​Like many game journalists, I received my copy of Mass Effect 2 late last week and spent a huge chunk of the weekend with it. Obviously it's a massive game and I've still got a ways to go before I finish it, so the review is still at least a few days away. There's going to be something very different with my review compared to most of the others you'll see in the coming days. Unlike most other critics who will be covering Mass Effect 2, I haven't finished the first game. But that's a good thing.

First, let me clarify. I've played the original Mass Effect and I quite enjoyed it. I just never finished it. I set it down one day to play something else, and then another game I wanted to play came out. And then another. And then another. Finishing Mass Effect just kept getting shuffled to the bottom of the pile, even though I liked the game and fully intended to finish it someday.

Now here's why I think it's a good thing: people who played the first game and loved it don't really need a review of the second one. They already know if they plan on playing the sequel based on their experiences with the first game. But gamers who never played the original don't have that experience. They need to know whether or not they can jump into a series in the middle and still enjoy it. You don't need to play every Call of Duty game to enjoy the new entry in the series. With an RPG, that's a much dicier proposition. There are characters, worlds and stories that have been built up over an entire game. Will players skipping right to Mass Effect 2 be able to throw themselves in?

I'll be reviewing Mass Effect 2 for those players who are new to the series, although I've played enough of the original to be able to comment on the improvements. If you've been wondering if you should play Mass Effect 2 even though you haven't played the first one, stick around and I'll have an answer for you in a couple days. I'll give you a sneak peak of the review based on the 15 hours I've put into the game so far: It's excellent.