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Deep story unfolds in early going, very immersive experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 178 / 191
Date: November 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First off, I've been waiting for this game since the previews came out late last year (2006). So far, Bioware has done a great job of pimping out this game. And deliver it does...

STORY: A+
The 'cutscenes' are really not cutscenes at all. The conversations you have are pretty dynamic and integration of the choices of stuff to say is so seamless it seems almost natural. Early on, you get a sense of this when choices of stuff to do in the field enable you to remake your character as a mission-oriented commander or more of a compassionate search-for-survivors kind of guy, among some. The story picks up pretty much where the prequel book left off, and immerses you in the experience. You keep on wanting to learn more. You definitely feel like a part of this epic and that will keep you coming back.

Unlike Halo 3 and Gears of War which launch you into an ongoing war, this game sends you into a very deep, very complex world to explore. Imagine yourself as a hypothetical CIA agent before the war begins. Expect to see yourself running around the world, talking to people and gaining intel on people, and then having fight scenes from time to time. When you get sent on a mission to track someone down and there are lots of enemies between you and the destination, then you begin to see more of the combat-intensive aspects of the game.

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GAMEPLAY: A
Expect to see a third-person shooter with a heavy RPG influence. While out in the field, it's like a Gears of War experience with a basic tactical system. Run. Take cover. Take some guys down. Order your friendlies to flank the enemy or to fall back. Outside of this, the RPG system comes into play when leveling up, when you get to choose abilities to level up, weapons to equip (ie, if you have 3 types of sniper rifles in inventory, which one will you equip?. I will cover this in more detail below). The controls were overall slightly different from control schemes used in comparable third-person shooters. It didn't take me long to get used to the system used here in Mass Effect. You can pretty much figure it all out in the first level.

I had the mistaken view that only snipers and pistols can be trained into an over-the-shoulder Gears of War camera angle when aiming (holding down the left trigger). Apparently, this is because I started off as an Infiltrator class. Different character classes can train different weapons. The soldier class can train all weapons. Sniping took some getting used to. When you first start off, Shepard is very shaky and thus it is very difficult to snipe. Adding points to level up your sniping ability seems to limit this shakiness greatly.

The tactical system is very very bare bones. You can order people to fall back, take on a specific target, regroup, or storm the area. Nothing much to it. Therefore, players can fight with their AI teammates as much of a unit (though I feel the AI tends to die a lot).

You also get to drive vehicles. Much of you have seen the trailers and saw that tank drop out from the Normandy. That tank handles like a Warthog from Halo 3, except with rocket boosters and a repair function. A heads up - repairing means you can't move or fire any of the tank's weapons. Therefore, make sure you're in cover when repairing. I love the rocket boosters as it gives you an extra method of dodging rockets and charged shots from the geth. The big disadvantage is that you have to drive and shoot at the same time. This makes for some very frustrating vehicle fight sequences.

I am a big fan of how the game feels thus far. Having RPG elements yields a lot of control over how your character plays on the field. The shooting system is pretty good, but not flawless. My biggest complaint early on was the many loading pauses you have to go through, but the deeper I went into the game, the less it affected gameplay. Loading pauses don't happen in the middle of the heat of battle, but it definitely wouldn't hurt to possibly fix this up in future patches.

Finally, a decent portion of the game involves going out and doing side missions. This means jumping in the tank and driving from the landing zone to various points on the map. I think driving around like this is the most painful experience of the game. There's almost always nothing but an occasionally frustrating 5-minute drive between the LZ and the destination, and once you get there, after doing a few of the side missions, you realize that the site layout is a recurring theme. Therefore, if anything else, the side missions are a great way to practice and to level up. There's some more of that RPG stuff working for you.

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RPG Elements: A
For weapons and armor, the feel is similar to something like Diablo II, where you pick up random equipment as you go along. Each equipment has a certain class: armor, assault rifles, pistols, sniper rifles, shotguns, etc (I haven't seen the other classes!). Depending on the character class you chose at the beginning, you have different combinations of these classes available to you. For example, my character class may allow me to equip an assault rifle and armor only. This means that I can equip only 1 assault rifle at a time and 1 armor. But since I pick up a lot of these in the field, I must choose which assault rifle I want to use and which armor to equip. The equipment select screen where you actually do this shows a lot of equipment data, ie damage of a weapon, 'clip size', so on.

Upgrades for each weapon can also be picked up and installed, including different rounds (ie, shredder rounds that add bonus damage when fighting organics, vs. armor piercing rounds against synthetics) and a wide range of add-ons (ie, heat sinks to decrease gun overheating).

Another big thing is that you gain experience out in the field as you fight more stuff. You earn points this way that you can spend upgrading, say, your ability to snipe or your armor's damage reduction settings. There are definitely a variety of choices to look through while you decide what to level up.

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CHARACTERS: A+
I enjoy interacting with the characters to see what's going on in their heads. The characters are all very multidimensional and very well thought up and implemented in the game. Voice acting and video synchronization was flawless.

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REPLAYABILITY: A
I have played through the story at least 3x by now, amassing more than 60 hours of gameplay. Having 6 character classes to pick from and 6 squad members to choose from, including the ability to choose whether to build your reputation as a ruthless military man or a compassionate and humane leader (or somewhere in between) definitely keeps you coming back to see how you can change the way things play. The different character classes really play differently so have fun with them.

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To sum up, some of you may be looking at this game and wondering whether or not it's worth the $60. And I say it is.

PROS: Deep and immersive storyline that captivates from the beginning, well-made characters, seamless incorporation of dynamic cutscenes, unique integration of 3PS with RPG. This game plays very differently from anything you've tried before. It's no Halo 3 nor Bioshock. It's a very well-made original game.

CONS: Minimap is not intuitive at first, plays too much like a movie at times, driving between points on a map in the Mako can be excruciatingly boring, a lot of recurring layouts with the sites of side missions.

FINAL VERDICT: A+. Very well-made game, well worth that whole wait from June till now. I've been anticipating this game for a while and it delivers an epic storyline of gigantic portions in a way that no others have done. This is definitely for people who want to experience being in an all-new sci-fi epic and building up an altogether new and unique hero.

Massive

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 57 / 67
Date: November 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Mass Effect comes from BioWare. The creators of Knights of the Old Republic. Because of that, it goes without saying that Mass Effect feels very similar in its RPG like approach. This is no clone of Knights of the Old Republic, though. Mass Effect is its own game and it's a very fantastic game at that. This review is pretty long. If need be, you can look to the bottom for a list of pros and cons.

You're John Shepard. The game takes place in the year 2183, and humanity has come to explore the Galaxy like never before. You'll discover a series of races throughout the galaxy and there's a sense of injustice afoot. Tensions between races are also high. You'll come across people who hardly trust a certain character because of their race. Just the same, a Turian (one of the many races in the game) named Saran has betrayed the Galactic council and its up to you to stop him and bring justice to the Galaxy. Mass Effect has a pretty intriguing storyline that grips you from the moment you begin. It's also well written with some fairly interesting characters.

The storyline is told through fantastic cut scenes and some fantastic voice acting. The quality of these scenes is movie like in its execution. The game also looks fantastic. Some of the character models look almost lifelike. In terms of eye candy, Mass Effect is sure to delight. It also sounds really good. There's a lot of great music here. Again, it sounds movie like. Hardly any game sounds better. The music always manages to fit the mood and situation at hand.

You begin by making a character. Much like Knights of the Old Republic, you're allowed to customize what he looks like and here you're also able to give your character a back story. As the game goes on, you'll participate in several conversations. These conversations have a direct impact on the storyline as well as shaping your character. Most times they'll also have an effect on the outcome of certain situations. Not always, but often they do. There's also a light and dark attribute going on much like Knights of the Old Republic.

In terms of Gameplay, Mass Effect is a pretty complex game. It plays a lot like a third person Shooter, but at its core it is definitely an RPG. As you traverse the field you'll have a squad at your command. You control Shepard and can give orders to your troops. Either you can send them ahead to attack, rally them or tell them to keep their distance. You can give these kinds of commands any time you want. Just because it plays like a third person shooter, though doesn't mean you treat the game as such. Mass Effect is not a very easy game. It is important to add strategy to a situation rather than go in with guns blazing. Your enemies have some attacks that can take off a lot of health at any given time. The AI of your characters is sometimes questionable, though. For the most part, they help in battle, but sometimes you'll feel like a one man army.

Throughout the adventure you'll also gather Medi-gels and Omni-gels. Medi-gels heal you while Omni-gels are for using decryption or electronics on devices like locked doors or containers. Speaking of locked doors, you'll come across some of those too. As well as locked containers and other things you'll need to override. You'll do it by entering a series of button presses. This is actually a pretty annoying mini-game. Screw up even once and you lose your chance to override and you'll have to result to using Omni-gels.

There is also a lot of customization to take in. All characters have certain talents. Whenever you level up you can increase a characters rank in a talent. In time they'll be able to do things like open locked doors with ease or be able to better handle certain weapons easier. You can also customize weapons and armor or turn them into Omni-gels. If you turn a weapon into an Omni-gel, though, it's gone forever. For the most part, the game is pretty free in terms of what you can do.

Mass Effect has a couple of glaring problems when it comes to gameplay. As you traverse, for one thing, the game sometimes slows down. So it doesn't always run smoothly. While you have control over the camera, you can't automatically position it behind you. You always have to swivel it around. It's not a huge problem, but it is one that can get you killed when you're surrounded by several enemies at once. It also doesn't help that the camera doesn't swivel fast. Also, much like Knights of the Old Republic, there are a couple of bugs that hinder gameplay. At some points you'll even have to reload or something because of them. There was even an instance where the game froze entirely. In short, the game is good, but there are a lot of little nit-picky technical things that keep it from being as good as it could be. Technical glitches that shouldn't be in the game in the first place.

Mass Effect is a strong game. It's got all the qualities that really make a game good. It's just too bad that it has a few problems in the technical department that keep it from being an overall fantastic game.

Pros:

+Strong storyline
+Excellent voice acting and script
+Very interactive story
+Fantastic looking visuals
+Good strong soundtrack
+Simplistic, yet strategic combat
+Deep customization

Cons:

-A couple of camera issues
-Sometimes there's a slowdown in frame rate
-A few technical bugs and glitches; sometimes these will make you have to reload your game... very annoying

Is There Anything Bioware Can't Do?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: November 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Bioware has a pretty impressive track record for RPGs. Their most famous work to date, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, garnered almost every "Game of the Year" award in the video game industry back when it was released.

Now a few years later, we get 'Mass Effect'. A Sci-Fi adventure that at times can seem as if it has endless choices for you to make. A few examples are things such as your character customization options (including gender and specializations), weapon and armor customization, and your "good or evil" path choices.

Actually, boiling it down to Good or Evil is a mistatement. It isn't that simple with Mass Effect. You are set out to be a 'hero', but how you get there is your choice. You can choose to work with the citizens you encounter to get complete your mission and be a Paragon. You can also choose to be a take-no-prisoners type of character and be a Renegade. If neither of those suit you, play it right down the middle a be a balance of both or neither. Your choice.

The story is Bioware's best plot ever. If you played the original Knights of the Old Republic, that's saying something. I won't give anything away, because the story is one of the main selling points of the game.

The combat is simple. In fact, some might find it overly so. However, I think people are missing the point. This isn't trying to be the greatest Third Person Shooter ever created. It's trying to revolutionize what RPGs can be.

The graphics are beyond stunning. Sometimes you will find yourself staring at your surrondings in awe and completely forget what you were doing. There is a minor buffering issue where all of the textures are loaded a second or two after you regain control of your characters, but it's nothing that really detracts from the games overall beauty.

In my opinion, I think Bioware succeeded in once again showing us the true potential of what the RPG genre can put forth. In fact, if there is one RPG out this year that is a must have, Mass Effect is it. Do not hesitate to order because you won't regret the purchase.

Played for a 1/2 an hour and looks GREAT so far

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 17
Date: November 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Ok....some of you are wondering, if you haven't gotten it yet or getting it today what is the deal and does it live up to the hype...

My answer is so far, yes and so far I don't know...

If you were a big fan of KOTOR this is a no brainer...either run and don't walk and get this game or if you were like me, you got it last night (BTW I was one of 5 people who went at midnight in my area to get this game)

The I don't know part is for those who are looking for either this to be a run n gun experience (it's not) or something out of Oblivion (it's better) or things I can't name right here.

For the most part in the 1/2 an hour of time I got to play it before sleep kicked in, I saw a lot.

Before that tho, 20 mins took me to set up my characterbecause if this the epic game that Bioware is making this, you want to have a character you can stand to look at.

My character wound up looking like a mardern day version of Eartha Kitt (in her 20's or 30's) with a nice short cut...hehehe

Ok...so what did you see in a 1/2 an hr?

Ok....in a brief sum.

1. You learn a bit about your own character based on whatever background set you pick

2. You learn that your crew are working with aliens that everyone has mixed feelings about especially since one is on board the ship.

3. I p*ssed off said alien race on my ship because he likes working 'alone' and I don't think I can trust them.

4. I may have p*ssed off a doc on my ship because she has a nasty 'tude also and my character doesn't take any crap....lol

5. I got one of my 'Ensign Jenkins' (hereafter known as EJs) killed because I sent him forward to take out an emplacement and he accidentally blew up a power cell (dummy!)

6. I got a cool peice of armor...hehehe

The combat is a bit of a mixed bag because sometimes it seems as even tho you are shooting at something it doesn't quite 'die' the way you want it but this is definently preferred over turn based combat.

If you have seen the pix and the videos, the graphics are very well done and if they get around to doing another KOTOR then this right here may be a sneak peek as to where this is going.

Also another thing you want to be aware of....check your graphics settings as your are setting up the game...I got a little concerned as I played about a 'grainy' quality my picture had and I thought it was the TV....it's not...in the settings, they have a reading for "film grain" so that way the game alomost looks like you are playing a movie.

Back to the convos....it's everything that they advertised as far as how fluid it it and each and every choice you make as far as how you want to take definently makes a difference. Sometimes you have to make a choice to glean info from someone vs brushing them off because they are getting a little too familiar. I did find in one instance so far that if you kind of continue along the exact same line of questioning, that you get the same response. But it still doesn't detract from the experience.

I think this will be the game that knocks Oblivion off of the throne as the top RPG on the 360 but only time will tell and some downloadable content can't hurt either!

Otherwise so far, within the very tiny portion of the game that I have played...it is indeed impressive.

Beautiful, but SLOW and flawed

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 19 / 27
Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Let's get the obvious out of the way. The graphics, specially in dialog are gorgeous. Once you get to combat, they're good, but not gorgeous even thou everything is created using the game's engine. The story is very well done and intriguing. I found myself enjoying the dialog so much I felt I was watching a movie. Now the bad things: The shooting controls are just awkward. It wants to be gears of war in the combat mechanics and fails miserably in the attempt. Another game I'm playing these days, Uncharted Drakes fortune, completely rips off the GOW mechanics as well, but the execution is perfect. So if you're going to rip some game off, at least do it well. The shooting controls and mechanics just feel clunky and uncomfortable. Using the sniper rifle is an exercise in futility. The screen shakes so much you're aiming all over the place and "No diazepam for you!" is the motto of the designer Nazis. The rest of the game just feels S L O W. I found myself constantly wondering which way to go. I just beat Call of duty 4. The difficulty setting in that one was perfect. Want to figure out where to go by yourself? fine. It's your choice. Not a hard core explorer? No problem. They will take you by the hand the whole game. In this one is pretty much a couple of clues on the map, which is like 5 button pushes away if you need it, and pretty much you're on your on. Did I mention S L O W?

If you're an RPG fan, you'll love this game. If any of what I mentioned before makes you hesitate, rent if first. This is a AAA title and there's a lot of quality here. Many people just love it. But in my opinion, some fundamental flaws ruin the execution as a whole. And I just don't have the patience these days a game like this requires.

One of the best Games ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The game is beautiful, the storyline is gripping and gameplay is fun, what more can you ask. It is like playing through a movie you are creating yourself. You actualy get to choose the outcomes, and the game changes every time you play becuase of the amount of options there are. This game is a must have for any player!~

Game of the Year or maybe tied for it with Bioshock

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is just beautiful. It's like playing the cut scenes and the way the text trees are set up you really get drawn into the game. The fighting is excellent, think Rainbow Six Vegas in third person. It has a somewhat the same cover system. I love it, Game of the Year.

FUN FUN FUN!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I had been waiting in anticipation for this game to come out for almost a year so needless to say I was really excited yesterday when I got to pick up my copy which had been on hold since march! If I had to compare this to a game other than biowares other games it would be gears of war meeting oblivion with a story much better and deeper than I have ever seen before. The Controls are a little tought to get used to in combat but bearable once you get them down. The graphics are simply amazing! So much to explore you might want to get the guide as well. Should be a game that you want to play over and over.

The era of the DVD disc is over...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is amazing to say the least, however While going through this game i'm starting to see that the DVD disc hit it's limit with this title because there could of been so much more added to the game if they had say a HD-dvd disc.

I just wish xbox 360 used HD-dvd discs.
If we got this big of a game with a 9 gigabyte DVD disc, imagine what could of been done with a HD-dvd disc.

[They have to use alot of repeat geometry and all the free explore planets really do just look the same with different hills.(kind of bland)]

However, Mass effect is the best game the xbox 360 will probably ever have in terms of size and graphics, that being said the game is also limited by the 9 gigabyte dvd disc and that will limit future titles; we truly have seen the next-gen with this title,

The only way we will get a better game than mass effect is if developers use HD-dvd discs.

Anyhow:

I give mass effect:

10/10 graphics
10/10 sound
10/10 story, characters
9/10 combat

I really do love the size of this game, the graphics are great, and the characters awesome, I just wish xbox 360 used HD-dvd discs.
If we got this big of a game with a 9 gigabyte DVD disc, imagine what could of been done with a HD-dvd disc.

Why not for the PC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Well fellow PC gamers finally a game comes along where the player can interact with the game other than just movement and shooting.And guess what it is a console game not made for the pc.This should tell you which way gamming is going.To even play the latest big pc game out there CRYSIS at quality settings most people will have to buy new computers.That or spend several hundred on upgrades that may blow your motherboard.FAR CRY was a much better game than CRYSIS and did not need near the resources.It is time to buy an X BOX for games and use the pc to surf the net.

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