Mass Effect

Games like Mass Effect don't come around very often. And usually they're some of the very best games out there. I absolutely love Mass Effect. It has a great pedigree. Its developers made Myst, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and several others. So already you know you're not gonna be let down. In many ways it is like a mixture of Oblivion, Final Fantasy and Star Wars. It isn't orcs and goblins, nor is it mages and wizards, it is set in the year 2183.

The storyline is very interesting and exciting. The game is basically an RPG which gives you the opportunity to explore the galaxy going on primary and secondary quests always building up your knowledge of the galaxy. There are over 10 different races in which you will battle and ally yourselves with, all of whom have their own history, culture, societies and politics. Gaining information is critical. You're not only a space commander for the human race, you're also an investigator. You must go to various planets in order to gain a better understanding of the storyline. Along the way you'll engage in numerous combat situations. This game is so great because it is a master at everything it intends to do. By no means is combat - which isn't a focus of the game - a weak point. It is just as good as any other third person shooter. But Mass Effect excels in everything else. The game encompasses politics, society, culture, warfare, intrigue, conspiracy, romance, economics, trade etc. And this is what makes it so great, because it is so vast. The storyline is excellent. Being able to learn about a galaxies history and culture is so interesting. It's also like a book, an encyclopedia and a movie all in one. It leaves you on the edge wanting to know more, and yet has a great cinematic feel.

Furthermore, all the little details are well done. They have left nothing untouched, nothing forgotten about or neglected. The basics in combat work well i.e. changing weapons and using abilities. The menus look good and are easy to use. The options are actually rather useful unlike many games on the market which leave you with very little i.e. Mass Effect has a cinematic 'grain' effect, you can choose to turn this off if you prefer 'better' graphics at no loss to performance. Customising characters and weapons is easy and very rewarding. And the things which makes this game unique to most games, i.e. the vast amount of dialogue and voice acting, is also very good. So basically you're not being let down in any way with this game. I have looked forward to it for a while and I'm not disappointed in anyway. It's exactly as I hoped it would be, although I knew very little about this project before I played it.

If you enjoy sci-fi (Star Wars-esque) and liked any modern Final Fantasy games, Star Wars: KOTOR or Oblivion I'm sure you'll like this. I wouldn't be surprised if MOST people enjoyed this game simply because it really is a special and as fantastic as I am making it sound. :)

Absolutely sublime.

I had this game pre-ordered since september, and i must say i'm slightly disappointed! not because of the ensuing hype over its credentials, but that it is too restricted.
I had hoped it would be more like Oblivion rather than KOTOR (which by the way is old hat now!)
Don't get me wrong the graphics are truely spectacular and state of the art! However I am not one to be dazzled by style over substance.
There is no freedom in the game, I mean how am I supposed to lose myself in this sci-fi universe if i can't talk to 75% of people in the game?
No, for me the gameplay itself was too old-skool and restricted.
Unfortunately its being traded in tomorrow.

i can't understand why people are rating this game so highly? this has to be one of the worst games ever made for the 360! the graphics are not bad but not amazing (texture mapping pops up after a few seconds) and as for the frame rate, its so slow that when your in a fight it almost makes it impossible to play, pretty stupid as that is about 50% of the game!!!!! i have tried to like the game but after 5 hours of play its getting very frustating, and now to top it off the game has saved me right infront of a boss that kills me within 5 seconds of loading up(stupid autosave). all in all this is a complete waste of £40!!! WILL PROBLY THROW THIS IN THE BIN, DONT WANT TO TRADE IT IN CAUSE I WILL SAVE SOME OTHER SUCKER THEIR MONEY!!! sorry to the guys that like this game but it SUCKS!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY!

The long awaited release of Mass Effect from Bioware (of Baldur's Gate and Knights Of The Old Republic fame) follows the story of Shepard, a Human Alliance officer who becomes entangled in an intergalactic plot involving a renegade special agent (or 'Spectre'), Saren.

OK, to start: this isn't the free-roaming extravaganza that may have been billed, so don't bother comparing it with Oblivion. However, this game is huge, make no mistake. A number of systems and planets await exploration, alongside Mass Effect's answer to Coruscant: the Citadel, all of which are considerable in size and content. Be it pirates and slavers on one moon, thresher maws and geological surveying on another, there's lots to do. Gamers who stick to the main story will likely see the order of 20-25 hours, but if you want to explore and follow the intricacies of the sub-plots, there's easily 40+ hours in here ... and that's without the add-ons that are expected in the future.

The game looks stunning. That's probably an understatement. It does an excellent job of pulling the gamer into the story, with high-calibre graphics and superb score & voice casting. The main story is engaging and contains lots of twists and turns to maintain the interest levels. The main character is fully customisable, with a Paragon / Renegade system similar to KOTOR's Jedi / Sith feature. The dialogue wheels in particular are excellent, though again not far from KOTOR, and really add weight to the personality of Shepard, whichever direction the gamer chooses to take him.

Mechanics wise, the combat system is much improved from KOTOR's offering, with Shepard being fully controllable with an aim/cover system not far off Gears Of War. The team are also controllable to a considerable degree, though issuing commands via the D-Pad and the shoulder buttons (which manages weapons and special powers, or 'biotics'). The vehicle sections are mostly fun, though planetary battles with the thresher maws can be frustrating at times - say goodnight if one pops up directly underneath you.

In summary, it's not perfect, but it's hard to be overly critical once you've experienced it for yourself. It's obvious that Bioware have put a great deal of effort and care into crafting Mass Effect, and with such an expansive universe to explore and downloadable content promised, it's a title that offers a great deal of value and enjoyment for your hard-earned cash.

Better Than: KOTOR
Nearly As Good As: Oblivion
(but not quite)

I was sceptical about getting this game because a) im not a huge sci-fi nut and b) there seemed to be a lot of watching cut scenes. However i got it and ...... WOW!!! - this game is simply awsome. Everything about it is brilliant - the story really sucks you in - you can tell that the creators really have a passion for this game as they have made everything about it spot on. - There are indeed many cut scences, however you respond and direct how these are played out and you find yourself choosing very carefully what you say as you are genuienly concerned about what the consequences of your decisions could be.

The story is slightly cliched, but for it to work i think it has to be - sci-fi at its best i guess.

A truly remarkable game - if you only get one game this year, make sure its Mass Effect, you are really missing something special if you dont.