Mass Effect has been out long enough now that I think most everybody knows it is a great game. I’d even go so far as to say that anyone who owns an Xbox 360 should play through Mass Effect’s main story at least once. The things it does with the conversation system and combat are pure genius. However, today I want to focus on all the little things about it that pissed me off. Hopefully they’ll get addressed in Mass Effect 2.

First off, there are tons of load times. You load each time you go to a new planet. That much I can expect and live with. But even once you’re at a location and running around the game will slow down as you go into new areas as it loads that area up. Even within your ship, which is not that big, there are multiple spots where running from one part of the ship to another will cause the game to lag and have to load. Sure, each time it loads it only takes a few seconds, but it really takes me out of the game experience when ever few minutes the game pauses for a couple seconds.

In addition to the loading they have tried to cover some of the longer load times by having you take an elevator to get to the area that is loading. That would not be so bad if it only took a few seconds, but apparently in the future elevators are 3 or 4 times slower than the ones we currently use. Seriously, future space stations are not going to have elevators that move slower than I can walk.

Once you’re past the load times the inventory system could really use some help. You can only hold 150 items, and it lists each item individually. Even if you have a few of the same thing. So then, when you go to use or sell then you have to scroll through each one individually. It would be nice if they grouped all of the same items together and just listed how many you had. It would make the inventory list a lot nicer. I don’t need to see a list of 8 incendiary ammo upgrades. Just list incendiary ammo upgrade with a little x8 next to it. Also, if you’re going to multiple levels of upgrades for weapons and armor give me an option to automatically apply the higher level upgrade instead of having to go into my equipment and do it manually. For example, if my gun is equipped with a level 3 scanner when I pick up the level 4 scanner automatically put it on my gun.

I’ve heard a lot of complaints that the side quests are really repetitive. Personally, I did not find the side quests themselves to be really repetitive, but the worlds and bases they are on were. Why do all the planets that have side quests also have mountains you have to get over or around? Are there no flat planets anywhere in the universe? Plus, in the future are all caves and bases the same shape? In Mass Effect they are. There is literally only three base layouts and one or two cave layouts.

Also, if you’re going to have me drive all over planets to get to side quests that is fine, but make the vehicle fun to drive. The Mako is are pain to do anything besides go strait. Please work out the vehicle handling. Also, why does it always cost me the same amount to repair my vehicle no matter how much damage it was taken? It should cost less to fix one bent up wheel than it does when the whole thing is on fire.

Finally, the achievements. A lot of the achievements are pretty strait forward. Get a certain number of kills or play with a certain person in your party for most of the game. The annoying thing is to get all of the achievements you have to play through the game at least 3 times. Because I chose a mixed class (soldier and biotic) for my first play though now I’d probably have to play through 4 times if I want all 1000 achievement points.

I do play to play through it a second time once they have released the DLC. That way I can get a good chuck of the remaining achievements, play the DLC, and try out being less nice and more aggressive all in once play through. However, after playing through a 30 to 40 hour game twice I don’t want to have to play through the whole thing again to just to get a few more achievements.

Still, even with all these annoyance the game is still well worth playing. I just hope these types of things that distract from the core of a great game will be addressed in its sequel.