Genre: Action RPG
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Mass Effect pushes the 360's envelope like few other 360 titles; super high resolution textures, the most believable facial expressions ever seen in a video game, awesome architectural structures, and interesting and varied planetary backdrops. There is also a cool "film-grain" post-processing effect, which gives the game the look of a 1960's sci-fi movie.

The voice acting in Mass Effect is phenomenal; the entire cast delivers their lines believably and with conviction. The soundtrack has a case of dissociative identity disorder-- most of the songs successfully mimic the synth-heavy melodic style of old sci-fi film songs, but others are cheesy and generic orchestra work. Battle sound effects are reminiscent of those from KOTOR, but are distinct enough to give Mass Effect a unique sound.

Mass Effect realizes a concept I've dreamed about for years-- an action-RPG with core shooter gameplay dynamics. Unlike other games that try to do multiple things and do nothing well, Mass Effect manages to be Star Control II-lite, GRAW-lite, and KOTOR-lite all at once, without sacrificing the fun-factor and playability of the aforementioned titles. The best conversation engine of all time, addicting exploration elements, and core tactical shooter dynamics make for an unforgettable experience.

There isn't a whole lot wrong with Mass Effect. The 40-hour experience went much too fast, and the only real criticism of this title is that there potentially aren't enough optional quests or a large enough galaxy to explore. As well, the combat feels a little unbalanced, as some of the biotic skills in particular make just about every encounter straightforward. But despite these criticisms, Bioware has put together another masterpiece, a work which will even further cement them as one of the world's premier game development studios.