Mass Effect Preview (Bioware's new game)

[snoopy369]

KoTOR is a great, great game. Go out and find it

[yin26]

I found KoTOR to be too scripted, but otherwise I think it's one of those games anybody interested in RPGs needs to play.

[Asher]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Indeed.

I wonder how much longer "only on x-box 360" will hang around for

Probably for a while until there's a decent amount of PCs that can run the titles for Xbox 360. It takes a lot of time and effort to dumb down the titles to run on most people's PCs, then there's a whole bunch more support cost that simply doesn't exist on consoles. And the (legit) PC market is one that is either stangnant or shrinking (depending who you ask), while consoles are still growing rapidly.

[Asher]

Also coming soon: Jade Empire 2 for Xbox 360 (also exclusive).

"BioWare definitely plans to continue the Jade Empire franchise," reads one of Muzyka's responses. "The Jade team did a great job with the first game in that series; we have great teams working on all of our games here. We've also said in the past that we're working on not just one, but two Xbox 360 titles. Enough said"

[Jon Miller]

Depending on the game selection, I might get an XBox 360 next year

JM

[Spaced Cowboy]

Why does this smell like KOTOR3? Did they run out of STAR WARZ plots, so they came up with this....a little more creative freedom, not having to stay in the SW universe.

Anyway, I suspect that this Xbox 360 "only" game will be ported soon after release (just like....ummmm KOTORs 1 and 2).

[Asher]

Just like Jade Empire, eh?

[Nostromo]

Depending on the game selection, I might get an XBox 360 next year

Ditto. When I'll finish my PhD thesis, I'll buy myself a nice gift. I'm hesitating between an Xbox 360 and upgrading my PC. We'll see...

[DrSpike]

A new PC is more fitting for a new doctor.

[Vesayen]

10 dollars says its KOTOR with a more FPS twist.

[Harovan]

Looking good, even though futuristic stuff isn't exactly my beef. But I am with Spikie here, not nearly good enough to buy an XBox and another TV set, as wife occupies the first and I don't watch TV. In fact hardly any game is good enough to justify the latter. Screw them consoles.

[DrSpike]

Yes, we are far too grown up.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Vesayen
10 dollars says its KOTOR with a more FPS twist.

It's supposed to be more tactical.

I'm thinking KOTOR with a Full Spectrum Warrior twist.

[Nostromo]

That would be cool.

[Nostromo]

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/707/707270p1.html

May 10, 2006 - Today we got a chance to go more in depth with BioWare's Mass Effect, one of the most impressive titles so far at this year's E3. While before we checked out the travel and conversation systems, we got the opportunity to see its action-oriented battle system in action. The universe of Mass Effect pits you against a pending swarm of genocidal machines. In the past, your galaxy was populated and thriving, until it was wiped out by hordes of the crazed mechanical enemies. With another crippling invasion of the verge of wiping everyone out once again, it's up to you to discover the truth of the situation, and how to rectify it.

Like BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, morality plays a big role in how the game functions. As a human in the midst of a wealth of differing galactic races, you'll act as a sort of representative for humanity. Your actions and choices not only affect how you're viewed and welcomed by strangers, but also how all of humanity is perceived. As such, your decisions in-game can have wide ranging implications, though BioWare didn't go into more specifics. Whereas in previous BioWare games it was to the player's advantage to act either wholly evil or wholly good for access to powerful abilities, we were told steps were being made to make the shades of grey stages of morality equally as rewarding to players.
Morality is derived from what conversation routes you take, as well as your actions. Conversations in Mass Effect are controlled through a command ring in the bottom right of the screen. The ring is separated into six segments, each corresponding to a certain moral inclination. This way, players will eventually memorize what each segment represents and not even have to look at the command ring to respond. Conversations can flow much more naturally as a result, especially since you're given the ability to respond before an NPC finishes talking. So, instead of awkward pauses between each response, you'll be able to have natural, flowing conversations, which will hopefully lead to a more immersive experience.

Depending on which two squadmates of the potential dozens you've brought with you, you'll hear a variety of impromptu responses in and out of conversations, depending on how your actions correspond to their moral values. Should your actions prove too much at odds with a squadmate's moral code, they'll leave your party. The few conversations we were shown highlighted Mass Effect's solid facial animations and eerily realistic eye glints. During the conversations we definitely got a sense of authenticity oozing from the characters involved, which could be attributed to the naturally inflected voice work in combination with believable animations.

Combat is where Mass Effect really got interesting. The game will feature light melee elements, but most arsenals will be consist of high-energy, futuristic weapons. BioWare loaded up a jungle area to show off a battle. The scenario was populated with towering sheer rock structures, ringed with dark green vines. On the ground a heavy mist hung, shrouding the metallic walls of structures built into the rock faces. Before any fighting began, we were shown how each character's in-game appearance was entirely dependent on the gear they wore. No characters in Mass Effect have a stock armor appearance. If you equip a huge, hulking helmet, it'll show up in real time. Same thing with weapons, which appear strapped to characters' backs and legs. This allows for a huge variety of character appearances, reinforcing the game's already impressive customization options.

Moving through a ravine between two large stones, the three man team came upon a lone mechanical enemy standing amidst swirls of fog. Instead of bringing up an attack menu to issue commands, the main character simply zoomed in his rifle. From the third-person over the shoulder perspective, he blasted a few energy bolts the bot's way, crumbling it to the ground. This introduces a significant action element into Mass Effect, as you actually have to aim at the enemy to hit them. Once you're aiming at them, which is aided by a soft lock-on when you get your reticule close, character statistics take over. Some things considered in whether or a properly aimed gun will make contact with its projectiles are your own statistics, how many mods you've applied to your weapon, and how specialized you are with that type of gun.

Every one of your three person team is fully controllable and can be switched to at any time, moved around, and used to attack. When not in directly in control of squadmates, they'll operate on their own, trying to take down enemies with whatever abilities are most appropriate. The option also exists to issue tactical commands to your team. To set up a tactical assault on an enemy position, the game can be pause and individual move orders can be issued to each teammate. Move locations can be used in conjunction with target and attack orders, meaning you need only pause the game once to tell your squad to move and then start attacking. In addition to the guns, BioWare showed off a dark energy attack, one of the game's many magical options. Though the energy abilities can be used for a wide range of purposes, this particular one was entirely offensive; a magical blast of purplish rippling energy that shot forth from a character's arms to explode when it impacted. We also got to see the effects of an incendiary round. When aimed and fired, the blast set an enemy ablaze, and sent him tumbling off the bridge he was patrolling.
In a surprising twist, we were shown how Mass Effect's destructible environments could be used to defeat enemies. After approaching a group of enemies in the jungle, BioWare issued a few move commands, sending two teammates to opposite sides of the group. They then moves the controlled character directly at the group, firing at they went. Seeing themselves surrounded, the enemies backed up toward a bridge to take up positions and return fire. BioWare then made the controlled character toss out a tiny grenade, which resembled an energy Frisbee as it cut through the air. Instead of detonating the enemies' feet, the grenade flew behind them, striking the center of a bridge support. The ensuing explosion crumbled the support, sending jagged shards of rock tumbling down, crushing the group of enemies and ending the fight. With these kinds of strategic options built into the game, it certainly seems like Mass Effect could offer up particularly unique, engaging battles.

As you defeat enemies, discover new areas, and complete quests you'll gain experience, after which you can level up, as well as achieve higher military ranks. Leveling up will allow you to augment a variety of skills. Some examples include stability of your aiming reticule and accuracy of your shots, as well as options for conversation. In this way, each character can be built up with highly specialized skill sets that can be further enhanced with the armor pieces and weapons you choose to equip.

As mentioned in previous write-ups, Mass Effect lets you take your party anywhere in the galaxy, which is easily accomplished with a user friendly map system. From the galaxy view you can zoom into clusters, solar systems, check planet statistics, and immediately drop onto surfaces with your six-wheeled exploration vehicle. This land rover can be customized as well, including several weapon options for clearing out foes on the surface. When asked, BioWare said there were no plans at the moment to include ship to ship space battles as well.

Since Mass Effect is being developed as a continuing project over the lifespan of the Xbox 360, BioWare is planning on releasing plenty of downloadable content to expand the game world. They didn't specify any pricing structures. From what we've seen, Mass Effect is definitely looking like one of the Xbox 360's most promising titles. Check below more media, and we'll have more information as soon as we can.