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Mass Effect review
For folks like us, people who spend probably a bit too much of their free time playing videogames, the surprise of coming across a new, truly great experience is all too rare. Yup, we get the irony — OXM’s been handing out a…bewildering number of 10s in the past few issues, and we know we’ll catch some flak for that. We call it celebrating what is clearly the best four months’ worth of videogame releases ever, but whatever you call it, don’t let that be a reason to pass over Mass Effect. It’s the best of the bunch by a parsec or more.
Mass Effect is a great science-fiction novel in videogame form. Meaning, it mixes the highest caliber of pure story with the decision-making and raw action of the best games. The pixie dust behind that magic is the game’s much-heralded dialogue system, which is every bit as good as we’d hoped it would be.
But to first set the stage a bit, you play as Commander Shepard, humanity’s most talented soldier, in a time where Earth has just discovered deep-space travel, joined the galactic community, and is trying to attain a seat on the Council — a United Nations–like collective that governs the known galaxy. A sinister threat is emerging, one that only humanity takes seriously, and…well, this brilliant story goes so many places from there, it’s best to stop summarizing before spoiler territory is breached.
You begin by picking Shepard’s gender, appearance, and class. The player creator is nowhere near as deep as, say, Tiger Woods’, but it’s perfectly fine. And anyway, the key choice here is class: soldier, engineer (hacking and stealth specialist), adept (magic user), or any combo of those three. Take the time to choose wisely because it affects what weapons and powers you get to use for the rest of the game.
The second the gameplay gets underway, you start making choices with Mass Effect’s innovative dialogue-selection interface, which lets you quickly pick anything from a friendly greeting to a vicious snarl. As the game goes on, you’ll use it to decide much more weighty matters — at one point, you make the devastatingly hard choice of whether an entire species lives or dies. Believe us, you’ll sit there gnawing on that one for a while.
All game long, you’ll be wondering what would’ve happened if you’d gone different ways with decisions small and large. If you replay these scenarios, you’ll see that sometimes the differences are small, barely changing anything other than Shepard’s tone; but other times, the consequences are enormous. So is the effect of this whole mechanic. Branching gameplay really is the least of it — the impact it gives the game’s story is what really matters.
As the conversations unfold, you’ll marvel at how BioWare achieved the feat of making videogame characters perform like talented actors. We love how the dialogue options just give you a glimmer of where the conversation will go, rather than actually putting words in characters’ mouths — it feels less like a menu and more like you’re talking to someone. Tear a squadmate a new one for making a mistake, and you will feel guilty when you see their tearful, ashamed reply. Others will just plain make you laugh so often that you’ll feel a genuine comradeship. (We’d grab a beer with Wrex any day…if he were real.)
In other words, Mass Effect bothers with emotions and moments that most games don’t concern themselves with (like a ceremony early on that’s surprisingly moving), and the resulting sense of wonder never fades throughout the game. Part of that comes from the breathtaking panoramas and the game’s other graphical wonders, and part of it comes from all the love and attention that went into fleshing out every tiny, obscure corner of this universe.
But most of it comes from the choices you get to make, and that’s where the light-/dark-side part (called Paragon or Renegade) comes into play. Some of the Paragon moments can be a bit howdley-doodley neighbor, like “Sure, that’d be great if you devoted your life to helping those slaves you oppressed.” But the Renegade side can be brutally dark, too — like forcing that slaver to kneel and take a bullet…or coming out in favor of racism against aliens.
If you feel like a cliché is swelling to an annoying size, brace yourself — a twist is headed your way. Take the game’s chief villain, for instance. Just as he reaches cartoonish proportions, the rug is pulled out from beneath you. That’s verging dangerously on spoiler territory, but it makes an important point — trust this game, its story, and where it’s taking you. If something seems simple and clownish, give it time — nothing is as it seems, and Mass Effect never takes the lazy way out of a storytelling moment.
As far as pure gameplay goes, Mass Effect is one well-polished action/RPG. But still, we’ll begin with a caveat — if you’re the sort who plays games sheerly for their mechanics, you might feel dissatisfied. The real-time combat is gripping, intense stuff, but it’s also familiar. Mowing down all the enemies that need killin’ is great fun, but you won’t marvel over any innovations the way you did with, say, Portal’s portals. The highly complex controls have a mountable learning curve (see sidebar, page 59), the vehicle-combat sequences as are fun as a jaunt in a Warthog, and there’s a deep blend of RPG ingredients to manage, ranging from XP and talents to gear, upgrades, party composition, and more. A big, beefy serving of side quests (see sidebar above) lets you meander around the galaxy as much as you like, and we honestly never once felt bored.
But as much as we love us some Mass Effect, no game can get every single thing right, and here’s what BioWare screwed up: Item management and squad-equipping in between missions is just obnoxiously complex, and capping the game’s save slots at 10 maximum is outrageously stupid. Why can’t we fill up our 120GB hard drive with saves, just like we did with BioShock? Way more frequent auto-saving wouldn’t suck, nor would finding a better button for grenades than the freakin’ Back button. And your squad sure likes to shoot walls, but hey — they’re no dumber than your mates in any other game.
Still, that’s what’s remarkable about Mass Effect. If you separated the gameplay from the story, you could crap on the gameplay for a handful of different things. But in this game, story and gameplay are relentlessly intertwined, and the impact of that is so powerful that any irritation you feel is washed clean away. The experience as a whole — the sense of awe that lasts all game long, and the emotions in your gut as you sit back at the end and just gape — pays off all on its own. Personally, it’s the best game I’ve ever played, but even if you’re not a hardcore sci-fi nerd like me, Mass Effect is a transcendent experience, the new standard-setter for what a game can be. You have to play it, and that’s why we’re kinda jealous of you. Even if you memorized all the previews and trailers, you’re not ready for how awesome this game is.
On Xbox 360
+ Best story ever told in a videogame, period.
+ Innovative dialogue and gorgeous graphics combine to a mesmerizing effect.
+ Gripping action/RPG gameplay.
? Will your character really carry over to the next game?
10
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monsterclip111
March 27, 2010 at 9:06am
should I try it . is it really that fun I am asking a veteran gamer. thanks to who ever.
zlthorp
November 14, 2009 at 3:18pm
Best RPG since Final Fantasy III for the SNES. Some die by the blade, well ok, most die by the blade...
Caboose_4_Pres
June 11, 2009 at 6:35pm
I've played this game at least 10 times by now, and I'm only a Citadel away from getting me N7 gamer picture.
steveo105
September 20, 2008 at 8:24am
the graphics shocked me but when i played this game i was thinkin whens star wars knights 3 is goi to hit the xbox 360
MASTERSURG
August 28, 2008 at 2:32pm
I don't know why people are saying there are only 10 or 15 saves in the game. You can save at any time in the game as long as you aren't in combat. Personally, I think this game is revolutionary with its epic story that left me breathless as I was forced to make tough decisions effecting the lives of story members. In all, I think I had over 100 saves in one playthrough.
pleasnshoot1
June 23, 2008 at 3:10pm
Now Mass Effect may be called a "one of akind experince" but i dissagree on that..I personnaly would call it a "life time experience". Some gamers may dissagree on this because when they purchase this title their expecting a hardcore shooter or RPG;and thats the problem,Mass Effect is not a shooter or RPG(again in my opinion)its more of a mix of both if you will.I title Mass Effect as rap/rock(a mix of widely heard music)some people like it others dont..thats what Mass Effect is all about,its about delivering a game in which not only a hardcore RPG gamer and a hardcore shooter gamer will like but all types of gamers will like.Therefore I myself agree with OXM's desicion on ranking Mass Effect with a 10.
shadowover93
June 08, 2008 at 4:43pm
How did Mass Effect get a 10 and yet Oblivion got a 9.5?Oblivion was a way better game than Mass Effect will ever be.With combat as boring as it is,is it the story that got it a 10?
x IR e C o ii L
May 28, 2008 at 1:38pm
hi , some people are saying that mass effect only has a total of 10 saves is this correct? THANKS IF YOU REPLY :)
frosheet
May 01, 2008 at 5:09am
Best game ever, it may seem like its a bland story but you will drop your jaw when you hear the true story. That's just the beggining. I've played for 3 months now and I STILL haven't done everything. If you love a good story line, great gameplay, and bad sex scenes, get Mass Effect.
kamctwmc
March 07, 2008 at 9:42pm
OMG!!!WHAT A GAME. Just completed it and enjoyed every minute of it. I've never played a RPG of this calibur and if you're having doubts about picking this game up, don't. The graphics are gorgeous, gameplay is rock solid and the dialogue within the story if beautiful. I didn't find anything wrong about the game. Very challenging at times but enjoyable. Going around for the second time, gotta get a few more achievements. Overall i would give this game a 11 (Yes I said it, even if XBOX didn't).
dcs_360
March 07, 2008 at 7:45pm
the game is awsome but i have seen dialogue like that before in an original xbox game before (i think an old starwars game. but other than that it is a very cool game, i do like the parts were you have to decide on certin things that will change the game. on a scale of 1-10 i would give it a 9.5 but i really should'nt scale it yet cuz' i have not beat the game but soo far a really good game.
spling555
March 03, 2008 at 6:11pm
mass effect was the third best game ever ( KOTOR 1st and bioshock 2nd) i do agree that the planets get a little repetitive(they could have thrown in some more cities) but still awesome game. BTW to pretty much everyone on this forum, Fallout is made by bethesda, the people who made oblivion, so if u didnt like oblivion u might not like fallout. im not sure y u wouldnt like oblivion, but thats ur opinion. oblivion is also the 4th best game
Leo of moon
February 07, 2008 at 11:37am
i own this i think its a awsome game,i think the achivments are easy and cool to get and the game play dos get repeative, run ,see gun fire, go for cover, fight back, repeat the story is cool to get into and the repeat stuff is awsome so i think its good for a 10.0
TJ Troublemaker
February 04, 2008 at 2:17pm
I loved KOTORI+II, so when I read about Mass Effect I was immediatly anticepating its release. It is going to be the Halo for RPGs since there are going to be more. When I read something that someone said bad about it I want to gag'em, hang them by their toes from a tree, and clip them with a fingernail clipper and say "What Idiocy". I haven't read much about the Fallout games but I guess I better give them a try.
gman1225
February 02, 2008 at 4:37pm
i totally agree with jimjam1081. I was skeptical about this game because i wanted Oblivion "Oh so bad" but then got it and got bored after about 20 hours. I gave Mass Effect a try and i am amazed. Awesome story, awesome characters (Wrex) and great dialouge, script, voice acting, and graphics. I too am awaiting Fallout 3...
jimjam1081
January 28, 2008 at 10:24am
From the mind of... xxDEATH JAMxx I'll tell ya, I was skeptical of this game. I had played KOTOR and couldn't get into it. I then knew that RPG's weren't my style. I don't have as much time for games like I used to, which was one of the reasons. I got Mass Effect for x-mas and almost traded it in for Assasins Creed. Since it got such great reviews, I decided to give it a chance...and I'm glad I did. The game immediately immersed me into the story. The fighting is great and I'm exploring everything possible. 30 hours in and I'm still interested. I now want to give Fallout 3 a chance and whatever Bioware throws at us next. Needless to say, i've suddenly found more time to play.
RobDPremier
January 14, 2008 at 2:55pm
Every self repecting RPG fan Owes it to themself to Enjoy the Masterpiece that is Mass Effect!! It has everything a gamer could possibly want from a RPG! The exceptions being: YOU Will Not like this game if you belong to Either the "It Sucks if it doesn't have Online" and/or the "RPGs are Boring! Why Actually like learn how to read dialogue as well as play games?" Crowds! All critic bashing aside. We as gamers Know what we like to play! I cringe every time I read a gamer Blast a genre that they are not fond of! Why not simply give every game played your Honest opinion of its overall quality! We as a community share our opinions to help ensure fellow gamers Enjoy All the Great games our 360 has to offer!!
El Patro13
January 03, 2008 at 2:03pm
CAUTION: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD What's the part where you have to decide whether an entire species dies? If it was the Rachni on Noveria, that was an easy choice for me. I couldn't find a single good reason why not to let the queen go. There were no consequences for that choice, except for the turian Council member yelling at you over it and most of your crew questioning your decision. If it was the krogan genophage cure, I wasn't even aware there was a choice there. If there was I would have gotten a sample of the cure for Wrex, then nuked the base. (I talked Wrex out of his little tantrum) Besides, the genophage doesn't technically kill krogan, it only makes breeding impossible. Please clear this up for me. Gamertag: El Patro13
Unique-Dingo
January 02, 2008 at 6:04pm
Bioware you've done it again!!! I am a huge Star Wars nerd! That being said, KOTOR was, at least until now, my favortie game of all time! And who made it? BIOWARE!! Now with Mass Effect, theres a new Sherif in town and it's the greatest RPG ever made!! Techy difficulties are a small sacrifice for the best experience on your 360 yet!!
held094
January 01, 2008 at 1:01pm
I got this game about 2 days ago and let me tell you Mass Effect is truly a mesmerizing experience. Sure it has some flaws but what game dosen't? I think this game deserves a 10 in almost every category besides some glitches I ran into during the game. But Mass Effects storytelling is so good I swear this is the BEST storyline I have EVER seen. This game is truly a masterpeice and it deserves no less than a 10.
laskey9
December 24, 2007 at 2:22am
this is the kind of game that deserves two or three sequels. It offers something that isn't just rare in the rpg genre, but most video games as a whole. It immerses you so deeply in the story and other characters that the great game play and combat comes to be an afterthought. This is the type of game sets a new standard for an amazing story in a video game. Just Brilliant
dietcoke4fatty
December 22, 2007 at 6:46pm
Whats the best game on the 360, no "well it has its flaws but its still good" give me th title please not why
L3g1t 4ss4ss1n
December 10, 2007 at 5:50pm
Personally i believe that this game is one of the top RPG for 360 it may not be Oblivion but it is sure a close second if not first in some peoples books
NEX
December 10, 2007 at 12:12pm
I hate getting stuck on mountains. Ever get out of the Mako, walk 20 yards...and then realize your stuck...only to find out the last time you saved was 2 hrs ago? Other then that, crappy Mako controls (Why the hell does it feel like I'm driving on marshmellows instead of rocky ground?), and the grenade button, it's a great game. --------------------------------------------------------- "Save me a bullet, walk towards the light"
firefox
December 04, 2007 at 9:42pm
KR1992, who cares about the already amazing gameplay. Im just buying it for the storylines. No game is good without good storylines
bats_in_the_belfry
December 03, 2007 at 7:55am
I hate gettin into arguments especially with some sad sack on the internet about 'games' no-less but if u actually read what i wrote subjectivly instead of reading what u thought i was writing i was referring to the lack of 'non-linear' after playing the game for longer i have come to terms with the blatant lies thrust upon me by biased magazines, i hav got used to the terrible controls of the Mako and the other combat scenarios within and found that it was just a good game, and i thin all these 90% and 9/10 scores its getting is OTT. as big as the game is, and as nice as it looks it aint Oblivion, it dont even come close, and when fallout 3 comes out i think everyone will have forgotten all about mass effect...
KR1992
December 01, 2007 at 7:01am
OK,to bats_in_the_belfry, you must be either stupid or just crap at gaming, mass effect is one of the best games ever released, sure its not perfect, no game is, but mass effect is the closest thing to it yet, every single part of it is incredible, including the combat, its fast paced and immersive. the xbox was made for mass effect.
bats_in_the_belfry
November 29, 2007 at 6:12am
MASS EFFECT IS HORRIBLE now i hav your attention i would like to clarify that statement. I purchased it the day of UK release and have played it three times since (not all the way thru!) the first section is generic rpg crap then you becomea 'spectre' and have access to ur own ship and can journey across space and check out some planets and the like, i believe the review said non-linear. Rubbish, this game is so linear i think im gonna buy jericho yeah?! the graphic design is mint and the conversation element is awesome, but the combat is horrific and when u get to that Mako pile of bollocks it gets worse! clunky, clumsey and downright frustrating. i have never been so dissapointed by losing £39.99 and to top it all the reason i bought the game was because of the reviews in OXM and various other publications which turn out to be (on average) 6 pages of lies. I should've bought Assasins Wotsit instead of Mass Defect.
Exterminator
November 28, 2007 at 1:15pm
Yeah i can't wait to get it...thanks for the great review on this one guys.
Darknaut
November 27, 2007 at 6:14pm
I've run through this game four times already, and though I'm taking a break to work with Guitar Hero again, I know the moment I put that Mass Effect disk into the drive and my Xbox starts making sweet love to it once more I'll be hooked again. How do you do it BioWare?
GoldKnyght
November 27, 2007 at 4:52pm
Mass Effect so far to me yes does deserve a 10. And I do agree with the grenade situation, horrible button for it and just annoying to try and throw one. Other then that the game plays like it should A 10. I love games like this because I like to take the Evil route the first go around in games and most games that come out force you to be good or just one role part which I hate. Already I had to force myself to turn the system off because I'm unable to let go of the controller. I will be playing this game a good couple of times before I retire it to my pile of games gamestop will not be seeing me trade in. Love it and if you love story telling this game is for you.
osan-gar
November 26, 2007 at 5:12pm
Mass Effect Rocks!!!! I haven't even finished it yet, but I've got a "suspiciously" strong feeling that this game will continue to kick azz till the very end. 9, Maybe 9.5 outta 10. I don't have a problem w/ OXM handing out 10s; 10s aren't the "meca-godzilla/ unicorn" of 11-ness. But Mass Effect is Not a 10. Putting aside the concept of a "perfect 10" (which is kinda a big put-aside since thats the point of something being a "10"), according to OXM's own rating criteria, MassEffect falls into the 9s. The 2nd-to-last paragraph contains the phrases "obnoxiously complex" and "outrageously stupid". <....> Honestly, can a 10-game have Any elements that are either of those things?
Bennanias
November 25, 2007 at 7:11am
i only have mass effect, but i would say cod4. because it has multiplayer, it will last you longer till the holidays.
sMOOThsailor
November 24, 2007 at 8:04pm
ok im having a tough choice should i buy call of duty 4, mass effect, or assassins creed please help
Robocop92
November 24, 2007 at 1:31pm
Mass effect is a must buy for all RPG players, the story is amazing, unfortunately for harcore RPGers like myself the whole shooter thing is slighty disapointing(like if your a fan of KoTORs turn based). as the game progresses it will feel more and more like SW KoTOR, which is a very good thing in my book, cant wait for the sequels, but how about SW KoTOR 3 Bioware???
FirelanderX
November 24, 2007 at 12:44pm
I can't wait for the sequels to come, I'm having a blast with this game. Although, there are a few annoyances, they can be easily tolerated. This is a solid 9.5/10 in my book.
Bennanias
November 23, 2007 at 9:51pm
well at least there may still be a sequel. maybe as another race. Is it me or are you god like at the end. second isnt merely because i set it on hardcore. spectre master gear kicks butt.
Paul OXM
November 23, 2007 at 1:06pm
Sorry guys, we goofed in the issue this ran in. Word from Microsoft is that they own rights to publishing Mass Effect. BioWare will of course develop the sequel still, but MS will publish, or at least has right of first refusal to do so -- unless EA buys it off them in the interim. I count that as good news, but honestly wasn't worried either way -- we know the BioWare dudes pretty well, and the last thing they'd do is let a publisher muck up their IP.
starmin76
November 22, 2007 at 6:17pm
I agree almost completely with this review, especially tghe "Made from 100%, raw, uncut awesome." lol the only problem for me is that when i get a really good game, i cant play anything else. so i think my halo 3 disk will be collecting dust for a while.
nightbullet
November 22, 2007 at 7:07am
If EA screws up Mass Effect 2 I can garuntee that me and 2 million other people won't be camping out in front of a retailer, instead we'll be camping out in front of EA and screaming some very explicit sayings until they get the picture
Juggler_of_Geese
November 21, 2007 at 10:58am
Mitchy is 100 percent correct. I forsee myself playing this one for a very long time as well. Bioware really out did themselves. I was wondering though, In the Ghostbusters issue of Gameinformer it mentions that EA now owns the Mass Effect IP. I thought that was a Microsoft that Bioware was just developing it for them. Any idea if GI may have been wrong. I would hate for EA to ruin or rush part two.
Paul OXM
November 20, 2007 at 12:03pm
Thanks Mitchy. Yeah, it's definitely one that's worth playing for a long long time. I'm on my second run through now, and using that to plan what I'll do the third time...
MitchyD
November 19, 2007 at 11:58pm
I don't know if I can contain myself for the next 12 hours before I pick it up. It's killing, me, man. Great review Paul. You nailed about everything I was concerned about... Looks to be something I'll be playing until New Years... 2019. -- http://www.nukoda.com -- Gamertag: MitchyD88
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