Mass Effect: Bioware's Newest Classic?

It's been two years since Bioware first announced their newest RPG at E3 2005. Since then, the company has been taking a middle ground with its marketing/publicity, by showing just enough trailers to get us interested but not tell us a whole lot.. They haven't released a major demo either, so to say. However, it looks like it could be a critical and commercial hit.

First let's examine the story. A sci-fi setting some hundreds of years into the future with Mankind taking its first steps into the galaxy. They struggle with a few of the species they meet, but in the end they make a name for themselves and help build the SPECTRE organization, kind of an intergalatic peace-keeping force. The game's story starts when a rogue SPECTRE agent rallies an army of machine monsters called the Geth to strike a blow to Mankind. The group send Commander Shepard to examine this deal, but they have no idea what this leads into as a plot unravels that may lead to a mass extinction of life on a galactic scale. While it seems familiar, Bioware is known for its great storytelling so I bet they can do a good job. To add to that, they have some good voice acting in their cutscenes as usual, so that should add a layer of depth and skill.

As for technical and gameplay aspects, it looks good so far. The graphics are detailed and artistic, the sound is interesting and the music has a nice blend of techno and sci-fi score. The cutscenes, however, seem to be the main draw here. Not only do they look good, but the way you interact with them looks awesome. They happen in real-time, the characters actually "act" by moving and giving expressions and your responses are quick and simple so you're not forced to read massive piles of text. Also, you can choose when to say your responses, which looks cool. The gameplay looks interesting, though it may be a bit tricky to implement tactical shooting and RPG elements together. Then again, that's what people thought when Bioware made Jade Empire and they did its gameplay very well. So I bet it will succeed there.

Now one quick side note, I have unfortunatly discovered that the game was slapped with an M rating for blood, sexual themes, partial nudity and violence. This obviously won't stop people from buying it, but it bugs me that a game I really wanted couldn't try to get a T rating so I would have no problem buying it. Now I have to sneak my way into a Hollywood Video to rent it, unless I can convince my folks. I just wished that the entertainment industry didn't have to always make every product mature and adult for the sake of trying to break content barriers. While I like that people try to take things seriously, just putting more adult content into a product doesn't make it better. Plus, think about the audience you limit by putting that kind of a barrier on a game that people want to play. It's the same deal I have with the R rating.

All complaints aside, Mass Effect looks to be the next big RPG of the year. With great visual effects, an interesting story, unique gameplay and the expert skills of Bioware, this may be one of the best new great francises to be.