In IGN’s review of Mass Effect, the reviewer states:

Applying number ratings to a game like this doesn’t do it justice because there is no way you can ignore its technical flaws.

Almost immediately followed by:

Justice is not served.

I’m guessing, if not for the technical flaws, the game would have gotten a completely arbitrary score of 9.6. It’s so unjustice when a game’s flaws have an effect on the score.