Since the original Mass Effect is exclusive to the XBox 360 I'm coming into this series without the benefit of knowing the characters, their motivations and relationships to each other, the galaxy and it's history and mythos.
So for the PS3 version Bioware added an interactive digital comic that covers the events of the first game with all the crucial story arc's included.
As I stated above this game totally blew me away! The galaxy is enormous and exploring every planet in every system offers a wealth of data the brings even the most minuet details to light and really brings a whole other level of immersion to the galaxy which begs to be explored!
The multitude of locales you'll visit are spectacular and each one is completely unique and breathtaking, from Aratoht to Omega. Each is distinctive and memorable just like the characters in Mass Effect 2.
Commander Shepard: ME trilogy main character/Commander of the Normandy SR2/last best hope for the
Miranda Lawson: Cerberus Operative/ head of the Lazarus Project to rebuild Commander Shepard/ The
Galaxy's most smoking ass
Jacob Taylor: Cerberus Operative: Weapons Specialist....of course he is.
Zaeed Massani: Bounty Hunter/Merc all around grumpy bad ass
Mordin Solus: A Salarian geneticist, worked on the Genophage project, closest thing the ME series has to Spock
Garrus Vakarian: Turian Tactical Genius/ Former C-Sec operative, Shepard's buddy
Jack: Human Biotic criminal/ potty mouth
Grunt: A genetically engineered Krogan Soldier, one pissed off toad!
Legion: A Geth mobile platform that seems free from the Geth collective..coughborgcough
Kasumi Goto: Galaxy's most wanted thief, wardrobe inspired by Padme Amidala....
Thane Krios: Galactic assassin/ Drell father of the year
Samara: Asari justicar/ spokesperson for ancient Chinese pearl cream
Tali'Zorah vas Neema: Quarian mechanic, a chick that's good at building tech...now I know this is Sci Fi!
So the Illusive man resurrects Shepard to stop the threat of the collectors but whats his ulterior motives? Shepard is tasked with "collecting" the most bad ass team throughout the galaxy to go on a suicide mission to infiltrate the the Collector base on the other side of the Omega 4 relay.
In order to complete your mission you must recruit the above 12 characters AND gain their loyalty which is easier said than done, you'll need to navigate the murky waters of interracial diplomacy as well as the occasional cat fight...while you're out flying from one side of the galaxy to the other trying to save it you are also trying to get laid! My Shepard got Miranda and her genetically perfect ass in the commanders bed!
I've played my fair share of RPG's and non even come close to the replay-ability of this game!
Aside from the morality choices that you make during conversations which determine if Shepard will go down the path of a Paragon (hero) or Renegade (ass hole) you also can choose from six different classes to play as:
Adept: Strong biotic abilities such as Charge, Pull, Shockwave and Warp
Engineer: Strong tech abilities such as AI Hacking, Combat Drone, and Overload
Infiltrator: A mix of Tech abilities and Ammo specialist such as Disruptor ammo and Tactical Cloak
Sentinel: A mix of Biotics and Tech such as Tech Armor and Throw
Soldier: A mix of Combat Abilities and Ammo specialist....duh
Vangard: A mix of Ammo specialist and Biotics such as Incendiary ammo and Charge
So much variety and freedom to play your way with multiple endings depending on the desicions you make, the relations you make, the depth you decide to go exploring the milky way and an ending that rivals Hollywood blockbusters like Independence Day!
This game is a MUST EXPERIENCE for any and all gamers!
10/10
