Mass Effect is mostly good and all the complaints I've made over the past few months have the hope of being improved in the two upcoming sequels. Still, I won't forget what a great game the original is. First of all,
Mass Effect's story is quite compelling, as mysteries usually are. It is made even more so by its imaginative setting that (while borrowing a lot from decades of science fiction) brings a lot of original ideas to the table. Most impressive, the world is presented as though it could actually exist, and scientific explanations are given for every piece of technology, life form, and phenomenon (except for sound traveling through a vacuum). This adds credibility to the
Mass Effect universe.
Another thing done brilliantly in
Mass Effect is the characterization of your party members, aids, and antagonists. Originally, I complained about Saren's lack of villainy, though this really does create a dramatic moment at the end. Your crew is exceptionally emotive and perfectly voiced. They are all very well animated (except for a weird glitch that makes Ashley look cross-eyed) and given well planned backgrounds that create character arcs for some of them. The individual relationships between Shepard and each one of his crew are fairly meaningful. It's as though he need the support of each one to continue with the mission.
Another kick-ass element of this game is the music. It fits the mysterious, otherworldly setting well and superbly guides the gamer's emotions through the story. There is a slow and sad piano tune after someone dies a hero, majestic minor keys for Saren's evil appearance, and a heroic ending tune for Shepard's victory. During the battle on Virmire, the music really sets the suspenseful mood. Time is of the essence and the longer you delay, the more good soldiers will die. Of course this is only implied, so the music is very essential to creating the exciting atmosphere and making your actions seem meaningful.
For the most part, the visuals are fantastic too. While there isn't much variety, what is shown looks great, especially the NPCs. The people all have expressive faces that work with the VOs to make believable emotions in the characters. Even the aliens have maleable faces. When a player can tell how a species they've never encountered before is feeling based on their appearance, then I'd say he or she is playing a successfully crafted game. Overall, the textures and animation really stand out on the technical side of
Mass Effect.
I've mentioned it several times before, but the conversation system is great in
Mass Effect. It allows dialogue to flow so much more smoothly than previous RPGs like
KotOR. Even better are the accompanying animations and expressions. The voice work in
KotOR was just as good as in
Mass Effect but the way the characters interact with each other, their surroundings, and themselves entirely changes from a stiff, repetitive style to a realistic one.
Mass Effect is mostly good and all the complaints I've made over the past few months have the hope of being improved in the two upcoming sequels. Still, I won't forget what a great game the original is. First of all, Mass Effect's story is quite compelling, as mysteries usually are. It is made even more so by its imaginative setting that (while borrowing a lot from decades of science fiction) brings a lot of original ideas to the table. Most impressive, the world is presented as though it could actually exist, and scientific explanations are given for every piece of technology, life form, and phenomenon (except for sound traveling through a vacuum). This adds credibility to the Mass Effect universe. 
Another thing done brilliantly in Mass Effect is the characterization of your party members, aids, and antagonists. Originally, I complained about Saren's lack of villainy, though this really does create a dramatic moment at the end. Your crew is exceptionally emotive and perfectly voiced. They are all very well animated (except for a weird glitch that makes Ashley look cross-eyed) and given well planned backgrounds that create character arcs for some of them. The individual relationships between Shepard and each one of his crew are fairly meaningful. It's as though he need the support of each one to continue with the mission. 
Another kick-ass element of this game is the music. It fits the mysterious, otherworldly setting well and superbly guides the gamer's emotions through the story. There is a slow and sad piano tune after someone dies a hero, majestic minor keys for Saren's evil appearance, and a heroic ending tune for Shepard's victory. During the battle on Virmire, the music really sets the suspenseful mood. Time is of the essence and the longer you delay, the more good soldiers will die. Of course this is only implied, so the music is very essential to creating the exciting atmosphere and making your actions seem meaningful. 
For the most part, the visuals are fantastic too. While there isn't much variety, what is shown looks great, especially the NPCs. The people all have expressive faces that work with the VOs to make believable emotions in the characters. Even the aliens have maleable faces. When a player can tell how a species they've never encountered before is feeling based on their appearance, then I'd say he or she is playing a successfully crafted game. Overall, the textures and animation really stand out on the technical side of Mass Effect. 
I've mentioned it several times before, but the conversation system is great in Mass Effect. It allows dialogue to flow so much more smoothly than previous RPGs like KotOR. Even better are the accompanying animations and expressions. The voice work in KotOR was just as good as in Mass Effect but the way the characters interact with each other, their surroundings, and themselves entirely changes from a stiff, repetitive style to a realistic one. 
Better analysis.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with some parts of the story that looked creepy to me, like the Wrex joining to the group. Urdnot Wrex is the best character, but his joining is Richard's in looking for group.
"Boredom, mostly"
9/10