Mass Effect Review:

Once again, BioWare has developed a masterpiece. Mass Effect is a 3rd person shooter/RPG, and is a near perfect blend of both genres. Mass Effect has nearly unlimited re-playability, offering multiple classes to select from as well as BioWare’s signature morality options.

The story of Mass Effect is both original and masterfully executed. It is also interactive; your choices affect the outcome on the story. You play a soldier of the Alliance (human military forces) who is sent on a mission to investigate an artifact recently discovered on a human colony. The following events places your character in a galactic man-hunt which ends up unveiling a larger conspiracy that threatens all forms of life. I would love to elaborate on this, however I don’t want to spoil the plot for those who have yet to finish the game. Bottom line, the story is well put together, and it has a plot twist that is truly epic. In addition to that, you can indulge in the detailed lore of the game by using the ‘codex’ system.

Those who enjoy character customization will appreciate Mass Effect’s various customization options. Upon character creation you are able to select your character’s sex, physical appearance, background, class, and supplement talent. Half of the classes to select from are specialty classes, while the other half are hybrid classes. When completing a certain quest, your character has the ability to change into a prestige class, which serves to complement your individual play style, while retaining your core class attributes (Similar to KOTOR 2). As you advance in level, you are able to improve your abilities by investing in class specific talent points. You can also use a supplement talent, which includes a choice of any of the talent achievements that you have unlocked with previous characters (For example, if you unlock the Assault rifle talent achievement, you can can use the Assault rifle talent for a class that would not normally have it). Considering all of this, it is clear that Mass Effect offers a robust character customization experience (Singularity + Overkill ftw ).

Mass Effect employs both squad and vehicle based combat. In squad based combat, you are able to use special abilities and switch the weapons of any party member on the fly, using an intuitive circular HUD. There are no ammunition quotas in Mass Effect, but a cleaver weapon heating mechanic is used to balance gameplay. When your weapon overheats, it is temporary unavailable. You have the ability to customize your weapons, by using various round types, and weapon augmentations, which enhance your weapons abilities. This adds a strategic element to party management when facing certain enemy types. Vehicle combat is much simpler; you can only use your main gun, or rockets when using the planetary rover, the Mako. Overall, the squad based combat is very enjoyable and the vehicle combat is mediocre, although I can appreciate its role in the game.

The overall game progression of Mass Effect is linear, however you do have a great amount of freedom for exploration, once you have secured the game’s vessel, the Normandy. You have the ability to traverse to clusters, which contain multiple systems, which contain various planets. Almost every system has at least one planet that you can explore using the Mako, allowing the indulgence of many side quests, and money making ventures. The universe of Mass Effect is large, offering extended gameplay for those who are determined to explore the entire universe (like me ).

Overall, I have minor grips with Mass Effect. At times managing the Mako can be cumbersome, and the squad commands don’t always seem to work (in particular, the command that directs your squad to move to a specified location). However, this game is fantastic and highly recommended to those who enjoy both the RPG and shooter genres. If you are just looking for a strait up shooter, you may want to pass on Mass Effect (I have seen nubs criticize this game because they can’t figure out how to get past the Citadel, lol…l2read guys ;D). On the other hand, if you are looking for a 3rd person shooter that looks gorgeous, has a compelling story, and cleaver combat mechanics, you will want to get this game!

Scores:

Story: 10
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 9
Overall: 9.5

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