I'm a huge fan of Bioware games. The company recently got swallowed by Electronic Arts however, so there is a possibility that this will be the last great Bioware game ever made. Sad but EA sucks.
Anywhoo, Mass Effect is supposed to be the next great RPG and it is damn good. In fact, I think this is the first truly next-gen game, as in it's more than Xbox or PS2 games in more ways than just graphics. Why? I'm glad you asked.
Story
The story is one of the most important aspects of a great video game for me. Every game is going to be repetitive at times, and I really appreciate a nice yarn to keep me going. Plus, as games have more and more complex plots, I think they will one day be better appreciated as art.
So let me get off my high horse for a second and tell you that Mass Effect has one of the best stories for a videogame ever, putting it in the likes of Deus Ex, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Final Fantasies VI, VII, and X. What makes it so impressive is that the Mass Effect universe is so detailed and even has quite a few mature themes. Not mature in the sense of T&A, but in the sense that it might actually make you think a little bit.
The main story is that there's a rogue alien on the loose named Saren, who seems like he wants to take on the universe. You might say it's typical, but it's grand plots like this that tickle the imagination. How great of a plot can there be that revolves around...driving to the supermarket for example? I won't say much more about the main plot, but suffice it to say that it'll keep you wanting to know what happens next.
The Mass Effect universe contains about a dozen of different species. Humans are thought of as a sort of up-and-coming race; aliens admire our tenacity but also see us as intergalactic bullies. Your character, John Shepard, is a Commander in the Alliance (human) Navy and soon becomes a Spectre in the (multi-species) Council. You actually are the first human spectre, so you also serve as an ambassador of sorts for the human race while trying to save the galaxy. No pressure.
There's so many things going on that you wonder how long it took them to come up with all these plots and subplots and that you fully understand why this game is meant to be the first of a trilogy. For example, there are certain species that want to be in the Council and resent how humans are shooting up the ranks. There is mistrust between certain species and hostilities that have not ended with the end of the First Conflict War. In this war, the Krogans were infected with a genetic disease that makes them semi-sterile. This was done to preserve the balance of power of sorts; the Krogans are the most physically impressive of all the races. Some of your fellow humans severely dislike aliens, and you find out that one of them is like that because her grandfather was the only general to have surrendered to aliens in the War. There's one species of alien that talks like this, "Regrettably, I can't come up with an exact quote. Sincerely, I apologize." Also, at one point Saren presents his side of the story and it seems to make a little bit of sense. Furthermore, he's not entirely himself; he seems to be under the control of...
See what I mean? There's so much going on in the Mass Effect universe that you can't help but get caught in all this and feel like you're really part of something special.
Interaction
You know how in some games, you want to skip all the cutscenes? In Mass Effect, conversations are so much fun! The KOTOR games gave your character choices in conversation that shape how the conversation turns out. Mass Effect takes this to the next level. You choose between a number of "gut feelings" when your chance to talk comes, and conversation is just so much smoother than in previous games.
Bioware games have also been about choices. Often, you can choose to reason with someone, threaten them, or simply kill them. In Mass Effect, at one point the fate of an entire species is at your hands, and you can make them extinct, or you can save them, hoping that they don't end up threatening humans later.
When was the last time that you really agonized over a choice in a video game?
Exactly.
Effort
I appreciate the effort put into this game. Every single line is voice acted quite well, and all these scenes have synchronized lip movements which are quite good for the most part. You wouldn't think this would matter that much, but it does.
Graphics
I'm currently playing this on a non-HDTV, but will get a chance at HD if I play this on my friend's TV or my family's TV at home. But I already think this game has the best graphics ever! Faces look almost like real ones. In fact every conversation looks as good as cutscenes in other games! And there's maybe 10,000 conversations in this game. Environments look mostly pretty neat, though some textures are too 2-D looking. Graphics are quite sharp throughout, but it's the graphics during the conversations that will just blow your mind.
Of course, Mass Effect isn't all orgasmic goodness. The combat is done in real-time. It's a sort of over-the-shoulder shooter, like Gears of War. The game also tries to place emphasis on taking cover, like Gears. This made the first part of the game insanely difficult for me, but I eventually got used to it. Combat isn't the best part of this game, but it's still pretty solid. You have guns and also biotic powers, which are a lot like the Force powers in the Star Wars game. For example, you can freeze enemies with Stasis, or push them away with Throw. There's also powers you get like Carnage which give you some added oomph in gun combat.
The game also slows down quite a bit. Most of the time, it's barely noticeable though, but every once in a while it's quite annoying. Given the scope and magnitude of the game, however, it's forgiveable.
Conclusion
Mass Effect blows Halo 3 out of the water. It blows KOTOR II out of the water. I haven't actually played Bioshock, but watched my friend play it, and I think Mass Effect blows Bioshock out of the water too.
The plot of the game and the Mass Effect universe is just so damn huge, it's mind boggling. And not only are the plots and subplots many, they're just so well written as well. Just as in any Bioware game, there are plenty of ways for you to be a ruthless badass or a saint, and there's conversation choices, but the game just has such a huge scope, it is truly next-gen.
Not only is Mass Effect my runaway choice for game of the year so far, it's quickly climbing my list of greatest games of all time. If you like RPG where you have to think a little bit, don't hesitate to get Mass Effect!!!
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