VGA performance: Mass Effect (DX9)

Gaming: Mass Effect

Controversial, and definitely one of the bigger titles of 2008. Mass Effect from BioWare. Originally released for the XBOX 360, it unveiled a vast, beautiful galaxy populated by diverse, fascinating alien races. Players stepped onto this stage as Commander Shepard, a hero at the vanguard of humanity's ascension in the arena of galactic politics, and thus began an epic story bolstered by engaging characters and rich, branching dialogue.

Set 200 years in the future in an epic universe, Mass Effect places gamers in a vast galactic community in danger of being conquered by a legendary agent gone rogue. A spectacular new vision from legendary developers BioWare, Mass Effect challenges players to lead a squad of freedom fighters as they struggle against threatening armies to restore peace in the universe.

I started playing this game last year when released, it's rare for me... but I spent all my free time on it and finished the game. What a great title Mass Effect is. It shows really awesome graphics, complex facial animations and applies a noise filter just to get you that really nice cinematic feeling. Overall one of the better games I've played in 2008. Definitely pick it up.

Mass Effect Settings:

• Noise Filter on
• Textures: Extreme high
• Filter: Anisotropic
• Everything maxed out

Again a small win for the GeForce GTX 470.

The GeForce GTX 480 has a lead here as well. We'll probably leave Mass Effect for what it is in future reviews as it is getting outdated real fast now. With older titles you'll notice that the CPU is quickly getting more important and as such high-end performance typically gets closer for all graphics cards.

Clearly not a hefty task for the graphics card at all. We average out at 120 FPS at 1920x1080 with the GTX 480.