We always thought BioWare's galaxy-spanning RPG,
Mass Effect, was just a teensy bit too epic to fit into that whirring beige box beneath the TV. Now, the game has been enhanced --
improved inventory, expanded squad control and
less clunky interface,
all check -- and released roughly six months later on a computer that doesn't sound like it's constantly sawing the disc in half. The first batch of reviews seem to approve.
- IGN (92/100): "This is easily one of the best RPGs on the platform in recent years, delivering a terrific new universe, a fun blend of action and role-playing, and a deeply satisfying story. If you have any love of science fiction or space opera, then you owe it to yourself to check it out. There are hours upon hours of joyful discovery here, and an undeniable love for science fiction, as well."
- GameDaily (90/100): "Although the game suffers from a few minor bugs, including a small number of missions that don't show as completed when finished, some computer controlled teammates that have trouble following orders and occasional glitches when switching between movement and hacking mode, the PC version of Mass Effect is superior to the Xbox 360 release. The mouse and keyboard controls are so natural that they improve the game's performance at practically every level."
- Eurogamer (80/100): "It's an incredibly ballsy game, not afraid to take on any of its competitors, in any field. Story-lead games? Shooters? Even genuine, non-game populist sci-fi? Mass Effect has a try at them all, and leaves more wounds in them than they leave in it, before blasting off into a space all of its own."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SoulBlade @ May 29th 2008 9:04PM
Woohoo!
Jeff @ May 29th 2008 9:07PM
Just picked this up today.
Then my house lost power. On a beautiful, pristine, sunny, windless day. Gotta love NYSEG.
Had enough time to get it running and see how pretty it is before exiting.
giantenemycrab @ May 29th 2008 9:07PM
I've been waiting for this.. I skipped it on the 360, even though I had wanted it for a while, because I rather play it on the PC. Glad to see it was worth the wait.
OTAM @ May 29th 2008 9:17PM
Gears of War and now Mass Effect.
ONLY ON XBOX 360! (until 6 months later when it's released on the PC with more content and upgraded features).
Nick the Hero of Canton @ May 29th 2008 9:19PM
Good thing I can't afford a 3 grand computer or I'd feel totally cheated!
tmacairjordan87 @ May 29th 2008 9:25PM
Yeah having bugs that not only does the 360 version has but some that the 360 version doesn't even have is an improvement. The 360 version didn't have bugged quests that don't register as completed when they are.
Gotta love those extremely minor graphics upgrades though! Totally worth the extra $500 minimum for that PC. Although you do get the $5 bonus content for free, but I can live with that.
why not the LS2LS7? @ May 29th 2008 9:26PM
For $10 less too.
DangerMouse @ May 29th 2008 9:34PM
Yeah, because, like, all a PC can do is play games and stuff.
tmacairjordan87 @ May 29th 2008 9:37PM
Oh I didn't know when people are spending all that money on gaming PCs they're doing it because IE or windows costs that much in money and specs.
SoulBlade @ May 29th 2008 9:44PM
tmac - I'll take the PC controls over 360 controls any day... and if I wanted 360 controls, I could just plug in a 360 controller and be done with it.
Don't hate. You got to play it earlier - PC gamers get to play a better version. That's just how it works. Look at Gears - 360 owners were pretty pissed about the extra content in there, but they also got to play it earlier. This doesn't take away from how good the 360 version was.
Vcize @ May 29th 2008 10:01PM
Enjoy playing Gears online with the other 6 Gears PC owners (none of which have mics). With its broken KB/mouse controls. A year later.
Tiptup300 @ May 29th 2008 10:22PM
You people know you can make a beast of a machine running vista nicely with like 800 bucks. This doesn't include speakers/keyboard/mouse/monitor.
mundox @ May 29th 2008 10:44PM
No, they don't know 'cause they are console kiddies ;)
DangerMouse @ May 29th 2008 10:53PM
"Enjoy playing Gears online with the other 6 Gears PC owners (none of which have mics). With its broken KB/mouse controls. A year later."
Ok, except that GoW isn't the highlight of PC gaming.
Vcize @ May 29th 2008 11:05PM
DangerMouse, can you read? Like, not just one post, but follow the whole thread down from the original comment and the replies that lead to the next?
Try it, it might help you keep up with what's going on.
And in case you're wondering (even though it's completely off tangent to the point I was making, but in response to the one you're trying to make) I'm running a Q9450, 4gb ram, and an 8800GT so it's not like I don't have a gaming PC.
SoulBlade @ May 29th 2008 11:21PM
vcize - did you just copy and paste a previous comment about 6 people online? You should do some research before saying stupid shit.
And don't worry... while PC gamers are enjoying Gears w/ what some consider better controls (or they can just use a 360 controller if they want) they also get to fight against Burmak.
But again, 360 got it earlier - so why be so bitter?
Vcize @ May 29th 2008 11:27PM
Yeah the 6 people content was copied and pasted, but from another one of my posts. I wasn't ripping someone else off ;).
The point is the PC Gears community sucks, largely because most people already have it on the PC and because the controls are wonky on the PC, and without a good community it kind of kills a game based around intimate multiplayer.
I bought the PC version for the 30 minutes of extra stuff and as a total package (community and all) it's like it's not even the same game. Playing it for a year and a half on the 360 it's one of my favorite games of all time, if I had only owned it on the PC I'm not sure it would've cracked my top 10. It just doesn't work with a bunch of mutes running around because PC people rarely take the time to get their mics working.
I love my PC, I really do. Go back a few years and you'll find that I was an avid PC gamer that couldn't understand why anyone would ever play a multiplat game on a console. Now that I've used both, I can. PCs can provide an awesome experience with the right type of game (Counterstrike would never have been as popular on consoles), Gears just isn't that type of game.
Vcize @ May 29th 2008 11:28PM
Doh, that should say "largely because most people already have it on the 360 and..."
Vcize @ May 29th 2008 11:30PM
Oh yeah, and my very favorite game ever is Tribes 2 (PC), which was also released on consoles and was complete garbage on the console side.
As I said, some games work on PCs, some work on consoles. Gears is strictly a console game like Tribes 2 and Counterstrike were strictly PC games.
CM @ May 30th 2008 3:53PM
@Vcize
Gears is one of your favorite games of ALL TIME. Damn. That sucks. Play more games.
theturtle363 @ May 29th 2008 9:20PM
PUUUUUUUUUNSS!!!
severian00 @ May 29th 2008 9:53PM
Yeah Ludwig that was awful, you should be ashamed. It wasn't even punny, erm funny.
theturtle363 @ May 29th 2008 10:34PM
The worst part is that this is the second time he used it!
why not the LS2LS7? @ May 29th 2008 9:25PM
This game is maybe a 90 if you don't play ANY of the secondary missions. Or play few enough that you don't notice there are only 3 missions repeated over and over. Only a single mission of those affects the overall play of the game anyway (the one involving Earth's moon).
I enjoyed the game, but shouldn't 90 and up be reserved for groundbreaking games with near-flawless execution?
Oh, and if you want to nail the alien chick, be sure to talk to her every time you are on your ship. On the 360 that means taking two sets of interminable elevators/stairs down to see her, then talking and then going back up. It takes at least 6 minutes each time, which is borderline ridiculous.
If you don't start talking to her until you figure out the game is lining you up to romance someone, then it's too late to get in enough encounters (chats) with her before the game ends unless you go on random jumps around the galaxy to artificially extend it.
Just a little helpful hint there for the pervs/James Tiberius Kirk-types out there.
theturtle363 @ May 29th 2008 9:27PM
6 minutes? That's total BS and you know it
tmacairjordan87 @ May 29th 2008 9:28PM
Yeah and it's kinda funny and sad to know that even if you do that a bunch of times you'll still beat the game in 20 hours give or take. I did literally everything in ME the first time through and did it in about 35 hours.
Magetto @ May 29th 2008 9:41PM
Strange considering you don't use an elevator to get to Liara. Also strange that through my numerous play throughs of Mass Effect that elevator never took more than 15 seconds to get to the bottom. Nice try trolling though.
Mr.ESC @ May 29th 2008 9:52PM
The game is 35 hours long?
In that way maybe I should buy this game, I don't usually buy RPGS lately since they require alot of time. I like games I can finish within a week or two.
Is not that I dislike longer games is just that well when I was 17 I had time for all that stuff nowadays I hardly have time. I just finished GTA IV (21 hours) and even so I thought it took me forever.
Funny but the 30 hour achievement gave me the impression the game was longer.
why not the LS2LS7? @ May 29th 2008 10:33PM
Wow, you're right, I guess I forgot the layout. You only have to take the steps to get to the medical area and not the elevator. So it's a lot less than 6 minutes round trip.
As evidenced by my post above, I didn't make the trip often enough, so I guess it's not so odd I forgot it didn't involve the elevator.
As to the length of the game, if you don't do any of the awful secondary missions, it's well under 20 hours. Not criminally short by any means, but not long either. With the secondary missions it's about 35 hours. I did the secondary missions, and honestly they just wear you out after a while. When you think you might be getting a little bit tired of them, stop doing them immediately, you won't miss a thing.
why not the LS2LS7? @ May 29th 2008 10:35PM
Oh, and if I still had a copy, I'd time that elevator. I'd lay good money it's more than 15 seconds. It's not the longest elevator in the game (that'd be the first one you go to after coming inside from the dock into the Citadel), but it's not 15 seconds short.
Vcize @ May 29th 2008 11:40PM
If the elevators were replaced with a loading screen no one would have said anything about it.
Complaining about the elevators is retarded. Instead of a blank loading screen we get a boring but better than black screen elevator ride with some dialogue between the characters.
But with all the backlash they got for it, I guess now we can enjoy a future of black screens with fake "progress bars" instead of anything interactive while loading is done.
Bravo and enjoy your black screens.
why not the LS2LS7? @ May 30th 2008 4:22AM
Speak for yourself. I would complain even more about loading screens than about the elevators.
Both are ridiculous.
Joeshie @ May 29th 2008 10:16PM
Here's hoping it comes to STEAM.
ApolloIV @ May 29th 2008 10:32PM
Heres me trying to contain my game boner if it does.
mundox @ May 29th 2008 10:47PM
It's on EA's online store *pucks*... so I don't think it'll be on steam, but who knows we can hope.
Xee @ May 29th 2008 10:18PM
Can't decide if 35 hours is long enough.
tmacairjordan87 @ May 29th 2008 10:47PM
That's if you do everything and wander around the citadel and a couple other areas multiple times making sure you really did get everything like I ended up doing :(
Shawn @ May 29th 2008 10:58PM
bitter 360 kiddies in every one of these posts, how pathetic. without pc gaming developers, there would be a lot less of a library on 360. talk about biting the hand that feeds..
Lorelai @ May 29th 2008 11:21PM
Ewwwww Look, it's a Western RPG.
Mass Effect was pretty BAD and BORING. My girlfriend forced me to try out this game.(her copy)
I can't believe people actually like this shit.(lol) BORING! BORING! BORING! BORING! (lol) Look at me, I'm Mass Effect. I'm all SERIOUS and MATURE. TAKE ME SERIOUS NOW!(lol) Ugh, Whatever floats your boat i guess.
Anyway, back to playing Persona 3: FES. Now this is an AWESOME game. Play It!
Stevo @ May 29th 2008 11:32PM
"(lol) BORING! BORING! BORING! BORING! (lol)"
Repetitive Troll is Repetitive
Vcize @ May 29th 2008 11:46PM
How not to get people to play a game you love and want people to try:
Step 1: Act like a douchebag
Step 2: Advertise said game
Lorelai @ May 30th 2008 12:25AM
@Stevo & Vcize
Well excuse me for liking good games. Troll? Please! I'm no troll. I rarely post any comments here. I mostly read the stories and some of the stupid comments that are posted here. (I don't have a profile here/I have a life, BTW)
I didn't like Mass Effect. But, I'm enjoying Persona 3 FES. Just because i said, Go play Persona 3 FES. That automatically makes me troll. Ah! Whatever. Mass Effect was an overhyped piece of shit and you know it.
It's a free country. I can advertise any DAMN game i want to. (lol) At least it's a good game. Also, Mass Effect was BORING! BORING! BORING!.
bye guys
Vcize @ May 30th 2008 12:38AM
First of all, there's a reply button for a reason.
Secondly, no one called you a troll because you said you liked Persona, or even because you didn't like Mass Effect.
It's because you said, and I quote:
"I can't believe people actually like this shit.(lol) BORING! BORING! BORING! BORING! (lol) Look at me, I'm Mass Effect. I'm all SERIOUS and MATURE. TAKE ME SERIOUS NOW!(lol)"
After presenting your view like that, no one is going to take any of your opinions seriously, and people are probably less likely to try a game you're pushing than they were if you had never mentioned it at all..
Same with comments like:
"(I don't have a profile here/I have a life, BTW)"
Stevo @ May 30th 2008 5:03AM
Agreed with Vcize, Troll straight up for comments like that. If your going to comment, comment constuctively. Like "Mass Effect is boring because *Insert reason here*" Not "(lol) BORING! BORING! BORING! BORING! (lol)". If you want to be taken seriously, or for anyone consider your opinion as valid, try to change the way you present your comments.
wellspring @ May 30th 2008 12:11PM
**Nervously steps up to the mic**
OK, so this if my first post here at the Stiq. Been reading for a while but never posted. Anyway here's my question:
People keep alluding to the fact that Mass Effect requires you to pump some money into your rig if you expect your PC (laptop in my case) to handle it properly. I'll like to give this game a shot but I don't know how well my laptop will handle it. Here's what I'm running:
Windows Vista
2.2 Intel Core2 Duo
2GB RAM
GeForce 8600M GS
Those specs roughly fall within the 'recommended specs' offered by Bioware but we all know how that can go. Will my hardware realistically be enough to enjoy this game?
Mr.ESC @ May 30th 2008 1:01PM
Well first of all welcome to joystiq. I have been here for a while so I think I can help you by teaching you one of the first’s rules of the internet.
LURK MOAR.
GOOGLE is that way -----------)-
Second rule.
Never ask for help in the internet ever. Google it but just don’t ask.
deadpool @ May 30th 2008 4:51PM
I wonder if the reviewer discs were mailed out with that wonderful feature, SecuROM? I find it highly interesting that none of the reviewers listed mention that little tidbit about Mass Effect PC.