It’s now been a full year since Mass Effect 2 was released to worldwide critical acclaim on the Xbox 360 and PC, and Playstation 3 owners have finally been given the chance to take part in Bioware’s grand sci-fi epic. But considering the first Mass Effect was never released on Sony’s console, is it too late for PS3 owners to become fully invested in the franchise?

Fortunately, any scepticism is immediately done away with within the game’s incredible 10 minute opening, after which a lengthy interactive comic brings you up to speed on the plot. Unlike the original 360 version, the PS3 edition now runs on the upcoming Mass Effect 3 engine and looks absolutely gorgeous; character models are highly detailed, the animation has been improved and the lighting is possibly the best ever seen in current generation videogames. Compared to the rather samey environments of the first game, Mass Effect 2 bursts with colour and, apart from a couple of repetitive environments halfway through the game, keeps up an impressive variety to the landscapes due to fantastic art direction.

The game’s main plot, based on the returning Commander Shephard’s mission to recruit a team to tackle an alien race abducting human colonies, is brilliantly compelling. The writing, typically for a Bioware game, is consistently strong, featuring performances from the likes of Martin Sheen, Tricia Helfer and Seth Green. The dialogue system from the original Mass Effect also makes a return, this time allowing you to occasionally interrupt conversations with a ‘paragon’ (heroic) or ‘renegade’ (aggressive) response. The game also does away with the self-important ‘space drama’ common with many current sci-fi videogames (i.e. ‘Halo’), instead choosing to focus on character development and exposition whilst exploring issues of racism, genocide and even child abuse, creating a more mature, and consequently unique, experience.

However, this is not to say that the gameplay takes a back seat to the stroytelling.  Far from it in fact. The shooting is a more tactical approach to the standard ‘Gears of War’ or’ Uncharted’ style of duck n’ cover gunplay. You’re allowed to bring two teammates into each skirmish, each companion bringing with them their own unique attributes. If we’re being completely honest, the cover mechanic still needs a little improvement. Shephard still transitions from cover to cover a little awkwardly, but it fortunately doesn’t distract from the otherwise strong gameplay.

Putting minor faults aside, Mass Effect 2 is practically flawless. The cast is incredibly varied, each having their own distinct personalities (wait until you meet Mordin Solus – an overactive alien with a penchant for Gilbert and Sullivan) and the game demands repeated playthroughs, offering opportunities to see different plot developments or play styles due to the game’s six different class options. It should also be mentioned that this new edition comes with all the downloadable content released in the previous year for no additional cost (apart from the upcoming ‘The Arrival’), add all this together and it’s an outstanding value for money package. So what are you waiting for? With a 20+ hour campaign, one of the strongest casts of characters in any role-playing game to date and a truly compelling and expertly-written story to get lost in, you owe it to yourself to try Bioware’s latest masterpiece - if not solely for the chance to see an alien perform Victorian-era musical numbers aboard a massive galactic spaceship.