Mass Effect 1,2 & 3 -- Action (RPGs?) made by BioWare (ME3 Spoilers Hidden!)

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Yup, thats right! The creators of our beloved KOTOR 1 game is back at it again this time taking a spin on the 360. Mass Effect, the new Action RPG game set in the 23rd Century is promised to bring us the same love and joy we have experienced with KOTOR and Jade Empire.

Here is the official Site

Discuss....

Unlocking for DFA.

 

All things being equal, I'd rather they just gave me Dragon Age. It's not so much that I don't have any interest in it at all. I'll probably get it eventually. But if "eventually" means five years from now, I'm not too concerned. But I want Dragon Age as soon as it's humanly possible to release it as the awesome game it looks like.

 

That looked like a cross between a Halo grunt and those ancient aliens from the fifth element.

 

This will be awesome.

 

Yes it will indeed and I can't wait to play this at E3 next year, assuming that it won't be out by then and that there will be a playable demo.

The fact that this is made by Bioware as well (Without LucasArts looking over their shoulders) also gives me some warm pleasure seeing how Microsoft is Publishing the title.

As for the core story, we don't know that yet. Also as for the tentative release date, we don't know that either but I can say that it would probably be here sometime late 2006 or early 2007.

Also considering that this is made by Bioware, the creators of KOTOR/Jade Empire. I wonder if there will be a Bad Side/Good Side type of story. You guys know what I mean, or will it just be 1 linear story with you not being able to "choose your side".

 

if it's an rpg, i'd imagine there'd be as much choice as there was with kotor, neverwinter nights, and all the rest of them...

 

Lets just hope. This game is going to be something that I'm going to follow for some time.

 

i can't think of any stinker they've made...

nothing comes to my mind as having got less than 7 on gamespot or IGN, so the media support has always been encouraging.

bioware unrushed can do little wrong in my book, i want a modernised fallout game though... i used to hate turn based stuff, but with kotor, NWN (to an extent, due to its D&D rules), and Fallout 2 changed my mind

 

If Microsoft is publishing this, it will be years before it gets to PC!

 

This is seriously one of the most ambitious projects I've heard of in my long career of gaming. Announcing it as a trilogy right off the bat is pretty large - but I know they'll do it, and do it good.

 

Its announced as a start of a trilogy? Where did you read that? Link? lol

 

And the fact sheet:

Title: "Mass Effect"
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: BioWare Corp.
Format: DVD for the Xbox 360 video game system
ESRB Rating: Pending
Availability: TBD
Pricing: TBD
Product Overview:
"Mass Effect" is a science fiction action-RPG created by BioWare Corp., the commercially and critically acclaimed RPG developer of "Jade Empire," "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," "Neverwinter Nights," and the "Baldur's Gate" series. "Mass Effect" will deliver an immersive story driven gameplay experience with stunning visual fidelity. Published by Microsoft Game Studios, "Mass Effect" will be exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game system.

As the first human Specter - sworn defenders of galactic peace - your mission is to halt the advancing armies of a legendary agent gone rogue. But as you lead your elite team across hostile alien worlds, you will discover the true threat is far greater than anyone imagined.

Key Features:

* Immersive RPG: Determine the fate of mankind as you lead an elite tactical strike force as an epic galaxy-wide conflict unfolds. "Mass Effect" will take the player into new depths of an action-roleplaying game, with choice-based gameplay.
* Rich and engaging storyline: While defending galactic peace and earning a position of respect for humanity in the community, gamers will discover that a greater conflict between organic life and artificial intelligence exists. Players' decisions and actions will serve to shape the destiny of all life in the galaxy as you become absorbed in the story that is "Mass Effect," the first game in an epic trilogy from BioWare. They will become the center of an engrossing story as they battle against alien life forms to save the galaxy from threatening armies.
* Player controls the ultimate fate of the galaxy: The player's decisions and actions will serve to shape the destiny of all life in the galaxy, while raising humanity to the pinnacle of galactic civilization via noble means or via tyranny.
* Real-time squad based combat: "Mass Effect" employs a real-time, squad based, tactical combat system. Players will be immersed in intense, challenging and exciting combat.
* Explore uncharted worlds: In addition to the main story arc of the game, players will be able to visit a large number of uncharted, unexplored planets which are not directly tied to the main story. At any time during the campaign, a player can choose to explore one of these planets in an all-terrain rover in order to discover new alien life, resources, ruined civilizations and powerful technologies.
* Digital actors: "Mass Effect" features a huge cast of in-engine digital actors that you will encounter as NPCs, enemies or as party members. Each will have life-like facial and body movements, and an advanced dialogue system will give them engaging personalities.
* Character customization: Players will be able to choose from a variety of stunning, photo-realistic character appearances at the start of the game, and throughout the game can increase various statistics which will have an impact on their performance during gameplay. Equipment, weapons and armor that are acquired during the course of the story will change the appearance of the characters.
* Next-generation gaming defined: "Mass Effect" takes advantage of Xbox 360's hardware providing gamers with exciting new experiences, including photo-realistic,

 

Then you really are right Pooja and I agree with you. I mean .//hack was announced as a quadrilogy right off the bat, but it never reached a scale of epicness and they came out like 3 months after each other. Mass Effect seems like this is really going to be revolutionary.

Thanks for the info man and I hope many others gathers to this thread to discuss this game.

 

No problem. I love it when developers are confident in themselves like this. Bioware is no slouch either. They'll deliver.

 

If its a trilogy, then I'm starting to believe that maybe they're simultaneously working on all 3 games right now. Do you believe that to be a possiblity?

Sort of like how the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy was conducted. So maybe we'll see this game in Fall 2006. With the 2nd coming in Fall 2007, and 3rd coming Fall 2008.

 

Perhaps. This sounds like a massive project so I'm sure they're at least working on some aspects of it simultaneously.

 

Here is the IGN: Behind Closed Doors Preview. I'm going to read it as soon as I get home.

 

"As to which systems it will be on, BioWare was diplomatic. "Right now the game is on 360, but you know, Microsoft is a very PC-centric company. I don't know what will happen in the future, but for right now, it's just Xbox 360." Many years in the videogame industry lead me to think that this answer, while purposefully vague, means there very well might be a PC version just around the corner. Don't be surprised if the PC version comes out sometime well after the Xbox 360 version."

That looks better than I expected.

 

The only downfall is that we won't be seeing this game for some while now. The tenative release date is around a year from now or a year & a half from now. So we could be seeing Mass Effect in our homes November/December 2006, or late Spring 2007.

 

I've planned to hold off buying a 360 until at least one price drop. Considering that none of the launch titles beside Perfect Dark Zero peak my interest (and that's questionable), the second half of the 360's launch year, and the second year are looking better and better with Gears of War, Halo 3 (presumably), Too Human, and now here with Mass Effect. Perhaps good things do come to those who wait.

 

In addition to a three part series which will span the life of the console, there will also be additional game play on XBOX live that will fill in the gaps between chapters. Basically, in order to be completely up on what's transpired between part 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, you'll need a live subscription. What a great idea to keep you interested until the new installment. I can't wait for this game. The trailer, although sparse, is awesome. I was flip flopping on getting the 360 and this game just sold me.

 

Well I was always going to get a 360. Not at launch, but later on down the road. However it was this game that made the 360 a must have for me whichs accounts for a lot because games like Halo 3 didn't do that for me.

 

I should probably clarify that I was always going to get a 360, the question was really when. Titles like these make me want it now. Although I know it's sacrilige to say so, but Halo 'the game' never did it for me. However, Halo on XBOX live is awesome. In fact, XBOX LIVE is the main reason I'm going with the 360. It boggles my mind that Playstation has yet to announce (or at least hint at) it's on line strategy. Especially when they've seen the success of XBOX Live. When I purchased the original XBOX on it's release date my friends were skeptical and I told them then, what I'll tell you all now, "Don't bet against Bill Gates."


BTW Lord Draco- You have a lot of great posts keep them coming!

 

Looks amazing. I hope they can make it a bit longer than Jade Empire, great though that game was.

 

I cannot wait. Gives me a Reason to buy a 360.