For those looking at purchasing this as a pre-play to Mass Effect 2, the original is a fun game that starts strong but fades late. I played this when it originally came out and with ME2 coming decided to go back and complete it before starting ME2. It didn't take me long to get sucked back into the story, which is probably one of the things I like about Mass Effect. While not original, both your character and the antagonist in the game are memorable and the interaction with your party is solid. The game is a mix of RPG leveling and shooting/using powers off of a scroll wheel you access that freezes time while you choose what you are going to do. The shooting itself is ok but not great, not really on par to a true shooter but not horrible either. The powers of your party, especially the Biotic, are interesting and fun as you increase their power levels. It would have been nice if maxing out a power produced a different effect or graphic when using it, but overall when you "force push" someone and they go flying it feels satisfying. The game has a lot of side quests, but they will feel a bit monotonous as you basically perform the same kinds of missions over and over. Does this game stand up to 2010? It's tough to say. I did have fun completing it, but by the same token my recent play reminded me of why I did not beat it years ago and it was sitting on a shelf.
Man has always wondered whether there is intelligent life beyond the sea of stars in the sky. In BioWare's latest blockbuster, Mass Effect, mankind is late to the intergalactic party. Alien races have established a counc... Read Full Review
With it's powerful narrative and high degree of interactivity between the player and the world, BioWare's role-playing games have always had a special meaning to the genre. They have managed to carve out a special niche ... Read Full Review
