In-Depth - Mass Effect - Big Download Blog

In-Depth - Mass Effect

Posted May 28th 2008 11:00AM by Steven Wong
Filed under: Features, Action, RPG, Opinion, Mass Effect

Mass Effect, the sci-fi role-playing game developed from Bioware, made a huge impact on the Xbox 360 console last fall, and now it's the PC's turn to get a piece of the action. Sporting higher resolution graphics, a much needed tutorial setting, and an interface custom designed for the PC, it's almost unfair to call the game a port. The mouse and keyboard controls fit so naturally that it's almost impossible to tell that the game wasn't originally meant for the PC. Sure, there are still a few glitches and the roaming the galaxy has some pretty hefty system requirements, but this is the better version of Mass Effect when compared to console version. More after the jump.

Gallery: Mass Effect

You take on the role of Commander Shepherd, the first human Spectre. Spectres work as an interstellar military force that can operate outside of the law. Their job is to preserve peace and promote the greater good of galactic society through any means they deem necessary. From there, players are free to develop their characters as they see fit using light/dark side philosophies. Promoting justice and the principles of peace makes you into a Paragon and allows you to put points into the Charm skill to influence certain NPC's when conversing with them. Conversely, being ruthless unlocks the Renegade path where the Intimidation skill is used. Apart from different merchant bonuses, being a Paragon or Renegade doesn't have an incredibly strong impact on the game. Using either method in during NPC interaction produces the same results and only the last decision changes how the game ends.

The PC version of Mass Effect takes advantage of every aspect of the platform. This means that it comes with some pretty hefty system requirements, including a 12 GB chunk of space from the hard drive, but the experience is well worth it. The keyboard and mouse controls work so perfectly with the game that it makes certain flaws more manageable, especially your AI teammates' annoying habit of wandering into the line of fire. Teammates also have some problems with following orders, but there's nothing severe enough to wreck the game. Installing the entire game to the hard drive lets the game run without a disc in the drive and decreases load times. Loading new levels is masked by a lengthy elevator sequence, and unfortunately the time it takes to actually ride the elevator hasn't changed. If it takes about ten seconds for the elevator to reach the promenade from the docking bay, it will always take that long. The elevator ride also has a functional purpose in that the radio newscaster will sometimes report a story that opens up a side quest. Fortunately, the timing on the elevator seems more natural when loading off the hard drive than off a disc.

For a game that promotes itself to have a massive storyline, the main campaign is amazingly short. Depending on how far you want to level your characters before tackling the primary missions and the final boss, Mass Effect can be beaten in about a day or two. You then have the option to replay the game using all your upgraded skills and equipment, which is fun but draws even more attention to how short the game is. Although there are a decent number of side quests, only a few connect to your character's custom made past. The rest look and play identically, so you wouldn't be missing out on much if you decide not to give it another run. Hopefully, the variety of secondary quests will be improved once the free Bring Down the Sky add-on becomes available for download.

Other game issues include a planet rover that bounces like a balloon every time it hits a bump, but the keyboard and mouse controls help keep the driving manageable. The precision of the mouse also helps greatly when using the vehicle's turret. Occasional glitches arise, like how the controls sometimes fail to completely switch over to hacking mode when trying to open a locked crate. Completed missions sometimes won't show up as done on the quest log. However, we didn't encounter any glitches that completely wrecked the experience.

Overall, the PC version of Mass Effect is better than the console version in almost every way, certainly in the areas that count. If you have a system that can handle Mass Effect and trying to decide between the two, this is definitely the way to go.

Check out all the downloads for Mass Effect

Tags: bioware, demiurge, featured, joystiqfeatures, mass-effect, role-playing, roleplaying, rpg

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

you probably should have...yknow played the xbox version before comparing. Just a thoughtPosted at 4:36PM on May 31st 2008 by arrrgh

It's kind of taken me back to the old days of Resident Evil in which you got to play the entire game with different characters, from two different perspectives. My first run through Mass Effect was more of a blitz. I avoided as many side quests as I could and went the Paragon route with a male character, finishing the game much faster than I'd have liked. I'm currently on my second run through the game with a female character going the renegade route, doing all side quests I can find. Basically, the game's got depth, just not in it's length. I actually like the length to be honest. It provides me with a game I can go back to during dry release periods, spend a few days in the world of Mass Effect, and be certain that it will never be the exact same experience as before.Posted at 9:06AM on Jun 1st 2008 by ticklefist

Some of the side quests are very good, especially the ones that connect to your character's past. However, a large majority of the side quests simply have you running into warehouse-like buildings and clearing out everyone inside. Few have you talking to anyone to use your Charm or Intimidate skills the way rescuing the diplomat does. I'm glad you liked the length of the game... I was just surprised and a little disappointed that they main story (made up of five missions) could be beaten in a day. The end boss isn't even that hard.

As for playing the Xbox 360 version, I played it extensively - thanks for asking. That's how I know for certain that the PC version is, by far, the better of the two. Maybe you should, y'know, play the PC version before commenting. Just a thought.

Thanks for the comments.Posted at 9:20AM on Jun 1st 2008 by Steven Wong