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Mass Effect for the XBOX 360 represents the increasingly growing trend of freedom in modern video games. First pioneered in games such as Grand Theft Auto 3 and the Elder Scrolls series, this philosophy of allowing the player to create his or her own adventure has been greatly refined by the creators of Mass Effect. Not only is Mass Effect an incredibly fun game, it is also an aesthetically important one.

Players start the adventure by literally creating their own identity. The protagonist of the game can be either a man or woman and there is a fairly powerful face editing tool that lets the player choose how they wish to appear. In addition, one can also choose their character's history.

For example, the player can chose to play as renowned war hero whom characters in the game will praise and treat as a celebrity, or they can select a character with a dark and tragic past. These kinds of choices seem trivial, but they actually have a tremendous impact on how the rest of the game plays out.

Set in the future, the game follows the exploits of Commander Shepherd as s/he travels the galaxy unraveling a surprisingly exciting mystery. This game is, after all, a role playing game and thus the story has particular emphasis.

What sets Mass Effect apart from other role playing games is how the players own decisions impact what is happening. When talking with other characters, a dialogue menu appears with several branching responses to choose from. The wide range of these responses is what makes things interesting. Players can play the entire game through as a polite and reserved hero, or they can be a loud, brash, anti-hero who doesn't play by the rules.

These decisions are hardly irrelevant, as sometimes the player's choices will have a direct impact on who lives and who dies. It's all an incredibly dynamic and rewarding system that stands as a perfect example of how video games can push the boundaries of traditional storytelling.

Not all interactions in the game are entirely passive, however, and Mass Effect has plenty of action to go along with such deep thinking. As with the rest of the game, the players can choose for themselves how to approach combat. The game can be played as a traditional shooter; however, there are numerous special abilities tactics that mix things up a bit.

Visually, Mass Effect is jaw dropping, employing some truly realistic facial expressions for the human characters. The game also employs a video filter (which can be turned on or off) that gives everything a grainy, film-like texture. In fact, there are many scenes in the game that look eerily real.

Still, there are a few technical issues that hinder the experience, such as occasionally glitchy environments and a lot of textures that pop up while the game loads.

In the end, Mass Effect is an amazingly sophisticated game that shows just how quickly video games are evolving. Currently available on the XBOX 360 and coming soon to the PC, it should not be missed by anyone who is a fan of great fun and thrilling storytelling.

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