Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #163 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Microsoft
• Model: M59-00073
• Published on: 2009-02
• Released on: 2007-11-20
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: Xbox 360
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .59" h x 7.52" w x 5.93" l, .33 pounds

Customer Reviews

Fourteen hours of unparalleled gameplay
As a fan of both bioware's Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, I had extremely high expectations for Mass Effect, their latest RPG for the console. Although skeptical at first, I found that it surpassed either of the latter two games, and achieved something no other RPG had on the console.

Mass Effect revamps every aspect of bioware's typical games, improving it vastly, without changing their unique gameplay style. Rather then duplicating Knights of the Old Republic again, bioware has decided to branch off in a unique and interesting direction. The result of this is a game that will surely stand the test of time through the ages, being for the Xbox 360 what Morrowind was for the Xbox or Zelda for the Nintendo.

The combat system is probably the greatest change, taking away any codified system, and allowing it to become a third person shooter. This allows a lot more skill to develop over the course of the game; the AI is quite good, and you'll have to think about tactics. On any difficulty aside from easy you will probably die a lot getting the hang of it, but once you are accustomed, it is much more rewarding than any of the previous games systems. The weapon variation is a bit lacking, but this is balanced out by the biotics system, similar to force powers in KoTOR. However, rather than having good and evil powers, a character specializing in them has access to all of them. I found that the leveling system in relation to these powers was very well thought out, and improvements made were very obvious upon combat.

The class you choose, whether it be exclusively weapons, powers or mechanics, or a mix of two is very important in deciding the balance between weapons and powers you will be using. As a first time player the most obvious choice is a mix, but the game is flexible to accommodate anyone who gets the hang of their chosen gameplay style. I found that the character creation was much more developed and sophisticated compared to the latter two releases.

Another, and by far my favorite change, is the good/evil bar. Rather than make it a moral system, with clear definition of good and evil, bioware has introduced a system that is removed from moral reality. Every choice is just that, a choice, with given consequences you must live with for better and for worse. You can opt for a Machiavellian pragmatists style character, with consequences of your ruthlessness, or a humanitarian with just as many disadvantages for the more sympathetic choices. This is ideal for allowing the game to encompass a level of realism, and attaches deeper feelings for characters. Certainly a lot trickier than a simple good/evil bar, but bioware pulled it off, and the result is fantastic.

Overall I thought that Mass Effect succeeded with its characters (character development), storyline and combat system. The graphics are wonderful and the gameplay is easily up to the standard of any typical RPG. I found very few flaws, except the seemingly short length, and frankly didn't find any of it less than enjoyable. Give it a try, and savor bioware's newest gift to the console.

Xbox 360 2007 Game of the Year
I was very skeptical about this title...I was never the biggest fan of Bioware previous console titles (KOTOR, Jade Empire) so I wasn't exactly sure if this game would live up to it's hype...thankfully my hype was practically non-existent and my opinions were left wide open. From the moment you start creating your character, to the open cinematics...to the final cut-scene...you're completely pulled into a world that looks and plays excellent. The visuals and cut-scenes are very impressive...and your choices actually reflect the way the council and people react to you. The combat might be complained about but works really well...the controls are dead-on and I never had a single issue commanding my team or myself. The game might dip a bit on the framerate...I chose to remove the motion blur effect...but I highly recommend keeping the film grain on because it provides ton of atmosphere to the whole presentation. The story is probably the most interesting and engaging i've ever experienced in playing a videogame...I actually cared for my teammates and the choices I made. I am currently on my 2nd playthrough just because I enjoyed it sooo much...this time I'm making different choices and can already see the difference in transition to the overall plot. My only complaint is it ended too soon...otherwise it would have been a perfect 10. Everyone MUST play this game.

GREAT GAME !!!
Story: You are a space fighter on a mission that soon develops into a conspiracy on a galactic scale. You will fight organic and artificial foes in all forms and might. You will need to make choices that will determine how you will handle the situations : Are you a diplomat or ruthless warrior ?
Do you see yourself as a war hero or a sole survivor? Do you want to specialize as a soldier, adept, engineer, sentinel , infiltrator or vanguard.

There is not enough space to describe what career specializations you can have, the paths you can take, the vaste amount of weapons and armors you can buy. It is a chapter on its own.

Playing: Gameplay is a bit diffucult because you need to rely on multiple buttons to move, rotate the camera and shoot at the same time. I got used to PC version where gameplay is very easy to master but high-res graphics are left to desire on my PC.

Characters/graphics: Character animation is well done. Characters truly appear genuine with their own stories, virtues and vices. You really grow to like your squad and even choose your favorites that you will drag along anywhere you go. What is also incredibly fun is that you can customize the facial appearance of your own character (male/female). The realism of the characters can be compared like to those characters in Final Fantasy: Spirits Within movie. It is very impressive.

Worlds: There are 7 major worlds on which the primary mission is being conducted, but there are so many others ( I think more than dozen) on which you fulfill your side missions. Primary worlds are the most complete and the most visually stunning while the worlds for side mission can be quite boring ( you just basically drive around in MAKO , tank/hammer looking vehicule, on a desolate planet till you get to the enemy camp or mine). So, exploring certain planets can be quite dull but it can be rewarding as everybody knows, because this is how your skills improve and you get better weapons and armors. If you play like 2-3 hours per day and you decide to do the complete gameplay, it will take you months to finish it.

Overall, the game delivers the most impressive visual scenario, a complex and engrossing story, realistic characters and surroundings, which probably makes it the best RPG/shooter game in my view.