I just got a lot of satisfaction out of that format.вЂќД®ach mission is more of a spectacle than an average Mass Effect 1 quest. вЂњYou can wrap up in a shorter period of timeвЂ¦ it was very digestible, and didn't leave you with a lot of cliffhangers. вЂњThere's a threat out there, go and collect your Dirty Dozen squad mates, and then attack that threat in a suicide mission at the end, I just think that is a great format for a game,вЂќ says Ebenger. RPGs stretching over tens of hours can feel overwhelming, but Mass Effect 2 broke its story down into half-hour chunks-recruitment and companion missions-that feel almost like mini movies. The reasons Mass Effect 2 stands out go beyond character. I worked on him extensively, and to me he's still one of the greatest BioWare characters of all time.вЂќ вЂњPlayers just had a little more opportunity to find that character that really spoke to them,вЂќ says John Ebenger, who worked as a cinematic designer at BioWare for ten years, and is now cinematic director at Respawn Entertainment. It helps that there are simply more characters in Mass Effect 2, so, by the law of averages, youвЂ™re more likely to find a handful that click.

They were all ignoring you and hitting on me. On his new facial scars, he says to Shepard: вЂњAh, probably for the best. No longer simply in awe of Shepard, heвЂ™s developed motivations and a newfound confidence in his own competence, and is more willing to tease and challenge his commander, which leads to a more nuanced relationship. He was introduced in the first game, but doesnвЂ™t come alive until the second.

Garrus's emergence as a fan-favorite is a case in point. It plays to BioWare's traditional strength of memorable NPC companions, going back to Minsc and Viconia. It's ultimately not about exotic locations or entire civilizations, it's about a handful of people you get to know extremely well. I think that's what people respond to about Mass Effect 2. вЂњThat makes the bulk of the game operate on the level of personal stakes. вЂњEvery area you visit, you're there because you want to recruit a companion, or deal with something from a companion's earlier life that they need resolved,вЂќ says Chris LвЂ™Etoile, former BioWare writer, now senior narrative designer at Cold Iron Studios. For its first two-thirds, itвЂ™s entirely character-led, and the overarching plot is somewhat irrelevant. Mass Effect 2 puts this interaction center stage. You might not find anything profound beneath the surface, but that process-the repeated chances to find out more about them-builds an undeniable connection. The studio is known for bringing together characters with conflicting desires and vivid personalities that unfurl over the course of an adventure, and letting you dig deeper into those charactersвЂ™ backstories than most developers allow. вЂњTake away the spaceships, lasers, aliens, and robots, and there's not much left.вЂќД«ut what makes Mass Effect 2 stand out is that it plays to the strengths of BioWareвЂ™s writers better than either Mass Effect 1 or Mass Effect 3. One former BioWare writer, who wishes to remain anonymous, argues that the seriesвЂ™ characters lack depth on repeated playthroughs. Mass EffectвЂ™s characters rarely reveal anything meaningful about our own world, either. вЂњIвЂ™m just interested in what makes you tick,вЂќ says Commander Shepard to Jacob Taylor early on, sounding like an HR rep in an awkward job interview. The dialogue can feel stiff-far too formal for a ragtag group of mercenaries.

Mass Effect 2вЂ™s story is standard sci-fi fare: investigate a threat to the galaxy, assemble a strike team, and try to save the day.

The strength of BioWareвЂ™s writing hasnвЂ™t, historically, been clever plots or punchy dialogue. It was partly luck, partly timing, but mostly by design it was BioWare pivoting to a new development approach that forced writers, technical designers and programmers to work closer than ever before, while allowing a new crop of hungry developers to mix with old heads who had helped establish the universe. But there are more fundamental reasons why itвЂ™s the best of the trilogy, according to some of the developers who helped make it.

Mass effect 2 facial scars