to last time around) we cut to my favourite space-ship the SSV Normandy drifting smoothly through space, part yacht part stealth fighter plane. Once again piloted by Seth Green played with great conviction and truth by Seth Green. Suddenly out of nowhere, the ship comes under-attack, is dreadfully damaged and Shepherd having said goodbye to the love interest from the last game (in my case Liara an archaeologist of the slutty-race of aliens) attempts to rescue the crippled Seth Green from the sinking vessel. It’s clear from the outset that the graphics have stepped hugely since the last game as has the conception, it was a stirring moment to find myself on the deck of the navigation section ceiling blown away, seats floating in zero-gravity the only sound the breath of my respiration unit.

The designers cut seamlessly between cinematic and game-play as our mystery attacker comes in for another pass, landing the ship a final blast, giving Shepherd just enough time to rescue Seth before being blown into space. The Normandy is destroyed and Shepherd plummets into the cold void, clutching with futility at the rents now pouring out life and oxygen, drifting motionlessly, unmistakeably dead. I was left somewhat shell-shocked, our protagonist and his vessel are both committed to the unremitting nihilism of death. A Bold move that instantly sets the dark tone the sequel aims for.

Needlessly to say both Shepherd and the Normandy are brought back to life at the behest of Martin Sheen, that’s right Martin Sheen! President Jed Bartlett himself the head of a shadowy intelligence agency known as Cerberus. It speaks volumes that the video-games industry can now draw this calibre of talent to the table, something my mum is still coming to terms with “Martin Sheen? I don’t believe you.” For some reason Americans are particularly terrified of intelligence agencies, probably with good reason. Anyway as Shepherd is quick to remind himself, he killed his fair share of Cerberus operatives on those boring rock planets in bunkers both A B and C, why would he agree to help them? Because the universe needs saving of course! Silly man (or woman) the choice is yours, this is an RPG after all.

Mass Effect two is vastly improved on the first game maturing not only tonally and aesthetics but also in terms of fluidity. Shepherd’s armour that used to resemble a camo-coloured wetsuits is more bulky and well, armoured.  The weapons that apparently were beyond a special-operative superior to all his peers are now easier to fire, although for balance purposes some are still unavailable. This is less frustrating than the first game which let you use them but were entirely ineffective, which begged the question as to how such a fantastic soldier never learnt the principles of using more than one gun, how difficult can it be? Anyway I digress, suffice to say the micro-management of powers is gone as the designers have reduced the mind boggling variety to a select few. These have been handily mapped to a different button meaning that you need never pause game-play in order to reduce an enemy to ash. It seems Bioware at last shook off it’s old fantasy roots to deliver a higher-tempo, less confusing action experience.

However none of this has detracted from the well-written, excellently acted dialogue and engaging characters. When RPGs give you squad mates to help you in your quest for them to be truly great they need to be useful in combat and interesting to talk to. HK-47 the psychotic robot from Knights of the Old Republic was an example, as was Garrus from the first Mass Effect. I liked his ability to snipe enemies and his calm voice that belied a man/alien, frustrated by a bureaucracy  that hinders him from stopping crime. 

Despite what peter Molyneux may tell you, it’s not easy to love or even like video game characters, unlike books or films games need to work. Chess wouldn’t be any good if every piece had an amusing back-story but they could all only move one square forward. Game characters are more like kitchen utensils, you love them because they’re useful, and anything else is a bonus. Though I’m in danger of dragging this metaphor out, the dog in Fable 2 is like the microwave beeper that goes off when it’s finished, useful but you could live without it, Garrus is like the broad-bottomed, high-sided, non-stick frying pan that can cook anything and can easily be cleaned. I love that pan and I love Garrus Vakarian. It was an excellent and typically satisfactory Bioware moment when the vigilante carving his way through a crme-infested space station turned out to be none other than Garrus. I was chuffed to have him back on my time, and was horrified to see him gunned down and permanently scarred.If it sounds like I’m going on about this guy a bit much and why don’t I fuck him already? I shall tell you now I bloody did. That’s right when playing as female shepherd I fucked Garrus even though he’s got a face like a hairless falcon and the body of an ant.

Besides the ability to tap alien ass, I was of course assembling my new team with some old faces and many new, doing little side-quests here and there to give me relief from the exhausting central plot. Though weapon customisation was trimmed right down, you still need resources to upgrade them, which require you to scan planets for resources. It seems that Bioware still need to inject tedium in there somewhere as though worried that the RPG purists will get annoyed. However the bunkers on moons are gone replaced by mini missions on unique planets that are fun, if a little too short.

However the greatest achievement of Mass Effect 2 isn’t the great narrative moments where you encounter old allies like Urdnot Wrex, who as a friend pointed out has the same character arc as Canderous Ordo from Knights of the Old Republic, but never mind because the rival to his throne is guy who played Worf. Nor is it the realisation of a new universe, which is different enough to be fresh, but is nevertheless familiar, the aliens divided into stereotypes, the intelligent ones, the money grabbing ones, the sexy ones and the violent ones all manifested in another film or tv.show years ago. Its greatest achievement is how game-play, personal motivation and story are tied so closely together. To succeed in the final level, a suicide mission to which there’s unlikely to be a return you need to assemble a bad-ass squad. Depending on your own character-class you quickly assemble a favourite combination, however to get the most out of your kitchen utensils you need to do favours for them. These missions further characterise your useful squad-mates and un-tap their combat potential, motivating you to dig deeper and rewarding you for doing so. This is something I failed to realise during my first play-through and as a result everyone died. Garrus too? That’s right. Him too. However having fucked him as female Shepherd and learnt more about everyone second time around I was damned if I was going to let that happen again. Bioware had tricked me into caring for these people and for an RPG there is no greater achievement.

This is a franchise that can only go onward and upward in terms of narrative quality and technological achievement, much like a soap I’m dying to know what happens to Shepherd and his rag-tag bunch of aliens, robots and soldiers. As is my housemate who finished the game in four in the morning eyes glued to the screen, having played it for eight hours straight. It’ll be a bittersweet moment when the last act of the final game concludes, but then again, there’s always DLC.