I bought this game in English (because Italian translation accuracy and the quality of the voice acting tend to be... questionable).
The review I agreed with the most is the one game informer wrote:
http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/DAF818DF-1429-458B-9033-C5E4C5DF02C3.htm (EDIT: the link doesn't work, but you can search for the review on their site); Gamespot also wrote a good, comprehensive review, but in my opinion they lowered the score too much.
My review score for this game is 9.5/10, and now I'll tell you why:
Good Points: 1)Very functional and entertaining gameplay; 2)One of the best storylines EVER to grace the world of videogames; 3)Kickass music; 4)Really good voice acting and dialogue; 5)Stunning Visuals and Graphics; 6)High replay value;
Bad points: 1)The AI feels sometimes kind of unbalanced; 2)While in the MAKO(tank) sometimes you can't aim downwards; 3)The uncharted worlds level designs get annoying fast, since they're mostly empty (most of the underground bases have the same layout repeated over and over).
Long review: I'll expand on the points I listed here so you can understand I'm not even considering the bad points.
Good:
1)The game sort of plays like a third person shooter while in combat mode yet you can also pause the game to activate powers (called biotics or tech, they are used to manipulate physics or objects ingame ex: lift an enemy or disable an in-organic opponent) or devise strategies to overcome your opponents (two things that should be noted are: combat seems to have some balance issues: ex:you're plowing through waves of enemies but suddenly the table turns and you find yourself dead within seconds; also if you do try to just play the like a normal shooter you're going to die a lot, so cover is an important part of the game), the powers and weapons interfaces are really smooth so it makes it very fun to play, the interactive dialogue scenes are very well implemented and the game has a real cinematic feel about it.
The controls are very streamlined and easy to use, enabling a quick access to the powers and weapons menu (however, the inventory interface contains some frustrating elements that can slow down any operations you are trying to perform, such as item deletion, which can be dull since you can only delete one object at a time.)
I would like to add that I couldn't find some of the problems the gamespot reviewer encountered.
2)The story has some elements that derive from other science fiction blockbusters, and yet it's so rich and realized that it compels you to try to learn everything you can about the world you're in; it also helps you bond with the characters around you by making the relationships seem very real and having you understand the importance of the quest you undertake.
3)The music is of extremely high quality, so much so that it won gamespot's award for best game music of 2007; to quote game informer:"One of the most memorable and unique soundtracks in gaming. It’s inspired by ‘80s sci-fi, yet sounds like nothing you’ve heard before."
4)Although there are a few exceptions, I can't help saying that it's true, the acting is of high quality.
5)The graphics are great; they help to deliver the feel of the environements and situations you are in, and also immerse into a rich and vibrant world that's like few you have seen before.
6)On this I can only say that playing through the game multiple times you can unlock more achievements and items, but also helps discover background elements that enhance the world and storyline; you can also re-use the same character multiple times, rendering it possible to reach higher levels.
Bad:
1)I'll just say it: the AI is sometimes plain unbalanced; in some instances they just stand still for a few seconds and it seems that they have zero tactical skills, when other times they seem to become tacticians at par with Rommel and frag you before you can say: "HUH?"
2)I don't really understand, it seems to happen depending from the terrain you're on; but most of the time it isn't really a problem.
3)This is a major problem for the game, in my opinion, the uncharted worlds are generally devoid of FRIENDLY humanoid life and cities, towns, or whatever sort of settlements, and as you can imagine it really gets boring at times. Although they differ in content, the layout of underground bases or buildings on uncharted worlds tends to always remain the same, so it gets boring here too.
Well, in conclusion this is a game i would strongly recommend to whoever likes rpgs and/or sci-fi.
I hope I didn't annoy you and that I was able to provide a quality review that is worthy of a great game.
