Jason Trent, Associate Writer

Top 5 Changes Made to Mass Effect 2

With every sequel, developers like to make improvements to their original game. Mass Effect was an awesome title, but there were a few things that needed some extra attention. These are a handful of the changes and tweaks the fans are most thankful for.

1. The Mako was removed like the tumor it was: I wish I could say that I had fond memories of the Mako, but I can't. Normally if I can't say something nice, I try not to say anything at all, but I can't hold back on this topic. The Mako was easily the worst part of the original Mass Effect. It was the equivalent of an intergalactic short bus. The control was sloppy, exploring planets was boring, and the rewards gained from dealing with all of this were generally not worth it. My wife recently powered through Mass Effect. I came home from work one evening to find her fuming at the TV while trying to drive the Mako. This solidified my opinion. It's not fun, it was not interesting, and it was removed with good reason. I'm not saying that mining planets is a whole lot better, but it's certainly an improvement from the exploration mechanic showcased in the first game. Now if we can just convince Bioware to remove planet mining in Mass Effect 3...

2. Inventory has almost been removed entirely: I know it sounds like I'm taking cheap shots at Mass Effect here, but I loved the game. Having said that, I don't think very many people would disagree that, at least on the Xbox 360 version, managing your inventory was pretty darn cumbersome. Sifting through weapons, armor, ammo types, and so on; it was just so unjustifiably difficult. Gamers groaned and Bioware listened, and now, the only item you really have to keep track of is medi-gel (more on that later). You still have the ability to select each team members' weapons as well as your own armor, but they are done more elegantly in the sequel than in the first game. When starting a mission and selecting your team, you then have the ability to select which weapon each person will carry for each of their allowed weapon types. They don't have stats or anything like that, but they do each have their own pros and cons. One handgun might have a faster rate of fire while another might cause more damage. These changes keep you out of the menus and put you where you want to be: in the action.

3. The cover system now works: If you're going to make your game more shooter and less RPG, then you have to master the basics. For me, Gears of War showed just how well a cover system could be.

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