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No More SecuROM No More Crazy Activation. Hooray!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 69
Date: May 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Bioware has listened to their fans and perhaps the previous bad reviews from people who do not own this awesome game need to be deleted. Plain and simple Mass Effect is being loved by every review site.

Kotaku.com had an interview with Bioware and activation has changed so stop whining!

Q: What is the difference between the old PC disc authentication solution and the new online model?

A: Two things have changed:

* First, authentication of discs has now gone from the physical format to the online format, freeing the need for consumers to have a disc in the drive at all times.

* Second, with online authentication consumers now connect to the Internet the first time the game is launched and are required only to reconnect if they are downloading new game content.

Q: Will EA or BioWare take any personal information from my computer during an authentication?

A: Absolutely not. We do not take any personal information from your computer. The system simply verifies that a valid CD key has been provided and assigns that activation to that PC.

Q: What happens when I've reached the maximum # of computers for my game and I need more, say due to theft of computer, computer crashes, etc?

A: EA customer service is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting customer support.

Q: Why are BioWare and EA implementing this new authentication process?

A: This serves to protect our software from piracy. It has the added benefit of allowing consumers to activate the game on multiple machines without needing the DVD in the drive when playing the game.

Q: Did BioWare and EA change their mind on requiring that the game be re-authorized every 10 days?

A: BioWare has always listened very closely to its fans and we made this decision to ensure we are delivering the best possible experience to them. To all the fans including our many friends in the armed services and internationally who expressed concerns that they would not be able re-authenticate as often as required, EA and BioWare want you to know that your feedback is important to us.

Q: If the game isn't going to require an authentication every 10 days, will it ever require re-authentication?

A: Only if the player chooses to download new game content.

All the other reviewers are idiots

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 77
Date: May 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The game just came out the other reviewers wrote reviews before the game was even out and all the security stuff has since been removed amazon should remove these reviews

GOTY 2007 Reborn on PC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 45
Date: June 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This truly is one of the greatest games of this generation. The dialogue is fantastic, the story is compelling, it's a visual masterpiece, and the controls have been optimized for the PC. Simply put this is a must-own game. The synthetic soundtrack is awesome. That's the adjective I keep coming back to when I think of this game, awesome. Most of the gripes I had about the 360 version have been repaired for the PC version. Most notably the texture pop, which is almost non-existant now. Assuming you have a current PC, this is a game you should not go another day without.

The game does have minor stability issues, however, but those can be patched. It's rediculous to see its average review as low as it is, because the game is technically superior to the 360 version in every way.

Amazon should remove the BS reviews complaining about DRM, which is NO PROBLEM. It disgusts me to see how there's a mini-movement against EA and Mass Effect, particularly when many of these people are probably avid pirates of one form or another. It isn't the best anti-piracy measures by any means, but they are entitles to try to protect what's theirs any way they can.

One of the best games to hit the PC in years.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 37
Date: June 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'll start off bluntly: people are overreacting to the DRM. You're allowed 3 activations and if you need more than that, you can call EA customer support and explain your situation. Given what a PR disaster the DRM has been, I doubt they'll be anything but accommodating. Moreover, after a certain amount of time activations will automatically free up for you to use. The online activation was, for me, completely unnoticed. I had the game installed and running well faster than most other PC games.

Tragically overshadowed by the DRM is one of the greatest games to hit the PC in years. Anyone who loved Knights of the Old Republic or Jade Empire will be in heaven when playing Mass Effect. There is something in this game for everyone, and I cannot praise it enough. I wholeheartedly recommend you stop reading now and buy it. If you need more proof, read on.

Visuals/performance: My system consists of an AMD 6400+, an 8800 GTS 640 MB, and 2 gigs of RAM, using the 175.12 drivers. Not the best system, but far from the worst. Throughout the entire game performance exceeded 60 FPS with settings maxed at 1680 x 1050, with 8X CSAA. Bioware truly did a great job optimizing the game for PC and for choosing when to minimize and maximize details.

(If you're experiencing performance problems on decent systems, make sure you have the latest video and audio drivers, along with the latest version of direct X. This game is exceptionally stable and well-performing-- if not, odds are the problem is on your end.)

The graphics are certainly above average. Character models and faces look nearly as good as those in Crysis, and for the most part the environment textures are pretty good. You will, sadly, see some extremely low poly trees off in the distance, or perhaps a low-resolution background texture. Thankfully, These weaknesses are hidden by liberal use of depth of field, motion blur, and bloom effects. In short, the game does a great job of choosing where to spend your system's power. The end result is a game that is absolutely beautiful with amazing performance.

Unlike most recent PC games, I experienced NO random crashes or glitches while playing, even with overclocks. It's worth noting that there is a "film grain" effect that is on by default. It makes the game look somewhat more like a movie, but I personally hated it. I've noticed some other reviewers complaining about the "grainy, ugly, textures". Odds are they just didn't figure out how to disable "film grain" under video settings.

The gameplay is immensely fun and satisfying. You get a pretty standard set of weapons: a pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, and sniper rifle. All are useful and enjoyable; I was particularly a fan of the sniper rifle. The cover system is very similar to Gears of War, minus all the crazy dodging: you can take cover against a wall, rock, etc, and then shoot out around it. Simple, but fun. I turned the aim assist completely off, and I was impressed at how good Mass Effect was at being a shooter. Usually when RPG and shooter mix, both are weakened; in Mass Effect, I found the opposite. For RPG-fans who may not be as keen to shooters, you can turn the aim assist all the way up and hardly have to worry about aiming.

The RPG aspects, in my opinion, are very well developed. Instead of using a more standard RPG system (Fortitude, Strength, Endurance...), you get a simple chart featuring each skill or ability that you can level up. Everything is explained in detail, and it is a very simple system. I imagine those who are new to RPGs would have no problem with it, while there is still tons of depth for those of us who are keen to it.

The story is simply amazing. It lives up to its label as a "science-fiction epic". The dialogue system is the best ever created, hands down, and keeps you paying more attention to the story, the characters, and your own choices than you have ever before. I obviously can't go into too much detail, but rest assured that it is at least as good as the first Knights of the Old Republic.

Morality choices have been popular for a while now, but BioWare makes things a bit more serious. You are given choices that have no clear good or bad choice-- I actually had to stop a few times and think about what I was going to do. Other times, of course, there is a good thing to do, and a bad thing to do-- as there should be. There is black and white, but more importantly, there is gray. The ending, I will say, is not a cliffhanger or some other garbage. It is well done in the way that A New Hope is well done. It leaves room for the sequels, but does not set it up frustratingly (like Crysis, for example, or BioShock).

The people moaning that this is "an obvious port" are looking for an excuse to complain. I can honestly say that I don't think this game would be any different had it been designed exclusively for PC. It takes a bit to get used to because it is a very unique game, but the UI is great for PC, and you have all the settings and video options you would expect. It performs and looks very good... people will just complain about anything. Bioware is already working on a patch, preparing to provide us with free downloadable content, and promising to support this game for years to come like they've done with all of their games in the past (Neverwinter nights is getting a new patch soon and its 6 years old. Have some faith in a great developer!). This is a better PC game than most that are developed exclusively for PC. The UI adjustments, ability to select hot keys, and improved squad management and inventory really make this a better game than the 360 version, and a game suited perfectly to the PC.

Now I will briefly describe the things that kept this game from being absolutely perfect. These issues are small, and honestly did not make the game any worse while playing-- just minor things that I'd like to see corrected via patches. 1) It took a bit of a hassle to set up hot-keys other than 1-8, which I prefer to keep my weapons on. 2) I'd like to be able to use WASD and the mouse on the galaxy map; not just the mouse. 3) We can already select anisotropic filtering, but allow us to change it from the default of 4. We already can by going into the config file (my documents/bioware/masseffect/bioengine.cfg) same goes for trilinear filtering. 4) an option to automatically equip Shephard and the squad with the best weapons/mods available for those that don't feel like worrying about the RPG aspects. 5) The Mako has some terrible physics. doesn't really detract from gameplay, but its a bit funny to watch. 6) Self-shadowing is a bit blocky. I'd like an option to disable self-shadowing and only leave other dynamic shadows, along with an option to increase shadow-filtering quality to get rid of blockiness. You can also already do this by editing config files.

The last major reason to buy this game, I'd argue, is the replayability. There are 3 very different classes in Mass Effect-- the soldier, tech specialist, and biotic, and 3 classes that offer a mixture of each. Every one offers a totally different experience. More over, various achievements you unlock allow you to start the game with different skills than would normally be allowed. For example, if you get 150 kills with a sniper rifle, you get an achievement. You can then start a game with a character that wouldn't normally be able to use a sniper rifle and unlock the ability. This applies to all sorts of skills and talents, along with armor and weapons. You can also choose to replay the game with a character you already beat the game with, allowing you to keep your equipment, skills, and levels. Enemies will be scaled to your difficulty, allowing you to keep playing with a particularly fun character, or to take one to the max level of 60. Mass Effect is an extremely replayable game. With the first set of downloadable content coming out for free soon, and other content coming later (and the promise of continued support and updates from BioWare), the deal is only getting better.

I'll say it one last time: this is a game that you should buy, play, and love. If you let some silly DRM sway you, or a bunch of idiots who reviewed the game without playing it themselves: your loss.

What is up with these reviews?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 59
Date: June 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'm a 30-year-old PC gamer who has been playing PC games since the early 80s all the way back with the "IBM PCjr" desktop. I've seen my fair share of horrible games loaded with bugs and this game simply isn't one of them. Mass Effect isn't the absolute greatest game ever, the UI could be better and some of the dialog options don't seem to work the way they should, but I've had absolutely ZERO major technical problems with this game.

The DRM issue stinks, but that's hardly an issue for 99 percent of gamers ... unless you plan to pirate the game. Even if you couldn't call EA support to install the game more than 3 times (which you can) by the time I need to install this game more than 3 times it will be on sale for less than $15 in the bargain bin.

I had absolutely no problems with installation and the only people who I've personally dealt with who had problems either have weak desktops or no internet connection. It's 2008 for crying out loud!!! If you don't have internet access on your desktop then you don't need to be wasting your time playing games ... you need to get some internet service.

I have a relatively weak AMD processor, Nvidia 8600GT 512MB DDR3 card, and 4GB of system RAM and a 7200RPM HDD. My system runs this game flawlessly. Serious gamers should have even better configurations than what I'm using. I consider my desktop config to be the "minimum" for semi-regular PC gaming in 2008.

The people who are complaining about this game are either just annoyed about the DRM or are incompetent and have computers with weak specs that can't possibly play this game. Don't buy new PC games with relatively advanced 3D graphics if you can't afford a good graphics card and acceptable system specs. A $500 desktop with a weak graphics card isn't going to play this game at remotely acceptable levels. That's not a problem with this game ... that's just REALITY for all PC gaming.

Go play "Rise of Nations" at 640x480 resolution if you want to play a PC game on your weak desktop with a $50 graphics card. If your parents can't afford a gaming rig then you need to get a job and buy a real desktop. Quit complaining about a great game.

Great game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 44
Date: May 31, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Warning: I am not going to give the game 1 star because of the copy protection, which denies the credit Bioware deserves. I hope Amazon gets rid of these pathetic reviews that are not based on the game content what-so-ever. The copy protection is not as extreme as people reviewing this are leading you to believe. It may not be as convenient as we all wish it should be but it is not a disaster, it is not destroying peoples computers, it is not making the game unplayable, etc. If you don't buy this game because of this reason, it is your loss, for you are truly missing out on a masterpiece.

Review: Got this game the day it was released on the PC. I was sad when it was released and just came out for the 360 for I was really looking forward to a sci-fi RPG. Then a few months back I realized it was coming out for the PC and was quite excited. I have played through the first few hours and I have enjoyed immensely. The writing is witty and brilliant, the characters are emotional. I am sure it only gets better as my play goes on, and the story can change many times you play it by the decisions you make. Get this, a must have for playing during some upcoming lazy summer days!

Another Bioware Masterpiece

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 44
Date: June 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Mass Effect is yet another Bioware masterpiece RPG. The game is well integrated and technically beautiful. It also has heart and an incredible story. the gameplay consists of a pleasant mix of an RPG and a 3rd person meeting.

a common complaint in many of these reviews is the DRM. you REQUIRE an internet connection to play so if you don't have one you should skip this. Besides this I really don't understand the other complaints concerning the DRM. so long as you have a legit, non-pirated copy it should run just fine. the game validates your CD-kay upon installation and afterward there was no other involvement.

I would recomend this game to any fan of RPGs or sci-fi games.

Utterly Amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 18
Date: July 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I understand the issues that reviewers have with the DRM and I share their concerns. I was uncertain as to whether I would purchase the game until EA made the decision to tone it down--and that should be noted, that it was EA and not BioWare who put the DRM there in the first place. At any rate, while I do sympathize, I do not think that all the reviews knocking the game because of the DRM are fair.

I've long been a faithful and devoted BioWare fan. My first game was the outstanding Knights of the Old Republic and I've rabidly devoured BioWare's every subsequent game--with the exception of Jade Empire. I wasn't sure, however, that I really wanted to play this game. I've never really been into shooters and I was a bit worried that the combat would be so taxing for me as to render the game completely unenjoyable. However, I heard a lot of good things about it and decided to give it a go. Am I ever glad I did.

First off, a discussion of the combat is a must. I do know female gamers who enjoy shooters but I also know it's not uncommon for women, like me, to have some misgivings about this particular genre. It did take me a while to get used to the combat and there were times when I was very frustrated but I am so glad I persevered. I've always enjoyed RPGs and RTSes but this game has shown me that the shooter-style combat is more engaging and more fun overall than the point, click, kill style of your typical RPG. I sometimes find that the combat in a typical RPG seems to get in the way of the story, in that I am impatient for the combat to be over so that I can find out more about the plot. With this game, it was sometimes the opposite. The combat was so enjoyable that I sometimes wanted some of the more long-winded characters to finish up so that I could get back to it.

That's not meant to be a criticism of the RPG elements of the game--far from it. I can say without reservation that I believe this to be BioWare's finest game yet. When it comes to the party members, there wasn't one that I did not like. In fact, I was surprised by how much I liked Ashley as I usually tend to find the male PC's potential love interest to be annoying (Bastila cheesed me off to no end when I played KotOR). However, Ashley was like my female Shepard's best friend. She was extraordinarily well-written and often made me laugh with her brassy and sometimes outrageous comments. She was so good that I think the other potential party members got short shrift as I refused to go anywhere without her and Kaidan. As for Kaidan, he made for a pretty nice romance interest, though the romance itself was a bit thin. Still, as this is the first installment in a planned trilogy, I hope that the romance is one of many elements that will be more fully fleshed out over time. The alien crew members are very interesting as well and generate some compelling side quests.

The real strength of this game, though, comes from the choices that you, as Shepard, are forced to make. While it's easy enough to determine which conversation options are the goody two shoes options and which are the jerk options, it's still very unclear just whether the outcome is good or bad. I found myself spending a good deal of time mulling over the choices I had to make and agonizing about their long-term effects. The game is very gray and so even when I felt that my Paragon Shepard was doing what was best, I was often unsettled by the choice I had to make. There is one in particular which I will not cover in detail as it would be a major spoiler. Suffice it to say that it was a really difficult decision that left me feeling very unsatisfied--and that's good. Real life isn't tied up in pretty bows so having to make difficult choices in the game just lends it even more realism.

Further enhancing the realism is the subject matter. By setting things in the future and using aliens, BioWare has cleverly created a very mature game that has a lot to say about such heavy topics as racism, politics, and the ills of major corporations. A lot of the issues in the game hold a great deal of real-world relevance.

Overall, this is a very adult game and that in and of itself is refreshing. I'm thrilled to have a game that challenges me intellectually, so that it is more than mere passive entertainment. Like many BioWare fans, the past several years have provided a great deal of torment as I've waited and hoped for a release date for Dragon Age. However, after having played ME, I find that I would now rather have ME 2 than the long-anticipated DA.

I Haven't Purchased It Yet....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 81
Date: May 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

...but that won't stop me from awarding it a perfect "5". If Amazon allows folks to trash this game sight unseen, well then I can do the opposite.

And you know, Bioshock had a bunch of in-your-face reviewers try and harm the average score by complaining about the copy protection as well. Get over it and buy and play these 2 wonderful games. ( I imagine they are wonderful; remember, I'm reviewing the game without ever playing it.)

Let the comments begin....

Possibly the best RPG of all time, final copy protection not bad

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 51
Date: May 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Mass effect is amazing in it's depth and breadth. The Sci-Fi RPG universe created draws you in and grabs hold of not just your mind but your heart as well. Also, the final as-released copy protections are very reasonable, not bad or demonic at all, such as all those stupid 1-star reviews PREVIOUS TO THE RELEASE claim. Ignore those reviews, and realize that this game is fully worthy of 5-stars, as most of us rate it who have actually played it.

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