The universe of Mass Effect is an intricately crafted one of sci-fi, philosophy, sociology and much more besides. At first glance the games in this series might just appear like another cookie cutter entry into the cover-based shooter genre, but that would be far from the truth.
Mass Effect 2 streamlined a lot of the more bulky elements of the first. Gone are the awkwardly controlled driving segments, gone is the weapon manufacturing and deeply customisable ability system. Some fans of the series mourned the loss of such features, but the core gameplay was still there which kept this feeling distinctly Mass Effect.
What better way to introduce this change up by blowing up everything you knew and held dear from the original Mass Effect. As the Normandy was destroyed, a new, more convicted Shepard arose from the ashes.
No longer working officially for the Systems Alliance, our protagonist Commander Shepard reluctantly aids the morally ambiguous pro-humanity group Cerberus. Throughout the 30 hour so journey, you assemble a rag tag bunch of misfits and throw yourself space first into a proverbial space hell.
The beauty of the series as a whole, maybe with the exception of the endings in 3, is that your Commander Shepard is your Commander Shepard. You could toe the line and be the very best by following the path of the Paragon, or perhaps you could do whatever it takes - no matter seemingly how evil or detached, to get the job done as Renegade. Or maybe you'd just walk a fine line between both. Although the central plot may not deviate a huge amount based on your decisions, it still becomes a system that begs multiple playthroughs. In one play through you might choose to take the higher ground in an argument, in the next you could punch that guy in the face - with each decision subtly changing the interactions between characters and ultimately affecting your survival chances in the very last mission of the game, aptly titled the "Suicide Run."
Refinements to the AI and gameplay meant that when firefights did break out, they were a blast, and the streamlined new ability system still left players with enough variation to conjure up some seriously devastating combos.
From intense set pieces, to tear jerking cut scenes - the breadth and depth of what it means to be human, or simply just to be alive in the Milky Way, was explored in a truly memorable experience.