Mass Effect 2 is getting a massive amount of hype, which is entirely understandable given the pedigree behind it as well as the success of the first game. However, a lot of the elements present or missing in this sequel deserve notice from the fans because they will not be as spectacular as claimed, or - alternatively - because they are a step in the right direction. Mass Effect 2 is having the same effect as Dragon Age: Origins. The excitement for a new game from BioWare is palpable, but the mechanics and setting have not been quite as scrutinized as they should be.

Two immediate elements that stand out are the removal of health and the inclusion of ammo. This is a baffling switch, as in the first game you had regenerating ammo (as an overheating meter) and static health that you had to heal. In the second game, this is precisely the opposite. You not have heat sinks as ammo and your health regenerates like other contemporary shooter games. Why not include both static health and ammo, or regenerating health and ammo? It's strange to switch both systems instead of simply sticking with one or the other. It can be justified through plot however BioWare wants, but it's still quite confusing. Besides this, gameplay appears to be pretty much the same between both games, and while it was entirely expected, it would have been nice to see a little more variety in the previews as opposed to more of the same.

Once again, moral choices are being hyped in Mass Effect 2, as well as the causality effect. However, anyone who has played Mass Effect knows that these decisions amount to three different paths: good, neutral, and evil. Sure, they are called Paragon, neutral, and Renegade in Mass Effect, but it's basically the same. Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic use a similar system. It would be nice if instead of making dialog choices that correspond to our morality, we have an open-ended action-based system to determine. Something along the lines of multiple objectives with time limits that can affect our morality depending on how we approach them, rather than the standard good, neutral, and evil choices present in most games with a morality system.

The story of Mass Effect 2 appears to continue from the first game, but not quite to the same extent. Several years have passed since the events of Mass Effect, and this disconnect might be jarring. Much worse than that, however, is the sudden change of antagonism. While the Reapers are still behind everything, the Council is now fighting against a new race while not necessarily realizing what is going on. It would've been nice to see a continuation of the first's plot rather than a separate plot connected through the reapers. You can criticize the Halo series for a lot of things, but the sense of a single, overarching plot is definitely present there and was obvious in the pre-release hype. Mass Effect 2 lacks this, which hurts its credibility as an epic rather than interconnected short stories. Granted, we could definitely be wrong here!

Mass Effect 2 is yet another game from BioWare. It has a good combat system, an epic story, and a morality system. This is all what we have come to expect from BioWare, but frankly, it would be nice to see them leave their comfort zone once in a while. Mass Effect 2 appears to sit entirely within what they are comfortable with, and while this is great for consumers that love BioWare, it's not that great for those looking for something different and innovative. While the verdict on Mass Effect 2 will obviously not be reached until the game has been released, the impression it gives is not a very good one. Not because it looks bad, but because it simply looks the same.