Mass Effect Review
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The environments you'll explore during the quests are wonderful to behold and the characters you'll meet are interesting enough to warrant some time aside (unless you're being the Renegade, in which case screw them all!). Side-quests are mostly unrelated to the main plotline and are unlocked by talking to certain people or by exploring the many planetary systems on the Galaxy Map onboard your spaceship. This map reveals the scale of the Mass Effect universe, as you'll travel from cluster to cluster, system to system, and planet to planet in your search for answers and loot. The quests are at best a rewarding diversion that will net Shepard new equipment and/or Paragon or Renegade points as well as cash to buy.new equipment. These quests are also a great chance to level up before tackling a plot-based mission, and can act as a warm up, though some side-quests are more difficult than the actual missions themselves. Usually, quests involve exploring an uncharted world for a certain location. Planetary exploration is handled via a crew exploration vehicle called the Mako, which resembles like a six-wheeled tank. Though effective in combat due to its cannon and machine guns, the Mako controls are atrocious since its handled only by the left analog stick with the right stick aiming the cannons. After a few missions you'll adapt to the controls, but maneuvering the vehicle can still be vexing. Regardless, there's a nice sense of weight to the Mako that makes driving it around harsh, empty, alien landscapes quite fun, especially when using its jump-jets to send it flying through the air.
After years of anticipation, Mass Effect has lived up to the hype, standing firmly by the strength of its story and characters as well as its numerously well-executed game systems. The main draw it definitely its morality system, which rewards players for experimenting with their choice of actions with generally different experiences each playthrough. Though the game has its blemishes, the positives vastly outweigh the negatives.
