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Here's my first entry in my first ever "blog" (God, I hate that word....).
The following entries will consist of my thoughts and impressions of Games and Films, sometimes brand new releases and other times I may hit the classics, little known gems, or my bizarre favorites. I doubt anyone's reading this, but at least it'll be fun for me.  |
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Mass Effect represents the latest RPG entry from the folks at Bioware, best known for their work on the well received Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights. Fans of Bioware's previous entries will be pleased to find that not only have they stayed with the successful formula that has made their previous games so popular, but they've also baked on a layer of graphical goodness that further enhances the experience.
The story is your typical space opera fare, with a ragtag group of unlikely companions out to save the Universe from an invading evil. Not the stuff of legends, certainly, but it is well written and free of any major plot holes. Of particular interest is the quality of the dialogue, both in writing and acting. Most conversations seem lifelike and natural, unlike the often stilted dialogue we've come to expect in most Role-Playing games. The voice actors bring some nice performances to the table, particularly Bioware's mainstay Jennifer Hale as the female Commander Shepard (more on that in a moment). The first area where Mass Effect stands above traditional linear RPGs like Final Fantasy is the freedom it gives you to flesh out the story as you see fit. Right from the start, you are able to choose a Male or Female lead and customize their appearance, backstory and psychological profile, all of which make subtle changes to the game ahead. Additionally, when interacting with others during the course of your adventure, the game gives you a wide range of options in how to approach a conversation, from selfless and kind to rude and demanding. The outcome of many conversations can be drastically altered by how you interact with NPCs, giving you a feeling of having more control over the story than you actually do. Toward the end of the game you are presented with several difficult choices that have MAJOR ramifications on the characters you've built a relationship with during the game, and rarely do Developers place such important decisions in the hands of the player. Bioware has always given players this level of freedom, and Mass Effect is no exception. While the majority of the game centers around conversation and exploration, there are many times when you are drawn into combat with the mechanized menace that threatens the Universe. Combat is an interesting mix of traditional RPG elements (with weapons augmented by stat buffing add-ons and modifiers) and shooting games. You move your character and shoot in real time- no standing toe to toe and taking turns hitting like in Final Fantasy- but behind the scenes, your hits, misses and damage are all calculated using a "die roll" system straight from pen & paper RPGs. Some characters are also capable of special "Biotic" powers, Mass Effect's version of Magic or The Force. These powers range from making your shots more accurate or weakening enemy shields to tossing foes through the air like ragdolls- a nice addition to the combat. Powers are activated by holding a key to pause the combat. You then choose which party member you want to use their Biotics, then select an enemy to target and which power to deploy. When released, the real time combat resumes and the Biotic power is unleashed. Some people may bemoan the lack of direct control over your teammates, but they are equipped with relatively smart AI that has them utilizing their skills in an effective manner. Overall, the combat is superb and easy to understand. Technically, Mass Effect is an 90/10 mixed bag. First off: This is one really good looking game. Character models are fantastic, with a level of detail never before seen in interactive games. Subtle lifts of the eyebrow, forehead wrinkles, watery eyes during emotional scenes- we have finally moved past the static "talking heads" that most every RPG until this point has utilized for dialogue scenes. Environments, both indoor and outdoor feature an equal level of detail. Glowing computer monitors with scrolling text sit on every desk, flashing neon signs adorn the seedy Wards district of the Citadel, and lush foliage and tree roots cover ancient buildings on an important quest planet. All environments feature a full range of every graphical buzzword -bump mapping, particle effects and even self shadowing character models. Overall, Mass Effect paints a beautiful picture to tell this story. So why the "mixed bag" comment, you say? This game has been in development for a long time, even prior to Microsoft announcing the final specs on the Xbox 360. As such, the developers were hedging their bets when it came to the graphics engine. Hard Disk caching, which many games use to pre-load textures, is absent in Mass Effect- this causes frequent instances of characters or environments appearing plain and flat, then suddenly the textures "pop" into view as they load. It's a relatively minor problem for the majority of the game, but during the climactic finale it detracts from the spectacular visual fireworks as things come to their dramatic, explosive conclusion. Bioware Devs claim that early in the process Microsoft prohibited developers from using HDD caching, and by the time they relaxed their standards this game was too far along to implement it. Other small nitpicks include a less than intuitive (by Bioware's normal standards) inventory and looting system. It's perfectly functional, but not as easy to navigate as previous titles. Occasional framerate hitches surface, also likely a product of the game engine being developed using "target hardware specs" instead of actual 360 dev kits. These minor glitches do nothing to weaken the experience. Overall, Mass Effect is a huge achievement- a sprawling, galaxy spanning adventure with amazing graphics, stellar voice acting and a gripping story that you have the ability to influence. It is a few technical issues short of perfection, but with Bioware announcing that Mass Effect's story will be a trilogy, fans can expect these few small issues to be ironed out for the next entry. If you have even a passing interest in role players, Mass Effect is a must purchase. |
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