Mass Effect

"Massively Effective but not Effectively Massive"

Mass Effect is yet another ambitious WRPG from renowned developers Bioware. After delving into the console market with their fantastic Star Wars: KOTOR a few years back, Bioware has returned hoping to make a similar impact in the next generation. Initial news of Mass Effect was promising. With a galaxy consisting of an uncountable number of planets and relatively non-linear progress Mass Effect had a lot riding on its shoulders. The game has finally hit stores; does it live up to Bioware's promises, and fans expectations?

Before starting I should just let you know that I consider 5/10 average. I've noticed average seems to be veering towards 7/10 recently so if, for example, I rate something 6/10 it is in fact above average rather than below.

Graphics/Presentation:

Bioware has successfully managed to get to grips with the next generation hardware. From the get go textures are highly detailed, character models are expertly animated and the post-production effects are fantastic. To see a character model animate so realistically is rare, and a huge achievement in a game where there is so much spoken dialogue. The models emote well, and while the animations do repeat from time to time, the result of the increased attention to detail makes each character more life-like. Even the lip-syncing deserves a special mention.

The cut-scenes are beautifully cinematic. The developers cut to different camera angles with great frequency, which makes each extended conversation with an NPC more interesting to watch. Light sources ‘bleed' and smudge realistically and the static noise filter (which can be turned off in the options menu) rids the game of the next-gen visual sheen that has plagued other titles. Equally the motion blur effect makes the game (marginally) more filmic and works well during the third-person combat.

Despite the praise, the visuals are probably the weakest aspect of Mass Effect. It seems Bioware didn't effectively optimize the game for the xbox 360 system before release. The textures, as beautiful as they are, frequently fail to load on-screen in time. Textures pop-in when travelling between areas, during cut-scene cuts and even when rotating the camera. There's a decent amount of screen tearing at almost all times, and some texture tearing. What's worse is the slowdown that all too often rears its head. During wide scale battles the game suffers horrendous slowdown that, combined with the occasional short lock-ups, can make them a messy affair. The game even slows down during non-hectic moments.

It's also unfortunate the game comes replete with long load times disguised as elevator trips; sometimes a load-screen will simply do. Losing control over your character for about 20 seconds while waiting for the lift to ascend/descend not only breaks the pace (perhaps more-so than a loading screen) but it has a negative effect on the level design. The fact that the environments only seem to be half-loaded by the time the lift arrives at its destination just adds insult to injury. The environments are so small for the most part that it's made all the more glaring when a loading screen sporadically appears while exploring. The game seems to stream from the disc causing various glitches and, on the rare occasion, freezing. Perhaps if Microsoft were to allow developers to give gamers the option to install certain files onto the hard drive most of the technical issues could have been avoided. Alas it is not so, and Mass Effect is far from a technical masterpiece.

Artistically the alien design is out of this world (pun intended). The models are inspired, memorable and unique. The attention to detail in making each alien model (even of the same race) different to each other is leaps ahead of other titles, and the animation (and voice work) does wonders in creating a universe with real integrity. Perhaps because of the concessions made to reduce load times (i.e. the inclusion of too many elevator shafts), or an attempt to keep the frame-rate solid, the level design in this game feels limited. Each environment is fairly small and well…bland. Textures are re-used all too often on the same planet and, most likely to convey a despondent mood, the colour scheme is washed out. There are far too many out-of-place, conspicuous and repetitive rocks to crouch behind, too many invisible walls and almost all the optional planets are quadrilateral planes with awkwardly placed mountains that remind me of the randomly generated dungeons of games a decade ago (albeit in high-def).

Mass Effect is a game of two halves graphically-speaking; The animation, lighting, textures, alien designs and production values are all of the highest calibre. Unfortunately the technical issues, glitches, artistically dull planets (even the story-related ones) and poorly paced elevator trips do detract from the quality.
6/10

Gameplay:

Bioware has taken a great risk in merging the story heavy elements of their previous RPGs with a Third-person shooter battle system. It's a testament to Bioware then that the two gaming styles work so well together. Bioware has crafted one of their most accessible battle systems yet, with a good balance between reaction times and behind-the-scenes number crunching.

The battles play out like a simplified Gears of War with RPG elements. Gun combat is handled similarly, but you can pause the gameplay to execute special attacks and change weapons. The cover system is well implemented and necessary for progression. It adds more strategic depth to the battles even if it‘s a carbon copy of GoW. There is a huge arsenal of guns on offer and they're each satisfying to use. The game allows you to upgrade your favourite weapons with particular mods, though on the normal/easy difficulty level it is by no means required. The gun combat is nothing revolutionary, and perhaps lacks the polish and visceral thrills of more specialised third-person combat titles, but it marks a great step forward for the RPG genre. Whereas RPGs seem to have stagnated in recent years by relying on traditional combat, it's a breath of fresh air to see Bioware taking such a risk.

Two party members can be taken into battle like KOTOR, though this time around you have very limited control of them. One command at a time can be issued from the menu during combat but attacks cannot be queued. The heightened emphasis on real-time elements does increase the importance of AI, so it is unfortunate that Mass Effect is poor in this regard. Your team mates will often get in the way of the shooting reticule forcing you to re-manoeuvre. They constantly charge into battle in a suicidal fashion, and hence die much more often than you would hope. On the plus side, your team mates will return to life once the battle is over and they can be helpful in diverting the enemy's attention.

Vehicular combat makes its way into Mass Effect in a less than spectacular fashion. To be blunt the Mako is a Halo rip-off but it does serve its purpose. Almost every story-related planet has a Mako moment, and so does every optional planet. There's nothing wrong with the Mako in principle, it's the execution that falls short. Aiming in the Mako is harder than it should be. At a distance targeting is fine, but as soon as an enemy comes within a certain radius of the vehicle it becomes very difficult to hit them. The targeting reticule can be directly on the enemy and your bullets will still miss repeatedly. The acceleration is slow and the controls make the vehicle feel too light, which is both good and bad; while it does feel awkward in combat situations, the increased bounciness is a lot fun.

The structure of Mass Effect is very similar to Jade Empire and especially KOTOR. For better or for worse the initial few hours of this title are linear before eventually allowing certain story-based planets to be tackled in a player chosen order. To Mass Effect's credit the pacing is a great step forward over Jade Empire; a title that felt rushed towards the end. On the other hand it does take a while for the game to show-off its much touted planet-exploration and provide interesting battles.

Typically for a Bioware title sub-quests are integral to the gameplay experience (perhaps too much so). Bioware is renowned for creating sub-quests with real depth that reward the player, but I must admit, for the first time, they have resorted to too many “collect 50 of these“, “find 30 of these” quests. The game seems artificially lengthened by these mundane tasks, and they provide one of the only incentives to exploring the uncharted worlds on Mass Effect's world map. Story focused quests do, thankfully, make a return and they are still as satisfying as ever (usually offering a light/dark outcome), giving the developers a chance to explore complex themes. On the downside the structure of these quests are disappointingly similar to KOTOR and while I think the game benefits from their inclusion, it's unfortunate Bioware has chosen to be so safe.

The much acclaimed planet exploration that was one of Mass Effect's most promising features pre-release is in fact one of its most disappointing. Mass Effect contains a huge amount of planets, but comparatively few can be interacted with. There is an interesting description of each planet on the world map and most planets can be surveyed, but only several can be landed on. Of these planets only the story-related ones offer any visual landmarks. The other planets are much like how an uninhabited planet would look; dull, repetitive and devoid of anything of interest. It's realistic but it is also lazy, uninspired and poorly implemented. A barren landscape can be well designed, but in Mass Effect that is not the case. The planet exploration is optional and adds very little to the game.

Mass Effect isn't the revolutionary gameplay experience it was hyped to be, but it is a decent first stab. Bioware (EA) has already claimed that there will be further titles sporting the Mass Effect name, and judging by this release, there will be a lot to look forward to. Mass Effect does lack refinement (and the ambition surpasses the actual quality), but the end result is impressive and rewarding.
7/10

Story:

Mass Effect is heavily focused on telling a good story. From the outset there is a lot of exposition that might detract the more casual gamer, but for those who are willing to persevere there is no better example of well-told story on the xbox 360. Without wishing to spoil anything, the tale develops quickly into an epic space drama. The attention to detail is astonishing and the Mass Effect galaxy is brought to life by an absorbing and rich history and intriguing side-quests. Unlike previous Bioware games the main story is constantly progressing and it remains the focus throughout. There is no ‘big' plot twist, rather several smaller and more intelligent revelations. The game feels linear so the story remains tight and the game culminates in a satisfying way, despite leaving it open for the inevitable sequel.

The light/dark system has returned in the form of paragon/renegade. The conversation decisions this time around can be selected by rotating the analogue stick to highlight succinct responses, reducing the amount of reading required and making the conversations more fluid and straightforward. On the other hand the decisions have little effect on how the conversation advances. There are usually 4 to 5 options in each decision but there are only around 2 possible responses. While the illusion of giving the player choice is initially fantastic, there is little depth to the system. I also don't understand why the decisions have to be either bad/renegade or good/paragon. There is no sense that your actions have a consequence. Even the few major decisions that have to be made feel contrived and have little effect on the way the game progresses. I don't believe the system is as intelligent as it thinks it is. I must give credit where it is due however, one decision towards the end is shocking and genuinely difficult. KOTOR 2 showed that a decision isn't inherently good or bad and that it is the consequences of the action that are more important; Mass Effect is step back in this regard. The game hints at the consequences but never shows them. What's the purpose of making a decision if it has no impact other than a quickly forgotten couple of lines of text?

The player can create their own character and give him/her a background. Whatever you choose your character's history to be the story plays out the same with the odd line here or there replaced.

Despite my criticism Mass Effect has a fantastically well told story. The decision system is a gimmick, but the quality of the tale more than compensates.
9/10

Sound:

The soundtrack is a mix of traditional orchestra and electronic sounds. Some of the melodies are fantastic others are forgettable. Most of the background music in the early stages is non-descript but as the game reaches its climax the music becomes more and more epic. The orchestra only stirs during especially important moments but has the habit of making some scenes painfully cheesy. An early scene made me cringe; the roaring orchestral track was trying to inspire pride, but it felt too obvious and pretentious for my liking. It does however sound like an especially good Hollywood blockbuster soundtrack, even if it lacks subtlety. Occasionally the electronic sound can jar with the orchestra though I believe that's more to do with poor music editing than a lack of quality. On the other hand there are moments where the soundtrack can convey such grandeur that it left me in awe.

The voice acting is almost perfect. The aliens speak in their own unique way, and the voices match the game models flawlessly. The playable character, Shepard, has either a male or female voice, and both perform their lines superbly. I never pay much attention to sound effects, though I must say that the gun sounds were very satisfying and convincing.
8/10

Lifespan:

Mass Effect isn't an especially long game. If the side-quests were neglected the main quest could be completed in around 13-15 hours. With the quests the game is extended to around 30 hours give or take. The game doesn't feel limited by its length, though as it aims to compete in an RPG market, some might be put off by its brevity. That being said the game attempts to provide incentives for replaying. There are achievements, a New Game+ option and the chance to play through the quest with an alternate moral alignment. The short length does make a second play through less of a chore, but Mass Effect's dependency on its story makes it a less fulfilling experience with each iteration. Unfortunately the promise of such an expansive galaxy to explore pre-release does undeniably make the game's shortness a bitter pill to swallow.
6/10

Conclusion:

Mass Effect is a game with huge ambition that doesn't deliver on its promises, but does offer a solid update of Bioware's tried-and-tested RPG formula. It's not especially innovative (though it does successfully merge two very different styles of gaming), neither is it technically accomplished, but it manages to pull-off a unique and satisfying experience nevertheless. The non-game elements compensate for its other issues and make it a title worth savouring. The phrase “More than the sum of its parts” comes to mind. I believe Bioware has created better games, but Mass Effect remains an RPG experience unrivalled on this generation of consoles. Perhaps the lack of competition makes the game more impressive than it otherwise would be, but don't let that deter you. Should you buy it? I'd say yes! If you own an xbox 360 (and enjoy a lot of exposition) you owe it to yourself to purchase this title.
8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/22/08

Game Release: Mass Effect (Limited Edition) (EU, 11/23/07)