A deep and engaging experience
I have avoided playing the Mass Effect series due to my aversion to sci-fi and I can proudly say that I think that this very game might have cured me from this very inaptitude to appreciate a ghost space-sage.
The game's core claim to fame is its story and great characters and what a valid point it is. Despite a handful of gameplay and GUI issues, I could never stop playing this game for a prolonged period of time because I wanted to see how the story unfolds and first and foremost, what would become of my beloved Shepherd and his crew. The developers made a clever move by making the player directly responsible for a crew, not only in terms of the squad-based gameplay but also when it comes to crucial decisions that affect the storyline and fate of your companions. I never pondered so hard over decisions I made in this game and yes, it even made me cry.
The visuals are good but not great, I feel like the game has not found the confidence in its own visuals as the sequel did. There is some variety in weapons and armour but nowhere near as many as in other Bioware or similar games. The cut-scenes are great and so are all the views from space you can get. All in all, the game's visuals managed to enhance my immersion but never made me stagger in awe due to the beauty of the world.
Now, the grip I have with this game are both the controls and the interface. Considering that a lot of fighting is going on in this game, the combat is not very satisfying and lightyears away (pardon the pun) from the experience you have when playing a polished and good first-person-shooter. Yes, it might not be the focus of the game here, but it takes a high percentage of my game time so it should be rewarding in its own regard and not only as an axis around which the story can evolve. The inventory and squad-character interface is atrocious and sometimes I dreaded to go back to the inventory screen and make sure the team is using the best weapons, armour and modifications. This is a definite no-go in a game where looting from enemies and salvaging chests and containers is an integral part of the game. Imagine a game like Diablo or WOW without the fun of collecting items.
Back to the storyline, all in all, it is a great story with a few plot twists thrown in. Sometimes, the storyline borders on the ethereal and I did not like when the concepts and tropes became so far-fetched and metaphorical that I had trouble relating to it. I did prefer whenever the game was about human interest, questions of loyalty and intrigue. However, the decisions you make through dialogue do have consequences and this is something I love about this game, especially when you consider the fact that some of your decisions will even carry over into the gameplay of Mass Effect 2 and even 3, true consequence is what I want in a game (unlike MMOs for example where the world has to remain static by definition). I did care for the characters because they were tangible as human (or alien) beings in the sense that they had unique colourings of morals and beliefs which I could relate to in one form or another and hence, I did pay attention to all they said and whenever I disagreed with them in principle, I tried to be a good commander and be polite and respectful. As you can see, whenever a game turns me as a player into an integral part of the gameworld instead of just being a finger smashing on buttons, the game is truly immersive.
This game is an amazing experience and it would have been a 10 with a better GUI and combat gameplay.
