Oh Shepard, my Shepard
Some games have an uncanny way of holding up to the test of time and remaining great games. Super Mario Bros, a Link to the Past, the original Halo; all these games are among those who's quality does not age. With the imminent release of Mass Effect 2 before us, I felt it was prudent to revisit the original game and see how it holds up.
The game's replayability was the easiest part to analyze, since it could easily be judged based upon whether or not I continued playing the game. On this basis? Easily one of the most replay-able games I've ever owned. Six classes, multiple specializations, and the limitless allocation of skill points allows for a unique game experience each playthrough. The diversity of the squad members adds to this, creating layers of story that can keep you engrossed across multiple revisits. On it's own, the plot would be tailored enough for two or three playthroughs; with the expansive universe in addition to the main questline, it quadruples the value of this game.
The dialog wheel system was a fantastic breakthrough in conversation decision-making for RPGs. That being said, it is not without it's faults. The ability to skip dialog sequences (with the X button) is nice, but oftentimes it leads to mistaken dialog choices. Likewise, an inherent flaw with any system involving the rotation of the control stick is the chance of rotating too far (or not far enough), thus changing your decision.
The inventory system in the game has been talked to death, and has obvious flaws. The 150 item limit can quickly be reached, and the sorting system is inherently flawed. That being said, the scaling of the loot is paced well enough that you can keep yourself fitted with level-appropriate gear just from drops for the majority of the game. If you have the cash, specialized SPECTRE gear makes the higher difficulties significantly easier to get through.
Since the release of the original game, Mass Effect has seen two DLC packs opened up. The first, Bringing Down The Sky, was a story-driven pack that gave players a little more extra content to work through, as well as increase the breadth of their knowledge about the alien Batarian Race. The second pack of DLC, Pinnacle Station, was centered around combat sequences. This pack leaves something to be desired, as while Mass Effect's combat system was by no means bad, it was not a draw point for the game. Pinnacle Station provides good areas for grinding levels out, but little else.
DLC flaws aside, Mass Effect remains the best 360-exclusive RPG available, and perhaps one of the best RPGs available across the market. Two years later, it's replayability has not only lasted me through an entire playthrough, but sucked me in enough to plan two or more playthroughs prior to the release of the sequel. At it's current price of ~$20 CND, and with the ability to carry over your Shepard from ME1 to ME2, there is no reason you should not own this game
