Mass Effect

**Tratorix** · 09-25-2007, 01:42

This game is the main reason I want a 360 now. I've been reading previews on IGN, and if it's 1/3 as good as they say it is, I'll be in heaven. In my perfect world, all RPG's would be made by clones of the development team at Bioware.( Wow, this post really makes me sound like a fanboy. Oh well.

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**Bob the Insane** · 09-25-2007, 18:23

I am pretty hyped about it too... It looks like KOTOR on next-gen steroids...

The voice acting in the mvoie clips is sweet...

**Spino** · 09-25-2007, 18:25

I'm really looking forward to the day when Mass Effect gets released for the PC... complete with snazzier graphics & extra content. Bioware gave the PC version of Jade Empire a facelift and content injection so I imagine they'll do the same for the PC version of Mass Effect.

I know it sounds silly but one thing that bugs me about Mass Effect are the cheesy sounding voice actors they used for the aliens. Come on now Bioware, modulate a little bit, add some growls or neat effects.. anything to not make them sound like those two bit method actors that co-starred on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Heck, just take a page from the KOTOR book and force gamers to read subtitles whenever aliens speak (most of them anyway).

**Bob the Insane** · 09-25-2007, 19:08

Maybe it is the universal translator that had it's voices recorded by those two bit method actors that co-starred on Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

**Tratorix** · 09-26-2007, 01:31

I believe I read somewhere that some of the voice work in the previews was not the finalized product. They said some of it was placeholders, as they hadn't gotten all the fianl voicing finished up. I hope thats true, it would be a shame to have cheesy voice acting, the game looks absolutely spectacular otherwise.

**Xiahou** · 09-26-2007, 02:16

Originally Posted by Spino

I'm really looking forward to the day when Mass Effect gets released for the PC... complete with snazzier graphics & extra content. Bioware gave the PC version of Jade Empire a facelift and content injection so I imagine they'll do the same for the PC version of Mass Effect.

I'll definitely be waiting for this one to come out on the PC as well.

**Bob the Insane** · 11-21-2007, 15:18

Well it is out!!

Got it yesterday, played all evening...

The short summary... KOTOR on steroids but optimized for shooting rather than lightsabers...

God I wish this was on the PC, you can hear the 360 struggling to deal with it at times. Why in the name of all that is holy they put 512MB rather than 1GB in the box is beyond me... However having said that, it is smooth most of the time and does look great...

The improvement to the way converstion works is really cool, but does not really dramatically change hopw things play out, it simply flows more naturally. Is it an excellent mechanism that I am sure we will see in other games... But it applies only to the conversations and does not really impact the rest of the gameplay...

The combat mechanics are kind of "GRAW lite"... Over the shoulder with a simple cover machanism. I don't think I have full mastered it yet, but my FPS background encourages me to shoot my own weapon rather and giving myself commands. The fact that you can't queue commands for your guys is a bit of a pain, but they shoot back well enough and because combat (so far) is ranged, you do have more thinking time... I have not seen any melee yet, but I think it is in,

Other than the combat mechanic and the coversation mechanism, this is next gen KOTOR, or rather that is the vibe I get from it... It could be the same corridors of the same space stations, only prettier and usually bigger...

I played all evening and I have only done the Eden Prime mission (which is a kind of tutorial as well as plot) and have done a bunch of missions (tasks) on the Citadel space station. Still plenty more to go...

**Papewaio** · 11-22-2007, 00:59

Actually conversations do have an effect... your equivalent of light and darkside go up depending on what you say and that has a direct effect on the ending of the game.

Also with things like high charm NPCs will give you more information and/or items... which obviously has a direct effect on game play.

I'm not sure if you need high charm/intimidation to get the alien encounter of the 69th kind. But obviously you have to choose the right conversation elements.

**Azi Tohak** · 11-24-2007, 11:26

Despite the silly flaws in the game (buggy, chuggy) this is my main reason to want a 360. I think I would love it, particularly with its take on shooters. I'm not a shooter fan (doesn't matter, Ikaruga to Halo, I don't like 'em), but I think this, with its RPG parts and buddies would be great fun. Too bad Bioware couldn't quite get all the bugs out of it.

Azi

**Bob the Insane** · 11-24-2007, 22:52

Originally Posted by Papewaio

Actually conversations do have an effect... your equivalent of light and darkside go up depending on what you say and that has a direct effect on the ending of the game.

You are correct of course, but I did not really mean the conversation had not effect (I explained myself poorly), I meant that it had no greater overall effect then the old style stop and go, choose your response from a list style of converstion. It just flowed better...

I had a ME marathon and finished it with my James Shepard Soldier/Commando...

The last save game listed 36 hours and I think I did quite a lot of side quests.

I have mixed feelings overall, the only one landable planet (or ship) per system with 1 to 5 systems per cluster seems a little mean. And once you get down there (planetside), between 3 and 6 places of interest, often a crashed probe(and quite why searching a crashed probe would turn up an assault rifle I have no idea!) and some abondoned installation...

The story is fantastic and the end is really intense. However the overall story is really pretty short once you get stuck in. You really need to fill up your time on other quests to keep things interesting, which can kill the realism a little towards the end where the story is giving it "we must hurry, we are ina race to save the galaxy", but you can in reality mess about polishing off your side quests...

It seems to be missing alot of depth, there are little in the way of factions and there does not seem to be any building of optional relationships (I don't mean the romance thing) with those factions. YOu don;t so much get side quests as you are assigned missions with a defined goal and possibly some options in the execution... The story is pretty straight really, a bit of a railroad with optional sidings, but to progress you need to return to the main track... It does not feel as open as Oblivion, nor as populated. The only built up places you go to are main story elements, every where else is a back water or uninhabited. And the vast bulk of your missions is taking out the opposition in some manner...

Reading over the above, I am being overly critical. This is a great game, but I expected more...

**Geoffrey S** · 11-25-2007, 01:21

Originally Posted by Bob the Insane

It seems to be missing alot of depth, there are little in the way of factions and there does not seem to be any building of optional relationships (I don't mean the romance thing) with those factions. YOu don;t so much get side quests as you are assigned missions with a defined goal and possibly some options in the execution... The story is pretty straight really, a bit of a railroad with optional sidings, but to progress you need to return to the main track... It does not feel as open as Oblivion, nor as populated. The only built up places you go to are main story elements, every where else is a back water or uninhabited. And the vast bulk of your missions is taking out the opposition in some manner...

Sounds like KotoR, then, with a different type of combat.