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Overview

Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to the 2007 RPG Mass Effect and the second installment in a planned trilogy. It was released on January 26, 2010 on the Xbox 360 and PC in North America and January 28 in Europe and Australia. It was developed primarily by BioWare's Edmonton studio, the same studio as the first game.

Default Male Shepard

The game continues the story arc begun with the first game surrounding Commander Shepard's struggle against the Reapers; ancient, living machines that seek to harvest all life in the galaxy. Shepard comes back two years after repelling the Reaper invasion. He (or she) now faces a new dangerous threat, and must team up with Cerberus, a human supremacist terrorist organization to help humanity stand a better chance. Shepard must now assemble an elite team, and utilize their abilities to save the universe once again.

It has similar, but significantly redesigned gameplay – such as the ability to interrupt conversations via renegade and paragon actions, a completely revamped inventory system, health regeneration as opposed to requiring the use of medigel, and an improved combat system that includes facilitating cover, as well as altered class development options. Mass Effect 2 focuses much more on shooter aspects than the first installment did although the dialogue trees and streamlined RPG mechanics are still present. Mass Effect 2 has been positioned as the dark second act of the trilogy.Players once again fill the shoes of Commander Shepard, the main protagonist from the first game and allows veteran players of the first title to import their saves allowing for a variety of decisions to carry over to Mass Effect 2. None of the gear, abilities, credits, and etc, however, will be carried over, but charecters continued in this manner due get a credit, ability, and experience bonus. Due to the many gameplay changes from the first game, players are allowed to change the appearance, but not gender, and the class of Commander Shepard upon importing their save file from Mass Effect.

Gameplay

Combat mechanics

Battling a heavy mech

Mass Effect 2 has radical gameplay changes since the first installment; however, overall the basis of the game remains the same. Commander Shepard must acquire a team, can use this team in missions, but only two squadmates at a time, and levels up as the game progresses. The game remains a third person, cover based shooter. The most radical gameplay changes are the re-assortment of classes, weapons skills and the combat experience. Classes have been refined and there abilities have been changed to add more impact, meanwhile weapons have been assorted into groups. The radial menu to use skills remains in t act, but unlike the first game, only one skill can be used at a time. In addition, a global cooldown for powers is employed rather than the individual cooldowns used in the previous game.

Inventory

The inventory has also been radically redefined as an inventory "menu" is almost non-existent and "loot" has been limited to money and weapons upgrades. The player chooses his load-out before a mission, and can change his armor at an armory in his/her cabin. The overall HUD (Heads-Up Display) has also been radically changed. Health is regenerative, and enemies health/armor/shields are all shown in bars when a player's reticule hovers over them. Combat has been changed by opting out of unlimited ammo and adding ammo through the use of "heat sinks." These are standard for all of Shepard's weapons and are used throughout the galaxy being dropped by almost any dead enemy. Heavy weapons have been added as an extra weapon class to give Commander Shepard a strategic advantage when a situation goes out of control. These use Power Cells as their ammunition system, and like the heat sinks are universal in all heavy weapons. The heavy weapons range from the Arc Projector, which fires out lightning, to the M920-Cain which causes a miniature nuclear explosion.

The overall tone of the game is also darker and grittier. While the first game had Shepard touring the Citadel and exploring the Mass Effect Universe the second game is more linear. The story has multiple uses of crime gangs, mercenary groups, and warlords and takes the player through the darker part of the galaxy. This includes slums in Omega, and war-torn worlds such as the Krogan homeworld of Tuchanka.

Dialogue Trees/ Interrupt Feature

In terms of dialogue, a new interrupt features have been added where a player can have the option to do an action, mid-conversation, depending on their paragon/renegade score. Also, having the option for paragon/renegade dialogue choices is no longer managed by a skill, but instead by the overall points a player has accumulated over the course of the game, which is defined by his/her actions.

Hammerhead (Mako's replacement)

The DLC Hammerhead vehicle, hoped to improve upon the Mako

The Mako has not made a return, and instead planetary scanning has taken its place. Planetary Scanning opts out of landing on planets that look, for the most part, the same and instead the player takes control of the Normandy and scans a planet for minerals which can be used for upgrades. Instead of landing on planets to do sidequests, Shepard can partake in "N7 Missions" which offer more depth and a more varied amount of scenery. The Hammerhead was added later through free DLC which tries to refine the Mako experience.

Save Import

Mass Effect 2 allows the player to use a save-import system, wherein a player can import their character from Mass Effect. This imports their character's look, and choices made in the first game which will have impact in the second game. This will effect whether certain characters appear or not, whether some quests are available, and reactions from people around the player to his/her previous actions. This tracking of choices will continue onwards to Mass Effect 3.

Classes

There are six classes that appear in Mass Effect 2 They are the same classes that were present in Mass Effect 1, but they have been greatly refined and revamped.

• Soldier: The Soldier class focuses explicitly on weapons and combat armor, sacrificing tech talents and biotic abilities for the ability to use stronger weapons and heavier armor than the other classes. The Soldier also has access to every special ammo type (Disruptor, Concussive, Incendiary, and Cryo) as well as the unique ability Adrenaline Rush. Due to the changes in combat between the two games, Adrenaline Rush has been changed from the original Mass Effect (where it reset the ability cool-down) into a bullet time-style power. The soldier is also the only class initially with access to Assault Rifles and has the ability to use Concussive Shot which does massive damage to enemies.

• Engineer: A great improvement over the original, the new engineer still has the ability to hack and use overload, but now has many new and improved features. These are incinerate, freeze, and an attack drone. The Drone is perhaps the most interesting as it's upgradeable, and useful tactically. It can harass enemies with an energy attack to make them leave cover or explode. Incinerate is self explanatory, letting you light an enemy on fire, and cryo blast, lets you freeze an opponent, which makes them much more susceptible to all damage. The engineer is only proficient with the heavy pistol and submachine gun initially.

• Adept: The adept is a biotic warrior that is able to kill enemies using only their biotic powers. Many of the biotic powers like Warp, Throw, and Singularity, make a return from Mass Effect, but two new powers have been added to the mix: Pull and Shockwave. Pull levitates enemies and pulls them towards you, while Shock wave is much like throw but instead of only being focused on one enemy however, it can toss multiple enemies at one time. Being an adept is a much more tactical experience in Mass Effect 2 because Adepts have the ability to curve their biotic powers around corners and knock enemies out of cover, angle their throw abilities to toss enemies off ledges, and combine their powers on a single target. Adepts are proficient in both heavy pistols and submachine guns.

• Sentinel: The sentinel is considered to be one of the most versatile classes in Mass Effect 2. This class has access to both a variety of biotic and tech powers. Some of the powers are warp, overload, throw, and cryo blast. Also, exclusive to the sentinel class is tech armor. When using tech armor you gain dramatically increased shield capacity, making you harder to kill. Also, when your shields go down, tech armor sends out a shield depletion blast--knocking surrounding enemies to their knees. Access to tech armor, biotics, and tech abilities makes the sentinel great for short and medium ranged combat. With the use of tech skills, the sentinel can lower humanoid and mechanical enemies shields. Following this with the sentinel's biotic powers results in extreme damage against any enemy type. The sentinel class is considered to be the jack of all trades.

• Infiltrator: The infiltrator is the long ranged, master assassin in Mass Effect 2. The infiltrator comes equipped with a variety of tech powers like heavy disruptor ammo, cryo ammo, incinerate, AI hacking, and the all new tactical cloak. The new tactical cloak ability lets Shepard become completely invisible to all the enemies on the field, which is helpful for escaping, setting up sniper shots, or sneaking around behind enemies. But while using tactical cloak, you cannot heal and may get yourself into some bad situations, so be careful. They are proficient with sniper rifles, SMGs and heavy pistols. This class is made for those people who like to feel like a stealthy sniper/assassin.

• Vanguard: With a mastery of close-combat, the Vanguard class uses both weapons and a mastery of biotic powers to defeat enemies. With its biotic charge power, the vanguard is able to convert themselves into pure biotic energy to phase through solid objects and close in on an enemy from far away with a powerful force. A risky move as this tends to scatter enemies and leaves the player defenseless at least for a short period of time. Defensively it could be used to escape a deadly situation. Pull, another of the vanguards biotic abilities, causes enemies to float harmlessly towards the caster and can be especially deadly when combined with other biotic abilities such as Throw and Warp. Shockwave, the third biotic ability the vanguard has at their disposal, sends a row of detonations away from the user which disrupts any enemies unlucky enough to get caught in its path. Additionally the vanguard can make his weapons more effective by applying Incendiary and Cryo ammo abilities to them.

Powers

All powers in the game have the ability to 'evolve' into one of two different versions upon unlocking the final rank, which allows the player greater customization of their character. For example, the Infiltrator's Tactical Cloak power can be evolved into Enhanced Cloak (which further lengthens the cloak's duration) or Assassination Cloak (which grants a larger damage bonus to shots fired while cloaked). Every class has 5 powers, as well as a sixth class-specific skill, which grants passive bonuses including additional negotiation options.

Additionally, each party member will unlock a special power when Shepard successfully completes their loyalty mission. The corresponding member gains the skill automatically, and in all cases the player can purchase the ability for Commander Shepard in the research lab after it is unlocked for use.

Combat

• Disruptor Ammo (Soldier, Infiltrator): The shots do additional damage to shields and synthetic enemies and has a chance of disabling synthetics and overheating weapons.
• Incendiary Ammo (Soldier, Vanguard): The shots do damage over time to enemies and stop health regeneration.
• Cryo Ammo (Soldier, Vanguard, Infiltrator): The shots have a chance of freezing the target.
• Concussive Shot (Soldier): Fires a single high-powered shot that both damages the target and knocks them down.
• Adrenaline Rush (Soldier): Slows down time around the user.

Tech

• Overload (Engineer, Sentinel): Damages enemy shields and synthetics, at higher ranks it also overheats weapons.
• Incinerate (Engineer, Infiltrator): Causes damage over time to enemies and stops their health regeneration, doing additional damage to armor.
• Cryo Blast (Engineer, Sentinel): Freezes enemies solid, making them susceptible to other damage.
• AI Hacking (Engineer, Infiltrator): Temporarily turns a synthetic enemy into an ally and at higher ranks grants them a shield boost.
• Combat Drone (Engineer): Spawns a tech drone that can damage enemies' shields and stun them, drawing their fire.
• Tech Armor (Sentinel): Boosts the character's shields, when destroyed it sends out an energy pulse that damages and knocks back enemies within a certain radius.
• Tactical Cloak (Infiltrator): Instantly renders the user invisible to all enemies and grants a bonus to damage while the cloak lasts, however health and shield regeneration are halted for the duration.

Biotic

• Throw (Adept, Sentinel): Knocks enemies back.
• Warp (Adept, Sentinel): Makes enemies stutter and does damage, 'detonating' any biotics already on the target for extra damage.
• Pull (Adept, Vanguard): Pulls enemies towards you.
• Shockwave (Adept, Vanguard): Throws out a shockwave in front of the player in a straight line, knocking enemies in the path away.
• Singularity (Adept): Creates a gravitational field in which enemies are thrown around for the duration of the ability.
• Charge (Vanguard): Charges towards an enemy and at higher ranks replenishes shields.

Class Specific

• Tech Mastery (Engineer): Decreases research costs and power recharge time.
• Biotic Mastery (Adept): Decreases power recharge time.
• Defender (Sentinel): Decreases power recharge time and increases all power damage at the highest level.
• Operative (Infiltrator): Slightly decreases power recharge time and increase weapon damage, it also causes time to slow down when you use the scope of your sniper rifle.
• Assault Mastery (Vanguard): Slightly increases weapon damage and decreases power recharge time.
• Combat Mastery (Soldier): Increases weapon damage and storm speed.

All of the skills above also increase the health and paragon/renegade rating of the player character.

Unlockable

• Barrier (Jacob): Creates a mass effect field around the user which boosts the users shields.
• Slam (Miranda): Lifts the target into the air and slams them back to the ground, inflicting damage.
• Reave (Samara): Prevents the target's health regeneration and does additional damage against barriers and armor. Also restores the user's health and gives them a temporary health boost when used against organics.
• Dominate (Morinth): Temporarily turns an organic enemy into an ally and at higher ranks gives them a barrier.
• Warp Ammo (Jack): The shots are effective against barriers, shields and health. They do additional damage against enemies affected by biotic powers.
• Armor Piercing Ammo (Garrus): The shots do additional damage against armor and health.
• Shredder Ammo (Thane): The shots do substantially more damage to the health of enemies.
• Inferno Grenade (Zaeed): Throws a volatile grenade which explodes upon impact, sending out fragments in all directions. The fire damage is effective against armor.
• Fortification (Grunt): Reinforces user's armor with a non-Newtonian fluid, providing a brief but large bonus to their armor.
• Energy Drain (Tali): Does large damage to enemies' shields and synthetics and uses the drained power to boost the users shields.
• Geth Shield Boost (Legion): Provides a boost to the user's shields and at a higher rank can also give a bonus to weapon damage.
• Neural Shock (Mordin): Paralyzes organic enemies for a brief duration and at higher ranks also reduces the target's accuracy permanently.
• Flashbang Grenade (Kasumi) - Throws a flashbang that disorientates all nearby targets, stopping them from attacking in any way, and deals minor damage to them.
• Stasis (Liara)- Stasis immobilizes a target for a short period of time, but the target is invulnerable to damage. As the stasis wears off, the target falls to the ground and the target is vulnerable to attack once more.

Unique Powers

• Shadow Strike (Kasumi) - Kasumi engages her cloak, emerges behind the target and does a powerful melee attack. She then returns to her original position.

Arsenal

In Mass Effect 2 the number of weapons has been increased since the last game. This included adding completely new weapons, such as the Heavy Weapons subset. BioWare has also released DLC packs that include more weapons. The weapons can be classified into six categories and 3-4 weapons within each subset excluding the Heavy Weapons subset which include:

Assault Rifles

• M-8 Avenger: A common, versatile, military-grade assault rifle. Accurate when fired in short bursts, and deadly when fired on full auto. The Avenger is effective at penetrating shields, armor, and biotic barriers. The modular design and inexpensive components of the Avenger make it a favorite of military groups and mercenaries alike. The avenger has a reputation for being tough, reliable, easy to use, and easy to upgrade. Manufactured by the Elkoss Combine.

• M-15 Vindicator: A battle rifle favored by assassins and elite mercenaries that fires in highly accurate five-round bursts, and effective against armor, shields, and biotic barriers, Upgrades the Avenger Assault Rifle. Manufactured by Elanus Risk Control Services for the Blue Suns mercenary group, the Vindicator is quickly gaining popularity in the Terminus Systems.

• M-76 Revenant: Unleashes a storm of deadly high-velocity slugs. Less accurate than an assault rifle, but has a high ammo capacity and deals much more damage. Effective against armor, shields, and biotic barriers. Upgrades the Vindicator Battle Rifle. This custom-made machine gun features technology not widely available. Protected against replication by sophisticated Fabrication Rights Management technology, only the richest and most powerful warlords can afford this weapon.

• M-96 Mattock Heavy Rifle: Bringing a flash from the past, the Mattock is an old rifle modified to work with thermal clips. The idea of bringing the gun on the ship was of joint origin coming up from Miranda Lawson, and the ship's AI, EDI. Firing at medium range and being semi automatic, the Mattock is effective against armor, shields, and barriers. The Mattock is a semi-automatic hybrid weapon with an assault rifle's low heat production and a sniper rifle's punch. Though it does not have a sniper rifle's precision scope, marksmen favor its increased power over that of an assault rifle to bring down hardened targets, its lack of a fully automatic setting is advertised as a feature rather than a shortcoming since it curbs a soldier's tendency to spray inaccurate fire under stress. (Firepower Weapons Pack)

• Geth Pulse Rifle: A Geth assault rifle that is effective against shields and biotic barriers. They are rarely recovered from the battlefield, and are generally considered difficult to maintain or repair and have yet to be replicated by any organic species. Though it is comparable to the M-15 Vindicator in its effectiveness, there are two major anomalies that differentiate it from other assault rifles. First, it has a variable rate of fire due its mass effect field generation technology following a sine curve. Second, its slugs are lighter than standard M-8 Avenger slugs, but they are encased in a phasic envelope. It should be noted that this weapon is only available to the player on a Hardcore or Insanity-level play-through. It can be found on Haestrom.

Shotguns

• M-22 Eviscerator Shotgun: A non-military civilian designed shotgun. The unique ammunition generator utilized by the Eviscerator makes it a powerful anti-armor weapon with a longer range than standard shotguns. The illegal nature of the design prevents this weapon from be distributed to military entities. This lethal close range weapon is available as part of a download including the Cerberus Assault Armor and can be acquired through the Cerberus Network.

• M-23 Katana: Common military shotgun. Deadly at short range, but ineffective at long range. Very effective against shields and biotic barriers, but weak against armor. Manufactured by Ariake Technologies, the Katana is a common mercenary weapon and is also popular on colonies with varren infestations.

• M-27 Scimitar: An elite military shotgun capable of rapid fire, this weapon is deadly at short range, but ineffective at long range. Effective against shields and biotic barriers, but weak against armor. Upgrades the Katana Shotgun. Manufactured by Ariake Technologies, the Scimitar features twin mass effect generators, giving it a more rapid rate of fire than a traditional shotgun. This weapon was created for the Eclipse mercenary band but is rapidly becoming popular with Blood Pack mercenaries, as well.

• M-300 Claymore: Very rare Krogan shotgun. Deals high damage at short range; less effective at long range. Effective against armor, shields, and biotic barriers. Upgrades the Scimitar Assault Shotgun. The Claymores is of human design but is only used by Krogan as the kickback from a single shot is enough to break a human's arm. Its large slugs are effective against armored targets. Protected by sophisticated Fabrication Rights Management technology, this weapon is nearly impossible to reproduce and its prohibitively expensive.

• Geth Plasma Shotgun: Coming out of one of Cerberus cell's researching the Geth. The Geth Plasma Shotgun is deadly weapon. This three-barreled Geth weapon fires miniature but potent cluster rounds of superconducting projectiles and has a longer range than standard shotguns. A two stage trigger system allows for either quick-fire capacitors or a charge-and-release attack to electrify the projectiles as they exit the weapon. As the rounds hit the target, they fragment and electricity arcs between the pieces, flash-converting the air to conductive plasma. The resulting impact, heat, and electrical charge overloads shields and barriers and causes massive trauma to unarmored targets. (Firepower Weapons Pack)

Sniper Rifles

• M-92 Mantis: Powerful sniper rifle able to take out most targets in a single shot. Incredibly accurate at long range, but rate of fire is slow. Effective against armor, but weaker against shields and biotic barriers. Manufactured by Devlon Industries, the Mantis is primarily used by police and planetary militia groups. The prevalence of kinetic barriers has made this weapon less popular with the military, but it is used more frequently in the Terminus system where defenses are less common.

• M-97 Viper: Rapid-fire military sniper rifle. Incredibly accurate and deadly at long range, these weapons are popular amongst infiltrators and assassins. Very effective against armor; somewhat effective against shields and biotic barriers. Upgrades the Mantis Sniper Rifle. Rosenkov Materials developed this deadly weapon in response to the rising prevalence of kinetic barriers. While kinetic barriers still offer some protection from this weapon, it's sheer power and rapid rate of fire make it capable of quickly killing almost any target, regardless of its defenses.

• M-98 Widow: Accurate and deadly anti-material rifle. Effective against armor, shields, and biotic barriers. Upgrades the Viper Sniper Rifle. Weighing in at 39 kilograms, the Widow Anti-Material Rifle is primarily used by sniper teams in assault missions against armored vehicles or Krogan. While kinetic barriers offer effective protection on vehicles, the kind generated by conventional military field generators are far too weak against the Widow. The Widow was never designed to be carried and fired by a human. Although this modified model can be carried, no ordinary human could fire it without shattering an arm.

• M-29 Incisor: The Incisor is one of a new wave of military and police sniper rifles designed to overload active defenses such as shields. Firing three shots with each pull of the trigger, the Incisor's burst is so fast that all three rounds will be in the target by the time the barrel has moved a millimeter, increasing its stopping power without sacrificing accuracy. As an added benefit, the noise of the burst is comparable to a single rifle shot in duration, making it no easier to locate the sniper by sound. (Aegis Pack or part of Digital Deluxe Edition)

Heavy Pistols

• M-3 Predator: Reliable, accurate sidearm. Effective against armor; weak against shields and biotic barriers. Manufactured by Elanus Risk Control, the Predator is a valued as powerful, deadly, and relatively inexpensive weapon. While it is not generally deployed in the military, where kinetic barriers are common, it's still very popular in the Terminus Systems where these defenses are less common.

• M-6 Carnifex Hand Cannon: Highly accurate and lethal sidearm. Effective against armor; weak against shields and biotic barriers. Upgrades the Predator heavy pistol. The Carnifex is a favored sidearm of mercenary leaders and Eclipse mercenary tech specialists. An expensive but powerful weapon. Its marketing materials feature a charging Krogan with the slogan "Don't you wish Carnifex was at your side?".

• M-5 Phalanx Heavy Pistol: Brought on the ship by Jacob Taylor, the Phalanx are rare but powerful pistols. A highly accurate and lethal sidearm. Effective against armor; weak against shields and biotic barriers. The M5 Phalanx is the product of the Alliance's Offensive Handgun Project that developed a close in weapon to be used on armored or shielded targets with no loss of stopping power in comparison to the soldier's assault rifle. The Phalanx enjoys a ballistics advantage even over most "hand cannons" and features an integral laser sight which is highly visible even in bright lighting conditions. Civilian variants are often purchased by colonists on planets that have particularly dangerous game animals. (Firepower Weapons Pack)

Submachine Guns

• M-4 Shuriken Machine Pistol: A common but effective submachine gun. Fires three-round bursts, and can be pulsed for a higher rate of fire at the expense of accuracy. Very effective against shields and biotic barriers. As kinetic barriers have grown in popularity, so has the popularity of submachine guns. Manufactured by the Elkoss Combine, the Shuriken Machine Pistol has a reputation for being deadly and easy to use, but is weak against armor.

• M-9 Tempest Submachine Gun: This submachine gun fires in long deadly bursts. Very effective against shields and biotic barriers, inaccurate at long rage. Weak against armor. Upgrades the Shuriken Machine Pistol. The commonality of kinetic barriers has led to increased demand for rapid-fire weapons like the Tempest. Produced by Elanus Risk Control Services for the Eclipse mercenary band, the Tempest is an expensive but deadly addition to anyone's personal arsenal.

• M-12 Locust: The Kassa Fabrications Model 12 Locust is a compact submachine gun developed for the Alliance but now favored by gang enforcers and hitmen. Very effective against shields and biotic barriers. Featuring a complex recoil-reducing mechanism and high-grade autotargeting software, the Locust is a longer-range, more accurate fire than others submachine guns. (Kasumi: Stolen Memories DLC)

Heavy Weapons

• M-100 Grenade Launcher: A rapid fire grenade launcher used by Vorcha mercenaries in the Blood Pack group. Single shorts are able to take out multiple targets and it is useful against armor, shields, and biotic barriers. It is the first heavy weapon that Shepard acquires.

• ML-77 Missile Launcher: A powerful missile launcher that can be easily carried by a single person due to its collapsible design. Missiles are able to distinguish between friends and enemies, locking onto enemy targets and home in on their position.

• M-622 Avalanche: A weapon based on cryo-round technology. The cooling laser collapses it's ammunition into Bose-Einstein condensate, a mass of super-cooled subatomic particles capable of freezing enemies. It is effective against armor, shields, and biotic barriers.

• M-920 Cain: Nicknamed the "Nuke Launcher," this mass effect-technology based weapon contains 25g high-explosive round slugs. By accelerating its ammo to 5km/s, the round generates an explosion matrix on impact, inflicting high damage within a large area and creating the archetypal mushroom cloud. All beings - enemies, allies, and sometimes even the user themselves - are not safe when this weapon is fired.

• Collector Particle Beam: A highly precise and destructive radiation beam is fired at a magnitude that is several orders higher than the amount needed to launch a high-velocity projective via a mass effect field. It is effective against shields, barriers, and armor.

• M-490 Blackstorm Projector: The ammo consists of a few particles of matter within a high-powered mass-increasing field, elevating them to near infinite mass and creating a powerful localized gravity well - a singularity. This draws in all enemies and objects towards its center before explosively hurling them away. This weapon is only accessible through pre-order DLC that was exclusive to certain retail stores.

• M-451 Firestorm: Based on the Turian "Hieras" flamethrower, the weapon fires out an anti-personnel and anti-armor flame in a deadly stream. The Turian design used low-octane hydrocarbons thickened with dentra oil, which humans reverse engineered to create a synthetic composite with almost identical properties that could be fabricated from heavy weapon fuel cells using an omni-tool. This allows the sticky fuel to be spray onto surfaces while burning at 1,600 degrees Celsius. This weapon can only be found during Zaeed Massani's loyalty quest, which is part of the Cerberus Network DLC entitled "Zaeed - The Price of Revenge".

• Arc Projector: Uses an invisible laser to ionize the initial target which allows it to be targeted by a powerful electrical bolt, the laser then 'paints' nearby target so that the bolt can jump from one enemy to another with little resistance. This weapon is highly effective against shields and a group of enemies. The arc projector is available as free DLC through the Cerberus Network.

Plot

The Illusive Man

Mass Effect 2 begins shortly after the first Mass Effect, with the Normandy SR-1 investigating reported Geth sightings. Unexpectedly, the Normandy comes under attack by an unknown force in a large spaceship. Shepard orders an evacuation of the ship as they are no match for this unknown attacker but cannot escape himself, because he has to rescue Joker who refuses to abandon ship. Shepard is able to get Joker safely to an escape pod, before he is thrown into space as the Normandy is destroyed by the unknown ship. Shepard floats in space briefly, before suit damage causes his suit to depressurize. This is the apparent end for Commander Shepard, as he falls, immobile, towards the surface of a planet.

Shepard's body is then picked up by an extremist group called Cerberus, an organization created to protect and advance humanity's interests in the galaxy no matter the cost. This ideal often manifests itself with ruthless behavior which causes the group to be considered more akin to a terrorist group than as a legitimate entity, especially from within the human Alliance which regards them as a severe embarrassment to their own efforts at peaceful co-existence.

Cerberus begins work on rebuilding Shepard's body as part of an effort codenamed "The Lazarus Project". After two years of work, Shepard is rebuilt, although he is awakened before he can be fully tested physically and psychologically. When he awakes, Shepard finds himself in a lab woken up by Miranda Lawson who is urging him to get up and move since the station where Project Lazarus was being conducted was attacked by mechs. Shepard is able to fight his way through the station and finds Jacob, a Cerberus operative who was serving as security chief for the station. He and Shepard make their way through the station together and find Wilson, a doctor who had helped in recreating and reviving Shepard. Wilson was injured and with Shepard's help is healed enough to join them. Wilson informs them that the mechs on the station have been overridden by someone and he had tried to disarm them but was unsuccessful. This makes Jacob suspicious because Wilson should not have access to mechs since he works in medical. Wilson deflects his suspicion by blaming Miranda who he claims is conveniently missing while they are in harm's way. Jacob wants to go find Miranda but Wilson tells them to forget her and that they should just make their way to escape shuttle since there is no way she survived. They decide to go to escape but right as they open the door to the shuttle bay they find Miranda waiting there. To everyone's surprise she shoots Wilson and states that he was a traitor and that he had reprogrammed the security mechs to attack everyone. They then escape the station and Miranda takes Shepard to meet her boss, the Illusive Man.

The New Normandy

Following his resurrection, Shepard meets with the leader of Cerberus, the mysteriously named The Illusive Man. The two forge an uneasy relationship; Shepard is asked to investigate the disappearance of human colonies along the fringes of the galaxy and given the opportunity to walk away if he finds nothing. Shepard also acquires a new ship, the Normandy SR-2, which Cerberus had also constructed under extreme secrecy as well as improve upon with a number of advancements that have advanced it beyond its predecessor's original design. While it is staffed by Cerberus, Shepard discovers that the promised pilot that "he can trust" turns out to be none other than Joker who had signed on with the organization when the Alliance began to whitewash Shepard's reports on the Reapers. Using Dossiers given by the Illusive Man on "the toughest, the brightest, the deadliest allies we can find", Shepard begins assembling an elite team after discovering proof at the colony of Freedom's Progress revealing the involvement of a mysterious race known only as the Collectors, who may or may not have an alliance with the Reapers.

After gathering the squad and going on various Collector-based tasks assigned by the Illusive Man such as going on the Collector ship for data or a derelict Reaper for an IFF Shepard will finally go through the Omega-4 Relay where player-made decisions made in the game will affect the outcome of this final mission. Upgrades to your ship and how loyal your crew is are integral parts to this final mission. After landing on the base Shepard splits the crew into a two man team, with one specialist going through vents. After more fighting Shepard and two other crew-mates will encounter the reason the Collectors have been abducting tens of thousands of people. A giant humanoid Reaper stares at them in the face still in a state of being built. After an epic battle against this humanoid Reaper the Collector Base can either be destroyed or kept intact for technology; however, both outcomes lead to the death of all the collectors on board. The game, finally ends with a massive armada of Reapers flying towards the Milky Way, presumably the main plot point that will be present in Mass Effect 3.

Characters

Commander Shepard

Commander Shepard

Race - Human

Age - 32

Gender - Player's Choice

Weapons - Class Dependent

Powers and Abilities - Class Dependent

Class - Player's Choice

Overview - Lieutenant Commander Shepard is the main protagonist of Mass Effect 2.

Party Members

In Mass Effect 2 Shepard can recruit up to twelve people for his crew, including some recurring characters from the first game which all play major roles in Mass Effect 2's plot. Here are the party members in alphabetical order:

Garrus Vakarian Garrus Vakarian Race - Turian Age - N/A Gender - Male Weapons - Snipers and Assault Rifles Powers and Abilities - Concussive Shot, Overload and Armor Piercing Ammo Class - Turian Rebel Dossier - Archangel Overview - Garrus is a returning party member from Mass Effect. He was Turian and worked for C-Sec, and his personality in Mass Effect 2 will be determined by your treatment of him in the first game. He is a potential love interest for a female Shepard. He became known as Archangel by the citizens of Omega due to he and his group taking down criminals and protecting the average citizen.

Quote - "Can it wait for a bit? I'm in the middle of some calibrations." Grunt Grunt Race - Krogan Age - 22 Gender - Male Weapons - Shotguns and Assault Rifles Powers and Abilities - Concussive Shot, Incendiary Ammo and Fortification Class - Krogan Beserker Dossier - The Warlord Overview - Ruthless, irrational and unpredictable. Grunt was genetically designed by Warlord Okeer to be the purest Krogan. He was imprinted with thoughts of war and violence by Okeer in order to be a great warrior. Grunt chose his own name deriving it from some of the last words he heard from Okeer. Quote - "I am pure krogan; you should be in awe."

Jack Jack Race - Human Age - N/A Gender - Female Weapons - Shotguns and Heavy Pistols Powers and Abilities - Shockwave, Pull and Warp Ammo Class - Subject Zero Dossier - The Convict Overview - A troubled life involving gangs and even a cult, this biotic is considered "dangerous, powerful, and extremely violent." Jack is covered in tattoos and has a knack for using 'colorful' language. She is a potential romantic interest for a male Shepard.

Jacob Taylor Jacob Taylor Race - Human Age - 28 Gender - Male Weapons - Shotguns and Heavy Pistols Powers and Abilities - Pull, Incendiary Ammo and Barrier Class - Cerberus Operative Dossier - N/A Overview - The biotic hero of Mass Effect: Galaxy and a survivor of the attack on Eden Prime. Jacob is affiliated with Cerberus and has an association with Miranda prior to the start of the game. He is a potential love interest for a female Shepard. He also has a penchant for a particular type of handshake wherein the recipient is pulled in and also receives a pat on the back, if the aforementioned recipient has good enough reflexes they may also respond in kind with a pat on the back.

Kasumi Goto Kasumi Goto Race - Human Age - 25 Gender - Female Weapons - Sub Machine Guns and Heavy Pistols Powers and Abilities - Shadow Strike, Overload and Flashbang Grenades Class - Master Thief Dossier - The Master Thief Overview - Kasumi Goto is a squad member that can be acquired through the downloadble content "Kasumi's Stolen Memory." Not much is known about her, and she is working under contract for Cerberus to assist Shepard in his mission against the Collectors. In exchange for her services Shepard must assist her in a heist to retrieve a "graybox", a unit that stores the entirety of a person's memories. of her ex-lover and ex-coworker due to him knowing information that could put the entire alliance in danger and cause a whole war. Kasumi specializes in stealth and is able to crack any safe in the galaxy.

Legion Legion Race - Geth Age - N/A Gender - N/A Weapons - Sniper Rifles and Assault Rifles Powers and Abilities - AI Hacking, Combat Drone and Geth Shield Boost Class - Geth Infiltrator Overview - Legion is the name given to the geth platform made up of the conglomeration of 1,183 geth programs. Legion is the first non-hostile Geth Commander Shepard meets who is capable of speech. Legion is known for having a piece of Commander Shepard's N7 armor attached to his framework which he used for repairs, even though Geth are not supposed to show emotions, Legion actively sought out Shepard's armor specifically.

Miranda Lawson Miranda Lawson Race - Human Age - 35 Gender - Female Weapons - Heavy Pistols and Submachine guns Powers and Abilities - Overload, Warp and Slam Class - Cerberus Officer Dossier - N/A Overview - Miranda Lawson is genetically engineered, in every way, to be perfect. From her looks to her intelligence, they are all designed to give her an edge. Despite these gifts, she has had a trouble accepting them, since they were given, not earned like other great people around her. She is a high ranking Cerberus operative and was the head of Project Lazarus, the collaboration to bring Shepard back from the dead. She is a potential love interest for the male versions of Commander Shepard and serves as a lieutenant aboard the Normandy. Loyalty - Miranda will ask Shepard for help with a personal crisis she is having with her twin Oriana. Her twin sister was created as part of her father's intended dynasty. Miranda explains that in order to hide and protect Oriana and herself she joined Cerberus. While their father stopped searching for Miranda, he never stopped looking for Oriana. With Cerberus' help, Miranda managed to create a new life for Oriana on Illium, where she has lived a normal life, a life her father would have denied her. Unfortunately, Miranda received word from an old friend claiming that their father has finally discovered Oriana and will try to abduct her. Cerberus has made arrangements to relocate Oriana, and Miranda wants to go along to ensure nothing goes wrong. Romance - Miranda can play a romantic role to Shepard after her loyalty mission. Talking to her after every major mission and choosing the right diaolouge options, Miranda will eventually want Shepard to admire her body. If Mordin finds out of your romantic interest, he will in essence safe sex and tell Shepard about Miranda's "talents". There can also be two fights around your relationship with Miranda. One with Jack, After gaining the loyalty of both Miranda and Jack, the next time Shepard is on the Normandy SR-2 Joker will radio in about a fight aboard the ship. Jack wants Miranda to admit what Cerberus has done was wrong, but Miranda refuses to acknowledge that Cerberus was to blame saying that it was a splinter group, not Cerberus, calling the shots. You can choose not to interveene, but they will pick up thier fight after the Collectors mission. However if you side with Jack your loyalty with Miranda will go down, and lose all your romance interest. You will get a second chance to win back her loyalty in a later dialouge scene, but her romance can never be gotten back. A second conflict can come up if you have the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC, that involves Shepard, Miranda, and Liara. she will question what you see in Miranda.

Mordin Solus Mordin Solus Race - Salarian Age - 50 Gender - Male Weapons - Heavy Pistols and Submachine Guns Powers and Abilities - Incinerate, Cryo Blast and Neural Shock Class - Salarian Scientist Dossier - The Professor Overview - Mordin Solus is an extremely adept and experienced Salarian scientist who also has a knack for Gilbert & Sullivan. He used to work for the Salarian STG, the most elite information unit for the Salarians, and worked on re-modifying the genetic virus known as the genophage that was unleashed to control Krogan population numbers. Mordin later ran a clinic on Omega, and is known for his polar personality, being able to cure you with one hand and kill you with the other.

Samara Samara Race - Asari Age - ~600 Gender - Female Weapons - Assault Rifles and Submachine Guns Powers and Abilities - Throw, Pull and Reave Class - Asari Justicar Dossier - Justicar Overview - An extremely powerful biotic, Samara is an Asari Justicar that Shepard can add to his crew. The Justicars live by a code and are an order of warrior-like monks that dedicate their lives to eliminating evil from the galaxy. Looking at the universe through black and white there is no room for flexibility. Having lived nearly 1000 years, Samara has traveled and experienced much of what the galaxy has to offer, she's fought specters, destroyed villages, and saved cities.

Morinth Morinth Race - Asari Age - ~440 Gender - Female Weapons - Assault Rifles and Submachine Guns Powers and Abilities - Throw, Pull and Dominate Class - Ardat-Yakshi Dossier - N/A Overview - Morinth is afflicted with a genetic disease that makes her a deadly sexual criminal. She travels the galaxy reproducing with others, except when she melds minds her partner gets killed making her stronger in the progress. This genetic disorder has been known for much of Asari history and the Ardat-Yakshi are a disgrace to the entire species and some devote their lives to wiping them out.

Tali'Zorah vas Neema Tali'Zorah Race - Quarian Age - 24 Gender - Female Weapons - Submachine Guns and Shotguns Powers and Abilities - Combat Drone, AI Hacking and Energy Drain Class - Quarian Machinist Dossier - Tali Overview - A Returning squad member from the first game, Tali is a masterful mechanic that can enhance the entire Normandy's performance. She holds her race in high regard, and becomes a commander for secret missions that are of top importance for the Migrant Fleet. Tali can use shotguns to deadly effect and hack any piece of machinery in the galaxy. She is a potential love interest for the male variants of Commander Shepard and a dedicated friend.

Thane Krios Thane Krios Race - Drell Age - 39 Gender - Male Weapons - Sniper Rifles and Submachine Guns Powers and Abilities - Throw, Warp and Shredder Ammo Class - Drell Assassin Dossier - The Assassin Overview - Thane Krios is one of the most deadly assassins in the universe. Trained by the hanar he has deadly reflexes and can take out entire rooms of guards. Thane is also infected with Kepral's Syndrome, where his lungs lose the ability to take in oxygen. Thane is silent, and religious and makes an invaluable asset to the team. He is a potential love interest for female Shepards.

Zaeed Messani Zaeed Messani Race - Human Age - 40 Gender - Male Weapons - Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles Powers and Abilities - Concussive Shot, Disruptor Ammo, and Inferno Grenade Class - Mercenary Veteran Dossier - The Veteran Overview - Big and brutal, Zaeed is one of the most feared mercenaries in the galaxy. Having founded the mercenary organization "The Blue Suns", he was later betrayed by his partner, Vido Santiago. Being forced into a life of exile he became a renowned mercenary and now joins Shepard to take on the Collectors.

Allies

The Illusive Man The Illusive Man The head of Cerberus and all of its operations. He has billions of dollars of support from unknown origins and divides Cerberus into groups, each working on an important project. The Illusive Man focuses on humanities' needs first, holding crucial information for humanities survival. He is calm and collected, and is always seen in front of a dying star, smoking a cigarette. He is genetically enhanced, has cybernetically altered eyes, white wavy hair and a cold personality. He will do whatever he must to ensure humanity's survival. It is unknown whether he is the original leader of Cerberus, which splintered off the alliance, or not.

Jeff "Joker" Moreau Joker The best pilot in the Alliance, and has now re-joined Shepard under the Cerberus banner. Having a birth defect, known as "Vrolik's Syndrome" his bones are extremely fragile, breaking at the slightest of contact. However, under Cerberus, his condition seemed to be improving. Voiced by Seth Green, he is a brave, comical, and an extraordinary pilot.

Kelly Chambers Kelly Chambers The ship's yeoman, serving Shepard by tracking his messages and being his personal assistant, even being able to feed his fish. Alongside this, Kelly is a psychologist, put on board to monitor the crew, and keep track of psychological profiles in times of high stress. Shepard can romance Kelly, but it isn't as deep as other relationships. It does not affect any other relationships Shepard may have concurrently.

Urdnot Wrex Urdnot Wrex Wrex makes a return in Mass Effect 2 (if alive) as leader of Clan Urdnot, a progressive Krogan group that seeks to unify the Krogan and make them stronger. His reforms include a no battle zone for women and children so Krogan can breed and not feel in danger. This brings clans together, and if anyone harms Clan Urdnot, the jeopardy of many females are at stake, making other clans less willing to attack.

Liara T'Soni Liara T'Soni Returning from the first game, Liara is now an information broker in Illium, in search of the Shadow Broker. She has matured since the first game and is a lot more aggressive. She asks Shepard to help her find information on a Shadow Broker agent by cracking terminals, and she also takes a primary role in the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC.

New Alien Species

Vorcha

A Vorcha soldier

The Vorcha are an alien species from a relatively small planet, being in a world with limited resources, these aliens continuously fight and as a result each generation becomes continually stronger. The Vorcha that did escape their home planet did so by acting as stowaways in ships that arrived on their planet. Their main way of communication is via fighting, and are the shortest lived sentient species found, having an average life span of 20 years.

Drell

The Drell are a new amphibian-humanoid species. Where humans descended from primates it seems that the Drell are descended from Amphibious life forms. Due to overpopulation on their home planet, Rahkhana, many Drell were granted asylum by the Hanar. Little is known about the Drell throughout the galaxy, but they have a history of proving very efficient killers. This stems largely from their ability to disconnect their mind and body allowing them to perform whatever actions they may need without conscious thought. Thane, a possible party member, is especially infamous. The Drell also possess two pairs of eyelids, one pair which closes vertically, a second closes horizontally.

The Collectors

A Collector

A hive-minded insect race with advanced technology including beam weapons. They are the race responsible for abducting the humans from the human colonies and in using stasis pods to transport them in. They also are led by a singular leader, who can possess and control any member of the "hive" at any time. Their advanced technology and techno-organic bugs that sedate kidnap victims suggest that Collectors might have some connection with the Reapers. The Collectors are abducting entire human colonies for unknown reasons - these attacks are what Commander Shepard must investigate.

Enemies

Husks:

Three new types of husks have been introduced. They are called Praetorians, Scions and Abominations. The Praetorians are flying conglomerates of 30 husks that can self-detonate and shoot lasers at enemies, while the Abominations are running suicide units. Praetorians appear as boss units, presenting more of a challenge to the player than standard enemies. The next step beyond the Husks, Scions, are beings that are the fusion of 3 transformed human beings that are grafted biologically to a weapon.

Mercenaries:

Three major mercenary groups are encountered throughout Mass Effect 2:

1. The Blue Suns, the largest mercenary group consisting of mostly of Turians, Humans, and Batarians started by Zaeed Massani and Vido Santiago.
2. The Eclipse are another mercenary group that operate in tight groups and often employ Asari, Salarians, and a few Humans.
3. The Blood Pack is a group consisting of Vorcha and Krogan that have been banned from Citadel space.

Security Mechs:

These mechs include LOKI, YMIR, and FENRIS mechs. LOKI mechs are common and act as a basic security guard often carrying a submachine gun or heavy pistol. YMIR mechs are massive anti-infantry countermeasures carrying mass accelerator cannons and a rocket launcher. These mechs devastate infantry on the battlefield. FENRIS mechs are anti-infantry mechs that resemble wolves or Varren. Discharging electricity with their heads they can easily take down a criminal. Along side this, they can detect weapons and narcotics with advanced sensory systems.

Collectors:

The main adversary throughout the game. Shepherd encounters collectors on numerous occasions fighting Drones, Assassins, and Guardians. At any time the Reaper, Harbinger, can take control of any collector via the Collector General making the possessed collector a mighty foe.

Geth:

While no longer one of the main enemies you face, the Geth are still present in a few missions. They deploy essentially the same variety of humanoid Geth types as in the first Mass Effect including Troopers, Rocket Troopers, Hunters, Destroyers and Primes. You also encounter the Geth Colossus and Dropship, however absent are the hoppers and the standard sized Armatures.

Locations

• Purgatory: A high security starship.
• Illium: A highly advanced Asari colony.
• Tuchanka: The Krogan home-world.
• Omega: An infamous space station inhabited by criminals and other lawless sorts; described by BioWare as the "twisted counterpart to the Citadel."
• Korlus: The recycling center of the universe filled with broken down ships.
• Migrant Fleet: The Quarian fleet used to house its population.
• Freedom's Progress: A human colony attacked by Collectors.
• Horizon: Another human colony attacked by Collectors.
• Haestrom: An old Quarian colony.
• Mnemosyne: A brown dwarf.

Soundtrack

The Mass Effect 2 soundtrack was produced by Jack Wall, Sam Hulick, David Kates, and Jimmy Hinson and contains two discs with a total of 27 songs in addition to a separate nine track album of background music from loading screens and specific in-game conversations. In contrast to the first game's soundtrack (a selection of which can be heard via the "radio" in Shepard's cabin), the tracks try to go for a darker tone, to reflect the changes to the game. The tracks are as follows:

DISC 1

DISC 2

Mass Effect 2: Atmospheric

Mass Effect 2: Combat

Mass Effect 2: Kasumi's Stolen Memory

Mass Effect 2: Overlord

Mass Effect 2: Lair Of The Shadow Broker

Collector's Edition

The collector's edition of the game came in a tin case and included: the full version of Mass Effect 2, a 48-page hard-cover "Art of Mass Effect 2" book, a special version of issue 1 of the Mass Effect: Redemption comic by Dark Horse Comics, a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes and making-of videos. This edition of the game also includes the "Cerberus Network Access Card" shipped with the normal edition.

Cerberus Network & other DLC

All new copies of the game come with a one-time code that grants players access to the Cerberus Network. The Cerberus Network allows players to download bonus content for Mass Effect 2 (More info of which is included in the DLC section). Players who do not buy a new copy of the game can pay a single fee of $15 (1200 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC) to gain access to the Cerberus Network. On release day, two pieces of content were available for everyone to download for free:

• Normandy Crash Site: Shepard discovers the location of the Normandy Crash Site, an emotionally charged and reflective moment for Shepard as he is on a mission of salvage and recovery.
• Zaeed - The Price of Revenge: Shepard's shadowy backers buy the loyalty of Zaeed Massani, the galaxy's most feared bounty hunter and mercenary soldier. A new party member, weapons research, and an achievement are included.

In addition a number of other pieces of promotional content were available to people who bought specific versions of the game, or who bought it from specific retailers:

• Blood Dragon Armor: Created for Earth's Urban Combat Championship league, it bears the logo of the Edmonton Blood Dragons. The Inside of the armor bears the signatures of the entire team. (Available to those who own a copy of Dragon Age: Origins.)
• Collectors' Weapon and Armor: This armor and assault rifle set is constructed out of Collector technology. (Available to those who have the Collector's Edition of Mass Effect 2.)
• Terminus Weapon and Armor: The armor increases run speed, reserve ammo storage and shielding. The Blackstorm Projector launches "black holes" that suck enemies towards it. (Available to those who preordered the game from certain retailers.)
• Inferno Armor: Designed for Cerberus officers, it helps them assess people psychological condition, improving their diplomacy. The armor also improves biotic and tech damage, as well as run speed. (Available to those who preordered the game from anywhere that didn't offer the Terminus set.)
• M-29 Incisor: This sniper rifle fires a three-shot burst. Although it was available initially only to those who purchased the Digital Deluxe Edition of Mass Effect 2, it was released as DLC called the Aegis Pack which also included Kestrel Armor. (See Below)

More promotional content was available from Dr. Pepper for a time for individuals who redeemed codes from their products:

• Umbra Visor: A piece of night-vision equipment that augments biotic abilities and tech powers.
• Recon Hood: A ballistic-mesh fabric hood given to covert action teams. Augments weapon damage.
• Sentry Interface: A piece of headgear that allows Shepard to dedicate additional power to his shields.

There has also been content available free to players with access to Cerberus Network added post-release:

• Cerberus Weapons and Armor: Armor geared towards players who favor close and aggressive combat, the M-22 Eviscerator Shotgun is a longer-range shotgun with armor-piercing loads

• Arc Projector: A heavy weapon that ionizes targets with a non-visible laser to ready them for a high-voltage electrical attack.

• Firewalker: Available for free to all Cerberus Network members, includes 5 new missions for use with the Hammerhead hover tank.

Various DLC weapons available

As well as this there has been pay-DLC available through the Cerberus Network:

• Alternate Appearance Pack 1: Three new outfits, one each for Garrus Vakarian, Jack, and Thane Krios. Garrus's outfit consists of repaired armor and a headset; Jack's means that she can actually wear some clothes; and Thane gets red reflective shades. ($2, 160 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC)
• Kasumi - Stolen Memory: The main section of this DLC is the new squad member, Kasumi Goto, and her corresponding mission. It also contains a research upgrade, casual outfit, achievement and a weapon, the M-12 Locust submachine gun. ($7, 560 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC)
• Equalizer Pack: The Equalizer pack includes two new helmets and the once pre-order exclusive Inferno Armor. ($2, 160 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC)
• Overlord: A new content expansion, Shepard and his crew is sent to investigate a Cerberus research base that's mysteriously gone silent, Shepard arrives to find Geth overrunning the base. The action unfolds over five new level areas, with two new achievements. ($7, 560 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC)
• Aegis Pack: This DLC pack includes the M-29 Incisor Sniper Rifle and the Kestrel Armor set. ($2, 160 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC)
• Firepower Pack: This DLC pack includes the M-5 Phalanx Heavy Pistol, the M-96 Mattock Heavy Rifle, and the Geth Plasma Shotgun. ($2, 160 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC)
• Lair of the Shadow Broker: A new content expansion in which Shepard teams up with again with Liara to confront the Shadow Broker, whom Liara has been searching for ever since he tried to take Shepard's body and killed one of Liara's friends. ($10, 800 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC).
• Arrival: The final mission-based addon for Mass Effect 2, focusing on the imminent reaper invasion and Shepard's progress of halting it. ($7, 560 Microsoft Points for 360 or BioWare Points for PC)

PS3 Release

On January 18, 2011, Mass Effect 2 will be released on the PS3 platform with the same DLC as the Xbox 360. A demo was also released through PSN on December 22, 2010. The demo's gameplay is the same as the Xbox 360's. It is unknown if any other DLC will be released for the game.

PS3 Box Art

The PS3 version includes the following extra features & updates:

• Mass Effect 3 Engine - The PS3 version uses the updated engine that was developed for ME3. As a result, it has slightly more detailed graphics & better shadow effects than the Xbox 360 version. However, various reviews and gaming sites spotted frequent frame-rate drops and outdoor-geometry errors during the Overlord DLC mission.
• Interactive Comic - This introductory comic by Dark Horse will serve as a starter to the Mass Effect universe. It will recount all the major events from the first game and allow players to make key decisions in the process, including the option to save Wrex and the Council. The romantic options remain the same (Kaiden, Ashley & Liara).
• Free DLC - The following DLC will be free, on-disc :

1. Cerberus Network Card: This includes the character Zaeed, the Hammerhead missions and the Normandy crash site.
2. Kasumi & Stolen Memories missions
3. Overlord
4. Lair of the Shadow Broker

• Mining Changes -The mining scanner moves significantly faster. Tilting both the analog sticks in the same direction rotates the planet at a much quicker pace.

PC System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
• Processor: 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent AMD CPU
• Memory: 1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7
• Hard Drive: 15 GB
• DVD ROM: 1x Speed
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible
• DirectX: DirectX 9.0c August 2008 (Included)
• Input: Keyboard / Mouse

Video Card: 256 MB (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support). Supported Chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or greater; ATI Radeon X1600 Pro or greater. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, and 9300; ATI Radeon HD3200, and HD4350 are below minimum system requirements. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.

Recommended System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
• Processor: 2.6 GHz Core 2 Duo Intel or equivalent AMD CPU
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, or better recommended
• DirectX: DirectX 9.0c August 2008 (or higher)

DEVELOPER NOTES: For the best results, make sure you have the latest drivers for your video and audio cards. Laptop or mobile versions of the above supported video cards have not had extensive testing and may have driver or other performance issues. As such, they are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.

Xbox 360 Game Installation

Mass Effect 2 requires a total of 12.4 GB (6.4 GB for Disc 1 and 6.0 GB for Disc 2) of space to be installed on a 360 HDD. Even when both discs have been installed the game will still require you to swap discs midway through the game, this is, of course, to verify that you own both discs.

Reception

Mass Effect 2 received critical and commercial success upon its release, shipping more than 2 million copies in its first week and earning a Metacritic score of 96 for the Xbox 360 version & 94 for the PC. Critics praised the game for its quality of characters and for fixing the technical problems from the first game. The improved gunplay was also praised but a few cited the streamlining of its RPG elements as a downgrade.

Awards

The game was nominated and won multiple "Game of the Year" awards. Giant Bomb named Mass Effect 2 as its "Multi-platform Game of the Year" and "Game of the Year 2010". In addition, the Giant Bomb users voted it their game of the year. It also garnered many "Best RPG of the Year" awards from many major publications, including GameSpot, GameTrailers and Spike VGA.

Earth and Beyond Reference

It is believed by some that the N7 logo that appears in various places throughout both Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 are an Easter egg like reference to the Net-7 communications network from the long dead EA title Earth and Beyond. The N7 logo in the Mass Effect franchise also has a very similar design to that of the N7 logo placed throughout Earth and Beyond. Many believe that the N7 logo was seeded into Mass Effect because Earth and Beyond was a large inspiration to the creation of the Mass Effect franchise.