Bioware's Mass Effect for X360

By Tom Bramwell Published 4 October, 2005

X05: First in a trilogy.

Microsoft and Bioware have announced a brand new Xbox 360-exclusive RPG at the X05 event in Amsterdam.

It's called Mass Effect, and it was just shown off at Microsoft's mammoth press conference, which has now concluded. It's the first game in a trilogy with an overarching story "where the real conflict between organic beings and artificial intelligence comes to life in startling clarity."

It's set in the 23rd century and exclusive to the platform. Microsoft says it places gamers "in a vast galactic community in danger of being conquered by a legendary agent gone rogue".

Players get to lead a squad of freedom fighters struggling to restore peace. A short trailer was also shown.

Bioware, of course, was the developer responsible for the two Knights of the Old Republic Star Wars RPGs that helped give the Xbox real credibility in that genre, as well as the more recent Jade Empire.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Derblington #1 6 years ago

    Cool, I liked both KotoR and Jade Empire.

  • Hicksy #2 6 years ago

    Exxxxceellllllllent

    /twiddles thumbs

  • Jokerr #3 6 years ago

    Pffff!

  • knif3r #4 6 years ago

    now this IS good news for the 360 - no question.

  • jaspoid #5 6 years ago

    expected, but good - no question.

  • Bates #6 6 years ago

    Here's hoping they can actually poduce a GOOD RPG this time, eh?

  • RabidMonkey #7 6 years ago

    I would rather have Shenmue 3.

  • jaspoid #8 6 years ago

    I would rather have Shenmue 3 - for the Revolution - 'cause I'm not buying a 360. ;)

  • alpha-0ne #9 6 years ago

    "As well as Mass Effect, we understand games on display include Silicon Knights' Too Human, Real Time Worlds' Crackdown, as well as previously announced titles like Gears of War, Project Gotham Racing 3 and Perfect Dark Zero."

    Al exclusives MS is doing something right

  • Scimarad #10 6 years ago

    Oooohh.....definitely sounds interesting.

  • Sorb #11 6 years ago

    "Bioware, of course, was the developer responsible for the two Knights of the Old Republic Star Wars RPGs...".

    Obsidian Entertainment developed KotoR 2.

  • Jokerr #12 6 years ago

    "I would rather have Shenmue 3 - for the Revolution - 'cause I'm not buying a 360. ;)"

    Shenmue 3 is being made, and it's meant to be exclusive xbox 360 as well. Jesus H. Christ, all the big developers are defecting to Microsoft.

  • jaspoid #13 6 years ago

    From what I've heard that's just speculations - if not - I'm in denial. ;)

  • Kiigan #14 6 years ago

    Bad name.

  • Xerx3s #15 6 years ago

    "Here's hoping they can actually poduce a GOOD RPG this time, eh?" - I dont know where you have been, but bioware IS rpg. It is the very soul of the cRPG genre. Companies such as Bethesda, Bioware and Black Isle defined the shape of cRPG.

  • Killerbee #16 6 years ago

    Sounds like the most promising thing announced so far, but I'm still not convinced it's enough to sell me an Xbox360. Besides, what are the chances of a PC version a few months later...?

  • jaspoid #17 6 years ago

    Jade Empire hasn't made it to PC, and I don't think this will. KotoR was different, anything Star Wars has great PC sales potential.

  • Yossarian #18 6 years ago

    you all need to see the trailer for this

  • jaspoid #19 6 years ago

    There's a trailer at the official site, but it's crap to me. First a lot of text and then the scenes in the screenshots in motion (not gameplay) for just a few seconds..

    masseffect.bioware.com /

  • Yossarian #20 6 years ago

    jaspoid, except the devs have said it *is* gameplay, it just lacks a GUI.

  • jaspoid #21 6 years ago

    they've gotta have meant in-game footage 'cause no way that's gameplay.

  • The-Bodybuilder #22 6 years ago

    >"Shenmue 3 is being made, and it's meant to be exclusive xbox 360 as well. Jesus H. Christ, all the big developers are defecting to Microsoft."

    And where did you get that from, eh?

  • Jokerr #23 6 years ago

    Try this

    Link

  • Dizzy #24 6 years ago

    Wow.. nice... what can go wrong with 360 in 2006?

    btw apparently that trailer is gameplay. Bioware guy said it on the forums. The game is 18 months from completion but they expect it to look better.

  • Blerk #25 6 years ago

    The most interesting 360 announcement yet! Will follow this one with some interest.

  • w00t #26 6 years ago

    Yay RPGs!

  • Thamuhacha #27 6 years ago

    >Yay RPGs!

    Agreed. Morrowind, and now this. Awesome.

    /skips

  • Blerk #28 6 years ago

    Shame they're not real RPGs. But maybe the JRPGs will follow? ;-)

    /runs
    /runs faster
    /flies

  • The-Bodybuilder #29 6 years ago

    >"Try this"

    hmm,
    " But from a purely speculative point of view, it seems most likely to us that Xbox 360 will be the initial host for the future of Shenmue;"

    So where does is state that shenmue is for 360? I could speculate and say it will be exclusive to the phantom. It is just speculation with you taking it as fact.

  • Dizzy #30 6 years ago

    > Shame they're not real RPGs. But maybe the JRPGs will follow? ;-)

    >/runs
    >/runs faster
    >/flies

    /locks on surface to air missile
    *arnold voice* Get down!
    /fires

    Seriously... if you like JRPGs *shudder* looks like 360 will have a few, probably not as much as PS3 but.... Me personally I would love JRPGs more on handhelds... the repetitive nature and easy gameplay is better for playing "on the road". Hmmm.... GBA RPGs...
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/05 @ 10:15

  • Inigo #31 6 years ago

    I never thought i'd say this ... i *heart* xbox 360

  • ave #32 6 years ago

    "I dont know where you have been, but bioware IS rpg. It is the very soul of the cRPG genre. Companies such as Bethesda, Bioware and Black Isle defined the shape of cRPG."

    lol, since when? KoTOR/JE were above average action games, not much RPG.
    NWN was a crappy RPG, that's only saving grace was the mod tools.

    bioware without BIS make shitty rpg's.

    Also, beth can hardly be said to have "defined the shape of cRPG." considering there games were again, fairly shallow wrt roleplaying.
    Daggerfall was an awesome game, and MW was good, but nothing special as rpg's go.
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/05 @ 12:48

  • Dizzy #33 6 years ago

    So Ave.... who IS RPG then?

    Don't even think about mentioning SE.

  • kangarootoo #34 6 years ago

    I'd be interested to hear the answer to that too.

    I think arguing about whether a game is a "proper RPG" is a bit of a waste of time. Surely any GAME in which you PLAY the ROLE of a character is an RPG?

    If you didn't actually like playing KOTOR or JE then fair enough, I won't say you are wrong to feel that way (because you aren't). But if you are dismissing them on some "they didn't tick all the boxes on my official cRPG detector" then I would suggest that you might be missing the point of gaming.

  • ave #35 6 years ago

    Dizzy: atm, no-one really(if you browse crpg sites, you'll hear the screams of crpg fans). SE make great interactive fiction, they dont really do rpg's with choices/consequences ;)

    @kangaroo, saying any game where you play a role must be an RPG is silly, RPG's a genre, just like FPS is(since you shoot things in first person in MW, does that make it a fps?), crpg is a subgenre of RPG(originally crpg meant a computerised version of a pnp rpg)

    I didnt like kotor/JE because they bored me, I've never liked fighting games, and generally dont like action rpg's that have the emphasis on action(although i'll play them if they have a good story).
    NWN was just shallow, it had choices that didnt matter, tiny areas, and it played more like D2 than BG2(or even IWD1/2)

  • Bates #36 6 years ago

    "KOTOR didnt win game of the year 2003 for nothing"

    You're right, it must have cost MS a fortune to get that award.

  • SlackMaster #37 6 years ago

    I'm a big fan of the Bioware RPG's, and although I like JRPG's, I've had more enjoyment out of KOTOR and Jade Empire than most JRPG's.

    The second KOTOR wasn't made my Bioware although it was still a good game.