Matt Peckham of PCW writes:
"Beautifully rendered with an above-average plot, Bioware's new sci-fi epic for the Xbox 360 still turns out to be a disappointingly overhyped encore to Microsoft's main holiday act in gaming, Halo 3."
Click on each image at source for detailed review.
60/100
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Hey Matt Peckham, let's see you make a game!
"I'm a tool. Someone please kill me for being such a moron."
You got it, Matt.
Oh, Matt Peckman, of PC World... of course...
We've all been waiting for this review...
And as for all of these claims of "Over Hyped"
The only hype that was generated was from people who got to play some early builds of the game.
This game is not plastered all over the television like Halo 3 was. If you don't read up on games online, you may not even know about this one.
So, maybe Mr. Peckerhead just overhyped it in his own little head, but from what I've heard, the game delivers exactly what was promised.
I really don't understand why he even bothered to write the article if he wasn't even going to attempt to be objective.
Even if that was the world's best review of that game I would not read past 16 words never mind 16 pages. What a BORE
@ 1.4 WOW true fanboy, im pretty sure you've heard of Crysis, hey oh did you know PC fans also get to play Gears of War, SHadowrun, Halo2, soon Halo3,BIoshock which are all 360 games. so in your words that means all those gammes would suck too, cause you know PC sucks.
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i swear to god sony boys you need to get out of the 360 section
who would agree wqith my stupid comment?
hype...
Also, they definitly haven't played a classic RPG like Fallout that has lots of dialogue and speechskills and dialogue decisions play important roles in history. Heck they didn't even understand the true nature of game and design let alone it's genre...
You nailed it. The whole nature of an RPG is.....wait for it...wait for it..... ROLE PLAYING!!!!
Stupid tards at PCWorld obviously have forgotten that. They Probably are too busy running around WOW killing repetative creature after creature in an effort to level up while socializing with their online buddies about everything under the sun except the game....and somehow think that WOW is what a Role Playing Game experience should be.
+bubble ;)
yeah, you nailed it...bubbles up bro...
Dlacy13g, good one about WoW. The review/article has missed the point entirely.
It seems that most PC gamers have forgotten about PC's true classic RPGs like Planescape Torment, Baldur's Gate and Fallout 1&2.
@MK_Red
Your comment is just silly.
The PC has been the the building block of RPG. Video games RPG started on the PC because at the time, PC's weren't powerful enough to display graphics, even as lame as the NES 8 Bit.
Fallout was born on PC, and you're saying PC World never tried Fallout? Don't make me laugh. Tim Cain did a great job on it, but the sequels really lost its touch.
FYI, not every BioWare games are good. Planescape Torment was great. KOTOR and Jade Empire are crap. But that's my opinion, and I perfectly know how highly people think of KOTOR.
So is Mass Effect any good? I don't know, but it doesn't mean you can't respect someone's opinion.
You want a really good RPG? Try Disgaea on ps2 or psp. Fun, addictive, without even the slightest use of gore (of which you seem to adore)...
As for BioWare, I do agree that not every game from them is great. Jade Empire wasn't great enough IMO and I personally don't like Neverwinter Nights but Mass Effect is seriously close to their masterpiece Baldur's Gate 2.
The reason I attacked this review is because:
1. It mostly sounds like Eurogamer's review of NWN2 that gave it 5/10 and sounded more like a rant against PC RPG and D&D rather than a review which force the site to do a re-review.
2. You said it yourself: PC World IS a PC magazine. What is it doing with a console game? Should PS3 Fanboy review Crysis and WoW? Should TeamXbox review Neverwinter Nights and Company of Heroes?
He does have a point though when he says that ME is a poor RPG in terms of the evolution of the genre. I've played it, and needless to say its good, but not great. Slowdown is rampant, the load-times are horrible, and the dialogue (not the voice acting) is campy and overproduced.
In the end its a poor RPG, but a good squad-based third person shooter. If you're looking for the next great RPG, move along, if you're looking for a solid game that is enjoyable, but not earth-shattering, then by all means pick it up.
First off, like a recent article I read through here suggested regarding Assassins Creed "There is always some reviewer looking to be 'that guy' that gives a low negative score to a great game". Well it looks like this person from PCWorld is that reviewer.
Secondly and MOST importantly imo....why should we care about what PCWorld has to say about a console game? Why are they even doing a review for a console? Are PC games hurting that bad that a PC mag is resorting to reviewing console games for readership? I just dont get it?
But I guess it really doesnt matter, because EVERY other review on this game has been saying "brilliant". So again why should we care what PCWorld has to say about the potential GOTY by many accounts?
agree + bubble
Assassins was victim of those attention seekers and now ME is victim of this stupid review. PC World reviewing a console game is wrong enough let alone the score.
Tell that to all the console oriented reviewers giving it 9's and 10's and many already claiming GOTY. Who gives a crap what a PC gaming site has to say.
Sounds to me like sour grapes. I was able to pick the game up on Sunday and got to play a few hours on it.. It's a fantastic game and I would say it's like Oblivion in space but with much better combat.
I would score it a 9.5
EDIT @5.1: Yes, maybe you missed that many stores broke the street date and since I had a pre-order I was able to pick it early. I don't know why they decided to let me pick it up early, but I'm not going to argue with it.
you have a game thats supposed to come out tomorrow? teach me magic please....unless you got it from a local game store and not a major retailer, then magic lessons wont be needed
[edit]"I was able to pick it early"
so jealous...i hate you....i have to wait and youre playin it...i hate you alot... ='[
JUST ANOTHER PIECE OG SHIET FOR THE ROBOTS....AHAHAHAHAHA
JUST ANOTHER PS3 TROLL WHO RAN OUT OF BLU-RAY MOVIES TO WATCH...AHAHAHA
Done.
http://www.gamerankings.com...
93% now and going up (from 92% first)
its from PC world..they act like they know about consoles
I wonder if this review will blow over compared to the Gamespot fiasco a few weeks ago.
a 60 out of 100. That's a low blow right there. Considering the other scores.
PCworld so desperate for games that they need to review games for CONSOLES...thats a low blow
I wish all PS3 owners could be as mature as you
I have a 360 and want MGS4 not M.E. I wish we could trade.
Now this one is trying to get the same attention and traffic by giving low score to another masterpiece.
...because I couldn't play it. Returned 2 days later. Check the UBI boards to hear the real negatives about that game.
I think the reviews WERE bullshit, when they talked about not liking the story, repetitiveness, etc., - those things are a matter of taste and should not be judged.
What all reviews failed to mentioned is that software quality of AC is on par with a community college project in programming 101 class. I have never been more disappointed or upset over a game in many years (I'm a relatively old guy)
Need to take a dump on a major 360 game because the PC gamers number is decreasing in favour of the consoles?
This is just one reviewer trying to get attention by giving a low score to a superb gam.
Now I'm really not buying this game........NOT
There probaly saying this so the PC gamers that spent 2000 on a gaming computer don't feel left out on a AAA game on a 300 system.
That both Uncharted & ME gamespot reviews are awol????
I think they are actually playing the whole game this time around before giving reviews...
:)
and wtf are these guys trying to prove? that crysis is better then Mass Effect? sure its prettier but Mass Effect has garned quite a few high scores, maybe gamespot will give ME 13/10 to compensate xD
For those of us that disagree we can move on and enjoy the game.
are just desperate to bash something that is doing well. It reminds of the sites that were bashing Super Mario Galaxy.
RPG is my favorite genre, and I have confidence in Bioware. They haven't let me down yet. KOTOR is one of my favorite RPGs ever, and Mass Effect looks to follow in its tradition. One thing is for sure, and that is Bioware has a very talented writing staff and delivers on a great story line in their games.
People should just remember that a review is usually just one person's opinion so it really isn't a big deal anyway.
Wow and these issues have been pointed out by every review, so he must be crazy right?
All reviewers have said the same exact thing about Mass Effect, they just ignored all of it and still gave it a good score.
As it stands, ME is a good game. With a ton of technical issues, and it really shows how the 360 is at the end of its run graphically. Its hardware is getting framedrops/popin/tearing/terri ble-ai for one of its most EPIC titles. The 360 clearly can't handle this game. Running down long hallways to load? Come on now.
@ Themart:
"Oh yeah right. You're saying one bad review is to be trusted more then multiple other ones with an average rating of 93% at the moment?"
Is that what I am saying? Really? Why don't you read what I said. Nevermind I'll explain it to you again...
I said PC world has said what every review has said. Why don't you actually read them versus looking at scores and run around town waving your xbot flag. PC world is getting guff because it said the same thing every other review has said... yet didnt' give it a positive outlook/score.
PCworld should be trusted? No review site should be "trusted" its just to be taken with a grain of salt.
Again, as I said before.. It really doesn't matter when this game is getting AAAAAAA'S across the board. Even with all of the technical issues and terrible AI.
ME whether you read reviews or not is going to be a good game I am sure.
But why care what PCworld says? Everyone else is giving this one AAAAAA+ even with technical screw ups.
Come on. Don't fool yourself. THere won't be 10 or 20 reviewers that would all be paid by MS and they only forgot one, do you???
http://www.gamerankings.com...
Mass effect goty
"You can tell where the design team's gameplay emphasis was, when the character models are this highly developed, and it certainly makes sense when the camera spends most of its time zoomed on chatty heads."
"Don't mistake Mass Effect for the next phase of BioWare's trademark story-driven approach. It's not, and while it's certainly a visual sight to behold, Mass Effect isn't the play-driven evolution over Knights of the Old Republic that BioWare said it would be. In an effort to simplify the gameplay and presumably engage a broader audience with an admittedly first-rate story, the system trades tactical complexity for simplified real-time combat that's as dull as the average blaster-battle looks in some B-movie equivalent. The action is endlessly interrupted. Scripted break-ins might as well be ripping the controller out of your hand, forcing you down this or that plot chute with nothing to do but react to your newfound circumstances. Even archetypically parallel developers like Square Enix know enough to include dozens of mini-games and superior tactical combat to break up the monotony of running and talking and relentless handholding."
So much for Epic story with multiple endings.
edit:
@ Guy under me
Yeah I am bored, waiting for the renderfarm to finish my frames so that I can composite them.
you seem bored AGAIN...go make a sandwich or something...
You actually make alot of sense. But, sometimes, words are better kept unsaid..
Wow your pathetic. You put so much effort into your hate it's ridiculous.
Dude will you just stfu already and quit spamming every ME thread!
Doesn't your mom have some dishes for you to wash or something???
xbots still waiting for chitbox to get back from repairs .... 33% of them
when xbots pop in this game and find out how lame it is....priceless
for everyother game in life there is ....PLAYSTATION 3
edit: keep those disagrees coming baby....and @ ps3 pwns 360...thank god it will be the only one worth tasting =)~
thats from sigma right?..you better hold on to that and cherish every moment of it because thats the only taste youll have with ninja gaiden
Get your nutz outta your mouth and try making sense. Proper grammar will only make you (impossibly) look smarter.
review I've ever read. All the guy said was that the graphics was good but everything else crap. Never ever let someone review a RPG that hates RPG! I question if this reviewer even played the game.
Its honest because its bad news right? tell your dumb ass buddies to stop spamming 360 threads with the same rehashed points. "MSFT pays reviewers" you pathetic gothic angry sub culture piss ants get worse and worse every day. Go
Does Wil4hire work for PCWorld?
I've been playing this for 5 days now - and I've gone from 'this is the best thing I've ever played' to 'OK, its seriously flawed, but still beutiful'.
I do love this title and think its clearly an 8.5 or even a 9 title.
But harsh though it is, every single thing the guy says in his review is totally true. As sublime as the converstation system is, in almost all cases it takes you to exactly the same scenario. The graphics do glitch - constantly. The game is certainly unfinished. I've literally just finsihed a confrontataion I had to restart 4 times, because the gun battle glitched so often leaving my character unable to do anything and looking like he was in 'paper mario' with the enimies too dumb to finish off my starngely contorted body and at least give me a restart option. These kind of glitches should not be present in a polished and finished title.
Was he Harsh? Yes. But anyone who has played this title for a long period of time will recognise the ring of truth in what he is saying.
I still think this game is masterful - but its a flawed master piece and people will, and should, point out the problems and issues, cause lots of people will be left cold...
When people call it as they see it, you really shouldn't act they just kicked your pet dog... :)
My post was actually very complimentary about a game I really enjoy.
Not that it should matter, but I'm actually a 44 year old game developer who's been making games for 16 years and has owned and played just about everything since gaming was invented. That includes all biowares previous efforts - Jade Empire is one of my favourite xbox 1 games.
I think its pretty obvious who a kid around here.. :)
After playing the game for 5 days, do you feel that there's alot of dialogue? I haven't got game yet, but the only thing that's worrying me from what I've read so far about the game that there is a lot of dialogue.
The gun play is servicable, but seriously flawed if you were to compare it to any FPS - seriously. Theres great deal more inventory management required too - which may put off some more action orientated gamers, but I'm comfortable with it. This game is many things, but its definately still for people who play RPG's. If you don't like this kind of narritive driven game, then you won't like it.
Dictionary mesh, dictionary, didn't mother tell you to keep up on your studies?
WEE WOOOW OWOO WWEEEE WOOOOOOOO!
Good mesh, good.
http://www.metacritic.com/g...