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Game Debate to the Death! Mass Effect VS Assassin's Creed photo

In the previous game debate we saw a classic scenario of story versus gameplay battle play out, with one side finishing far in the lead. Some argued that BioWare was overrated, while others argued that Team Ninja was overrated, but in the end, here were the results:

  • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (54 votes) -- Winner!
  • Ninja Gaiden (13 votes)

Now it's time to continue the console-by-console odd debate tournament series into the Xbox 360 library of games. This week we have two games that both have plenty of story and gameplay backing them, but each with completely different styles and settings. One takes places out in space with guns and aliens of the future, while the other reaches back in time and explores the Middle Ages with melee combat and stealthy controls.

Both games came out around the same time, so they should be easy to compare in some aspects despite their vast differences. Which game do you think is better, and why? Give it some serious thought, get some Xbox 360 friends to share their opinions as well, and check back next week for the winner.

Bonus Question: What was one thing you didn't like about the game you voted for?


Continue: More Xbox 360 stories





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127 comments | showing # 1 to 50

brainderailment's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:26
brainderailment
Neither, thanks.
garison's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:26
garison
Mass Effect is better.

I didn't like the extrememly long load times between the galaxy map and planets.
MrSadistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:27
MrSadistic
Mass Effect, duh.

ME: too short, RPG-wise
Assassin's Creed: the repetitive gameplay
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:28
ThunderHeartXI
Mass Effect, hands down. And as for what I hated about Mass Effect, the load times and the occasionally meh combat.
Palidi's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:29
Palidi
Mass "defect" vs Assassins Creed huh?

I gotta go with Mass Effect. It provided a more fulfilling, less repetitive experience for me.

I didn't like how there was major pop-in, texture loading issues, and other bugs with it though(hence the "defect" pun).
SilverDragon1979's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:29
SilverDragon1979
Mass Effect was definitely a better game.

The main problem was that there was no reason to really care about all of the cookie cutter side missions! They should have spent more time making a more in depth main story line, and just had a few interesting side missions.
TheGregsaw's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:31
TheGregsaw
Mass Effect hands down.

I wish they had released more DLC. It might make me go back and play it again to get those other achievements.
casualweaponry's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:31
casualweaponry
Mass Effect of course. ME had long load times and a really horrible inventory system.
epoch's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:32
epoch
mass effect no question. Assassins Creed had some interesting ideas but the game-play was about as fun as a barrel of poop.

The one thing I didn't like about mass effect were the side quests, they were horribly uncreative and boring.
Rhyno's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:32
Rhyno
I vote Mass Effect.
Although I wasn't as down on Assassin's Creed as others were. AC was a fun game overall, but its glitches definitely hurt it, IMO. It froze on me a number of times, and the framerate near the end was horrible.
Mass Effect, however was a great, fun, experience.
moocow21's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:32
moocow21
Mass Effect, although I thoroughly enjoyed Assassin's Creed as well.

Bonus: Elevators.
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:34
Fronz
VOTE: Mass Effect.

I was pretty excited for Mass Effect, but I was actually a bit more excited for Assassin's Creed. Back then I thought I was being cute by calling them Ass Effect and Ass Creed, and looking back, I only feel bad about calling Mass Effect by that other name.

As soon as you pop in Assassin's Creed and realize the Middle Ages is a front for some alternate storyline, it undermined the entire game for me, as if it was a moving that finished by saying "And then you woke up" . . . except it started that way. I'm not even saying exploring time travel through DNA genetics roots is a bad idea, and I'd be up for playing a game that explores that idea, if it at least fucking marketed it that way. I paid for one game, and felt like I got another, so I'm a little ashamed (but not much) that I stopped playing Assassin's Creed after a weekend and haven't gotten back to it since. I'll get to it when a dull Christmas or Summer comes by.

BQ: Wasn't a fan of some of the level design.
The Bez's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:34
The Bez
MASS EFFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bacchus's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:36
Bacchus
worst match up ever.


mass effect for sure.
Niero's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:39
Niero
I loved Mass Effect. Probably my favorite RPG on the 360 overall.
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:41
Fronz
Don't worry, I'm counting on Round 3 (no matter which way Round 2 votes go) ending up being quite the good debate. I got the idea from one of your guys' comments on the last debate.
gamadaya's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:44
gamadaya
Mass Effect. Even the 360 version, with all it's annoying bugs and broken menus beats out Creed. It was just a damn good RPG. Also, if you have a computer that can run it, do yourself a favor and get it for the PC, even if you have it for the 360. Totally different and much better experience.
grafkhun's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:51
grafkhun
ME is going to win, but I never played it... yet, waiting on the 20 dollar version in February with the DLC. I did play AC and I thought it was good, but it could of been awesome. it had so much potential to be an amazing , almost revolutionary, action-adventure game, but it didn't. Since AC was a dissapoint somewhat and I haven't play ME, I'm not going to vote.

vote: uhh... Shadow of the Colossus?
vexed alex's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 22:57
vexed alex
Mass Effect was actually a good game throughout and not just the first half. My vote goes for it, of course.
Steel Squirrel's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:01
Steel Squirrel
Mass Effect

It has been a long time since I have had the desire to beat a game more than once. I am on the 3rd time through on ME. For some reason it just hits the spot for me.

Assassin's Creed can be a good game if you give yourself the time that it requires to really get into it. You have to just really try hard to keep at it and not play any other games for a while.

What I would really enjoy, is a game with Mass Effect's story quality, dialog quality, and NPC interaction, combined with the climbing/movement and combat from Assassin's Creed. I would also like to have this game set in the Lord of the Rings universe and then have it be an open world like Oblivion. This game would be the winner of my heart.
ZMTToxics's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:03
ZMTToxics
Mass Effect.
Ballistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:08
Ballistic
UmarifficCKizzle's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:09
UmarifficCKizzle
In fairness, I haven't played Assassin's Creed all the way through...only a portion of it at a friends. That said, with what little I did play, I would prefer Mass Effect.

Hands down Mass Effect had the more interesting story/dialogue/characters, which is what kept me going throughout the entire experience. Minus some minor graphical issues and some less-than-inspired sidequests, I thoroughly enjoyed Mass Effect, and feel it's earned its place in my top 360 games.
NihonTiger90's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:10
NihonTiger90
Mass Effect.

The pop-in sucked pretty bad.
Endstiem's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:11
Endstiem
Mass Effect


Although I played through the game 5 times, if I had to choose something I disliked, or would improve, it is definitely the almost record number of graphical and game-breaking bugs. Through 2 playthroughs, I counted about 5 times I exited the Navigator Map to find myself levitating above it with no escape but to engage in conversation with a nearby NPC.

Or how my character froze fighting that Asari Ganado Zombie Bitch Queen... and I was able to use the camera to twist poor Shepard's body into a tasty looking blue pretzel....
Ballistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:11
Ballistic
Haven't played either, not having a 360 and all. But from what I've heard, mass effect actually has varying gameplay and isn't full of itself on a story that tries to sell you on the sequel you know is coming.
ToPlayWithFire's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:11
ToPlayWithFire
If i had to pick one game, i'd pick Assassin's Creed, even though i think both games were a lot of fun. Now, it's been a while since i played either game, but i think i might have picked them both up right around the release date, so my memory is equally rusty on both.

Both games had flaws. Mass Effect was a bit too slow paced, and going to all the different planets was quite annoying. I hated driving the maco. While the idea of teammates was cool, i hated micromanaging them all the time, and eventually just gave up.

Assassin's Creed could've been a much better game if it had a better story and less repetition. Even though i fought the same battle with a group of a dozen guards, all those battles felt very solid. Altair had a nice sense of weight to him when he moved around. The charachter animation and the gameplay are probably some of the best i've ever seen. If the game had a better variety of missions, it would easily beat out Mass Effect.
ToPlayWithFire's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:12
ToPlayWithFire
Damn it, this is what i get for posting while intoxicated. My vote meant to go to Mass Effect. Damn wine!
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:15
Fronz
Viva la drunken debate!
Puppy Licks's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:17
Puppy Licks
Mass Effect had a better delivered story, and I didn't mind the combat at all.

What I disliked about it through was the planet surface sections, they were all too bland and empty, also the tank was waaaaaay to powerful, seriously the cannon was practically an overpowered sniper rifle.
seigfreid's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:18
seigfreid
Mass Effect. Looks like Assassins Creed is getting raped
SirRobin1's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:22
SirRobin1
Mass Effect, the one thing I hated though, was the enemy AI and how they rushed you when their life was down, leading to many a cluster fuck!
Atlas's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:24
Atlas
ASS EFFECT?

ASS ASS INS CREED?

Ass Effect all the way.

Ass Creed was retarded once you started to hide in giant tents on rooftops every 45 seconds. Ass Effect had some clunky combat, a shitty vehicle, pop-up, poorly hidden loads masked as 20 minute elevator rides... Still kudos for an awesome dialogue system and story. It was still fun gunplay and driving a clunky piece of shit even if it was a bit lame. I actually really liked Ass Effect regardless; WAY more than Asshole Creed.

Ass.
joemoemino's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:25
joemoemino
Mass Effect.

Assassins Creed was good (considering I wasnt expecting it to be that good when I did play it) but Mass Effect was the best game I played in 2007. Didnt play BioShock (just the demo) and Halo 3s single played wasnt any better than Halo 2s.

What I didnt like was the fact that the side quests were basically garbage, the Mako controls were garbage, and the fact that combat was a little weird at times. Also the fact that the LE version was online only and considering I didnt have a credit card then was pretty much the most stupid decision of all time.

Also I was pretty sad my friends who have 360s dont really care much for Mass Effect even though its like a billion times better than their face.
GrayFox's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:26
GrayFox
Mass Effect wasn't bad, and Assassin's Creed was pretty awful.

MASS EFFECT.
AClockWorkMelon's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:31
AClockWorkMelon
MASS EFFECT!
Bennyishere's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:40
Bennyishere
Why, Mass Effect of course. In fact, it's my favorite game for the 360. What I didn't like was the amount of stuff you didn't do on the various planets. I don't care about how the Mako controls, but it got tedious going from one side of the map to the other with nothing in the middle. Also, a lot of the times the conversation wheel doesn't quite explain what your character will say or do. I try to deny a request and suddenly I punched the journalist in the face. Still, I played the game through six times and will come in my pants when I get the sequel.
Jerkbutt47's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:42
Jerkbutt47
Mass Effect, no doubt about it.
Where else can you simulate sex with blue skinned women?
KaL YoshiKa's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/03/2009 23:46
KaL YoshiKa
One of these games I put down out of boredom and disgust...where as on the other hand I played through Mass Effect twice.

I didn't like how most of the side quests in Mass Effect weren't very creative and used quite a few recycled environments (like the underground bunkers). Also the full magic class was completely broken in a bad way.
JJBro1's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:03
JJBro1
lol what is Star War?
Clockwork's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:03
Clockwork
Mass Effect had its fair share of problems, but definitely the better of the two. Assassin's Creed was laaaaame.

MASS EFFECT!
madmatt's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:07
madmatt
Is this seriously a debate? Mass Effect, come on.
Wedge's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:14
Wedge
Are we going for a new record on a blowout? Pitting a decent game against a pile of crap like Assasin's Creed? You could of at least tried the new PoP, which some people seem to like.
Shane86's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:16
Shane86
mass effect
Qraze's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:17
Qraze
which do you love better? penis or vagina?
bonus question, do you love penis?

seriously, i haven't even played mass effect and i know its better. can we compare the arcade to the car wash next?
ArcticFox's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:27
ArcticFox
Mass Effect

Despite Mass Effect's graphics flaws (and the damn moon buggy's controls), it was one of my top three games of 07, after Portal and Uncharted. I played it through like four times also, using different characters, and somehow only ended up with ONE of the supporting character achievements, even though I did each mission I could possibly do. Still I loved it, and Assassins Creed was merely meh in my book, fun, but that was mostly because of the freerunning.
DStek's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:33
DStek
Mass Effect.

Main gripe was the copy/paste typicality encountered throughout the game. For the most part, I 'explored' the galaxy about three planets in. Not 'main quest' planets, those were great. But every building and crash site, etc., being exactly the same planet to planet... it was so uncanny, I thought it would be a plot point in itself!

No, just semi-lazy developers with a deadline.
Shoop's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 00:37
Shoop
Mass Effect.

Uh, I guess my problem with it was it was very short, and I'm pretty sure I only used a pistol the entire game and still trashed the game.
Freefall's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 01:00
Freefall
Assassins Creed

Yeah it was repetitive, but it was still lovable.
Matlox's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/04/2009 01:12
Matlox
Assassins Creed.

Mass Effect is fucking boring.
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