Here we are a couple years into the next generation of video game consoles, and, much like with past generations, to the casual gamer there are still only a handful of stone-cold, undeniably classic must-plays — Gears of War, Elder Scrolls IV, BioShock, Wii Sports, maybe Super Mario Galaxy, and I’ll throw the curiously lackadaisical PS3 a bone for Uncharted — among an avalanche of slightly above-average time wasters, mediocrities, and sheer disappointments.
And then there’s Mass Effect, the 360’s big game for this holiday season, which was supposed to be a ginormous space RPG that would enrapture hardcore gamers and kind-of-nerds alike with a great storyline, fun gameplay, and a massive, explorable universe that featured multiple planets and races and politics and weapons and what have you. In short, it’s a huge game. It has its own encyclopedia, for chrissakes.
Sounds pretty neat, right? I’m not a big science fiction fan, but the early word on Mass Effect had even me intrigued.
Well, this thing is getting some of the weirdest reviews I’ve ever seen. Many of them amounting to “a lot of things about this game really, really suck…but it’s still amazing!” Essentially almost bending over backwards while finessing some vague, positive remarks to recommend it.
For example, check out the first couple sentences from the Village Voice review, which ultimately says the game is worth playing:
“For a game that’s considered Microsoft’s premier 360 title this holiday season, it’s amazing how sloppy Mass Effect is. Graphical glitches distract from otherwise fascinating character designs and alien vistas, constant stops and stutters lengthen load times, and the inventory system must be the worst in history.”
And then this is from IGN, who grade the game with “Outstanding”:
“We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Mass Effect’s numerous bugs and glitches.”
And from 1up.com:
“But I did experience a hint of ennui at times in this very typically BioWare game, with its all-too-familiar quest structure.”
and
“The game does, however, lack a certain overall polish. Inventory management is often painful and tedious, and this hinders one of the most important aspects of an RPG: customizing your character’s weapons and armor. Money is nigh useless — making it even more annoying that I frittered away so many hours questing for cash I’d never spend.”
This is what makes a game a 9.0?
Really? I’m guessing maybe it’s kind of a sprawling, flawed masterpiece…but even so, is it really that good then? Or are people just getting mixed up in the hype? Do hardcore gamers tend to overrate games? Does anyone know if there’s an honest answer anywhere? Is there any point to this post whatsoever?
It’s a fantastic game. I’ve put it to the side for a little while, since Issue 11 just came out in City of Heroes, and it also came out at the same time as Rock Band, which my wife and I love playing together. However, if neither of those were the case, I would probably only be leaving my couch to go to work, eat, spend some time with the wife, and go to bed.
Bioware has made a massive, massive game, with a solid (altho occasionally confusing) moral compass system that, for once, actually ties into the game. Be a mostly nice, guy, and you can put more points into the Charisma skill. Be a total dick, and you can put more points in the Intimidation skill. Each of them opens up different conversation branches. There’s a major plot point in the game, arguably the first one after what is, essentially an hour-long tutorial mission, and it took me 15 hours or so to reach it, because I did all of the side quests that I could get to before I finished up the main one. There are dozens, possibly of hundreds of planets, some of which can only be scanned, but others that can be landed on. There’s vehicular combat, romance and other character development subplots, exploration, and, of course, a sprawling main storyline. The decisions you make in it “feel” like they have an actual effect on the universe. The voice acting is, for the most part, top notch. There’s a codex that explains the most minute things in the universe, from how space travel works to the cultures of minor races. Exploring and finding the codex entries are worth experience points, so there’s actually game effect there, too.
However, as with the Knights of the Old Republic game, the UI is somewhat to be desired, albeit in a different way. Like KOTOR, there are portions of the game that made me want to shoot the encounter designers. However, and this is the important bit, while I can say, “Gameplay portions of KOTOR pissed me off 5 years ago,” I couldn’t begin to tell you what they were. Something with companions acting stupid, or maybe some conversation branches that didn’t work as well if you go out of order? I seriously don’t remember. However, what I do remember is a totally fantastic experience, one of the best I played on the 360. And given that Bioware is now working in their own IP, instead of being saddled down with Star Wars and it’s nitpicky and sometimes contradictory expanded universe codex, they’ve managed to put something truly great together.
In 5 years, maybe I’ll remember that the first Maw Thresher that I ran across seemed to unfairly eat my APC, but what I will remember, for certain, is the trepidation that I felt whenever I crossed over any big open space on a planet that had an “anomalous reading” on it. I’ll remember the really masterful way that a minor dialog mention in an early quest ties into a subplot down the road about unethcial experimentation on another planet and helps to make the decisions about it easier. And, unless I miss my guess, I’ll remember saving the universe, but maybe not having the total victory that I hoped for… on the first run through, at least. KOTOR was the last big RPG that I did two playthroughs on, one good and one evil, because I knew I had missed a lot of stuff, and I was right. I expect Mass Effect to be the same.
The 90% score is, in my opinion, more than fair. This is a game that is far more than the sum of its parts.
A list of classic must plays that doesn’t include Halo?
Tsk, Andrew.
Halo Shmalo.
IN YOUR FACE!
at least its getting its own product line:
http://www.hyperchildwow.com/blog/
The strange thing is, I feel like videogame reviewers actually get it right most of the time. There was an article (in the WSJ, I think, that I can’t seem to locate at the moment) talking about how much weight game reviews carry in the industry. Moreso than music or movies, high game reviews generally do translate into high sales — to such an extent that employee bonuses are often tied into the scores a game receives.
All that said, I never played Mass Effect, though the word on NeoGAF was that it was disappointing compared to the early hype.
I have been playing Mass Effect since it was released and I love it. Its huge, the plot is cool, the graphics are awesome, the alien races are great. At some points you are playing a shooter, sometimes an RPG, at other times it feels like you are actively participating in a movie. The feeling is pretty cool.
It may just be me, but I do not really mind load times. There are a few spots were the game loads, but its not really that bad. Of the things mentioned in the articles above, I would agree that the inventory system is a bit hard to get used to, and navigating some menus can be a pain. Other than that I am loving it. I am level 27, so I am not really sure how far along I am yet and I am avoiding outside info on the storyline and such.
I would very much recommend this to fans of System Shock and KOTOR.
“Of the things mentioned in the articles above, I would agree that the inventory system is a bit hard to get used to” so very true.
ME newbie here, and I just wanted to add that this is, bar none, the most I’ve cared about a story in any game. BioWare has created a new benchmark for story in games if you ask me, and I can’t wait to see what’s cooking for part 2, and I’ve yet to finish the 1st one!