Gaming Signal: REVIEW: Mass Effect

REVIEW: Mass Effect

MY RATING:

Like Trent, I'm going to try to be as unbiased and sincere as I can with my review of Mass Effect but it is hard because 1) I'm a Bioware fanboy, 2) it's a sci-fi themed game, and 3) I love RPGs. However, I think I can also be hard on games that don't measure up and wouldn't be enthusiastic about a game unless it really was good. So here goes - my take on what I consider to be one of the best XBOX 360 games produced so far.

If you've played a previous Bioware game - such as Knights of the Old Republic or Baldur's Gate then you'll find yourself right at home with Mass Effect. In fact, lots of ME looks like KOTOR - from the way the quests lay out, to the way the talent system works. This isn't a bad thing though, because that game was a ton of fun. In general, ME is an evolution of the system they have used before with several very cool additions.

The character dialog system reminds me quite a bit of what I saw in Planescape: Torment in that you have real choices that have real meaning. It works great and is easily one of the deepest and most engrossing RPGs because of it. But as Joystiq said, sometimes you'll feel like you're playing a 12 Angry Men simulator instead of a game. Especially in the beginning, there is a lot of backstory to get through to get you immersed in the game and as a result you'll find yourself wondering if there really is more to ME than the dialog trees. Luckily, there is quite a bit more.

The game has 2 different combat modes - the main 'over the shoulder' game that acts like a shooter, and the 'in your rover' game that offers some pretty fun vehicle combat. In the main game, your characters skills and abilities all come into play. You can use abilities such as biotic force throw or an engineering ability to make the enemy weapons explode in addition to combat staples such as powering up your weapons or your shields. These mechanics all work great and is a tremendous amount of fun. There are 4 main gun types (pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, and sniper rifle) but many, many different models of each. You can also augment each weapon with up to 3 modifications that increase stability, add poison effects, etc.

In contrast to other RPG games, ME provides an auto-loot system that means you don't actually have to locate and pickup the loot enemies drop. It just magically appears in your inventory from hundreds of meters away (thank you sniper rifle.) I don't consider this a negative, but it did break the suspension of disbelief from time to time - such as when you force push a foe off a cliff only to have his loot magically appear. The loot itself is highly interesting and meaningful. You are always on the lookout for that next upgrade, at least until about 80% through the game when you are handed a set of high-end weapons that you'll never replace again (although only you can use them, so your squad mates weapons will still be replaced.)

The rover play is fun, but also the source of some frustration. Some planets are filled with so many crags and peaks that the rover is a chore to drive from location to location. Also, the rover's firing arc is completely unintuitive. Because the rovers turret doesn't tilt up much or down at all, you don't shoot where your aiming at if you aren't on the same plane as the target. I believe this was done in the name of game balance - if you could simply shoot wherever the targeting reticule was certain missions would be too trivial. It is unfortunate though, because it feels unfinished. The fun part comes from how resilient the rover is and what fun it is to drive around shooting your chaingun and launching rockets at enemies. Oh, and did I mention that you can run things down? That's fun too. The rover also contributes to the feeling of how vast the universe is - I don't think I saw a single planet that wasn't unique in terms of terrain style, weather, and how the sky looks.

If you want, you can do nothing but the story and finish the game in 12 hours. If you do every side mission, there is about 40 hours of game here. I took 30 to finish my first game and enjoyed almost every minute of it. There are elements that bear a repeat play. Not only are some achievements only available through replay, you'll also have a chance to play the dialog differently and look for a different ending.

The story in this game is simply amazing - better than many books and all but a few sci-fi films. Even side missions have stories that are compelling and feel very real (I defy you to keep your emotions in check when you talk a former slave girl from down from the edge.) The main story arc missions are really fun because you honestly feel like you are having a major impact on this highly interesting story.

On the negative end, the stations and mines that are part of the side missions are all identical layouts. There are some twists out there, but for the most part once you've seen the generic 'mine' you'll know exactly where the rooms are and what is worth going for. Also, there is a lot of texture popping that also detracts from your immersion. Given the fixed platform that is the 360, I'm surprised that the game has so much of this. Some have complained that the inventory system is unwieldy and I think that is a valid criticism. It isn't terrible, it just feels like it's unusually restrictive - there seems to be a lot of wasted screen real estate that could have gone into an easier to use system. The most important things such as switching out weapons, armor, and modifications are all very easy, but after that things get a bit bogged down. They really could have done a better job with this.

The graphics overall are really good - especially the character detail. From the scar that adorns the lead character to the facial expressions all characters convey this game has set a new level for how good a game can be. The graphics have a cinematic quality due to they way they have pushed the contrast very high and used blur to create limited depth of field in many instances. It really works, but I can see some people feeling the game is a bit dim compared to other titles. The voice acting is fantastic - best I've heard in a long time. And the other game audio - from the background music to the special audio effects - is what you would expect from a high profile product. The production value here is second to none.

So to wrap up - get this game. Well, OK - get this game if you like RPGs or prior Bioware titles. If you are a pure shooter fan this won't appeal to you like Halo 3 does. But if you like a good story, want to see the best graphics the 360 can deliver, and want a great value for the dollar you can't go wrong with Mass Effect.

Good posting Scott (as usual). I FINALLY feel like I have a game that is truly using the full extent of the 360 rather than just mild upgrades to a standard xbox. As a casual gamer I was a little hesitant to buy a game that I knew was possibily a serious time drain but I kept picking it up and putting it down at Best Buy (gratuitous plus) until I decided to bite the bullet. My first thoughts after getting home and ripping the box open were "OH MY!" as the beautiful score and facial characterization came into view. As the bags under my eyes can attest, after putting the boys to bed and cleaning the dishes off, I have gotten precious little sleep this last week after my purchase. While still in the initial stages of the game, I've really come to appreciate the depth of thought that went into the game in terms of backstory and in laying out what has proven to be an eerie but incredibly cool looking pocket universe to explore. I can't offer a lot to add to Scotts' critique but let me say that this may be one of those game that is finally worth the ticket price of a current game system for someone who is content without having to have xbox live to make a game worthwhile. The story, the graphics, the music and the relative ease to pick up the game and start running make this a definite must have for anyone with even a casual interest in an RPG type game, and if you're considering it for that reason, have at it!

The almost unheard of Zorro snap!

Posted by Doug on Thursday January 10, 2008 at 1:42 PM