1. Tata

   10

   After getting a patch and playing the game again, I realized how great it is compared to the second one. Combat is much better, Story is better, feels more like an RPG. Darkside/Lightside returns from KOTOR (which is pretty good). For 5$, It's a must buy.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
2. stvartak

   8

   I have the advantage of playing this game four years after its initial release, so I have not had any of the support issues some other users have mentioned. After reading all of the other user reviews, I think you either love or hate this game based on whether you are interested in story and adventure (love) or technical excellence and action (hate). This is a story-driven game with a lot of locations to explore and a lot of backstory that is revealed gradually through dialog and journal entries as the game goes on.
   
   To give you some idea of why I like this game, the last few games I really loved were the Thief series, Deus Ex, and Dreamfall. Here's a quick summary of what I think is good and bad about Mass Effect:
   
   GOOD: Deep story. Many characters to interact with if you choose, but only a few that you are forced to interact with to move the game along. Mini-game lock-pick system that is challenging but not frustrating. Tons of optional side quests, so you can skip them if you just want to cut to the chase, or do them if you're enjoying yourself and want to prolong the experience. Pretty good voice acting, in my opinion. Good third-person camera movement. Graphics were good, not excellent, for 2008.
   
   BAD: A bit glitchy; locked up on me three times during 50+ hours of gameplay. Some frame-rate lag, even with my 2012 graphics card. Less than perfect lip-syncing (but not terrible for a 2008 game). Most of the RPG elements such as level-ups and experience points are incidental to the actual game experience; you could blast your way through without paying any attention to your character's develop and not really miss much.
   
   Personally, I liked the "good" and wasn't bothered by the "bad," so I liked Mass Effect a lot and look forward to playing ME2.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
3. cunningmunki

   7

   A great story, brilliant design and enjoyable gameplay is marred by an appalling inventory and user interface. The acting and dialogue is better than most RPGs, and the combat is good, although a little restrictive at times. The Mass Effect universe seems vast to start off with, and an overload of new characters, species and back-stories in the first part of the game can make you feel like it's going to take a lifetime to remember all the races, politics and history, but eventually you learn the important parts and the rest fall into place. Unfortunately, the poor interface takes so long to learn and get used to, it takes a while before you really feel in control of your character and their abilities and really start to enjoy the game.
   I'm looking forward to playing part 2.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
4. TheYeIIowDucK

   4

   Generic cover-based shooting, **** vehicle sections, irritating inventory system, pointless and annoying side quests, stupidly useless leveling system, and a novel-worth of dialog in a dire need of editing. I don't see why people love it so much. It's a padded piece of **** It took me almost 30 hours to complete it, and for no damn reason. The story isn't deep or interesting at all, its background is. The game literally forces you to go through 4 planets (each with around 3 hours of gameplay) for no damn reason besides lengthening the playtime.… Expand

   • Helpful? 4 of 37 users said Yes.

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