Mass Effect (2007) (VG)

User Rating:

9.6/10   

Director:

Casey Hudson

Writers:

Drew Karpyshyn (writer)
Lukas Kristjanson (writer)

Release Date:

20 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

In a future time, you play an emotionally scarred soldier who must stop a plot to exterminate humanity throughout the galaxy. |

Plot Keywords:

Future | Violence | Blood | Space | Commando

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Steven Barr	...	Urdnott Wrex / Additional Roles (voice)
Kimberly Brooks	...	Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams (voice)
Keith David	...	Captain David Anderson (voice)
Seth Green	...	Jeff 'Joker' Moreau (voice)
Jennifer Hale	...	Commander Shepard (Female) / Additional Roles (voice)
Lance Henriksen	...	Admiral Steven Hackett (voice)
Ali Hillis	...	Dr. Liara T'Soni (voice)
Brandon Keener	...	Garrus Vakarian (voice)
Mark Meer	...	Commander Shepard (Male) / Additional Roles (voice)
Marina Sirtis	...	Matriarch Benezia (voice)
Liz Sroka	...	Tali'Zorah nar Rayya / Additional Roles (voice)
Raphael Sbarge	...	Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko (voice)
Fred Tatasciore	...	Saren Arterius (voice)
Leigh Allyn Baker	...	Additional Roles (voice)
April Banigan	...	Additional Roles (voice)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Color (HD)

Certification:

USA:M | Australia:MA (2007) | Singapore:M18 | UK:12

Company:

Bioware

Trivia:

When the player destroys the final component of the rogue VI (Virtual Intelligence) on Luna, there is a block of binary displayed as the last gasp of the dying VI. The binary displayed is 01001000 01000101 01001100 01010000 which when translated to ASCI reads "help".

Quotes:

Urdnott Wrex: In the ruins at Therum: Sterile White... Protheans sure built things homey.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Troldspejlet: (#38.1)" (2007)

Fourteen hours of unparalleled gameplay

As a fan of both bioware's Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, I had extremely high expectations for Mass Effect, their latest RPG for the console. Although skeptical at first, I found that it surpassed either of the latter two games, and achieved something no other RPG had on the console.

Mass Effect revamps every aspect of bioware's typical games, improving it vastly, without changing their unique gameplay style. Rather then duplicating Knights of the Old Republic again, bioware has decided to branch off in a unique and interesting direction. The result of this is a game that will surely stand the test of time through the ages, being for the Xbox 360 what Morrowind was for the Xbox or Zelda for the Nintendo.

The combat system is probably the greatest change, taking away any codified system, and allowing it to become a third person shooter. This allows a lot more skill to develop over the course of the game; the AI is quite good, and you'll have to think about tactics. On any difficulty aside from easy you will probably die a lot getting the hang of it, but once you are accustomed, it is much more rewarding than any of the previous games systems. The weapon variation is a bit lacking, but this is balanced out by the biotics system, similar to force powers in KoTOR. However, rather than having good and evil powers, a character specializing in them has access to all of them. I found that the leveling system in relation to these powers was very well thought out, and improvements made were very obvious upon combat.

The class you choose, whether it be exclusively weapons, powers or mechanics, or a mix of two is very important in deciding the balance between weapons and powers you will be using. As a first time player the most obvious choice is a mix, but the game is flexible to accommodate anyone who gets the hang of their chosen gameplay style. I found that the character creation was much more developed and sophisticated compared to the latter two releases.

Another, and by far my favorite change, is the good/evil bar. Rather than make it a moral system, with clear definition of good and evil, bioware has introduced a system that is removed from moral reality. Every choice is just that, a choice, with given consequences you must live with for better and for worse. You can opt for a Machiavellian pragmatists style character, with consequences of your ruthlessness, or a humanitarian with just as many disadvantages for the more sympathetic choices. This is ideal for allowing the game to encompass a level of realism, and attaches deeper feelings for characters. Certainly a lot trickier than a simple good/evil bar, but bioware pulled it off, and the result is fantastic.

Overall I thought that Mass Effect succeeded with its characters (character development), storyline and combat system. The graphics are wonderful and the gameplay is easily up to the standard of any typical RPG. I found very few flaws, except the seemingly short length, and frankly didn't find any of it less than enjoyable. Give it a try, and savor bioware's newest gift to the console.