Game Informer gives Mass Effect 9.75
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Oct 16th 2007 at 12:15PM }
Game Informer has reviewed Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 and the news is good. In short, the magazine thinks Mass Effect is one of the best games ever made. In particular, the magazine lauds the game's storyline and compelling characters. The review praises the game, noting that it has a deep and rich universe easily on par with Star Wars, even noting that it is "the next big franchise for science fiction junkies to latch onto." More importantly, the review notes that Mass Effect represents "a huge step forward for video games" and that it "rings in a new age of interactive storytelling."
The only downside of the game seems to be the combat, which is apparently hampered by balance problems and wonky AI. The review notes that the combat certainly isn't a deal breaker, and that it's still fun to play, but it's not quite on par with the grand universe present in the rest of the game.
All in all, Game Informer gives it a 9.75. How exactly one equates a game's deficiencies to a value of 0.25 we don't know, but we're sure the team at BioWare is pretty damned pleased (as are their new overlords, no doubt). Keep an eye out for the full review in the latest issue of Game Informer.
[Thanks, Morphy]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TORO @ Oct 16th 2007 12:23PM
Sure Richard, I have no problem with ME winning GOTY over my beloved Halo lol
DjDATZ @ Oct 16th 2007 12:23PM
GOTY will go to either Halo 3 or Mass Effect. For sure.
TORO @ Oct 16th 2007 12:24PM
lol similar thinkin' Dj, and same timing...coincidence?? I think not!
Tony @ Oct 16th 2007 12:27PM
I don't really think Halo 3 deserves it anyway, as fun and popular as it may be.
Nick Less @ Oct 16th 2007 12:37PM
Bioshock we will always remember you!!!
Wizardly @ Oct 16th 2007 12:35PM
GOTY should either go to Bioshock or Mass Effect. (withholding my personal judgment until I've played the latter.)
Halo 3 was great, but not above what Bioshock has and will do for future game development and the potential for what Mass Effect will do...
ANt @ Oct 16th 2007 12:43PM
@4 AGREED!! I think Bioshock, Mass Effect, or COD 4 will win GOTY.
COD 4 most likely.
DemonGSides @ Oct 16th 2007 12:45PM
Enough of the cat captions on other photos. Meme should've died years ago.
Sofun @ Oct 16th 2007 12:47PM
COD4 GOTY hands down. I'll prolly get Mass Effect though.
Marcelo @ Oct 16th 2007 12:51PM
The best game ever made?? They are crazy!! not way
http://www.spymac.com/details/?2263456
MarC
ryan @ Oct 16th 2007 1:00PM
bioshock- great artstyle, audio and graphics. gameplay peaks about 6 hours into it. then it's just search bodies kill splicers with 2 of your favorite powers and 2 of your favorite guns. wash, repeat. low replay value.
halo 3- fun single player, short, never got boring, hideous character models, great audio. incredibly addicting multiplayer, fantastic theater mode.
Mass effect and COD 4 arent out yet, but so far Halo 3 has the most going for it, and Bioshock has an artstyle that everybody loves with some killing freedom.
i'd say Halo 3 is GOTY. but i know it'll be Bioshock.
Tony @ Oct 16th 2007 1:02PM
You can't really underestimate the possibility that GotY might wind up being Super Mario Galaxy to a lot of these places... we are talking about every platform, after all. I've yet to hear anything negative about it, it's largely just been gushing.
Xbox 360 GotY is another story.
KingMe @ Oct 16th 2007 2:26PM
so wait.....they say the environment is rich and all that jazz, but the combat is just average, with weird AI, and the game gets a 9.75? That, when Heavenly Sword's environment is lush and vibrant, the cinematics are amazing, the AI is great, and the combat is fluid, and it gets an 8.75? I'm confused
DjDATZ @ Oct 16th 2007 1:10PM
What people don't see with Halo 3 is tho. It's not JUST the campaign and graphics that should be taken into consideration. What you need to also look at is multiplayer, forge, saved films AND last but certainly the greatest, the integration with bNet (filesharing and service record which have yet to be matched by ANY...and i mean ANY game to this date.) Plus the multiplayer portion will be played for YEARS.
Mass Effect: its just fucking massive and hugely impressive.
COD4: No way. It may be awesome, but there is NO way it will take on the juggernaut that is Halo 3.
Bioshock: It's got no multiplayer. Replayability out the window. No GOTY for you.
TORO @ Oct 16th 2007 1:13PM
I agree Dj, Halo 3 has done so much more on a technical standpoint (pertaining to consoles). If you listen to X3F fancasts I think most of them agreed also(the fancast after H3 came out).
skunkworks @ Oct 16th 2007 1:21PM
people put way too much importance on GOTY. by the time its all said and done there will be GOTY stickers on at least 5 games. probably more.
if a game is good play it. if it's not don't. whether or not some mag or site says its the best doesn't change anything.
wa27 @ Oct 16th 2007 1:50PM
God damn, image macros are lame.
Jonah Falcon @ Oct 16th 2007 1:38PM
What, no 10?
MDJ2010 @ Oct 16th 2007 1:39PM
I loved Bioshock, I was hyped about it for such a long time before its release and it didnt come close to dissapointing. But a few months on and i'm not playing it anymore, so it just can't be GOTY. I do hate to say it, cos i'm not the worlds biggest fan, but it will go to Halo 3. It just has great longevity, as Gears did, and i'm still playing that and no doubt will still be playing Halo 3 in over a years time.
TORO @ Oct 16th 2007 1:53PM
@18 who cares you want something fancy all the time??? gets the point across ;)
erivera3 @ Oct 16th 2007 2:04PM
Never got into Bioshock, bored the hell out of me after I realized I was killing the same thing over and over again and had no replay value at all. COD4 is fun, but I know the story won't be anything to compare with any other games; just a fun multiplayer experience, but doesn't have a fraction of the customization/options that Halo 3 does.
In my mind, Halo 3 should win GOTY quite easily.
ccc @ Oct 16th 2007 2:05PM
Goty is Mass Effect or Bio Shock with halo 3 comming in 3rd or 4rth behind The Orange box and thats the way the cookie crumbles.
Jonah Falcon @ Oct 16th 2007 2:06PM
I'm not going to read any reviews - just hear the scores. Not even that anymore, actually. I've alrady preordered it, so I may as well avoid reviews -- spoilers, ya know.
ccc @ Oct 16th 2007 2:08PM
Oh crap yea I forgot about COD4 Rock Band and GH3. Halo 3 will honestly be lucky if it is even in the years top 5 lol.
TORO @ Oct 16th 2007 2:18PM
I guarantee (or your money back) these will be in the final 3, Halo 3, Mass Effect, and Bioshock.
Arno @ Oct 16th 2007 2:19PM
Here are the facts, according to MetaCritic:
Orange Box 97
BioShock 96
Halo 3 94
And now Mass Effect gets its first review and it's a 9.75. I'd say, it's a GREAT time to be a gamer and a Xbox 360 owner!
Arnie @ Oct 16th 2007 2:28PM
I am surprised that people here have overlooked Assasins Creed for the GOTY. If we are talking campaigns then I think you ought to include this freaking awesome game as well.
However different sites have different criteria for choosing GOTY.
IMHO however originality goes a long way even though multiplayer might not be that good. I dont play multiplayer because I get owned most of the time.
If games can introduce some new mechanics and gives me some wow moments like a film can then I consider my time and money well spent.
drgoon76 @ Oct 16th 2007 2:24PM
So did they get the revew code or just go up to Where the "docs" are at play a lvl or two then give us a BS review NOT based on the Review code... Magazines generally have a 1 to 2 month lead time. Not to say this isn't good game, but the review is quite suspect.
Will @ Oct 16th 2007 2:26PM
This game definitely has GOTY written all over it (it's between this, Halo 3 and BioShock).
But I'm pretty dang hurt that this might not be a 360 exclusive anymore...because of BioWare's "new overlords". :(
xenocidic @ Oct 16th 2007 2:37PM
@arnie
so far the gameplay videos i've seen of assassin's creed's combat system have been unimpressive. i hope the final product is much better.
Churchill @ Oct 16th 2007 2:52PM
And now Mass Effect gets its first review and it's a 9.75. I'd say, it's a GREAT time to be a gamer and a Xbox 360 owner!
@25 not for me launch console just RROD'd me and since i knew it was going in for repair i kicked fuck out of it for good measur. Piece of shit hardware here's hoping for new zephyr board with falcons delivering it.
Tony @ Oct 16th 2007 2:53PM
Heavenly Sword is also like a few hours long. That sort of thing plays into scoring.
Mauricio @ Oct 16th 2007 3:31PM
Really guys, with so many great games coming out this year for the xbox you STILL think halo3 is gonna win GOTY? …really?
im calling you guys out.
DJ
TORO
ERIVERA
Put some cash on it. I’m willing to bet each of you $40 that Halo will not win anyones GOTY. not IGN, not Gamespot, not Gamespy, not EGM, not OXM, not even Penny Arcades “We’re Right” awards.
To clarify, I’m talking about GOTY only. Overhyped Game of the Year award or any other award doesn’t not count. It has to be GOTY.
$40 each. What you guys say?
Mauricio @ Oct 16th 2007 3:39PM
whoops. forgot to include Joystiq, Engadget, even X3F. Also, GOTY given to Halo3 by "Viewers Choice" where all the halo bots online get to vote doesnt count either. Media Votes only.
Clayton A. @ Oct 16th 2007 3:47PM
This does bring in the oft debated "perfect 10". I have heard some good ideas on the matter though. First off, make your scale go to 11. I know it sound stupid at first but think of 11 as being the "impossible to reach perfect game" and a 10 being the best a game can possibly be. I've also heard of people saying that a 10 doesn't mean it's absolutley perfect but that it blows away your expectations for the game in nearly every way. In that case, I would easily award Portal my game of the year so far, but Mass Effect could easily take that award away.
TORO @ Oct 16th 2007 3:53PM
I like how u roll Mauricio, I'll bet $40 one of those 9 mentioned sites will give Halo 3 GOTY. Do you have paypal?
Mauricio @ Oct 16th 2007 4:06PM
yup i have paypal. but i think it should be me askin how YOU will be payin up.
i never thought i would be buying 2 new games becuase of Halo3. maybe even a down payment on RockBand.
TORO @ Oct 16th 2007 4:17PM
lol, yes I have paypal or else I wouldn't have accepted your bet. And it's only me who is betting $40 bucks, I'm not sure about Dj or Erivera. So do you accept the bet with me? $40 if I win, $40 if you win.
-IGN
-Gamespot
-Gamespy
-EGM
-OXM
-Penny Arcades
-Joystiq
-Engadget
-X3F
Mauricio @ Oct 16th 2007 4:21PM
Or course i accept. remember though "viewers Choice GOTY" doesnt count.
*Shakes Hand*
Who Flang Poo @ Oct 17th 2007 10:41PM
Halo 3 or Mass Effect will take GOTY. Bioshock has no chance because it has no replay value what so ever and after a while it gets really tedious killing the same enemies over and over and over and over and over and over........untill you come to the final boss. It also has no multiplayer. I loved Bioshock a lot one of the best games ive ever played, but afer I beat it once I never touched it again.
TORO @ Oct 16th 2007 4:59PM
ditto *shakes hand*
X3F and community is our witness hehe ;)
teenagertc @ Oct 16th 2007 5:08PM
Richard, I love when you "talk" like that. "I can haiz gaim uv yeer?" It's always so hilarious!
AoE @ Oct 16th 2007 5:40PM
clearly it gets the -0.25 for having replay value of some kind. If it had been a game completely devoid of replay value like Bioshock, that score would have been a 10.
OTAM @ Oct 16th 2007 8:08PM
If Halo 3 wins game of the year with stuff like Mass Effect,Bioshock,Call of Duty 4,and even Assassin's Creed you can truly tell that the people arent going by game quality.
OTAM @ Oct 16th 2007 8:13PM
Also,to add to my previous comment.
When it comes to Halo 3 it seems that people just want more of the same. The people playing Halo 3 it seems would be fine with Halo 2 just getting updates and new maps over and over instead of a part 3. As if adding a video recorder makes the game a perfect 10. Skate has a video recorder and editor so I mean,it clearly must be 10.
I'm not a Halo hater,but it's nearly the same exact game as the 2nd with a few minor tweaks and slight graphic enhancement. It doesnt TOUCH the amount of work going into a game like Bioshock. For christ's sake TF2 is a better multiplayer game then Halo 3 because it involves more then just dance around then melee.
MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Oct 17th 2007 12:56AM
i want to know what merits these scores. not to bring up a war or anything but PS3 games have there faults but end up losing 1 entire point for falling short of something whether it be story, gameplay, length, presentation even multiplatform games get lower marks even when maintaining core gamplay. why do PS3 games get hit with so many heavy blows? I fear MGS4 may get an f'in 8 because of something, maybe the story doesnt live up to expectatons. i dont know but i havent seen many ps3 games over an 8 since launch, RFOM 8, Motorstorm 8, NGS 9, HS 8, Warhawk 8, and 3 other games that scored less than 7 but LAIR happened to get an 8 in japan (exclusives not multiplatform). while gears got a 9, halo 3 9, bioshock 9, mass effect 9, not to mention 3 other previous games that scored 8s(lost planet, dead rising,condemned but all may go multiplat) but it hard to tell the reason for the scores back then. some games like graw got an extra boost when compared to the last gen consoles but then again the PS3 hasnt been out in the US for a year yet so i shouldnt really care. the games that anyone cares about are coming out next year.
Jonathan @ Oct 17th 2007 8:13AM
First, Heavenly Sword is really short. That took points off. In comparison to Mass Effect, it also lacks the customization options and freedom Mass Effect gives you. That wasn't a good comparison.
Secondly, games are rated individually. You can't say that all Ps3 games get an 8s and Xbox 360 games get 9 and call a conspiracy.
The only games on Xbox 360 getting 9s are the super high quality AAA games. And they deserve it. Warhawk doesn't deserve a 9, buddy. Your problem is that your comparing Warhawk to the likes of Bioshock, a game that was hailed the best game ever made and completely atmospherically haunting.
It makes no sense to gather a clump of PS3 games and say, "I fear for MSG4 because reviewers only give Xbox 360 games good scores!"
They give great, AAA titles good scores. Heavenly Sword is to short. Warhawk is by no means epic. Motorstorm underdelivered, RFOM was great in comparison to other games in Sony's lineup but honestly is nothing revolutionary, just fun.
To compare RFOM's 8 to Bioshock or Mass Effect's 9 and cry foul is ignorant, and you clearly know nothing about the quality of Bioshock or the hours upon hours of customization and freedom given in Mass Effect.
Mauricio @ Oct 17th 2007 1:24PM
BUMP*
MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Oct 22nd 2007 1:25PM
SYSTEM SHOCK MAKE OVER DUMBED DOWN IS WHAT BIO SHOCK IS TO ME.
ALi Gizzel @ Oct 30th 2007 1:43AM
GOTY is all about the experience, however short or long.
So this means BioShock, Halo 3, and (probably) Mass Effect are going to be the forerunners for that title.
Which is sweet because I own a 360.
GRAW, Gears of War, BioShock, and Mass Effect
I made the right choice, non???!!!!