Tuesday, November 27, 2007

MASS EFFECT-IVENESS


So.. I have been waiting for this game for a long time... and I can honestly say it was worth the wait. Bioware makes a great RPG, the best RPGs out there is videogame land, and this one is sure to be crowned their magnum opus. The story is vast and rich (there is a novel to read as a prequel) and the sheer amount of detail they put into the world was staggering...

I am about 9 hours into the game... and already... I deem it "Karl's Game of the Year" (with Bioshock and Halo 3 coming in at second and third respectively. Honorable mention for Puzzle Quest) The first 8 hours were spent exploring the Citadel, the vast space station that serves as the political center of the galaxy. Exploring the many levels, talking to the cool aliens (they had a great conceptual artist and art director for this game, the aliens are all really cool), running quests for folks, and engaging in complex conversations... even this far in I know I am going to play through this game a second time... there are just so many ways to accomplish your tasks. (next time I will play a chick, and I won't be as nice as I am to people now, hehe)

The combat is very interesting... it is a great mix of First-Person Shooter and RPG Menu combats... with a smattering of Tactical Team play for good measure. You really have to think about what you're doing before you fight.. plan your power usage, choose weapons wisely, find cover, control your team... or you die. Trust me.. I know. Often at the hands of these guys...the Geth. (the bad guys)

And the graphics are wonderful... one of the prettiest games I have seen yet on the 360. The worlds and environments are vast and detailed... and the characters are amazing... they really feel like people.. instead of generic sci-fi characters... and the voice acting is superb. If anime had voice acting like this, everyone would watch anime...



2 comments:

Unknown said...

Im really psyched about Mass Effect. It looks like its going to be the RPG to beat for the ol 360. It may help me recover from PS3 having exclusinve rights to FF XIII...

Pondrepof said...

well, I haven't played a FF since FF9.. so I am over it. Mass Effect is a beautiful game...a must have. :)