Mass Effect 2 Preview

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Written by BuckGB on October 28th, 2009

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It's true that battles seem slower and more drawn out. Of the playable twenty minutes, a good fifteen consisted of a single fight against multiple, well-armed enemies. But the tactics have been brought to the fore, the emphasis on cover more prominent than before. Mass Effect's health bar is gone, replaced with the ever-popular regeneration system. Initially, it feels wrong, but it quickly makes sense. This is a game that encourages slow, careful play during combat, and wants you to stay in cover as much as possible. Being able to munch down health packs would undoubtedly soil that vibe.

Fighting itself is thoroughly brutal. The controller shakes with immense force-feedback when shot at, and weapons recoil alarmingly, meaning you've to be on the ball at all times. Humanoid foes dive from cover point to cover point, and crawl and clamber when hit, still trying to fire a shot in your direction with their dying movements. Robotic enemies clunk along in a strangely ethereal way, absorbing astonishing streams of bullets to their metallic torsos. But clip them in the head, and it explodes in a flurry of sparks and shrapnel.

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