Mass Effect Review

[Nick]

• Title:Mass Effect
• Developer/Publisher: BioWare/Microsoft Game Studios
• System: 360
• Genre:Role-Playing Game
• Score:: 4/5: Though not without its flaws, this game is a classic title. It transcends the RPG genre, and realizes the dream of next-gen storytelling. Certain to be a part of many serious gamers' collections, and definitely worth purchasing.

Storytelling



The first time we heard the term 'the tip of the spear of the humanity' was in the incredible [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. For RPG fans Mass Effect was basically just a discussion with a bartender at that point, a chat with a poor alien schlub who gets a gun pulled on him. Everything about that discussion, though - the looks, the sound, the strange little conversation wheel at the bottom of the screen - it spoke to what could be. And, for the most part, what could be has been realized. BioWare's latest opus tells the story of humanity's first shakey steps into a position of galactic power. As one influential human in the right place at the right time, Commander Shephard is able to make decisions that shape the future of her (or his) race's future.

This game does several things well, but what it does best is tell that story. The game's conversation system has you picking from (usually) three responses. One is the "Paragon" option, one the "Rebel" option, and one is a balanced viewpoint that moves the story forward. These two poles are not the black and white / good and bad of KOTOR, but instead a more nuanced scale along which you can find a comfortable point. After an hour or two of playing the game, you'll barely recognize the few words at each choice prompt. You'll look down and choose without conscious thought. The result is a flow unlike anything I've played in a game before. The excellent voice work, the emotive character animations, and this intuitive decision-making system results in a feeling exactly like watching an evocative movie ... but one you're in complete control of.

And you are in complete control. The story of Mass Effect is ultimately what you want it to be. I was actually shocked by some of the choices BioWare's authors allow you to dictate; there are plot points in the game that have to happen, to be sure - but they happen on your terms. Some of the most extreme examples of this choice are modified by gameplay. Instead of making 'social skills' useless, new options are opened by exploring the Charm or Intimidate tracks. The results they unlock are dramatic, and have a tangible effect on how the game plays out.

Combat



Gameplay tries ultimately to be a servant to the story, but combat is well worth high praise for its own merits. Completely eschewing their turn-based roots, the Canadian devils have wrapped a fairly respectable FPS-like experience into this game. Whether you play it as a strict FPS or not is up to you; while your general aiming will aid your shots, character skills and item stats are just as important to how much damage you do. More combat focused characters will have a more straightforward experience than those focus more on the 'powers' in the Tech and Biotic spheres. Even for the support crew, there's still a lot of shooting to do.

In the vast majority of fights, the experience is sublime. If you've seen any of the combat trailers, the level of power they demonstrate there becomes yours to command at around level 20 or so. Things don't become easier: they just get a lot more fun. Weapon upgrades tear your opponents to shreds, while biotic powers have your opponents flying across the room. Unfortunately, there are some hitches. Your AI companions can be really stupid sometimes. At high levels you can destroy cover, but until then their cute habit of trying to kill enemies through solid objects is just frustrating. They can get hung up or caught on tricky terrain, and the vaguely Rainbow Six-esque ordering your squad about really doesn't work very well. Even more frustrating, in large combats their habit of running into your field of fire can mean the difference between success and failure.

Exploration



A less stressful component, but one just as well executed, is the game's vaunted exploration element. Out and about in the galaxy, you have complete control over where you go and what missions you take on. Each system has several planets to explore for natural resources or alien artifacts (by scanning from orbit), as well as at least one 'mission zone'. This is usually a planet, but could just as easily be a derelict spaceship floating somewhere in the system. Planetary exploration gives you access to the most surprisingly fun element of the game: driving around in the Mako ground craft. The game's physics-based engine really pops out at you as you bounce and jump the buggy over hillocks and off of mountainsides. It has jump jets for slowing your fall from the top of a mountain, and a pair of cannons for dealing with enemies. You can actually zoom in a good distance with the buggy's advanced optics, allowing you to 'snipe' from some ways off with a great big autocannon.

Besides driving around in the buggy while you're planet-side you'll be surveying minerals, investigating ancient sites, salvaging downed probes, and exploring bases, mines, and other outposts. Every planet is different, from the weather and ground textures to the locations on the map. There's a simple but effective map-marking mechanic that will allow you to navigate effortlessly across the planet's surface; the only catch is that you have to plot your own treks through the mountains. Luckily, the buggy is sturdy. The hitch with exploration: those explorable outposts (where on-foot combat regularly takes place) are very limited in floorplan. Once you've seen 'the mine', 'the building', 'the other building' and 'the cargo ship', you've essentially memorized the floor plans for every explorable area in-game. The design team did a bang-up job making the insides look different from each other, but fundamentally the floor plans are all exactly the same; it even gets to the point where you probably know where the loot is in the building.

The main storyline locations don't suffer from this problem, of course. The handful of locales that the Normandy actually lands at are all fully-realized spaces, with even more interesting characters for you to interact with. What was surprised me was the end-game realization of how few of these places there were. I played for almost 30 hours before I saw the game's ending, but I think the core storyline could probably be completed in little more than a third of that. I don't see this as a problem; there's so much to do and see in the Mass Effect universe that you're going to be hard-pressed to actually finish it that quickly. Just the same, I think it's a testament to BioWare that they don't make you play that 30 hours to see an ending. How much or how little you interact with their universe is completely up to you.

Graphics



Mass Effect is simply gorgeous. There's no two ways about it. The Unreal engine has been polished to a shine, and does an amazing job of immersing the player into the beauty of Citadel space. From the sleek designs of the ships and robots, to the sweeping grandeur of the Citadel itself, and out into the farthest edges of unexplored space, the game's visual design is breathtaking. It's the little things that especially got to me; the interactive holograms, the elemental effects that dissolve bodies, the fact that the biotic power 'lift' can cause inanimate object to float alongside opponents. But, of course, it's the Unreal engine. If you played [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]you know the trouble there: pop-ins. Some of the finer textures need a split-second to load even after a scene has begun. This results in a strange, flat-looking world for just a moment. It's fast, and you might not notice it if you're not expecting it, but it is there. It's a small thing, but occasionally marrs the impression of flawless sci-fi beauty.

The game's sound has no such flaw. Every element of the game's auditory presentation is flawless, from the stirring music to the sound effects, right through to voice acting. Combat effects are particularly well done, giving you an entire additional layer of information about your tactical surroundings that your tracking screen and eyes might not. The particular hum of biotics being used, the crackle of projectiles hitting the Mako's shields, the sharp crack of a shotgun blast; they're all informative in the right time and place. The game's voice acting deserves high praise as well, with notables like Keith David and Seth Green leading a talented cast. I was a bit worried because they'd been pushing the 'male Shephard' so hard in advertising that the female Shephard would be some nobody voice actress, but Jennifer Hale did a tremendous job in the role. You probably best know her as Samus from the last few Metroid games, or Bastila from KOTOR I and II. The whole group did an amazing job, with the biggest pleasant surprise for me being Armin Shimmerman's appearance in a few highly visible roles.

Other Frustrations

There are a few other little things that might bug you as you play through the game. The Buy/Sell interface is, to be honest, very poorly done. It was actually an hour into the game before I realized how I was supposed to get into the sell and buyback menus with merchants. Once in the sell menu, all the items (upgrades, armor, weapons) are lumped together in an unmanageable list, with no way to sort your booty into categories. Load times in the game are frustratingly frequent in certain areas, covered occasionally by ridiculously long elevator rides. This, along with the limited combat map sets on explorable planets, speaks to the limitations of using a single DVD without loading onto the Hard Drive. It's admirable that they wanted to make sure all 360 owners could play, but I find it frustrating that those of us with disk space couldn't make use of it to improve the play experience.

Conclusions



Some of these frustrations I've mentioned may seem particularly bad, and perhaps for some players they'll be gamebreakers. For me - warts and all - this is the game experience I will remember best from 2007. Most of the time, in most situations, this game is flawless. When combat flows well, it's unlike any RPG you've ever played before. In conversation with NPCs, you'll consistently be amazed at how much you can affect the outcome. Exploring uncharted worlds, you'll have to stop yourself from grinning as you go flying off a mountaintop in your space buggy. What this game does well, it does without equal. It's important to realize that there are issues, that the game as a whole isn't perfect. If you come to Mass Effect looking for a great story and far-off places, you'll get exactly what you need - and more than once. As strange as it is to say, this dozen-plus hour RPG has high replay value; not only can you play through with a different moral compass, on a harder setting, or with a different class, but you can even play through it at a higher level. Once you play through the game, you can start over ... with the same gear, money, and level as your previous game-complete Shephard.

From the opening strains of the title music to the final wailing synth-song of the scrolling credits, this game encompasses what I love about gaming. Peter Molyneux nailed it at GDC this year, saying that it isn't so much the story that matters as the emotion it instills in you. Across its storyline Mass Effect will have you laughing, furious, and deeply saddened - in some cases all about the same character. Slick graphics and heated combat aside, this title proves out the power of words artfully spoken. In some cases, the right words can mean the difference between salvation and damnation, between triumph and defeat. If you're realistic in your expectations, if you come to the game ready for what it can offer, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more compelling reason to turn on your 360 this season.