First off, let me just say that RPG's (of any sort) aren't my choice of game. I prefer the action type that let you slowly evolve from the button-masher to the hardcore gamer. You know, the kind that can dish out a no-scope/head-shot from across the stage while wiping the Cheeto cheese from their mouth? Mass Effect isn't exactly hardcore in either aspect of the games raw gameplay or typical RPG inventory usage. Instead, Mass Effect is built on dialogue, story, imaginitive characters and the games most impressive feature of all, it's enviornments, which might I add, are some of the best I've seen in any game for any system. You'll notice a ton of influence from Star Wars but the guys at BioWare found a way to take a little/lot and make the most out of it. Intrguing is an understatement to describe Mass Effect. Once you start the game you'll become engulfed in the scenery and the society of various extraterrestrial characters. It truly is a game that lets you escape into a whole new world. Mass Effect has opened my eyes to RPG's and for that, I am thankful.

Don't get me wrong, I liked Mass Effect. I liked it so much that I played it more than twice. At the same time though, it did not live up to all the hype it received. I was so disappointed by the exploration aspect that I felt like suing BioWare for lying to consumers. The game is nothing like they would have you believe. Compared to KOTOR this game is not good at all. It's rpg/fps mish mash that for me did not work. I liked it for what it was but I was expecting way more. The dialogue is good but if I wanted to have a good dialogue I'd rather talk to a real person. The game has very little depth, you feel like you're just running around doing things as an errand boy for the Citadel Council. The side missions have almost no effect on the universe. And exploration means going around in your mako to different plants and shooting down outposts and discovering useless minerals. You can't even land in all the planets they have on the map! Anyway, I won't play the sequel, but it's a good game that did not live up to my expecatations.

So I attempted to play Mass Effect, and got bored very quickly. It seems to be like any other TPS and didn't offer much to me. The graphics are great and as well is the story. But, I couldn't find myself to grab attention to the game. I got bored very quickly. The controls and customizable characters were great features. I wish I could like this game but I just can't. Call me crazy, but I just don't like this game.

I'm not going to say that this game is bad, it just doesn't know what it wants to be. The story is dood but the way it is told is better. Dialogue trees are pretty cool, but you rarely see your ever see your choice in dialogue affecting the
world(s). The leveling is fair. You barely notice a difference when you level a stat unless you level dialogue or hacking, etc. Exploration is also not fun at all. In this way the rpg elements are not a full blown Oblivion, but hold their own. The combat has some fun gameplay. The controls are floaty. It is fairly fun to go into combat but you get 4 weapons the whole game. Yes you get upgraded versions of them, but the way you play with them stays the same. In this way the shooting is not a full blown Halo or Gears. Overall, the game is good, but critics seem to have more of a taste for it than regular gamers.

This may be my favorite next gen game I've ever played. Where to begin....

Graphics: Character models are exceptional, looking very real. Their is a cool film like grain over the visuals that make it feel as if you are watching an epic Sci Fi movie. The environments are nicely detailed and very diverse. The character models are seriously amazing, though.

Sound: Quality voice acting. I love how conversations branch, and every outcome leads to a very well voice acted line. The music is cool too. You can almost feel the ship take off when you hear it's engine roar.

Story: The Story is the amazing tale of the human race trying to earn it's place in the galaxy all while an evil alien named Saren is trying to bring an ancient race of destruction back to unleash chaos on all that is organic. It is compelling and gripping to the end.

Gameplay: I was suprised how fun the 3rd person shooter/RPG action was. It's like playing Gears, but with magic and RPG like skills. It's a blast all the way through and it it's cool how different ammo effects different enemy types.

Overall: Don't miss this game! If you own a 360, you owe it to yourself to buy this game!