[SIZE="1"][COLOR="SlateGray"]Once in a while a game comes along and just sweeps everything else under the rug. It's the best in it's genre, or as a whole. A masterpiece among masterpieces.
Mass Effect 2 is not it.
Mass Effect had the distinction of being something you've played before, but had never played before. It was a healthy balance of things that worked well, and things that did not work well but in general the game was an incredible work of media.
Mass Effect 2 cuts corners here, takes liberties there. To me it feels like half of what the original Mass Effect was.
Granted, that's not to say it's a bad game. It's absolutely not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. In fact it's a GREAT game that picks up where the original left off and ends leaving you salivating for more.
While combat has gotten a pseudo over-haul, the rest of the game seems to be lacking and it kinda feels a bit linear. A larger focus is on the overall story, and shooting things in the face rather than exploring and fleshing out the universe.
A shame. I still loved it but those are my main gripes.[/COLOR][/SIZE]