| Mass Effect | 
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| From: Electronic Arts
Category: Video Games
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $26.48
You Save: $3.51 (12%)
New (26) Used (7) from $23.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  193 reviews
Sales Rank: 1100
Format: Dvd-rom
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows Xp
ESRB: Mature
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 17 - 20 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: 19081
Model: 19081
UPC: 014633190816
EAN: 0014633190816
ASIN: B00140P9BA
Release Date: May 27, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 DRM makes this one another bomb October 23, 2008
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
I played a friend's copy, which he actually returned when he learned about the draconian DRM and limited licensing and installs.
Forget about buying a game like this. Apparently, it's easy enough to pirate, although I do not advocate it or do it. Aside from being free, the version you can download from a BitTorrent site isn't crippled with horrendous DRM. Yep, if you're honest, you will NOT get what you pay for. If you steal it, you'll love it. Keep in mind that Bioware actually paid a lot for this DRM that taints their game and doesn't even slow down piracy. Wow. That's just plain silly.
Until software makers finally realize that punishing paying customers isn't a good business strategy, BitTorrent and P2P sites will continue to thrive. The DRM doesn't even slow down piracy. It just reeeeally irritates the honest folks who expect to own something they pay for.
It's like buying a TV that will stop working if you move it around the room more than 3 times. Oh, and of course you can't sell the TV to anyone else. Oh, and you have to have an Internet connection to get it to turn on...every time. Oh, and it may mess up your cable box, DVD player and stereo if it thinks you are trying to repair it.
Wake up Bioware. You won't be getting any more money from me until you do.
Well, another DRM failure from them October 23, 2008
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
Here is my review on Far Cry 2. It has the same restrictive DRM structure and this game is just as much a paperweight in a few years.
"This is a review of the Product. Not the game only, but the product itself listed above.
The product installs a great game. That being said, it also installs spyware/malware onto my computer. This is the same type of software that I have paid programs to remove for years. Why would a user want to install it deliberately onto their machine?
If you buy this product, know that one day it will cease to work. I don't care if it is 6 months from now, or 10 years from now. You are not buying an actual product, you are renting it until you change your computer a total of 3 times. Considering I have 6 computers on my network alone, and I use at least 3 of those as gaming rigs, I know this would be relatively quick for me. Either way, you will most likely not be able to dig this out of the closet in 10 years and nostalgically play. You are buying a self destructing product.
The DRM on this game does not do anything to limit piracy as the company says. Spore itself was already downloaded DRM free 100k some-odd times before the game was even released. SecuROM is not a DRM scheme, as it does nothing to prevent piracy. It does everything to limit the value of the product to the legit customer and prevent them from selling it to a second party. This has been proven an illegal practice in multiple lawsuits throughout the years, however they continue to install the software on end users computers without their consent.
I am not a pirate. If I was a pirate, I would probably already be happily playing this game instead of being here writing this. Again, no pirates need to complain about DRM. They are usually busy playing the game free. "
Full of bugs, support non-existent October 22, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Oh dear, this could have been a wonderful game. But clearly it got ruined during the transfer from the console. Lots of graphic bugs, protection errors and incompatibilities with even the newest hardware with the latest drivers leaves tons of players in deep frustration. Just check the Bioware forums. I spent two days re-formatting and re-installing my PC only to run into multiple levels of software failures. No real patch for any of this in sight, plain ignorance on EA/Biowares side. Don't buy unless you have very high pain and frustration tolerance and LOTS of time to spend!
DRM Prevents ME From Buying The Game October 22, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This game uses the same horrible DRM scheme that is found on Bioshock, Far Cry 2, Crysis Warhead, Spore, Dead Space, Sacred 2, and Red Alert 3. I refuse to purchase a game that requires me to ask permission to install the game. There are several games that I own that I have had to install more than five times for various reasons. That is why I refuse to purchase a game that limits the number of times I can install the game, let alone a DRM program (like SecuRom) that could be considered a trojen horse.
As a side note, this DRM method does nothing to stop piracy. All of these games were pirated within hours of their release and in the case of some, like spore, even before their release (with the exceptions of Sacred 2 and Red Alert 3 which have not been released yet, however the developers confirmed that they would use the SecuRom activation DRM scheme). The only thing this DRM does do is prevent this game from entering the used game market.
 BioWare's best hit yet! October 18, 2008
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
Before I bought this game, I read the other reviews here: most seem to think the game is a "port" and is thus "horrible" and other similar complaints. I played my friend's XBox version for all of maybe three hours just to see if I liked it. Then I bought the PC version and have played it through 3 times.
The graphic engine in this game is amazing. It's almost photographic... and the NPCs reactions (facial and gestural) seem almost natural.
This game is wonderful! It features full facial customization for your character (male or female) and you can even set up nine different history/mentality combinations that will effect how some NPCs react to you, and will give you an extra mission depending on what you choose. You can also choose from six different character classes that focus on combat abilities, biotic "magic" abilities, and tech abilities, and any combination of two of those.
The conversation is different than any other BioWare (I've played) all of your (CDR Shepard's) lines are fully voice-scripted as well. When it's your turn to choose what CDR Shepard says, there is a dialogue wheel at the bottom. There you can choose from up to six "snippets" of a few words that CDR Shepard will expand into full sentances. If you click early, CDR Shepard will deliver his/her line at the "dramatically appropriate" time. It's sweet. You can even put points into "Charm" or "Intimidate" to add more dialogue options, and points open up as you become closer to mastering "Paragon" (light) or "Renegade" (dark) respectively.
The game-play itself is similar to a 3rd Person shooter. But apart from games like "HALO", Mass Effect still uses an RPG level system. By putting points into a specific weapon or power skill, it improves the odds that you'll hit your enemy, and you'll do more damage. (It's very smilar in that regards to Jade Empire, if you've played it.)
The one thing I didn't like was that the plot aspect of the game was entirely too short. This was made up for, however, by the 30+ optional worlds you could travel to for subplots.
And make absolutely sure to download the FREE Bring Down the Sky expansion pack from bioware.com (or click Downloadable Content from the Splash Screen). It gives an extra 2-3 hours of gameplay, and an entirely new species of alien.
Will you finally bring peace to the galaxy? Will you force domination upon all other species? Or will all organic life be utterly destroyed. The choice is yours in Mass Effect.
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