Associate
- Joined
- 25 Jul 2005
- Posts
- 711
- Location
- London
Embargo breaks in two minutes i'll update as they arrive
Eurogamer: 8
"Forced to stumble towards a conclusion, I'd say that despite the niggles, Mass Effect is most definitely a great game with an awful lot going for it - but one that doesn't quite deserve unquestioning praise. For what it achieves in delivering a compelling narrative and wonderful atmosphere, BioWare deserves a huge amount of credit, as there are few games that come anywhere near it in this regard. The dialogue system, and the impact it has on individual missions and the game as a whole is exceptional, adding greatly to the potential replay value. Where it doesn't quite hit the mark for me is in the action stakes. Although it underpins the game with all sorts of excellent ideas that ought to make it a deeper, more intelligent and immersive experience, the simple truth is that the minute-to-minute combat simply isn't as intense and involving as you'd expect from a game in 2007. Throw in some grumbles about the somewhat unoptimised state of the frame-rate, texture pop-in and v-syncing terrors, and it's a game that just falls short of our expectations. An eight, then, but a good one..."
1up:
Electronic Gaming Monthly: 9, 9, 9.5
"Far from being a ponderous sci-fi exposition, Mass Effect boasts a dynamic, well-constructed story with a broad emotional range."
Gamespot:
IGN: 9.4
"In a year that has seen the Xbox 360 library finally round itself out with a series of quality Japanese RPGs, BioWare has shown just how far ahead of the curve it is with Mass Effect. The cinematic design is nothing short of masterful. This is a game that takes the aspects of film that make cinema so compelling and crosses it with the interactivity of games with unprecedented success. Linear storytelling feels quaint by comparison.
Mass Effect is game that is greater than the sum of its parts. Technical issues abound, but the majority of Mass Effect is so expertly delivered that it can transcend its weaknesses. Applying number ratings to a game like this doesn't do it justice because there is no way you can ignore its technical flaws. Simply put, Mass Effect is a game that must be played. Then it must be played again. Don't pass this one up. "
Gametrailers: 9.6
"A celestial sea of awesomeness"
The rest:
Game Informer: 9.8
"It's an adventure that is so captivating that you'll be counting the days for the sequel. It takes interactive storytelling to new heights, and brings the player closer to content than ever before. It's easily one of the year's best titles and one of the most impressive games to date."
CVG: 9.0
" But the ultimate yardstick of an RPG is how believable its world is and how fluidly the story flows despite the number-crunching that powers it, and it's this that makes Mass Effect so special. Never before has storytelling been so competently ingrained into a videogame, and never before has a player had so much freedom to dictate the course of a linear storyline. Mass Effect isn't the laser-spewing monolith of a game we expected it to be, but it is far, far, far from a disappointment. Until now, RPGs have thought local; Mass Effect thinks global."
TeamXbox: 9.6
"Despite it's flaws, there's no denying that Mass Effect is one of the best games of the year, and is certainly the best RPG on the Xbox 360. It's also one of the most cinematic games of all-time, something that's definitely helped by a fantastic story, great writing, movie-quality direction, and strong voiceover work. We can only hope that it really is the first part of a trilogy, as we can't wait to see where the story goes next. We've heard people say that Mass Effect could be Star Wars for a new generation. If the first chapter is any indication of what BioWare has planned for the future, the sky's the limit."
Eurogamer: 8
"Forced to stumble towards a conclusion, I'd say that despite the niggles, Mass Effect is most definitely a great game with an awful lot going for it - but one that doesn't quite deserve unquestioning praise. For what it achieves in delivering a compelling narrative and wonderful atmosphere, BioWare deserves a huge amount of credit, as there are few games that come anywhere near it in this regard. The dialogue system, and the impact it has on individual missions and the game as a whole is exceptional, adding greatly to the potential replay value. Where it doesn't quite hit the mark for me is in the action stakes. Although it underpins the game with all sorts of excellent ideas that ought to make it a deeper, more intelligent and immersive experience, the simple truth is that the minute-to-minute combat simply isn't as intense and involving as you'd expect from a game in 2007. Throw in some grumbles about the somewhat unoptimised state of the frame-rate, texture pop-in and v-syncing terrors, and it's a game that just falls short of our expectations. An eight, then, but a good one..."
1up:
Electronic Gaming Monthly: 9, 9, 9.5
"Far from being a ponderous sci-fi exposition, Mass Effect boasts a dynamic, well-constructed story with a broad emotional range."
Gamespot:
IGN: 9.4
"In a year that has seen the Xbox 360 library finally round itself out with a series of quality Japanese RPGs, BioWare has shown just how far ahead of the curve it is with Mass Effect. The cinematic design is nothing short of masterful. This is a game that takes the aspects of film that make cinema so compelling and crosses it with the interactivity of games with unprecedented success. Linear storytelling feels quaint by comparison.
Mass Effect is game that is greater than the sum of its parts. Technical issues abound, but the majority of Mass Effect is so expertly delivered that it can transcend its weaknesses. Applying number ratings to a game like this doesn't do it justice because there is no way you can ignore its technical flaws. Simply put, Mass Effect is a game that must be played. Then it must be played again. Don't pass this one up. "
Gametrailers: 9.6
"A celestial sea of awesomeness"
The rest:
Game Informer: 9.8
"It's an adventure that is so captivating that you'll be counting the days for the sequel. It takes interactive storytelling to new heights, and brings the player closer to content than ever before. It's easily one of the year's best titles and one of the most impressive games to date."
CVG: 9.0
" But the ultimate yardstick of an RPG is how believable its world is and how fluidly the story flows despite the number-crunching that powers it, and it's this that makes Mass Effect so special. Never before has storytelling been so competently ingrained into a videogame, and never before has a player had so much freedom to dictate the course of a linear storyline. Mass Effect isn't the laser-spewing monolith of a game we expected it to be, but it is far, far, far from a disappointment. Until now, RPGs have thought local; Mass Effect thinks global."
TeamXbox: 9.6
"Despite it's flaws, there's no denying that Mass Effect is one of the best games of the year, and is certainly the best RPG on the Xbox 360. It's also one of the most cinematic games of all-time, something that's definitely helped by a fantastic story, great writing, movie-quality direction, and strong voiceover work. We can only hope that it really is the first part of a trilogy, as we can't wait to see where the story goes next. We've heard people say that Mass Effect could be Star Wars for a new generation. If the first chapter is any indication of what BioWare has planned for the future, the sky's the limit."
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