Mass Effect

[zako]

Mass Effect

ESRB rating: M (Mature)
For the Xbox 360 and PC.

Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The Xbox 360 edition was released worldwide in November 2007. The PC edition was released on May 28, 2008, published by Electronic Arts. The game takes place in the year 2183, with the player assuming the role of an elite human soldier named Commander Sheppard, set out to explore a vast universe on his or her ship, the SSV Normandy.

[img][img]

Mass Effect was developled by BioWare, the same studio that gave us the best Star Wars game to beat, Knights of the Old Republic. Using the same design aspects, BioWare created a game in which simple sentences, actions, and interactions with people can shape the final outcome of the player’s character. The player assumes the role of Commander Sheppard, a veteran soldier who can be customized by the player. The character's appearance also varies based on the weaponry and armor the player uses. In addition to customizing Sheppard’s appearance, players can also choose a back story for the character, which influences dialogue throughout the game, as well as which side missions will be available to the character.
In addition to Commander Sheppard, the player can have two additional characters following along and contributing to battles and dialogue. These characters are not created by the player and are only partially under the player's control. There are six characters met in the game that will join the fight; each has a detailed back-story and their own reasons for wanting to help. Two of the characters are human and the other four are aliens. While playing Mass Effect, the player will encounter a number of sentient alien species. While human characters are present, much of the time will be taken up interacting with the other species in the game. Aliens include the reptilian krogan, the salamander-like salarians, the raptor-like turians and the asari, a race of aliens who physically resemble human females.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Game Overview

The game includes six character classes. Each class contains several talents; as each talent is leveled, the character either gains stats (extra health, stamina, etc), unlocks new abilities (leveling the Shotgun talent unlocks the Carnage ability, which allows the character to fire a concentrated explosive blast from the Shotgun), or unlocks other talents. Each class also possesses a unique talent with the same name as its respective class; the characters may also have talents tied to their background. Characters who have reached level 20 will unlock a "Rogue VI" side-mission on Luna (Earth's Moon) in the Sol system, in which upon completion, allows the player to choose one new specialist class. This unlocks one new "bar" of talents which can be earned. The specialist classes the character is offered depend on the base class.
When characters are first created, six classes are available: Soldier, Engineer, Adept, Infiltrator, Sentinel, and Vanguard. Soldiers are the most skilled with weaponry, Engineers make use of the omni-tool and tech-abilities and the Adept are the best at using the biotics. The other three classes are combinations of the first three. Infiltrators are a combination of Soldiers and Engineers, the Sentinel is a combination between the Engineer and the Adept, and the Vanguard are a combination of the Soldier and the Adept.
Players also have some control over their character's back story. They are able to choose either to have been a "spacer" (born and bred in space), a "colonist" (born on one of Earth's extra solar colonies), or an "Earthborn." They also choose whether they have been the sole survivor of a terrible battle, a war hero, or a ruthless soldier. These backgrounds have only a small effect in the game, although many characters reference the player's chosen background when talking to Commander Sheppard, and these can also affect whether some side-quests become available or not. Except in a few situations, the player's background does not directly affect the player's dialogue choices.
Combat in Mass Effect takes place in real time, the player can pause at any time to give orders to other squad members. The player and his allies use firearms (modifiable with various upgrades throughout the game), Tech abilities (to interfere with enemy equipment and abilities), and Biotics to fight their enemies. Players directly control all of their own character's actions as well as utilizing their squad mates personal attacks, but cannot take direct command of their squad mates.
Mass Effect features four classes of conventional weapons and a variety of weapon and armor upgrades. The player can pause the game at any time and change the equipment used by the members of the party. This is a major strategic aspect of the game play, as choosing the correct equipment can mean the difference between a quick victory and defeat. Equipped items are visible on the characters; the armors have different appearances and all weapons fold up into compact versions that are stored on the character's back. Weapons can be retrieved by using a weapon wheel similar to the talent wheel.
Ammunition is unlimited; instead of needing to reload, a weapon will build up heat until it overheats, and cannot fire until it has sufficiently cooled down. In-game, the reasoning for this is that weapons are loaded with "blocks" of ammunition material, and each round fired is sheared off from this central supply of ammunition. The rounds themselves are described as being the size of a "grain of sand" and are launched through "mass accelerator" technology at extremely high speeds. Firing a weapon continuously or using a weapon that one is untrained with will result in decreased accuracy, represented by an expanding targeting reticule. The more Talent points that are spent on a weapon type, the greater the weapon type's accuracy and damage. The characters wear dual layer hard suits which serve as combat and EVA suits. These suits provide a seemingly limitless supply of oxygen. The method for creating this is unknown. They offer protection against incredible temperatures, and can take multiple mass accelerator rounds before failing. The suits also come equipped with Kinetic Barriers, which act as shields that stop most weapons fire. There are three classifications of hard suits: light, medium, and heavy armor.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My Personal Take on it.

Mass Effect is one of the best Western RPGs out there (JRPGs can take a thing or two from it). It can strip the competition in terms of storytelling, design and graphics. The Interface is a bit clunky and the AI, certain glitches, and a few repetitive missions hurts it but overall, the game is spectacular. Unlike most RPGs I played, this one really gets to my bones for its Sci Fi elements. NO more huge swords that are wielded by characters with insane hairdos and clothing that looked like a bomb went off next to them, this game features stylish clothing with a more utilitarian feel. Hell, I even liked the part where you can execute one of your party members (I wanted to chose the girl, hated that whiney, emotional person…).


Story and Characters: 10/10
Graphics: 8.7/10
Interface: 7/10 Cluttered as a chess board after two hours.
Gameplay: 8/10 AI sucks, they charge at me for now reason.
Lasting appeal/Replay value: 9.8/10