Review Actiontrip reviews Mass Effect

[Calis]

Tags: Mass Effect

And yes, the reviewer manages to use the words "epic", "saga", "relationships" and "immersive" before paragraph #3. Here's a bit on RPG elements as well as choice & consequence:<blockquote>RPG fans won't be disappointed either. There are enough skills, weapons and items to toy around with throughout the game. Each upgrade almost immediately leads to new combat abilities that can be tried out in practice on foes. Things were seasoned with the ability to develop the main character's profile via the good vs. evil (Paragon vs. Renegade) choices, most of which are carried out through the game's extensive dialogue system. Ultimately, no matter how you decide to act during your quests and dialogue, the story will run its course. Still, if you keep pushing towards a certain moral archetype, different dialogue options will be unlocked and events may unfold in a different way depending on how you treat other characters. So, it's more about weaving a distinctive psychological profile each time you play the game, rather than changing the core story.</blockquote>
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While staying firmly on the hype-word train, the reviewer at least recognizes that consequences of choices aren't all that relevant and that side quests are fairly bland and generic. The review also mentions a number of technical issues with the PC version, but praises the interface improvements over the 360 version. <a href="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/masseffect.phtml">Read the rest here</A>.
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On a personal note, I do intend to get this game, no matter how actiony and linear it is. I have a soft spot for space opera sci-fi, and if KOTOR is any indication, I might just get a kick out of this Bioware shooter-RPG-on-rails.
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[Volourn]

ME > KOTOR

 

[MetalCraze]

there is a theory that Mass Effect is KotOR divided by 2.
in everything - from gametime (20 hrs compared to KotOR's 35-40) and only 6 very bland NPCs to choices that won't lead you to the exact same response from NPC no matter which one you will choose

 

[Volourn]

ME is longer than KOTOR.


"only 6 very bland NPCs to choices that won't lead you to the exact same response from NPC no matter which one you will choose"

Flat out lie, KOTOR fanboy.

KOTOR = overrated

 

[Section8]

KOTOR = overrated

 

[Jaime Lannister]

KOTOR is about 25 hours, fanboy.

 

[RK47]

even without playing it, I'd say I'm more excited about ME than KOTOR. It was Biowares first try on Sci Fi RPG, KotOR was really clumsy. Remember the empty rooms filled with treasure chests (Plasteel containers) and long clean corridors....and one click combat with pew pew or fwoosh fwoosh? The story wasn't bad, but never fully explained or resolved. So either you had the change of heart or resume dominating the galaxy...to what end? Nothing, just a familiar star wars tune playing and hyperspace to credits! DA DA DADAD ADADADADA DADA DAAA DADAADDA

Now if only Bioware somehow get the rights to make a W40K RPG..with headbusting action. Oh man. I don't care what DRM it is, I'd buy it.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

On a personal note, I do intend to get this game, no matter how actiony and linear it is. I have a soft spot for space opera sci-fi, and if KOTOR is any indication, I might just get a kick out of this Bioware shooter-RPG-on-rails.

Thanks Calis, for a much need change of tone in the News section. Dark Underlord hatten gotten into a even more broodier mood than ever before.

@Section8

Epic FAILURE!

 

[tunguska]

Not sure what the point is of reviewing a game that you can only rent (but for an outrageous price). Maybe for pirates? I'll wait for a genuine crack to be released and then download it. It's from Bioware. How bad could it be? Gotta be worth a free download. Even as $5 shovelware I don't think I'd want something I can only install 3 times before having to beg. I must admit I'm impressed though. It's been almost a week and still no (full) crack. EA is a mega-corp, but still that is awfully impressive. I wonder how long they can keep it up.

 

[Mareus]

Not sure what the point is of reviewing a game that you can only rent (but for an outrageous price). Maybe for pirates? I'll wait for a genuine crack to be released and then download it. It's from Bioware. How bad could it be? Gotta be worth a free download. Even as $5 shovelware I don't think I'd want something I can only install 3 times before having to beg. I must admit I'm impressed though. It's been almost a week and still no (full) crack. EA is a mega-corp, but still that is awfully impressive. I wonder how long they can keep it up.

What are you talking about? I got my cracked version yesterday. As you probably guess no DRM problems
Way to go Bioware. That DRM is great piece of work, because it may well turn your paying customers into pirates

Anyway, I tried the game a bit and so far I like what I have seen. It looks like Bioware managed to do another great game that lifts itself from mediocracy I have been playing in the last few years. There is one thing that I don't like though, and that is the dialog options which are very unpredictable. I really don't understand why they wrote different things than what you are saying. I hope someone will one day make a mod that will change the written dialog to the one your character is actually saying. If the game keeps up to my standards till the end I will buy the original to add it to my Bioware collection.

I support piracy, but we have to reward the guys at Bioware for good work.

 

[Volourn]

FUCKIN' THEIF! YOU FCUKIN' PIECE OF FUCKIN' SHIT! FUCK YOU! I MIGHT VERY WELL BUY THREE COPIES OF OBLIVION JUST TO FUCKIN' SPITE YOU! BUT I'M NOT FUCKIN' DUMB ENOUGH OR PATHETIC ENOUGH TO SPITE SUCH A PIECE OF THEIF SCUMBAG LIEK YOU WITH MY MONEY! FUCK OFF!

 

[FeelTheRads]

FUCKIN' THEIF! YOU FCUKIN' PIECE OF FUCKIN' SHIT! FUCK YOU! I MIGHT VERY WELL BUY THREE COPIES OF OBLIVION JUST TO FUCKIN' SPITE YOU! BUT I'M NOT FUCKIN' DUMB ENOUGH OR PATHETIC ENOUGH TO SPITE SUCH A PIECE OF THEIF SCUMBAG LIEK YOU WITH MY MONEY! FUCK OFF!

What's this? Another pathetic attempt at Bioware fanboism and showing how awesome you are for buying games?

While claiming to support piracy is stupid in it's own right, you just sound like a retard with your constant "ZOMG, THIEF!!!1"

And this one, especially for you:

Even though I stopped playing pirated games (since I can now afford buying them) and I only use them to try and see if the game is worth my money, Bioware games are not even worthy of trying. PERIOD MOTHERFUCKER!

 

[Mareus]

FUCKIN' THEIF! YOU FCUKIN' PIECE OF FUCKIN' SHIT! FUCK YOU! I MIGHT VERY WELL BUY THREE COPIES OF OBLIVION JUST TO FUCKIN' SPITE YOU! BUT I'M NOT FUCKIN' DUMB ENOUGH OR PATHETIC ENOUGH TO SPITE SUCH A PIECE OF THEIF SCUMBAG LIEK YOU WITH MY MONEY! FUCK OFF!

What's this? Another pathetic attempt at Bioware fanboism and showing how awesome you are for buying games?

While claiming to support piracy is stupid in it's own right, you just sound like a retard with your constant "ZOMG, THIEF!!!1"

And this one, especially for you:

Even though I stopped playing pirated games (since I can now afford buying them) and I only use them to try and see if the game is worth my money, Bioware games are not even worthy of trying. PERIOD MOTHERFUCKER!

I have a feeling this will turn to another piracy thread

Anyway, I will just give a short explanation why I support piracy. I support it because piracy has helped games become more widespread. There is no proof that piracy is negativly affecting sales, and if you ask me I think there is a lot more arguments that prove piracy is actually imrpoving sales. Pirates are doing free advertisment and are actually asking people to buy the game and support it that way. Pirates allow you to try the game before buying it, thus preventing smart people to support shitty games and are encouragingpeople to buy good games, thus encouraging the production of better games... Pirates prove how DRM is stupid and is actually making buying customers turn to pirates as well. Pirates are allowing people to experience old titles that would otherwise vanish from the face of the earth, thus preserving art for next generations (a thing big companies would never do if they cannot earn money from it).

I have more valid reasons for supporting piracy and if anyone thinks otherwise it is their right, but it will take a lot more than "supporting piracy is stupid" to break my perception of what pirates are doing. It's called shareing, something capitalistic pigs fail to comprehend!

PS. You can say what you want for Bioware politics, but they have never let me down when it comes to games. Hell, they are so consistent about the quality of their games I may as well start buying original version without even trying it, if it has Bioware logo on the box.

 

[Volourn]

"Anyway, I will just give a short explanation why I support piracy. I support it because piracy has helped games become more widespread."

You talk about proof yet offer none to support your position. *shrug*

Also, bottom line, piracy = theft. People pirate/steal games out of pure selfishness not the out of the goodness of their heart. What a load of crap to try to claim otherwsise.

You pirate because you wnat something but won't pay for it. Yet, you likely have a job you get paid for and would quit if you stopped getting paid for it, because for you, it's all about you and yourselfish WANTS. That's right. Wants. Scumbag.

Typical, selfish scumbag thief.

 

[Mareus]

"Anyway, I will just give a short explanation why I support piracy. I support it because piracy has helped games become more widespread."

You talk about proof yet offer none to support your position. *shrug*

Also, bottom line, piracy = theft. People pirate/steal games out of pure selfishness not the out of the goodness of their heart. What a load of crap to try to claim otherwsise.

You pirate because you wnat something but won't pay for it. Yet, you likely have a job you get paid for and would quit if you stopped getting paid for it, because for you, it's all about you and yourselfish WANTS. That's right. Wants. Scumbag.

Typical, selfish scumbag thief.

Allowing poor people to play games they could otherwise never play is proof enough for me.

PS. Actually I will probably buy the game if it doesn't turn to shit. And I did say: people buy the game if you liked it, because we have to reward Bioware for good work. I fail to see how this is stealing.

 

[GeneralSamov]

@Volourn: Go back to sleep. This shit has been debated over too many times already. Plus you know you're not making any fucking difference but just stirring shit. So go back to bad.

 

[pkt-zer0]

On the Codex, every thread is a piracy thread.


Also, saying "Mass Effect > KotOR" is like saying "Fallout 3 > Oblivion". Sure, that might be true, but both games are still shit in the end.

 

[Mareus]

On the Codex, every thread is a piracy thread.


Also, saying "Mass Effect > KotOR" is like saying "Fallout 3 > Oblivion". Sure, that might be true, but both games are still shit in the end.

I guess you have played dozens better RPGs than ME and KoTOR? Tell me, please because I sure wanna try them out.

 

[Volourn]

"Allowing poor people to play games they could otherwise never play is proof enough for me."

Games are not a right. You don't need games. If you are poor; you have bigger worries than needing to steal a $50-$100 game. And, yeah, you are so poor you need to steal a game but you somehow have $100 to buy a computer.. or did the poor eprson steal that too? L0L


"PS. Actually I will probably buy the game if it doesn't turn to shit. And I did say: people buy the game if you liked it, because we have to reward Bioware for good work. I fail to see how this is stealing."


It's stealing because you are taking soemthing that doesn't belong to you without permission. Very much the defintion of theft is that, dumbass. And, it shouldn't matter if a game is greta or a game is shit.

If you want to have the right to play a game you should have the obligation to pay for it. Or bum it off your rich friends for a few days (yeah, yeah I know the companies don't care for it; but it's not (yet) illegal and it surely isn't immoral)/

But, actually theft of a copy is immoral. it's also patehtic.

Again, if youa re so poor you feel the need to steal a game; you have mixed up priorities. Steal an apple at least. Put the games down, and find a way to earn your way in the world. Or get on welfare like any legit lazy bum should do. But,s top with thinking you are owed games.

 

[Mareus]

Games are not a right. You don't need games. If you are poor; you have bigger worries than needing to steal a $50-$100 game. And, yeah, you are so poor you need to steal a game but you somehow have $100 to buy a computer.. or did the poor eprson steal that too? L0L

You need a lot better computer than the one that costs 100$ to play ME. Oh, and I am not poor. In fact I bet I am richer than you because I don't spend thousand of dolars on original games.

Yeah, that is right. I played more games then you can possibly imagine and I am rich, so now you can kiss my rich, hairy pirate ass

It's stealing because you are taking soemthing that doesn't belong to you without permission. Very much the defintion of theft is that, dumbass. And, it shouldn't matter if a game is greta or a game is shit.

I didn't take anything asswipe.

If you want to have the right to play a game you should have the obligation to pay for it. Or bum it off your rich friends for a few days (yeah, yeah I know the companies don't care for it; but it's not (yet) illegal and it surely isn't immoral)

I don't see any difference. Except that I won't have any problems with DRM, because I play the pirated version. I think Bioware is actually aware of piracy increasing sales, so they invented DRM to make more pirates out of people

But, actually theft of a copy is immoral. it's also patehtic.

I agree stealing a pirated copy from my friend's drawer would be immoral and pathetic.

Again, if youa re so poor you feel the need to steal a game; you have mixed up priorities. Steal an apple at least. Put the games down, and find a way to earn your way in the world. Or get on welfare like any legit lazy bum should do. But,s top with thinking you are owed games.

Again, I am not poor. And again you can kiss my hairy, rich pirate butt. If you haven't figured it out yet, I support piracy because it's good for gaming.

 

[pkt-zer0]

I guess you have played dozens better RPGs than ME and KoTOR? Tell me, please because I sure wanna try them out.

Torment? Fallout? The usual suspects, I doubt I'd be able to suggest anything particularly surprising.

Or bum it off your rich friends for a few days (yeah, yeah I know the companies don't care for it; but it's not (yet) illegal and it surely isn't immoral)

It's funny, with all your criticizing of pirates, one would think you'd be careful not to seem too hypocritical. Guess not, then.
It's just as illegal, it's just as immoral. You're playing a game, and the developers aren't seeing a cent from it. You're a pirate. Period.
The fact that Mass Effect's limited number of installations tries to prevent exactly this also seems to have eluded you.

 

[Mareus]

I guess you have played dozens better RPGs than ME and KoTOR? Tell me, please because I sure wanna try them out.

Torment? Fallout? The usual suspects, I doubt I'd be able to suggest anything particularly surprising.

Tried those as you could have seen from my signiture. The thing I wanted to prove is, that there is not many games that could be called better than Bioware's games.

I could try describe it like this from what I have played and according to my taste:
Best of the best I have played so far: PST, BG saga, Fallout 1&2, Arcanum (if Drog fixes it), Morrowind, FF7
Very good: Bioware games like Kotor, (I think ME will come here too, but I have to finish it first), Bloodlines,Kotor 2, Deus Ex, NWN2, Motb, The Witcher, Icewind Dale 1&2, Jagged Alliance 2, Arx Fatalis...
Good: Some old RPGs like Bloodomen, NWN1, Rage of Mages, Thunderscape, Might&Magic: Xeen, Wizardry 7, VtM:Redemtion, Lands of Lore, Albion, Chrono Trigger, Ultima series etc.
Averege: Oblivion, Final Fantasy games, Chrono Cross, Speterra Core, Divine Divinity, Ultima 9, Temple of Elemental Evil, Gothic series, Grom etc.
Bad: Diablo, WOW, Titan Quest, Sacred, etc.
Unplayable: Total shit that would choke you from a mile away.

The thing that I want to say is that Bioware games score from good to excellent in my book, while most other companies make one or two games that rock, and the rest is either averege or bad.

 

[Trash]

Piracy really does not help pc gaming. Remember what happened to the amiga?

Anyway, me on the pc does kinda disappoint me. Possibly because I've allready played through it a few times on the xbox. It's flaws just stand out more this time. It's still a very good game, and I'm more than anxious for it's sequell. The replay value isn't that high though and the planet exploration and it's sidequests honestly suck.

 

[The Feral Kid]

Piracy is absolutely justified when a company all it does is reproduce cliches from its previous games, and making them gradually shorter and smaller cause it has become assuming and takes everything for granted.

 

[MetalCraze]

ME is longer than KOTOR.


"only 6 very bland NPCs to choices that won't lead you to the exact same response from NPC no matter which one you will choose"

Flat out lie, KOTOR fanboy.

KOTOR = overrated

KOTOR fanboy? who? me?
read what pkt-zero wrote btw. that's what I think about both games.
as for lies - prove otherwise.
as for play time there is quite a number of people saying it is only 20 hours long. and much less if you're doing only the main quest-line.
so whom should I believe - a bunch of random players at random forums and Codex (iirc Kingston said ME is the shortest Bio game to date) or an extreme bioware fanboy?

KotOR took me 30 hours to complete it with every secondary quest possible btw.


also ffs not this shit about piracy again in a thread where you must criticize and bitch about Mass Effect