Electronic Arts can claim that it has one of the first big video game hits of 2010.
Mass Effect 2, a sci-fi game made by EA’s BioWare division, has sold more than 2 million units since it launched on Tuesday. The game has gotten 40 review scores that are perfect 100 out of 100 possible points, as tabulated by Metacritic, and it has an average review score of 96, making it the second-highest rated game of all time on the Xbox 360 game console.
On launch day, the term “Mass Effect” was in the top 10 trending topics on Twitter and most searched on Google News. Mass Effect 2 comes on the heels of BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins, a fantasy role-playing game which earned an average score of 91.
I’m in the midst of playing this game and it is one of the best I’ve played. I’ve put 18 hours into it so far and am still hours away from finishing the game. As soon as I’m done, I’ll post a review. But it’s clearly already the best BioWare game that I’ve played and it’s one of the most entertaining video game experiences I’ve had. It is more refined than the original game, and it features the same style of game play, which is a mix of a first-person shooter game and a role-playing adventure. It combines story, outstanding graphics — particularly in its depiction of humans having conversations with aliens, with decent facial animation — good game play and an epic galaxy to explore. In this game, you really get to know Shepard’s sidekicks as real characters, each with an emotionally engaging story.
It’s a sequel to Mass Effect, which came out in 2007. You reprise the role of Commander Shepard, a human soldier, who builds a crew of multiple alien origins and leads them on a quest across the galaxy to fight a mysterious enemy. Shepard’s crew is a dangerous bunch, but the’re on a potential suicide mission and have to prepare for it by hopping from planet to planet, recruiting new members and hunting down clues on exotic alien worlds.
The BioWare team worked for almost three years on the game, and it’s clearly paying off. Check out our preview interview with BioWare chief Ray Muzyka.