Review IGN says you NEED to play Mass Effect

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Mass Effect

IGN talks about <a href="http://au.pc.ign.com/articles/876/876950p1.html">epic themes, a dynamic and deep combat system and the shortness of the game in their Mass Effect review</a>:
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<blockquote>And if you haven't played Mass Effect, then you need to.
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There are so many reasons why Mass Effect is so appealing. It's got a typical BioWare plot, which means that there's a mystery that's so well thought out and told that everything clicks into place during the big reveal. Yet it's also a game made by sci-fi fans for those who love sci-fi. There are so many elements borrowed and culled from decades of science fiction and movies, and there are countless moments that will remind you of Star Trek or Aliens or Firefly or some early John Carpenter movie (the electronic score is very Carpenter-esque, too). There's even an effective film grain post-processing effect that makes the game feel like a 70s or 80s sci-fi movie, before digital filmmaking and CGI made everything look and feel too clean.
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And maybe it's just me, but it seems that BioWare's games used to be longer than Mass Effect. For instance, Mass Effect's main plot would have constituted but a chapter in Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights. So for better or worse, Mass Effect will most likely have you wanting for more.</blockquote>
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Thanks <b>Kthan75</b>!

 

[Texas Red]

Firefly and Aliens, eh? Truly, these are the pinnacles of sci-fi and should be taken as examples .

 

[kris]

Firefly and Aliens, eh? Truly, these are the pinnacles of sci-fi and should be taken as examples .

Yes. They are both great in their own might.

I don't get what he said about the game not looking "too clean". While I only seen the early stages of the game, it sure looks clean and sleek everywhere. NOt like the above examples of Firefly and Aliens were things looked quite run down and dirty most of the time.

 

[MetalCraze]

please oh please just buy mass effect so we will get more adbukz we beg of you

There's even an effective film grain post-processing effect that makes the game feel like a 70s or 80s sci-fi movie, before digital filmmaking and CGI made everything look and feel too clean.

how next-gen of bioware

 

[J1M]

Firefly and Aliens, eh? Truly, these are the pinnacles of sci-fi and should be taken as examples .

Yes. They are both great in their own might.

What a joke. Aliens is a lame excuse for a horror movie in space, right down there with Solaris in terms of quality. Firefly? It's a fucking western with characters that may have been interesting, but writers that refuse to let the characters act like they should.

Regardless, neither of those examples have anything remotely related to sci-fi other than taking place in space. They do not deal with hypothetical ethical questions or examine the nature of what it is to be human by juxtaposing it with something alien. You need sci-fi to explore these kinds of questions, because otherwise your juxtaposition looks stupid. You end up comparing humanity with some remote jungle tribe or a crazy person... hardly an interesting commentary.

If you honestly think either of those is sci-fi, go watch some Star Trek: TNG, FFS.

 

[Trash]

I don't get what he said about the game not looking "too clean". While I only seen the early stages of the game, it sure looks clean and sleek everywhere. NOt like the above examples of Firefly and Aliens were things looked quite run down and dirty most of the time.

The enviroments have got more in common with Star Trek then let's say Blade Runner. It's a sci-fi style I don't really like. Still, it's not so over the top here that it annoyed me. It's also amazing how much the filter changes the feel of the game.

how next-gen of bioware

Come on, you're reaching here. That moaning and pissing is starting to get old chump.

If you honestly think either of those is sci-fi, go watch some Star Trek: TNG, FFS.

Ah, so spandex is the future then?

 

[Kingston]

Whattefuck, Aliens was an awesome action film with some memorable characters.

"Hudson! This little girl survived longer than that with no weapons and no training. ."

"Why don't you put her in charge? "

Wuv Hudson <3

 

[Gosling]

Firefly and Aliens, eh? Truly, these are the pinnacles of sci-fi and should be taken as examples .

Yes. They are both great in their own might.

What a joke. Aliens is a lame excuse for a horror movie in space, right down there with Solaris in terms of quality. Firefly? It's a fucking western with characters that may have been interesting, but writers that refuse to let the characters act like they should.

Regardless, neither of those examples have anything remotely related to sci-fi other than taking place in space. They do not deal with hypothetical ethical questions or examine the nature of what it is to be human by juxtaposing it with something alien. You need sci-fi to explore these kinds of questions, because otherwise your juxtaposition looks stupid. You end up comparing humanity with some remote jungle tribe or a crazy person... hardly an interesting commentary.

If you honestly think either of those is sci-fi, go watch some Star Trek: TNG, FFS.

A terminology freak? Ever heard of the difference between (hard) SF and sci-fi?

(Both Aliens and Firefly are awesome in their own way)

 

[Trash]

Some people like to put everything into neat little cubicles. Makes life so much more simpler and controllable.

 

[Section8]

Wow. I never thought I'd see the day when someone recognises that everything Bioware does is recycled and/or poorly imitated - and lauds them for it. It seems once again I've shamed myself for overestimating the gaming media.

 

[J1M]

Firefly and Aliens, eh? Truly, these are the pinnacles of sci-fi and should be taken as examples .

Yes. They are both great in their own might.

What a joke. Aliens is a lame excuse for a horror movie in space, right down there with Solaris in terms of quality. Firefly? It's a fucking western with characters that may have been interesting, but writers that refuse to let the characters act like they should.

Regardless, neither of those examples have anything remotely related to sci-fi other than taking place in space. They do not deal with hypothetical ethical questions or examine the nature of what it is to be human by juxtaposing it with something alien. You need sci-fi to explore these kinds of questions, because otherwise your juxtaposition looks stupid. You end up comparing humanity with some remote jungle tribe or a crazy person... hardly an interesting commentary.

If you honestly think either of those is sci-fi, go watch some Star Trek: TNG, FFS.

A terminology freak? Ever heard of the difference between (hard) SF and sci-fi?

(Both Aliens and Firefly are awesome in their own way)

Someone trying to pick at me for terminology and differentiating sci-fi into two smaller groups? Irony.

And no, I have not heard of "hard SF". There is sci-fi and fantasy-in-space. The mainstream media may not know the difference, but this is the codex. Calling something sci-fi because it has lasers is about as dumb as calling a game an RPG because it has stats.

 

[Gosling]

Irony.

What's even more ironic is the fact that you totally fail to notice that the irony was intended. Oh well.

And no, I have not heard of "hard SF". There is sci-fi and fantasy-in-space. The mainstream media may not know the difference, but this is the codex. Calling something sci-fi because it has lasers is about as dumb as calling a game an RPG because it has stats.

So you openly admit that you don't know jackshit about science fiction and then blather about codexian elitism vs. mainstream?

 

[Disconnected]

A terminology freak? Ever heard of the difference between (hard) SF and sci-fi?

You're obviously not. Sci-Fi/SF are both abbreviations for the same damn thing. Ironically it was a hard Sci-Fi writer who came up with the Sci-Fi abbreviation.. Soft & Hard Sci-Fi are different things, though they frequently overlap - and there's a whole fuckload of sub-sub-genres as well. I'm guessing DRMWare's new PC port should be labeled Science Fantasy.

 

[SuicideBunny]

firefly is just as hard as st:tng. both feature considerable amount of "magic" in different places, but at least firefly manages to make it less obvious.

 

[MetalCraze]

Come on, you're reaching here. That moaning and pissing is starting to get old chump.

I'm simply amazed how that professional guy puts it like that film-grain effect is something unbelievably cool.

 

[Kingston]

Stop exaggerating, he merely says the effect makes the game feel like a movie, which it does, kinda. I thought the effect was nice, although only when driving the mako on that frozen planet does it actually work as intended. That game can look damn good when it tries.

 

[OccupatedVoid]

It's got a typical BioWare plot, which means that there's a mystery that's so well thought out and told that everything clicks into place during the big reveal.

I lol'd.

 

[Volourn]

BIO > u

 

[Gosling]

A terminology freak? Ever heard of the difference between (hard) SF and sci-fi?

You're obviously not. Sci-Fi/SF are both abbreviations for the same damn thing. Ironically it was a hard Sci-Fi writer who came up with the Sci-Fi abbreviation.. Soft & Hard Sci-Fi are different things, though they frequently overlap - and there's a whole fuckload of sub-sub-genres as well. I'm guessing DRMWare's new PC port should be labeled Science Fantasy.

It doesn't make sense to go on with this argument, especially in a thread about ME, but just to clarify things: yes, for the mainstream audience and in most cases sf=sci-fi. However, in some contexts sci-fi=skiffy. Yes, Heinlein (or who was it?) probably used the term in a neutral sense, but later in certain circles it aquired a whole another pejorative meaning. Again, much depends on the context, and it's a stupid argument anyway. I really couldn't care less about subgenre classification. But someone with so much aplomb as J1M stating that only hard sf raising serious questions about the nature of humanity and universe etc. can be labeled "scifi" is just plain wrong.
And ME looks like science fantasy, yeah. Though funny thing is when inventing the term they substituted the word "fiction" with "fantasy" but left the "science" part untouched.

Won't be derailing the thread further (tradition or not), sorry.

 

[Disconnected]

But someone with so much aplomb as J1M stating that only hard sf raising serious questions about the nature of humanity and universe etc. can be labeled "scifi" is just plain wrong.

The SF/Sci-Fi difference you're talking about hasn't really existed for a good 30 years now, so it's kind of silly to bring it up. Apart from that, we couldn't agree more. J1M should probably fact check first next time.

And ME looks like science fantasy, yeah. Though funny thing is when inventing the term they substituted the word "fiction" with "fantasy" but left the "science" part untouched.

It's because the genre describes the blending of hard/soft science elements & the supernatural (super powers & shit like that, which I assume are part of Mass Effect. I wouldn't know, because like any PC gamer worth that name, I boycott DRM infested shit).

Won't be derailing the thread further (tradition or not), sorry.

Fortunately I'm not that well behaved. Also, DRM is baaad, M'kay?

 

[J1M]

Irony.

What's even more ironic is the fact that you totally fail to notice that the irony was intended. Oh well.

And super-double-mega ironic that you fail to notice I was being ironic there too.

I am aware of the people who think if you call science fiction "sci-fi" you are a pleb, but really if you want to look smart don't pretend that we are talking about sub-genres here. I didn't mention what sub-genre Aliens or Firefly is part of, because there is generally a ton of cross-over and subjectivity (and stupidity) in such arguments. See above, QED.

You can like Firefly and jerk off to Josh Whedon whenever you want, there is no need to try and justify it by calling the show science fiction.

 

[Gosling]

Also, DRM is baaad, M'kay?

Russian version that I'll play won't have it. But yes, DRM is evil and BIO is greedy.

 

[Volourn]

And, soa re customers. Relationship made in heaven. R00fles!

 

[DefJam101]

First off:

-Science Fiction is a bastardized genre, get used to it. Calling something Science Fiction today is about as meaningless as calling someone a Christian. Hard science fiction, soft science fiction, space opera, cyberpunk, etc. should not be mixed together; even if they are technically in the same MegaGenre. They are entirely different.

-I've never seen Firefly; but I heard it was actually pretty good. By good I mean by TV standards, of course, with non one-dimensional characters and actual plotlines besides save teh univarse. I'll have to take your word for it, though. I've never seen it.

-Alien is a decent film mostly because of it's subject matter, which was very unique for the time. As far as I know (feel free to correct me) parasitic life forms that jump out of people's chest cavities had not been done before up until that point. Not to mention it was one of the first few 'big name' movies to have a strong woman as the main character, rather than a male hero. Other than that, it's pretty standard horror movie stuff. -Oh, and the acting is atrocious occasionally.

And no, I have not heard of "hard SF". There is sci-fi and fantasy-in-space. The mainstream media may not know the difference, but this is the codex. Calling something sci-fi because it has lasers is about as dumb as calling a game an RPG because it has stats.

Just for future reference, hard science fiction is science fiction that not only puts an emphasis on technological/physical aspects of the setting, but the primary focus of the work is maintaining that level of accuracy. Themes from this genre often include man's interaction with technology.


'Soft' science fiction is science fiction that attempts to explain it's setting through science, but does not make this the main focus. You can theoretically have dragons in a science fiction setting, but you would have to make them fit into the story in a logical sense. The defining difference between SciFi and Fantasy is (IMHO) how the setting is explained, rather than defined. Fantasy might say "Oh and we have dragons." where SciFi might say "Those are the Gublarki, reptilian life forms from such and such sector. They breath this gas and eat this and that and they survive by this and blah blah blah..." Space opera is considered to be in this genre.


Space opera is more of a setting and theme categorization than a genre. Space operas in general tend to:

A. Be in space.
B. Involve very large scale themes of good vs. evil

This 'categorization' is very vague, since it says little of the actual content of the story. It could be technofurries fighting against the dragon hordes of Hoth or it could be a massive rebellion of PC gamers against the evil corporate consolers of doom.

Recently this categorization has split to include 'Space opera noir' which can be roughly translated as space opera, except the main plotline does not involve a direct conflict between a clearly defined Good & Evil. Examples of this would be the new BSG TV show and Babylon 5.


The last genre worth mentioning before dissolving into wikipedia rambling is Cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is very hard to describe with words, although it usually has very defined visual and thematic characteristics. Often if it involves hackers and cheap high-tech stuff; it's Cyberpunk. If anyone who knows how to better describe it could step up that would be great.

 

[Thrasher]

I thought cyberpunk always involves futuristic computers and their users, beyond that....