Catlana

User Score
9.5

Presentation - 8.5
Gameplay - 10
Value - 9.0

Bioware shows its mastery of story based rpgs in their offering of Mass effect. Mass effect succeds on several different levels. The first area that Mass effect does a very good job is providing historical detail of the setting. This attention to creating a history for the game provides valid conflicts and interests for the differing companion characters in the game. Each of the companions for the main character have interests that must be managed that make sense because of the backround info provided.

The gameplay of Mass effect is relatively straight forward. The player controls the lead character while the AI handles the other characters in the party of three. The player can customize the main character in a variety of ways making the main character unique to their playstyle. A wide variety of different playstyles are effective for the game. Still, the player that creates a character with complimentary abilities is rewarded by a increased level of effectiveness.