iPhone Review: Mass Effect Galaxy

Developer/Publisher: EA
Price: $4.99
Genre: Shooter
Verdict: The next best thing to Mass Effect 2
Pros: Dialogue, music, voice overs, controls, story
Cons: Combat is slightly lacking depth

If you’re a fan of Mass Effect, there’s no reason you shouldn’t already own Mass Effect Galaxy. The original game was phenomenal, and ME Galaxy falls nothing short of spectacular. This franchise just keeps getting better and better, one can only hope that EA releases more Mass Effect mini-sagas like this one.

I was skeptical at first though, after reading how I was to play this game. Tilt controls have not always been the best option for iPhone games, and to implement them in a franchise that is known for its RPG elements and intense gun fights doesn’t sound like a winning combination. From the second the story began, any doubts I had were put to rest.

The music draws you in, just as if you were playing the console version again. Everything feels so right, the people you encounter, the dialogue that you can choose from, the voice acting, it’s all so perfect. While it would be nice to have all of the dialogue spoken, the tidbits that are have been produced at such a level that will make most console games jealous. I do like the fact that your character’s facial expressions change based on the choices you make while dealing with others. It’s nice to see an enemy frown after you practically tell him that he’s worthless and you’re about to blow his head off.

Anyone who has gone through the original Mass Effect, knows how the dialogue branches work. You can piss people off and make them want to fight you right away, or you can play it cool and get as much info out of them as possible. In all reality, whichever path you choose will lead you to the same conclusion, but it’s nice to rush into battle and let your opponents know they don’t stand a chance. At the end of the day, you’re still going to kick their ass, and there’s nothing they can do about it right? Might as well let them know how it is right up front.

Each level is broken up into multiple sections, which usually consist of a cut scene and a choice of words, leading to a boss fight. The battles leading to the cut scenes are fun and challenging, yet lack any real depth. If there’s one thing that Mass Effect’s battles have been known for, it’s the depth of combat that completely immerses you. There is no trigger to be pulled here though, as the game will automatically fire upon the enemy that is selected. Really the only thing you can do is select who (or what) to fire upon first. Leaving your main focus on picking up power-ups and avoiding enemy bullets.

Though you have little control over your gun, don’t think this makes the battles any less tense. Most of the abilities that were available on the console, are available on the iPhone. Players will still have the ability to use Biotic attacks (which freeze enemy targets in place), Tech attacks (which destroy enemy shields in one swift blow), and a Heavy Weapon attack (which launches an explosive grenade at your enemy). These abilities are also upgraded as you continue through your quest, though there is no customizable aspect to the upgrades, it’s nice to see your character evolve.

You’re going to have to keep a close eye on your shields (blue bar), because once the shields are gone, your health (red bar) will be the next thing to go. The shield can be refilled by taking a break from the action, but the health won’t regenerate. In order to refill a portion of health, you must find a health pack on the map, and try to get to it without getting destroyed (of course).

Though the game its self is rather short (I finished it in about 3 hours), it’s totally worth the five dollar admission fee. Any self respecting fan of the series will enjoy every second of this game, and may get a bit more than they expected in return. Though it’s unclear at this moment what you unlock in Mass Effect 2, upon completing ME Galaxy (if you log onto your EA account via the iPhone) you’ll be rewarded with a message that says, “Your reward for completing the game is already waiting for you in Mass Effect 2.” So consider this a five dollar game, with some extra DLC for your future enjoyment.

EA was also nice enough to throw in a trailer to Mass Effect 2 in the Extras section, which does nothing more than pump you up and make you want to run through ME Galaxy again. As I said, the game is short, but you do have the option to explore planets more than once, which can make your experience last slightly longer than others. The only reason I can see to play through this more than once is to try out new dialogue branches, or to soak in the story one last time. Mind you, the two main characters from ME Galaxy will be in ME 2. More than enough reason to run through this again, closer to the launch of ME 2.

So what are you waiting for? Pass up on the cheese burger and cough up the five bucks for this stellar app, you won’t be dissapointed!