Brain Candy

Epic Space Operas: Now on the PS3!


I remember when I first played Mass Effect 1 on the Xbox 360. My brother brought it home, and he was smitten with it. So I sat down, and booted it up. I toiled over character creation, what my background was, what sort of soldier I would be. And then I got into the gunplay and. . . it sucked. I didn't play it for another year. But when I finally did come back to it, I found out that the gunplay didn't suck, I just didn't have the patience for its intricacies. Once you become accustomed to the vast array of powers you have at your disposal and learn how to properly utilize your team, you can blow through gunfights with ease. And then Mass Effect 2 came out. The sequel took everything that was wrong or clunky and refined it. I've put nearly 200 hours into the Mass Effect series, and I've always thought it was a shame that it never found its way to the PS3. Nearly a year after release, Mass Effect 2 finds its way on to the PS3. But wait, why not Mass Effect 1?

I think the choice to bring over Mass Effect 2 and not the first was a good choice. Not only is Mass Effect 2 more accessible and much smoother, it uses a heavily improved game engine and many of the assets of the game received a total overhaul. With a save game generator in place of Mass Effect 1, newcomers to the series can experience the awe-inspiring opening of Mass Effect 2, the fast-paced intro stage and the smooth dialogue system without having to struggle through the steep learning curve and convoluted mechanics of the first.

While playing the demo, I couldn't help but feel happy for the PS3 owners. Often, ports to the PS3 are sloppy and bug-ridden, late and unresponsive when they do arrive. Mass Effect 2 on the PS3 uses the engine that is being used for Mass Effect 3, and the controls are responsive and smooth, and it seems occasional framerate have been dealt with in the port. I didn't experience any lag, only small drops in the framerate that are unnoticeable if you're not looking, and that was only during particularly explosive moments. Everything is intact and fully functional.

The demo opens with a cutscene with the Illusive Man explaining the backstory of the Mass Effect universe-Mass Relays, the Citadel, the Council and other important terms and characters-and the events of the previous game. From there, it launches you directly into the opening setpiece of Mass Effect 2, which is what I believe to be the best opening in any videogame. You play through the opening tutorial to get a grip, and then you can go farther in to recruit the Salarian scientist Mordin. The demo succeeds in giving you a really good sense of the action is about, but witholds certain elements such as leveling up and character interaction to bait you into wanting to further explore this world. It certainly leaves you wanting more of this wonderfully-crafted game.

Coming away from this demo, even as a Mass Effect veteran, I felt myself suddenly much more excited for the third installment in the series. Bioware, thank you for the effort. And everyone else, you have to get this game if you haven't experience it already.