Mass Effect Hands-on Preview

Back at the Leipzig Games Convention, Mass Effect wasn’t absolutely convincing. It certainly looked vast, and was undeniably crammed full of an enormous amount of planet-hopping adventure, but some of the claims about the open nature of its structure and plot raised a few eyebrows amongst the gathered press. Could it really be that the game’s much-hyped conversation system could actually let you make huge changes to the direction of the storyline, and with it the entire substance of the game?

Having finally spent some time hands-on with a build that is almost complete, it’s apparent that the answer to that question isn’t quite straightforward. As most suspected, there isn’t an adventure here so expansive that you can choose exactly how it unfolds, but after the rather unsuccessful attempts to do this by Knights of the Old Republic 2, that is probably a good thing.

However, the options you choose as you play do have quite an impact on the game, and though the way in which they do may be comparatively subtle, it is no less exciting or intriguing. The way you behave and the decisions you make actually affect the development of your squad as a whole, and in particular the protagonist whose character you assume. It genuinely appears that everything you say and every choice you make builds your profile, influencing how the creatures you meet will react to you, and thus determining the best course of action to take in a various situations, whether they entail combat or conversation.

This is handled in several ways, and occasionally difficult choices you are forced to make will instantly affect the world around you, but mostly a system is used that attributes points to two contrasting sides of your personality. Choosing to speak bluntly or rudely, and taking an aggressive or antagonising stance gains you Renegade Points, while thoughtful, considerate behaviour and diplomacy will reward you with Paragon points. Unlike other games that have dabbled with this approach, in Mass Effect there is no swinging scale that only allows you to be either good or bad. Instead, you can tally points on both sides simultaneously, allowing a previously unparalleled depth to your character and the ways people will react.

Furthermore, Renegade and Paragon Points influence a list of character attributes, such as charm and intimidation, that are tucked away in the various menu screens, giving a real feel of the influence of your own personality on the overall game experience. Quite simply, the type of player you are dictates the type of game you will enjoy, and if this concept is anywhere near as workable as it appears, it should be hugely interesting and worthy of great praise.

For those still unfamiliar with the game’s basic premise, it is one that will be familiar to anyone who has watched even a single episode of Star Trek, though disgruntled fans of the Starship Enterprise or fluent speakers of Klingon need not be too incensed, as Mass Effect absolutely has plenty of its own style and identity, and is far more a respectful tribute than explicit rip-off. To a gloriously rich backdrop of stars, and to the beat of some wonderful electro music reminiscent of the best sci-fi soundtracks of the 1980s, you must explore the universe, tangling yourself in a tale of double crosses, politics, interstellar relations and the fight between the old favourite good and its bedfellow evil. Mass Effect is an action-RPG, but unlike its developer’s previous works Jade Empire and the first Knights of the Old Republic, it takes the form of a squad-based third-person-shooter built on the foundations of a role-playing mechanics.

The plot sees the human species thrust into deep space exploration by the discovery on Mars of the technology that gives the game its title, and the ensuing adventure is complex and involving. The line between friends and enemies is a blurred one indeed, and your invested man-hours will be extremely busy, negotiating peace, engaging in combat, and exploring and scavenging the planets that don’t involve objective-based missions.

While the RPG elements will be familiar to most gamers both in terms of presentation and substance, as they focus on distributing stat-points and managing your arsenal and abilities, the exploration and shooting sections, whilst visually traditional, are rather unconventional.

A selection of ranged and melee weapons, along with vehicles and explosives may be typical to the genre, but the way you command your squad is quite unique. Essentially pausing the game, leaving bullets and lasers hanging in the air, you can still move the targeting reticule, issuing detailed commands and analysing the battle, as well as lining up your shots before returning to the action. Viewed from afar, this system appeared a little dubious, and seemed to take the thrill out of a fast paced battle, but with a 360 controller in hand, it was clear BioWare has applied its proven skill to this new interpretation of the tactical shooter.

Rather than imposing this ‘stop-and-start’ model on skirmishes identical to those seen in typical shooters, it really does seem as if each section containing gunplay has been built to compliment what would otherwise be a very fragmented tactical system. It does feel a little like BioWare has made a pre-emptive strike on accusations that the system will make the game too easy by ramping up the difficulty considerably, but a simple control system goes some way to countering these concerns.

Overall Mass Effect looks, sounds and feels great to play. It ably juggles the genres it has picked up from its predecessors, and is clearly both diverse and epic. Gamers across the globe have already hung the burden of expectation around its neck, meaning it will have to really impress to meet the fevered levels of anticipation. The squad command system and apparent malleability of Mass Effect’s near infinite branching structure still cast faint shadows of doubt, but BioWare’s next release looks set to enjoy plenty of gushing praise.