Mass Effect 2

**Spoilers**

I finished Mass Effect 2 last night, in a breathless panicky rush. I didn't want it to be over, I enjoyed it too much, and yet...the time had come. I'd played all of the loyalty missions, gathered all of the possible crew mates, flirted with Kelly, saw Tali without her helmet on (well Shepherd did), and fucked Project Zero. All of my goals accomplished. There was nothing else to do except eye-fuck a giant skeleton-shaped Reaper with a miniature nuclear device, and I knew I was the man for the job.

Throughout the game, some of the loading screens encouraged a second (or third) play-through, and on various message boards I saw a lot of people doing just that, but I didn't think I'd actually do it. Now, I'm not so sure. Total play-time came out to something like 31 hours, which I could pretty easily repeat if the mood struck me, and I do see now a lot of things on which I missed out. I'll admit I played through Knights of the Old Republic (first and second) more than once, and I can't pretend like this new Bioware title didn't strike precisely the same chords with me as its Star Wars predecessor.

One thing that really struck me on about Mass Effect 2 was its cross-game synergy. For example, I was able to play through the game with the Blood Dragon Armor, which I secured by pre-ordering an entirely different game (Dragon Age: Origins). Furthermore, ME2's loading screens tempt you with thoughts of a Mass Effect 3, and certainly the ending leads you to believe there will be one. What I've seen on many message boards is that people are playing through Mass Effect 2 many times to create the exact type of save file they'd like to be able to import to Mass Effect 3. It's an interesting concept: playing one game to affect your experience in a completely different game. I'm not sure if I think it's innovative or scary. Gaming realities have generally always existed within the confines of the cartridge or disc--expanding this reality, or at least a consciousness of this reality, into other game universes...well essentially I'm worried that the event horizons will cross and rip the entire gaming world into an infinitesimal singularity. I mean, I don't know for sure, but...it could.

I guess I'll post later whether or not I return to Mass Effect 2, but my guess is I will crawl back to it and grovel before it, so that it may reveal its treasures unto me.

KM