Mass Effect

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2054 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,807 out of 2054
  2. Mixed: 147 out of 2054
  3. Negative: 100 out of 2054
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  1. Rob
    Nov 21, 2007
    6
    The good stuff: Graphics and Storyline. The decent stuff: Gameplay: The squad AI is weak but the shooting controls are pretty decent. The bad stuff: The biotic powers are lame esp. healing(requires an item to use). Other powers include force push(useless) and barrier(decent).
  2. DavidM.
    Dec 12, 2007
    6
    BAD: The AI is terrible. The menu screens, inventory and upgrading are all awful. There are a lot of pop-in textures. Side quests are dull and the rewards aren't good. Money is useless. You can power your way to the end with little strategy. The game play becomes tedious once you level up. GOOD: The storyline is great. The characters are great. The acting is great. The graphics are BAD: The AI is terrible. The menu screens, inventory and upgrading are all awful. There are a lot of pop-in textures. Side quests are dull and the rewards aren't good. Money is useless. You can power your way to the end with little strategy. The game play becomes tedious once you level up. GOOD: The storyline is great. The characters are great. The acting is great. The graphics are great. BOTTOM LINE: This game needed more time in development.… Expand
  3. MS.
    Mar 12, 2008
    6
    In all honesty, I would have given this game a ten my first time playing it. This game is seriously one of the best RPG experiences anyone can have...at least on the first play through. Well, let's start off with what is good. The gameplay is very solid. The shooting mechanics are easy to master and the powers/abilities are implemented nicely into combat. Most of the voice acting is In all honesty, I would have given this game a ten my first time playing it. This game is seriously one of the best RPG experiences anyone can have...at least on the first play through. Well, let's start off with what is good. The gameplay is very solid. The shooting mechanics are easy to master and the powers/abilities are implemented nicely into combat. Most of the voice acting is top notch, which is good considering one of the game's selling points is its dialog-oriented RPG elements. The artwork is astounding and the graphics are nearly as good (choppy rendering, slow down, and pop ins are only minor set backs). The level design is also quite good and there are many different worlds to explore in the course of the game. Unfortunately, these strengths cannot save the game. And here's why. Mass Effect's story, which has been hailed as a masterwork of sorts by critics and fans alike, is not very compelling. Though there are many interesting ideas thrown about (The Reapers are a particularly cool concept), the over arching plot suffers from here-we-go-again syndrome. You have a mixed-bag crew of aliens and humans rushing around to different worlds to uncover the location of The Conduit in order to stop The Reapers from destroying the galaxy. Sounds awfully familiar no? The story is basically the first KOTOR without the intriguing plot twist in the middle. Since Commander Shepard is almost totally customizable , he (or she) ends up lacking any true depth. The back stories of the various Shepards you can create are weak and cookie cutter. As for the supporting cast? Your crew is a little neglected plot-wise. Garus and Tali inparticular. Garus has a lot of great potential as a chracter but his dialog ends too quickly. Same with Tali. The random conversations that the supporting cast had in KOTOR are all gone. Any chatter between the characters is limited to elevator rides. Come on now. As for the conversations Shepard has with the crew? It's no different than KOTOR really. Sure, you don't know PRECISELY what Shepard will say but the options still feel stilted. You have your evil and your good statements and your special skill-based statements. The formula is obvious as hell and it really gave me a feeling of rendezvous. Other downsides include a lack of variety in game play. Especially on side quests. Usually you just go to a barren world and shoot things. Puzzles are few and far between and are very simple. The pick up system is annoying at best. You can't simply drop an item or not take it. Plus there's this huge technical plot hole that I can't help but mention. The humans are newcomers to the galaxy...why do all the other races speak English? If Humans are so neglected, why would entire races learn English? Plus the voice acting for the male Shepard is mediocre, no matter what language. Frankly, I got tired of this game after two play-throughs and I am disappointed. I feel like the writing is half-assed and that Bioware are still struggling to break from a formula that works. What I'm waiting for is an RPG with this type of engine that tells a personal story instead of a sci-fi opera. Where you see your actions affect the character and his or her surroundings on a smaller more intimate scale. Where the dialog doesn't have to explain the plot or the situation over and over. I feel like Indigo Prophecy nearly accomplished this...why can't Bioware?… Expand
  4. TheBigmac
    Nov 21, 2007
    6
    Let's get the obvious out of the way. The graphics, specially in dialog are gorgeous. Once you get to combat, they're good, but not gorgeous even thou everything is created using the game's engine. The story is very well done and intriguing. I found myself enjoying the dialog so much I felt I was watching a movie. Now the bad things: The shooting controls are just awkward. Let's get the obvious out of the way. The graphics, specially in dialog are gorgeous. Once you get to combat, they're good, but not gorgeous even thou everything is created using the game's engine. The story is very well done and intriguing. I found myself enjoying the dialog so much I felt I was watching a movie. Now the bad things: The shooting controls are just awkward. It wants to be gears of war in the combat mechanics and fails miserably in the attempt. Another game I'm playing these days, Uncharted Drakes furtune, completely rips off the GOW mechanics as well, but the excecution is perfect. So if you're going to rip some game off, at least do it weell. The shooting controls and mechanics just feel clunky and uncomfortable. Using the sniper rifle is an exercise in futility. The screen shakes so much you're aiming all over the place and "No diazepam for you!" is the motto of the designer Nazis. The rest of the games just feels S L O W. I found myself constantly wondering which way to go. I just beat Call of duty 4. The difficulty setting in that one was perfect. Want to figure out where to go by yourself? fine. It's your choice. Not a hard core explorer? No problem. They will take you by the hand the whole game. In this one is pretty much a couple of clues on the map, which is like 5 button pushes away if you need it, and pretty much you're on your on. Did I mention S L O W? If you're an RPG fan, you'll love this game. If any of what I mentioned before makes you hesitate, rent if first. This is a AAA title and there's a lot of quality here. Many people just love it. But in my opinion, some fundamental flaws ruin the execution as a whole. And I just don't have the patience these days a game like this requires.… Expand
  5. StevenF.
    Jan 16, 2008
    6
    I'm sorry but it's just not that good. The character acting is GREAT, but almost everything else is disappointing. Handling of equipment a pain. Playing a class that isn't the Soldier is a pain. Combat is a pain. Skills are lackluster and the list goes on. Expect a decent RPG but not the thing that's been hyped in the mags as the end all RPG.
  6. FPSMaster
    Nov 19, 2007
    6
    Let's see. They got the story, cinematics and to some extent the dialog right, but what happened to everything else? You get a good story, but you get sloppy game mechanics, terrible A.I., bad framerates just like KOTOR 1 and 2 and boring exploration with huge empty environments with nothing to do. If you're gonna sell the game as an RPG with guns, the shooting should be as goodLet's see. They got the story, cinematics and to some extent the dialog right, but what happened to everything else? You get a good story, but you get sloppy game mechanics, terrible A.I., bad framerates just like KOTOR 1 and 2 and boring exploration with huge empty environments with nothing to do. If you're gonna sell the game as an RPG with guns, the shooting should be as good as the story. Bottom line. I also noticed most of the voicework sounds like someone is reading it too loudly directly from a script with no emotion. So much for the great dialog I guess. Mass Disappointment is more like it. Brute Force RPG is an even more fitting title.… Expand
  7. FarooqA.
    Nov 25, 2007
    6
    A decent game and a fine collection artifact if you own a 360. Newer and established visual techniques applied in here but I found the game lacking in anticipation department. Its a RPG you know and its always a thrill to disover which planet you are going to visit next and how will it fare? but you'll find more of the same there, one environment repeats over and over... the mystery A decent game and a fine collection artifact if you own a 360. Newer and established visual techniques applied in here but I found the game lacking in anticipation department. Its a RPG you know and its always a thrill to disover which planet you are going to visit next and how will it fare? but you'll find more of the same there, one environment repeats over and over... the mystery of the universe is just not expressed here. I had way more fun discovering tonnes of planets with differing characters, environments, monsters and huge environmental bosses in Rogue Galaxy last year.… Expand
  8. coldcalculated
    Feb 15, 2012
    6
    I did not enjoy this game even in the slightest i don't know what game everyone else has been playing but i hate this game. A lot of frustration when i get hit by a rocket drone's rocket and die instantly. A lot of frustration with lag and it has the worst timing. The AI is by far the worst AI i have ever encountered. Team mates block shots all of the time. The difficulty is automaticallyI did not enjoy this game even in the slightest i don't know what game everyone else has been playing but i hate this game. A lot of frustration when i get hit by a rocket drone's rocket and die instantly. A lot of frustration with lag and it has the worst timing. The AI is by far the worst AI i have ever encountered. Team mates block shots all of the time. The difficulty is automatically set to hard, not that I mind the difficulty, it's the massive time in between autosaves that frustrates me to no end. The plot is amazing, the graphics still stand up today but it has way too many issues to recommend. The only reason im playing this game is because i picked up mass effect 2 for 20 bucks and it is my favorite game. Cannot wait for mass effect 3.… Expand
  9. D_Raven
    Dec 16, 2014
    6
    Not bad, but not the best I've seen or played either. The story is okay, with some good action here and there, and it has a stable plot. The game has some good features, such as armor and weapon customization to name one. But I found it lacking in some areas, too. All of the armor looks just about the same as the stock, just re-textured in some cases, and the texture load times on the 360Not bad, but not the best I've seen or played either. The story is okay, with some good action here and there, and it has a stable plot. The game has some good features, such as armor and weapon customization to name one. But I found it lacking in some areas, too. All of the armor looks just about the same as the stock, just re-textured in some cases, and the texture load times on the 360 during cutscenes makes everything look a little weird whenever you talk to someone or load a game. Overall, this is not a bad game, but it's not the perfect game, either.… Expand
  10. Numanthia
    Nov 22, 2007
    5
    I am disgusted by the reviews on this product. It has the worst flaws I have seen of a game this hyped and the critics behind these illogical reviews: "Other than the AI issues, graphical glitches, and insanely confusing equipment screen Mass Effect is the perfect video game." With the following comment how can a game wtih flawed AI, major load time issues, painfully slow texture mapping I am disgusted by the reviews on this product. It has the worst flaws I have seen of a game this hyped and the critics behind these illogical reviews: "Other than the AI issues, graphical glitches, and insanely confusing equipment screen Mass Effect is the perfect video game." With the following comment how can a game wtih flawed AI, major load time issues, painfully slow texture mapping and confusing game components even score above 6? I consider these reviews boardering on fraudulent activity. DISGUSTED!… Expand
  11. JaceNaylor
    Dec 30, 2007
    5
    Mass Effect is a game with limitless potential that uses only about 25% of it!
    The combat is too frantic and panic strewn, the dialogue choces never match what your character says, the environments are too small and limiting or too repetetive and boring and the story is far too short.
    You cant help but wonder if Bioware are sitting on the last 3 quarters of the game...one for    Mass Effect is a game with limitless potential that uses only about 25% of it!
    The combat is too frantic and panic strewn, the dialogue choces never match what your character says, the environments are too small and limiting or too repetetive and boring and the story is far too short.
    You cant help but wonder if Bioware are sitting on the last 3 quarters of the game...one for downloadable content...and two for the sequels!    … Expand
  12. BrodelE.
    Jan 1, 2008
    5
    Soooo tired of the endless dialog.. I gave up waiting for the game to give me a chance to play.
  13. SatanNYC
    Nov 29, 2007
    5
    OK, those who gave this game a 10 obviously haven't played it, and those that gave it a 1 are just stupid. Granted, I feel burned for buying this game based on the ratings and the reviews I have seen. So here is the real deal review from a long time RPG fan. This game mostly sux, sure it looks pretty, hooray for that, but that's were the fun ends. First off this game is OK, those who gave this game a 10 obviously haven't played it, and those that gave it a 1 are just stupid. Granted, I feel burned for buying this game based on the ratings and the reviews I have seen. So here is the real deal review from a long time RPG fan. This game mostly sux, sure it looks pretty, hooray for that, but that's were the fun ends. First off this game is impossibly slow, for instance, you mean to tell me that in the future, were you don't even have to reload your weapons, they have elevators that move so ridiculously slow you would ratther walk, if you could but you are stuck having to take elevators all the time, even on your own ship. Then there are the weapons, armor and other accesories that have names followed by roman numerals. for all the thought and time spent developing this game they couldn't come up with some cool names for things, instead they just add a number at the end. That's not all, let's talk about all those planets that you seen in the previews and trailers, you can't even land on them, all you can do is get a description of there atmosphere and terrain. Occasionaly you can scan one and may find some kind of artifact that you can't even access in your inventory. Sniper rifles are a complete waste of time, because if you can see the enemy, no matter how far away you are, they are already shooting at you before you even poke your head around the corner or over the hill. The cool looking tank you also see in all of the trailers handles like crap and really isn't as fun as they make it appear. There is no need to ever shop at a store, as things you find are better and they are free, so that kills the whole "get more money to get better stuff to fight bigger creatures" aspect of an RPG that most fans live for. The grenades are horrific, shoot one towards the sun and that's were it goes, in a striaght line with no gravitional arc what-so-ever, but throw a grenade at the floor right in front of you and that's were it stays, no bounce, no roll, nothing. No free roaming aliens to pick off for extra cash, everything is scripted, open the door and there are bad guys. The AI is non-existent, open a door and the bad guys come straight at you, no ducking and hiding behind things, they just run straight at you. I waited for over a year for this game, have been following it's progress all the way, seen all the trailers, interviews and reviews and was totally psyched for this title. I actually think this title isn't worth the box it comes in, but I am giving it a 5 because it looks amazing, has some interesting creatures, and the voice sync'ing is beautifully done. If you are a fan of RPG's and want an amazing game for your money, but the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and pass on this title. If you have already played Oblivion trust me when I say, rent before you buy, or better yet, bid on mine when I throw it up on ebay to get my money back and buy something else.… Expand
  14. C.Q.
    Dec 10, 2007
    5
    This is the game that could have been - its very cinematic, and semi entertaining - but if your expacting a vast open sci fi role playing game - like oblivian - you will be sorely dissapointed - there are a couple of pointless side quests - but overall the story is pretty straight through and you can beat the whole game in under 8 hours with no problems.
  15. Tom
    Dec 12, 2007
    5
    This game is more story than game-play. The story is good though. I gave it a 5 (instead of a 0) because the story itself was good enough to motivate me to play it through. But compare it to a tight game-play mechanics work of art like mario galaxy a decent fps, and Mass Effect "the game" is pathetic. Now granted, this is an RPG (hence the good story and my willingness to give props to This game is more story than game-play. The story is good though. I gave it a 5 (instead of a 0) because the story itself was good enough to motivate me to play it through. But compare it to a tight game-play mechanics work of art like mario galaxy a decent fps, and Mass Effect "the game" is pathetic. Now granted, this is an RPG (hence the good story and my willingness to give props to it), but the fighting system was touted to be a hybrid between traditional turn-based RPG fighting and RTS/OTS fighting. This turns out to be extremely clunky, where directing the actions of your squad is a futile exercise and talents(traditionally spells or feats) are limited to just a hand-full and are not very effective compared to standard attacks (guns). lastly, the graphics are good at times and at other times totally unacceptable. Frequent frame-rate drops and disorienting draw-in take alot away from the story.… Expand
  16. 7dogguy
    Feb 28, 2012
    5
    this game is mediocre at best its so boring the fighting system is boring all of the facial expresions on the people make them look like robots and the characters are boring in my opinion its not very fun at all i dont know why everyone likes it so much the only cool thing about the game is how you can shape the future of the game by having text choices
  17. TrollTheTroll
    Mar 6, 2012
    5
    The original. Gameplay is horrible. But the story keeps you picking up the controller. The side missions all take place on the same map with different colors. Your first play through the game is always crap by design. Does not hold up compared to today's games.
  18. rawrxiv
    Jan 28, 2013
    5
    Finally gotten around to Mass Effect. I had always been apprehensive towards it for some reason and I guess we have gut feelings for a reason. Bioware's pedigree (KOTOR being excellent, probably the best game for the original xbox, and Dragon Age being entertaining) was the only reason I even gave it a shot, and needless to say I put this game into the same box as Dragon Age 2. The problemFinally gotten around to Mass Effect. I had always been apprehensive towards it for some reason and I guess we have gut feelings for a reason. Bioware's pedigree (KOTOR being excellent, probably the best game for the original xbox, and Dragon Age being entertaining) was the only reason I even gave it a shot, and needless to say I put this game into the same box as Dragon Age 2. The problem with Mass Effect is that it's not a bad game, it's just half assed. Everything about it is mediocre: puddle deep characters, ho-hum story, generic music, bland sci-fi world. Attach these things to a terrible UI (I'm looking at you equipment screen), a boring ass leveling system (virtually no difference in classes), boring fps style combat, horrible glitches (don't you dare get that **** car stuck, and nothing takes you out of a story like a characters teeth flickering constantly) and you have Mass Effect. I cannot believe that this series has gone on to produce three other games, and I really can't believe that Commander Sheppard has actually gone on to become a 'character of note' in the gaming industry, the man (or gal) has less personality than master chief for christ sake. If you like generic space marine sci-fi, play Mass Effect, me, I would have been just as happy to keep my 15 bucks, thanks.… Expand
  19. TonyG
    Dec 6, 2007
    4
    Mass Effect is an embarrassment for Bioware. Excellent story, excellent voice acting, and beautiful artwork cannot make up for a complete lack of refinement and playtesting. It's frustrating to see a great game company fail with an incredible idea because of such simple things. I started the game, walked forward, and got stuck on a corner. Then I opened the menu and watched my Mass Effect is an embarrassment for Bioware. Excellent story, excellent voice acting, and beautiful artwork cannot make up for a complete lack of refinement and playtesting. It's frustrating to see a great game company fail with an incredible idea because of such simple things. I started the game, walked forward, and got stuck on a corner. Then I opened the menu and watched my character's portrait flicker and warp. I tried to use the menus, and realized that this is the part of the game where true hand-eye coordination is required, not in combat. Did anyone playtest this game? Movement is awful, your character is clumsy beyond belief and gets stuck on ledges and corners far too easily. Graphics are gorgeous, but blatantly unstable. Play is simply bizarre. Is this an FPS? If so, it's the worst FPS I've played in years. Is it a hack & slash RPG? Where is simple run & gun fun? Is it a turn-based RPG? Where is the strategy? I have rarely been so disappointed in a title, and it stings because of how much potential this game had. KOTOR, glitches included, was exponentially better than Mass Effect. Why? Because it was FUN. Sure, glitches happened, but the game worked. This 360 next-gen game is just silly. On the bright side, the dialogue is good and voice acting is the best we've seen in any game to date. I suggest that, next time, Bioware make a movie or write a book instead. These types of media do not require playtesting. In the end, the one thing I want most out Mass Effect is a patch or re-release. If Bioware published an article saying "OOPS, we sent out bad discs...we'll be back in three months!", I would be the first to cheer, purchase my game in March, play for hours on end. Too bad.… Expand
  20. JohnC
    Feb 10, 2008
    4
    A good game with lots to see and do, if you like RPG's like oblivion then this is for you - but its set in space. Great graphics and character creation Unfortunately the game is full of bugs and there are quite a few reports of 'disc read errors' coming in from everywhere - myself included. I don't having to reload every 10 minutes, otherwise an awesome game.
  21. DavidP.
    Nov 22, 2007
    4
    This is an absolutely boring game especially for $60. I never write reviews but I felt the need to inform others about this game. I feel that tI was definitely mislead about this game. Its extremely slow. I mean I spend 90% of my time walking to locations and then I get a chance to to something interesting. I am starting to think that game developers are paying people to post their This is an absolutely boring game especially for $60. I never write reviews but I felt the need to inform others about this game. I feel that tI was definitely mislead about this game. Its extremely slow. I mean I spend 90% of my time walking to locations and then I get a chance to to something interesting. I am starting to think that game developers are paying people to post their reviews. I though the game would be better than average and actually be fun. I mean the only "new" thing this game offers is for you to have meaningless conversation with characters and the ability to chose some phrases. For those of you that like play RPGs and roll dice all day, this game is probably for you. In conclusion, this game is extremely slow, boring, and not worth $60 at all!… Expand
  22. zuhane
    Apr 8, 2011
    4
    In short: Don't buy this game. It's physically impossible to install this on a PC without some massive roadblock at some point. After literally hours of messing about, I finally got the game working. This, to my disappointment, it was really boring, tedious and repetitive. Not worth your time. Stick to Valve :D
  23. MikeA.
    Aug 26, 2008
    3
    I loved Knights Of The Old Republic and was looking forwared to a similar game with enhanced visuals. Unfortunately the combat for this appears to be just "point and shoot and hope your AI buddies follow suit". The combat just didn't seem very deep to me. The endless dialogue trees you have to labour through every time you talk to someone and the result is a total failure of I loved Knights Of The Old Republic and was looking forwared to a similar game with enhanced visuals. Unfortunately the combat for this appears to be just "point and shoot and hope your AI buddies follow suit". The combat just didn't seem very deep to me. The endless dialogue trees you have to labour through every time you talk to someone and the result is a total failure of immersion. One for the run-and-gunners and Gears of War fans, I think. Hopefully the forthcoming Fallout game will address these shortcomings.… Expand
  24. SugreevA.
    Nov 19, 2007
    3
    It's just too long and boring for both the RPG genre and the shooter genre.
  25. ArrJ.
    Dec 15, 2007
    3
    Considering the number of people's consoles that have seemingly been destroyed by this games excessive dependence on streaming media along with the fact that the core game is barely over 10 hours long and this is one of the largest disappointments in gaming for me this year. Don't get me wrong, the story is engrossing and the world Bioware has developed has all the potential Considering the number of people's consoles that have seemingly been destroyed by this games excessive dependence on streaming media along with the fact that the core game is barely over 10 hours long and this is one of the largest disappointments in gaming for me this year. Don't get me wrong, the story is engrossing and the world Bioware has developed has all the potential makings of a great new sci-fi universe, but just as the game feels like it's getting off the ground it ends - and in a most dissatisfying manner. It's also truly unfortunate that the "side quests" have little, if anything, to do with anything the game wants to make you care about. All of this together took what could have been at the very least an 8 all the way down to a 3. I'm shocked so many people have reviewed it so well - it's appalling.… Expand
  26. jbinminot
    Dec 9, 2010
    3
    Why oh why oh why do gamers love this game? Did it come with a free $100 dollar bill with every purchase? This game is mostly reading (and a whole lot of running around) with a little bit of combat here and there, and poorly done combat as well. If the enemy has ANY cover whatsoever, you can't harm them. You can't shoot them from cover either. I don't like being punished for doing theWhy oh why oh why do gamers love this game? Did it come with a free $100 dollar bill with every purchase? This game is mostly reading (and a whole lot of running around) with a little bit of combat here and there, and poorly done combat as well. If the enemy has ANY cover whatsoever, you can't harm them. You can't shoot them from cover either. I don't like being punished for doing the right thing. A game should be played, not read. If I wanted to read I'd buy a book at Barnes and Noble. This game is proof positive that game critics in magazines get paid for giving good reviews to dull games.… Expand
  27. imawsome722
    Jul 2, 2013
    3
    i hate this game the only reason i played it (halfway through then got my brother to finish it for me) was to import my choices to the sequel.
    pros: choices, importing saves to sequels. most characters are good, some good story parts, sovereign is a good villain, character customization, punching a reporter, mako
    cons: saren is a terrible main villain hes pretty much second in command,    i hate this game the only reason i played it (halfway through then got my brother to finish it for me) was to import my choices to the sequel.
    pros: choices, importing saves to sequels. most characters are good, some good story parts, sovereign is a good villain, character customization, punching a reporter, mako
    cons: saren is a terrible main villain hes pretty much second in command, story starts off with saren as the main villain (most of the game), some choices are really easy to make, there are alot of side quests that you just have to charm or intimidate someone and the rest are just kill stuff, tons of texture poppin, worst cover system ive ever seen alot of times the cover doesnt work and whenever you shoot you stand outside of cover for 5 seconds getting shot alot, biotics take to long to charge so there pretty much useless, framerate drops alot, planets look the same, enemy ai charges your position and kills you in one hit 50% of the time, your shields do nothing, the only weapon worth using is the assault rifle and only soldiers can use it.    … Expand
  28. proxskullz
    Sep 9, 2013
    3
    One of the most boring games I've ever played. The combat at the start isn't very fun but it gets worse when you go to the boring alien city. There is no action all you do is walk around talking to people for hours and it never tells you where to go so you are walking around lost with nothing to do
  29. K.G.
    Dec 4, 2007
    2
    Buggy as hell with a disappointing storyline and weak gameplay mechanics.
  30. MichaelA
    Jun 9, 2009
    2
    This game is terrible. All of the side-quest environments are just diffusion maps with almost no variation, there are only like five non-main quest interiors, most of the environments seem like rehashes from Knights of the Old Republic, the vehicle segments are frustrating due to poor design (jump jets do nothing but throw you off of mountains), enemies will glitch and respawn at This game is terrible. All of the side-quest environments are just diffusion maps with almost no variation, there are only like five non-main quest interiors, most of the environments seem like rehashes from Knights of the Old Republic, the vehicle segments are frustrating due to poor design (jump jets do nothing but throw you off of mountains), enemies will glitch and respawn at inopportune times, character animation is just silly, graphics are jerky with lots of texture pop-up even in small rooms, loading times are atrocious, all elevators are too slow, death sequence is too long, game won't let you save right after dialog sequences (so you have to sit through them and select your choices all over again), the menu system controls so that you will accidentally exit when you don't mean to (it WILL happen), storyline is repetitive, main character can't be customized as much as you would think, stores sell inferior weapons for way too much, there are two buttons for drawing and replacing your weapon but no jump button, computer A.I. is stupid (for both friendlies and enemies), and the list just goes on and on. I don't see how this game gets such a free ride on reviews with all of its problems. On a positive note, it has Seth Green as the ship's pilot and it looks very nice in still pictures. That's all that I can think of.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2007
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2007
3
#3 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 74
  3. Negative: 0 out of 74
  1. Game Informer
    98
    It's an adventure that is so captivating that you'll be counting the days for the sequel. It takes interactive storytelling to new heights, and brings the player closer to content than ever before. It's easily one of the year's best titles and one of the most impressive games to date. [Nov 2007, p.151]
    Read full review
  2. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    92
    Far from being a ponderous sci-fi exposition, Mass Effect boasts a dynamic, well-constructed story with a broad emotional range. [Holiday 2007, p.82]
  3. Hardcore Gamer
    80
    As it is, it's merely very good on several different levels, and is more or less a must-play for RPG fans. It will drive shooter fans completely up the wall, though. [Dec 2007, p.56]
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