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Luke Mitchell
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 Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:07 pm Post subject: Mass Effect Review |
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| Mass Effect Review by Luke |  | | 360 Review: Massively effective. | | [View Article] |
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ObsoletE
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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about what i expected, though i'm surprised the Lifespan "only" scored a 9.0. i'd have thought 9.5 at least.
i've never had the game pause to load during combat though. that makes me a little wary. (i assume that's what you mean by locking up? like it pauses with "Loading" in the centre of screen?)
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Cerebral
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Nice review. If there's one thing I'd disagree with however, it would be:
| Review wrote: | | Apart from a few blocks of text describing the basics, it’s left mostly up to you to work out, and so you can probably expect to die a lot in the first few hours of gameplay. |
This is largely dependant on the class that you choose. If you choose a focused tech or Biotic class, you might have a harder time until you figure out a lot of the nuances, but using the skills you're given is a fairly straightforward task (equip a soldier with a sniper and they're a pretty dependable ally). Choosing any combat-oriented class presents very little difficulty at the games' beginning, provided you've played a console shooter before.
Aside from that, a myriad of graphical issues and odd design decisions (I was about 4 hours into the game before I figured out how to equip different types of ammo to weapons) don't detract from the brilliant experience. I'd have given the Lifespan a straight 10 given the 40-hour estimate in the review and the fact that I can easily see at least 2 more playthroughs upon completion.
Edit: it seems to pause and load very occasionally when you're rushing through an area, but its usually brief, and hasn't occured during combat yet. In fact, unless you're in an elevator, the loading times are all very short. I'd rather they padded them out slightly if it meant you didn't have to look at the textureless models half the time.
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Last edited by Cerebral on Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:29 pm, edited 1 time in total
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ObsoletE
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Cerebral wrote: | | odd design decisions (I was about 4 hours into the game before I figured out how to equip different types of ammo to weapons) |
i was the same - i assumed initially that the game must use the best ammo for the current situation, but then i RTFM and discovered how to equip it.
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Fetidchimp
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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The particle effects do slow it down, which is annoying because i use the shotgun, which is particle central. Still though, love it, perhaps an update to lower the use of particles.
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Sin Ogaris
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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Cool. I really want this game but can't play it. 
One thing this new sci fi RPG has sparked in me though is the abundance of overused "humanoid" models. I would love, just once, for a sci fi game to involve a party of a wide assortment of creatures, and no, just because they have different coloured skin, or wierd shaped heads doesn't make them all that different. I'm talking six legged reptiles, or giant butterflies or something. Mix it up. I think the only games that have made an effort in this regard were the Fallout titles and even then it was maybe a single member was of a less than human design (generally a dog).
While I haven't played Mass Effect so I don't know if it has really broken the mold but the images and videos don't really do much to alleviate my woes.
There's a billion and one possibilities available to the modellers and yet we're forever getting stuck with two arms and two legs with a goofy head on top and maybe a tail. I'm talking about playable characters by the way, not creatures you meet (although generally they're bipedal as well). In a way I blame films like Star Wars and the like, where it was difficult for creators to make main characters who weren't humanoid in appearance because they only really had the facilities to make "active" aliens, by suiting up. But by crikey if I don't want Jabba the Hut in my party one day.
(Oh, and don't think I'm just picking on Sci Fi either, fantasy titles offer the same problems, Elder Scrolls comes to mind, as well as many others).
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Fetidchimp
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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^
i want a sci-fi movie that doesn't involve humanoids or humans at all, at least star wars wasn't based around the planet earth though(which is starting to become highly annoying). Strange how we get better effects for films everyday, but be damned if it is set away from earth. Any recommendations for sci fi films not involving earth?
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Sin Ogaris
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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Well, it's not Sci-Fi but The Dark Crystal is a fantasy that doesn't relate to Earth in any way shape or form. Can't think of anything else, but then I haven't seen a lot of Sci-Fi.
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bradc1988
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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I think I might go into EB tomorrow and pick this up
Or I could wait until the 22nd and pick it up at JB saving $20...
I don't think I can wait though!
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ObsoletE
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Sin Ogaris wrote: | | One thing this new sci fi RPG has sparked in me though is the abundance of overused "humanoid" models. I would love, just once, for a sci fi game to involve a party of a wide assortment of creatures, and no, just because they have different coloured skin, or wierd shaped heads doesn't make them all that different. I'm talking six legged reptiles, or giant butterflies or something. Mix it up. I think the only games that have made an effort in this regard were the Fallout titles and even then it was maybe a single member was of a less than human design (generally a dog). |
you mean like the Star Wars universe, with Hutts (giant slugs), geonosians (giant bugs), Dug (creatures that walk on their upper limbs, while their lower limbs are essentially their arms), Bouncers (essentially a puffy thing that floats around, almost like a Jellyfish, but not in water), Ithorians (walking hammerhead sharks) and variety of non-humanoid droids (R2-D2, for example) - and these are just the Sentient creatures. (lets not forget the Sarlacc or Rancor)
i agree actually, and thankfully ME has a few non-humanoid races around, but a Krogan is the closest to this description you'll find in your party.
otherwise look at:
Elcor
Hanar - this doesn't do it justice. that's it's head, which appears about 8-10 foot up on long tentacle limbs.
as well as Rachni and Keepers, though i didn't find pictures of them.
some of the Geth (the synthetic antagonist race) are not humanoid either, but since they're robots, it's understandable (like SW Droids).
of course, there's a theory that our intelligence stems from our basic configuration, so if this is the case, it stands to reason that by-and-large, other evolutions would progress in a similar manner.
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LeonJ
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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I love the Elcor and the way they talk. Awesome race.
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Newbie
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| bradc1988 wrote: | I think I might go into EB tomorrow and pick this up
Or I could wait until the 22nd and pick it up at JB saving $20...
I don't think I can wait though! |
Go to JB - get catalogue (assuming you dont already have it)
Go to EB - buy game and get them to price match JB catalogue
Save $20 and play the game today.
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Dracusis
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Fetidchimp wrote: | ^
i want a sci-fi movie that doesn't involve humanoids or humans at all, at least star wars wasn't based around the planet earth though(which is starting to become highly annoying). Strange how we get better effects for films everyday, but be damned if it is set away from earth. Any recommendations for sci fi films not involving earth? |
Dune & Starwars are about all there is.
The problem you propose is, Hollywood is dominated and driven by the concept of the "movie star", thus having a big budget movie involve no humanoids would never get funding unless it was a Pixar film or something to that effect.
Last edited by Dracusis on Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:25 pm, edited 1 time in total
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ObsoletE
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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he said he doesn't want humanoids at all.
Dune (and The Dark Crystal, mentioned earlier) both clearly have humanoids in them.
(my bad, i didn't fully read the request for Science Fiction films not featuring Earth.)
i can't think of any examples myself, but if i do i'll post it. i doubt an example exists, except perhaps as an Anime, or animated film.
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Last edited by ObsoletE on Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total
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Dracusis
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, of course!
S.P.O.R.E!
So can't wait for that game.
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bradc1988
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Newbie wrote: | | bradc1988 wrote: | I think I might go into EB tomorrow and pick this up
Or I could wait until the 22nd and pick it up at JB saving $20...
I don't think I can wait though! |
Go to JB - get catalogue (assuming you dont already have it)
Go to EB - buy game and get them to price match JB catalogue
Save $20 and play the game today. |
I don't think my EB would price match JB as there isn't one in the same suburb let alone the same centre.
I think I'll just wait it out and go into the city and pick it up on the 22nd.
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Lord Haart
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| Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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Attention all viewers: JB HiFi in Perth CBD has stock, going for $79.
Got mine today 
The fact that they sponsored an episode of Battlestar Galactica was the decider 
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Rob_Jedi
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| Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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I picked mine up from JB Monday arvo in Sydney.
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ohayes
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| Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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A reasonably fair review, except I would have given the game a 10 in Lifespan. There are technical issues arising from the UE3 engine, but nothing that really impacts on what is the most fantastic gaming experience this year.
Go get this game people! we need a sequel 
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