Mass Effect (Xbox 360), pertains to Star Trek

[ALF]

Yesterday I picked up Mass Effect for the Xbox 360. It is also available for the PC.

I'm posting this in Trek Gaming because I think Trek fans should know just how exciting this title is and in general, it reminds me of what I'd most like to see in a future Trek game.

A well balanced universe of exploration and action.

The game is set in the future with Earth among a "council" of other worlds. The playable character basically is given command of a starship after the first mission. They have a crew of 5 or 6 escorts to choose from (on "away" missions) and you have the freedom to move about your entire ship, The Normandy. It's about the size of the Defiant.

There is a navigation map that you can use to set courses to different solar systems and land on planets, if they are available. I've found about 4 planets so far that I can land on and look around. That kind of exploration and "sandbox" style gameplay is EXACTLY the kind of thing I yearn for as a Trek fan and a gamer.

The game's primary platform is that of a 3rd person shooter meets RPG, but it so reminded me of Trek and how future Trek games (or maybe even the unreleased Online version) should be.

The only element lacking is ship/ship combat. Perhaps in the Mass Effect sequel?

I know it's last year's release, but It's a great game, and I recommend it.

 

[Kadratis]

Another recommendation here.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

No argument from me, Mass effect is a great game and should be enjoyed by everybody.

 

[USS KG5]

Superb story, and some very addictive gameplay.

BUT - the side planets are too similar, the little truck is difficult to handle and annoying, and as others have pointed out some ship to ship combat would be nice.

We will see in the sequel...

 

[LeadHead]

Mass Effect is an awesome game. One of my all time favorites. I would like to see a game of this type for both the Star Trek and Babylon 5 universes.

 

[Lookingglassman]

I got rid of it. It started off fun, but after awhile is started to drag. I got to a point where I couldn't find out what I was supposed to do to advance. I looked at my missions menu, but the mission I was supposed to do was already completed and so I ended up running all around trying to figure out who to talk to or what to do. I kept flying back and forth between the citadel and different planets and going over the same ground again hoping I perhaps missed something that woudl advance the story, but I couldnt find anything. After a couple of days of this I traded it in for Call of Duty 4.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Lookingglassman, I had the opposite feeling. The game started out pretty slow and really only picked up after the first couple of hours, when you were given freedom of movement and the plot started to really unfold, then from

Spoiler: For Mass Effect

Virmire

on, it was an absolute roller coaster.

Anyways, the core gameplay mechanics would make for a pretty awesome Trek RPG, but there would need to be plenty of tweaks to make it more Star Trekky, including more involvement w/ your ship. The Galactic Map and Codex were pure win, and I'd definitley keep em.

 

[CaptainStoner]

This is the game that's pushing me into a mobo / processor / video change.

 

[Lookingglassman]

Herkimer Jitty, I actually started out loving this game. I read all the hype and went and bought it (used) and played it for hours, but then I got to a part where I didnt know what to do. I looked up the strategy guide on line, but it was no help. I kept flying to places I had been and going over the same ground over and over hoping I missed something, but couldnt find anything new. I started running around the Citadel trying to figure out what to do next, but all I got was the same responses from the different people/aliens. Eventually I got sick of it and gave up. It was a fun game before I got "lost" so to speak.

I think a game like this in the Star Trek universe would be great, as long as it aint too confusing.

 

[Jax]

Mass Effect joined my small elite list of games that got a score of 9.0, it was amazing and also the first RPG I have ever liked.

 

[-Brett-]

Meh. It's a good game. It's just overrated.

It seems like a kitbash of other sci-fi properties with very little of it's own.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

The new xbox 360 update will also help cure some of the games minor problems,like the loadingtimes and the delayed texture pop ups.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Meh. It's a good game. It's just overrated.

It seems like a kitbash of other sci-fi properties with very little of it's own.

On the surface, yes, but on the surface, practically every mainstream space-opera setting is derived in some way from Lensmen or Dune or any number of influential scifi novels. The big 2, Star Trek and Star Wars definitley included.

Mass Effect succeeds at originality because

1) The people who made the game apporached the universe from a logical viewpoint. Therefore, most everything makes sense. Some of the uses of Mass Effect fields are quite creative, and the scientific depth puts multiple scifi franchises to shame simeltanously.
2) The plot is entertaining enough, and has enough surprises that I couldn't possibly categorize it as a cut n' paste job.
3) Wrex... just... Wrex.
4) While it doesn't affect the plot of the first game extremely, the choices you make will greatly affect the status quo in the next game. People who have played through to the end probably already know what I mean. The fact that you affect things instead of being an observer with a gun... is something not too common in the gaming world.

Mass Effect isn't something I think of when I hear XBox and overrated in the same sentence. There's another game series produced just to fulfill that purpose.

 

[Deckerd]

While it doesn't affect the plot of the first game extremely, the choices you make will greatly affect the status quo in the next game.

I don't understand what you mean here. In what next game?

 

[CaptJimboJones]

I'm a big fan of this game, and from the moment I began playing it, I thought to myself, this is how they should make the next Star Trek game. Your character could have been a Trek captain, the Normandy could have been a Federation vessel, the Citadel could have been a starbase, etc.

Instead we get crap like Legacy.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

While it doesn't affect the plot of the first game extremely, the choices you make will greatly affect the status quo in the next game.

I don't understand what you mean here. In what next game?

Bioware plans to have it as a trilogy. The recent book Ascension is a setup for Part 2

 

[Rat Boy]

You know, if you had ENT to do over again, Mass Effect would be a good model for it. Humanity is in essentially the same position in both universes, with Shepard being ME's version of Archer.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

You know, if you had ENT to do over again, Mass Effect would be a good model for it. Humanity is in essentially the same position in both universes, with Shepard being ME's version of Archer.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!..

 

[ALF]

You know, if you had ENT to do over again, Mass Effect would be a good model for it. Humanity is in essentially the same position in both universes, with Shepard being ME's version of Archer.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!..

Haha! Well, there's something to that, maybe.

I underestimated the size of the galaxy map. Once more planets are unlocked (and I haven't quite done that yet), I think there's about 26 or so landable sites (planets, other stations).

Can anyone who's finished the main storyline confirm that all the plot worlds are reopened and accessible?

 

[USS KG5]

Can anyone who's finished the main storyline confirm that all the plot worlds are reopened and accessible?

To the best of my knowledge once you have finished the story you cannot "free roam" back in the universe any more - the game is over.

If anyone does know a way to I'd love to know - I completed it at Xmas and have not had a second play through yet.