Mass Effect review - GOTY? Almost.

I've been meditating on my time with Mass Effect which I finished a few days ago, and now I'm ready to share my opinions on this would-be 'Sci-fi Epic' of a video game. Bioware has made some great games in the past including the Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) series, which Mass Effect has been compared to ever since it was announced. Mass Effect was supposed to set a new standard for exploration in gaming and while it does offer a well-written story of grand scope on par with some of the best sci-fi around, I wouldn't exactly call it an open world game. It is more like riding through a beautiful landscape on a luxury train; it's a great ride, but there's more you want to see.

When the game begins, you are presented with the opportunity to create the character you will inhabit during your time playing. The customization options are not limitless, but they are acceptable, including the ability to play as male or female. After a brief preamble you are almost instantly placed in combat on a planet's surface. Right away, the game's biggest problem is thrust in your face -- the graphics are seriously marred by frame rate stutters and extreme bouts of texture pop-in. Granted, the developers obviously tried to squeeze a lot out of the Xbox 360's impressive hardware, but that's no excuse for not better optimizing the game's overall performance. A little more time spent polishing could have benefited the presentation greatly. Still, overall, Mass Effect is a beautiful game.

As far as the open-endedness of the game world, I found the universe of Mass Effect to be quite a bit more confining than I expected. You do get to travel to several planets, land on their surfaces and explore, but how much you can explore is severely limited. Still, you are presented with a nice variety of planet surfaces which lends each a distinctive look and feel. It's just difficult not to be disappointed after hearing the developers describe being able to explore an entire galaxy of planets and then only being presented with one planet per solar system that is actually explorable. All other planets are only able to be scanned for resources. It's a far cry from the planet hopping I was expecting.

Also, unlike another 'open world' game, Oblivion -- which presented you a game world that allowed for completion of side quests before, after or during your time with the main quest -- Mass Effect's side quests must be completed before you reach a certain point in the game's primary plot as a rather important piece of real estate is destroyed at one point, rendering it unvisitable. Players wanting to earn every possible achievement will be sorely disappointed when they discover missions they had planned to complete are no longer available to them.

Like the previously mentioned KOTOR, Mass Effect allows you to customize the weapons and their upgrades for you and the two other members of your squad. I found myself spending a lot of time equipping my team with just the right balance of weapons. The menus for this are all very well laid out and intuitive.

One area in which Mass Effect is a complete triumph is its story. The plot, writing, voice acting and overall story presentation are all top notch. This is some of the best original science fiction to be found anywhere, including movies and books. I don't know that a video game has ever achieved this quality of narrative. The closest would probably be the original Deus Ex which was released back in 2000. When presented with choices that determine the fate of your crew members, you will struggle with your decisions. You will become attached to your allies, and grow to despise your enemies.

The much-lauded dialogue tree lends the game another level of emotional impact. You often wonder if your choice of words will have the affect you intend or if you will inadvertently stick your foot in your proverbial mouth.

The gameplay in Mass Effect as it pertains to combat is O.K., but not spectacular. While the Mass Effect abilities -- similar to force powers in the Star Wars universe -- are fun to use, the weapons combat is rather unsatisfying. Part of the problem is the poor framerate during firefights; it is difficult to aim smoothly at enemies when the screen is jittering and stuttering. At higher difficulties, the inconsistent framerate can be downright crippling, forcing you to either play the game at the casual difficulty level or repeat some battles over and over again. The clunky cover system is the other problem. While it is functional, it never feels as fleshed out as similar systems in Gears of War or Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Your character never seems to get into cover as easily as you would like and once there, he/she tends to come out of cover too easily, exposing them to damage.

Even with these problems, Mass Effect is an immensely enjoyable experience. You will enjoy visiting the different planets available to you, you'll just wish there were more of them. You will be gripped by the story, just make sure to complete as many side quests as possible before you go too far in the plot. I don't think I'd put Mass Effect on my short list of nominees for 2007 Game of the Year, only because this is a very special year in gaming with the likes of Bioshock, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Halo 3 all buffed to a mirror gloss. With a little more spit and polish though, Mass Effect could have taken the top honors.

8.5/10

Ubisoft UK Boss says industry "Crying Out" For New IP's

Such is the opinion of Rob Cooper, the man in charge of Ubisoft UK following the debut of Assassin's Creed at the top of the UK charts. The ambitious "hitman in sandles" game became the third-fastest selling Xbox 360 game ever, something Ubisoft sees as confirmation that not everyone wants more lousy licensed games and sub-par sequels. "I think the success worldwide of Assassin's Creed absolutely proves that new IP can live and prosper within the sequel and licensed based competition," said Cooper, speaking to MCV. "The industry is crying out for new and compelling content and we're delighted that AC has lived up to its expectations."

November has been a good month for new IP's with Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune all making big splashes in their respective debuts. Common sense dictates no entertainment industry can sustain long term growth without a constant influx of new properties. Even the best franchises can only sustain sequels for so long before they eventually whither and die. It is exciting to see three new franchises of such high quality arrive on the scene in quick succession. If publishers give developers greater opportunities to capitalize on out-of-the-box thinking -- including spending the marketing dollars necessary to cement new properties in the public consciousness -- we might end up with more classics and less trash.

The Holiday Showdown - It's All About Games

Games sell consoles.

This is one of the foundations of gaming. My Wii, purchased with excitement on launch day, now sits stagnant. If I could change history, I wouldn’t have bought that machine. Caught up in hype, I refused many meetings with my gaming senses and headed out to pay £200 for a week or two of gaming. There is simply not enough games for the machine.

Why is the PS3 struggling? “Price,” you cry? Certainly the hefty cost of the console is one reason. But I, like many others, would happily hand over £300 or more to play the finest games of all time. If only Sony’s machine had them.

Xbox 360 became the first machine to outsell the Wii. When the executives were cheering, the staff should have given a respectful nod to Master Chief, as it was his videogame swan-song Halo 3 that drove sales upward.

The present, and past, are all nodding agreement to this rule. That’s why publishers need to get a grip on release schedules to come out on top this December.

Businessmen know Christmas is the time to sell. It’s the time parents walk into shops, money in hand, looking for a present for young Jimmy to enjoy come Christmas Day. Need for Speed has proven itself adept at self-selling during this all-important period, claiming the Christmas number one chart position for many consecutive years. Aside from this giant of sales, let’s take a look at some of the games that could sell the most – and give the big 3 reason to boast.

Super Mario Galaxy is huge. It’s on the horizon, doing its best to block out rivals. Gaming’s granddaddy returns with an excitement steeped in more then just nostalgia; Galaxy feels fresh, new, and innovative. The game appears to be stepping in time to the Wii’s beat merrily; Their tandem could prove formidable when Mario touches down later this year.

The game to benefit directly from Army of Two’s delay could be Haze. Heard of, but not shouted about, Free Radical’s FPS has enjoyed a steady rise in interest since its announcement. Sony must have their fingers crossed this release doesn’t become another to stumble on the icy-surfaced PS3 release schedule.

With a storyline that remains a guarded secret (aside from the snipped of you being an assassin out of favour with his co-workers), Assasin’s Creed nevertheless has managed to grab attention with its Prince of Persia influenced gameplay, charming third-crusade setting, and a graphical showcase as eye-grabbing as anything else on the new generation of consoles.

Still basking in the afterglow of critical and commercial hit Bioshock, Bioware is looking for success again with Mass Effect. Already having garnered awards at various trade shows, the game is stealing attention for itself. You must defend our realm from another’s attack as Captain Shepard. His appearance and skills are all shaped by your decisions, as will be the fate of the universe come the end of the game. Certainly an interesting prospect for gamers.

These are just four of the games battling for your interest this Holiday season. I’ll revisit this later to update you on the Christmas Rush’s victories and losses.

Adam Montgomery