Mass Effect ... One small step for Bioware, One giant leap for the western role playing game genre.
Plot/Story:
The universe of Mass Effect and the background/history surrounding it is so outstanding and immersive that it even rivals Star Wars and thats a big say.
Definitely a flawless start to the trilogy which sets allot in motion and will make you feel like you are the star in a big budget blockbuster movie and will keep you hooked to the last minute and will never fail to deliver. You will find that when its finally finished you will be hungry for more or want to replay the story a different way to see how you can change things.
The Mass Effect universe is yours for the taking, your decisions will shape it or they will destroy it. The choice is yours!
Graphics:
The graphics are unbelievable in almost every way despite the flaws which come with the game not utilizing the consoles HDD in order to cache. The detail they go into is amazing right down to the subtle facial emotions right to the sun shining down over the mountains of those derelict planets. The character creation is one of the best to date yet I feel should have more options but I can't think of a better one thus far. Mass Effect has set a high bar but truth be told as said graphics are not flawless nor the best to date but they certainly are amazing for a game that is so large but I think that with a few of these little bug fixes we can expect graphical masterpieces in the upcoming sequels.
Gameplay:
Mass Effect did one thing which no RPG has done to date, this is combine a third person shooter with an RPG based system. In my opinion this was a massive risk but they pulled it off with ease, the combat found in Mass Effect rivals any real-time battle system and has done wonders in drawing a new audience to the world of role playing games. Everything about the gameplay in Mass Effect was brilliant especially the character interactions, morality/decision making and the dialogue system. I have not seen anything in any game that can rival this. Everything was perfect in my eyes, yet I wouldn't of minded having control of the Normandy to fly myself even in a mini mission but other than that the game delivers and has started a revolution of its own.
Sound:
AAA voice acting and music, its brilliant and one part of the game I can fault, I remember reading that there were 15 movies worth of dialogue in this game and boy were they not kidding, the game never stops you feeling like your playing a part in an epic blockbuster movie.
Value:
The game has massive replay value due to all the desicions you have to make which directly impact on the game and its story so you will find most players get through the story more than one time, along with the incentive to chose a different path you also get the option to start the game again keeping your equipment, level and status so just another reason to keep playing.
Overall:
Mass Effect is a game that no RPG fan should miss out on, even those who are into third person shooters should give it a try. The game is brilliant and has lived up to expectations and revolutionized the world of western role playing games. Despite a few graphical flaws, some lacklustre side missions and some thoughtless derelict planets the game does not fail to deliver in any way and will make you feel like your playing in big budget blockbuster movie the whole time and the conclusion will be one of the most satisfying you will come across ever and leave you hungry for the sequel.