Cheesus
August 1st, 2008, 19:51
Mass Effect
Platform: PC
Specifications:
1680x1050, Forced 2xAA, Max Ingame Settings, 22” HANNS-G HG216DP Monitor, 5.1 Logitech 530 Surround
Background:
Aside from a few screenshots I had seen here and there, I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this game. From the screenshots I was a bit worried about the overall realism of the game, but I was pleasantly surprised to realize I was completely wrong. Meaning, I have never played the Xbox360 of this game, so I can’t compare the two.
I have played through it once as a soldier, and am going through it my second time as a Jedi-esque character (guns and magic). I have made several other characters to test out the other classes though, so I have a fair idea what it would be like.
Gameplay:
The gameplay was something new to me. It combines aspects of third person shooters and your typical RPG into something that does much more than just work. You start off by customizing your character and choosing between 6 classes. Each class has a little twist to it, which if exploited correctly, will totally alter the way you get through enemy encounters, upgrade your weapons and armour, and just generally change the overall combat experience of the game. Aside from allowing the player to get started off in whatever fashion one may be used to, it also adds alot of replay value... but more on that later. The combat system includes everything from ‘spells’ to hacking to gunning through you foes. These combined with sprinting, crouching, and an effective cover system make it a very enjoyable, yet challenging experience.
Overall there is a certain amount of linearity keeping the main plot the focus of the game, but alongside the main story there are several side missions which are basically there to make the game last a bit longer and gain you some credits (the currency in Mass Effect). That said, the game still makes each play different from the last since in just about every conversation in the game you’re given a series of dialogues to choose from. Basically each dialogue option gives you the ability to present yourself as a nice diplomatic guy or as a selfish brute of a person.
As is typical of RPGs, there is a levelling system. With each level you gain, you are awarded points which you are free to spend on whatever aspect of your character you wish to improve. These aspects range from Charm (diplomacy) to your ability to use a pistol effectively.
9/10
Graphics:
The game is just beautiful. Its incredibly detailed, with each face unique in its own way. Naturally, the more prominent characters have more detail then lesser characters, but even the random person/alien you see walking down the hall has a high level of detail. Without Antialiasing, film grain, or motion blur there are a fair amount of jaggies, but its ignorable. The textures are decent, but not incredible by no stretch of the imagination. But even with the jaggies and textures, the game is still stunning to look at. I’m not going to say they are mistakable for actual people, but its definitely pushing towards it.
9/10
Sound:
This game just takes the cake in this area. The voice acting is just brilliant. Not only that, but their lips are actually synced perfectly *gasps*!! The music comes on at the right times, the ambience is pleasant, and not a single person/alien has the same voice (well, as far as I could tell at least).
IMO the sound was the most complete part of this game, and definitely deserves a
10/10
Replay Value:
The different classes in which one can go through this game make this very worthy of at least one more full completion. That alongside with the fact that you can start over with your old character, maintaining all the stats and levels, while being able to do the entire game all over. Its replay value is very impressive, to say the least.
8.5/10
Conclusion:
All in all its an excellent game, if not the greatest PC game of 2008 to date. Its mix of a compelling story, great shooting fun, magic, and interaction make it definitely worth a buy. Even though it doesn't end with a huge cliff hanger, just getting back into its world with more fantastic story will keep me thinking about this game till ME 2.
OVERALL SCORE: 9/10
Platform: PC
Specifications:
1680x1050, Forced 2xAA, Max Ingame Settings, 22” HANNS-G HG216DP Monitor, 5.1 Logitech 530 Surround
Background:
Aside from a few screenshots I had seen here and there, I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this game. From the screenshots I was a bit worried about the overall realism of the game, but I was pleasantly surprised to realize I was completely wrong. Meaning, I have never played the Xbox360 of this game, so I can’t compare the two.
I have played through it once as a soldier, and am going through it my second time as a Jedi-esque character (guns and magic). I have made several other characters to test out the other classes though, so I have a fair idea what it would be like.
Gameplay:
The gameplay was something new to me. It combines aspects of third person shooters and your typical RPG into something that does much more than just work. You start off by customizing your character and choosing between 6 classes. Each class has a little twist to it, which if exploited correctly, will totally alter the way you get through enemy encounters, upgrade your weapons and armour, and just generally change the overall combat experience of the game. Aside from allowing the player to get started off in whatever fashion one may be used to, it also adds alot of replay value... but more on that later. The combat system includes everything from ‘spells’ to hacking to gunning through you foes. These combined with sprinting, crouching, and an effective cover system make it a very enjoyable, yet challenging experience.
Overall there is a certain amount of linearity keeping the main plot the focus of the game, but alongside the main story there are several side missions which are basically there to make the game last a bit longer and gain you some credits (the currency in Mass Effect). That said, the game still makes each play different from the last since in just about every conversation in the game you’re given a series of dialogues to choose from. Basically each dialogue option gives you the ability to present yourself as a nice diplomatic guy or as a selfish brute of a person.
As is typical of RPGs, there is a levelling system. With each level you gain, you are awarded points which you are free to spend on whatever aspect of your character you wish to improve. These aspects range from Charm (diplomacy) to your ability to use a pistol effectively.
9/10
Graphics:
The game is just beautiful. Its incredibly detailed, with each face unique in its own way. Naturally, the more prominent characters have more detail then lesser characters, but even the random person/alien you see walking down the hall has a high level of detail. Without Antialiasing, film grain, or motion blur there are a fair amount of jaggies, but its ignorable. The textures are decent, but not incredible by no stretch of the imagination. But even with the jaggies and textures, the game is still stunning to look at. I’m not going to say they are mistakable for actual people, but its definitely pushing towards it.
9/10
Sound:
This game just takes the cake in this area. The voice acting is just brilliant. Not only that, but their lips are actually synced perfectly *gasps*!! The music comes on at the right times, the ambience is pleasant, and not a single person/alien has the same voice (well, as far as I could tell at least).
IMO the sound was the most complete part of this game, and definitely deserves a
10/10
Replay Value:
The different classes in which one can go through this game make this very worthy of at least one more full completion. That alongside with the fact that you can start over with your old character, maintaining all the stats and levels, while being able to do the entire game all over. Its replay value is very impressive, to say the least.
8.5/10
Conclusion:
All in all its an excellent game, if not the greatest PC game of 2008 to date. Its mix of a compelling story, great shooting fun, magic, and interaction make it definitely worth a buy. Even though it doesn't end with a huge cliff hanger, just getting back into its world with more fantastic story will keep me thinking about this game till ME 2.
OVERALL SCORE: 9/10