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Mass Effect (PC DVD)
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| Description:
Story Summary: You take the role of Commander Shepard starship Normandy, the last hope for all life in the Galaxy. Saren, a rogue member of the elite and untouchable Spectre agents, has discovered the secret to unleashing an apocalyptic force upon the galaxy, and only you stand in his way. To save the lives of billions, you must do whatever it takes to stop Saren and prevent the return of an ancient force bent on the destruction of all organic life. Highlights: Experience a rich and engrossing story where your choices decide the fate of a galaxy
Engage in emotionally charged interactions with the most realistic digital actors ever seen in a video game, using an innovative new dialog system
Immerse yourself in an incredible new adventure from world-famous masters of the RPG BioWare
Stunning high resolution graphics for PC
Optimised GUI and controls for PC gamers
Dominate the battlefield with new individual squad member commandsystem
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5/5 |
Best RPG I've played - amazing game
(September 21, 2008) |
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Overall I found this to be something a bit different and original - it is the best RPG game I've played so far and is a game with a very cinematic feel, which I really enjoyed.
The story behind this game is fantastic, although there are no major twists in the plotline, the storyline really engaged me and I really felt involved. The NPCs are well developed and fleshed-out, with interesting stories. They are brilliantly voice-acted and the character interactions are quite detailed.
The game is graphically stunning, particularly on your ship, and your character, the NPCs and aliens all look almost lifelike at times. The presentation is slick, with some cinematic video sequences which also look fantastic - especially a large space battle towards the end of the game which is just breathtaking.
The gameplay is really good. Although this is an RPG, the combat is in real-time, which does work well in this game. The combat is more about strategy than straight shoot 'em up - amongst other things you can take cover behind objects, get your squadmates to cover, perform flanking manoeuvers. If the pace of the actions becomes a bit too much handle, you can also pause the combat to issue instructions rather than doing so in real time.
There are several story missions that you need to complete to finish the game - the locations for these and the missions themslves were excellent. There are also lots of optional side quests dotted around the galaxy - you can do the story missions and the side quests in pretty much whichever order you choose. Some of the side missions can get a little repetitive, but some are unique linked to the choices you made when creating your character, or linked into the back-stories of your companions, which makes them a bit more interesting.
System-wise I had some issues when I first installed - I couldn't get the game to run at all, the splash screen would appear and then my PC would freeze-up and I'd have to restart. However, after downloading the latest drivers for my graphics card, it has run perfectly ever since with absolutely no problems with graphics settings maxed out - my PC has a decent spec but is by no means top of the range. |
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1/5 |
Beware what you are buying into, horrible DRM!
(September 19, 2008) |
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Yes this is a good game, no doubting that. What you may not know and isn't disclose at all on the game description or packaging, is the inclusion of intrusive DRM/Securom that is used to enforce a 3 time activation limit.
What triggers an activation:
-Installing the game on a new computer
-Installing the game on a new operating system
-Playing the game under a different window user account than the account which was used to install the game
-Formatting your hard drive
-Upgrading your computer
The trigger is so sensitive and invasive, even attaching an external Hard Drive may trigger an activation.
Do not confuse activation with installation, you are free to install and uninstall all you want, providing you don't trigger and use all 3 activations.
What does this mean for you, the end user/consumer? They EA, the publisher dictates your rights as a consumer, controlling how you use a product you own and profiting from this. Once you've used up your activations, you will be at the mercy of EA, paying to call EA customers support to beg for permission to play a game you own. EA holds the power and discretion whether to warrant you a new activation or not. The activation server could eventually be shut down, preventing you from playing your game. EA doesn't respect and trust their customers so they cripple their games with invasive DRM, why then should you trust EA you'll be able to freely continue play this game without limitations? All the points mentioned above shows there is no guarantee you'll be able to continue playing the game in the near future.
This also infringe on your liberty to pass on or resell the game, as there is no incentive for the 2nd user or buyer. Lending the game to your siblings or friends will also penalise you.
In essence you are not paying for a full game, just a glorified rental!
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1/5 |
DRM: PC Games are supposed to be a product sold to fans, not a service rented to criminals
(September 16, 2008) |
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What do i think of Mass Effect:
It is great fun, but..............
Do you regularly upgrade your PC?
Do you regularly reinstall your OS?
Do you frequently find yourself without an internet connection?
Do you dislike the idea of being dependent on an internet connection?
Do you like revisiting old games long after the parent has gone bust?
Do you dislike the flakey & undependable online support mechanisms used by the games industry?
Do you like to be able to archive patches for that "hmmm, lets have another go" moment years later?
Do you like to think of the games you purchase as a product you own?
Do you dislike being treated as a criminal?
Do you dislike your favourite developer have the above attitude forced on them by the publisher?
Do you have a great deal of respect for Stardock for their Gamers Bill of Rights?
If the answers to any of the above are "Yes" then do NOT buy Mass Effect, it will leave you feeling dirty, used, and abused. Thanks EA. |
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5/5 |
Best game I have ever played...
(September 06, 2008) |
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Mass Effect without doubt is the best game I have ever played, and I can see why game review websites like GT gave it 9.7 out of ten, higher than any game they rated this year.
The game is simply brilliant, from visuals to story line to gameplay, everything spot on. I don't want to give too much detail, as one of the thing that I liked about this game was the fact that I was surprised how good it was. I never thought a game could be this good before.
If you are a serious gamer, then buy it now. If you don't have money then borrow from someone. Its worth it! |
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5/5 |
DRM is bad, game is good.
(September 01, 2008) |
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I'm slightly torn over which way to vote here. Should I cast my lot with the anti DRM crew, who in some cases go as far to give the game one star, regardless of game quality, or should I vote on the game's actually strengths.
I decided to go against the flow and give an actual review of the actual game, instead of just a rant against the DRM. Don't get me wrong, I hate what the DRM means for games, and although I've managed not to have a problem with it, it doesn't mean that it could cause me problems in the future.
Gameplay is divided between third person combat, and it's incredible story. Combat can be fun, but certain classes lack the options that other classes have. If you chose to be a soldier, you can use any type of weapon (which is still limited to only - shotgun, sniper rifle, pistol and assualt rifle) whereas other classes can only use 2, or less of the weapons, and one of them only after leveling up a few times.
You can customise your weapons with mods, and get better weapons over time, and while this gives you a fair amount of control over how you would use the weapon (my shotgun is armed with a mod that poisons enemies, so I shoot them, taking most of their health, then hide, waiting for the damage to take its toll) it feels slightly mechanical.
Most classes also have abilities, some resembling Star Wars force powers, others based around "tech" although I haven't had much experience using the latter abilities. Vehicle combat is difficult and slightly clumsy, but thankfully not necessary, since you can get out of your vehicle most times and fight on foot.
After the first few missions, I decided to dial the combat down to normal, so I could focus on the most important aspect of the game - the story. I have to admit, I have never played KoTOR, so I have no comparisons to make with that bioware fans.
The story is engulfing and exciting, making you feel like you are in complete control of your actions (even though in the main missions you are occasionally - and understandably - funelled towards a certain goal). How you complete your goals is largely up to you, and you earn points for taking a stand on issues in two different sectors - renegade and paragon. These are less "Good" and "Evil" than "Selfless" and "Selfish" or "Welcoming" and "Intimidating". Earning points in these sectors is not exclusive, and they both open up new conversation options that can change the outcome of a confrontation. To me, it seems that the developers are actually rewarding the players for developing the character, in whatever direction.
All in all, an unmissable game for sci-fi lovers and RPG players, but should be avoided by anyone who hates having to do any more than fire guns at aliens. |
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