High-Quality Writing and Presentation in Mass Effect 2: How it Keeps Players Engaged

Mass Effect 2’s intricate storyline, political intrigue, high-quality writing & presentation, immersive world-building & sense of control make it an enduring classic in the gaming industry

This blog post is part of an ongoing series where I analyze the top 100 best video games of all time as part of the David Perry Challenge. Mass Effect 2 is ranked #6 out of 100.

Mass Effect 2 is widely considered one of the best games of all time, and for good reason. Despite its technological limitations, the game manages to draw players in and keep them engaged for hours on end with its intricate storyline of political intrigue and high-quality writing and presentation.

One of the key elements of the game that makes it so engaging is its intricate storyline and political intrigue. The game’s complex and twisty storyline is centered around politics and power struggles. The player takes on the role of Commander Shepard, who is tasked with saving the galaxy from a powerful and ancient alien race known as the Reapers. The story is full of political maneuvering and backstabbing, and the player is constantly forced to make decisions that will shape the fate of the galaxy.

Another important aspect of the game is its high-quality writing and presentation. The game’s expression is polished and well-done, and the writing is on par with a sci-fi television show or movie. The game’s epic scale, with a vast galaxy to explore, diverse alien species to interact with, and high production values, makes the game feel like a space opera. The game’s presentation, with its high-quality visuals, animations and voice acting, help players to immerse themselves in the game’s world, making it feel plausible.

The game’s character development system is another key element that makes it so engaging. Players are able to shape the protagonist’s personality and abilities, which creates a sense of investment and ownership in the game. Players choose to play as a paragon, a hero who always does the right thing, or a renegade, a more ruthless and cunning character. The game’s dialogue options reflect these choices, and the player’s choices throughout the game affect the outcome of the story. This character development system allows players to personalize their experience and make it their own.

Lastly, the game’s ability to make players feel like a commander in a complex and dynamic world is one of the reasons why it’s so enduringly popular. The game’s many options that shape the outcome of the story create a sense of agency and control that is highly appealing to players. Players are given the freedom to act as they please, and the game reacts to their inputs, which makes players feel like they are in control of the situation and their decisions have real consequences.

It’s not all perfect, however. The game has its flaws, such as the unintuitive combat controls, and the dialogue system that feels atomized and arbitrary, which somehow manages to make the player feel unqualified to make decisions. Weirdly, the open ended decision trees give the player too much control over things they shouldn’t be qualified to be making choices about. It made me feel like I knew nothing about the world, and the confident responses Shepard gave to the ignorant choices made me wonder if everyone was just as incompetent myself.

Despite its flaws, Mass Effect 2 is a game that manages to draw players in and keep them engaged for hours on end with its intricate storyline of political intrigue and high-quality writing and presentation. The game’s complex and twisty storyline, high-quality writing and presentation, character development system, rich and immersive world-building, and the ability to make players feel like a commander in a complex and dynamic world, are all reasons why the game is so enduringly popular among players.