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Mass Effect
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: BioWare
Genre: RPG
Release: November 20, 2007
Platform: Xbox 360
Reviewer: Eric
BioWare has been releasing top notch role playing games since
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The game was a huge
success, a sequel soon followed. Nobody was sure if BioWare
could make another great RPG but that’s when Jade Empire came
out, another classic game. With three huge role playing games
already in their collection it was time for BioWare to release
another “must have” RPG.
 Mass Effect lives up to the BioWare name. After playing this
game for quite some time I really started to see what the hype
was all about. Mass Effect may not be a turned based RPG like
most titles, but that is defiantly alright. The more action
based battle system fits extremely well with Mass Effects
presence.
When you first put on this game you get to create your own
character. You are only able to give a first name for your
character which isn’t bad since you are known as Shepard, your
last name, throughout the game. Instead be having your name
being ignored or a character talking to out of the blue you are
acknowledged as a somebody. This is a good thing because with a
battle going on in the universe you better be known.
There are quite a few different settings you can pick with your
character. Start by either choosing a male or female and then go
from there. One of your choices you also get to pick is your
characters past. These three options play a vital part in your
characters development/all around story.
If that wasn’t enough for you there are a few different
character classes you can pick from. Each class plays
differently in battle and each one has their own set abilities.
Now you have to add in the different weapons you can equip and
what powers you learn. Mass Effect is one of those games that is
a different experience each time you play it.
When I first got into the game I was a little confused with the
battle system, mainly since I am use to turned based RPGs. If
you are having a hard time to figure out the battle system you
will die a lot. There were plenty of times where I have to load
my last save spot and do everything all over again.
Think of the battle system in Mass Effect as a mix between Gears
of War, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Final Fantasy
XII. It might seem a little sloppy with my writing but it really
isn’t. You even can give orders to your teammates, just make
sure you don’t send them on a suicide mission if things get too
rough.
 Some of the AI in Mass Effect seems a little less intelligent at
times. Your teammates don’t even seem to cooperate real well
when you give them your commands. Half of the time they want to
do their own thing any way, making it seem pointless to even add
in this feature. Enemy AI is also on the dumb side too. Even
though this game is a challenge, even on both difficulty
settings, there are times when the enemy will walk around like a
complete idiot. One minute they are making you run away for your
dear life and the next minute you are laughing at their every
movement.
There are many hard decisions you will have to face in Mass
Effect. If you remember the KOTOR series you had the choice of
which side you ended up in with a bunch of questions throughout
the story. Mass Effect has the same thing, but a lot more
complex. Some of the questions you face in this game can end up
in death or total destruction; the game can change completely
with one answer you give.
Are you willing to kill one person to complete a mission? Do you
take the chance and make your primary mission your secondary
one? These are some of the many decisions you face in Mass
Effect. It really isn’t easy that easy if you think about it.
Thankfully with all these different choices there is almost an
infinite amount of replay value in Mass Effect.
The game is broken up into some of the most beautiful cut scenes
I’ve seen in a next generation game. Remember when you see
videos of games and they look amazing? Then when the game comes
out it turns out that those were the games cut scenes? Mass
Effect’s cut scenes and game play graphics are all the same,
gorgeous and life like.
 Mass Effect did not cut the costs when it came to the voice
acting. Most of the dialogue here sounds like it was taken right
from a Science Fiction movie. This dialogue is also programmed
well with the characters mouth movements.
This sci-fi experience also has some wonderful music. It should
also be noted that Mass Effect’s cameras are pretty damn good so
Sega better buy all their employees this game so they can take a
few notes. I did however see a few minor clipping issues here
and there, but nothing that should take away from the games
experience.
Final Verdict
With the Xbox 360 having a lot of stellar titles right now it
may be hard just to pick one. There are still a ton of games
coming out but if you haven’t picked up Mass Effect yet then you
better do so now. This game takes movie aspects and the best
gaming ones and adds it into one of the best games ever.
With the few problems Mass Effect has you can easily forget
about them. The cinematic feel this game has will make the
clipping issues seem non existent, you might not even be able to
notice them. Don’t pass Mass Effect up; this is by far the
greatest adventure you will take until BioWare releases their
next big RPG.
Rating
9.50 out of 10
Mass Effect Trailer
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