Mass Effect Review
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Let's get the negatives out of the way first. Yes, Mass Effect has a few bugs, and I feel the need to save often because I never know when my 360 might give me a Dirty Disc error (even though this might be due to my hardware), and yeah, some of the textures take a few noticeable seconds to load in.
However, outside of those two issues, I absolutely love this game. It's easily my best experience on the 360, and probably on a console since Shadow of the Colossus hit on the PS2. Rarely do I feel the urge to play through a game for a second or third time, but I'll be damned if I haven't already started my second game of Mass Effect. So yeah, I'll go ahead and give it my personal Game of the Year award or whatever you prefer.
There are multitudes of reasons for my love, of course. You have that trademark of excellence in the form of Bioware dialogue and story, and while I had grown used to the top-notch work in titles such as Knights of the Old Republic, I was still blown away at the detail and fine care taken with the world of Mass Effect. Branching dialogue trees aren't a gimmick to spice up boring conversations; instead they act as a portal into the history of Mass Effect and the universe presented in game. Sure, you can opt to get to the point of any conversation you're engaged in, and there are plenty of options to select that will let you do just that. But, more often than not, if you explore that little tab that says "Investigate" off to the left, you'll most likely be enthralled while learning the back story of the Krogan Genophage, or the history of the Protheans, or any other number of tales that pop up during the course of the game.
Also, as with previous Bioware games, there's an underlying morality system in place in the form of the Paragon (Good) and Renegade (Bad) selections. However, not every conversation is as cut and dry as those two labels would appear, and the routes to achieve points in either side (you'll gain points depending on your actions), aren't nearly as clear as you might think. Just about every choice you make in game, whether it be in a side quest or thru the main storyline, has ramifications for your personal morality, and once you start down a particular path, you won't be always be fully committed to it. Also, your teammates will attempt to influence your actions; almost like the cartoon images of little angels and devils perched atop your shoulders, causing you to put some thought into whatever action you take next.
