The Brilliance of Mass Effect 2

[@ArTorrPresents]

Hello everyone! Thank you all for the amazing support and views this video has received over the last month. It's a big blessing. That being said, nobody is perfect-- there were a few lore inaccuracies many of you pointed out during the video, and I just wanted to make note of them here for future viewers: 1) Aresh is not an ex-Cerberus scientist, but indeed one of the children Cerberus experimented on at the Pragia facility (and actually had it worse than Jack). The trauma that haunts Aresh and the dilemma of "repeating the past" is still relevant, as is the lesson Jack must learn by confronting her trauma. 2) Thane was an assassin for the Drell government, and not necessarily the multitude of elites that I implied he worked for during the video. Nonetheless, his hands are still stained with the blood of countless lives (especially his wife's murderers), and he still feels the need to atone for that. 3) Morinth is not Samara's last living daughter, as made apparent by Mass Effect 3. She does mention having other daughters in 2, this just went very over my head for some reason.

[@alhampton6783]

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[@alhampton6783]

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[@alhampton6783]

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[@JAYDOG1337A]

Jacob: Sounds like a suicide mission, I volunteer. Miranda: You're not trained for that, Shepard if Jacob goes in the vent he will die! Shepard: Jacob you're going in the vent.

[@sirfrancisgaming9438]

Jacob: *dies* Shepard: suprise pikachu face

[@TheKueiJin]

@@sirfrancisgaming9438 More like: Oh thank God. Now let's not even let the rats die.

[@leroyrussell8766]

I liked Jacob. I just wish he was more useful as a squadmate, but he wasn't. I wish there were more Bro moments between him and John Shepard. Two Alliance Officers, talking shop, life, etc... In fact, this highlights that IMHO, the most underused part of the ship and stations were the places where some of the crew and Shepard could sit and talk. They did do this a little bit, but it would have been awesome to have a DLC that expanded on that. Allowed more sit down conversations at bars, restaurants, lounge areas, hospital waiting areas, crew's lounge on the Normandy, etc... Would have been great to add a short walk through a small part of the Admiral's ship, to sit and talk with him in his quarters, or officer's mess. Same for Anderson in ME2. If he's Counselor, you sit in that office, and have one conversation. If he's not the Counselor, you sit in his other office, and have a different conversation.

[@JAYDOG1337A]

@@leroyrussell8766 He cheats on Femshep, anything else is secondary to that

[@leroyrussell8766]

@@JAYDOG1337A Who is this FemShep you speak of? Must be an imposter. I will let Commander John Shepard look into it.

[@IMajst3RI]

Martin Sheen, Lance Henriksen, and Keith David could have given standard "holywood star in a video game" performance yet they gave some of the best performance in their lifes and it says a lot

[@SuperHipsterGamer]

Martin certainly gives a performance that is far higher in quality compared to the average celebrity role in a video game. But to suggest it is one of his best is frankly insulting to the numerous stellar performances he has made. West Wing alone has multiple hours of awe inspiring acting. There is not enough emotional nuance in the Illusive man to come close to that, even if the role is thematically interesting. It is akin to saying Alfred Molinas greatest performance was his performance as the Children's theater critic in the Funny or Die youtube video.

[@IMajst3RI]

@@SuperHipsterGamer stop pushing your opinions as facts

[@SuperHipsterGamer]

​@@IMajst3RI My oppinion is as much an oppinion as claiming the London National theatre makes better productions than the 4th grade in the local elementary school, that Mass Effect 2 is a better game than Goat Simulator or that Mcdonalds does not cook the best meat. Ultimately it is subjective, but everyone with any actual knowledge about the craft will find anyone disagreeing with that oppinion utterly ignorant of the craft in question.

[@warden-gg7263]

Yvonne too i loved her in the new amazon movie

[@ZrodyApo]

In the case of Martin Sheen, the Illusive Man is his sole role as voice actor in a video game and it's just perfect. Every bit of dialogue and emotion is done very well

[@michaelkaduck1915]

"It's so much easier to see the world in Black and White. Gray...I don't know what to do with gray."-Garrus Vakarian. Another excellent video, covering my favorite game of all time!

[@ArTorrPresents]

I'm very pleased to know you enjoyed it!!

[@michaelkaduck1915]

Yeah these videos on the Mass Effect Games have made me appreciate them even more. I can't wait for you to cover Mass Effect 3!

[@Polyvalent]

Classic quote from the OG himself

[@michaelkaduck1915]

He's kickin' ass and doing calibrations, and he's all out of ass!

[@formes2388]

Things are a whole lot easier if you can keep seeing the world black and white. When you start seeing the endless nuance - it becomes nearly impossible; There are very few outright good choices to make in the grand scheme of things - only things we hope are the best option, given circumstances.

[@mrtan5641]

I'm from Malaysia, a country in which racial tensions will always be constant and when I was young, I was a complete racist. It wasn't until i played Mass Effect 2 that I changed my view on a lot of things. People has struggles and want to redeem themselves for their regrets that they had. An inheritance from one another no matter how much they try to break through and will remain. Mass effect taught me more about people are same but different. A different race or species, but have the trials like everyone. I learned empathy and compassion, hearing each of my squadmates stories helping people and understanding a cry for help. A great series and one that i revisit for time to time. I am glad to have met this game, if not how much would I be if this game never came to my life.

[@Assassino275]

That's beautiful man, games truly are an art

[@mrtan5641]

​@@Assassino275Yeah man. Seriously this game helped me more than a lot. Learn to be empathetic and compassionate towards people and giving a hand to people who needs help but giving them the push rather than doing everything for them.

[@noticiasinmundicias]

holy shit man, i'm glad you left that rabbithole. it's a path riddled with pain.

[@SWOTHDRA]

Malysia's biggest issue however is that imported religion you have over there.

[@Eph_Wilson]

“One of the most beloved games of all time TO THIS DAY.” You’re damn right.

[@JOHNSMITH-vx5yz]

Is there any. ,,XXXXX 😍😍😍😍😍😍💝💘💗💖💕💚💛💜💓💙❤💋👄👄👄💋💙💓💘💗💜💟💞💕💖💗💘💝💓💜💛💚👄💋❤💙 rated. Parts in it. Y know what a mean. ,,,,,,,,grin grin nudge nudge wink wink say no MORRRREEEE. ,,,,,, i mean. ,,,,,,,S,,,😍 X parts. , 😀😀😀😀😀😍😍😍😍

[@es_three232]

Mass Effect 2 is the Empire Strikes Back of video games. Its utterly perfect.

[@steveng6721]

This game takes a fat shit on everything mass effect 1 laid into place and went from a sort of Eldritch space horror adjacent game to 24 in space. This game did so little for the plot that it's why mass effect 3 flopped, since it has to fit two games worth of plot into one

[@SWOTHDRA]

​@@steveng6721 truth, it was sidequest the game. Totally focussed on your squad mates instead of a real or good story. The collectors was a dumb concept.

[@wetteryan]

IMO the Mass Effect franchise has the best lore and world building for an original IP in all of gaming. It's such a massive epic space opera where the stakes affect entire galaxies... But at the same time makes you care so much about singular characters. It's a true unicorn of story telling.

[@LAGator-qu7tc]

Metal gear solid, Ratchet and Clank, cyberpunk, kingdom hearts I can name a lot of games like that

[@Sabamonster]

@@LAGator-qu7tc Cyberpunk isn't an original IP. The others I agree with. Had they not said "Space Opera" I would have gone on a rant and listed about 1800 games that share all the other characteristics. Lol. If we are going with the best world-building for an original IP (Without Space Opera) I think there are multiple games that could easily compete (And potentially win) that title. ME is an amazing trilogy and one of my favorite games/series of all time but there are other games that are on equal footing IMO.

[@cjvaye99]

thats what makes what ea did so messed up. they improved so much from 1 to 2 and 3 was gonna be an absolute masterpiece but they rushed it out and ea also put some important story elements as DLC. I dont think anyone would of minded if it took another year for the game to come out if we got what bioware truly envisioned as the end of the classic trilogy. what we got even today after playing ME:LE ME3 feels like a college paper you've been procrastinating on and try to finish in the library before class starts in 4 hours. dont get me wrong it's still a good game but I really think it could of been incredible and one of the greatest ever.

[@zerocool5395]

It rivals Star Wars as far as world building and lore.

[@-Coded]

This fact makes me incredibly sad with how they handled ME3 (not just the ending but the game itself as a sequel), and the franchise going forward. It still bewilders mw why they abandoned this franchise for Anthem, which also got abandoned. This franchise literally had and still probably has, Star Wars level potential and the original team behind the trilogy understood this. It's not among the greatest of RPGs, but I agree the storytelling and world they've built is phenomenal.

[@yaro42]

Suicide mission is art at it's pure. And the felling when you get everyone alive is unmached.

[@MomentPhotographyG1]

Faxx

[@hoangsh12]

Suicide mission is the best ending mission, period.

[@willhornsby206]

TIMmy: Hey Shep I brought you back from the dead go on this suicide mission. Oh and make sure to give Cerberus the edge we need against the Reapers Shepard: *Sends Data to Alliance, Gets Miranda to quit, Makes Liara the Shadow Broker, Gets everyone out alive, tells TIMmy to piss off and takes the Normandy SR2 and turns self in* TIMmy: Well f$#k time to use the small bits of reaper tech and turn people into husks, Marauders, Banchees and Canables

[@shawnamiller191]

When you make all the right choices during the suicide mission it feels so good

[@ronanwaters4]

can not wait for him to talk about the citadel dlc in however long it takes. I'm sure it'll be amazing

[@yanisbaker881]

That could have made that it’s own game and I would have been happy

[@Zeoran]

That DLC is the first & only true love letter to the fans I have ever seen. And while the story is a bit cheesy it's still plausible & the DLC is not about the story & everything about getting to know your companions even better & spending quality time with them.

[@segevkrespi8609]

​@@Zeoranthe story is cheesy and something I kinda wish I could skip straight to the arena and the party, lut it's still really fun

[@maia_0613]

Even to this day, hearing the final mission theme music gives me goosebumps. What an impactful game.

[@Topsidemold19]

Fr bro like mass effect 1 was good but then Like I didn't like 2 at first but at the end I actually miss my old crew even though I can still play it but there's nothing to do in it plus I finished 3 and now I'm doing andromeda

[@xenon8117]

44:30 Arresh was one of the children in the facility that as experimented not a Cerberus researcher.

[@CymruJedi]

I really hope that at some point in my life I get to relive an experience like what I had with mass effect 2. Nothing has ever topped the story for me. I live in hope

[@brkbtjunkie]

The story writing and the voice acting, the art design with bold color palettes, the cutscene compositions having Scorsese quality, the choices affecting gameplay. It’s all so incredible and sublime.

[@Darkmountaindweller]

The voice casting in Mass Effect 2,was incredible,I'm my little room on my laptop in Nigeria, seeing planets n galaxies having familiar names was surreal n crazy and wonderful to see, a perfect game in my opinion.

[@FormerGovernmentHuman]

What I appreciate about the “hollywood” cast is they took in people that took it seriously. That’s not something you typically get when a hollywood actor voices a character.

[@Spartanunit5]

Holy shit man. Mass Effect 2 is one of my favorite games of all time and I’ve played it dozens of times. But you’ve given me some insight on underlying themes in the the game that completely went over my head. Specifically the idea of redemption. I think you’ve changed how I’ll do play throughs in the future.

[@ArTorrPresents]

I do not take this lightly. Thank you for checking out the video!!

[@MomentPhotographyG1]

Fax bro

[@lukeimyafada2270]

@@ArTorrPresents just so you know, i think i can speak for most of us when i say hes right, its inspiring the way you word it and the way you put this together, well done would be an understatement, looking forward to see your future content

[@namelessbeethoven3264]

I still love it when Tali calls me "Captian". She is such a great friend!

[@devilsadvocate22289]

Ah yes, the “Suicide Mission”, the single greatest final mission of any game ever. We have accepted that claim. Great work with both of your vids so far! It really captures what makes my fav game franchise of all time so damn beautiful, despite some of the minor… and major flaws. It was interesting that you did not mention the Arrival DLC in the vid (at least, I don’t remember you talking about it). I bet you are saving that for ME3’s vid. Looking forward to your vid on that!

[@smeegy1]

Suicide mission is great but the fact that many partners could die meant bioware seriously simplified the partners in me3. Most of the returning cast from 2 has basically no role to play, and that's terrible.

[@jmass4207]

Thank you! I’ll die on the hill that they shot their load on mass effect 2 (for the middling phase, plot hole ridden collector “threat”) and left themselves screwed for mass effect 3.

[@Zapiii69]

@@smeegy1 I've never even thought about this, but I think you're 100% right.

[@zanetaylor8020]

“Suicide Mission” is arguably the greatest *COMPLETE* final mission. The road to hell that is “Mission: Earth” is right there in my opinion right up until you make the run to the beam Edit: “Priority: Earth”

[@kratkartan1486]

@The Geekfather what should have happened is your choices lock in which one Shepard chooses. Like, Instead of us being able to choose the ending, Shepard makes the choice for us.

[@KaitoGillscale]

ME2 will always be my favorite of the trilogy…and the lynchpin to why 1-3 are my favorite games of all time. Mass Effect has such a lovely, lived-in world. I doubt I’ll ever find a game that I care about so deeply…invest my thoughts in so thoroughly…

[@yaro42]

Try witcher, and red dead redemption

[@DarthCoyster]

ditto

[@KaitoGillscale]

@@yaro42 Oh trust me, I love Witcher 2 and 3...I love RD1 and 2...but Mass Effect will always be the trilogy that reminds me that games can invest me in a universe like no other.

[@NTWoo95]

I spent last December playing the ME trilogy for the first time. ME2 is one of the best gaming experiences I've had. The story is so stupidly simple, "get your team together," its literally the story thats always reduced to montage in other mediums but its my favourite part of this whole series. Earning their trust, talking to each teammate after each mission just to see how the different characters feel about certain things, kicking myself in the final mission if someone died...what an adventure Mass Effect is

[@ridesq]

The alien companions in this series are more than just more interesting and “more human than human.” It’s like they’re real life entities. I can’t not think there’s a Garrus, Tali, or Wrex somewhere out there.

[@Palmieres]

When you started talking about the small actions that make small but meaningful differences I recalled one of the most disappointing things I've ever read from a player and self-proclaimed fan: that they didn't care about consequences that you can't see. This was in respect to the infamous "three-coloured endings", and it hurt me on a deeper level because it's clear these stories don't mean as much to some people as they do to me. I don't care that I help someone - or an entire race, for that matter - and that I don't get to see the aftermath. I did something, I chose something, and that decision will ripple through the ages. When I play Mass Effect my choices matter, even when I don't see those NPCs ever again, even if I die, even if the game ends, my decisions _always_ mattered. And I think about them, I think about how what I chose dictated the future for the galaxy. Same thing as in real life: you build something so it can last well beyond your own life. Its value goes beyond your own existence. Other people are here too, and if your presence changed something, that something can redefine everything that comes after. Otherwise, why play? Why do anything that's not just self-serving during your lifetime? Empathy rewards us with other people's happiness, and punishes us with other people's sorrows. It's what being human is all about.

[@jeremywatters2295]

Amen to that!

[@WickedPrince3D]

I second this emotion. :)

[@archangelgabriel5316]

The Flower of Life and all its connected intricacies.

[@Blox117]

put the controller down and touch grass young boy

[@pleasegoawaydude]

@@Blox117 You're one of the types of people that try to dampen the things that make being alive beautiful. You see nothing in art. Die

[@SCRaetz]

12:43 I can't be the only one who stared at that far-off city on Beckenstein on Kasumi's stolen memory mission. I set up a separate save file so I can revisit at will. I know you're attending the party of a criminal syndicate boss, but it allows the player a *brief measure* of _peace_ that's rarely experienced in high-octane action RPG's. And I'm absolutely in love with it.

[@TheRedAzuki]

Oh yeah, all those missions are awesome (Same with the mission in ME3 Citadel) just some fun low-energy party.

[@jkh574]

Yea and the music! Just chilling in the dude’s bedroom is pretty epic

[@MonFrereGaming]

I literally did this recently, looks amazing off in the distance. Makes me want to visit!

[@BingBangPoe]

I absolutely love how character-driven Mass Effect 2 is, more than any other game in the trilogy. Your breakdown of the Mass Effect series is probably one of the best I've ever seen.

[@JamesRoyceDawson]

Some corrections- Morinth is Samara's oldest daughter but not her last living one and Aresh isn't a former Cerberus researcher. He was one of the test subjects alongside Jack in the biotics program

[@fairplayer916]

Man I never even thought of two is dark. I just always kind of took it on the chin. I mean you're supposed to be shepherd, the singular Galactic badass. Roll with the punches. These people are funding me, and they haven't made me do anything that I'd lose sleep over, so roll with it until something changes.

[@Jarsia]

Thank you for perfectly summing up why Mass Effect 2 is my all time favourite game. The graphics are dated, the level design often claustrophobic, and the character, gear, and ability customization far more restrictive than ME3 and especially ME:A. But, the emotional roller coaster ride can't be topped, from having the bitter taste of defeat thrown in your face right at the start with not only losing the Normandy but also your life, to the newfound hope of Shepard's resurrection like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, to taking all that pain and anger and uncertainty and regret and distrust of your teammates' past and forging that into unity, to that final triumphant victory over the collecters. Nothing can top it. Also apologies if I missed it, I was playing this in the background, but I'd also like to talk about Shepard. In the first game You start as a nobody, perhaps not to humanity but to the larger galaxy, and it's achieving spectre status that in large part defines you. It gives you tools, it gives you training, it gives you a ship, and it gives you authority. It makes you feel like a superhero. As you said, ME2 deemphasizes spectre status. You can choose to keep the title, but it has little consequence. With Shepard rebirth, it's no longer needed. Shepard makes the SR2 his/her own, inspires a team to join up, overcomes even greater odds and ultimately finds a way, and none of it was because of some title. Shepard has grown beyond spectre status, and the fight with Tela Vasir perfectly captures that. What Shepard accomplishes in ME2 and 3 has nothing to do with being a spectre or an alliance commander, and everything to do with who Shepard is. Great breakdown of a legendary game.

[@deniskalev5805]

I feel like me2 had just enough gear and options. I never find myself missing the grenades, or the weapon attachments, or the combat rolling, or the omni blade. ME2 was honestly as close to a perfect game as I've ever played, it had just enough of everything and didn't overstay its welcome in any way, my only nitpick with the entire game is the awkward "shuttle mission" that's used to trigger the Collector assault on the Normandy. They should've just said TIM wants a debrief with the whole squad while Joker and EDI test the IFF, so he called them to the base you go to after you escape the medical facility at the beginning of the game.

[@jacksonconstantine5740]

I find it interesting how the middle third of this essay is centred around Shepard’s impact on the world if you are a paragon. The fact that you could create a completely different essay just discussing the narrative of this game if you play renegade says so much about how beautifully written this game is.

[@serijas737]

Speaking for Tali to her people as a Paragon was such a great experience.

[@Ca_Raxes]

Since your last video of ME1 I’ve gone through the whole ME Legendary Edition and oh my god was this adventure magnificent. Thank you for getting me into this 🙏🏻

[@ArTorrPresents]

I am honored! Glad to hear you had such a good time with them! :)

[@shriramvenu]

really great in depth analysis. Mass Effect 2'w weakness is its' apparent lack of focus on the grander story, yet what really carries it through is the individual character stories and the well thought out combat. To this day it remains one of my favorite games of all time

[@kronozord8346]

The game feels more like a filler story than anything else and very few companions are really relevant to it.

[@dorottyapapp]

​​@@kronozord8346 This is some of the reasons why ME2 is my least favourite of all the 4 ME games. It has it's moments but it's disjointed. Overall it just feels like a job to do and not a journey. They butchered Mass Effect with their reinvention.

[@yairwayyikkana8542]

​@@dorottyapapp I played through the Legendary Edition trilogy recently and there's always a point early in ME2, where I check out on the story side because it's not going anywhere in terms of the overall story. Then, the lack of interaction between squadmates and the mission complete screens doesn't help add to the experience.

[@dorottyapapp]

@@yairwayyikkana8542 Omg, those mission complete screens with TIM and a bunch of data are so immersion braking, than they just teleport Shep back, another box is checked, I hate it. And yes, there are too many squadmates in ME2, less is more. In my 1st playthrough by the time I setup ME3 I forgot about half of them.

[@ArkenTheAmerikan]

"The Legend of Mass Effect" "The Brilliance of Mass Effect 2" Ooooh I see what you're up to, ya sneaky bastard.

[@ArTorrPresents]

*maniacally laughs in clone wars*

[@jaywenzel3528]

Such a fantastic game, i played ME 2 right after the first and the opening scene had me stunned.

[@rafaelferreira5819]

Me too. I was shocked and sad at the same time

[@ibraheemayyad6875]

I finished my MA thesis in criticism and comparative literature couple of months ago. I read and went through tens of critical and literary books and studies. In brief, your analysis is very thorough and on par with many excellent books I've come cross. Can't thank you enough Parkes for this brilliantly written and done video. 👏👏👏👏

[@Norfstar98]

KZbin recommendations have finally graced me with an actually excellent suggestion. I have always loved Mass Effect 2 but this video has put into words half-baked thoughts that have been rattling around for some time. Amazing work and I can't wait for the Mass Effect 3 video, that's gonna be... one hell of a ride.

[@Aschwartz14]

Wow. A throwaway line in the games, delivered by one of the most stoic, unemotional (outside of his own scenes) characters hit me harder than almost anything in the whole video. “You are Urdnot Grunt. Welcome”

[@CrazyMattLine]

A fantastic, well written, fantastically edited video as always, an absolute pleasure to watch, probably more than once. But... Aresh was not a cerberus scientist, he's one of the other kids they experimented on.

[@ArTorrPresents]

I just looked this up in disbelief and you are 100% correct. I am dumbfounded at how I missed that all the way to now. Thank you for pointing that out. And thank you for watching the video!

[@Renji9031]

@@ArTorrPresents Also, his last name, revealed in 3, is a reference to Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay through her voice actress, Shohreh Aghdashloo.

[@basilisk..]

1 hour and 15 minutes of non stop discussion of the entire game....and that's the part you got caught up in😂

[@daddyjesuschrist]

@@basilisk.. I couldn’t ignore it either, tbh

[@villaniousmustache4898]

This was just, if not more than, incredible than your last me video. You really did open my eyes to a new perspective on our crew I didn't have before! The greatest part about 2 is definitely how you got a bunch of basically screwed in the head teammates all with their own problems and Shepard basically helping them out, whether it be virtuous or with cruelty, still found time to care for his team and in reverse, they care about Shepard. They make you care, and they most definitely make you out to be the baddest mofo in the universe with the paragon/renegade dial. But you are also right about them not exploring the universe as much as before. It was my favorite thing about me1 and consider it better than me2 in that regard by a long shot but my love for me2 is the gritty truth to how awful things can get in a universe without anyone with good virtues running the show and blatant terrible politicians in power. Just like reality, it's no different out there than on earth. And I think it's a beautiful thing Shepard's crew all prove us wrong that an individual can change so much in others, and in doing so. Those others, can touch the hearts of those in a form of salvation m creating a much better universe. Shepard truly did put in that work. HE GOT THAT DAWG IN HIM!

[@leroyrussell8766]

So many content creators seem to act as if BroShep doesn't exist. I commend you for splitting time between the two. It shows that you don't have an agenda, and don't deny the greater part of your fan base. You earned a subscription from me. Keep up the great work. This is literally the best analysis of ME2 I have ever seen.

[@beccawilkinson9037]

There's nothing wrong with him but femshep just has a better voice actress. Lol

[@leroyrussell8766]

@@beccawilkinson9037 We will have to disagree. After 20 years in the Navy, I found BroShep to be very convincing...very realistic.

[@noahprange8128]

This was a truly exceptional video essay. You have done justice to the brilliance of this game.

[@jeffgayzos937]

I just played ME2 for the first time and was absolutely blown away. I love the companions and their stories. I’m rarely someone who cries over games, but I was moved to tears many times (particularly when Tali and I discovered her father’s body). I’m so excited to play ME3 so then I can go back and start over again and experience everything from this game that I missed or messed up. I absolutely love a good story, and mass effect absolutely delivered.

[@bbad00]

Legendary Edition really revives the galactic hype of Mass Effect.

[@Ellimist000]

My god the reveal of Harbinger at the very end still gives me chills to this very day

[@JasonDraughon-e9e]

If I wasn’t already as big a fan of this game and series already this breakdown was UTTERLY AMAZING. Thank you for this love letter to a game that is a classic but imo doesn’t get the true love it deserves.

[@Tea_Mist]

As someone who has played well over 300 hours in Mass Effect 2 alone, this video essay was so wonderful to watch. Thank you. and thank you for giving each squad member some light. Not everyone loved every one, but each one had their moments to shine. You're right, they're not perfect, but I always loved that. I loved that they were not perfect, made them feel more human. and fucking finally we got to romance Garrus. xD I worked hard for that headbutt. +1 Subscriber and like.

[@sage_thunderleaf487]

I just found your channel out of sheer luck and I'm loving everything you've been making so far. I'm looking forward to your Mass Effect 3 video and to watching more of your wonderful content!

[@ArTorrPresents]

Welcome to the channel!!

[@lionzod6943]

One of my absolute favorite games of all time. The trilogy is my favorite trilogy just slightly over Halo. To me Mass effect 2 is a perfect game

[@austinmitchell2652]

Please never stop making videos. Getting a long, high quality video like this every so often is a great surprise

[@vladimirchernikov4249]

I never got the sense of a futility of choice during my playthroughs, but rather a challenge to overcome. I didn't expect to fix my companions in a single conversation or even a single act. It was always going to take time. And it was time well spent.

[@chadmwilliams89]

Amazing how polished the game was on top of everything else.

[@RobCoxxy]

I know Karpyshyn's original plan involved the Geth rebuilding Shepard (and also giving us more time with Legion) which, frankly, I find a far more interesting choice story-wise than Cerberus, even just down to the distrust Shepard faces from the Council, former allies, everything. Shame we never got that, or the hinted Dark Energy plotline and it's proposed endings (Unite Galaxy to solve Threat/Sacrifice Humanity to Reapers to solve threat/Destroy Reapers and we all might die anyway) which gave a far more interesting reason for the Reaper's existence, the Human Reaper specifically, and Harbinger's words about the Reapers actually bringing salvation at the end of _Arrival_.

[@Roseforthethorns]

I’m currently in a full trilogy play- and I was reminded of why I’ve played ME2 more times than any other entry in the series. I love it so freaking much. I love all the characters. I’m obsessed with the team.

[@archangelgabriel5316]

I thought it was a crime Wrex wasn't playable. Other than that, I agree.

[@Alex.Jensen]

What made this game special was the deep space operative theme along with the harrowingly beautiful loyalty quests. This,combined with good graphics, a good story, and a good soundtrack made this title something special.

[@The_Nightsong]

I will never forget the first time I had the convos with Thane. I have depersonalization disorder and a few other things, so when he said the things about being dead, and seeing your body as a vessel, I felt I had found a kindred spirit in that character. He's my favorite among all of the characters.

[@Prophet6000]

I love Mass Effect 2 so much. I hope the future games could come close.

[@mitchellman32]

Mass Effect has always been my absolute favorite franchise and this video essay PERFECTLY encapsulated it. No story has made me cry like it, cheer and shout, and despair as this franchise does. Best story in gaming imo. Full stop. Incredible video.

[@ArTorrPresents]

Total agreement. Thanks for checking it out!

[@PS5Chan360]

This is a beautiful video of mass effect 2. Thank you

[@inspectorbutters166]

Mass Effect 2 is my favorite installment of the series. Your essay truly does it justice. You showed the game's beauty, it's flaws and told me details even I never knew about. Keep up the good work.

[@rallen1336]

One of the most complete and insightful reviews I have ever watched Very professionally executed with rare professionalism and impartiality that is extremely rare on KZbin I want to see the same done to Mass Effect 3 Well done

[@grantlarsson9173]

The first time I did the suicide mission I was aware of who to send in the vent and who to place to hold the line, but I was surprised by the deaths I got for not upgrading my ship!! What a trip

[@AdromedaJoel]

Mass Effect 2 lived up to its hype and beyond. ME 2 is one of the best seguel to a game ever

[@michaelmcclelland9876]

I was always annoyed ME2 stripped away so many "RPG aspects" from ME1... As a 3rd person cover shooter, it was great (for it's time), but it always lacked the layers of depth and decision making of ME1 (many quests having 5 or 6 different ways to resolve them, etc). That said, the entire CONCEPT of ME2 was brilliant. Building a team of badasses while you work for a shady organization, all to attempt a "suicide mission" where you can ACTUALLY DIE if you do it incorrectly, that's insane! Retcon or not, Cerberus made a compelling main bad guy. ME2 is also the most "cyberpunky" of the trilogy by far (both visually and thematically). Truly one of the smartest premises in VG history.

[@Thrallbra]

I’ve felt like even though you have less ways to resolve something they meant something more than in ME1. I always felt the choices would only impact there momentarily.

[@michaelmcclelland9876]

@@Thrallbra That's true. Presentation matters.

[@TevyaSmolka]

I love mass effect 2 such a badass and awesome game

[@TrailerNerds]

easily one of the most brilliant games ever crafted in terms of narrative, story and characters development, even after all these years it still impresses like the first time and makes you feel as if you really had to step in the shoes of a man entrusted with the task to save life...

[@juantanamo77]

What a fantastic video. Your punchline of introducing how important the paragon/renegade interrupt was so well done. I reflexively went for my interrupt key when it popped up. Subbed!

[@LiliaArmoury]

mass effect 2 was my introduction to the franchise and despite my ps3 controller being broken by the end i loved the game immensely

[@ideasinthegord3915]

This is the perfect summary of everything that I love, that moves me, about Mass Effect 2. This is a stand out essay, and it's definitely something I'll show people that are interested in the series. Good job, man.

[@wazkangz955]

41:25 I love how Reflections plays here once the “cry for help” pops up even though the song starts at 41:10. Jack Wall outdid himself on Reflections but the OST as a whole.

[@jasondelarosa5457]

Replaying legendary edition and just refalling in love with the universe, story and depth. This game feels like a well told interactive book with action. This video captures the essence of its appeal.

[@CyberSonic-V3.0]

My favorite in the trilogy. I love how the characters are portrayed in this game.

[@TheMsLourdes]

Fr all the commentary that Mass Effect has generated and for all the themes etcetera, there is one thing that really stuck out for me. It was a small statistic drop. "Former BioWare cinematic designer John Ebenger revealed that approximately *92%* of players chose a Paragon path through Mass Effect - all while lamenting that the developer put a lot of work into the Renegade content that players couldn't bring themselves to see." That quote brought to us from destructoid, tells me one important thing. Given the absolute breadth that Bioware gave us with ME, we as humans chose to do the right thing to the Nth degree in a video game where we all could have gone dark with no real life consequence. If its true that character is who you are in the dark where no one can see, then this one statistic gives me hope for humanity on the whole, to choose better. And if that was the only take away from the Mass Effect series (and it surely isn't). That one thing, is the most spiritually uplifting thing I can think of.

[@moonblaze2713]

I have never heard of you before this popped up in my feed. And what a video. I teared up at multiple points. It went from something I had on in the background to something I was giving my full attention to very quickly. Beautifully done.

[@ArTorrPresents]

Thank you for taking the time to check it out!!

[@sopranophantomista]

This was so damn good. So good. The editing in this essay is some of the best I've seen on this site. This was a beautiful retrospective, and allowed me to relive all that I loved about the game when I played it almost 10 years ago. With the legendary edition now out, I can play it again with all your critique in mind. Thank you for all your hard work and effort you placed into this.

[@tonycmac]

All in all you make many good points. I happen to sit on the other side of the fence though, and wish that BioWare had kept things more in line with the original Mass Effect. I feel that the entire Collector plot line did nothing at all to advance the "main" storyline of dealing with the imminent Reaper invasion. The Collectors were just Reaper puppets - stopping them was of little to no consequence. Don't even get me started on that laughably lame termi-proto-thingy. Reinventing the characters from ME1 had many consequences - it painted us into a corner for ME3. Don't get me wrong here, I really enjoyed ME2. I just wish that the Dev leads and writers had a clear and concise idea for the arc of the entire trilogy from the beginning. I hate the arc that Mac Walters chose - and feel like Drew would have done a far better job with the storyline.

[@ArTorrPresents]

I hear you, and I see this take from time to time. While I don't agree with every aspect of the argument, I will agree that ME2 is the most isolated of the trilogy, and the consequences of stopping the Collectors isn't entirely felt in 3. I appreciate the perspective nonetheless!

[@DC-ml6cv]

Me too!! I hope in an alternative reality, I got to play mass effect 2 and 3 but they kept the same team from the original and kept things the same. I felt like I was alone on liking the mechanics in the original better. Them forcing you down hallways is another thing that turned me off. The original was very open, landing and exploring planets, to just scanning and shooting a probe :(

[@VladI998]

@@DC-ml6cv Unfortunately, the exploration was really bad in the first game, which one of the things people complained about. I can see why they decided to remove it.

[@jmass4207]

Yeah Mass Effect 2 would be a very different beast if it was its own game. It did very little in service to the trilogy begun in the first installment.

[@tonycmac]

@@jmass4207 Places like Ilos, the Citadel, Noveria: Port Hanshan in Mass Effect One set the stage for me. ME2 could not stand on its own - it is out of context. I had already had so much fun running around with Liara, Wrex, Garrus, Tali'Zorah and Ashley (Kaidan always dies) that I cannot see Mass Effect without them. ME2 was a great game, but did not have a great story.

[@FormerGovernmentHuman]

I didn’t care too much about the characters my first playthrough and I was callous with them, didn’t care about them or their story or complete their missions. Then at the end…. You know what happened. Shepherd and joker made it. I realized despite my earlier callousness I did care, I regretted what happened, how I treated them. I played through again with empathy, as full paragon more the most part. I got far more out of my 2nd play than I ever could have in my first. I understood the galaxy in a way I never had before.

[@kratkartan1486]

Mass Effect 2 was always my favorite. Not because I could romance Tali or Garrus (Always wanted to in ME1), but because of it's character driven story. And that finally. Every time I replay it, I'm stressing out wondering what I did wrong this go around, and just hoping they all survive.

[@Sierraone1]

the triology is a piece of art.

[@brianwhite9339]

My only regret is that Lirara wasn't on the mission to infltrate the Collector ship.

[@thomasc7322]

I had just so happened to return to the series with the Legendary Edition for the first time since the time of ME3's release. I've been a big fan of your other works, so your timing couldn't have been more perfect. I'd forgotten how much heart this series had until replaying it the last few weeks.

[@markadams8011]

Absolutely! Jack's quests broke my heart. I know people say he's dull, but Jacob's loyalty mission with his awful father, Bill Cosby, was next level writing. ME2 was a true gift.

[@dragonsgreedgaming13]

Thank you for such an amazing video. And thank you for reminding me how much I loved this series.

[@vexxingfox]

I love this video. This guy gets it. Also super relatable when he's talking about companions being a check on a list. When I first played me2 a lot of the characters were exactly that to me until I got to know them better. Now i love every single one of them for their own reasons. Even javik... Lol. And me2 will always be my favorite out of all games.

[@dorottyapapp]

The whole ME2 is just checking boxes. And it just got worse for me from the second playthrough because it didn't even had the element of surprise anymore.

[@TheSolarzEclipse]

Ok, but why does hearing Garrus shout "Supressing fire! Don't let anyone through that door!" Give me feelings?

[@thelastcrow5660]

The ending gives me chills to this day, everything about it is perfect.

[@nyesomboonsup9448]

Amazing Storytelling

[@thenovicewhispers]

"We DID IT!" "Quite the view." "Yeah. Best seats in the house." "God. Feels like years since I just...sat down." "We earned it." "You did good, son. You did good. I'm...proud of you..." "Thank you, sir. Anderson?"

[@markattenborough9107]

Cried my eyes out at that scene the first time I played it, still get a rush of emotion everytime.

[@codyduncan6801]

This was fantastic. Truly. I've played this trilogy at least 15 times, and you've given it a deeper perspective for me. This somehow made one of my most beloved video games even more personal. Thank you for this.

[@MetallBossTeR]

Can't wait for the next part about Mass Effect. Excellent writing.

[@mariannacross2538]

boy this makes me feel something

[@lethalchocobo1886]

It also brilliantly broke the trilogy's back by focusing on daddy issues instead of the Reaper threat and preparing the galaxy to face them. All of ME3's story problems and the Star Brat stem from ME2 doing nothing to advance the overall plot. Having 12 squadmates who ALL can die, and most of them contributing to next to nothing in the grand scheme of things, made it even harder for ME3 to come up with a decent conclusion.

[@Spaecefaeries]

This is the correct take. A thematically messy, self-indulgent slog through a nonsensical plot.

[@dorottyapapp]

On point. ME2 is unenjoyably disjointed. The story about the collectors would've been great as a DLC but nothing more. The number of squadmates are too much, half of them would've been enough. Also Shepard is their Commander not their au pair. They are on a mission and most of them are professionals so they should be able to put their private problems aside.

[@TheSonicPuppy]

1:00:45 broke me. That theme and the mission are, to this day, possibly the greatest moments I've ever experienced in any form of entertainment. What a triumph. Phenomenal video as usual :)

[@ArTorrPresents]

Highlight of the entire series for sure. Thank you for watching!!

[@jon-umber]

The Suicide Mission is the greatest video game scenario ever designed. Change my mind.

[@UsernameGeri]

If you're genuinely willing to let your stance be challenged, watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWqlhYCinLxrldk

[@claytonweaver7335]

Watched the intro. That was enough for me not to care about that opinion

[@UsernameGeri]

@@claytonweaver7335 Don't let anyone burst your bubble.

[@UsernameGeri]

@@claytonweaver7335 Not sure what happened to your other reply, but I just disagree. You said: _Ive watched other 'ME1 is the best' videos. I'm okay with that opinion but I generally consider the 'me2 is just an action game' or 'me2 is a side quest' to be in the bad game opinion._ I think saying that ME2 is a masterpiece in every way, which most would say, is just the most pedestrian braindead take someone can possibly make. ME1 and ME3 does way more important things like story and gameplay much better, and even the characters aren't just a bunch of emotional basket cases. ME2 is insufferable from all the drama on repeat playthroughs. I would take James or Kaidan over Miranda or Jack any day. The only redeeming quality of ME2 is the continuation of the geth/quarian and genophage stories from ME1, nothing else. And yes, ME2 is just an action game, and the story is as irrelevant as the new characters it introduces, aside from of course those associated with the stories I mentioned (Legion and Mordin, basically).

[@claytonweaver7335]

@@UsernameGeri I deleted the comment because I figured it wouldn't lead anywhere productive. ME1 and ME2 are two different styles of games. I actually dont think any game to this date has done ME1's style better than ME1 and I dont think any game has done ME2's style better than ME2. There has been a trend on youtube to re-evalute 7th gen games that were overrated at launch and they've given them fair critiques. I wouldn't put the Mass Effect trilogy in with those other games. 'ME2 is just an action game' is not even worth debating.

[@ephiscus224]

Man, the production value of these videos is top notch. Got hooked by the introduction of the last one and here I am now waiting on the third. Your insights are what really carry these videos, though. I never really considered most of this stuff in the same way you have (especially with the interrupt mechanic) and you somehow described my experience with the game in a way I wasn't able to myself but was still right on the money. I sincerely hope you get more recognition.

[@Buggy00Gaming]

Glad I got recommended this video! The way that it was edited and the information was presnted made me feel nostalgic in the reason why I fell in love with ME2. Keen to see what you come up with next!

[@Predatornc1]

WOAH! This video blew my mind with its editing and theme. It's an amazing piece and I will defiantly be checking your mass effect 1 video.

[@ghstgvts]

Amazing video, as always! I’m blown away how consistently high quality your videos are.

[@ArTorrPresents]

Thank you so much for checking it out!!

[@enderfire3379]

random fun fact: when i first met legion the subtitles called him legion but when i reactivated him the subtitles called him geth until he was actually named

[@clusterpuck76]

Looking forward to a deeper dive into the Leviathan dlc and the return to the Lovecraftian elements

[@MikeP828]

Minor correction: Auresh wasn’t a researcher for Cerberus. He was one of the kids that were imprisoned with Jack.

[@elitereptilian200]

I had played Mass Effect 2 & 3 before, 2 times each and absolutely loved them but, when the legendary edition came out I played the first game for the very first time and after finishing it 100% I was dumbfounded how much more freedom and choice it has in combat and character building than 2 and 3 has, I even started mass effect w with an imported save but soon stopped playing, before I played the first game the universal skill cooldown, lack of loot, lack of skills etc didn't bother me at all but after playing the the first I couldn't finish it.. I still love 2 & 3 but now 1 is my favorite of the three.. Morinth isn't Samara's last living daughter, we meet her another daughter in the ardath yakshi monastery in mass effect 3, at least I thought we did..

[@jmass4207]

Based. One is the goat despite its jank and I thank LE for bringing it to more people.

[@tomquirk6767]

You're right, Rila and Falere in ME3 are both Samara's daughters

[@Renji9031]

Not only did you manage to put into words my thoughts on Mass Effect 2, but these past two years as well. Well done, sir. Edit: Yes indeed, that last conversation with the Illusive Man is arguably the most satisfying, wholesome, and heartfelt fuck yous in video games.