Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010, and for PlayStation 3 a year later. This sequel to Mass Effect is set in our galaxy in the 22nd century, when humanity is threatened by the insectoid Collectors. BioWare emphasized third-person shooter aspects in the sequel, including limited ammunition and regenerable health. A variety of downloadable content packs extend the game with new character outfits and missions. Mass Effect 2 was a commercial success and received considerable acclaim from video game publications, including a score of 96 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 version at the review aggregate website Metacritic. Critics praised the interactive storytelling, characterization, and combat, but some reviewers expressed concerns about the sequel's simplified gameplay. The game received numerous year-end awards, including Game of the Year at the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards and the 2011 BAFTA Games Award. It is frequently cited in top-100 lists of video games.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_Effect_2

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1699:

The signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz to conclude the Austro- Ottoman War marked the end of Ottoman control in much of Central Europe and the rise of the Habsburg Monarchy as the dominant power in the region. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Karlowitz

1856:

Puget Sound War: United States Marines from the USS Decatur defeated Native American forces after an all-day battle with settlers in Seattle, Washington. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Seattle_(1856)

1918:

A group of Red Guards hung a red lantern atop the tower of Helsinki Workers' Hall to symbolically mark the start of the Finnish Civil War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Civil_War

1966:

The three Beaumont children disappeared from a beach in Glenelg, South Australia, resulting in one of the country's largest-ever police investigations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaumont_children_disappearance

1991:

Factions led by warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and his rebel group, the United Somali Congress, ousted President of Somalia Siad Barre from office. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siad_Barre

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

beyond the black stump: (Australia, informal, idiomatic) In an extremely isolated place, remote from populated areas; in the middle of nowhere. Typically used to refer to outback areas. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beyond_the_black_stump

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Everybody should fear only one person, and that person should be himself.   --Philip José Farmer https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Philip_Jos%C3%A9_Farmer