Mass Effect - PC

[Agrael]

Graphics : 10/10
Sound: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Game play: 10/10
Voice acting: 10/10

Developers: BioWare and Demiurge Studios.
Release for the PC: May 28(NA) and June 6(EU) 2008.

Basics

Mass Effect is a really good looking single player RPG. With loads of decisions to be made, that actually affect the overall attitude towards you and your surroundings. This game has quite heavy requirements, but thankfully my PC knocked this game out of the park. You take the role of (enter your name here) Shepard, the protagonist for this game. You start off as a Marine, but you climb the ranks and end up as a Spectre (a super-elite law enforcer hero).
The main story has you chasing around this evil turian - Saren and his lackeys. All and all, it's a open world RPG, with lots to do.You can accumulate such an arsenal of armor, weapons, modifications and tools it would make the U.S. Armed forces look like a tea party. You can customize your armor and weapons as you see fit, with lots of modifications available at your disposal. The characters are very nicely done, with great acting and it actually feels like you are someone that matters.

This, is you - at least the default one

Graphics

Oh yes, this game is pretty like a slightly moist rose reaching for the sun at dawn. No really - it looks fantastic. Everything is nicely rendered, and I didn't see a single graphical/visual glitch or bug. Although, these nice looks demand quite a powerful computer (to enjoy the game with maximum efficiency). Short - beautiful, polished and a well designed game.

Mmmm, the detail

Music, sounds and voice acting

This part of this review is quite 50/50. The game itself doesn't have much music, although, the few songs that it has - they are all very good. The sounds however, are all nicely done and well varied. Although the guns sound like they were 150mm howitzers, they all come down nicely. Grenades sound like grenades and well, everything is as it should be. Voice acting in this game is also great, no one sounds the same and everyone is trying as hard as they can to sound in character (and they are doing an excellent job).

Game play

Finally my favorite chapter. The game play in Mass Effect is so nicely varied, that it gives hours of fun and lots of re-play material. The weapons you carry circle around this: Assault rifle, shotgun, pistol, sniper rifle, grenades, biotics and armor.
There are many, many different types of the above mentioned, but they are all customizable and really fun to toy around with. Most of the time, the game consists of shooting (yeah, the regular stuff - run around, talk to people and shoot people). But sometimes, the game let's you pilot the awesome Mako tank (APC?).

Yes, the Mako! Loads of firepower in a small package

Final word

Well, that is just about it. I've said all that can be said - it is a great game, with lots to do and lots of gaming time. Also, there is a ''sex'' scene !

Thank you,
Agrael

 

[Knight Templar]

Considering how story heavy mass effect is you might want to make a mention of that.
Its a very basic review.

 

[Chaosut]

I liked the format of the review and the pictures. But just as some constructive critisism; it was very basic and a lot more could be said about each aspect of the game.

 

[dodo1331]

It's great how you're using pictures; they help to separate paragraphs. You might want to work on how many sentences you had in each paragraph, you were averaging about 5-7 sentences per paragraph. That won't get you anywhere in the review section.

 

[lolmynamewastaken]

not a bad review, but need some story bits.
also can i just say the female shepard's voice acting is so much better than the male's so if anyone is starting this game for the first time, they should so go for a female avitar

 

[veloper]

Just one paragraph for gameplay?!
No mention of bionic powers.
No mention of classes, skills, challenge, AI, etc. etc.

Also, no mention of securom in the review.

 

[Agrael]

Just one paragraph for gameplay?!
No mention of bionic powers.
No mention of classes, skills, challenge, AI, etc. etc.

Also, no mention of securom in the review.

I will update the review tonight. And no, I had no securom problems - I used a proper crackfix and it solved it all (Made an ISO out of my DVD)

 

[Asehujiko]

Very basic review which i don't agree with:
-You gave the graphics 10/10 while there are very pronounced jaggies in your screenshots.
-Autoguns produce about 4 times as much bangs and muzzle flashes then they actually fire bullets.
-You missed the overheat bug.
-The fact that you need an illegal crack in order to get the game to work is worth mentioning.

 

[Agrael]

Very basic review which i don't agree with:
-You gave the graphics 10/10 while there are very pronounced jaggies in your screenshots.
-Autoguns produce about 4 times as much bangs and muzzle flashes then they actually fire bullets.
-You missed the overheat bug.
-The fact that you need an illegal crack in order to get the game to work is worth mentioning.

-The Screenshots I used were not from my PC.
-The Autogun thing is HARDLY a problem.
-The overheat bug is truly annoying, and I experienced it quite a lot.
-True. Worth mentioning.

 

[Knight Templar]

Very basic review which i don't agree with:
-You gave the graphics 10/10 while there are very pronounced jaggies in your screenshots.
-Autoguns produce about 4 times as much bangs and muzzle flashes then they actually fire bullets.
-You missed the overheat bug.
-The fact that you need an illegal crack in order to get the game to work is worth mentioning.

Overheat bug?

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

I would hardly give the Gameplay 10/10, combat isn't great and the Mako handles horribly, it's like a brick with wheels.

 

[Aura Guardian]

Lose the score. This review hardly justifies the scores you gave them.

 

[mjhhiv]

Meh its a cool game but i dont like it, seen much better, space is now a cliche, an rpg wont be good just cause you shove dialogue in it, and third person shooters suck IMO, but still an ok game, im with Edge,7/10 overall for me, but then again some reviewers beg to differ

Out of curiosity, what's the better? For what it is, Mass Effect is clearly the best in its department -- mostly because the number of games that have successfully blended action and decision making, along with a kick-arse space opera story (which I have a fetish for) is small. And if you think that all games set in space are cliched and and all third person shooters suck, I really don't know why I'm having this discussion, even.

 

[mjhhiv]

Meh its a cool game but i dont like it, seen much better, space is now a cliche, an rpg wont be good just cause you shove dialogue in it, and third person shooters suck IMO, but still an ok game, im with Edge,7/10 overall for me, but then again some reviewers beg to differ

Out of curiosity, what's the better? For what it is, Mass Effect is clearly the best in its department -- mostly because the number of games that have successfully blended action and decision making, along with a kick-arse space opera story (which I have a fetish for) is small. And if you think that all games set in space are cliched and and all third person shooters suck, I really don't know why I'm having this discussion, even.

Oh dont be so whiny not everyone is into space operas, of course you have a great story with space theres endless possibilities. I just dont like space games or tps games, to each his own i say. I like FPS,RPG,RTS,Stealth,Racing,Action-adventure.
I didnt mean there are better tps space games, but better games in general aka games id rather spend money on. And i didnt mean ALL tps games suck, but they do for me, i dont like the concept, i guess we all have a subjective opinion dont you think

No. You just acknowledged that you punished Mass Effect for being what it is. I don't like RTS games, so I wouldn't say " i don't like Company of Heroes ive seen better 7/10". Espically the "I've seen better" part -- you don't like the genre, how have you seen better? Have you played better?

Yeah, I'm a Mass Effect fanboy, I guess. It just seems curious that you can say that a game is bad, when in reality, you just don't like what it was trying to be. Just say it isn't you're cup of tea. It'll make me feel better

 

[mjhhiv]

Meh its a cool game but i dont like it, seen much better, space is now a cliche, an rpg wont be good just cause you shove dialogue in it, and third person shooters suck IMO, but still an ok game, im with Edge,7/10 overall for me, but then again some reviewers beg to differ

Out of curiosity, what's the better? For what it is, Mass Effect is clearly the best in its department -- mostly because the number of games that have successfully blended action and decision making, along with a kick-arse space opera story (which I have a fetish for) is small. And if you think that all games set in space are cliched and and all third person shooters suck, I really don't know why I'm having this discussion, even.

Oh dont be so whiny not everyone is into space operas, of course you have a great story with space theres endless possibilities. I just dont like space games or tps games, to each his own i say. I like FPS,RPG,RTS,Stealth,Racing,Action-adventure.
I didnt mean there are better tps space games, but better games in general aka games id rather spend money on. And i didnt mean ALL tps games suck, but they do for me, i dont like the concept, i guess we all have a subjective opinion dont you think

No. You just acknowledged that you punished Mass Effect for being what it is. I don't like RTS games, so I wouldn't say " i don't like Company of Heroes ive seen better 7/10". Espically the "I've seen better" part -- you don't like the genre, how have you seen better? Have you played better?

Yeah, I'm a Mass Effect fanboy, I guess. It just seems curious that you can say that a game is bad, when in reality, you just don't like what it was trying to be. Just say it isn't you're cup of tea. It'll make me feel better

Yeah in fact what i meant was, the game was not my cuppa tea, cause im not into that kind of stuff, but if i were a reviewer id judge it on its own merits as a space tps. And no i didnt see a better space tps, but i stand behind the 7/10 on my scale of games id like to play, not on the scale how good the game acctualy is still a cool game and a lot of people like it, but i just dont see why its so fun.

For me, it took 2 plays before the light bulb turned on. The first time, I rushed everything to finish it, and thought it was mediocre (like you) -- I'm assuming that was because the TPS section is mediocre. I tried it again because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and loved it to death. If you explore other worlds and talk to members of your crew, it dramatically enhances the experience. There are more/better choices to be made besides just the ones shown in the main story.