Mass Effect

Having survived the terrible experience of Mass Effect 3's horrible ending - which, BTW, has been improved from horrible to underwhelming with the Extended Cut DLC - I decided to play ME1 again just to immerse in the fantastic Mass Effect phenomenon at least once more. Moreover, I want to prove to myself that ME3's ending, as disappointing as it is, cannot mar the eternal beauty of ME1 (and to a lesser effect, also ME2) - And I am happy to report that I was not disappointed.To begin with, it is crucial to establish that ME1 is unique in the series because it is a RPG with shooter element, whereas ME2 and ME3 are shooters with RPG elements. The most important and simple distinction is this: In ME1, regardless of how well your aiming skill is, your weapons' accuracy is, by and large, dependent on the XP you invested in a particular weapon. On the other hand, in ME2 and 3, your aiming skill (along with reaction speed) determines your accuracy. In this regard, to me, ME1 is the best in the series as a RPG; with ME3 being the best as a shooter in spite of its disappointing ending; and ME2 somewhere in between (for the overall games in disregard of the genres, I'd rate ME1 being the best game overall, followed by ME2, then ME3).Also, ME1 leans heavily toward exploration. Granted, this is the least developed aspects of the game, especially in regard to driving around the planets in the M35 Mako infantry assault vehicle or running around the Citadel doing side quests, which can be uneventful for the most part - if not downright boring. On the other hand, running or driving around afford you some spectacular views such as the Earth rise from the moon or the awe-inspiring vista from the Citadel docking bay.In addition to the reasons above, the primary reason that ME1 is special to me is its story elements. As a former fan of the 80s science fiction mini-series like Battlestar Galactica (the one and the only original one, of course) or Buck Roger, I have to say that ME1 captured the atmosphere and the mood of these mini-series perfectly - and even better in many cases. As is, obviously having drawn many experiences from their excellent previous work in the Knight of the Old Republic, the EAbioware writing team, headed by Drew Kapyshyn, did a stellar job in creating their own science fiction universe and its own saga.The music in ME1, composed by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick, may not be perfect - but it is a perfect fit for the game. Surely, it is not as melodramatic as the music in ME3; nor is it as inspiring as ME2's. However, when framed within of the aforementioned science fiction genre, it is simply perfect. As is, I also have the soundtrack of ME1 and highly recommend it to fellow ME fans.Another remarkable achievement for ME1 - at least for me - is that up until ME1, I never really give a damn about voice acting in games. In fact, I strongly dislike the idea of merging video games and movies together - and I still do. However, ME1 is an exception due the outstanding performances by virtually all the actors involved - especially Jennifer Hale, who voiced the female Commander Sheppard.In conclusion, and also in retrospection, in spite of all the little things that ME1 did not get right, in addition to the overreaching but worthless limited activation DRM scheme that wrecked the overall product (a serious offense in my book which results in an unfortunate deduction of 2 stars for the product), the game itself is beautifully executed and its story is a substantial work of well-implemented science fiction. Therefore, whether you are newcomer to the ME series or a veteran - and if you think the DRM scheme is worth the trouble - taking into considering the game's dirt cheap current pricing (also, please see the comment section for more info) - it's worth it to embrace the eternity of Mass Effect 1.

When I was younger, I liked to play RPGs on the nintendo and Super nintendo, such as Legend of Zelda: I, II, & III, Final Fantasy I & III, Chrono Trigger, and others.Take all of that gameplay and quest hunting, put it in a 3rd-person point of view, and give it awesome graphics, and you get Mass Effect. You also experience a unique story unfold every time you play, and that story carries on through 2 games after this one; that is something I never heard of in video games. It's roleplaying at its finest.The graphics are incredible in this game, especially during the cinematic conversation scenes; the engine truly shines in those moments of sheer, visual beauty. Even in the normal, 3rd-person view, and the MAKO scenes, the graphics are splendid. Who suggested the MAKO have chrome rims anyway?The universe is so vast, and it feels imposing when you realise you have to scour it to root out every hint of evil that may lead you to: Saren, his Geth minions, and the Reaper, called Sovereign. The MAKO scenes make the universe seem vast. You can drive 10 minutes real time in one direction and find nothing, and you can drive less time the opposite direction and find vast mineral stores, ripe for the picking. Why they dropped MAKO planetary investigation in Mass Effect 2 is beyond me.The combat in this game is downright horrible. Allies do not go where I point them; instead, they tell me they refuse and stand in the open to get killed. I'm not wasting Medigel on them! Once you think you have the aim on an enemy, you aim a skill and it points to the exact middle of your view, not your target. It is the learning curve in the game and a fresh breath of challenge in a stagnant world of hand-holding.It runs my CPU hotter then any other game I own, and I play a heavily tweaked RAGE; also, Deus Ex (DX10), Deus Ex: Human Revolution, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Mass Efft 1 & 2, and F.E.A.R. w/ Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate Expansion Packs. If you don't know, running hot means sudden, choppy graphics.No shortcomings can trump the incredible space opera that is Mass Effect. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind the last parts and wants the first.

Mass Effect is the most RPG (role-playing game) of all the Mass Effect games in the trilogy, with much broader character customization than the second and third entries. There is an enormous galaxy to explore, including the ability to land on some planets and just drive around and sightsee. There are so many different ways to play this game that you can find new things to explore, new conversations to have, and different enemies to fight depending on your choices during the game itself.At times it can be a little slow, but that's an issue with nearly all RPGs. However, the story that this game sets up is amazing, and the science, while of course being fictional, is still believable and stays pretty consistent throughout the series.As this game is nearly six years old, it should run great on any current computer. Just be sure to save your Save games to import them into the subsequent games. Having a full history of your characters exploits through all three games really gives you a sense that you have made this story.

I decides to finally get a physical copy of the game and the game itself is quite pleasing however... I was expected the case to be like the other two games in an 'official' looking case but instead it just came in an complete orange case with a small ME cover photo. Not a big deal, but I just wasn't expecting that. Also sometimes certain sounds repeat continually until I reload a save, and sometimes it freezes and skips dialog. I don't know if this is just my copy of the game, but since I've already play ME it's not a big deal.The game itself is great and can't wait to get onto ME2, hopefully it won't have the same problems this one did, but at 10$ who can complain?A must-have for any avid gamer.

First of all,I've been gaming since the days of the Spectrum, Amiga 500 etc, etc, so I've seen a few games.Secondly, I've just completed the Mass effect trilogy today, and was blown away with how good these games are.Mass Effect has a great story, and I like how big the game was and of the choices that you could make. The latter was one of my favourite things about the game, and the varying paths that your character, and your team can make during the game. The moral choices and how you interact with your team, and the other NPC's you meet is a great innovation, and will ultimatley effect the play out of the story, and more-so the continuation of the story in Mass effect 2 and 3. This for me was a good thing, and led me to really thinking about what type of "Shepard" I wanted my character to be; i.e. a paragon (making the morally right choices), a grey man in the middle, or a renegade (Bad-ass).The gameplay itself was good. Not too hard or easy, and lots of side quests to do....if you wanted. The only thing that did get frustrating was exploring planets, and all the driving about in the Mako, but it didn't detract me from carrying on through the game. The graphics are good too. I know they are a little old now, but I'm more interested in a good story, instead of top-drawer graphics and no story.No installation issues, crashes or mess ups. Runs smooth.Lastly then, if you want a good game with tough choices that effect the whole trilogy, good NPC development and feeling involved with them, and a truly amazing storyline with plenty of twists, then this game could be for you.Best game in a long time!ASUS P8Z68 V-Pro Gen 3Intel Core i7 @ 3.50GHz (Natural Speed)Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP18.00 GB G-Skill PC3-12800 1600MHz RipjawsX (8-8-8-24)Dual-Channel (Running auto atDDR3 @ 802MHz (11-11-11-28))ASUS PA238 (1920x1080@60Hz)2047MB GeForce GTX 560 Ti (EVGA)125GB M4-CT128M4SSD2 ATA Device (SATA-SSD)977GB SAMSUNG SAMSUNG HD103SJ ATA Device (SATA)246GB OCZ OCZ APEX_SSD ATA Device (SATA-SSD)2930GB Western Digital WDC WD30EZRX-00MMMB0 ATA Device (SATA)

I remember when I was relatively young I had seen posters for this game in stores and always wanted to play the it. Over half a decade since I actually bought the product I can say that I am now a Mass effect fan at heart, I never regret purchasing this item as it is one of my all time favorites, including the franchise itself.The only gripe I have with this specific product is the limit you have to be able to install this product, you are only given 3 available installments. For example if I install it on my laptop, then my friends desktop, then my dads laptop you can no longer install it again without going through a ridiculous escapade with EA. Its better to buy it off steam or origin where you don't have the limitation of the disk restriction. I really don't know what EA is thinking sometimes.

I won't cover the securom but the game1 This game trilogy is a must buy as you can import your progress/saves to the 2nd and 3rd2 You choose what you say through a dialogue wheel up to 4 options on the wheel3 You can choose to create a apperence the way you want4 Great storyline and I can assure you you'll play it again5 IF WHEN CLIKING PLAY IT SAYS MASS EFFECT CONFIGURATION HAS STOPPED WORKING UPDATE TO 1.1 OR 1.2 IT WAS I THINK THAT SORTS IT

Unfortunately it didn't come with a registration key so I couldn't play it 😔

A good storyline but I felt that (especially after playing the other two games in the trilogy) the getting-into-cover aspect of the game was very clunky and it took ages to explore planets as you had to commute all the way there via Mako when you've landed. In conclusion, it was a good game albeit not as good as the second or third.