One of the Best games ever made. One to be remembered for many years as a Master piece. Please go buy this game NOW!!!!!
I can't understand the perspective of the Gamespot reviewer. He chooses to nitpick every small thing and seems not to be aware of the monumental accomplishment the game represents as a whole. And like many reviewers he thinks he makes himself sound smart or sophisticated when he says the game is unoriginal and points out comparisons between it and other stories. But come on, that is such a baseless attack! Of course there are some familiar elements in this game--no game, movie or book can be completely original. Star Wars, for example, is derivative of Japanese bushido, westerns, earlier Sci-Fi stories, etc. and yet it is one of our most enduring Sci-Fi classics.
I challenge the reviewer to give just one example of a piece of art that isn't derivative in at least a few ways. Such a thing does not exist and even if something completely original could exist we probably wouldn't enjoy it. It would be analogous to trying to get enjoyment from a piece of music that uses no scale and has no key. We get enjoyment from those things that blend the familiar with the new and unfamiliar in unique ways to create something that excites and moves us. And Mass Effect certainly fits this description.
So, except in cases of extreme derivation, I just find it annoying when a reviewer attacks something for sharing obvious characteristics with other members of the genre, class or style to which that thing belongs. Criticizing Mass Effect for having elements in common with other Sci-Fi stories is moronic, since it is those very elements that identify it as a Sci-Fi and not some other genre. A Sci-Fi without any Sci-Fi conventions would not be a Sci-Fi at all. As a life-long fan of Sci-Fi I can honestly say that Mass Effect offers some truly unique twists and perspectives on the tried and true Sci-Fi themes. And more importantly, the story is exceptionally good--truly moving and memorable. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is one of the very best game stories of all time.
What's truly shameful is that the competing Elder Scrolls 4 is far less original yet there wasn't so much as a single mention of unoriginality in the Gamespot review of that game. They also didn't seem to feel the need to nitpick that game to death the way they did with Mass Effect. The reviewer even went out of his way to say "it's surprisingly difficult to find much fault with any of it".
Oh really? If we applied the same nitpicking to ES4 as was applied to Mass Effect the list of minor faults found in the former game would, by any objective standard, far outweigh those found in the later. In fact, a large number of faults listed for Mass Effect are also found in Elder Scrolls 4. Nevertheless, I think ES4 was an exceptional game and was deserving of the score given to it. None of the small deficiencies ruined, or even significantly degraded the overall magnificent experience that was Elder Scrolls 4. But giving ES4 a 9.6 while giving Mass Effect a 8.5 is inexplicable. The Mass Effect experience is at least on par with that found in ES4 and in many ways surpasses it.
The presentation in Mass Effect is quite simply the most amazing I have ever seen in any game. The graphics during exploration or combat are among the top tier of modern games--somewhat better than Gears of War, in my opinion. But during conversations...oh my...they are without compare in video games--not far behind pre-rendered CG films! The music too, is simply beautiful and helps create the strong atmosphere of the game.
The story hooked me right from the beginning and only gets better as it goes along. As I said before, it is one of the best stories I have ever experienced in a game.
I really enjoyed the leveling up and development of my character and party members. The game offers a really nice collection of abilities, weapons, weapon upgrades, and armor. And exploring uncharted worlds in the Mako or on foot is a blast.
The combat is always exciting and offers nearly unlimited ways to combine your party's abilities. It is as exciting as the combat found in Gears of War, but of course offers much more depth. I can only guess that the few reviewers who had complaints about the combat simply don't understand its possibilities. It is dynamic and real-time when you want it to be, but offers surprising depth and strategy as well.
The conversations in Mass Effect blow away anything else seen in an RPG. The AI characters in Elder Scrolls 4 are stiff, un-emotive automatons by comparison. The characters in Mass Effect show emotion and intent through gesture and facial expressions. And the lip-syncing, although not perfect, is definitely a step up from anything we have seen in an RPG before. The conversation wheel really does help to keep the conversations flowing and makes them more believable and engaging at the same time. And now, our own character finally expresses him/herself through voiced dialogue, so we can hear the whole conversation, not just half of it.
There are so many great things to say about Mass Effect, I could just go on and on. But it is the way all of these seemingly disparate elements come together that makes Mass Effect truly special. The story, characters, conversations, presentation, combat, and exploration all weave together to form one of the most astonishingly fun and engrossing experiences in the history of gaming. To experience Mass Effect is to experience the pinnacle of interactive entertainment and should be experienced by any and all who wish to see where this medium is going. Truly exciting stuff indeed! Sorry for the long post but this game is simply amzing!!!