Review: Mass Effect (360/PC)

Mass Effect is by far one of the best games I’ve ever played (it’s made by BioWare, known for their quality, so go figure). It contains massive amounts of game play time, originality, and personalization. I mean, how many games can you name off the top of your head that give you the option of choosing your own response to any situation presented? It really feels like you can select your own way of life in the game, as your dialogue choices are never just the obvious good, middle, or bad. Of course, this also means that they took the time to create multiple endings, with multiple situations and multiple variants. If you’re looking for a game to play more than once, then this is it. You can literally play this game over 50 different ways. The story is so good, with romance, action, and comedy interwoven into it, that you will want to play it that many times, too.

The most amazing thing about this game is the customization available for the main character. You can either play as the default avatar or create your own, male or female. You create their entire look, down to the type of eyebrows and scars they have, as well as their abilities and job class. Another fabulous thing about Mass Effect is that you get the chance to level up (no pun intended… maybe). Each level you earn will give you more points to add to better yourself (talents), and earn new abilities. It’s fantastic! Choose which direction you’d like to go and flow with it. Personally, I did a Vanguard because I thought it was the best of both worlds, Jedi-like abilities and brute strength, but you can choose whatever you want to go with your own personal play style.

There are different settings of difficulty available for the game, so noobs like me can enjoy it just as much as a hardcore gamer. The game play is really smooth, with no falling into “nothing” and having to restart that section, having the game “hang up” on you, or any glitches where some character's arms were twisted back behind them in a physically impossible way. The graphics look great, the worlds you visit are well done, and the character interaction is smooth. The only complaint I had was that perhaps the easy setting was a little too easy, and the selection of weapons wasn’t very impressive. I think they were aiming at story more than anything, which as I mentioned earlier, really shines in this game. It's entrancing and it draws you in within the first few moments. There’s no waiting for the game to 'get good'. It’s fast paced and you have the choice to either follow the story straight through, or do the side quests and earn more XP. The Leveling Up part is also set at a good pace where you don’t necessarily have to “grind” to get the experience.

Lastly, everyone should know that the character you play and progress with in Mass Effect 1 rolls over into Mass Effect 2! You can also replay Mass Effect 1 with your end-game character, taking your level and items with you. If you were like me and beat the game twice and got to the highest level and completed everything, you will start Mass Effect 2 with even better bonuses. Pick up Mass Effect today, try it out, and love it! I know I did.

Submitted By: Brittany Stalker (Employee)