Mass Effect (XBOX 360)

[Reddaye]

I just happened to be browsing around the boards today and noticed that there is literally NO hype for this game around here. With a healthy number of 360 owners on EWB I'm greatly saddened by this revelation. Maybe it's due to no one wanting an epic single player action RPG, or maybe it's the sickening lack of coverage I've seen in the media compared to some other titles that have been/will be released this fall.

Since there's a lot of ground to cover I won't go over every minor detail about the game. Having been following it since it's announcement in the middle of 2005, I wouldn't even know where to start describing it. That being said; here's a quick overview (provided by xbox.com):

Mass Effect™ is a sci-fi action RPG created by BioWare, the commercially and critically acclaimed developer of Jade Empire™ and Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™. Mass Effect delivers an immersive, story-driven experience coupled with awe-inspiring visuals, delivered exclusively to the Xbox 360™.

As one of the first human beings to step onto the galactic stage, you face a grave threat that may destroy all of civilization. Your job is complicated by the fact that no one believes that there is any threat at all. Travel across an expansive universe, exploring the uncharted corners of the galaxy, searching for pieces of the truth in order to discover how to defeat the coming destruction.

* Explore uncharted worlds: Uncover a mystery that defies imagination as you travel to the far corners of the universe. Visit unexplored planets, finding side quests that unfold parallel to the main story. Discover alien life, new resources, ruined civilizations, and powerful technologies.

* Fight in real-time: Mass Effect features a real-time, squad-based, tactical combat system. Enjoy intense and exciting third-person action as you face off against your enemies. Engage your foes with ranged weapons, biotic powers, science-based magic, and tech powers, all accompanied by astonishing visuals.

* Customize your character: Build a stunning, photo-realistic character, expanding your skills and statistics as you progress. Utilize a deep reward system as you travel further afield and discover more about the coming invasion. Change the appearance of your characters with the additions of newly discovered weapons, equipment, and armor to make each one truly unique.

* Experience the next generation: Mass Effect takes full advantage of Xbox 360 hardware, providing players with photo-realistic high definition graphics, amazingly realistic characters, branching dialogue with A.I. responses, and a massive universe to explore. As the future of gaming continues to expand online, look for premium downloads on Xbox LIVE®.

[Thatz]

Since I've been thinking about getting a 360 for a while now, I've spent a good amount of time researching this game. And from everything that I've seen, I've come to the conclusion that Mass Effect looks incredible. It's got amazing graphics and what looks to be like fun gameplay, along with a massive world that will take hours to explore. When I get my 360, Mass Effect is going to be near or at the top of the list of the games that I want to buy.

[Vilge Duin]

I agree with the lack of coverage, it's why I honestly don't know much about the game. Problem is with RPGs, they have to be played. You can't really show a video of someone tweaking some characters settings and have people go ga-ga. However once played, you can get the greatness.

But Game of the Year wise? Nah, very highly doubt it. Not with the coverage and ratings Mario Galaxy has been getting from just about everywhere.

[Reddaye]

I'll admit Mass Effect has some stiff competition, but what critical response it's gotten so far as been nearly universally positive. Game Informer gave it a 9.75/10 and Che (formerly of 1Up, now he works for the company that makes the Forza games has been posting impressions on NeoGaf that have been very positive). In fact I've taken the liberty of copying over some of his comments to post here, with a few of his screen shots.

I had plans to do an elaborate post about this the whole time I've been playing.

I'm about 8.5 hours into the game now and it's just gotten better and better.

Too much to talk about really, so I guess I'll just answer RStein's question.

Combat is really fun. There are occasional problems with the AI, but it's really nothing 3rd/1st person shooter fans aren't already used to in teammates found in the genre (GRAW, RS: Vegas, etc). I set my squad to "active" which lets the AI use both defensive and offensive abilities on their own (without you having to pause the action, choose targets, and say "perform a neuro blast" or whatever). They definitely get the job done and I often find them stealing my kills. Thankfully, XP and loot goes to the party and it's up to you to divvy up items.

When I said earlier that this game is a shooter first and an RPG second, I was wrong. It's really a great balance of both genres. Mechanically speaking, this is an action game through and through. You dodge bullets, spring to cover, and do all the things required of you in games like Gears of War. You point your gun at something and fire and there is a 1-to-1 cause-and-effect reaction and shit takes damage and blow up, etc.

Stats act more like modifiers. For instance, if I do a full auto burst with my assault rifle, the reticle will gradually grow wider and bigger the longer you fire, representing the kick and recoil of the assault rifle. As a result, the spread of your shots will go from tight to practically useless through the duration of your burst. As you invest in your assault rifle skill, that behavior improves so your spread is tighter even if you fire longer. Of course, if you play the game like I do and just do controlled bursts, it really isn't too much of a problem.

This basically goes for all weapons (sniper rifle, shotguns, etc.) and I think it works great. In the end, combat is an action affair and really there's no other game like Mass Effect where it combines my favorite genre with a genre I no longer play. It's such a nice RPG homecoming.

The only aspect of the combat that can be clunky at times is trying to get under cover mode against an obstacle that's shorter, as it requires you to duck. Whereas Gears of War automatically makes you duck and puts you against lower cover, you have to do so manually here so there's the added click of the left stick -- and in the heat of combat, it can be frustrating... particularly because combat is really chaotic and crazy at times.

Anyway, I know it's too early to know what's GOTY at this point since I haven't played SMG, COD4, or Uncharted, but I know for a fact that Mass Effect is already an easy contender.

I'll take some phone pics and post 'em tonight. This game is RIDICULOUSLY gorgeous and 8 hours later, I am still slackjawed.

[abundant]

There’s no doubt in my mind that this is the GOTY, easily. Hopefully (doubtful) I can beat Galaxy and AC before this comes out, because this game is going to suck all my free time away.

Here’s the TV Commercial, which will debut on Spike TV tomorrow night.

Classes of Mass Effect

Classes of Mass Effect pt.2

Mass Effect: The Paragon and the Renegade

Edited November 9, 2007 by abundant

[Krone]

My next game was between this and COD4, but I picked this. I was going to make a thread for it, but didn't want to go through all the troubles and you did a pretty damn good job yourself. This game looks to be the shit and I can't wait to pick it up.

[Maxx]

Yeah I remember seeing a scan of the Game Informer review, basically saying it changes the way a person can feel about a video game, given how realistic the facial expressions on everyone are, you really can become connected with the characters and truly see the impact your actions have on them emotionally.

Buying it.

[Robsturgh]

I wont lie, I need this game. For many many reasons.

[Reddaye]

Well it seems the game has a few more fans on here than I originally thought. It's sad that you don't see as much excitement about this game as it should have; Microsoft are really dragging their asses with the marketing. For anyone who hasn't, I HIGHLY suggest you try and find a video (the Gamespot Character Spotlights are a great place to go) of the conversation system. It's mind blowing how natural everything flows, especially when you compare it to KOTOR or Jade Empire.

Here's a little something else posted by Che:

If I had to rate the different aspects of the game, I would put it in this order:

1). Story/characters -- both of these play into each other and combined makes Mass Effect one of the most immersive RPGs ever made -- and think about it, RPGs are many things but they're not typically "immersive" like an action shooter. The characters are quite memorable, especially your own party, who do offer up exchanges with each other at random moments, but mostly when you're in elevators for some reason. But when it happens, it's pure gold.

I'm at the 23 or so hour mark and I'm still pretty obsessed. The story is very well done, although there is the occasional melodrama that doesn't quite click (actually, I'm only really referring to one scene in particular that was like suddenly seeing B movie quality acting and lamenting in what's been so far a triple-A experience -- I dunno, some of you may not have a problem with it).

There is so much rich characterization and dialogue and exposition in this game. Bioware is really not afraid of giving you a ton of backstory (all of it is optional, and if you do explore the satisfyingly meaty dialogue trees, you gain a small amount of XP as incentive) to a very interesting universe. There is so much I could say here, but it's hard without giving up some spoilers so I'll refrain.

2). Graphics and ambience (including soundtrack) -- The graphics continue to be fucking insanely next-gen, despite occasional problems with slowdown and tearing, something Gears of War didn't really have much of a problem with if memory serves correct.

One thing to note is that I am playing Mass Effect off a "green disc", which is a pre-retail DVD that is sent to journalists. Green discs load much slower than retail discs and they have contributed to some of the jerkiness I've experienced. We ran into the same problem with the greens we sent out for Forza 2 as well, to the point where we actually considered sending them discs they can install to their debug HDDs.

Anyway, the game is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and like I said in my earlier posts, you really can't do the sort of ambitious space opera type of scripts (where you're staring at character's faces all day while they emote) without really good graphics that can express subtle emotion.

Another really nice thing about Mass Effect, and still amazing to me when I think about it is the fact that all of you will have a vastly different image of the game in your mind, simply based on your custom avatar charater's face. You do spend a lot of time staring at it, so my advice is to create a face you really like and one that you would like to see in an epic sci-fi movie or serial.

Personally, I really like my character Mako and when I think Mass Effect, I see Mako's face in my mind, much like others would see Master Chief or Sam Fischer's face in their mind when they think Halo 3 and Splinter Cell.

It's too bad the cover art for Mass Effect is so generic in terms of the leading character. He's just such a square-jawed Biff-type. In reality, the game, both visually and narratively, allows you so much leeway for customization, it makes the cover sleeve a little misleading. In fact, when I saw it earlier in this thread, it was almost jarring for me because that's not the Mass Effect I'm currently experiencing.

3). Combat System -- This aspect of the game will definitely be the most controversial. To put it in very rough terms, the action-oriented combat system in Mass Effect (and yes, it's very fast, very chaotic, and sometimes very unforgiving) is more fun, and works better than say, the melee (or ranged) combat system of Oblivion.

Strip away the stats and powers and modifiers and you've got a 3rd person shooter a la GRAW and it's pretty fun. Add in all the customization you can do and the character stats/evolution and party management/pausing action and you've got a pretty unique marriage of KOTOR and something like Gears of War (it's pretty obvious Bioware played a ton of Gears).

Right now, I'm playing a soldier class, and since I did quite a lot of "grinding" (i.e., random exploration of planets and leveling up by finding loot or killing enemies), my character is pretty handy with guns, allowing me to engage combat more like a straight shooter affair (take cover, pop out, fire off a volley, throw grenades). Meanwhile, I've got 2 "biotic" experts who use decent pistols but they're deadly with all these crazy powers. As soon as we get into a skirmish, these biotic guys are lifting fools and throwing them across the room and casting gravitational blackholes, etc. Anyway, the combo works.

There are two negatives about combat so far -- one of them you can workaround and the other doesn't happen that often but it's definitely noticeable.

First of all, since there's really no slowing down time or anything, combat is fast and furious and you will die often if you get gangbanged from all sides while your shields are down. This isn't that big a deal since, like a good shooter, every time you reload the game, the action happens differently and you learn various tactics depending on the layout of the room/environs to not get caught with your pants down again. The important thing to do is to save often -- as often as you would in any PC shooter or RPG. The other more annoying aspect of combat is the occasional framerate chug when the action gets insane, like there are 8-10 guys shooting you in the room, and your biotic characters are lifting enemies and furniture and all sorts of crap into the air with these crazy plasma effects AND you're firing like crazy, trying to survive. If you're a framerate whore, consider this your warning.

Anyway, I'm going to get back to the game now. It says volumes about the game at 23 hours in when I've got an unopened copy of COD4 on my desk and have no real desire to turn off Mass Effect.

[VerbalPuke]

Yeah I remember seeing a scan of the Game Informer review, basically saying it changes the way a person can feel about a video game, given how realistic the facial expressions on everyone are, you really can become connected with the characters and truly see the impact your actions have on them emotionally.

Buying it.

Yeah, I read this as well, and it may have sold me on the game. They mentioned that making decisions, or the questions you answer can directly affect the NPC's future, or the future of other characters in the game. I like that.

I did notice the comparison in combat to Gears of War, and I really hope it's very dissimilar to that, because I didn't like that combat system at all. Otherwise, the game looks fantastic in all aspects and I'll probably throw it on my Christmas Wishlist, or put it ahead of Assassin's Creed in my gaming queue depending on Assassin's Creeds ratings.

Funny thing is, I'm not even a big Sci-Fi fan, but this game looks very enticing.

Edit - And I was also thinking, this is the kind of RPG I've been waiting for since Elder Scrolls. I love the leveling up with whatever skill set you choose, the absence of turn based warfare is also a plus, and it looks like there is a vast landscape to explore. It's too bad Two Worlds turned out to be a pile of broken garbage.

Edited November 9, 2007 by VerbalPuke

[abundant]

Microsoft are really dragging their asses with the marketing.

[Your Mom]

I preordered this one ages ago. I can't believe it's finally about to come out. Too many good games and not enough time.

[Riceman 4K]

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

*head asplodes*

[Reddaye]

Although it has been slow to start, tonight on Spike TV, Gamehead will be dedicated to ME, which is where the commercial will debut. Then on launch day, SCI-FI will be doing a SCI vs. FI episode about ME, similar to what they did with Halo 3. And since the game is street dated, there’s a good chance that they’ll have a huge launch party planned.

[KevinStorm]

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

*head asplodes*

[Captain Eo]

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect?

*head asplodes*

Both. (Y)

I seriously think I'm going to fail all of my classes in the last month because of all of these games.

[mystikz]

I can't think of a game I'm more excited for than Mass Effect. I'm gonna be getting a 360 for this (although there's a good amount of other games I want also), I love bioware rpg's but this seems years ahead of the others. the game play videos are fucking awesome, and just the overall game play and graphics is just amazing. plus the fact there's supposed to be 2 sequels down the road, and the hours you can spend just exploring and interacting with npc's, you gotta get this game.

[The Kraig]

Pre-ordered this in March...then cancelled my pre-order and pre-ordered the special edition as soon as it existed.

I've been waiting quietly for this for so long now, I'm actually trying to AVOID the hype and reviews and everything, because I know it will be an awesome game, I'll find out everything as I go.

And the recent announcement between Lucasarts and Bioware has me itching with excitement for a possible KOTORIII or KOTOR Online...I would literally explode with joy (yes, in my pants).

Edited November 9, 2007 by The Kraig

[KevinStorm]

Question about pre-ordering online, as I've never done it.

If I were to pre-order ME from BestBuy.com, would I get it the day it's released, or will it be released, then they ship it to me, meaning I don't get it for a few days?

EDIT: Never mind. I'm an idiot. I was thinking of Assassin's Creed.

Edited November 10, 2007 by KevinStorm

[abundant]

Today was the shipdate for ME, and apparently some K-Marts have already broken the street date, so for those who are avoiding spoilers, you’ve been warned.

Edited November 10, 2007 by abundant