Mass Effect

[SchizoidFreud]

 

MASS EFFECT

 

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: BioWare Corp.®

System: Xbox 360

ESRB Rating: "M" for Mature

Availability: November 2007

 

Official Website: Official Mass Effect Website

 

From the Official Website:

 

The galaxy is trapped in an endless cycle of extinction. Every 50,000 years, an ancient machine race invades the galaxy. With ruthless efficiency, the machines wipe out all advanced organic civilization. They leave behind only the scattered ruins of technology, destroying all evidence of their own existence.

 

Few believe this ancient legend. You, however, know it to be true. The fight to stop this extinction event has become the most important mission in the galaxy.

 

"You must act without remorse, without hesitation, and outside the limits of the law."

 

It is your mission. As Commander Shepard of the SS Normandy, you will take your elite recon squad across a galaxy in turmoil, in a desperate race to stop the return of an enemy without mercy. To stop this enemy, you must act without remorse, without hesitation, and outside the limits of the law. Your only imperative is to preserve the safety of civilized life in the galaxy - at any cost. You must become the tip of the spear of humanity, for you alone know the full extent of what is at stake if you should fail.

 

Science-fiction Role-playing: Perfected

Mass Effect allows you to create your own customizable version of Commander Shepard (or jump in and use the pre-created character) and plunge yourself into the center of an epic science-fiction story. Choose your squad-mates, your weapons, skills and abilities, and customize your vehicles, armor and appearance - you are in complete control over your experience.

 

In the course of your mission to stop the machine invasion, you may choose to follow the path of the soldier, the tech-specialist, or the biotics-specialist…each of which brings an arsenal of unique yet equally powerful abilities to use against the enemy. Wield a multitude of weapon types with precision accuracy…utilize your technical skill to turn enemy war machines against their creators…or unleash the full power of Dark Energy against your foe with devastating effects.

 

As you progress throughout the game you will improve your character's skills, abilities, and equipment (including weapons, armor, biotic implants and more) to ensure that you have the means to face the growing threat before you.

 

The role you choose to play in Mass Effect will have tremendous consequences on the galaxy around you. You will face moral dilemmas in which the decision you ultimately make will significantly alter the fate of civilized life in the galaxy.

 

The Vastness of Space Beckons

Your mission will take you into the deepest reaches of known space - and beyond. Aboard your ship, the Normandy, you will choose which planets to investigate, and where to take your team. In addition to the major worlds of the main story arc, you will have the freedom to visit a wide array of uncharted planets and other locations such as asteroids and abandoned space freighters adrift in space. On many worlds, take your team planet side in the MAKO in order to explore and find alien life, ancient artifacts and ruins, rogue trader colonies and a host of other amazing discoveries.

 

Lose Yourself in a Living Galaxy

Mass Effect combines astonishing photo-realistic graphics with innovative new dialog systems to create a cast of living characters to interact with. Engage these characters in real-time conversations that allow you to immerse yourself in dramatically charged situations.

 

Characters communicate with full voice-acting and amazing animation that displays their emotions right down to subtle nuances in their facial expressions. Every wrinkled brow and slight twist of the mouth is captured to infuse every interaction with a feeling of realism.

 

Lead Your Squad in Intense, Real-Time Combat

The struggle to stop the return of the machines will ultimately be a violent one. You will assume responsibility for the lives of your squad as you lead them into often uncharted, hostile alien environments. Each decision you make could mean the difference between victory and disaster. Although combat will take place in real-time, you will have the ability to pause combat and issue commands to your squad which they will then execute with the precision of a highly trained elite force. Upgrading certain skills and abilities as you level up your character will also allow you to increase your ballistic skill - this can ultimately lead to easier aiming, more damaging use of weapons, and biotic effects with the power to turn the tide of battle in your favor.

 

SCREENSHOTS:

 

 

BOX ART:

 

Standard Edition

 

 

Limited Collector's Edition

 

 

MASS EFFECT: REVELATION NOVEL COVER:

 

 

 

P.S. Thanks Umang for getting the post up. But I just had to do it right, especially since I am eagerly anticipating this game. -- MT

[MarketTantrik]

Nice Update Oceans. Looks like we both should be added to the Mass Effect fanboy list. At least I know for a fact that my rhetoric on this game is going to amplify exponentially as the release draws near. So heads up everyone. !!

[MarketTantrik]

Ganevideos has posted a new video demonstrating Mass Effect's character customization process. Rad, I say !!

 

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2007/08/11/vi...-customization/

 

Just a side note, the interface and color scheme remind of the LCARS interface from the Star Trek series.

[MarketTantrik]

Gamespot's Impressions of Mass Effect from GC 2007

 

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This open-ended sci-fi game is looking better than ever, and we saw some strategic new combat options in the latest version

 

LEIPZIG, Germany--BioWare is here at the Games Convention with the latest build of their space role-playing epic Mass Effect, and we had to see what's new with one of this year's most promising Xbox 360 games. The demo focused on the game's open-ended combat, which allows you to approach battle scenarios in a huge number of ways. First, we got a quick glimpse of the character-specific talent trees, where you spend the talent points you earn while leveling up. Talents exist that grant passive stat bonuses and even new conversational options, but we mainly saw talents pertaining to specific weapon and psionic powers. For every few points you spend, you'll gain a new ability related to the weapon you're powering up. We also got to see some of those abilities in practice when a BioWare rep loaded up a save game to enter a specific combat situation.

 

The demo began with Captain Sheppard and his crew heading to a lush colony world called Virmire, in pursuit of the source of a transmission containing information about the whereabouts of Saren, the game's antagonist and a former elite operative bent on the destruction of human life throughout the galaxy. Upon landing on Virmire, Sheppard and two allies used their six-wheeled planetary off-road vehicle, the mako, to plow through the shallow waters just off the shoreline as they moved toward a beachside complex where the signal had apparently originated.

 

Things heated up after Sheppard and crew exited the mako and made their way up the stairs to a courtyard in front of the complex's outer wall. They encountered light resistance from a group of Geth, the sentient machine race with whom Saren has allied himself. It was here the BioWare rep showed us how free and extensible Mass Effect's combat options will be. On its surface, the game can be played simply like a third-person shooter. You can take aim with your weapon and simply pull the trigger to fire it, just like in any shooter, and you can also perform simple evasive tactics like backing up against a wall, Gears of War-style. In fact, some character classes are more focused on brute-force combat than special powers. For example, if you play a soldier class, you might specialize in passive talents like the ability to wear heavier armor. In that case, you'd have fewer talent-based abilities to use against enemies, so by necessity you'd have to rely more on your shooting skills.

 

But if you do develop a wide variety of combat abilities for Sheppard and his comrades, Mass Effect will provide an easy and accessible interface for using them in concert to strategically take on even the toughest foes. BioWare showed us the game's talent wheel for the first time, which is simply a radial pop-up menu that shows all of your three characters' abilities in three sections. More importantly, bringing up the talent wheel pauses the game, which means you can issue simultaneous commands to all three characters.

 

After the rep dispatched the Geth underlings with traditional shooter controls, we saw the talent wheel's effectiveness when Sheppard and crew came upon a Geth Prime at the end of the corridor. These baddies are especially tough and brutal, and can essentially kill one of your crew in a single hit. Apparently, you'll usually only come up against them when you're in the mako and have its armor plating and heavier weaponry at your disposal--but in this case, Sheppard and friends had to get it done on foot. The rep pulled up the talent wheel, picked three appropriate actions for the situation (including a psychic push ability for Sheppard), and then unpaused the action, allowing all three combatants to attack simultaneously. From the sound of it, this will make the game's hardest encounters much, much more manageable than if you attempt to simply go in blindly, without a firm strategy.

 

After the combat ended, we witnessed some dramatic story points that we can't tell you about just yet. But we did get to see Mass Effect's innovative interactive dialogue system put to its fullest use when Sheppard and one of his crew members got into a heated discussion over a particularly crucial topic. As we've reported frequently, the game gives you a number of dialogue--and in some cases, action--options as you progress through a conversation. In this case, we saw that this particular version of Sheppard had spent talent points in the charm and intimidation categories, giving him two extra response options (in red and blue) that he wouldn't have had otherwise. Apparently, you won't even be able to complete some of the optional side missions without sufficient levels in these categories. At any rate, the confrontation came to a head, and Sheppard had to make a decision between all six options, some of them quite extreme. (Again, unfortunately, BioWare wants certain plot points to remain secret for now.) This situation certainly exemplified the freedom you'll have to handle even the most tense, pivotal situations in multiple and diverse ways.

 

Mass Effect is looking great at this point, with both combat and dialogue sequences exhibiting a lot of polish and flowing smoothly. We're looking forward to seeing more of it before its release toward the end of the year, and we'll be sure to tell you about it when we do.

 

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AAAHRGH !! The wait for this game makes me wanna buy a Wii and hurl it through my window.

[Hahaman]

i buy every microsoft exclusive game n will always do so

[Ne0]

for me, its a choice between this and COD4, depending on which gets better reviews ! My instincts tell me, i gonna buy this as COD4 wonts be released on time here !

[MarketTantrik]

for me, its a choice between this and COD4, depending on which gets better reviews ! My instincts tell me, i gonna buy this as COD4 wonts be released on time here !

 

Dont choose. Buy both. Its gonna be worth it.

[Ne0]

^^ Vitamin M deficiency !

[KnackChap]

Great news pal release date 3 days later than the original us release date.

[sanjoy]

what does the pal rel date have to do with anything.. its an MS game we ill get it in line with the US date.. if we went by the pal rel date we would have got Forza 3 weeks later

[arjun]

Today, Microsoft Game Studios and BioWare Corp. announced that the highly anticipated action role-playing game (RPG) Mass Effect™ will ship to retailers throughout North America on November 20, 2007. The recipient of more than 50 awards, including the 2007 Game Critics Awards for "Best Console Game" and "Best RPG" at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last month in Los Angeles, Mass Effect is poised to become the must-play RPG of 2007.

 

From the creators of the critically-acclaimed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic™ and Jade Empire™, comes an epic space saga for Xbox 360™ that spans the entire galaxy. Combining RPG and tactical action elements, Mass Effect offers an engaging mix of gameplay set against a deep, multi-directional story.

 

Next-Gen Gaming Odyssey

 

"With Mass Effect, BioWare is delivering an incredible next-gen gaming odyssey. Our fans will journey through a vast, futuristic universe as they are challenged to make impactful decisions that will determine the very fate of the galaxy," said Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer, BioWare Corp. Added Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare Corp., "The best games bring players into an immersive, realistic world that is fun to explore from beginning to end. We've achieved that in Mass Effect by putting the player at the center of a compelling, cinematic storyline full of realistic characters and hundreds of exciting locations."

 

 

Bob McKenzie, Senior Vice President of Merchandising at GameStop Corporation commented that, "Only a handful of video games redefine their genres, and judging from the excitement and demand we've seen from fans, Mass Effect for Xbox 360 is one that can bring role-playing games to a broader audience through its beautifully realistic graphics and cinematic, emotionally charged gameplay experience."

 

Mass Effect will have an estimated retail price of $59.99 and is rated "M" for "Mature" by the ESRB. For more information, visit www.masseffect.com.

 

LINK

[MarketTantrik]

Final Box Art

 

[sanjoy]

this has been out for the past 6 moths

[MarketTantrik]

But it didnt have the ESRB certification earlier. This is the final one.

[sanjoy]

the box art confirmation has nothing to do with the ESRB rating.. Bioware confirmed this was the box art months ago

[MarketTantrik]

Gamespot previews a near final build of Mass Effect

 

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/massef...e;picks;title;7

 

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Highlights of the Preview:

 

Boasting stunning visuals; a rich, complicated story that's big on user choices; gameplay that draws on and evolves the best elements from BioWare's previous games; as well as a nod to Dreamcast gem Skies of Arcadia, Mass Effect is shaping up to be the most ambitious game from the veteran developer. After playing through a chunk of the game's opening, we'd also say it's shaping up to be one of the best games out of the studio.

 

Mass Effect's story is an ambitious and interesting blend of the rich, scripted storytelling we've come to expect from BioWare with a very cool streak of personalization.

 

The big hook to the action is the options you have once in battle. Hitting the right bumper lets you pause the action and strategically coordinate your squad's attacks, whether they are physical or biotic. Once you target your enemies and assign your attacks using the game's easy-to-grasp combat wheel, you release the bumper then watch it all play out. Though the pause feature can be used repeatedly, you can also choose to battle in real-time fashion, third-person-shooter style, if you're not big on planning. It's not the most efficient road to success, but it's possible to play through what appears to be a good chunk of encounters. We came to appreciate both ways to fight because some enemies could be easily dealt with via some old-fashioned shooting, while others required coordinated attacks mixing firearms and biotic powers.

 

 

 

 

 

The visuals in the game are a dazzling showcase of technology and art direction that raise the bar for Xbox 360 games in much the same way that Gears of War and BioShock have done. The NPCs and environments are gorgeous. They're also detailed, which help sell the rich universe that BioWare has created for you. The level of detail and variety is impressive. It is also enhanced by the animation and lighting, which is topnotch. You'll have ample opportunity to savor the visuals during the many cutscenes that take place as the story advances.

 

 

Audio is plentiful in the game with ambient effects, tons of spoken dialogue, and a very cool soundtrack framing the action. The effects helps set the tone in the environments you move in and range from the subtle chatter of local wildlife when you're planet-side to the cacophony of sound on a ship. Spoken dialogue is plentiful in the story-driven game and effectively gives the characters you encounter personality.

 

 

Based on what we played, Mass Effect certainly looks like it's delivering on the lofty promises of all the demos we've seen. The story is involving and your personal involvement really adds to its draw. The gameplay feels like a good mix of old and new that plays to BioWare's strengths, pushing the veteran developer into some new territory. The visuals and presentation are stunning. The 360 pumps out gorgeous characters and environments that are technically impressive, as well as stylish. The only thing we're hoping to see is a bit of polish to the few odd rough performance edges we saw in our demo. It's saying a lot that, in the wake of such powerful games Gears of War, BioShock, and Halo 3, our enthusiasm for Mass Effect hasn't diminished a bit. In fact, after our time with the game, we're actually more excited than ever. BioWare really looks like it's going to deliver in a big way. Mass Effect is set to ship this November for the Xbox 360

 

 

 

 

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I still cant get over how incredible this game looks.

[vinitwins]

wow!

 

but somehow i always end up losing interest 20-25% through any RPG game - most of them require a hefty investment of time and energy that only hardcore fans can dedicate.

 

i'm waiting for a rpg that gives me the satisfaction of completing the main quests (so that i can enjoy the major plotline) in under 10hrs (i know this would almost push the game into the adventure genre), but also offers a addtional 20-30hrs of gameplay via side-quests, secrets, and extensive character customisation.

 

 

V

[MightySkate]

Thanks MT. Those pics look spot on

I'm sooooo gonna get this game...Epic is on a sweeping role this year with their engine doing so well

 

I'm glad they included fps in this game, one of the few to have to done that..

i just can't stand rpg's..

[vinitwins]

have played kotor 1 and 2 (and almost every pc-rpg released to date; not a big final fantasy fan) - but as i said, gave up after completing ~40% of both games.

 

 

V

[vinitwins]

 

 

V