BioWare endeared itself to Xbox owners the world over when it unleashed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It not only filled a void in the Xbox library with an RPG, Knights of the Old Republic did so with style. The follow-up, Jade Empire, solidified BioWare as the preeminent RPG developer on Microsoft's big, black box. Needless to say, expectations have been high for Mass Effect, the studio's first Xbox 360 release. After playing through the game more than once, we can say with confidence that Mass Effect delivers on those expectations. The ride may get a bit bumpy at times, but it's one you don't want to miss.

The game begins with the creation of your Commander Shepard. You're free to go with the model that has been used in all of the marketing, or you can make your own; male or female and with a variety of background and visual options. The decisions you make here have a substantial bearing on the game itself. Some people you meet in the game will deliver different dialogue if you're playing as a woman. Which background options you choose for your character will also shape the way people talk to you throughout the course of the game. The most important decision you'll make will be which character class to start with.