With the upcoming release of Mass Effect: Andromeda, I decided to turn back the clock for a look into the first three games in the series. For those of you who still haven’t played the widely acclaimed games by BioWare, you’ll get to see what you’ve missed. Keep in mind, though, it’s not too late to step into the iconic boots of Commander Shephard and experience them for yourselves.
OVERVIEW
As Commander Shephard of the Alliance Navy, you are recently appointed as the Executive Officer of the SSV Normandy. It’s the Citadel Council and Humanity’s most advanced ship. Your first mission is to head to the Human colony of Eden Prime and recover a working beacon of the lost Prothean race. The mission quickly goes south. You are swept up in a race against the clock to find the secrets to the Prothean’s mysterious disappearance, stop an army of invading Geth, and thwart the rogue Spectre Saren in his traitorous plot against the Citadel Council and the rest of the known galaxy.
FEATURES
Mass Effect allows you to zip across the Milky Way galaxy and encounter various interesting alien races. From the powerful Asari and Turian races of the citadel council to the frail Volus and Quarians, you’ll come across dozens of species that add flavor and variety to an already intricate story.
Experience the story, rather than simply reading it, through quality voiceovers and graphics. Hours of voice recordings of some amazing actors from the gaming industry and Hollywood bring the characters added life and believability.
Explore the galaxy by taking a trip planetside in the M-35 Mako armored transport. You can land and scout out dozens of worlds in an effort to find resources, gear, and even the occasional side mission. Watch out for hostile native life, like the violent thresher maw, which can make short work of even the Mako’s advanced energy shields and reinforced plating.
The pause-to-command style interface allows you to utilize turn-based style crew commands in real time. Unlike BioWare’s other hit series Knights of the Old Republic, where entering combat meant the game paused and you queued up your attacks, Mass Effect allows you to set hotkeys for your abilities and use them in a more real-time approach.
IS IT STILL WORTH PLAYING?
Absolutely! As with any good game, Mass Effect is better off played than heard about. Experiencing the intuitive user interface and fast-paced combat systems are well worth the time invested. Though an RPG at its core, the title handles more like a first-person shooter with all the bells and whistles of an action/adventure game. Besides, while Andromeda is rapidly approaching, spring 2017 is still a bit off. There’s still plenty of time to enjoy the exploits of Commander Shephard in the Milky Way.
WHERE TO BUY
Mass Effect can be found on Amazon for under $10. Not bad for a must-have bit of history. For the best value, get the complete trilogy for $15.49. The game is also available on Steam for $19.99, a price which will likely drop as Andromeda comes closer.
Nov 20 2016
Before Andromeda Hits (Re)Play the Original Mass Effect
With the upcoming release of Mass Effect: Andromeda, I decided to turn back the clock for a look into the first three games in the series. For those of you who still haven’t played the widely acclaimed games by BioWare, you’ll get to see what you’ve missed. Keep in mind, though, it’s not too late to step into the iconic boots of Commander Shephard and experience them for yourselves.
OVERVIEW
As Commander Shephard of the Alliance Navy, you are recently appointed as the Executive Officer of the SSV Normandy. It’s the Citadel Council and Humanity’s most advanced ship. Your first mission is to head to the Human colony of Eden Prime and recover a working beacon of the lost Prothean race. The mission quickly goes south. You are swept up in a race against the clock to find the secrets to the Prothean’s mysterious disappearance, stop an army of invading Geth, and thwart the rogue Spectre Saren in his traitorous plot against the Citadel Council and the rest of the known galaxy.
FEATURES
Mass Effect allows you to zip across the Milky Way galaxy and encounter various interesting alien races. From the powerful Asari and Turian races of the citadel council to the frail Volus and Quarians, you’ll come across dozens of species that add flavor and variety to an already intricate story.
Experience the story, rather than simply reading it, through quality voiceovers and graphics. Hours of voice recordings of some amazing actors from the gaming industry and Hollywood bring the characters added life and believability.
Explore the galaxy by taking a trip planetside in the M-35 Mako armored transport. You can land and scout out dozens of worlds in an effort to find resources, gear, and even the occasional side mission. Watch out for hostile native life, like the violent thresher maw, which can make short work of even the Mako’s advanced energy shields and reinforced plating.
The pause-to-command style interface allows you to utilize turn-based style crew commands in real time. Unlike BioWare’s other hit series Knights of the Old Republic, where entering combat meant the game paused and you queued up your attacks, Mass Effect allows you to set hotkeys for your abilities and use them in a more real-time approach.
IS IT STILL WORTH PLAYING?
Absolutely! As with any good game, Mass Effect is better off played than heard about. Experiencing the intuitive user interface and fast-paced combat systems are well worth the time invested. Though an RPG at its core, the title handles more like a first-person shooter with all the bells and whistles of an action/adventure game. Besides, while Andromeda is rapidly approaching, spring 2017 is still a bit off. There’s still plenty of time to enjoy the exploits of Commander Shephard in the Milky Way.
WHERE TO BUY
Mass Effect can be found on Amazon for under $10. Not bad for a must-have bit of history. For the best value, get the complete trilogy for $15.49. The game is also available on Steam for $19.99, a price which will likely drop as Andromeda comes closer.
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By Brian Shuman • Games • • Tags: Andromeda, Mas Effect, PC gaming