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WARNING: This is kind of long... lol

I just feel the massive need to write something about this game here on the forums for everyone to read! Even though most people won't read it because in all honesty, who really cares about my opinion? I mean, I don't even care about my own opinion... Anyways, to get back on track...

This game is epic! A true master piece in every sense. The story is amazing, though kind of confusing when you start to get quest after quest stacked onto each other... I forgot what I was supposed to do with a few of them.

The gameplay, while kind of confusing at first, is really amazing. They took the idea of basically Gears of War and KOTOR and put them together.

The sound and voice acting is great. This is has been a really big disapointment with the recent wave of games (except a few) and Mass Effect reminded everyone what good voice acting is like in a game. And best of all... Seth Green does a voice in this game! And not some small pointless character you see for only 2 seconds... A main character!

The only down side to this game is in terms of graphics... While they are beautiful (not the best I have seen) they suffer from something Halo 2 suffered from on the original Xbox... Certain layers don't load up right away when the screen comes... They load a couple of seconds later... Unlike Halo 2 though, this happens nearly all the time... Halo 2 would only happen when a new scene would load or something simple like that and wouldn't happen for the rest of the time until a new cut scene happened. It happens all the freakin' time in Mass Effect! It's really sad because unfortunately it does really take away from the game.

Other then that little fact, I think this is certainly a must have for anyone that is a fan of RPG's or big fans of KOTOR.

UPDATE:
Even though I doubt anyone has read this or cares, I feel the need to finish writing this as I have finished playing Mass Effect... So on with my talking to myself basically.

Well, I beat it! And in a most amazing manner I beat it. Now that I have beat the game, I feel like I can give better impressions with of the game to all the people not reading this.

First and most important... The game is stunning. BioWare delivered with this title in the best way possible. They give an amazing story that will have anyone hooked the moment they put the disk into the 360. Not only did the story blow my mind, the character design and mechanics did too. The detail they put into everything makes the game one of the most realistic feeling games to date that I know of. You aren't a super human or an alien... You play as just a regular ol' human (for the most part) that has to take on an epic task... Saving the universe.

There are plenty of other things that are amazing... But to begin with, I already put a lot of stuff in the beginning that I would just be repeating... And no one will read this... So why put all the effort in to make this post even longer so even if someone does click it they will be scared away by the length... So pros stop there.

Now the bad stuff... Like I said in the beginning the layer issue... It happens for the entire game, and unfortunately even though I tried very hard to ignore it... I couldn't... It is such a distracting issue it really pulls you out of the story for the few seconds it happens. Another issue is framerates!!! Random frame rate issues were kind of annoying... Though I can look past the frame rate issue easier than the layer issue, it was still annoying. I mean, there were frame rate issues with just the credits rolling. Even though the 360 is a "power house" (which by the way I don't actually think, hence the quotation marks... But thats for a different discussion) it can't handle just credits rolling? That is a major issue... And while that may be more on BioWares side... That still contradicts the comments of "The 360 is easy to develope for!" But I must face this fact... It's still, by console standards, early in the 360's life span and I believe this is Biowares first game for the 360... So maybe it can be fixed in later games they make for it, along with the layer issue.

The final issue is my biggest issue with the game... Yes, I can b***h even more then I have over the last two graphic issues... This was with gameplay... Driving... I hated the driving system in the game. While I understand where Bioware was trying to come from with the driving system... It is incredibly frustrating while driving and even more frustrating when in a combat situation. There is no lock-on system with the vehicle, so you have to aim and drive at the same time... Which is by no means an easy feat... Which it could have been! I would be driving trying to blow up target that can only be taken down by the vehicle and since the steering control is linked with the aiming control (in some ways, it's hard to explain because it makes no sense) I would just randomly start backing up and get hammered by the enemy... Then die... Then curse at the game... Then pull my hair out... Then throw the controller at the wall... So, yes... I hated the driving system. Again, I understand what Bioware was trying to do since most of the driving situations were in an open world where you could go anywhere... They kind of had to do something, but I think they could have been tighter and perhaps put something in for combat... Seriously... There were two other people in the vehicle... Why can't they fight?! I have to drive and shoot a plasma gun and a cannon! PLEASE!!!!

Finally (yes, this is coming to an end) I head back to a pros... One big thing is there is downloadable content. So, while this game clocked in at about 20hours of gameplay (which wasn't exploring every world I could and finishing my last two side quests) adds to an already lenghty game... Which is nice considering most games now only clock 5-10 hours. The only other game I have played that came anywhere close to this was Ratchet and Clank for the PS3 (which I think was about 15hours?). So, I will welcome the downloadable content with the contents of my wallet and play them once they are made available... The last pro is they left it open for a sequel! I love it! I will buy it right when it comes out. I just hope they somehow implement the same characters including the one you create in this game... I think that would be kind of cool (of course reset him back to lvl 1, but make it seem like you never left off). I grew really attached to my character and all the supporting characters... But I would hate to remake mine considering all the detail that goes into it. He just wouldn't be the same...

Anyways, I think I can end this long post... If anyone actually reads this, let me know what you think of my long ramblings of pointlessness... And if you have played the game your impressions... And if you haven't if my impressions have made any influence on you... Did you buy the game because of me?! Because if you did, that would be awesome... But! That's all... Hope I didn't bore people too much.

-Gerzson

Hooray!!! I'm glad you like it! Depending on how you play the game it could be at least 20-25hrs long... And yes, the control scheme to me did get some taking use to, but once you get it... It actually works really well... Other than the driving of course... Which I still hate.

As for the story and story telling. I have to agree with you on the "feeling like I'm having the conversation", I never really thought of it like that... And as for the story, which I think is really cool... Bioware wanted it to feel like a 70's sci-fi movie... Which I think they actually pulled off.

But anyways, again, I'm glad you like it! You have to let me know when you beat it so we can totally talk about it together. lol

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the driving controls myself.

One thing that bothers me about the game is when I get hit my screen doesn't flash red or anything, I constantly have to look down at my health bar. The only time it flashes red is when I get near to dead hurt, which usually it doesn't get the chance to flash because I'm dead. I need a fashly screen to warn me. gonk

Maybe it's because I die faster? I'm not a soilder I'm a Biotic Vanguard or something - I don't even know. I dunno who is a healer in my group, although there is one person left I have to get.

Hey Gerzson,

I'm new to the guild and i just read your post. Yes the whole thing. I've played mass effect through a couple of times now. I absolutely love the main story line. To be honest i loved almost every thing about the game. I had a big issue with the driving too. There were many times where i just got out of the truck to fight. It was easier. I didn't like the majority of the planet exploring either. I felt i had to go through a lot of out of the way stuff and i never really found anything worth it.

Mass effect is supposed to be a trilogy. I have no idea how they are going to tie all the characters in. But if they don't i'm going to be upset. I was wondering if you got the download content for it. I'm thinking about getting it but i don't know if it will be worth it.

Ya, i pretty much feel the same way about EA. They can make sports games but i don't think they have made anything good beyond that. Its kind of sad. I'm anxious to see where the DLC comes into play with the rest of the story, if at all. I'm pretty sure i'm going to get it. Just don't know when. Soon i hope.

Probably not, the DL content that is available right now is only a side planet that involves a species that is mentioned during the game. As for the plot of the second one... It's pretty much stated at the end of the game.

Well this was the end with my character...
"This is only the begining. Now we have to go after the rest of them!" and then the character walks off awesome-like.