mass effect

[Marlowe]

wow, this game is seriously awesome!

you could call it a 1st person shooter game, but it's really more of an interactive sci-fi/adventure story that has FPS elements to it. the 'dialogue wheel' thing-y allows you to choose different reactions to people & situations as you go through the story, and apparently that will have an impact upon the direction the story will take you.

i'm only about 15% through it so far, but i'm really enjoying it. the graphics in HD and really cool, and at times you really do feel like you're immersed in the action. as much as i liked bioshock, i'm actually into the story of this one more. and how can you not like a game that has the voice of seth green as the wisecracking navigator named "joker"?

apparently it's meant to be a 3-game story arc, and they're gonna time it out over the expected lifecycle of the 360 console.

[SFG]

I've played it through twice now, rather than doing work, and it really stands up to repeat plays.  Played on a standard television, and it's still beautiful.  My only complaint is that it feels too short.  While there's a hell of a lot to do, there are a limited amount of story missions and you can finish the game really quick if you aren't careful.

and the voice acting is great.  Love randomly hearing Principle snyder from buffy.

[Marlowe]

the only thing i'm really disappointed with is that you basically have to choose between the two chicks you want to get it on with. so, there's no way i can see what it's like to have sex with an alien unless i start anew. and that just aint' worth the time investment, but it still pisses me off! i am disappointed in myself that i went with the conventional choice and had sex with the earthling instead of the alien. what was i thinking?? dammit, i should've channeled my inner captain kirk who was all over the green alien babes.

[dirk]

I'm going to pick this up after the holidays, and I'll be sure and get with the green chick to fulfill my Star Trek fantasies!

[Marlowe]

i'm not sure if this story made its way back to the U.S., so it bears repeating here...

singapore made national headlines when mass effect was released because singpaore banned it. why? because if you choose to make your mass effect hero be a female instead of the default-male, that results in a lesbian encounter between you and the earthling chick or the alien chick. this ban was put into place and then rescinded within 3 days after the ensuing publicity resulted in the censors being ridiculed.

the makers of mass effect could not have asked for a better publicity stunt if they tried... i mean, what red-blooded male wouldn't want to buy this game after hearing you can make it go sapphic??

[Dan]

No kidding. For the first time, I'm quite intrigued. Is this game available on PC? Or for PS2?

[Marlowe]

no, it's an exclusive x360 thing, and they're making it a trilogy over a 5 year span. so the universe continues to have the hate on you, dan. i wonder what you did to piss it off?

[Dan]

I probably started growing up and stopped playing video games as much as I used to. Which is a fair reaction by the universe, I'd say.

[pathogen]

when you play through a 2nd time, do u p/u at the lvl you were @ when you finished the first time through?  i loved ME and was going to give it another go with another character, but wasn't sure how all that worked out.  thx

[c-lando]

when you play through a 2nd time, do u p/u at the lvl you were @ when you finished the first time through?  i loved ME and was going to give it another go with another character, but wasn't sure how all that worked out.  thx

After reading why it was banned in Singapore and then reading pathogen's post, I thought that you could somehow bang your own character the second time around. HA.

[Marlowe]

After reading why it was banned in Singapore and then reading pathogen's post, I thought that you could somehow bang your own character the second time around. HA.

if only! if only!!

[pathogen]

u kids do know that Bono is behind all of this, yeah?

[c-lando]

u kids do know that Bono is behind all of this, yeah?

No. And I can't tell if you're being funny or not. I always prefer to think that you're ALWAYS being funny.

I just bought this for The Greg as a V-day gift. I hope he digs it or you two stinkers are going to get cyber-cock-punched.

[dirk]

I finally picked this up and started playing it over the weekend.  I am now like 3 hours in (just took control of my ship and headed to Noervia (or whatever it is, the one with all the damn snow).  So far I have been REALLY impressed by the story.  The voice acting is great and it is really engaging.  The actually game  play has been disappointing so far though.  I really don't like the combat system that much.  I'm hoping it will get better, but I don't know.  Right now, I would give it a 4 out of 5, witht he actual gameplay being the reaosn it doesn't get a 5.

[Marlowe]

yeah that's a pretty good description... fantastic graphics, great storyline, cool dialogue, but semi-lame and clunky combat. they also either just did release or are about to release downloadable content with more worlds to explore and another mission.

this is laso coming out on PC in may, by the way.