11 fun things inside Mass Effect 2

BY ANDY ASTRUC

Mass Effect 2 is out, a copy is in my possession, and my eyes hurt. I've already clocked up enough hours to actually qualify to command an intergalactic spaceship. Mass Effect 2 has a ridiculously huge number of things to do as you travel around known space, protecting the weak and killing the bad guys. Or vice versa. Here's a quick list of some things to expect.

1. Load up your old self

Mass Effect was designed from the start to be a trilogy, and provides the unique opportunity to carry your main character over from game to game. You put a lot of effort into making your original Mass Effect character, and, let's face it, you probably made it look like you.

The sequel lets you import not only your old face, but also every choice you made during the first game. If you punched the reporter in the face, saved your girlfriend's life, murdered the possessed colonists, doomed the galaxy to human bureaucracy or pulled a gun on your biggest fan, Mass Effect 2 remembers. A ridiculous number of actions chosen in Game One will alter the world forever more and make each play unique.

2. Get drunk

Bars in Mass Effect 2 are no longer just places to gather information, kill people and watch alien strippers. You can now order a drink from the bar. And another. And another. Drink a few and you get a little dizzy, drink too many and you wake up in a nearby space gutter.

How does this affect the game? It doesn't! At all! And yet, just like real alcohol, I keep going back.

3. Scan planets for space gold.

If you played the first game, you may remember the process of exploring uncharted worlds, which involved driving across giant dust fields, occasionally jumping out of your space tank to pick up a randomly generated piece of space junk.

Now you can pilot your ship to any planet in any system and begin scanning the surface for valuable minerals. These precious bits of stuff let you research upgrades for your ship, armour, guns, party members, etc.

4. Blow the crap out of everything

New to the series combat is the HEAVY WEAPONS CLASS. If you find yourself dissatisfied with regular metal bullets, Mass Effect 2 now offers you a collection of oversized death dealers to cause damage. Grenade launchers, portable lasers and a 'nuke gun' are all available. If that's not crazy enough, try the one that generates a localised black hole which explodes in the enemy's face (and presumably has relations with its mother).

5. Meet old friends

You are not the only person to survive into the sequel. Most (if not all, depending on how you played the first game) of your original squad can be located in Mass Effect 2, although they may not always be happy to see you. Since two years have passed since you were all up in their faces, everyone has managed to move on. Some ex-friends will be where you would expect, others will be stuck in their own crazy situations.

6. Sexually harass your secretary

Now that you're in command of a massive ship with a substantial crew, it's only natural you would need a personal assistant. Ensign Kelly Chambers will check your messages, notify you if squad members want to talk to you, and periodically indicate her desire to see what the inside of your pants look like.

Responding to your corny advances, she will keep you abreast of which female crew members she thinks have a crush on you, to which you can respond with comments like "I'm actually more into you" and "Could you please bend down and get that datapad off the bottom shelf for me?"

7. Regret things

Choice is a big word in the Mass Effect universe, and this game is constantly thrusting big decisions your way. Should you help your comrade murder a traitor in cold blood? Is it right to destroy research that could cure a plague, in order to prevent a war? Will appealing to the crowd swing a treason trial in your favour, or make things much worse? Do you side with the hot, evil gangster or the old, grumpy gangster? Can you convince a serial killer to have sex with you?

In Mass Effect, all these choices have consequences. Some you might see instantly, others may take months to come full circle. With the results spanning multiple games, flapping your wings in one conversation could alter the course of the universe.

8. Wield ultimate power

Biotics are Mass Effect's version of super powers, psychic abilities that allow the user to manipulate time and space to their advantage in battle. In the first game they were a great idea, but in practice they involved opening a menu, selecting a power, filling out a requisition form, contacting a union representative and then watching the results.

Mass Effect 2 has kicked things up a notch. Now biotics are not only more powerful, they are also easier to use. Shortcut buttons allow you to send an enemy robot flying through the air with a tap. Flick a finger and watch your opponent's insides crush themselves. Push a button to cancel gravity.

It's hard not to feel like the galaxy's Biggest Damn Hero while you're throwing around blue orbs of raw psychic awesome.

9. Eavesdrop

Everyone in Mass Effect 2 is very chatty. While in the original many of the areas felt like an awkward party, this game is teeming with life. Every second person you walk past will be talking on the phone, chatting with a friend, having an argument with security or trying to sell you something. You can even pick up side missions just by walking around, listening to people.

Memorable bits and pieces include: personalised advertisements that try to sell you cheap coffins, a couple of Krogan discussing the best way to steal fish, and a video game shop clerk who never manages to shut up about how sweet the latest fantasy role-playing hologame is.

10. Prance about in a ridiculous outfit

Because every soldier needs to be prepared, the game allows you to customise Shepard's armour by mixing and matching different pieces and upgrades. Because every soldier likes to look fabulous, you can also customise the colour, pattern and shininess of your outfit. Aside from helping me to slowly make my character look more like Iron Man, it also finally gives everyone the chance to save the universe in a hot pink suit with orange highlights.

Your on-ship outfit can also be altered, including one option to dress as what appears to be a gay cowboy.

11. Play Mass Effect

Mass Effect 2 is an amazing game with a stupefying amount of things to do. As if that wasn't enough, it makes you want to replay the first game too. It's hard to resist thoughts about what would have happened if I had done this, or that, or blown up this, killed that guy, decided to save those people and actually had that filthy alien love scene.

Now to see what the galaxy would be like if I was a ruthless, xenophobic bitch.

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