Mass Effect 2: 9/10
I really enjoyed the first Mass Effect and it's sequel is an improvement on it in almost every aspect.
The new item and management system is one of the major and noticeable improvements. Instead of collecting 15 of the same crappy gun from your enemies or from looting, you find upgrade technology and maybe a half dozen good, practical weapons.
Gameplay wise, the conversation mechanic is about the same and my only complaint is that how the responses are presented to you can be misleading and something slightly different might come out of Commander Shepard's mouth. Good thing that the Paragon options are usually on the top right and the Renegade responses are on the bottom right. The combat system is a lot more fast paced, but still has some balancing issues.
In the first Mass Effect, I just ran around, shooting everyone in the face and even sniping with the shotgun. In Mass Effect 2, I found myself using the battle or sniper rifle in almost every situation. Also, I gave biotics a chance and had a pretty good time lifting enemies in the air into a peaceful state of bliss then slamming them back to the Earth (well not Earth, but it sounded poetic) with a force of 800 Newtons. The last time I took physics was junior year of high school, so I'll assume that 800 Newtons is powerful.
On a more cosmetic note, I didn't have Shepard wear any armor except than the default because they were all ugly. Yeah, I'd probably get like a 10% weapon damage bonus from wearing one of the helmets, but then he'd sound like a T-Pain in conversations.
Mass Effect 2's story isn't quite on par with the first Mass Effect. I don't want to give it away, but I didn't want to feel like John Conner at the end of the game....
However, I did enjoy the crew member's individual's storylines and side missions. It was a smart idea to force the corresponding crew member be a part of your squad during his or her mission and see how the character handles with your Shepard.
My one complaint about the game is the mineral mining system. It's just boring, too necessary, and really kills the flow of an otherwise streamlined game. I'm not saying I enjoyed the first Mass Effect's planet exploration, but I felt it wasn't as necessary.
Mass Effect 2 is the best game I've played in a long time and that statement is not without merit. In an industry that seems to be a bit too focused on gimmicks and the multiplayer experience, Mass Effect 2 is a nice reminder that games are still worth buying for the single player campaign alone.
