Mass Effect: USA Today Review (8/10)

"Mass Effect' sets the course for future thrillers," Brett Molina writes for USA Today. His verdict:

"If you can get past the deficiencies on the battlefield, you'll find a bold RPG in Mass Effect. It's been a long time since the plot of a video game has been so engaging. Hopefully, it isn't the last."

Score: 8 stars (out of 10)

[Blankman]

i hate it when non game authorities review games. They dnt review all games they jst review the few they feel like that jst annoys me

[power of Green]

Actually some of the best action in any Graw like 3rd person shooter ever. You're looking for flaws to complain about givng this game an 8. You have to be fast and accurate this game isnt going to help you win.

Reviews no longer matter just play it

Its an *Jack of all trades* except its the "master of some" instead of none.

Guy is smoking crack its fun as hell to me and hard.

EDIT:

@wil.

I don't agree with you at all, never will!. I was playfully giving th reviewer sh*t. I know this game is AAA like what Peg was saying.

When I play this game I just laugh at scores of 8's and even 9's no game can really match it, anybody that ownes it knows better.

[wil4hire]

Reviews are all BS.

Reviews are about driving traffic to websites. Especially whores like Gamespot.

These reviewers look like total losers, yet they control thousands online if not millions emotions about consoles/games.

After I saw that one douchebag on IGN it was a huge reality check.

Some fat greasy ass-hat is sitting behind a computer giggling at how he is going to give mass effect an 8.5 and start a riot on the forums, to drive even more traffic.

Its irritating.

I am glad its finally happening to 360 fans, before it was just PS3 complaints, but now you see exactly what we are talking about.

[ktchong]

Mass Effect is getting 93% at MetaCritic and 94% at GameRanking.

Which PS3 exclusive has gotten 93%, 94% or at least 90% at MetaCritic or GameRanking?

Heck, even BioShock, Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 has gotten 80% and even 70%... but their overall scores at MetaCritic and GameRanking are spectacular, just like Mass Effect.

Individual reviews could be biased. However, when meta-sites like Metacritic and GameRanking group all the reviews together and average all the review scores, then all individual biases (some for, some against; some likes, some dislikes) cancel/balance out each other, and we get a good, solid, objective score.

Only morons look at individual reviews. You want a fair evaluation, go to Metacritic and GameRanking and get the meta-scores.

[wil4hire]

Then the war must continue!!!!!!

lol.

@ The Round Peg.

Uhm, Im glad that you live your life by gameranking metasites, but people who are going to buy the game, will just google the game/review and read those reviews.

I really really hate to break it to you but those sites are very low on traffic. No one outside of fanboys frequent them, and we aren't potential minds that are going to be influenced by an average of a score. Yes they are fun to see an average, but what does that mean at the end of the day? They are both in the 4k range.

Sites like IGN/Gamespot are in the 100's. Considering google is #1, you can imagine where 4000 lies. More Eyeballs are going to see Mass Effect's 8.5 review and 9.5 review than will ever see a metaranked site, now.. does that take away from the fact that Gamespot gave the game praise? No. A good review is a good review, you cant average them because some people overlook the fact that Mass Effect has stuttering loading as well as bad AI, and others don't. So how can an average be anything close to accurate?

Also, as far as reliability.. Count the # of reviews for said xbox titles, then subtract the number of xbox-fan-sites(example: OXM). Do the same for the ps3, now you have your true averaged scores. Tack on the rest of the scores as well from the web that you can find. GameRankings makes sure the site has 300 reviews, Metacritic.. not so much.

www.alexa.com for site traffic. There are tons of sites that measure traffic, so don't just use this one source.

Enjoy.

@ The both of you.

Game Reviews are trash that some fat guy writes to make himself feel better online. They don't prevent anyone from buying the game, especially when their sites aren't even ranked high enough to be googled.(Ign,Gamespot, etc aren't clearly in this group, they actually have a business to run)

I figured we could all agree on the fact that this is true, but once again.. some how we have managed to get into an argument about how unimportant websites that generate absolutely abysmal traffic are.

I mean we are f`ing gamers, why the heck are we arguing over this in the first place. I know its like we are Rival Football teams or something, but even that is wearing thin because the 360 has good games as well as the PS3.

Uncharted has great reviews, Next Generation Magazine recommends it and Ratchet to buy this holiday. IGN has praised it etc. So I guess the question is, what does it matter?

I for one just blew I dont know how much money on:

Uncharted
Guitar Hero
Cod4
Ratchet
Ass. Creed

They are all going to keep me entertained, and thats why I bought them. I am sure I could enjoy Mass Effect, could you enjoy Uncharted? If so, then whats the problem?

I buy games because they look cool and the videos look cool. I read reviews just for fun.

I cant continue being a fanboy because I am not blind like you two are. I cant just blindly back the PS3 just because its a PS3, and hate everything that the 360 stands for, just because. I feel like im not a true fanboy.

F this fanboy stuff.. I resign lol.

You guys continue the war, its still fun to watch. I just cant stand it when you are so blind you cant even agree that reviews are bs to begin with and not scripture. I know its all show, I love pissing people off on the threads and all that, you cant honestly believe now in november of 07 that the ps3 isn't capable of making good games. If you do, why am I even talking to you.

edit:

usatoday is ranked 996. More people will see this article, than will ever see gamerankings/metacritic.

[ktchong]

has ONE comment, don't you?

When Activision and Electronic Arts announced their acquisitions and quarterly reports, they both quoted scores from Metacritic to reflect the strengths of their studios.

Study after study has proven that review scores -- at Metacritic and GameRanking -- does reflect sales.

Publishers and studios are now using Metacritic scores to determine employee bonuses.

Movie studios like Warner now refuses to license their movie to game developers whose games got lower than average 80% at Metacritic.

Activision only acquires studios whose games score at least 85% average at Metacritic.

If you think Metacritic does not matter, you're delusional.

FYI, that USA Today review of Mass Effect has only gotten ONE comment - that's how much hit it has gotten. Also, USA Today gave Uncharted 8/10 as well.

[ktchong]

According to YOUR source, Alexa:

comparing the hits between USA Today's Mass Effect review, GameRanking's Mass Effect page, and MetaCritic's Mass Effect page...

http://www.alexa.com/data/d...

GameRanking's Mass Effect page, which gives the game a 94%, actually gets more hit than USA today's review of Mass Effect.

So you're PWNED.

[giovonni]

I got it yesterday, and I gave it a nine right now, and all I did was play the first level. I didn't find a problem with any of the battles, I think the editor doesn't really know how to play. The learning curve was quick and easy, easier then gears of war. This by far is the best game I've played for the 360 this year.

[Vip3r]

"Reviews no longer matter just play it"

When Bioshock and Halo 3 came out all we got was how many good reviews they got but now when Mass Effect fails to meet hype it doesn't matter.
Fanboys will never change.

[power of Green]

I'm currently on the rocky mining world looking for the the fugitives 2nd in comands daughter and the world has stellar/stunning textures and detail looks better then gow thus far atleast on that world it does.

[InMyOpinion]

I dare to say it's the best game I have played for the last ten years. I wonder if the reviewers are playing the same game?

[mesh1]

this is a none artical these guys are not involed in the gameindustry at all and seem to crawl out the wood work when microsft releases A 1ST party exclusive HALO 3 (pc world lamo
) mass effect(this lamo) when we all know this game is devouring the reviews and getting 10/10 from all directions and also thse guys u think they put 10hrs into this game before thsi review HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ofc they didnt its a new media company they shud stick with new around the world

[KDash]

so i guess there is no AAA-Title for xbox360 this holiday after all...

[vloeistof]

well well

[THE TERMINATOR]

8 out of 10 seems right for this game

[mesh1]

u seem right for the sonylooneyhouse also

[mesh1]

guys why is any 360 fan posting on this review hahaha if this si the worst review mass efect gets from a newspaper group then do i care ?? GO CHECK THE BIOWARE FORUMS and belive u me there were a lot of haters of thsi game there now they got it even BG2FANS are amaed with thsi game so trolls go get some deserved sleep ok?

[ilkercruiser]

Play and see,
i can count you many game , got 8 and 1000x worse than this game.
Deserves 95+

BioWare Rulez!
Ever heard of? BioWare they never made a game below %85

[Silver Bull3t]

Even though this is USA today and they really have no room to speak on reviewing a game imo, pointing out problems with ME1 will only help make ME2 and 3 better titles. Hopefully these issues can be resolved in the upcoming sequels. Since all the game assets are already created, theey SHOULD be able to spend more time ironing out these issues. A little criticism is fine if it's constructive.

The review by that tool at PC world Matt Peckham was rather scathing, He seemed determined to point out any and all possible flaws with the game (maybe out of honesty, and maybe out of needing site traffic :). I'm not a fan of his sensationalism, but I am using his observations as a guide for when I get a hold of my copy in December.
http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/...