BioWare

Mass Effect

Mass Effect is an action role-playing game set in the year 2183. The player takes the role of Commander Shepard, a customizable character who serves as Executive Officer aboard the SSV Normandy. After a routine mission goes wrong, Shepard assembles a squad and pursues a threat that escalates into a galaxy-wide conflict. The game features real-time squad-based combat where players choose companions and tactics suited to different enemy types, from biotic-wielding opponents to heavily armored machines. The game spans a large science fiction universe, with explorable locations ranging from the Citadel space station to alien homeworlds and remote outposts. Player decisions affect mission outcomes, crew relationships, and the overarching narrative across the trilogy.

Released: 20 November 2007
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Engine: Unreal Engine 3
Perspective: Third person
Age rating: PEGI 18 · ESRB M
Metacritic: 89/100
Steam recommendations: 14,865
Platforms: PlayStation 3 · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Xbox 360
Genres: Shooter · Role-playing (RPG)
Also known as: ME · Mass Effect 1
Estimated owners: 1,000,000–2,000,000 (est.)

87
Player rating: 89
Critic rating: 2,524
Ratings counted: 93.6%
Steam reviews

Mass Effect

Quick answers

Crossplay System requirements 1.0 GB RAM or more (2.0 GB for Vista) Download size 12.0 GB Steam Deck Playable Player counts 55

Mass Effect

The story

In the year 2183, Commander Shepard is sent to the human colony of Eden Prime to recover a Prothean beacon. The mission is disrupted by an attack from the synthetic Geth, led by Saren Arterius, a rogue Spectre agent. After making contact with the beacon and receiving a cryptic vision of destruction, Shepard is appointed the first human Spectre and tasked with hunting Saren across the galaxy. The investigation leads Shepard and a growing crew aboard the SSV Normandy through multiple worlds, uncovering a conspiracy tied to the Reapers, a highly advanced machine race believed to eradicate all organic civilizations on a 50,000-year cycle. Shepard must stop Saren before he can trigger their return.

Mass Effect