A great RPG experience and a must have for 360 owners.
Mass Effect is an incredible game that brings together a revolutionary dialogue system, an engaging story, and fun gameplay to make a great RPG. The huge galaxy filled with alien races and interesting planets will have you exploring for a very long time. Although it is hindered by a few technical flaws, I still consider Mass Effect to be one of the best games I have every played.
Graphics: To start things off, Mass Effect stuns you with some unbelievable visuals. Superb lighting effects and great detail make Mass Effect one of the better graphical displays for the 360. However, the graphics are sometimes tainted by an occasional drop in frame rate or the few seconds of textural problems after a loading time. These are both minor issues but nevertheless, they do deter the visuals slightly.
Gameplay: The combination of biotics and weapons can make for fun and exciting battles, but the ally AI can leave you shaking your head at times. Your two squad mates can irritate you by shooting into walls and throwing themselves into the line of fire. Also, there were some problems with the weaponry on the Mako. If you are positioned slightly higher than the enemy you can't hit them. Setting the negatives aside, the true star of this game is the dialogue system. This is the first game that I have played that lets you have real conversations with the other characters. You truly feel like you have an impact on the universe with what you say and do.
Sound: There's not much to complain about here. Top of the line voice acting makes the conversations very enjoyable. The weapons and vehicles all sound very good. Also, the music in this game is very fitting and well done.
Value: There is awesome replay value in Mass Effect. The main story will take about 15-20 hours depending on how you play and the difficulty the game is at. Aside from that, there are tons of side quests. Any time when you are not in the middle of a main mission you can head to the Citadel to get a task from someone. I have been playing this game for quite some time and I still have quite a few side missions to complete. You will be busy with this game for a long time.
Story: Mass Effect is hands down the best sci-fi story I have ever seen in a game. With a great villain in Saren and a crazy plot twist I can guarantee you will never be bored with this story.
This is one of those rare games that combines a great story with good action to create a masterpiece. I recommend Mass Effect to all Xbox 360 owners.