Mass Effect: Genesis 2 is an "interactive backstory comic". It is an updated version of Mass Effect: Genesis, which was originally created for Mass Effect 2. Genesis 2 fills the role of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 for new players to the series, introducing them to the story of the first two games in the Mass Effect trilogy and allowing them to make some of the major plot decisions that players could make by playing through the previous games. The player is prompted to begin Genesis 2 after character creation, but using it is optional. There are two versions of the comic, one each for a male and female Commander Shepard.