Back in 2007 Bioware released the first of what was one of the highest rated trilogies in the last decade, Mass Effect. When the title was first released on the Xbox 360 and PC, people were marveled by the vastness of space and the exquisitely crafted character design and top notch voice acting. Shortly after putting the disc into my Xbox 360 I knew I was in for something that was not only different, but something where the story took center stage. It is not typical that within 15 minutes of starting up the title that your thrown right into the grit of the plot. I knew this game was going to deliver something else, something different.
From first glance you can see the love and care that went into the title, from the detailed character models and the variety of weapons and armor it is not hard to tell this was crafted with passion as the main fuel behind it. Occasionally throughout the game there is noticeable texture pop ins and frame rate drops, but overall the fidelity and smoothness of the world makes up for these tiny hiccups. One of the most beautiful things in the game is a scene upon The Citadel where you look out onto the horizon, the scope and absolute beauty of seeing a sunset in space is unlike any other. Everything from the characters, to the Mako (on-land vehicle used in missions) and the surroundings do nothing short of taking my breath away, even 6 years after its initial release.
From voice acting to the orchestrated music, Mass Effect throws grace and top notch acting into every characters. The dialogue is brilliantly written with the ability to learn about different species, beliefs and other forms of information through conversations with NPC's or secondary characters. When weapons fire each give a distinct sound, from the powerful sniper rifle to the side arm pistol, each sounds different in comparison to each other. The secondary characters bring in excellent acting with amazing scripts, add that with quality recording and you have a breath of fresh air when it comes to the story telling.
As for story, Mass Effect is based in the near future. Humans have found alien technology on Mars, by reverse engineering this technology they allowed the technology of Earth grow by 200 years. You play as Commander Shepard, an Alliance solder under the Command of Captain Ander. Your ship, the Normandy, is the definition of high-tech and is built by both Alliance and Turian scientists. On the Normandy you have the CIC (Combat Information Center), Engineering Deck, Cargo Hold and Med-Bay. A few of these areas are accessible through passing through a door, whereas other you need to take an elevator down .
The combat in Mass Effect can be called less than stellar, although not horrible in its own right. In comparison to TPS games it doesn't hold a candle, but if you take away the preconceived TSP standards and look past it, you can still find enjoyment in this title. One of the main reasons for that is there is literally hundreds of weapons and armor combinations, all upgradeable and can be given to every squad member. The leveling up in the game is based on a point system. You allocate a point to the skill you want to upgrade. Depending on your class, your skills and abilities will be different based on class. For Example Soldiers get advanced training in all weapons, Sentienels get advanced training in pistols and snipers but have different abilities to go along with it. So no matter which class you choose out of the 6 total, you will find suited to your playing style.
Overall, Mass Effect exceeded every expectation I had for the title. It blows you away with the gripping story from beginning to end, excellent and brilliantly written characters and a world so believeable it is hard to not get trapped inside of it. I hope everyone will give the game a chance, even though it is 6 years old it stands up great to todays standards.