Mass Effect Impressions

Mass Effect was released last week and I'm about ten hours into the game at the present. Overall I'm really enjoying the game but it's a love-hate relationship. There are so many things that feel so right about the game, but on the other hand there are a few annoying glitches that get on my nerves.

The feeling of playing in a Sci-Fi space opera is spot on. So far the bits of the galaxy I've explored are very well detailed and the amount of work that Bioware have invested in the history, the alien species, culture and technology is notable. New information when discovered appears in the "codex" (an in-game encyclopedia) and although not all of it is essential reading it provides the "icing on the cake" (which is not a lie!) of a well rounded game universe.

The game looks great, even fantastic most of the time but unfortunately it's let down by frequent texture "pop-in" which you can't help but notice, and the occasional bout of frame rate stutter.

As you've no direct control over individual team members and can only issue team orders like "follow", "move to location", or "take cover" the AI of your team members is very important. Sometimes I’ve felt it has been lacking in this department, resulting in team members standing still in the open and taking fire rather than finding cover. I've even had times where they've got stuck behind objects until you notice he/she/it has been left behind and return to point them in the right direction.

For me "Mass Effect", at present, is a flawed gem. I'm happy to continue exploring the known universe but you can't help but feel like the game has been released a little too early just to ensure it's available for the Christmas market.