On a recent episode of Talking About Gamers I voiced some of my strong opinions on Mass Effect 2 and proclaimed that I still hold Mass Effect 1 to be the superior game. In this series of blog posts I'm going to go into even more detail and hopefully get more thoughts out than I was able to on the show.

This is part three in my continued analysis. If you missed either previous section you can find them here:

Part 1 - Powers
Part 2 - Squad Members

For this post I'm going to look at how the side missions have changed between both games.

The Change

In Mass Effect 2 they have made each side mission much more varied not only in the locations you visit but how each side mission plays out.

In Mass Effect 1 the missions become repetitive but each has a greater amount of story as well as more choices to make. Also there seems to be more side missions in Mass Effect 1.

Why Change is Good

One of the main problems that Mass Effect 1 had was inside its side missions. While each mission had its own unique circumstances and story behind it, the side missions on each of the main story planets were all thought out and interesting but the random ones you found throughout the galaxy were sadly very similar.

For these galaxy missions there were only four environments these missions took place in: a shuttle, an underground mine, a two story base, and a one level compound. The problem was that the layouts for these missions were exactly the same for each type. If you stormed a ship on a side mission the layout would be exactly the same for each ship you visit. This led to the missions becoming very repetitive.

In ME2 the missions that take place on each of the main story planets is about the same as in ME1. But the ones you find out in the galaxy have been greatly improved. Each mission you find by scanning planets is unique not just in layout but in what you actually do. One mission you find yourself following a mech as it blows up barriers while the next mission you investigate a ghost ship who's AI has freaked out and killed everyone.

The way that ME2 approaches the missions makes each one feel fresh and you look forward to seeing what the next one is going to be.

Why Change is Bad

There are two things that ME1 holds over ME2 in how side missions are handled. While each one played similarly and became repetitive, each one had more story and dialogue in them. It seemed that most missions in ME1 you actually stopped and talked to people and in several cases you actually made choices that affected how that little side story ended up. I remember side missions where I had to talk a terrorist down from executing a hostage or a mission where I had to go strike an arms deal with a gang boss. While the shooting and layout was always similar in each mission they were given their difference by the actual story elements and interaction with each one.

The second thing that ME1 holds over ME2 is just in the amount of side missions to be had. It also seemed that the side missions in ME1 were longer as well. One thing I remember from ME1 is that each star system you visit had a mission in it. In ME2 you have to scour several star systems before you find a side mission, and sometimes there isn't even a side mission in an entire cluster.

Also the missions seemed longer, sometimes needing you to visit several systems to complete all the objectives. I only call one mission in ME2 that keeps the same story going through several locations.

Verdict:

Toss-Up

Essentially this subject ends up in a quality versus quantity argument. Now usually quality would win in this case but this case is a little different. If it wasn't for the lack of dialogue and choices in ME2's side missions I would immediately side with it. But when playing through them I was shocked how some missions would simply just end without talking to the people in the missions or even having your squad members give any input on what just took place.

ME2 definitely took good steps in making each side mission feel vastly different but they took out a lot of the story and especially the choices that existed in many of ME1's side missions. That's why to me I can't declare a clear winner in this battle.