November 20th, 2007

Mass Effect launches today for Xbox

The Bioware team made a name for itself in the computer gaming business as one of the best RPG developers, albeit on the fantasy line, but what we see today furthers from the beginnings. To the delight of role playing and sci-fi fans everywhere, Mass Effect finally hit the shops today as an Xbox only release. In the later years Bioware was synonymous with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, but should you ask the question again in one year, the answer might as well point out at Mass Effect. The action RPG title is the kind of game where a stuffy story line meets tactical combat as you get immersed deeper into the plot thinking about an interactive sci-fi movie experience.

Bioware turned Mass Effect to high definition, along with signing some pretty impressive names in the voice talent department. Seth Green, Marina Sirtis and Lance Henriksen get the job done, so don’t feel ashamed if it feels like Alien 5 somewhere along the way. Starting off into the game you take up the role elite human Spectre agent, Commander Shepard, upholding the law until you turn rogue to uncover a mystery beyond the boundaries of conventional thought. The role playing factor turns up in a non linear story where you are faced with the consequences of your own moral actions. In the end these too will influence the outcome of the scenario, where you are tasked with stopping a threat so great it could destroy all life in the galaxy.

>Mass Effect managed to get the attention of the SCI FI Channel and will have a featurette tonight, November 20^th 11 p.m. EST. The special it’s called “Sci vs. Fi: Mass Effect” and will explore the ways that technology and human ingenuity came about to create the premises encountered in the Mass Effect storyline. Somewhat like a look behind the scenes, with more information available on the official site.

Mass Effect has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB. There is a limited collector’s edition available and includes pretty trinkets like the “Galactic Codex: Essentials” fiction book, the “A Future Imagined” artwork book, four documentaries about the creation of the game on a DVD and 10 songs from the game’s soundtrack.