Mass Effect review from the new Game Informer..:(

[michaels]

j/k
9.75
Conceptne of the greatest science fiction stories ever told, and a new benchmark for video game story-telling

Graphics:Every second of gameplay offers the visual quality you have come to expect from Final Fantasy cut scenes

Soundne of the most memorable and unique soundtracks in gaming. It's inspired by 80's sci-fi, yet sounds like nothing you've heard before. The game also features an amazing ensemble of voice actors.

Playability:Functional and fun, but something always seems to be amiss with the AI and balancing.

entertainment:A expansive quest(18-30 hours) that toys with your emotions, and keeps you engaged

Second opinion 9.75

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Roadie Run ftw

 

[purbeast0]

im going to be passing on this game for sure. not my type of genre.

 

[Anubis]

i know nothing about it, 360?

 

[michaels]

Well since EA owns Bioware expect to see it on everything from the 360 to the Game Gear

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
im going to be passing on this game for sure. not my type of genre.

The rpg part or what?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: michaels
Well since EA owns Bioware expect to see it on everything from the 360 to the Game Gear

Actually, MS owns the publishing rights to Mass Effect so at least this one will only be on the 360 and probably the PC later. Mass Effect 2 and 3 are up in the air however.

 

[swaytech]

I have been following this game for a while, looks like fun

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: bl4ckfl4g

Originally posted by: purbeast0
im going to be passing on this game for sure. not my type of genre.

The rpg part or what?

just everything about it. it looks good graphically but that's about it.

i am not a fan of the Kotor games and this seems to be a game that plays very similar to it. i don't have the time or patience to play games like that. i just don't enjoy em.

 

[vi edit]

18-30 hours is an expansive quest?

Kotor was around 40 for people that took their time. You could power trip it in about 20.

 

[randay]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
18-30 hours is an expansive quest?

Kotor was around 40 for people that took their time. You could power trip it in about 20.

saying 18-30 is expansive sounds kind of generous to me, but usually when you enjoy a game you can stretch those kinds of reviewer estimates by like 50% or so.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
18-30 hours is an expansive quest?

Kotor was around 40 for people that took their time. You could power trip it in about 20.

That was my very first thought. Isn't Oblivion like 100 hours (I haven't played it)? Wikipedia says the Shivering Isles expansion for Oblivion is 30 hours... an expansion!

18-30 hours isn't expansive for an RPG. 50+ hours is expansive.

On the other hand, it is enough for people like me who don't want to spend 100 hours on a game... but I'm not really into sci-fi games, nor am I into action RPGs. But then again I'm not into space-based FPS with unrealistic weapons either, and I love Halo 3. So maybe I will give this game a chance. :Q

 

[bennylong]

so many good games. Now would be a good time to be unemployed.

 

[CKDragon]

The 18-30 hours sounds way shorter than I was expecting. I shall hold out hope that this is a case of a workmanlike reviewer pushing through a game to meet a deadline or move onto one of the other 50 noteworthy games coming out this season.

But if it is only 18 hours I'll be disappointed. I suppose I could live with ~30.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: CKDragon
The 18-30 hours sounds way shorter than I was expecting. I shall hold out hope that this is a case of a workmanlike reviewer pushing through a game to meet a deadline or move onto one of the other 50 noteworthy games coming out this season.

But if it is only 18 hours I'll be disappointed. I suppose I could live with ~30.

That does seem underwhelming, although they've made it sound like there are multiple story lines depending on how you play, so I'm guessing this will be worth at least two playthroughs (judging by their previous work), which would make it more like 50. We'll see though, this seems like an extremely early review.

 

[BornStar]

Does anybody know if the combat is turn based or real time? I vastly prefer turn based combat. If it's real time I just might pass this game up.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: BornStar
Does anybody know if the combat is turn based or real time? I vastly prefer turn based combat. If it's real time I just might pass this game up.

It's an action RPG, so it'd be real time.

 

[yowolabi]

I usually spend twice as long finishing a game than a professional reviewer.

I wonder how you can say nothing negative about a game, but still dock it some points.

 

[thawolfman]

Originally posted by: bennylong
so many good games. Now would be a good time to be unemployed.

Then how would you afford them all?

 

[DangerAardvark]

We need more big, open-ended games. Mass Effect promises to be big as shit, but I'm disappointed it's not as long as KOTOR at least. Seems like since next-gen hit, games just got prettier, but not any bigger (Oblivion being the exception).

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: michaels
Well since EA owns Bioware expect to see it on everything from the 360 to the Game Gear

Actually, MS owns the publishing rights to Mass Effect so at least this one will only be on the 360 and probably the PC later. Mass Effect 2 and 3 are up in the air however.

Are you sure about that? I read an article somewhere that stated that EA will publish all future Mass Effect games. I'm totally expecting this to become a 360/PS3/PC/PSP/PS2/DS/Wii game. Well maybe not that bad, but PS3 will probably see some Mass Effect action (unless MS does in fact own the publishing rights).

 

[Dumac]

I am extremely excited for this game. BG series, NWN, and KotoR were some of my favorite RPGs.

 

[dighn]

ahh looks like we finally have a quality RPG for the next-gen consoles. This and Halo 3 may just convince me to buy an XBox 360.

 

[Excelsior]

At least those 18-30hours will be quality and not 75 out of 100 hours of time just spent wandering around.

 

[PricklyPete]

This is a must buy for me unless every game site starts giving it 3/10...I'm buying it.