So a lot of things are happening at this very moment, some of which include: 1) The people working for this website are still alive 2) They're actually going to start picking up the website again (Maybe) 3) This my first review <3 4) And finally this is your first real review of 2012! We're back and were here to stay so keep coming back as we make up for the slack and fill you in! (Were still gonna be lazy.)
You also may wonder why I'm posting a review about a game that's been out for five years now as well as the fact that the third and final installment in the trilogy came out just this week? In preparation for Mass Effect 3 I played through 1 and 2 (Expect a review of that also very soon) and instantly fell in love. So I figured why not let people know my input while also telling those who haven't tried these games yet that they're worth it and they need to get of they're butts up and pick up a copy!
2007 marked a big your for our neighbors up North, Bioware, as they were about to release a game that would rock common third-person shooters and RPG's as they knew them. The concept seemed simple enough, make a charming space captain who must save his galaxy from imminent doom; and yet it turned out to be a revolutionary stepping stone for gaming culture and history alike.
As I previously described the concept of the game was that the player could create they're own unique "Shepard" and launch them into a galaxy where evil hid right around the corner. A little more background information on our main hero, Shepard is a decorated Alliance (Earth military forces) Commander with an even more decorated past (Decided by the player.) My "Shepard" (First name McBigDick) was a human who had lived on a colony before space raiders attacked it and killed his parents. He eventually enlisted in the Alliance and as he moved up the ranks he was stationed at a planet known as Akuze that would be attacked by a "Thresher Maw" (Giant space-worm) and be they only survivor. Sound to say, Shepard had a troubled past. But he's just the kind of person they need to save the galaxy.
As I began playing through the game I saw it was very orientated towards decision making, often leading you to either a good (Paragon) or bad (Renegade) decision that would effect the outcome. A big part of Mass Effect is making decisions and gaining peoples trust while at the same time instilling fear in others to bend at your will, all effecting the plot and the morale of your crew. But Mass Effect isn't just all about making choices and watching the plot develop; It's also a very unique third-person shooter RPG.
As I learned while playing through the first mission the combat system was much like Gears of War, where you would need to duck into cover and wait for opportune times to pop out and light your enemies up. But one twist on this common fighting mechanic is the addition of classes and "powers". In the beginning you picked a class oriented for guns, tech, biotic (Magic), or any combination of the three. I picked a class mixed between tech and guns offering me pistols and sniper rifles (My favorite) as well as a handful of useful abilities such as burst of energy overloading my enemies weapons heat levels or a quick shot to sabotage their armors rating. The guns also have a unique method rather then the shoot, pick up ammo, reload template. Using Mass Effect -this word seems to be thrown around a lot in the game- all guns in the galaxy have infinite ammo, which would be awesome, but the drawback is if you fire to much they can overheat and become useless for more than 10 seconds (This happens way to often.) But like any other RPG as your scour the universe you can find new and better weapons as well as armor and tools. The game eases you into this system of looting, collecting, and selling by giving you a "hacking" mini-game to unlock boxes and break into peoples bank accounts; As well as giving you the option to charm/intimidate items off people. But you don't just collect items for yourself; you also have a battle-ready team at hand waiting to follow Shepards every beck and call.
In the very first mission you gain the function to allow someone new to join your ''crew'', and as the game progresses and you acquire many new teammates ( 7 in all; collect em' all!) who can be mixed and matched to create a variety of teams. Maybe you want someone with high tech levels and another with guns? Or two biotic users so you can cripple any foes in your path. The addition of this team system always keeps the battlefield fresh, and allows you to constantly change your tactics to compliment your play style. Though I pretty much stuck with my two favorites for the whole game (Tali and Wrex)!
One thing this game has a rough ride with is graphics, often with the actual graphics taking to much time load and things looking bumpy up close, as well as there seems to be a constant grainy affect comparable to an old grind house movie; but at the same time many of the environments are beautiful and the alien species are very well developed. To accompany this the music is quite a treat; with a true score, this game plays quite a few songs you'd only expect from a movie or concert. The voice acting is also top notch with many famous actors such as Seth Green, Zachary Quinto, and Matthew Fox in the cast. With so many pluses this game finds very few faults to bring it down.
But as with all good things there has to be a catch; and that's the side quest system with Mass Effect. In the first hub world you meet many different people who offer you an assortment of challenges such as scanning a sentient species, or shaking down a well known thug. But as soon as you leave this world and travel throughout the galaxy anything aside from the main quests begin to follow a stale path. You start most side quests by entering the system the planet it's located on is in and then receiving a message or distress call about that planet, you then land and begin your treacherous journey across the surface in your vehicle the Mako. The Mako is the bane of all modes of transportation and fun, with it's interesting ability to defy gravity while climbing over mountains as well as it's poor driving system and flawed aiming systems. As you arrive t the base, camp, or mining point etc. Shepard must shoot through some guards before entering the bastion like structure only to find a similar layout in every single one with a handful of thugs hiding in it only to fight a semi stronger enemy and then make a decision on how to deal with the out come of the situation. Throw in about 50 of these quests and you begin to question your sanity and why you did every single one (Took me a whole Saturday.) Even with such a monotonous system Bioware flawlessly interjects cunning characters and small twists to keep a loaf of stale bread somewhat fresh (And no, I do not want to shakedown every space-monkey on the planet again just to find a satellite.) but overall fails to get a hold on the side quest aspect of most RPG's.
Even through Mass Effects few flaws there is quite the ray of hope as you become intertwined in the story, characters, your decisions, and their overall outcome on the safety of the whole galaxy. Mass Effect is a great start to a trilogy of games, putting a fresh twist on the common place gaming style, while also keeping you on the edge of your seats as you come down to a cliff hanger making you beg for more. As far as I can see, Mass Effect has no expiration date and will be one game that will always have a place in the halls of gaming history.
Sincerely, The Worlds Mightiest #1 Employee
