Mass Effect
 

I just downloaded the demo walkthrough for Mass Effect off Live, and I've gotta say that the game looks good! I couldn't really get into Jade Empire, probably due to lingering disappointment that Bioware abandoned the Star Wars franchise after 1 game, but this shit is set in SPACE, so I can pretend it's Star Wars.

The graphics are hot as hell, and it really looks like a living world inside the game. They seem to have made the conversations a lot more interesting than ones in KOTOR and Jade Empire were also, with the main character actually saying things and properly reacting.

I've gotta be honest, this game has jumped to the top of my 360 list of games to get (Although Dead Rising is still hot, hot, HOT on my mind. I want that fucking game out NOW.). Anybody else feel that this kicks Gears Of War's ass?

Yeah, I really look forward to this. It's one of the reasons I might actually consider getting an xbox 360 (along with Gears of War).

Graphics, like you said, are shit-hot, but to me the combat looks a little simplistic. I don't think it will end up being much of an action game, although that may not be what it's going for. Regardless, the story, characters, and interactivity are what I'll be looking forward to.

Yeah, the game looks great. I'm looking forward to the conversations, but again: The battles looks... bleh. They can make all that, but can't create a battle system that looks interesting. Hell, I'm playing Gangs of London on my PSP, and if we look away from the Dark matter emitions, the battlesystems are pretty much the same...

But if this game gives me a slice of KotOR goodness on 360, I'm sooo there.

Yeah that video on the marketplace looks very KOTORish, but that doesnt matter. We already know this game is great because it is Bioware, and me oogles over the conversations as well.

This game is exactly what i was expecting from next-gen.
Incredible graphics,design with live worlds and realistic characters.

The only next-gen jump needed, is to make human interactions more HUMAN and organic,apparently this game is achieving it.

However gameplay is not revolutionary.
For me,over all graphics are much better than anything on PS3 and even MGS4.

I'm definitely drooling over this game. This along with a few others are reasons for me to pick up a 360. The idea of realistically done dialog sounds very pleasing. Especially since it shouldn't be stilted, and you can even interupt the other person to rush them either indimidating them or making them angry or some other emotion. Very nice.

This game just screams for a PC release. Hopefully we will see one at some point. I've not yet decided to get an Xbox 360, but when games such as these keep coming out for it, the urge to get one gets mighty big...

The walkthrough had my jaw dropped on the floor, especially with the views of the space station, ships arriving and the animations of the characters were enough to shake my head in disbelief. And the action looks pretty standard but I'm sure we've not yet witnessed 1 % of the whole combat aspect. And those conversations are brilliantly done. Even if the story's half as good as in KOTOR, it'll still be worth playing through.

I'm keeping an eye on it, definitely !!

Ah, yes..one of the reasons I'm getting a 360. I loved Jade Empire, so I'm hoping this will be better. Ohh, the chills.

I love Bioware, so that's why I want it. I mean, besides the fact that the game looks pretty sweet. I'm a huge fan of their style of gameplay.

Have to save up for a 360, though. Among other things...

I don't know anything at all about this game, but if the dialogue is anywhere NEAR as good as it was in Knights of the Old Republic I'd buy a Pac-Man game. I'm waiting until the 360 premium drops to 299, when it does I'll make sure I put this on my list.

*edit* I just got finished watching the E3 trailer at IGN and HOOOLY shit, this game is BOUGHT! I'm going to have to meditate to prevent myself from buying an Xbox 360 before a price drop. This game looks rediculously hot. As was said above the combat doesn't seem groundbreaking or revolutionary. In fact it looks quite tame, but it seems to do a magnificent job of building atmosphere. And again if the dialoge is even 70% of what KOTOR was I'll buy it just for that... AWESOME!

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1325/1169579755.jpg

Okay. Can't believe that's the best that they could come up with.

This game looks well made, but I'm not to big on the whole action+RPG thing they've got going. I hope the focus will be on the roleplaying side, because it's just awful when you have a so called RPG game, but you feel it doesn't give you the chance to really, well... roleplay.

Keeping my eye on it though.

One of the most outstanding things about KOTOR is that it gives you more of a chance to actually role play than pretty much every other console "rpg" ever made. In the overwhelming majority of console rpgs, your characters are shoe-horned into certain roles and there's generally a right and wrong way to do things and certainly a best way to play. I've played through both KOTOR games several times and you can be nice or nasty, develop a force user, a combat specialist or a sneaky fuck and still complete the game. I'm fairly confident that Bioware will play to their strengths in that respect in Mass Effect and make it a proper free choice rpg as opposed to say, Oblivion, which fucks you over if you don't have a basic level of several of the available skills.

Hmm, looks like there hasn't been any activity in here for a good spell. A few more screenshots just popped up for Mass Effect, and I must say, this game is stunning. I already love the premise and the kind of game it's shaping up to be so the aesthetic pop is just icing on this cake.

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1...1173209605.jpg

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1...1173209607.jpg

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1...1173209606.jpg

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1...1173209604.jpg

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1...1173209608.jpg

If it can pull off visuals like that, and still maintain the scale it's promising then I'm gonna be pleasantly surprised.

The game looks amazing as hell, but I think it's going to suffer from the Star Ocean 3 effect. Rogue Galaxy also suffered from it. "Hey guys, you'll get to explore the galaxy" and then they give you like, a couple of planets to play with and the game ends in around 40 hours or so if you skip the extra content.

Still going to buy it, but I'm expecting the above... and bugs. KOTOR and Baldur's Gate come to mind. Heh. If anything though, the dialogue will be incredibly awesome. I have yet to play a Bioware game that didn't have awesome dialogue.

It's not the visuals I'm worried about it's the animation. It'd be a shame if someone as gorgeous as this animates horribly or kind of awkwardish. It's been Bioware's only fault IMO.

It's one of the games I'm most excited about, but like others, I'm also scared that it's going to turn out to be how Parn described it. I really hate when games claim that you have all this area/planet/galaaxy to explore then when you get the game, you're limited to 10 "planets" which are nothing more than a small area of the planet that you can explore and nothing else. No, I'm not expecting to explore the whole of each planet, but I don't want a 2 square mile area being called a planet either. It's misleading and leads to disappointment.

That said though, I'm really looking forward to this game and it looks amazing. I just hope it's more expansive than I think it will be.

Hopefully with graphics like that, the framerate doesn't drop too often.. The gameplay videos I watched looked a bit skippy in some sequences.

I thought Gears of War looked good but this absolutely wipes the floor with it; my God it looks gorgeous.

The new E3 Trailer has really got me hooked and waiting.

YouTube Video

I'd hope so. Bioware's console games tend to come out for PC. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking KOTOR, MDK2, and Jade Empire. KOTOR came to PC six months after XBOX release and Jade Empire took around a year, I believe. MDK2, I can't remember.

Now that I think about, those are the only games that Bioware has made for consoles insofar.

However, I think I might need a new graphics card. Jade Empire had some slowdown and low frame rates. I'm excited though.

Looks like somebody jumped in a bit early with a review 9.75 (Game Informer)

But it is uncomprehensive at best.

http://www.n4g.com/M/8/Images//74000/74437.jpg

Jesus, this review is so full of superlatives I can't take it seriously. I get that the author is enthusiastic, but I'm skeptical that Mass Effect is the destiny of media everywhere. The messiah of the new medium, to guide us all into a new golden age of interactive story telling! And so forth.

I'm planning on getting the game, but I'm pretty sure they promised huge things with Jade Empire too, specifically broader choices, and a more complex morality system. I also believe what we received was KOTOR set in China. I think that's kind of where I've set my expectations for Mass Effect.

Personally, ever hearing the E3 trailer I've been looking forward to the soundtrack. There aren't enough electronic-based soundtracks out today. Everything is going orchestra or big beat, to achieve that "huge" sound.

But as for game, yep, still hyped as hell.
Now that 360s have holiday bundles out that include Forza 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance, I'm seriously thinking about making an Elite my Christmas present, and then just banking the money I end up getting.

Thoughts? Should I wait for better holiday deals, or go for the bundle?

I was able to nab this early from a nearby K-Mart and I've been playing it for the past few days. The game is really good overall, but I need to whine here.

The god damn framerates. What the hell were they thinking releasing the game in this state? Not only does the framerate hit well below 20FPS in a lot of battles making them detracting as hell but the game has massive load stuttering issues in cities, in battle and even in cutscenes where both the framerate and sound will stutter and cut out. It's a complete immersion breaker and it depresses me such a good game wasn't handled better in the technical department by the developers.