Mass Effect manages to combine the action of a shooter with the depth and customization of an RPG while largely avoiding most of the shortcomings of both genres.
Combat is fast-paced, yet also incorporates tactical elements, as different classes will have different weapons and skills, and it is possible to pause the game to use powers or issue orders to your squadmates. Upgrading your gear and abilities accommodates many different builds and play styles.
The world is a standard science fiction society in which humanity is a new arrival to galactic politics, but it is executed quite well. The party members have diverse personalities and values, which are nicely reflected in their conversations. Even the minor characters have compelling stories, such as the conflict between a man who wants to bury his wife's body and a scientist who wants to study it.
The morality system is an interesting twist in that it is not necessarily a choice between good or evil, but often a matter of approaches to problems, such as between gentle persuasion and harsh intimidation. Not only are the decisions less black-and-white than in many games, but in many cases, Paragon and Renegade options can be used to achieve the same goal through different means.
Unfortunately, the dialogue system is considerably more simplistic than many other RP Gs with a Dialogue Tree. In most conversations, only three options move it forward, past choices rarely steer the conversation in a different direction if they do not end it prematurely, and “investigate” rarely yields any concrete benefits.
Unlike other CRP Gs, while there are many moral decisions, there are relatively few choices that impact how you will go about doing the quest (such as fighting your way through or sneaking around enemies), which limits replay value and the impact your class and build have on gameplay.
Some of the side quests can be fairly tedious, such as searching the galaxy for resources. Thankfully, they are not required to advance the story, although it is not admirable for a game to have many parts players would prefer to skip, even if they can choose to do so. The vehicle segments are also often boring in the parts that involve searching planets, although vehicle combat is decent as a mini-game.
Despite these flaws, Mass Effect is an enjoyable game and a good start to the series.
An excellent Action RPG
Mass Effect manages to combine the action of a shooter with the depth and customization of an RPG while largely avoiding most of the shortcomings of both genres.
Combat is fast-paced, yet also incorporates tactical elements, as different classes will have different weapons and skills, and it is possible to pause the game to use powers or issue orders to your squadmates. Upgrading your gear and abilities accommodates many different builds and play styles.
The world is a standard science fiction society in which humanity is a new arrival to galactic politics, but it is executed quite well. The party members have diverse personalities and values, which are nicely reflected in their conversations. Even the minor characters have compelling stories, such as the conflict between a man who wants to bury his wife's body and a scientist who wants to study it.
The morality system is an interesting twist in that it is not necessarily a choice between good or evil, but often a matter of approaches to problems, such as between gentle persuasion and harsh intimidation. Not only are the decisions less black-and-white than in many games, but in many cases, Paragon and Renegade options can be used to achieve the same goal through different means.
Unfortunately, the dialogue system is considerably more simplistic than many other RP Gs with a Dialogue Tree. In most conversations, only three options move it forward, past choices rarely steer the conversation in a different direction if they do not end it prematurely, and “investigate” rarely yields any concrete benefits.
Unlike other CRP Gs, while there are many moral decisions, there are relatively few choices that impact how you will go about doing the quest (such as fighting your way through or sneaking around enemies), which limits replay value and the impact your class and build have on gameplay.
Some of the side quests can be fairly tedious, such as searching the galaxy for resources. Thankfully, they are not required to advance the story, although it is not admirable for a game to have many parts players would prefer to skip, even if they can choose to do so. The vehicle segments are also often boring in the parts that involve searching planets, although vehicle combat is decent as a mini-game.
Despite these flaws, Mass Effect is an enjoyable game and a good start to the series.