Mass Effect

Overly Dramatic Review in One Sentence

The best sci-fi game from old generation systems that set the standard for choice operated game play and storytelling.

The Actual Review

Game time:

PC: 28 hours
Xbox: 42 Hours

Gameplay

This is an older game and the control are extremely limited. Even when playing on PC, they are limited and sometimes makes no sense. Like shift to run/interact/lean against walls. Contextualized controls, I know, but still weird.

The heat build up system for the guns is pretty cool. For most of the weapons it isn't too much of a barrier and when you play on harder difficulties, it is less of a barrier since you aren't running and gunning as much. Where I don't like it is the cool off period for sniper rifles. Your one, maybe two shot and then a 3-5 second cool off is way too long making it a weapon system you will want to avoid unless you find the right way in the late game.

The map system and jumping between planets is fun. I like how it is set up and for the time it made the universe feel massive. However, as discussed in 2025 Episode 7 - Dragon Age, this would be considered an open area game and the areas are very empty. Driving the Mako around the different planets is cool for 3 planets, then excessively tedious and boring the next 99. The Mako itself is fun to drive for about the same amount of time and then because the planets are so full of mountains and open area, you want more boost and speed and without mods, you are stuck bumbling around the planet with nothing going on.

Fighting the bad guys is fascinating. Some boss fights felt difficult to the extreme. Even today, they are well-balanced at the lower levels to never make you feel like the ultimate weapon. Near the end you can for sure be stronger and not feel the weight of the engagement, but there are still some tactics that need to be employed. The fighting on the side of the Citadel mission is what is coming to mind.

This game also has a lot of choices to be made that effect this game and the next two. Which is highly unusual for games other than Starfield, but even that game is limited compared to this series. Your choices to talk to your team and who you help outside your team. There are so many choices that have some large or small ripples. It is amazing. Where I don't like it and wish had changed in the future would be when you are romancing a character. I didn't mean to romance Ashley as she is INCREDIBLY racist, but being nice to anyone counts as romance. It is dumb. So I wish that there was some more involved in that.

Graphics and Sound

Ok, so I am playing the Legendary Edition which has a lot of upscaled textures and assets. I also added a couple mods for 4k videos. Even without the 4k video pack, some sunsets are absolutely breathtaking. I wish I had remembered to take a photo.

The music is still something that sits in my memory. I think I said in Dragon Age 2 that the music in the wilderness reminded me of this game. The main theme, the little chimes when you change menu options, the fight music is all iconic.

Story and Characters

This is where the game gets good. The story is outstanding and the ending sets up the universe in such a way that you get a wonderful entry into Mass Effect 2. The overall story is that on a mission you find evidence that the previously dominate race in the universe was wiped out by something in the ether. While on the same mission, a peer executes your trainer and proves that he is working against the mission set before you. The rest of the game is attempting to stop the new nemesis and learn what wiped out the old race of aliens. In short, humanity finding its place among aliens while a galactic threat plans to wipe out life.

The characters are really well written. The benefits of single player games that told stories rather than attempted to make money. I already talked about Ashley's racist ass. There is also Garrus who is a companion in the next game and might be my favorite character. The bad guys, Sovereign, and his puppet Saren are so well written. I mean, Saren is for sure one of those bad guys that make you say "Huh, he has a point." There are also a ton of characters that float in an out throughout the game, and you learn to be interested in their story. The quest system adds weight to their stories and doesn't feel like a lot of "Go fetch this peasant!"

My Rating

This and assassin's creed came out around the same time and set the standard for how a single player game should be made. If you have played games since then you know that this ended up setting me up for failure after games like Dragon Age The Veilguard. However, this game is almost perfect for the time and even in 2025 is a wonderful game with great story telling. It is a "Must Play" and you really need to "Get This Game."

Parental Rating

So there isn't a lot of language, in fact I don't remember anything other than maybe a couple "asses" and "damns." There is a sex scene with nudity in it. It can be skipped, but I know that my parents would not have liked seeing it on the screen. There is limited to no blood. If it weren't for the sex scene, they probably would have bought it for me.

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