It's not too often I sit down at my computer at 3 am to type up my opinions on a game I just completed.  Still I feel compelled to get this written since I know I can't go to bed right now because I'm just too excited.  Now I have to admit I wasn't that interested in this game when it came out mostly because I don't consider myself a hardcore RPG fan.  Dialog trees tend to get me a little too worried about picking the right answer but I do enjoy action games with RPG elements.  Since I'm a sci-fi fan and enjoy a good shooter (combat is Gears of War style over the shoulder view) I decided I would give Mass Effect a try and I'm glad I did.

The game's story is a mix of Babylon 5, Star Wars and Star Trek where you have a human alliance dealing with some not so friendly alien species and a tough captain that explores the galaxy and has some bionics that really act a lot like Jedi powers.  Your job is simple, track down a rogue agent and save the universe.  In RPGs the story is almost as important as the game play so it's a good thing Mass Effect has a great story with many interesting characters.

Another big element in RPGs is how long is the main quest and how good are the side quests.  The main storyline in Mass Effect allows you to hit the major quest points in any order.  By allowing you to pick which one to do first it gives you the freedom to pick up side quests at your leisure or you can blow through the main quest without doing any side missions.  I took the middle route and completed the game in 17 hours.  Early on I did several side quests but ended up just following the main quest lines towards the end. 

The main reason I tended to avoid the side quests was there is a very distinct level of enjoyment between the main quest and the side quests.  Often on side quests all you did was drive around in your tank and kill a few attackers and explore some empty lab.  On one occasion the side quest didn't even work. I landed on the planet and found the outpost but the next goal never became available.  Often when you explore a planet or have any on planet traveling you use the Mako(think Brady assault vehicle).  Driving the Mako was not enjoyable since the controls are horrible and the weapon aiming is a bit off.  It really required too much precision to hit a ground troop.  I hated it every time I got into the Mako.

Still there is a lot of meat to this game and someone who is interested in spending 40 hours in the game surely can.  There are several achievements that reward the player for taking a second trip into Mass Effect.  Several situations only present themselves to those that are willing to take a slow approach to the game.  For instance I never experienced the controversial sex scene in the game.  I did not take the time to cultivate the relationships within the game until it was too late.

The game was not without flaws but for the most part they were tolerable.  Since the game uses the Gears of War engine there was texture popping like crazy.  It really did take away from the game play because textures would load late and towards the end I found I paid more attention waiting for the textures to load than what the characters were saying.  Still there is a point in this game where the story clicks and the game becomes a pleasure to play.  I didn't care too much for the first ten hours but once I hit that magic moment I was hooked.

Overall Mass Effect is a very fun RPG for the Xbox 360 and is scheduled to be a trilogy on the console.  It's a short enough length that anyone can pick it up and not feel like they have to dedicate a month to playing the game.  Really if you enjoy a good Sci-fi story and like over the shoulder combat you should have some fun.  The game does have a lot of dialog but there is plenty of action to keep you happy. This game is definitely a must play for any avid Xbox 360 gamer.