IGN's Top 25 Xbox 360 Games
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Mass Effect on Xbox 360 is not a perfect game. It has technical problems. It has a repetitive and shallow side-quest system. Its combat system at times feels awkward and underdeveloped. Then there are the issues with the interface and plenty of other rough edges. Yet despite all that, when I sat down to play Mass Effect, I didn't do anything else until I'd explored the entire world and seen the end credits roll. BioWare crafted such an engrossing game here that I was motivated to interact with every non-player character I came across with the kind of determination I hadn't felt since Planescape: Torment. The credit for the sense of immersion I felt while playing goes to the writing, to the high caliber voice acting, and the overall world design that combines a convincing artistic style with a broad fictional backdrop and the best soundtrack in recent memory. It was an experience where I didn't obsess about statistics or my morality gauge or any of the traditional RPG systems meant to distract attention from the core experience. Instead, I just concentrated on role-playing. Considering how many other products of this type try to compensate for their lack of character with overly complex crafting mechanics and non-combat diversions, I found this streamlined, story-focused approach refreshing, and without a doubt one of the most memorable experiences that can be had on an Xbox 360.
