BioWare is one of those special developers that makes waves with every release. So it should be no surprise that Mass Effect 2, the sequel to one of the most successful new IPs of 2007, saw more hype than ever. Given how much I enjoyed the first game, I tried to avoid whenever possible any videos, photos, news, or spoilers of Mass Effect 2 until I had that green plastic box in my hands. First impressions? Creepy box art straight out of a SciFi Channel original movie.

This quickly dissolved once the game had booted up and I played possibly the coolest opening sequence ever, right up there with the intro train scene in Uncharted 2. I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t yet experienced it, but it is truly a spectacle to behold. Its great to be back in Shephard’s shoes, although they fit a little differently this time around. Almost everything has been overhauled, from the combat and equipment to the skills and player advancement. Mass Effect 2 abandons many of the RPG elements of the first game, which itself was already a significant departure from the typical RPG genre.

While I found this to be a refreshing change, I can imagine it will be a shock for some, and a disappointment for others. The equipment and inventory management, for example, have been completely thrown out the window, and the variety of equipment has been minimized. In Mass Effect 1, I’d be busy upgrading and swapping out armor and weapons, and worrying about duplicate pieces of equipment and whether I had the proper armor coating or ammo type on each of my weapons. While none of this took away from my enjoyment of the game, the changes made in ME2 certainly were noticeable.

A significant chunk of the game’s story revolves around building your team, and has you jetting around the galaxy to recruit these individuals. While there is a clear overarching mission in Mass Effect 2, these side quests to collect your teammates are so enjoyable, and such an effective way of creating compelling character backstories. Your team is much larger this time, and I found that I hardly used some characters during my first playthrough. In Mass Effect 1, each character was significantly different skills-wise, whereas in ME2 (much like in Dragon Age: Origins), there is some overlap, and your decision of which squadmates to pick is often based on personal preference.

If nothing else, the one defining feature that makes ME2 a great RPG is the engaging and dynamic storytelling. The decisions you make in the game carry great weight, and are compounded by your prior decisions in Mass Effect 1.  I constantly wondered the outcome had I made a different decision with a conversation, an action, or a squadmate. All of this is handled pretty beautifully, making it a game I plan to play over and over again as I patiently await the next installment. In all, Mass Effect 2 is a different, but worthwhile sequel to one of my favorite western-made RPGs. Though 2010 is still young, I suspect it will be remembered as one of the year’s best.