|
Monday 14 January, 2008
Summary:
In Mass Effect you control the character John Shepard, a soldier made famous for his skills as the sole survivor of an attack on one of Earth's early colonies on another planet. Through conversations you learn about the alliances and feuds with various alien races and the governments that they have formed to manage the galaxy. Humans are relatively new to intergalactic diplomacy and colonization and their relations with the varying alien species promises a story that will be full of political intrigue. The game starts out on a secret mission to pick up a valuable alien artifact before rival groups can claim it. On arrival you find that the site has been taken over by a race called the Geth and you must control two squad members while shooting your way through the demolished research facility.
Gameplay:
First off, the high quality of the graphics in Mass Effect makes it enjoyable to watch. In the opening hour of the game the majority of the story is revealed through conversations with other characters. The details on the faces of characters makes them look very realistic. When you interact with other characters their facial expressions and movement look so natural and match so well with the dialogue that just watching a simple conversation turns out to be very exciting. The voice acting and the writing are also done extremely well so I was able to really focus on the complex state of intergalactic politics and not be distracted by blocky or jerky movements and silly voices or bad writing. The characters all had a very organic feel to them that made it very easy for me to really get immersed in the game.
The complex relationships between humans as an emerging power in space and the alliances that they have formed with pre-existing factions are constructed through conversations that give a sense of the many varied opinions on the political situations. The set up of a very interesting political background plot gives the ominous visions of war and destruction at the end of the first level a sense of urgency and excitement.
Once your character is finally set down on the planet you have full access to the menu where you can read files full of historical information, upgrade the various skills of your character and his squad and view and upgrade your weapons and armor. Experience points are gained through fighting and exploring and items like med kits and equipment upgrades are found in crates hidden throughout the levels. The sheer volume of menus and options was a little overwhelming at first, but I took my time and read all the explanations and I came to find that the high level of customization in equipment, squad actions and how you level up each character really lets the gamer tailer the game to their own style of play.
The level design was fairly linear, but seeing as this was the first level of a complex game I found it comforting to not have to worry about finding every single hidden item and exploring every inch of the map. The graphics and detailing of the world were amazing and made it fun to explore. The large amount of debris and rocks in the area I played in made the fighting fun as I could take cover and snipe or rush in with a shotgun. This game really lets you explore with gameplay so you can maximize your fun with your own style of fighting.
My favorite aspect of Mass Effect so far is the various conversation options that let you shape how the story unfolds and how your character interacts with others. I always tend to be polite and honorable in my interactions, but I know I'll play again so I can be a jerk and bully people into doing what I want. This feature adds to the customization level and makes the replay value high. I know I will want to try out all the varying conversation options to see if I can access new plot lines and relationships with other characters.
|
