What do you expect out of a great RPG? Do you want the freedom to choose your own path, to be the hero or villain? Or do you simply want an unforgettable story? Since Bioware entered the video game scene with Star Wars: Knights of the Old republic, Bioware's name is synonymous with all of these things. When Mass Effect hit the shelves in 2007 players expected nothing less than an unforgettable choice based RPG for the "Next Generation" Xbox 360, and Bioware did not disappoint.

  Mass Effect like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has to do with futuristic space travel and mingling with alien life forms, but that's where the story similarities end. You begin your adventure by creating your Commander Shepard, making the character male or female, picking one of six military classes (either Engineer, Adept, Soldier, Infiltrator, Sentinel, and Vanguard) which I'll go into more detail later, and finally customizing your appearance. These character customizations are offered in many RPG genre games, but Mass Effect takes it one step further by allowing the player to pick his or hers story background. This adds depth and uniqueness to the game, insuring that each player's Shepard will be that more original. From there, the rest of your character's fate is up to you. You'll be in control of every action and choice Shepard will face, that includes being good or evil.

  Unlike many traditional RPGs, Mass Effect's combat flows like an action based game. Players will shoot, use cover, and give command to party members. The action flows smoothly and is often intense, but depending on which class you decided to play as will force each player to use different approaches on how they fight. Engineers for example can hack and disrupt many of the mechanical enemies that you'll face, but they can only use light armor and pistols. Soldiers on the other hand use any weapon available, and can wear heavy armor to outlast their opponents. This allows Mass Effect to adapt perfectly for each individual's play style, and returning players will have a new game experience each time they create a new character. Mass Effect also allows gamers to advance through the story at their own speed. Since you are in control of Shepard's ship, the Normandy, you can go anywhere in the galaxy as you please. If you aren't ready to advance the next part of the core story, feel free to do some exploration or side quests. You will probably notice that many of the planets you can land on look alike, despite the fact some are supposedly made of ice or molten rock. They're all mountain ranges, and void of any real distinguishing features. Its on these planets you will scan rare minerals, find artifacts, and recover downed space probes by engaging the proper button sequence when prompted. Overall, there is plenty to explore but the constant repetition of scanning objects can be a bit redundant. Progressing through the main story and side quests is much more entertaining.

  Mass Effect's main story line is exactly what you would expect from Bioware. I will not go into too much detail, as stories are up to each player to uncover, however I will say it is top notch. For most RPG fans, the story is what brings them back time and time again to their favorite games. With the mix of excellent voice work and great plot, I'm sure Mass Effect will be one of those favorites.

  One of the features that peaked a lot of gamer's interest was Mass Effect's graphics. Mass Effect is easily one of the best looking games on the Xbox 360. Few games have the attention to detail as Mass Effect, especially when it comes to in-game characters. The only problem that I've experienced is that on some occasions textures take a few seconds to calibrate themselves, especially after a loading period, but they should reappear quickly. A minor flaw, and one that's easily overcome by installing the game onto your 360's hard drive.

  Few games give such freedom to the player such as Mass Effect. Although some might not feel it's the panicle of choice based perfection like Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect isn't a slouch by any means. No Xbox 360 owner should not be without this game, and it deserves to be replayed again and again.

Written by: RB

Over and Out

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