Mass Effect 1 created a very detailed and intricate world, although you only get to explore a small part of it. It tries to lean on the harder side of science fiction, using only one Phlebotinum (the titular Mass Effect) to explain FTL space travel, telekinetic powers, AND a major plot twist/reveal. The character options, dialogue options, and decisions you get to make in the game point to a lot of work in the story, even though a few of the characters are pretty flat.
Unfortunately, I don't think anyone did any long-term playtesting. This game is great for the first few hours, and you'll be amazed with the exploration and combat for those hours. But it probably takes at least 15 hours if you're going to really explore and do all the sidequests, and that's where it gets tedious. The inventory system is fine if you only have a few weapons, but towards the end of the game you start picking up a lot of stuff- and turning them to omni-gel is tedious. Then comes the "exploration" of planets- and the Mako is a very annoying vehicle to pilot, and the terrain usually doesn't help. Lastly, the side-quests are usually about the same- run in, gun things down and/or talk a bit. There's plenty of these but none of them are memorable- really just nothing more but places to grind a little extra EXP and money. Oh, and the elevators. Ugh. The elevators.
That said, the core storyline is pretty compelling. It avoids the Planet Of Hats for most races, and the universe has a lot of detail and backstory for those who enjoy that kind of thing. Combat is interesting- it's quite different from most action games, because although it's technically a shooter, you can pick classes that barely use guns at all. The "overheat" system prevents the frantic spray-bullets-till-the-room-is-clear without making you scrounge for ammo, and makes you use your tech/biotic skills more often. Overall, a very enjoyable game.
Great game, but tedious.
Mass Effect 1 created a very detailed and intricate world, although you only get to explore a small part of it. It tries to lean on the harder side of science fiction, using only one Phlebotinum (the titular Mass Effect) to explain FTL space travel, telekinetic powers, AND a major plot twist/reveal. The character options, dialogue options, and decisions you get to make in the game point to a lot of work in the story, even though a few of the characters are pretty flat.
Unfortunately, I don't think anyone did any long-term playtesting. This game is great for the first few hours, and you'll be amazed with the exploration and combat for those hours. But it probably takes at least 15 hours if you're going to really explore and do all the sidequests, and that's where it gets tedious. The inventory system is fine if you only have a few weapons, but towards the end of the game you start picking up a lot of stuff- and turning them to omni-gel is tedious. Then comes the "exploration" of planets- and the Mako is a very annoying vehicle to pilot, and the terrain usually doesn't help. Lastly, the side-quests are usually about the same- run in, gun things down and/or talk a bit. There's plenty of these but none of them are memorable- really just nothing more but places to grind a little extra EXP and money. Oh, and the elevators. Ugh. The elevators.
That said, the core storyline is pretty compelling. It avoids the Planet Of Hats for most races, and the universe has a lot of detail and backstory for those who enjoy that kind of thing. Combat is interesting- it's quite different from most action games, because although it's technically a shooter, you can pick classes that barely use guns at all. The "overheat" system prevents the frantic spray-bullets-till-the-room-is-clear without making you scrounge for ammo, and makes you use your tech/biotic skills more often. Overall, a very enjoyable game.