heruamon

User Score
9.5

Presentation - 9.5
Gameplay - 9.5
Value - 10

Mass Effect is at the pinnacle of RPG today.  The character development and dialogue is excellent, and the combat system is very stylized to deliver a FPS sense of fast paced combat, unlike traditional RPGs.  The exploration in the game is central and opened, as you have the ability to stumble on quest, simply thru exploration.  The freedom to pace on the main plot thread makes the game flexible on gameplay, while allowing replay value for multiple character thread.  Overall, the game simply delivers, and provides an excellent starting point to springboard the remaining games of the trilogy. 

While the game is excellent, it does have some point that could stand to be further expanded, such as the vehicle modes and combat, and the expanded features of your starship.  It would be nice to add some space-based combat, since this was an option not previously available.  What would also be nice is rotating positions of your crew members on the ships, to provide a greater sense of realism, even though it might require more searching when you’re looking for a specific character.