I'm going to write a bit about a lighter topic today because I've been so irritated lately about the recent Supreme Court decision in the United States which officially made corporations indistinguishable from real live human beings.  So if corporations are real live human beings, then I guess Bioware deserves praise for going to work everyday and developing a great looking and great playing game.

Mass Effect 2 keeps the story going from the original Mass Effect, where you began the series as a marine called Shepard (male or female, your choice) in the distant future who gets caught up in a struggle that threatened all life in the galaxy.  I won't give away the end of the original Mass Effect, but suffice it to say that you make it through alive, although minus some of your companions. 

If I were to categorize how the game is designed I would say it's part classic RPG with your traditional first person shooter thrown in for good measure, and I have to tell you that I do enjoy playing the odd shooter, like Half Life 2.  Anyway, Mass Effect 2 is bigger and better than the original and although sometimes I get annoyed with listening to the dialogue because I want to get to the fighting, if you enjoy a good story, then this game is for you.  It's like participating in a movie where you get to decide how the story unfolds and suffer the real consequences of your decisions, most evident when one of your choices gets someone travelling with you killed, or if you insult someone, you could prevent yourself from exploring a certain area of the game.

Mass Effect 2 = Good times.