The Mass Effect franchise, considered by some to be the spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic series made in 2003, is Bioware's flagship project in RPG/Shooter entertainment. Mass Effect 2 is a personal favorite of mine, improving the combat mechanics from the first game whileemitting a darker tone in atmosphere and story. It is the "Empire Strikes Back" of the trilogy, with Mass Effect 3 set to release in March of 2012. The DLC is unfortunately not cheap (nor is that likely to change given EA's stance on digital rights and IP) but the lair of the Shadow Broker is a must-play if you buy any additional content for this game. The "free DLC" (i.e. content not put on the Xbox 360 disc at launch) is worth registering *one* more account at the Bioware site.

This game has consumed more hours than anything else I've played, while that's not always a plus, it does attest to the quality of the now free-to-play Team Fortress sequel. The learning curve may be a bit intimidating for new players, and a team that's cooperative and skilled can sometimes be challenging to find, it is entirely worth the hassle for anyone who wants something different from your modern multiplayer shooters.