Review: Mass Effect 2, the pinnacle of immersion

Immersion is a word that gets thrown around a lot when talking about video games. While its usage is warranted in some instances, most of the time its meaning is misrepresented. In reference to BioWare's epic space opera, Mass Effect 2, immersion is in the details. (Editor's note: the only spoilers for Mass Effect 2 will be events that occur within the first 10 or 15 minutes of gameplay.)

For us to begin using the term immersion, we must first understand what it means. To be immersed means to be engaged wholly or deeply in a subject. MMORPG players are the worst culprits when it comes to falsely using the term immersion. They often see having their avatars sit on a boat dock for five minutes before a zepplin come by to pick them up as being immersive. But immersion can be more than just a measure of time. It is an emotional response from being absorbed absolutely in the subject matter. Remember in Tolkien's "Return of the King," when the outnumbered forces of Minas Tirith storm the battlefield against Sarumon's horde and you get that chill down your spine. That's immersion.

The Mass Effect franchise is focused on building relationships with the characters in the game. The genius in this is that the developers saw fit to continue the relationships from the first game into the second. These games are centered around a dynamic story — as opposed to a static story a la Final Fantasy — where the actions of the player truly affect, not only the characters around him or her, but the entire galaxy.

I found myself fully immersed in Mass Effect 2 because of the details. There were many times when I would stumble upon a character in Mass Effect 2 who I had briefly interacted with in the first game. It almost felt like running into an old schoolmate in real life. Likewise, there were some voices that I found comfort in. It was a great relief the first time (in game) that I encounterd the helmsman for the Normandy SR1, Joker, since up until then I was surrounded by questionable strangers.

It's that emotional response that allows for the high level of immersion. Within the first few minutes, players have to watch helplessly as the Normandy SR1 is destroyed. It's a terrible sight for anyone who spent hours in the vessel in Mass Effect. There's an emptiness that happens and players are correct when they make the assumption that Mass Effect 2 is a much darker game than its predecessor. It's a very low point to start the game off. The feeling of hopelessness and dread abound.

But then the game unveils the Normandy SR2 shortly after. All of a sudden, the hopelessness is replaced with ambition, conviction and the realization that success may be possible after all. Remember that spine chill I mentioned earlier? Yeah, if it didn't occur when the SR2 was revealed then you are too distracted to be playing a game like this.

Immersion also comes in the form of the decisions that you make. If you played the first game, you are well familiar with the weight that your decisions play on your conscience. In most cases, the decisions strike at the player's morality. In this vein, causality is the vehicle for immersion.

All choices — even the smallest one — will have an effect on the galaxy around you. It's tough not to feel anything at all after making certain decisions in Mass Effect 2. You know immersion is happening when you make a decision in game and you actually feel bad about it or you hope you will get a chance to redeem yourself. This is the essence of immersion. It's the invocation of an emotional response.

Mass Effect 2, just like its predecessor, excels at invoking emotions in the player. When the player begins to realize that every decision counts and that even the smallest choice that he or she made in the first title will haunt them in the upcoming Mass Effect 3, that is when the impact of immersion is felt the greatest. When this realization happens, many games that you felt were immersive will begin to pale in comparison.

Mass Effect 2 is not just the pinnacle of immersion, but the evolution of the role-playing game genre. I can say without a doubt that Mass Effect 2 has been the greatest single-player experience of my gaming career.