For the first time in the duration of which I've owned my Xbox 360, I've felt it was worthwhile, if only for just 21 hours. Her name was Mass Effect, and she broke my heart.

Mass Effect is the first 360 game I've played since Halo 3, but what a hell of a way to break the silence with my Xbox 360. I was given this game for Christmas, as it wasn't a top-tier game for me to buy day-one. However, since getting home on the 26th, I spent numerous hours on this title. I finished it tonight, earlier than I had hoped (I had numerous Assignments I didn't get to go back and do). I was initially wary of jumping into this game, because I had heard so many complaints about its technical issues, and normally things of the like tend to spoil games like bad milk with piss in it. For this one, not so much. The slowdown people whined about generally doesn't affect the game's enjoyment. Only near the end of the game does it impede the experience. The big issue for me was texture pop-in, which was fine at first, but when you're watching these epic finale scenes, and numerous large ships are just shiny globs for a majority of the shots, or characters look like pre-vis models. It's sad, but it doesn't prevent this game from ruling in many ways. The graphics are pretty incredible for the 360, and the voice-work is incredibly deep.
Possibly my favorite thing is how much information they cram into the game, and how little of it you need to hear. It became one of the more fun things for me to just ask every question I could out of everyone than some actual game play stuff. The best part of this aspect, is that they hired picky scifi nerds to write this stuff, so most all of your questions are answered. "Why is there gravity here? How are they going faster than the speed of light? What's with that fag?" They also have original ideas, like the idea of humans not being on the forefront of technology. We're the newcomers who everyone seems to hate because we think we can do things by ourselves and that we demand more respect than we've earned.
The characters are also all very interesting and fleshed out. The dynamics of how they act or evolve based on your own prerogative is interesting. For instance, as a Paragon, I was able to convince Garrus that superseding the law is not necessary to take down bad guys. Had I been more of a Renegade, I'd likely have reinforced his idea that laws get in the way. Shit like that. Plus, I had sex with this lady with giant lips, and I snubbed the advancements of some blue chick. I really hope that Mass Effect 2 will allow for carrying over save files, as I'd like to see my Shepard continue his relationships with the characters as I have it now. For being an RPG, it's relatively short, and it left me thirsty for more. Like a hot mom, she's let me suck on her tit and pulled me away, just as I neared bliss. Mass Effect, you bitch. Please return soon, so that I may drink the milk that is Xbox's finest offering to date, and potentially the finest offer it ever will supply my hungering belly.

Oh well. Final Fantasy XIII comes out next year, so fuck it all.