Mass Effect Review

Some two years after the 'next generation' of console games began, I've finally had a 'next-gen' experience. I've never met a BioWare game I didn't like (even liked Jade Empire , if you'll recall), and the much anticipated, hotly discussed Mass Effect is my game of the year ... which is not to say it's perfect. Gamers hoping for crystalline purity will be disappointed by, among other things, graphical pops, lengthy load times, and some occasionally stupid AI. It doesn't matter. Warts and all, this voyage to the edge of the galaxy and back is some of the best storytelling I've ever experienced in a game. It's like living a movie, a good one, where you decide the ending in a deeply meaningful way. Read on for my impressions of humanity's first steps onto the galactic stage.

• Title:Mass Effect
• Developer/Publisher: BioWare/Microsoft Game Studios
• System: 360
• Genre:Role-Playing Game
• Score:: 4/5: Though not without its flaws, this game is a classic title. It transcends the RPG genre, and realizes the dream of next-gen storytelling. Certain to be a part of many serious gamers' collections, and definitely worth purchasing.

Storytelling

The first time we heard the term 'the tip of the spear of the humanity' was in the incredible E3 2006 Trailer. For RPG fans Mass Effect was basically just a discussion with a bartender at that point, a chat with a poor alien schlub who gets a gun pulled on him. Everything about that discussion, though - the looks, the sound, the strange little conversation wheel at the bottom of the screen - it spoke to what could be. And, for the most part, what could be has been realized. BioWare's latest opus tells the story of humanity's first shakey steps into a position of galactic power. As one influential human in the right place at the right time, Commander Shephard is able to make decisions that shape the future of her (or his) race's future.

This game does several things well, but what it does best is tell that story. The game's conversation system has you picking from (usually) three responses. One is the "Paragon" option, one the "Rebel" option, and one is a balanced viewpoint that moves the story forward. These two poles are not the black and white / good and bad of KOTOR, but instead a more nuanced scale along which you can find a comfortable point. After an hour or two of playing the game, you'll barely recognize the few words at each choice prompt. You'll look down and choose without conscious thought. The result is a flow unlike anything I've played in a game before. The excellent voice work, the emotive character animations, and this intuitive decision-making system results in a feeling exactly like watching an evocative movie ... but one you're in complete control of.

And you are in complete control. The story of Mass Effect is ultimately what you want it to be. I was actually shocked by some of the choices BioWare's authors allow you to dictate; there are plot points in the game that have to happen, to be sure - but they happen on your terms. Some of the most extreme examples of this choice are modified by gameplay. Instead of making 'social skills' useless, new options are opened by exploring the Charm or Intimidate tracks. The results they unlock are dramatic, and have a tangible effect on how the game plays out.

Combat

Gameplay tries ultimately to be a servant to the story, but combat is well worth high praise for its own merits. Completely eschewing their turn-based roots, the Canadian devils have wrapped a fairly respectable FPS-like experience into this game. Whether you play it as a strict FPS or not is up to you; while your general aiming will aid your shots, character skills and item stats are just as important to how much damage you do. More combat focused characters will have a more straightforward experience than those focus more on the 'powers' in the Tech and Biotic spheres. Even for the support crew, there's still a lot of shooting to do.

In the vast majority of fights, the experience is sublime. If you've seen any of the combat trailers, the level of power they demonstrate there becomes yours to command at around level 20 or so. Things don't become easier: they just get a lot more fun. Weapon upgrades tear your opponents to shreds, while biotic powers have your opponents flying across the room. Unfortunately, there are some hitches. Your AI companions can be really stupid sometimes. At high levels you can destroy cover, but until then their cute habit of trying to kill enemies through solid objects is just frustrating. They can get hung up or caught on tricky terrain, and the vaguely Rainbow Six-esque ordering your squad about really doesn't work very well. Even more frustrating, in large combats their habit of running into your field of fire can mean the difference between success and failure.

Exploration

A less stressful component, but one just as well executed, is the game's vaunted exploration element. Out and about in the galaxy, you have complete control over where you go and what missions you take on. Each system has several planets to explore for natural resources or alien artifacts (by scanning from orbit), as well as at least one 'mission zone'. This is usually a planet, but could just as easily be a derelict spaceship floating somewhere in the system. Planetary exploration gives you access to the most surprisingly fun element of the game: driving around in the Mako ground craft. The game's physics-based engine really pops out at you as you bounce and jump the buggy over hillocks and off of mountainsides. It has jump jets for slowing your fall from the top of a mountain, and a pair of cannons for dealing with enemies. You can actually zoom in a good distance with the buggy's advanced optics, allowing you to 'snipe' from some ways off with a great big autocannon.

Besides driving around in the buggy while you're planet-side you'll be surveying minerals, investigating ancient sites, salvaging downed probes, and exploring bases, mines, and other outposts. Every planet is different, from the weather and ground textures to the locations on the map. There's a simple but effective map-marking mechanic that will allow you to navigate effortlessly across the planet's surface; the only catch is that you have to plot your own treks through the mountains. Luckily, the buggy is sturdy. The hitch with exploration: those explorable outposts (where on-foot combat regularly takes place) are very limited in floorplan. Once you've seen 'the mine', 'the building', 'the other building' and 'the cargo ship', you've essentially memorized the floor plans for every explorable area in-game. The design team did a bang-up job making the insides look different from each other, but fundamentally the floor plans are all exactly the same; it even gets to the point where you probably know where the loot is in the building.

The main storyline locations don't suffer from this problem, of course. The handful of locales that the Normandy actually lands at are all fully-realized spaces, with even more interesting characters for you to interact with. What was surprised me was the end-game realization of how few of these places there were. I played for almost 30 hours before I saw the game's ending, but I think the core storyline could probably be completed in little more than a third of that. I don't see this as a problem; there's so much to do and see in the Mass Effect universe that you're going to be hard-pressed to actually finish it that quickly. Just the same, I think it's a testament to BioWare that they don't make you play that 30 hours to see an ending. How much or how little you interact with their universe is completely up to you.

Graphics

Mass Effect is simply gorgeous. There's no two ways about it. The Unreal engine has been polished to a shine, and does an amazing job of immersing the player into the beauty of Citadel space. From the sleek designs of the ships and robots, to the sweeping grandeur of the Citadel itself, and out into the farthest edges of unexplored space, the game's visual design is breathtaking. It's the little things that especially got to me; the interactive holograms, the elemental effects that dissolve bodies, the fact that the biotic power 'lift' can cause inanimate object to float alongside opponents. But, of course, it's the Unreal engine. If you played Gears of War you know the trouble there: pop-ins. Some of the finer textures need a split-second to load even after a scene has begun. This results in a strange, flat-looking world for just a moment. It's fast, and you might not notice it if you're not expecting it, but it is there. It's a small thing, but occasionally marrs the impression of flawless sci-fi beauty.

The game's sound has no such flaw. Every element of the game's auditory presentation is flawless, from the stirring music to the sound effects, right through to voice acting. Combat effects are particularly well done, giving you an entire additional layer of information about your tactical surroundings that your tracking screen and eyes might not. The particular hum of biotics being used, the crackle of projectiles hitting the Mako's shields, the sharp crack of a shotgun blast; they're all informative in the right time and place. The game's voice acting deserves high praise as well, with notables like Keith David and Seth Green leading a talented cast. I was a bit worried because they'd been pushing the 'male Shephard' so hard in advertising that the female Shephard would be some nobody voice actress, but Jennifer Hale did a tremendous job in the role. You probably best know her as Samus from the last few Metroid games, or Bastila from KOTOR I and II. The whole group did an amazing job, with the biggest pleasant surprise for me being Armin Shimmerman's appearance in a few highly visible roles.

Other Frustrations

There are a few other little things that might bug you as you play through the game. The Buy/Sell interface is, to be honest, very poorly done. It was actually an hour into the game before I realized how I was supposed to get into the sell and buyback menus with merchants. Once in the sell menu, all the items (upgrades, armor, weapons) are lumped together in an unmanageable list, with no way to sort your booty into categories. Load times in the game are frustratingly frequent in certain areas, covered occasionally by ridiculously long elevator rides. This, along with the limited combat map sets on explorable planets, speaks to the limitations of using a single DVD without loading onto the Hard Drive. It's admirable that they wanted to make sure all 360 owners could play, but I find it frustrating that those of us with disk space couldn't make use of it to improve the play experience.

Conclusions

Some of these frustrations I've mentioned may seem particularly bad, and perhaps for some players they'll be gamebreakers. For me - warts and all - this is the game experience I will remember best from 2007. Most of the time, in most situations, this game is flawless. When combat flows well, it's unlike any RPG you've ever played before. In conversation with NPCs, you'll consistently be amazed at how much you can affect the outcome. Exploring uncharted worlds, you'll have to stop yourself from grinning as you go flying off a mountaintop in your space buggy. What this game does well, it does without equal. It's important to realize that there are issues, that the game as a whole isn't perfect. If you come to Mass Effect looking for a great story and far-off places, you'll get exactly what you need - and more than once. As strange as it is to say, this dozen-plus hour RPG has high replay value; not only can you play through with a different moral compass, on a harder setting, or with a different class, but you can even play through it at a higher level. Once you play through the game, you can start over ... with the same gear, money, and level as your previous game-complete Shephard.

From the opening strains of the title music to the final wailing synth-song of the scrolling credits, this game encompasses what I love about gaming. Peter Molyneux nailed it at GDC this year, saying that it isn't so much the story that matters as the emotion it instills in you. Across its storyline Mass Effect will have you laughing, furious, and deeply saddened - in some cases all about the same character. Slick graphics and heated combat aside, this title proves out the power of words artfully spoken. In some cases, the right words can mean the difference between salvation and damnation, between triumph and defeat. If you're realistic in your expectations, if you come to the game ready for what it can offer, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more compelling reason to turn on your 360 this season.

I am feeling a bit of excitement...

[rbanzai (596355)]

It's been a long time since I've felt a bit of excitement at the prospect of playing a new game. I've had interest in some, but none where I thought: "Hey! This might be really fun and cool."

But I'm starting to feel that about this game, and that's no small thing considering that I've been playing games on computers since the late 1970s. :)

Re:

[Clock Nova (549733)]

Agreed. I can't wait for the PC version. It's going to be phenomenal and will probably correct many of the issues that the reviewer had with the 360 version, not to mention the inevitable expansions and user-created content. As a huge fan of games like Starflight, Star Control, and Escape Velocity, I'm eagerly awaiting this game.

Nitpicking is more fun

[Propaganda13 (312548)]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/11/14 [penny-arcade.com]
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/11/16 [penny-arcade.com]
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/11/19 [penny-arcade.com]

stupid AI?

[niceone (992278)]

Ah, Artificial Stupidity, a true next-gen experience.

Re:

[$RANDOMLUSER (804576)]

Ah, Artificial Stupidity, a true next-gen experience.

Seems a waste of time, as Genuine Stupidity is so much easier to locate.

Lucky Few

[Pojut (1027544)]

I was one of the lucky few that managed to snag a copy from Kmart when they were putting them on the shelves early. I must say, this review is spot on.

The voice acting is great, the script is fantastic, and the story is truly epic in size...we are talking extended star wars universe in scope here. The graphics are a beauty to behold, however the text on an SDTV is a bit on the small side. The music easily wins for best sci-fi soundtrack ever...EVER. It's a cross between early 80's sci-fi and modern day Galaxial Ambient electronica...definitely a soundtrack worth buying. I would venture to say that it is my favourite game soundtrack to date, overall.

There are shortcomings to the game...the menu system takes a bit to get used to, and combat will feel a little bit wonky at first...every now and then, there are strange shudders in animation...over all though, this game is every bit as good as I dreamed it would be. The things that aren't perfect are only so noticeable because so much of the game is in fact perfect.

Re:Lucky Few

[HalcyonJedi (1049992)]

I agree with Pojut - this review is dead on. I was fortunate enough to get an early copy myself, and though I'm barely 1.5-2.0 hours into the game; it truly is as great as we've (well, most of us anyways) been anticipating. In regards to the soundtrack, the first thing I thought when I heard the intro theme at the title screen was "Blade Runner"... the soundtrack is amazing, and a masterpiece in itself. The synth wails during the intro and techno beats you hear during combat are very reminiscent of 'Blade Runner', but in this case I would say they are a tribute of sorts more than a knock-off. The combat does take a little bit of getting used to (the very little I have done so far), (it reminds me a lot of Gears of War) and the controls to use cover when fighting seem a little clunky at times, but as soon as you start blowing Geth apart with a shotgun, you'll be smiling and saying "Hell yea!" But for those of you who are looking for a GoW/Halo experience (running and gunning), this game is likely not for you. There is a TON of dialogue and story present, and if you simply blow through all the dialogue scenes without putting thought into your responses and getting involved in the story you are missing what very well may be the entire point of Mass Effect - absolutely amazing and engaging sci-fi storytelling. I haven't noticed any of the graphical hitches myself, but I've been seeing numerous posts about them as well as the "grainy" look of some of the cinematic sequences. Regardless of your gaming preference though, I recommend that all 360 owners give this game a look.

Re:

[steveo777 (183629)]

Shudders in animation? As long as it's nothing as bad as KOTOR suffered on the XBox, I'm fine...

Re:Lucky Few

[Pojut (1027544)]

Not nearly as bad...the worst I have seen was a stutter that lasted the length of a single stride from an NPC (their legs had a mini-seizure). While the framerate might sometimes dip for a half second or so, it's no where NEAR as bad as KOTOR was...and, ironically, I've never had the framerate dip in combat...it's usually during a slow period in the game (which makes some sense, considering the interiors are far more detailed than the exteriors, at least from what I have seen) Frankly, considering how the game looks and how much detail there is, I'm suprised the framerate is as smooth as it is.

Sounds a lot like Starflight

[PhiloBeddoe (1191205)]

Ok, I might be showing my age, but this sounds a lot like the old PC game Starflight (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starflight [wikipedia.org]). Loved that game and can only hope this is similar. The only problem I have is that it's console based! Bring the game to the PC!

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[sBox (512691)]

I was going to say the same thing. Starflight and the similar Star Control games were fantastic. I gave in and bought a 360 rather than upgrade my three year old PC to a modern gaming rig, so I'll be enjoying this title.

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[Hatta (162192)]

You might also like Star Control 2: The Ur-Quan Masters [sourceforge.net], now public-domain and cross platform.

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[xevioso (598654)]

Starflight was for me the ultimate gaming experience.. I remember befriending the owners of a Radio Shack outlet near my school. Everyday after school I would go intot he radio shack and sit down at the new IBMs at the back they were selling,a nd play for 3 or four hours until closing. I almost beat the game but never could do it. I still have fond memories of landing on a planet and exploring it.

My ultimate game heaven would be if Blizzard made a game in the Starcraft universe that was similar in scope

Oblig.

[corychristison (951993)]

click the link and go through clicking 'Next >':
http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20070926 [ctrlaltdel-online.com]

When is . . .

[paleo2002 (1079697)]

When is this coming to the PC? It sounds like the majority of technical problems (load times, clunky interface, etc.) would be solved in that way. It also sounds like this is the most engaging RPG in over a decade!

sounds neat!

[jollyreaper (513215)]

I hope the next two games in the series can keep up the quality. I'm ascared of what EA will do to the company.

Star Flight

[kalpol (714519)]

Just reading the extract on Amazon.com, the story sounds a lot like the old Star Flight game (which was amazing in its own time). I spent a lot of time on that game in 1986 - anyone else remember it?

PC World Slams ME

[Conception (212279)]

Surprisingly, PC World has a pretty scathing article on it.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139724-page,1-c,games/article.html [pcworld.com]

Re:

[Das Modell (969371)]

That "review" is comedy gold. They didn't even attempt to hide the obvious anti-360 bias. The guy somehow manages to argue that multiple endings, dialogue options and lore (the Codex) are bad things that shouldn't exist in games. Wow.

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[jbellis (142590)]

More of anti-CRPG bias than anti-360 bias.

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[Das Modell (969371)]

Yeah, could be. I just figured that since it's a PC magazine, they probably don't like consoles.

Why are game reviews so 'weak'?

[SmallFurryCreature (593017)]

In combat the AI gets in the way, targets things it can't damage. That means the AI is bad. End of story, that is a negative mark. Why mak excuses? Imagine a review for a normal product went likethis. Well, this new flat screen tv only support ten channels, but that is okay because I only really watch 8 anyway.

The load times are long, okay, so that gets old fast. Why make excuses for the game? If MS was so stupid as not to include a HD (when their old console had one) in all models and doesn't want games to be HD only then slam them for it. Don't make excuses.

Inventory systems are nothing new, if this game once again finds away to mess something that simple up, mark it down for that.

All in all the score for the game is maybe a 7. It may have a nice story it may do somethings well, but it also screws up in some basic areas and that means it get at most a decent score. Not lousy, but no excellent either.

Frankly I am getting sick and tired of games still getting basic things wrong. The Witcher is another RPG out at the moment, lousy inventory system, annoying load times. People, this is basic stuff. Why do game reviewers fear being harsh? About the only time I see games really get a lousy score if they absolutely plain fail to work. They then still get a score. Amazing, this would be like you not showing up for an exam and still getting a score other then 0.

The problem I got with these type of weak reviews is, what else is the reviewer glossing over? If he is still so glowing about a game that takes minutes to load, perhaps he didn't even think it worthy to mention that it crashed twice. That a savegame got corrupted, that a quest was incomplete.

Oh well, another okay RPG that still makes basic mistake and has been crippled for the 360 and probably will be obsolete by the time it comes to the PC.

Re:

[bruins01 (992422)]

You just made the case for why points-based reviews, like the one you have apparently just written, are outdated and worthless.

The Witcher

[motek (179836)]

I actually like it a lot. Despite the lousy inventory interface and the horrible load times that you rightly pointed out. I guess the point I want to make is that an inventory system and efficient use of system resources are not 'basic' for a game - or any other form of entertainment. A compelling story, the way the piece engages you, the visual aspects - these are the basics! The inventory system or delayed loading, as long as they do not defeat the 'interactive' aspect of 'interactive entertainment' a

Have you played it yourself?

[Namarrgon (105036)]

I understand where you're coming from; basic flaws like those can be very annoying - if they interfere with the experience of the game significantly. The reviewer apparently doesn't think that's the case. And since he appears to have played it more than you...

An average game with fundamental flaws should be (and usually is) panned by the reviewer. However, what of a game that's chock-full of awesome, with a few flaws in between? If the reviewer had the best gaming experience (s)he's had all year despite those flaws, should they not give it their best score of the year? That's the impression I'm getting from the reviews I've read. These scores are entirely subjective, not some technical, driving-test checklist.

Of course, some people may find certain flaws more annoying than others, so reading a variety of reviews might be better. If you recognise your pet hates listed in a review, you can proceed more cautiously, but the reviewer is saying that some people at least are going to have a fantastic time with the game.

Desperately Seeking Port

[keithjr (1091829)]

I for one am actually both excited and saddened to see the outcome of this game. I don't own an Xbox360, nor do I have an HDTV, so the monetary investment needed for me to play this one game is unseeingly high (hell, I could build a new PC for that much money). As much as they tend to be deeply flawed (KOTOR on PC was almost unplayable, and DX:IW needed a patch to be reasonably so), I'd love to see a port for this game. I'm willing to deal with the low level of control complexity, lack of graphics scalability, and other general mechanical issues just to gain access to the rest of the gaming experience.

However, IF it is ever brought to the PC, Microsoft will most likely mandate that it (very needlessly) be tied to Vista, as they did with Halo 2. That's what's sad: a great company made a great game that is subjugated to a very opportunist corporation, and as a result I'll probably never play it.

sounds great but not worth over $1000 to play

[0111 1110 (518466)]

Yeah this game sounds great but I don't understand how people could be willing to buy an xbox360 ($400) and an HDTV ($1000+)just to play it. I wouldn't have paid that much even to play Planescape:Torment and I sure as hell wouldn't pay that much for this game. I don't care how good the story is. It just aint worth it. So yeah. I will patiently await the inevitable PC port even though Mass Effect 2 will probably be released by that time and the quality of console ports can be unreliable. Also I haven't playe

Re:

[bogie (31020)]

Umm, you don't HAVE to buy a $1,000 HDTV to own an Xbox 360 or PS3. I own an Xbox 360 and play on a 25" SDTV. The graphics are beautiful and really do look much better than last gen and Wii titles. I'm happy to be off the GPU treadmill and love being able to rent titles.

Re:sounds great but not worth over $1000 to play

[Rayonic (462789)]

Yeah this game sounds great but I don't understand how people could be willing to buy an xbox360 ($400) and an HDTV ($1000+)just to play it.

Not to mention electricity to power them ($50 per month) and a house or apartment to keep them in (at least a $1000 per month). Is one game worth all that? No way!

Re:

[astrotek (132325)]

Electronic Arts is a bigger problem for PC gaming than the the rest of the industry. I wont buy Crysis for that reason.

Re:What? No computer games?

[Kintar1900 (901219)]

So, in an effort to encourage other people to produce PC games, you're going to avoid buying a PC-only game? Yeah, makes perfect sense. When are you running for office? :)

Seriously, I agree with the sentiment, but the tactic seems misguided. EA has done a lot to harm the gaming industry in general, but I'm down with throwing them a Scooby Snack when they do something right.

Re:

[mcpkaaos (449561)]

but I'm down with throwing them a Scooby Snack when they do something right.

I bet EA says the same thing about its customers.

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[vimh42 (981236)]

No doubt others have pointed this out. Mass Effect has nothing to do with EA. The follow up episodes will, but this title does not.

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[PrescriptionWarning (932687)]

without knowing more about your PC, the buggy PC game comment is completely out there. Maybe its your windows, your hardware, etc. that is messed up. I for one have always had a good experience with good PC games, and what it comes down to for me is that I'd rather play an FPS on a PC, and a more casual game (say... RPG) on my xbox 360. Other than that I have no weird delusions about which is truly a better gaming platform: each has its own purposes.

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[Blakey Rat (99501)]

I for one have always had a good experience with good PC games,

Aye, that's the rub.

Do you define "good PC game" as "high rated PC game" or as "PC game which runs well on my PC?" If the latter, then it's a pretty self-fulfilling prophecy.

But the real issue is that even crappy, crummy, excremental Xbox games (like, say, Enter the Matrix) still are stable, don't screw with other games/software on the console, etc. A crappy PC game will crash, install fake drivers to screw with your system, sometimes disable ot

Re:

[PrescriptionWarning (932687)]

Do you define "good PC game" as "high rated PC game" or as "PC game which runs well on my PC?"

both...? as in I only spend my money on games that tend to score well, because I will typically get more enjoyment from them, which is _usually_ an indication of its quality not only entertainment wise but also its ability to remain stable. I am a little forgiving also, I don't mind if the game crashes once every few hours or whatever. So I have my limits, but at the same time its more important to me that I have fun. For instance I own Oblivion on both PC and x360: I love the PC version because I

Re:

[moderatorrater (1095745)]

I'm gaming on the Xbox 360 from now on

The problem with that is that I've got a development machine/server/entertainment center (it wears all those hats at the same time, btw) that works perfectly well for gaming. When presented with the option to get an overall smoother experience in gaming or to be able to use the same hardware and save several hundred dollars, I'm going to do the latter thank you very much. Besides, between a keyboard and mouse, the ability to run things in the background, extensions and (good) patches, playing on a pc can b

Re:

[Blakey Rat (99501)]

If that works for you, that's great. I personally haven't seen a high quality PC game in months, maybe years. Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and Battlefield: 2142 being the latest two buggy crash-fests I've tried. What mystifies me the most isn't that people prefer to play on PC, I have no issue with that, but that PC gamers will actually go out and support these crappy products that hardly work. There are people that will actually tell me that Battlefield: 2142 is a great game, and it's *my* fault I can't

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[moderatorrater (1095745)]

I don't know about Battlefield, but Dark Messiah was a bastardization of a once great series. You might as well claim that Madden '07 and Pirates of the Caribbean games mean consoles are dead. Supreme Commander, Civilization 4, every MMO worth its salt, Oblivion, Mass Effect (within a couple of months), Gears of War, and UT3 (in a few weeks) are all great games that are coming out for the PC, some not even for a console.

More than that, I get more value out of these games than your console ever will. Gea

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[Blakey Rat (99501)]

I don't know about Battlefield, but Dark Messiah was a bastardization of a once great series.

You're missing the point. Dark Messiah won't even RUN for longer than a half hour at a time, regardless of whether the gameplay is a "bastardization of a once great series" or not. The game is a buggy mess, it doesn't work.

In other words, yes, some PC games are buggy and crash, but the same could be said for the console games that aren't high quality.

No it can't. (Of course here comes the obligatory pedantic Slashdo

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[GooberToo (74388)]

What constantly amazes me most about PC gamers is their tolerance for buggy POS games, for intrusive copy protection, for huge security-defeating bugs (like running online games with Admin permissions-- that's the only way BF:2142 would run!)

You just described NWN2 to a tee. Buggy as hell. Slow. Turns out the copy prevention crap slows the came as much as 30%. And yes, that's during normal game play. Despite the fact that online play is completely unplayable, people rant and tear on anyone that questio

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[Dr. Manhattan (29720)]

Imagining Humans are Going to Colonize the Universe are Idiots or Delusional (except for the teenagers)

Yeah, yeah. I know, I've seen all the stuff about how it takes huge amounts of power to get out to the stars. That's true. However, we have this giant continuous nuclear explosion going on in our near neighborhood, which can be focused onto a solar sail or converted into [transorbital.net] microwaves [wikipedia.org] or whatever.

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[seebs (15766)]

I was sort of wondering how anything else is qualifying as "game of the year" when the review even acknowledges that it has flaws...

Re:Looks nice and all...

[Pojut (1027544)]

To me, if a game can have flaws but despite those flaws you still think of it as an amazing not-to-be-missed experience...well, then that is a truly great game.

When it was first released (and more specifically in the closed and open beta) I LOVED World of Warcraft, bugs and all...ironically, as they added content to the game and fixed bugs, I found myself liking it LESS. I enjoyed the game the most when it was in closed beta, and not because it was new...some of the bugs, while annoying, were just plain hilarious and actually made the game a bit more fun.

Read my review further up in this discussion for a more complete idea of what I think of it, but to make a long story short I think that Mass Effect is an amazing achievement in gaming; even with it's flaws, it is still pretty much untouched as far as modern RPGs go (in fact, I would go so far as to say that it is a game that other RPGs (and games in general) will be compared to for quite some time.)

Re:

[seebs (15766)]

That's certainly impressive, but... SMG is a game that other games will be compared to for quite some time, too. :)

In any event, the question's mostly moot for me; I'm not getting a 360 until they release one with a MUCH lower failure rate.

Re:

[Dutch Gun (899105)]

The more ambitious the attempt, the more willing people are to overlook minor flaws in execution. The weak AI may be the most serious of these flaw, but the affect this will have on the final verdict is likely predicated on how often and dramatically this negatively impacts regular gameplay, and how it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. You then have to balance this against how much the game has gotten right.

No human endeavor is perfect, and as such, no game is perfect. But do you give a hi

Re:Can't be the greatest if not ported to the Wii

[Bryansix (761547)]

You can't pick this game up and play if for five minutes and set it down so it will never be ported to the Wii.

Re:

[brkello (642429)]

Your logic is flawed. While the Wii certainly is the hardware leader, it does a poor job of moving games. It appears that casuals enjoy playing their Wii Sports and don't really care about other games. Nothing wrong with that...but if you are going to have an exclusive title, the highest chance of it selling well for the current gen is on the 360. But in any case, even if this game appeared only on the PS3, it could still be considered game of the year since that is just an opinion of Zonk (and I am sur

Re:

[WillAffleckUW (858324)]

On a side note, I find your fanboyism kind of sad. If you are enjoying the Wii so much, you wouldn't have to post on here your jealous little snipes that you are missing out on this game experience. You don't have to justify your purchase by trying to belittle the other consoles.

I believe I said PS2 and Wii.

What part of reality of market share don't you like?

Re:Time Warp

[Haeleth (414428)]

It kind of tells you about how much industry pull /. has. Even the flimsiest web review sites get advanced copies to have a review ready before the game comes out.

Provided they score the games highly enough, at least. Poor review => no more advance copies for you. It's one of the reasons behind the rampant ratings inflation that has led to the situation where anything below 8/10 is considered damning, and popular-but-flawed games like Halo and Half-Life regularly get top-scoring "reviews" that are about as objective and critical as the Pope writing a review of the Virgin Mary.

Plus, I don't know about you, but I like my reviews to be of finished games. I'm fed up of reading things like "we saw a few crashes, but the developer swears it'll be fixed by the time the game hits store shelves. 9/10", only for the final game to be a buggy piece of junk that never really works properly even after umpteen patches. Do literary critics base their reviews on early manuscript draughts? Do theatre critics watch a rehearsal and write up the play based on that? I think not.