When it comes to sequels, especially sequels of “groundbreaking titles” that have the potential for great expansion, the expectation is that the second title will always be better than the first. Whether it’s video games, movies, or certain other properties, people look forward to the sequels because they want to see what people do next. When it came to Bioware and their spacefaring franchise, they set the table pretty well with their original game, but when Mass Effect 2 was released fourteen years ago, gamers feasted. Fourteen years later, we still look back at that title with awe and reverence for all the right reasons.
There were numerous reasons why this game was hailed as a masterpiece back in 2010 and is still called the “best of the series” now. First off, they pulled several “swerves” with the story that many didn’t see coming, like killing Commander Shepherd in the first sequence! That led to him being revived and recruited by Cerberus, a group that was emphatically evil in the first title because they were the only ones who saw the threat to humanity and the universe at large.
The second big twist was that the whole setup for the game was a “suicide mission” to stop a group known as the Collectors. They were harvesting humans for unknown reasons, and Shepherd would need a team of the best specialists in the universe to stop them.
That team remains some of the coolest characters ever made for an RPG. Miranda, Thane, Mordin, Grunt, Jack, Legion, and returning “old friends” Garrus, Tali, and a few other surprises via DLC content gave you an all-star squadron with deep stories you wanted to learn more about.
Oh, and don’t forget about the gameplay! Bioware refined their RPG shooter in multiple ways, including incorporating cover combat to make things feel more intense. Plus, the Collectors had numerous threats to throw at Shepherd and his team that forced you to adapt, alongside all the other things you fought.
When all was said and done? Mass Effect 2 was epic in every sense of the worth, and as the trailer below reminds you, this was something special:
It’s just ironic that the franchise faltered after this magnificent game. While the third entry had many high points, its ending ruined many things for gamers, and no one likes talking about the fourth entry. Now, Bioware isn’t close to what it was before, but they’re still promising the franchise will continue. It’s hard to imagine them matching the heights of what came before.
