Now that I've beaten Mass Effect 2, I'm going to give my thoughts on it. Everyone here should already know that it's getting high scores, but does it deserve them? Does it live up to the hype? Should you even bother playing it? Hopefully I'll answer those questions.
I've heard that some people think that the combat system remained untouched from the first game. I disagree. While it bears similarities, it does have some striking differences: cover actually means something now and some of the RPG elements have been turned down. The enemies have gotten a lot more HP or you do less damage than in the first installment, which means that battles last a lot longer. I believe the difficulty got cranked up because I did not die once playing the original, but I've died at least two or three times in Mass Effect 2.
My first play-through was with a Soldier that I imported from Mass Effect 1. Now, I'm playing through again as an Adept and the play styles are vastly different. Playing as an Adept feels a lot more rewarding than in the first game. It makes the game a lot easier. Isn't that a flaw, though? It seems like the game punishes you for being a Soldier. It evens out, though, if you use your team's abilities right. That's another difference. In the first Mass Effect, I didn't really feel compelled to use my teammates. They were there to fix the Mako, to hack, and do their own thing in battle. They were fine without my interference. It's nearly the same in Mass Effect 2, they will fight by themselves, but the AI can be stupid. They'll run in front of you--and I mean right in front exactly--as you're shooting your weapon. They're also less likely than in the first game to use their powers on their own. Now and then you have to say, "Stop shooting your weak pistol at the Heavy Mech and use Overload already!" Unlike the first game, which gave you access to a large amount of abilities, Mass Effect 2 is more streamlined by giving you a few powers to focus on.
Doing side missions is also a lot better than in the first game. In the first game, you landed on the planet, looked for resources and completed any side missions. It felt very impersonal sometimes and too gamey. In Mass Effect 2, you scan for resources. This is probably the only boring part of the game for me. You need these resources, though, to purchase Research to unlock enhancements. While in orbit over a planet, you will be told if an anomaly is detected, which means you'll be able to land on it. When you land, you art thrown into a barren wasteland, like in the first game, but you land into a side mission. This makes the game feel more cinematic and you feel like you're accomplishing something.
The general atmosphere of Mass Effect 2 is also different from the last game. It feels darker and a lot more desperate. The music enhances this feeling. It has some of the old, synthesized music score from the previous game, but not as much. It makes you think back on the first games as a more innocent time when things were less complicated. This fits really well with the story because Paragon Shepard will feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to help people but working for Cerberus. This leads me to my next point: the alignment system.
It's a lot more sensitive than the first game. It pays attention to everything you choose and do. I tried my best to play through completely Paragon and I still earned Renegade points. Some people have told me that it's just simply impossible to get through either way as 100% Paragon or Renegade. I'm not so sure. Others say it's more realistic that Shepard wouldn't come out of working for Cerberus not scarred mentally. While that's true logically, we're not really talking about the same things. I'm talking about a game mechanic, not about philosophy. Maybe I need to think about buying a guide, so I can find out what mistakes I was making.
Now, let's get down to what most of you role-playing gamers are worried about: story. I have to tell you that the story is better than the first game. It's more compelling, has better characters, and the strangeness of the ending will leave you wanting more. The twist at the end was amazing. I personally didn't see it coming--that's just me. The ending is very weird, but I think most people will like it. I won't spoil anything, but essentially what Shepard is doing in this game is investigating sudden disappearances of humans on remote colonies. They appear as if they disappeared without leaving a trace. No matter how you ended the last game, the Citadel Council refuses to investigate because it's purely a human problem. Even the Alliance won't investigate because they believe it's simply slavers, pirates, and other criminals. Also, the galaxy has become convinced that the Reapers don't really exist and that Shepard was simply becoming delusional.
[spoiler]That won't be the case anymore in Mass Effect 3.[/spoiler]
Unlike Mass Effect 1, the sequel feels a lot more high-paced, while delivering the same play time. The combat is more challenging, feels more fluid, and your orders actually matter now. How you receive side missions feels a lot more natural, but planet scanning still sucks. It's better than combing a boring wasteland for over an hour, though. The alignment system seems to be more advanced and pays closer attention to your actions and not just your choices. The atmosphere reflects the mood of the story very well. And the story is a lot less generic than the first game. I would recommend that you play this game, even if you aren't a role-playing fan.
Final Verdict: 5/5