I've been wanting to write a review lately, so I've choosen Mass Effect. I know the game is old but I just got it lately so I want to share my thoughts. You start of the game by creating your character. The interesting thing here is, that depending what type of background and sex you choose, the characters in the game will respond to you in different ways. I chose to be a male tech, who's background was that has parents were murdered by space pirates, and while I was in the alliance, I became a war hero. As for my appearance, I looked like Wesley Snipes with a scar on his cheeks. The game then starts off at the alliance star cruiser, the Normandy. In the beginning, Mass Effect didn't really look like anything special.But after you got passed the first three hours of the game, you really start to get overwhelmed by the amount of things that have been cramed into this game and with what depth they are done.
There are mutiple of ways of completing every mission, and even the small sidequests can have more than one way that end. But before I get onto missions and the choices that you get make in the game, I should first explain the basic gameplay elements. Mass effect is divided into three categories: shooting, driving and talking. Let's start off first with the combat. The combat shows many simmilarities with gears of war's "take cover and shoot" system, although taking cover isn't essiantial in the game. You have five weapon types: sniper, pistol, shotgun and assault rifle. Instead of these weapons having ammo, they overheat. You can find/purchase upgrades or more supirior weapons from vendors, crates, modules etc. When in combat, you control your other two team mates. You can tell them what weapon to use, which ability they can cast, which position to they should move, which enemy theys should attack and other team based strategies. Although they don't really obey well when you tell them to move to specific place, it those not really matter for since I only use them as cannons. You can cast an ability on your enemy and targets, by openeing a interface menu where you can make you and your allies target a specific target with their ability. It adds lots of strategical value into the game, but it also pauses it, which can take away the intensity in battle. Your enemy AI can also be complete retards sometimes, and just walk randomly into your line of fire (your allies also do this sometimes). But all in all, its very polished system and a majority of gamers will enjoy it.
Next up is the conversation interface. Now to most this, does not sound like a big deal, but it actually plays an important part in Mass Effect's gameplay. You basically choose what you want to say from sphirical interface system. There are usually three options: respond like a dick, respond politely or in a positive way or neutral response. So most of the time you just get to be good cop or bad cop. But sometimes you have to make a much more significant choce, which can completely alter the mission's storyline, if not even the game, which gives the game lots of replay value. But it isn't perfect. Sometimes you choose your character say something, but he ends up saying something completely diiferent. I mean, I don't want my character say the exact same thing that is displayed, but he goes onto a completely different subject.
Finally, we go on to the vehicle parts in the game. There isn't really much depth here. You fire either bullets, or you can send out more powerful attacks through your cannon, which you then have to wait for it to recharge. There also rockets installed into it for avoiding terrain.Now, trying to control the Mako, is like driving drunk, in a car with only two wheels. I wouldn't exactly call the driving sequences 'fun', but isn't that bad, that at feels like a chore.
Now we go onto the storyline of Mass Effect, and I really feel like I've should have gone onto this subject in the beggining of my review, but w/e. You play as Commander Shephard (or lolnator shepard in my case) who is assigned to catch a rogue Specter called Saren, who is in control of an evil AI robotic race called the Geth. The story is actually very interesting and cinematic, and the fact that you can alter and that it has diferent endings, makes it worth going through again. But it sometimes lacks originality, for instance I saw many resemblances with Halo's storyline in it. As for the graphics, the animation here is done very well and is very artistic, but is stopped from being perfect due to the fact that there are many graphical glitches. This isn't game killing, but those ruin the cinematic experients and immersion.
Final Comments:
Mass Effect is a unique and immersive gaming experience that shouldn't be missed out. But beware of tech. glitches and sometimes awkward combat.
Buy it!
There are mutiple of ways of completing every mission, and even the small sidequests can have more than one way that end. But before I get onto missions and the choices that you get make in the game, I should first explain the basic gameplay elements. Mass effect is divided into three categories: shooting, driving and talking. Let's start off first with the combat. The combat shows many simmilarities with gears of war's "take cover and shoot" system, although taking cover isn't essiantial in the game. You have five weapon types: sniper, pistol, shotgun and assault rifle. Instead of these weapons having ammo, they overheat. You can find/purchase upgrades or more supirior weapons from vendors, crates, modules etc. When in combat, you control your other two team mates. You can tell them what weapon to use, which ability they can cast, which position to they should move, which enemy theys should attack and other team based strategies. Although they don't really obey well when you tell them to move to specific place, it those not really matter for since I only use them as cannons. You can cast an ability on your enemy and targets, by openeing a interface menu where you can make you and your allies target a specific target with their ability. It adds lots of strategical value into the game, but it also pauses it, which can take away the intensity in battle. Your enemy AI can also be complete retards sometimes, and just walk randomly into your line of fire (your allies also do this sometimes). But all in all, its very polished system and a majority of gamers will enjoy it.
Next up is the conversation interface. Now to most this, does not sound like a big deal, but it actually plays an important part in Mass Effect's gameplay. You basically choose what you want to say from sphirical interface system. There are usually three options: respond like a dick, respond politely or in a positive way or neutral response. So most of the time you just get to be good cop or bad cop. But sometimes you have to make a much more significant choce, which can completely alter the mission's storyline, if not even the game, which gives the game lots of replay value. But it isn't perfect. Sometimes you choose your character say something, but he ends up saying something completely diiferent. I mean, I don't want my character say the exact same thing that is displayed, but he goes onto a completely different subject.
Finally, we go on to the vehicle parts in the game. There isn't really much depth here. You fire either bullets, or you can send out more powerful attacks through your cannon, which you then have to wait for it to recharge. There also rockets installed into it for avoiding terrain.Now, trying to control the Mako, is like driving drunk, in a car with only two wheels. I wouldn't exactly call the driving sequences 'fun', but isn't that bad, that at feels like a chore.
Now we go onto the storyline of Mass Effect, and I really feel like I've should have gone onto this subject in the beggining of my review, but w/e. You play as Commander Shephard (or lolnator shepard in my case) who is assigned to catch a rogue Specter called Saren, who is in control of an evil AI robotic race called the Geth. The story is actually very interesting and cinematic, and the fact that you can alter and that it has diferent endings, makes it worth going through again. But it sometimes lacks originality, for instance I saw many resemblances with Halo's storyline in it. As for the graphics, the animation here is done very well and is very artistic, but is stopped from being perfect due to the fact that there are many graphical glitches. This isn't game killing, but those ruin the cinematic experients and immersion.
Final Comments:
Mass Effect is a unique and immersive gaming experience that shouldn't be missed out. But beware of tech. glitches and sometimes awkward combat.
Buy it!
