Dec 12 2006, 11:32 AM, updated 19y ago
Mass Effect is an action role-playing game under development by BioWare exclusively for the Xbox 360. It is scheduled for release in Q1 2007[1] and it will be the first installment of a planned trilogy. The game takes place in the year 2183, the player character an elite human soldier named Commander Shepard. The story revolves around an ancient alien prophecy stating that, every fifty thousand years, machines come to the galaxy to harvest all organic life, and the time of their return is approaching. As the first human Spectre - sworn defenders of galactic peace - Shepard's mission is to halt the advancing armies of a legendary agent gone rogue. Shepard will lead an elite team across hostile alien worlds and discover that the true threat is far greater than anyone imagined.
One of Mass Effect's unique gameplay elements involves its conversation system. Previous Bioware console titles such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire employed a conversation system where the player chose from several responses after non-player characters had finished speaking. Mass Effect introduces a new system in which responses to non-player characters are displayed and can be chosen from before the non-player character has finished speaking. This allows for more fluid and natural conversations, which gives character interaction a cinematic quality.
In combat, you'll be able to switch between all of the characters under your control on the fly, and we're told that the artificial intelligence of those accompanying you won't disappoint. However, you'll have the option to give them simple commands using the directional pad and even to issue more complex orders by pausing the game and using a Full Spectrum Warrior-style interface. The whole screen gets a yellow tint when you pause the game in this fashion--it's overlaid with a tactical-looking grid--and your colleagues are represented by 2D icons that almost look like chess pieces. Using this interface, you can tell the other characters where you'd like them to go (behind cover, for example) and which of their abilities or special powers you'd like them to use. It's an interesting control mechanic and one that promises to afford you a far greater degree of control over your allies than most.[5] The abilities and special powers that your characters have at their disposal will be determined by the skill sets you assigned them at the start of the game and how you've been spending your experience points since then. Some of the more memorable powers that we got to see in action on this occasion included a telekinetic "lift" that could be used to pick up objects and enemies, and a tech ability that let our alien friend drop the shields on a large, four-legged mechanical boss. We also got to see a couple of the game's numerous weapon modifications put to good use--namely an incinerator upgrade that set fire to enemies and a vaporizer add-on that made them disappear completely
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X06 Demo Walktrough
Note:This game uses the Unreal 3 graphics engine,the same graphics engine used in Gears of War.
Sorry about the big pictures.Didnt have time to down size.
This post has been edited by double_agent: Nov 21 2007, 05:07 PM
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it'll be quite a while tho b4 we get to actually play the game...really love how Bioware implemented an entire freakin universe as a map... 
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