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Reviews from Amazon
Solid Story Line + Poorly Executed Concept = Painful Waste of Time -  - ME attempts to build a real-time RPG and shooter into one game stealing concepts first seen in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Amazing game). ME's combat system is convoluted and slow, the conversion/interaction is slow and mostly fruitless, the story line is enjoyable but slowly delivered. I can't say I played the game for more than an hour or two before re-selling it.
Awful Follow-Up to KOTOR - - Let me say Knights of the Old Republic is one of my favorite RPGs of all time. The way they meshed turn-based combat with real time was a revelation that no game has since matched. But this game was boring as hell. I played it for over 5 hours, and all it seemed to me was a running simulator with a bad third person shooter mechanic thrown in. Sure, the conversation mechanic was interesting for the first 10 minutes or so, but after a while it was like watching a movie I had to also direct, instead of just enjoying it. Generic sci-fi themes also abounded, lacking the cohesiveness of the Star Wars universe for an underlying premise. I would say Bioware is great at interpreting a story that has already been realized for them, but awful at trying to come up with an original concept, AND executing it in an interesting fashion.
Sprawling, beautiful, buggy -  - This game is one of the few that earns the much overused term "epic". From being able to search entire galaxies to forming meaningful in-game relationships, Mass Effect has rewritten what an action RPG can be, but not without some minor flaws.
I was worried by some reviews that the world would be too sandbox to know what I was doing, but the journals feature and in-game cues make sure you always know what you're doing while giving you the option to explore.
Positives:
+Great graphics
+Superior NPC development
+Giant World
+Fantastic Story
+Spot on dialogue
+20+ hours of play time
+Multiple endings
+Highly Replayable (from a person who has only replayed 2 series: Diablo & Half-Life)
Negatives:
-Lots of Pop-ins from an engine that can't fully load textures in time
-Long Elevators...which isn't a huge negative because it keeps you more immersed than a standard loading screen - very creative
-Sometimes (very seldom) the game takes action-packed parts of the game and puts them in movies - a quibble, really.
Mass Effect SUCKS!!!! - - Do not buy this game it sucks. What a joke, I wish I could get my money back.
Excellent game, hours of fun. - - Alright well I just finished playing this game, and it was incredible. Here's the breakdown:
Gameplay: Overall its fun, although sometimes it can be repetitive if you keep dying and have to watch the same cinematic over and over again. But the ability to customize your skills and the skills of your allies can really make things interesting. It took me a while to get the hang of the combat system, but its great- especially the biotics.
The ability to customize everything was great, I can't stress that enough. For example you can choose whether or not to use armor piercing rounds, good against synthetics (robots), or anti-personnel rounds, which are good against organic enemies. Thats just for starters. There are literally dozens of different types of ammunition, armor, weapon upgrades, etc.
The Renegade/Paragon system is also great. The fact that certain events can be completely bypassed if you are charismatic/intimidating enough makes the game a bit more realistic.
I'll have to admit that the Novarius mission (I think I spelled that right) was extremely tedious and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Apart from that, the game was fun. The landscapes are incredible, especially in the Citadel.
I also enjoyed being able to create a character that looks like me. I haven't been able to create a clone of myself, the system isn't THAT detailed, but if you take five minutes or so you can come up with a pretty good look-alike.
Although this is a pretty hardcore sci-fi game, the story did not feel contrived or corny. In fact, the storyline is perhaps the most appealing part of Mass Effect. You will experience some plot elements that are definitely science fiction (beacons that can transmit images into your mind), and some that could easily happen today, except not in space (choosing whether or not to sell classified information, or taking down a rogue special forces unit).
There are also a few references to other sci-fi genres that were a nice touch. The only one I can think of at the moment is Navigator Pressly looking a little like Colonel Tigh from Battlestar Galactica.
Overall, its worth buying. If you rent it, you'll just end up turning it in late because you couldn't stop playing.
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