Mass Effect 2
EA, £34.99 on PC, £49.99 on X360
PC, X360 Out Now
Rating: 15

OMG…the first words that come to mind when someone asks you to describe Mass Effect 2. The original was amazing, and the second: another epic RPG but with combat elements that even hardcore first person shooter fans will enjoy.

A great storyline draws you into the Mass Effect universe, a world where your every action has a repercussion. We don’t want to give too much away, but Shepherd returns  - as does Reaver related danger - so strap yourself in for a rollercoaster adventure that will bring to vivid life alien characters old and new. One of our faves was new face Subject Zero, a cyberpunk criminal covered in tattoos but with some mean biotic skills.

What we especially liked is the ability to import your original Mass Effect data, allowing you to continue the story with the Shepherd you created, with the consequences of the actions you chose in the original. However, the game also works as a standalone, meaning new players can jump in without playing 40+ hours of the original game.

Although there’s a lot of dialogue, there’s also a tonne of 3rd person combat to keep you occupied as you unravel the mysteries you face. As well as simple squad control and the ability to give them orders on the fly, you get to choose one of six character classes including soldier, adept and engineer, each with its own specific strengths and weaknesses.

New features merge seamlessly with the old, including the ability to upgrade your weapons, armour squad and even ship. We also liked the little challenges involved in unlocking doors and safes etc – bypass security by matching up symbols on a circuit board or hack computers by searching out matching lines of code.

On top of all this there’s even more; side missions and planet exploration is there for you to work on if you wish. We’ve not got enough room to tell you everything on offer in Mass Effect 2, but all in all there’s something there to suit the majority of gamers. Fans of sci-fi, RPGs, action and combat will find a game that’s amazing fun, but be warned it will suck away hours of your life as winter turns to spring…

We reckon… 5*