This must be love

I have only been 07 Christmas an Xbox 360 that I bought, among other things due to Mass Effect, and it was the cheaper alternative to a new PC in my eyes. Of the many announcements and trailers I've actually noticed relatively little because I had little to do with the Xbox 360. But raved as a friend of Mass Effect has (quote: "This is almost like Kotor, only better."), Has piqued my interest. I Trailer, Previews, Reviews, etc. looked and read through. My expectations rose up in immeasurable heights, I wanted this game absolutely. In short, I was just keen.

So acquired immediately after the Christmas Lichen financial boost of close relatives and those that you have never seen in his life, the console and Mass Effect. And I was hooked from the very first second. Only the short dialogue about Shepard's history, then the display of the logo, the transition to the game accompanied by a soundtrack that has no equal. I dove from the outset entirely in the universe, and did not come out until the end. This has really made only Kotor Before Mass Effect and even had the advantage of well-known Star Wars universe.

But before I even too ausschweife here in praise, first of all to the somewhat sobering part of my review. The rest of praise I save for last. As often mentioned, there are sometimes quite violent load times for the textures that simply so slow to load in some sequences that the corresponding sequence is over before you can enjoy it in all its glory. The shadows looked every now and then (though really rare) from several angles with corresponding unfavorable light source placed a little unnatural. That would be as far as everything I could find fault with the graphics. Otherwise, the game just looks awesome.

The barren worlds that exist to explore were already a somewhat greater nuisance. It lands on a planet moves in succession from all corners, and finally again in the middle to even miss not a ore deposits, no wreckage and no anomaly. And that is precisely the point: The planets are all built generically, all resemble each other very much and yet there is something that one is forcing them all graze completely, even if you already know that you will not find a new more. Because it bothers me also not to say that not all planets are walked on (when gas giants and due to extreme temperatures or hostile atmospheres on many planets that would in any case relatively feeble-minded), because there are so many planets that you fully sometime despite this addiction factor, the snout from would explore. This is especially true for players like me who like to explore everything in the world and turn even the most insignificant stone to see if it including perhaps still is something. Yes, I have not only explored all planets and read all Codex entries, but the first playthrough even read all the information texts to all planet.

As for the characters, I can some opinions, these were designed flat, absolutely not connect. Each squad member has his own background story, his personal character, his quirks. Ashley Williams is a unsymathische, faithful, slightly racist bitch that I liked anyway. Kaidan is a reserved, modest man who has hidden powers, he is quite able to use, if it matters. But especially Garrus and Wrex did it to me. Garrus would categorize according to Baldur's Gate standards as "chaotic good". He seeks to good goals, but his methods are often unscrupulous and directed the mission to fulfill at all costs. Wrex I would call "chaotic neutral". He has a clear idea of ​​honor, however, is mostly in his own interest to the critical moment on Virmire. But the stories of his mercenary life I gladly listened and felt like at that time on the Ebon Hawk, as Canderous told me about the Mandalorian Wars. Here Bioware understands his craft.

Then times the story. This can no movie better. Saren, a runaway Spectre, which seems unstoppable in his quest to bring about the end of any civilization. And then the great revelation. I really need to hold back, not to spoilers here because I want to spoil anyone play with my review, but it falls really hard not continue to rave about it. It should only be mentioned that Saren my opinion, the coolest so far, likable - and even the best - antagonist is the Games history. The plot might like to keep relatively short for an RPG, but who really plays Mass Effect, rather than just blindly abzurennen the central theme, will be busy for much longer than 10 hours. And a game like Mass Effect has definitely earned that one gives him more attention than even running through the plot and then "also-rans" to vacate it on the shelf.

Sure, Mass Effect has its shortcomings, which has every game. But here are freedom of action and linear story bondage so perfectly mixed as previously only Kotor succeeded. And that makes, among other things from a großten part of the appeal. It has enough freedom to be sufficient to deal with in addition to the plot, yet not so much that you can very strays from the right path and the story remains are left (which I think is in the Elder Scrolls series is the case). However, the staging of the consistently brilliant story is more than cinema Reif. Especially in the end a firework is lit, how it all too rarely seen in games. In all of the shortcomings are quickly forgotten and you can not help but Mass Effect easy to love.