Six months ago Xbox 360 owners were treated to a seemingly exclusive epic Sci-Fi RPG from the highly esteemed developer Bioware. Mixing third person shooting with role-playing elements with varied success, Mass Effect’s dialogue system and atmospheric tone almost meeting the bar set by the classic PC RPGs of the late 90’s. Six months on and it’s time for Bioware’s latest offering to be released on the format that many feel it ‘belongs to’ more clearly; the PC.
After choosing the gender and facial features of your protagonist, you’re thrown into the shoes of Commander Shepard, dipping you into this new universe with little introduction, leaving you to expand your own knowledge of your surroundings and situation by chatting with your crew mates before setting out on your first mission. Before long a series of events have irrevocably cast you as a pivotal role in the unfolding space opera, which can only be described – with great affection – as a homage to Babylon 5.
It’s worth pointing out that many of the suits of armour you collect look absolutely ace.
Creating first choosing a class; either Combat, Biotics, Tech, or a blend of two. You really need to choose wisely at this stage because much of the game depends on you mastering your chosen field, and some professions are less useful than others and it’s a real pain when you get through half of the game only to discover that maybe you should have picked something else. Tech for example is usually used for unlocking containers and doors, a job which can happily be left to a savvy team-mate rather than having to focus your main character on this field. Essentially with the shooting system not being quite as sharp as it could have been, Combat is generally speaking the way to go.
Oooh he’s a bad man, that one.
The cinematic flair of the game is hard to understate, simply walking through the interior of your ship feels fantastic, and being given control of the helm for the first time is nothing short of majestic. Regardless of any other shortcomings, Mass Effect goes a long way to make you feel like you’re a bona fide space captain. If you grew up loving science fiction, then chances are you need to play this game. The caliber of voice acting throughout is consistently excellent, although there’s something oddly off about Seth Green’s voice being used for your pilot, Joker. For whatever reason the lip-synch seems slightly out in this particular instance, which is a shame.
One thing you’ll notice right away about Mass Effect is that the graphics are beautiful, with a level of facial so meticulous that the game doesn’t shy away from providing you with regular close-ups during conversations. The characters’ subtle facial expressions and gestures look so human that at times the game is almost a victim of the uncanny valley. The aliens too look stunning. (I could look at the Krogan all day, Ed.)
