History VideoGame / MassEffect2

[[caption-width-right:250:They killed the hero(ine). All that did was piss him/her off. Big time.]]

There is a great deal more interactivity with this game then there was with the first. The big thing is that if you import a character you played from the first game, you take with them ''all'' of the choices they made and the people they interacted with as being a part of this game in some way, ranging from your romantic option still having feelings for you to very minor characters who you [[AscendedExtra barely recall talking to]]. The Paragon/Renegade options are more reliant on the choices you make; acting like a Paragon gives you a higher Paragon score and the same with Renegade, and the higher score gives you more opportunities to use them (in the first game, being able to initiate a charm or intimidate option was based on how you allocated leveling points). It was also spruced up with the addition of "interrupts," essentially {{Quick Time Event}}s that allows Shepard to interject an optional Paragon or Renegade action during conversions (such as [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim shutting someone up pre-emptively]], or [[TheWoobie hugging someone in pain]]). These may make your mission harder or easier, but you get an extra reward for using them.

Structurally, ''Mass Effect 2'' is much more of a WideOpenSandbox than the first game. You get two starting party members, [[FemmeFatale Miranda Lawson]] and [[BlackBestFriend Jacob Taylor]], and your [[CoolStarship spaceship]], and then are given free rein to recruit any or all of eight other squadmates (ten counting [[{{DownloadableContent}} DLC]]), including two from the first game. Once they have been recruited, they eventually present you with an optional "loyalty mission," a personal [[{{SideQuest}} sidequest]] that provides not only the RPG standard rewards of cash, EXP and new gear, but CharacterDevelopment and unlocked powers for the party member in question. Interspersed between these various {{fetch quest}}s are several investigations issued you by the Illusive Man, in which you examine the Collectors, figure out where they came from and what they're up to, and eventually travel through the Omega 4 Relay to strike at their home base. While completionists will want to recruit everyone and upgrade everything, players in a hurry (or playing the [[AntiHero Renegade]] path) can jump through with minimal support and training, and still win (though RealityEnsues in terms of [[DownerEnding how many people survive]]).

On the gameplay side, many things were refined. Neither you nor your squad members are given weapons you are incapable of using properly. Weapons themselves require "[[UniversalAmmunition thermal clips]]" for everything except the heavy weapons (meaning part of the game is looking for more ammo), and as your preferred gun runs out you are forced to switch to a less-preferred gun. The TakeCover mechanic is a vital element and you will not last long without using it, although properly designed Sentinels are close to unkillable. The armor and equipment of the characters is a uniform system that depends on technology you gather during your missions, and while you can change their look (at least one base outfit and another when [[YourRewardIsClothes their loyalty mission is complete]]) it is purely cosmetic. You are given the option of leveling up a character and changing their weapon loadout before every mission, and leveling up is a tier based system, each additional level requiring more points to acquire. The combat abilities are simplified; there are fewer attacks to use, and the new unified cooldown system means that you don't have to keep checking the power wheel to see if all of your powers have recharged, because you can only use one at a time. However, certain abilities can now combo together for more damage, and there are also more variations available between the different classes (for example, you have three full biotics on your team, each with different biotic-based abilities).

One month after the events of [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], the ''Normandy'' is viciously attacked and destroyed, killing Commander Shepard in the process. Two years later, Shepard reawakens to find that Cerberus, a mysterious human supremacist organization, has retrieved and [[ResurrectedForAJob revived the commander at great expense in order to continue the fight against the Reapers]]. Human colonies have been vanishing, and the Collectors, an enigmatic and advanced alien race, are behind it. Forced to work with Cerberus and their leader, the Illusive Man, Shepard must now [[AvengersAssemble assemble a team]] and take the fight to the Collectors.

One month after the events of [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], the ''Normandy'' is viciously attacked and destroyed, killing Commander Shepard in the process. Two years later, Shepard reawakens to find that Cerberus, a mysterious human supremacist organization, has retrieved and [[ResurrectedForAJob revived the commander at great expense in order to continue the fight against the Reapers]]. Human colonies have been vanishing, and the Collectors, an enigmatic and advanced alien race, is behind it. Forced to work with Cerberus and their leader, the Illusive Man, Shepard must now [[AvengersAssemble assemble a team]] and take the fight to the Collectors.

One month after the events of [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], the ''Normandy'' is viciously attacked and destroyed, killing Commander Shepard in the process. Two years later, Shepard reawakens and learns that Cerberus, a mysterious human supremacist organization, has retrieved and [[ResurrectedForAJob revived the commander at great expense in order to continue the fight against the Reapers]]. Shepard soon learns human colonies have been vanishing, and that the Collectors, an enigmatic and advanced alien race, is behind it. Forced to work with Cerberus and their leader, the Illusive Man, Shepard must now [[AvengersAssemble assemble a team]] and take the fight to the Collectors.

They call it a [[{{SuicideMission}} suicide mission]]. [[EarnYourHappyEnding Prove them wrong]].

They call it a [[{{SuicideMission}} suicide mission]]. [[EarnYourHappyEnding Prove them wrong.]]

One month after the events of [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], the ''Normandy'' is viciously attacked and destroyed, killing Commander Shepard in the process. Two years later, Shepard reawakens and learns that Cerberus, a mysterious human supremacist organization, has retrieved and [[ResurrectedForAJob revived the commander at great expense in order to continue the fight against the Reapers]]. Meanwhile, human colonies are vanishing, and Shepard learns that the Collectors, an enigmatic and advanced alien race, is behind it. Forced to work with Cerberus and their leader, the Illusive Man, Shepard must assemble a team and take the fight to the Collectors.

One month after the events of [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], the ''Normandy'' is viciously attacked and destroyed, killing Commander Shepard in the process. Two years later, Shepard reawakens and learns that Cerberus, a mysterious human supremacist organization, has retrieved and [[ResurrectedForAJob revived him/her at great expense in order for him/her to continue the fight against the Reapers]]. Meanwhile, human colonies are vanishing, and Shepard learns that the Collectors, an enigmatic and advanced alien race, is behind it. Forced to work with Cerberus and their leader, the Illusive Man, Shepard must assemble a team and take the fight to the Collectors.

On the gameplay side, many things were refined. Neither you nor your squad members are given weapons you are incapable of using properly. Weapons themselves require "[[UniversalAmmunition thermal clips]]" for everything except the heavy weapons (meaning part of the game is looking for more ammo), and as your preferred gun runs out you are forced to switch to a less-preferred gun. The TakeCover mechanic is a vital element and you will not last long without using it. The armor and equipment of the characters is a uniform system that depends on technology you gather during your missions, and while you can change their look (at least one base outfit and another when [[YourRewardIsClothes their loyalty mission is complete]]) it is purely cosmetic. You are given the option of leveling up a character and changing their weapons before every mission, and leveling up is a tier based system, each additional level requiring more points to acquire. The combat abilities are simplified; there are fewer attacks to use, and the new unified cooldown system means that you don't have to keep checking the power wheel to see if all of your powers have recharged, because you can only use one at a time. However, certain abilities can now combo together for more damage, and there are also more variations available between the different classes (for example, you have three full biotics on your team, each with different biotic-based abilities).

%%Character tropes do NOT go on this page. Tropes which apply only to a specific character should be placed under that character's section in the Mass Effect series character page (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/MassEffect) or the Mass Effect 2 character page (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/MassEffect2). This keeps the various Mass Effect pages organized and helps prevent them from devolving into Department Of Redundancy Department territory. Thanks!
%%

-->--'''Shepard'''

One month after [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], the ''Normandy'' is viciously attacked and destroyed, killing Commander Shepard in the process. Two years later, Shepard reawakens and learns that Cerberus, a mysterious human-supremacist organization, has retrieved and [[ResurrectedForAJob revived him/her at great expense in order for him/her to continue the fight against the Reapers]]. Meanwhile, human colonies are vanishing, and Shepard learns that the Collectors, an enigmatic and advanced alien race, are behind it. Forced to work with Cerberus and their leader, the Illusive Man, Shepard must assemble a team and take the fight to the Collectors.

They call it a SuicideMission. [[EarnYourHappyEnding Prove them wrong.]]

Structurally, the game is much more of a WideOpenSandbox than the first. You get two starting party members, [[FemmeFatale Miranda Lawson]] and [[BlackBestFriend Jacob Taylor]], and your [[CoolStarship spaceship]], and then are given free rein to recruit any or all of eight other squadmates (ten counting DLC), including two from the first game. Once they have been recruited, they eventually present you with an optional "Loyalty Mission," a personal SideQuest that provides not only the RPG standard rewards of cash, EXP and new gear, but CharacterDevelopment and unlocked powers for the party member in question. Interspersed between these various {{Fetch Quest}}s are several investigations issued you by The Illusive Man, in which you examine the Collectors, figure out where they came from and what they're up to, and eventually travel through the Omega-4 mass relay to strike at their home base. While completionists will want to recruit everyone and upgrade everything, people in a hurry (or playing the [[AntiHero Renegade]] path) can jump through with minimal support and training, and still win. (Though RealityEnsues in terms of [[DownerEnding how many people survive]].)

There is a great deal more interactivity with this game then there was with the first. The big thing is that if you import a character you played from the first game you take with them ''all'' of the choices they made and the people they interacted with as being a part of this game in some way, ranging from your romantic option still having feelings for you to very minor characters who you [[AscendedExtra barely recall talking to]]. The Paragon/Renegade options are more reliant on the choices you make; acting like a Paragon gives you a higher Paragon score and the same with Renegade, and the higher score gives you more opportunities to use them (in the first game being able to initiate a charm or intimidate option was based on how you allocated leveling points). It was also spruced up with the addition of "Interrupts," essentially {{Quick Time Event}}s that allows Shepard to interject an optional Paragon or Renegade action into the proceedings (such as [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim shutting someone up pre-emptively]], or [[TheWoobie hugging someone in pain]]). These may make your mission harder or easier, but you get an extra reward for using them.

On the gameplay side many things were refined. Neither you nor your squad members are given weapons you are incapable of using properly. Weapons themselves require "[[UniversalAmmunition Thermal Clips]]" for everything except the heavy weapons (meaning part of the game is looking for more ammo), and as your preferred gun runs out you are forced to switch to a less-preferred gun. The TakeCover mechanic is a vital element and you will not last long without using it. The armor and equipment of the characters is a uniform system that depends on technology you gather during your missions, and while you can change their look (at least one base outfit and another when [[YourRewardIsClothes their loyalty mission is complete]]) it is purely cosmetic. You are given the option of leveling up a character and changing their weapons before every mission, and leveling up is a tier based system, each additional level requiring more points to acquire. The combat abilities are simplified; there are fewer attacks to use, and the new unified cooldown system means that you don't have to keep checking the wheel to see if all of your powers have recharged, because you can only use one at a time. However, certain abilities can now combo together for more damage, and there are also more variations available between the different classes (for example you have three full biotics on your team, each with different biotic-based abilities).

The series has spawned CerberusDailyNews, a [[{{Defictionalization}} defictionized]] news site that (used to provide) daily updates detailing events in the ME universe, most of it having no bearing whatsoever on the story in the first two games[[hottip:*:In the lead-up to the release of Mass Effect 3, the in-game CerberusDailyNews, seen on the main menu screen, was reactivated after a full year with no updates, with small snippets of information about comm buoys going off-line as the Reapers prepare their invasion]]. It also hosts forums full of roleplayers who constantly react to said news and act out in-universe storylines of their own making. Finally, there is a proliferation of DownloadableContent: two new squad members, at least two stand-alone side missions, and a number of weapon packs, armor packs and alternate costumes for Jack, Thane, Garrus, Miranda, Grunt, and Tali. The most important bits of DLC, though, are "Lair of the Shadow Broker" and "Arrival," which Bioware call "bridging" content because they help to set up ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''. Both of them add completely new ''story events'' to the game. The former includes Liara as a temporary squadmate as you storm the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin lair of the Shadow Broker]]; the second is a Shepard solo mission as you rescue an undercover Alliance operative who has discovered proof that the Reapers are coming--''soon''--and needs help preventing their eponymous Arrival.

To say that the game has been given positive reviews is a huge Understatement. According to BioWare, the game has over forty perfect scores and game of the year awards, and that was before the game came out on PS3. The only complaints were that [[PlotTailoredToTheParty most of the game was spent recruiting for the Suicide Mission]], that [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks the combat felt samey]], and that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the subtitles were too small]].

'''Please do not add any character tropes to this page. The Characters page for the entire series can be found [[Characters/MassEffect here]]; the Characters page for ''Mass Effect 2'' can be found [[Characters/MassEffect2 here]].'''

One month after [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], the ''Normandy'' is viciously attacked and destroyed, killing Commander Shepard in the process. Two years later, Shepard reawakens and learns that Cerberus, a mysterious human-supremacist organization, has retrieved and [[ResurrectedForAJob revived him/her at great expense in order for him/her to continue the fight against the Reapers]]. Meanwhile, human colonies are vanishing, and Shepard learns that the Collectors, an enigmatic and advanced alien race, are behind it. Forced to work with Cerberus and their leader, the Illusive Man, Shepard must assemble a team and take the fight to the Collectors.

Structurally, the game is much more of a WideOpenSandbox than the first. You get two starting party members, [[FemmeFatale Miranda Lawson]] and [[BlackBestFriend Jacob Taylor]], and your [[CoolStarship spaceship]], and then are given free rein to recruit any or all of eight other squadmates (ten counting DLC), including two from the first game. Once they have been recruited, they eventually present you with an optional "Loyalty Mission," a personal SideQuest that provides not only the RPG standard rewards of cash, EXP and new gear, but CharacterDevelopment and unlocked powers for the party member in question. Interspersed between these various {{Fetch Quest}}s are several investigations issued you by The Illusive Man, in which you examine the Collectors, figure out where they came from and what they're up to, and eventually travel through the Omega-4 mass relay to strike at their home base. While completionists will want to recruit everyone and upgrade everything, people in a hurry (or playing the [[AntiHero Renegade]] path) can jump through with minimal support and training, and still win. (Though RealityEnsues in terms of [[DownerEnding how many people survive]].)

On the gameplay side many things were refined. Neither you nor your squad members are given weapons you are incapable of using properly. Weapons themselves require "[[UniversalAmmunition Thermal Clips]]" for everything except the heavy weapons (meaning part of the game is looking for more ammo), and as your preferred gun runs out you are forced to switch to a less-preferred gun. The TakeCover mechanic is a vital element and you will not last long without using it. The armor and equipment of the characters is a uniform system that depends on technology you gather during your missions, and while you can change their look (at least one base outfit and another when [[YourRewardIsClothes their loyalty mission is complete]]) it is purely cosmetic. You are given the option of leveling up a character and changing their weapons before every mission, and leveling up is a tier based system, each additional level requiring more points to acquire. The combat abilities are simplified; there are fewer attacks to use, and the new unified cooldown system means that you don't have to keep checking the wheel to see if all of your powers have recharged, because you can only use one at a time. However, certain abilities can now combo together for more damage, and there are also more variations available between the different classes (for example you have three full biotics on your team, each with different biotic-based abilities).

The series has spawned CerberusDailyNews, a [[{{Defictionalization}} defictionized]] news site that (used to provide) daily updates detailing events in the ME universe, most of it having no bearing whatsoever on the story in the first two games[[hottip:*:In the lead-up to the release of Mass Effect 3, the in-game CerberusDailyNews, seen on the main menu screen, was reactivated after a full year with no updates, with small snippets of information about comm buoys going off-line as the Reapers prepare their invasion]]. It also hosts forums full of roleplayers who constantly react to said news and act out in-universe storylines of their own making. Finally, there is a proliferation of DownloadableContent: two new squad members, at least two stand-alone side missions, and a number of weapon packs, armor packs and alternate costumes for Jack, Thane, Garrus, Miranda, Grunt, and Tali. The most important bits of DLC, though, are "Lair of the Shadow Broker" and "Arrival," which Bioware call "bridging" content because they help to set up ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''. Both of them add completely new ''story events'' to the game. The former includes Liara as a temporary squadmate as you storm the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin lair of the Shadow Broker]]; the second is a Shepard solo mission as you rescue an undercover Alliance operative who has discovered proof that the Reapers are coming--''soon''--and needs help preventing their eponymous Arrival.

To say that the game has been given positive reviews is a huge Understatement. According to BioWare, the game has over forty perfect scores and game of the year awards, and that was before the game came out on PS3. The only complaints were that [[PlotTailoredToTheParty most of the game was spent recruiting for the Suicide Mission]], that [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks the combat felt samey]], and that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the subtitles were too small]].

'''Please do not add any character tropes to this page. The Characters page for the entire series can be found [[Characters/MassEffect here]]; the Characters page for ''Mass Effect 2'' can be found [[Characters/MassEffect2 here]].'''

There is a great deal more interactivity with this game then there was with the first. The big thing is that if you import a character you played from the first game you take with them ''all'' of the choices they made
and the people they interacted with as being a part of this game in some way, ranging from your romantic option still having feelings for you to very minor characters who you [[AscendedExtra barely recall talking to]]. The Paragon/Renegade options are more reliant on the choices you make; acting like a Paragon gives you a higher Paragon score and the same with Renegade, and the higher score gives you more opportunities to use them (in the first game being able to initiate a charm or intimidate option was based on how you allocated leveling points). It was also spruced up with the addition of "Interrupts," essentially {{Quick Time Event}}s that allows Shepard to interject an optional Paragon or Renegade action into the proceedings (such as [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim shutting someone up pre-emptively]], or [[TheWoobie hugging someone in pain]]). These may make your mission harder or easier, but you get an extra reward for using them.

To say that the game has been given positive reviews is the a huge Understatement. According to BioWare, the game has over forty perfect scores and game of the year awards, and that was before the game came out on PS3. The only complaints were that [[PlotTailoredToTheParty most of the game was spent recruiting for the Suicide Mission]], that [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks the combat felt samey]], and that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the subtitles were too small]].

To say that the game has been given positive reviews is the poster child of Understatement Calendar 2010. According to BioWare, the game has over forty perfect scores and game of the year awards, and that was before the game came out on PS3. The only complaints were that [[PlotTailoredToTheParty most of the game was spent recruiting for the Suicide Mission]], that [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks the combat felt samey]], and that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the subtitles were too small]]. Seriously.

On the gameplay side many things were refined. Neither you nor your squad members are given weapons you are incapable of using properly. Weapons themselves require "[[UniversalAmmunition Thermal Clips]]" for everything except the heavy weapons (meaning part of the game is looking for more ammo), and as your preferred gun runs out you are forced to switch to a less-preferred gun. The TakeCover mechanic is a vital element and you will not last long without using it. The armor and equipment of the characters is a uniform system that depends on technology you gather during your missions, and while you can change their look (at least one base outfit and another when [[YourRewardIsClothes their loyalty mission is complete]]) it is purely cosmetic. You are given the option of leveling up a character and changing their weapons before every mission, and leveling up is a tier based system, each additional level requiring more points to acquire it. The combat abilities are simplified in there being less variety of attacks to use, but there are also more variations available between the different classes (for example you have three full biotics on your team, each with different biotic-based abilities).

-->--'''Shepard''' [[MissingTrailerScene (in the trailers)]]

-->--'''Shepard'''

The series has spawned CerberusDailyNews, a [[{{Defictionalization}} defictionized]] news site that (used to provide) daily updates detailing events in the ME universe, most of it having no bearing whatsoever on the story in the first two games[[hottip:*:In the lead-up to the release of Mass Effect 3, CerberusDailyNews was reactivated, with small snippets of information about comm buoys going off-line as the Reapers prepare their invasion]]. It also hosts forums full of roleplayers who constantly react to said news and act out in-universe storylines of their own making. Finally, there is a proliferation of DownloadableContent: two new squad members, at least two stand-alone side missions, and a number of weapon packs, armor packs and alternate costumes for Jack, Thane, Garrus, Miranda, Grunt, and Tali. The most important bits of DLC, though, are "Lair of the Shadow Broker" and "Arrival," which Bioware call "bridging" content because they help to set up ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''. Both of them add completely new ''story events'' to the game. The former includes Liara as a temporary squadmate as you storm the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin lair of the Shadow Broker]]; the second is a Shepard solo mission as you rescue an undercover Alliance operative who has discovered proof that the Reapers are coming--''soon''--and needs help preventing their eponymous Arrival.

On the gameplay side many things were refined. Neither you nor your squad members are given weapons you are incapable of using properly. Weapons themselves require "[[UniversalAmmunition Thermal Clips]]" for everything except the heavy weapons (meaning part of the game is looking for more ammo), and as your preferred gun runs out you are forced to switch to a less-preferred gun. The TakeCover mechanic is a vital element and you will not last long without using it. The armor and equipment of the characters is a uniform system that depends on technology you gather during your missions, and while you can change their look (at least one base outfit and another when [[YourRewardIsClothes their loyalty mission is complete]]) it is purely cosmetic. You are given the option of leveling up a character and changing their weapons before every mission, and leveling up is a tier based system, each additional level requires more points to acquire it. The combat abilities are simplified in there being less variety of attacks to use, but there are also more variations available between the different classes (for example you have three full biotics on your team, each with different biotic-based abilities).

The series has spawned CerberusDailyNews, a [[{{Defictionalization}} defictionized]] news site that (used to provide) daily updates detailing events in the ME universe, most of it having no bearing whatsoever on the story in the first two games. It also hosts forums full of roleplayers who constantly react to said news and act out in-universe storylines of their own making. Finally, there is a proliferation of DownloadableContent: two new squad members, at least two stand-alone side missions, and a number of weapon packs, armor packs and alternate costumes for Jack, Thane, Garrus, Miranda, Grunt, and Tali. The most important bits of DLC, though, are "Lair of the Shadow Broker" and "Arrival," which Bioware call "bridging" content because they help to set up ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''. Both of them add completely new ''story events'' to the game. The former includes Liara as a temporary squadmate as you storm the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin lair of the Shadow Broker]]; the second is a Shepard solo mission as you rescue an undercover Alliance operative who has discovered proof that the Reapers are coming--''soon''--and needs help preventing their eponymous Arrival.

They say that this is a SuicideMission. [[EarnYourHappyEnding Prove them wrong.]]

To say that the game has been given positive reviews is the poster child of Understatement Calendar 2010. According to BioWare, the game has over forty perfect scores and game of the year awards, and that was before the game came out on PS3. The only complaints were that [[EigenPlot most of the game was spent recruiting for the Suicide Mission]], that [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks the combat felt samey]], and that [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking the subtitles were too small]]. Seriously.

To say that the game has been given positive reviews is the poster child of Understatement Calendar 2010. According to BioWare, the game has over forty perfect scores and game of the year awards, and that was before the game came out on PS3. The only complaints [[ArsonMurderandJaywalking were that most of the game was spent recruiting for the Suicide Mission, that the combat felt samey, and that the subtitles were too small]]. Seriously.

The second game in the ''MassEffect'' series.

One month after [[MassEffect1 the first game]], the ''Normandy'' is viciously attacked and destroyed, killing Commander Shepard in the process. Two years later, Shepard reawakens and learns that Cerberus, a mysterious human-supremacist organization, has retrieved and [[ResurrectedForAJob revived him/her at great expense in order for him/her to continue the fight against the Reapers]]. Meanwhile, human colonies are vanishing, and Shepard learns that the Collectors, an enigmatic and advanced alien race, are behind it. Forced to work with Cerberus and their leader, the Illusive Man, Shepard must assemble a team and take the fight to the Collectors.

The series has spawned CerberusDailyNews, a [[{{Defictionalization}} defictionized]] news site that (used to provide) daily updates detailing events in the ME universe, most of it having no bearing whatsoever on the story in the first two games. It also hosts forums full of roleplayers who constantly react to said news and act out in-universe storylines of their own making. Finally, there is a proliferation of DownloadableContent: two new squad members, at least two stand-alone side missions, and a number of weapon packs, armor packs and alternate costumes for Jack, Thane, Garrus, Miranda, Grunt, and Tali. The most important bits of DLC, though, are "Lair of the Shadow Broker" and "Arrival," which Bioware call "bridging" content because they help to set up ''MassEffect3''. Both of them add completely new ''story events'' to the game. The former includes Liara as a temporary squadmate as you storm the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin lair of the Shadow Broker]]; the second is a Shepard solo mission as you rescue an undercover Alliance operative who has discovered proof that the Reapers are coming--''soon''--and needs help preventing their eponymous Arrival.

There is a great deal more interactivity with this game then there was with the first. The big thing is that if you import a character you played from the first game you take with them all the major choices they made and the people they interacted with as being a part of this game in some way, ranging from your romantic option still having feelings for you to very minor characters who you [[AscendedExtra barely recall talking to]]. The Paragon/Renegade options are more reliant on the choices you make; acting like a Paragon gives you a higher Paragon score and the same with Renegade, and the higher score gives you more opportunities to use them (in the first game being able to initiate a charm or intimidate option was based on how you allocated leveling points). It was also spruced up with the addition of "Interrupts," essentially {{Quick Time Event}}s that allows Shepard to interject an optional Paragon or Renegade action into the proceedings (such as [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim shutting someone up pre-emptively]], or [[TheWoobie hugging someone in pain]]). These may make your mission harder or easier, but you get an extra reward for using them.