Mass Effect

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3921 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,338 out of 3921
  2. Mixed: 443 out of 3921
  3. Negative: 140 out of 3921
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  1. GoNinjaGO
    Jul 31, 2012
    10
    To put it simply, a masterpiece of storytelling and game design. Atmospheric. Engrossing. The PC version is the superior due to its higher frame rate (subject to you having a decent PC of course) but it is let down by having the low resolution textures of the console version.

    A must own/play.
  2. grazr
    Sep 13, 2012
    9
    The non-ammo weapons make a refreshing combat style, removing much of the treasure (ammo) hunting style tedium for other traditional shooters. Although the weapon mods were difficult to comprehend until way past the mid-game, most people completed much of the game before realising they could install upgrades into their kit. Some of the side missions were a bore and the "dungeons"The non-ammo weapons make a refreshing combat style, removing much of the treasure (ammo) hunting style tedium for other traditional shooters. Although the weapon mods were difficult to comprehend until way past the mid-game, most people completed much of the game before realising they could install upgrades into their kit. Some of the side missions were a bore and the "dungeons" repetitive as hell, but the game overall was a pleasure both gameplay wise and narrative wise.… Expand
  3. Aeruja
    Apr 12, 2013
    10
    I got this game nearly 5 years after its initial release. I have a habit of trailing the trend, and this allows me to use effectively get the best bang out of every buck I spend on games as I usually end up picking out games with the very best reviews.

    Originally, I was very skeptical of Mass Effect. I've played Bioware games before, and they usually left me with a terrible impression.    I got this game nearly 5 years after its initial release. I have a habit of trailing the trend, and this allows me to use effectively get the best bang out of every buck I spend on games as I usually end up picking out games with the very best reviews.

    Originally, I was very skeptical of Mass Effect. I've played Bioware games before, and they usually left me with a terrible impression. Mass Effect, on the other hand, was surprisingly incredible.

    Mass Effect is actually a trilogy game if you didn't already know that, but what you may not know is that, it is meant to be played all 3 in succession. If you're going to buy ME, you better be prepared to buy the complete set, because they're all interwoven so well, that if you only buy one or two, you'll always feel like you're missing something.

    And it is exactly that, that makes ME trilogy so attractive.

    It reminds me of the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books I enjoyed so much when I was young.

    Your regular choices regularly affect everything and everyone around you, just as you would in the real world. And once you've chosen, you can consequently see your choices being played out through the trilogy.

    Unlike games like Skyrim, while you're free to pursue whatever activities you so prefer. The game doesn't presume a specific personality or allow you to presume as one. So while the freedom is there, and while there are literally hundreds of NPCs for you to meet, and thousands more dialogue to hear..at best, it only feels like a television show just being played out with you on the passive receiving end.

    The feeling is different, even different from Deus Ex. In Deus Ex, while you have choices of different responses and actions, they ultimately come off only as techniques of persuasions but the same personality is being still used.

    In ME, like in the real world, you will encounter really tough situational questions. Even while your personality will naturally reflect your usual responses, but there will still be the odd time where you will wonder what it would be like to be an "alpha" male? Or whether there is a way to change your superior's bad impression of your character? Or you want to learn a few techniques in reading in-between the lines? You know, the useful day-to-day conversation skills that you never learn anywhere else (short of countless social blunders)! Those dangerous words and actions that you've always wanted to say, but couldn't for fear of irreparable damage to your self image and relationships.

    ME's good like that, and that's why I think it stands out above the rest.

    Granted, the massive freedom, for say Skyrim, allows the game to have massive replay value, whereas a game like Mass Effect, you'll probably only play through it once, twice at best.

    But, based on the combined quality of material presented, good graphics, voice acting, seamless gameplay, and most importantly, the interactive story, is well worth the price tag of being played through even just once.    … Expand
  4. NRbgj
    Mar 23, 2017
    10
    Space opera of the computer gaming world. The best PC game trilogy. Story telling and narrative at its best. A piece of art, a classic and its legacy will endure. Long may the trilogy be remembered.
  5. nimdA_
    Aug 1, 2021
    8
    У игры множество проблем. Устаревшая графика - только одна из них и её можно оправдать годом выхода игры, а вот всратую стрельбу, крайне убогий левел дизайн, очень однообразный геймплей и ужасную управляемость транспортом оправдать годом выхода не получится, ведь в 2008 уже существовали другие игры, где эти же элементы были выполнены гораздо лучше.

    Но Mass effect это не про геймплей. Он    У игры множество проблем. Устаревшая графика - только одна из них и её можно оправдать годом выхода игры, а вот всратую стрельбу, крайне убогий левел дизайн, очень однообразный геймплей и ужасную управляемость транспортом оправдать годом выхода не получится, ведь в 2008 уже существовали другие игры, где эти же элементы были выполнены гораздо лучше.

    Но Mass effect это не про геймплей. Он силён своей сценарной частью: офигенная история, офигенная вселенная и отлично прописанные персонажи - вот что заставляет играть в Mass effect спустя столько лет и закрывать глаза на недостатки. Кроме того, здесь есть неплохая ролевая составляющая, которая будет безвозвратно утеряна в следующих частях серии, и хорошие для своих лет лицевые анимации (в каждой новой части с этим будет всё хуже и хуже, как будто ответственный за это человек с годами деградирует, а не набивает руку!) .

    Первая часть Mass effect еще девственно чиста, её не коснулась рука-порча карги по имени Electronic arts, которая любой перспективный проект превращает в шаблонный голливудский боевик. Если вы любите игры типа Ведьмака, то есть ради крутой истории готовы мириться с недостатками геймплея и левел дизайна, то я однозначно рекомендую поиграть в Mass effect. Это одна из лучших игровых Вселенных, что я встречал.    … Expand
  6. Chapa9dj
    Jan 23, 2012
    10
    And i still think that back in the day i used to hate this game with every fiber of my being because it didn't work properly on my PC. What a stupid and worthless fool i was.
    Until one day i woke up and thought about giving it a 2nd chance testing new GPU drivers and for my surprise, it worked flawlessly.
    Then later that day i fell in love with this game and it become one of my favorite    And i still think that back in the day i used to hate this game with every fiber of my being because it didn't work properly on my PC. What a stupid and worthless fool i was.
    Until one day i woke up and thought about giving it a 2nd chance testing new GPU drivers and for my surprise, it worked flawlessly.
    Then later that day i fell in love with this game and it become one of my favorite franchises of all time.
    I didn't know what i was missing. And you know what? Since then, i now wake up everyday and i thanks to myself for giving this game another chance. :')    … Expand
  7. BlackOmega
    Oct 7, 2011
    10
    Mass Effect is an overall great game. If you recall the "Choose your own adventure" books, this has a very similar "feel." As K.G. put it, it's more of an interactive movie with FPS/RPG characteristics. First the good: The story line. The story line is captivating and intriguing. You're a commander of starship flying around the galaxy trying to expose a traitor but what you find is muchMass Effect is an overall great game. If you recall the "Choose your own adventure" books, this has a very similar "feel." As K.G. put it, it's more of an interactive movie with FPS/RPG characteristics. First the good: The story line. The story line is captivating and intriguing. You're a commander of starship flying around the galaxy trying to expose a traitor but what you find is much more than that. There are tons of planets to explore, tons of missions and NPC's to talk to. You can also customize quite a bit about your character and even your squad mates armor and loadout. Everything from your characters appearance (face), to the armor you're wearing to what weapons you use an what upgrades they have installed. The graphics are pretty good for the most part. It's no Crysis (1), but this is a port after all so I doubt an Xbox or PS3 could handle anything more than this game puts out. This game is four years old now, and the sheer size of the universe that you're playing in,which is huge, it's bound to have some repetitive textures, especially on relatively insignificant planets. However, for the most part, they're still pretty good and the scenery is great.
    The music is really good and draws you in to the story more as it's scripted to come on at specific times during action sequences and whatnot. And if you really want to know more about the game than is presented during gameplay, open up your codex and there's a lot of backstory. The bad: There really isn't much. One problem I've had with the game was the NPC's audio. During interaction with them, their speech would occasionally cut out (music and ambient sounds still play). Which kind of sucks for the story, however, enabling subtitles remedies that. Perhaps it was just my soundcard not playing well with the game (Creative X-Fi extreme music). However since Creative's last update for the card, I haven't come across this issue. Another issue I've found, however VERY infrequently, is getting stuck. There's an area that looks explorable, yet, you go there, and you get stuck. You have to reload the game. However, this is VERY infrequent. Other thoughts: The combat system is somewhat simplistic. It's semi FPSish except you can "pause" the action and command your squad to attack specific targets with specific attacks (weapons, biotic or tech attacks). Other than that, it's just like an FPS duck for cover, point and click, throw grenade, melee attack, etc. I don't see how people have issues with popping out of cover to shoot. It does it automatically, however, you have to be at the edge of what ever you're hiding behind for it to work. As far as I can tell, there aren't really any hitboxes in the game. Meaning headshots don't do any more or less damage than body or appendage hits. The next issue is the inventory system. It doesn't alphabetically organize and group together identical items. Kind of a pain. However, you can carry a whole helluva lot of stuff (150 items IIRC). For what it's worth, I haven't had this game crash ever. Not once. I've played it on an old 2.6GHz 939 dual core AMD system with 2 9600 GSO's, to an overclocked AM3 rig with 2 4870's, to an i7 (8core) with a 5870 using Windows XP and Windows 7 64 bit --runs flawlessly. People that have had the crashes most likely have a virus and don't know it, or their overclock is unstable. This is a PORTED game and as such, I've personally found ported games to crash frequently when your overclock is unstable. Final thoughts: All in all Mass Effect is a excellent game. Don't expect it to be like a traditional RPG --it's not. It's not an FPS either. However, the story is what makes this game. It's fresh, diverse, and totally engrossing. It gives you the freedom to act how you'd like and change the fate of the story. This game is the first of three, and what decisions you make in this game will affect some things in the second one, and from what I've read, will significantly impact the third. PS:The people that gave this game a 0 because of the DRM are idiots. That's NOT a review of the game. It's them whining and complaining about EA digital rights management (DRM). Should've bought it on Steam, and you can install it as many times as you like. PPS: Even if you do have the retail copy, and you use your 3 installs, simply call or get on live chat with EA support and they'll unblock it. And they're so good about it, if you ask for the Bring down the sky key they'll give it to you FOR FREE!

    GREAT GAME BUY IT, YOU WONT REGRET IT!    … Expand
  8. Chaozzak
    Nov 7, 2011
    10
    I didn't know what is this game about, nor i care. But after only 1 hour of playing I loved it. Story telling is amazing with deep characters around you and trust me, you will love them all. Graphics are ok, level design is perfect and combat system is average. Soundtrack and voice overs are great too! Bioware really took care about this one and I am grateful for it. Really great RPG
  9. whitespider999
    Feb 13, 2012
    10
    Overall, I like mass effect 1's more rpg like focus to it's mechanics and stats than mass effect 2's more functional and bare streamlining. However, while this game is a better rpg - it also has more lows in it's pacing. Some sections in mass effect are incredible and interesting, others are slow moving. I think mass effect 2 should have never removed the planet exploration. In the end. IOverall, I like mass effect 1's more rpg like focus to it's mechanics and stats than mass effect 2's more functional and bare streamlining. However, while this game is a better rpg - it also has more lows in it's pacing. Some sections in mass effect are incredible and interesting, others are slow moving. I think mass effect 2 should have never removed the planet exploration. In the end. I score both games the same. 9/10. For different reasons, mass effect 2 is a perfectly paced game, that was successfully streamlined. However lost some of it's scale as a result. Mass effect 1 was more ambitious, however it was occasionally boring.… Expand
  10. kriskizlyk
    Jan 20, 2012
    10
    Great game and a well deserved 10, the soundtrack makes me come back and play it again and again. The story line was quite quick but the game makes up with lots of side quests...if the side quests had more meaning then there would be something then it would be a real 10.
  11. Sealreth
    Aug 8, 2011
    10
    Best rpg in its space

    story is the best I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot.
    This story contains all the elements it needs.
    The graphics were also very nice and perfect for a game like this
    the controls could be better, but you can get used to it .

    Rock on Bioware

    Sealreth,
  12. Dejakritz
    Jan 28, 2012
    10
    I loved this game to death. Exploration by vehicle and ship, stumbling on amazing, chilling, and exciting adventures in addition to the main plot, stuff I dig. I enjoyed the plot and the politics, and most of all, the characters you recruit.
  13. gaminkid05
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    If you own a decent computer, get this game! Everything about it is good! Don't deny yourself with the experience when Mass Effect 3 comes out so soon! Just get the game and savor its awesomeness! It is really a perfect title in my opinion, with few to zero cons! And this is not just excitement after beating the game! This is excitement 6 months after beating the game! Still not convinced?If you own a decent computer, get this game! Everything about it is good! Don't deny yourself with the experience when Mass Effect 3 comes out so soon! Just get the game and savor its awesomeness! It is really a perfect title in my opinion, with few to zero cons! And this is not just excitement after beating the game! This is excitement 6 months after beating the game! Still not convinced? I don't care, just get it!… Expand
  14. whitewi666
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    Awesome game! It's looks great and the story is begging me to play all mass effect games and read all the books! This game is simply one of the best games in this gen! Universe has never been so believable before!!!!!!!! Love it or hate it, it's the winner!!!!!!!
  15. loloynage
    Nov 28, 2011
    9
    Really a great game that started this great trilogy (so far). Everything about it is fun and the story, even if not the most sophisticated, it still is a great one. One thing that I didn't like is that there where so many options, planets and missions that I just didn't care about and simply gave up on them and just focused on thr main plot.
  16. TreoWayne
    Dec 11, 2011
    10
    This game was okay, but no better than that. I am not a Star Wars fan but I loved Star Wars Kotor and the sequel. This game was like an attempt to make a third game in that series without having to pay George Lucas.

    The sidequests were extremely repetitive. All the environments that weren't part of the main campaign were repeated over and over and over. The same textures, the same    This game was okay, but no better than that. I am not a Star Wars fan but I loved Star Wars Kotor and the sequel. This game was like an attempt to make a third game in that series without having to pay George Lucas.

    The sidequests were extremely repetitive. All the environments that weren't part of the main campaign were repeated over and over and over. The same textures, the same dungeon layouts.

    The parts driving the Mako were awful. Every planet had the same mountain terrain with different colored rock textures.

    Combat was terrible. Not fun at all.

    The graphics were good and the voice overs were well done. Thankfully the option to use subtitles and skip the voice overs was available.

    The plot was decent, but I don't really like the idea of playing a game that I know from the outset will not deliver "THE END". Most of the options to be a 'Renegade' or a 'Paragon' had little to no effect on the game.

    Overall you can see that far more effort went into making this a polished multimedia experience than making a fun game. I will play the sequel, but if it is not a significant upgrade I will be skipping the third installment.    … Expand
  17. Thaltom
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    It's rare to find a game that captures good game play, storytelling, and usability. Mass Effect is this game. Using a third person perspective you will run and gun yourself through Bioware's story as Commander Shepard, make either Paragon or Renegade choices, complete the game and then LOVE doing it again, but this time as an Infiltrator or other class. Favorite NPCs have been Joker andIt's rare to find a game that captures good game play, storytelling, and usability. Mass Effect is this game. Using a third person perspective you will run and gun yourself through Bioware's story as Commander Shepard, make either Paragon or Renegade choices, complete the game and then LOVE doing it again, but this time as an Infiltrator or other class. Favorite NPCs have been Joker and Wrex as their writing is amazing.… Expand
  18. Sasori261
    Jan 21, 2012
    10
    To me, this game was better than the 2nd. I loved the story, characters, and crew more than I did the 2nd, though by just a bit. Mass Effect is like the EA equal to Bethesda's Elder Scrolls, though not as good. The game was absolutly fun to play and I had a great time on it. Overall, the best RPG other than RPG's made by Bethesda.
  19. drake_avi
    Feb 22, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect is an excellent game!!! Awesome storyline is one of the biggest incentives to play this epic space-faring game. Combat is kinda okay, it's later sequels improves upon combat dramatically. All in all Mass Effect is one of the most impressive games i have played. The voice acting is definitely top notch and is very engaging. THis game is a must play if you want to experience theMass Effect is an excellent game!!! Awesome storyline is one of the biggest incentives to play this epic space-faring game. Combat is kinda okay, it's later sequels improves upon combat dramatically. All in all Mass Effect is one of the most impressive games i have played. The voice acting is definitely top notch and is very engaging. THis game is a must play if you want to experience the epic trilogy.… Expand
  20. Biggs27
    Jan 27, 2012
    10
    This is a really great game.It has good graphics and a cool story.The environment is done well and the character interaction is a lot of fun.To few games nowadays seem to use this anymore.You kind of get attached to some characters as you talk and go through the story with them,to many games just have cookie cutter characters with no depth this is a definite exception.The sound effects areThis is a really great game.It has good graphics and a cool story.The environment is done well and the character interaction is a lot of fun.To few games nowadays seem to use this anymore.You kind of get attached to some characters as you talk and go through the story with them,to many games just have cookie cutter characters with no depth this is a definite exception.The sound effects are really good and while the music isn't really that exciting at times, it has a haunting quality to it that is enjoyable and adds to the feel of the game.I would totally recommend this to anyone and look forward to playing the others.… Expand
  21. PrimalHunter70
    Jan 27, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect is addictive, so addictive that it compells to explore every inch of it's beautiful world! Mass Effect mimicks Star Wars, but not in a bad way. A really good game, recommended to any sci-fi fan or RPG fan out there looking for a new and innovative RPG experience.
  22. Slartibartfast
    Jan 28, 2012
    10
    Getting a bit old now, but still an excellent game. I cannot find one bad thing to say about the game, so I won´t. Instead I will say: "Thanks for making the game, some of the best gaming time I have ever spent:)"
  23. efedinthea
    Feb 18, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect is by far my favourite title in the series. The rpg elements aren't that great, neither is the shooting or the story, but the fact that they're all wrapped up into the same package makes this one of my all time favourite games. unlike ME2 the story is actually somewhat compelling, you're battling to save everyone; David vs Goliath doesn't even come close to the difference inMass Effect is by far my favourite title in the series. The rpg elements aren't that great, neither is the shooting or the story, but the fact that they're all wrapped up into the same package makes this one of my all time favourite games. unlike ME2 the story is actually somewhat compelling, you're battling to save everyone; David vs Goliath doesn't even come close to the difference in power here. the rpg elements are actually there unlike ME2, and the leveling system is much more intricate and satisfying.… Expand
  24. Kosheus
    Feb 27, 2012
    10
    One of the best games ever (and ME2 too). Just love it.
    If you don't want some repetitive ADDITIONAL missions - just skip it and play storyline ones (then game really rocks). Nice animated RPG from big letter 'R'.
  25. fastblood
    Mar 6, 2012
    8
    A highly customizable and interesting game. The universe is well created and thought out, and the characters are not flat or boring. The choices the player makes are varied and noticeably effect later gameplay. Overall, it is a very solid game, and a refreshing take on the sci-fi genre. The ability to mold your character the way you want both personally and on the field of battle isA highly customizable and interesting game. The universe is well created and thought out, and the characters are not flat or boring. The choices the player makes are varied and noticeably effect later gameplay. Overall, it is a very solid game, and a refreshing take on the sci-fi genre. The ability to mold your character the way you want both personally and on the field of battle is greatly appreciated as well.… Expand
  26. Wulfburk
    Mar 9, 2012
    10
    At first glance on the boxshot you will think it is just another lame sci fi out there, but as you get through it and actually play the game you will experience one of the best more recent games, with awesome characters, such as Wrex and Saren, incredible voice acting and dialogue, character customization, good graphics and great gameplay, being the best of the Mass Effect series. OnlyAt first glance on the boxshot you will think it is just another lame sci fi out there, but as you get through it and actually play the game you will experience one of the best more recent games, with awesome characters, such as Wrex and Saren, incredible voice acting and dialogue, character customization, good graphics and great gameplay, being the best of the Mass Effect series. Only draw back is that some optimization would have been welcome.… Expand
  27. moonlight_shado
    Apr 22, 2016
    10
    Better than Skyrim, Witcher 3 and Dragon Age all together. Unfortunately every next ME game was more and more stripped down from their rpg mechanics, being more consolized, but this one, this has all the magic. The plot is fresh and well written, the story unfold in a proper, narrative way. The choices. The inventory and character development is the best as well. Exploration of planetsBetter than Skyrim, Witcher 3 and Dragon Age all together. Unfortunately every next ME game was more and more stripped down from their rpg mechanics, being more consolized, but this one, this has all the magic. The plot is fresh and well written, the story unfold in a proper, narrative way. The choices. The inventory and character development is the best as well. Exploration of planets makes it almost perfect sandbox game. Graphics for an almost 10 yo game still looks very good and doesn't stand out from today's standards. What else for me to say. Maybe that i wish Bioware stop the trilogy with... the first and only Mass Effect. Instead of reapers make the Saren Diablo-like treat to entire galaxy and voila. ME2 is at least fun but ME3 is so dumb (and i'm not **** only about the ending) that it almost kill the pleasure of entire game but gladly i overcome it and for me the history of Shepard ends here, with ME1 and the rest i leave for my imagination.… Expand
  28. Higher_Standard
    Aug 17, 2010
    8
    The game isn't really great in terms of play, however the choices made are difficult at times and the story is just epic. There is tons of lore and immersion to this game. The big thing you have to do in order to enjoy this game, however, is to play the female Shepard. The male is okay if you like to listen to Keanu Reeves-like vocal styles for hours on end. The actor for the femaleThe game isn't really great in terms of play, however the choices made are difficult at times and the story is just epic. There is tons of lore and immersion to this game. The big thing you have to do in order to enjoy this game, however, is to play the female Shepard. The male is okay if you like to listen to Keanu Reeves-like vocal styles for hours on end. The actor for the female Shepard is amazing, especially during some of the intimidate options as a renegade. If only this game had better gameplay. Defiantly a favorite of mine. I would give it a ten in terms of how fun it is for me. But from a neutral point of view the gameplay is too repetitive for that.… Expand
  29. TemplarGR
    Sep 9, 2016
    9
    The last truly great Bioware game. The only game in the Mass effect series that could claim it was an RPG, albeit a light one. It is not without faults, but it was great at the time of its release, and if you haven't played it, or the trilogy, you owe it to yourself to get it, you won't regret it, trust me.

    The only real problem this game had, was the mako levels. My God! Other than    The last truly great Bioware game. The only game in the Mass effect series that could claim it was an RPG, albeit a light one. It is not without faults, but it was great at the time of its release, and if you haven't played it, or the trilogy, you owe it to yourself to get it, you won't regret it, trust me.

    The only real problem this game had, was the mako levels. My God! Other than that, great game.    … Expand
  30. Matseb2611
    Mar 4, 2012
    10
    I'll begin by saying that I fell in love with the game within the first half an hour of me playing it, and that happens VERY RARELY for me. Mass Effect is simply a fantastic sci-fi RPG. It delivers an amazingly huge world, full of different planets, alien races, technology, and locations. Everything in the game has a background to it, creating an extremely rich and immersive world. AnotherI'll begin by saying that I fell in love with the game within the first half an hour of me playing it, and that happens VERY RARELY for me. Mass Effect is simply a fantastic sci-fi RPG. It delivers an amazingly huge world, full of different planets, alien races, technology, and locations. Everything in the game has a background to it, creating an extremely rich and immersive world. Another thing I really loved about Mass Effect was how well the personalities of characters were developed, especially your party members. Of the 6 available party members, I ended up using them all at some stage. There were never any benchwarmer characters as is common with many party-oriented RPGs. I haven't even gotten to the gameplay yet. The RPG elements are superb. You get to choose between 6 different character classes, and even within each class there are many skills and abilities which you can learn in whichever order you want. When interacting with the NPCs, you get to choose every single line that your character says. That is how much variation there is in the game's dialogue. And the things you say greatly affect how other characters feel about you. There is a lot of freedom in the game, in a sense that you can roam about the entire galaxy and do sidequests as you see fit. Even most of the primary quests you can do in any order you wish. There were of course a few things I could nitpick. For example the control of Mako (the tank) was a bit frustrating at times, but any flaws are very minor and do not detract from the amazing experience that this game offers. Now I am going to play Mass Effect 2, and according to what I hear, it is even better. If that's the case, I am prepared to have my mind blown away.… Expand
  31. Novi4ekNone
    Aug 2, 2009
    10
    good game
  32. FransP.
    Sep 10, 2008
    10
    Awesome game, one of the few games that I started over after finishing it the first time. Great dialog system, enjoyable combat, gripping storyline and good voice acting. All too often a game is ruined by bad voice acting, this one got it right.
  33. MoizR
    Jun 1, 2009
    10
    A fantastic storyline that had me gripped from start to finish and eagerly anticipating Mass Effect 2 coming this year. A must-buy for anyone who's in to RPGs or even newcomers to this genre. It's graphically brilliant, there are moments in the game where you would be simply gasping at the view. The soundtrack is not as epic as what I would expect from Bioware but still very A fantastic storyline that had me gripped from start to finish and eagerly anticipating Mass Effect 2 coming this year. A must-buy for anyone who's in to RPGs or even newcomers to this genre. It's graphically brilliant, there are moments in the game where you would be simply gasping at the view. The soundtrack is not as epic as what I would expect from Bioware but still very good. I never did more than 3 or 4 sidemissions so I can't say they were repetitive. The replay value is excellent and you even get to save your character from Mass Effect 1 and carry on with the exact same character(and your plot choices) in Mass Effect 2. Definitely not a game to miss and one that has reached the top ten of virtually every relevant GOTY category.… Expand
  34. AndreaM
    Sep 3, 2009
    10
    Great storyline. An exellent product from BioWare (BioWare never disappoint, never!) where everything is made with the total attention to even the smallest details. I must agree with Barnee B when he said "I find it not just the best rpg, but simply the BEST GAME OF THIS GENERATION". Strongly suggested to everyone. P.S. : Can't wait for Mass Effect 2!
  35. FotisJ.
    Jun 15, 2008
    8
    An interesting story told interestingly but some serious game design problems in the side quests (tasks too repetitive, worlds too similar) real damp the game experience. And after Bioshock there seem to be other ways around to tell a story instead of choosing dialogue options (makes replaying the game also quite boring).
  36. AshB.
    Jun 26, 2008
    8
    I thought that the only problem was the textures that still loaded slow and slow frame rate at some point in the game.
  37. AndreasPfister
    Apr 19, 2009
    10
    Very, very good Game !
    To be honest, those ratings regarding activation and SecuRom Protection are really stupid !
    Everybody has internet, i like to activate my game, whats bad with it ( maybe my grandpa do not like to activate a software online ... ).
    And SecuRom, come on, use google and be ready after 5 minutes ... ( i had no problems ... )
  38. Tubie
    Oct 2, 2010
    10
    If you are a fan of sci-fi you owe it to yourself to get into this trilogy, the first game is incredible. you get to play this game and import your character into Mass Effect 2 and we can all guess it will happen the same for Mass Effect 3, this brings a great deal of immersion with the character you play with in this fantastic fictional universe.
  39. KulakxRatings
    Nov 26, 2010
    9
    This game is something. The story in here is one of the best I have ever heard. I truly love this game. Great acting, great graphics, good gameplay and very smart conversation wheel that was made for simple and fun dialouge. Their were a number of bugs that got annoying such as freezing in a few spots/ getting stuck. And a few times the people would dissapear. The elevators were prettyThis game is something. The story in here is one of the best I have ever heard. I truly love this game. Great acting, great graphics, good gameplay and very smart conversation wheel that was made for simple and fun dialouge. Their were a number of bugs that got annoying such as freezing in a few spots/ getting stuck. And a few times the people would dissapear. The elevators were pretty slow but fortunatley they were spead up on the pc version. The rpg elements are very well orientated and the characters and companions in this game are all intelligently designed. This game is one of those games that will not be forgoten.… Expand
  40. PresCthulhu
    Jul 7, 2014
    8
    I still remember fondly of this game as this started the trilogy that is now one of the best rpgs altogether. It was revolutionary back then. I sill remember the bugs, the planet exploration and some of the uninteresting characters though that somewhat detracts from its value (without the nostalgic glasses). There can be no mistakes however: this is a BRILLIANT masterpiece.
  41. ChoicestGames
    Dec 11, 2012
    8
    If you're a fan of Bioware RPGs and especially if you're into sci-fi, you won't be disappointed by Mass Effect if you overlook the few minor UI quirks - however, those against draconian DRMs, who like to feel that they actually own the game or tend to like a bit of variety in their side quests, may have to look elsewhere.
  42. AthanasiosT
    Jun 1, 2014
    10
    I just want to raise the game's average. 8.6 is really not representative for Mass Effect. It was an original space-opera RPG, with great decision making and combat. A clear 10 for any RPG fan. So, get in your space buggy and go look for some ore out there...
  43. Rayken
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    The beginning of the Mass Effect series, one of the greatest series of this generation. I'll keep this as short as possible. Great story, lots of replayability, great characters, ok exploration missions, decent gameplay and decent graphics for the time.
  44. whatever523
    Dec 27, 2013
    10
    Mass Effect is one of the best games ever created, it's as simple as that. Story, atmosphere, graphics, music, character development, exploration. Mass Effect has it all.

    This isn't an open world game, it's an open universe game.
  45. m8cct
    Jan 2, 2014
    8
    What Mass Effect lacks in playability, it makes up for with charm. This first Mass Effect is one of the greatest examples of science fiction storytelling in any media, beyond just video games. The setting is astounding, and epic in scope, the characters are deep, and full of life. The Mass Effect universe simply has a way of making you care about it. You're the first human Spectre, flyingWhat Mass Effect lacks in playability, it makes up for with charm. This first Mass Effect is one of the greatest examples of science fiction storytelling in any media, beyond just video games. The setting is astounding, and epic in scope, the characters are deep, and full of life. The Mass Effect universe simply has a way of making you care about it. You're the first human Spectre, flying around the galaxy in the most tricked out ride in Citadel space with a rag-tag alien crew and a mission to save the Milky Way. How could you not be into that?? The mission on Virmire embodies everything that is great about this game: daring adventures, engaging character interactions, and difficult, meaningful decisions.

    But like I said, the game lacks some basic playability and tact. Combat in the first couple levels is choppy and awkward, then hits a sweet spot somewhere around Feros or Noveria, but by the end, is all just a little TOO easy. Cinematic sequences followed by tough fight scenes don't have save points in between, so prepare to see the same cut-scene over and over again. The inventory system may be a bit too much, and while it's nice to have companions on missions, functionally, they are little more than cannon fodder. Conversations with squad mates between missions tend to drag a lot, and, speaking of dragging, how about those elevator rides?

    Regardless of the kinks, this game is a must play for any video game enthusiast.    … Expand
  46. Zahrada
    Feb 24, 2014
    8
    I purchased this game in 2012 and spent few days playing it almost non-stop. Very well made, well written and hell lot of fun. There is was a potential for more, here I mean exploring the planets. The game could have been slightly more open. Another downside for me was the character creation, notably the lack of options. It could have been bigger. Also the ui seemd somewhat unfriendly, butI purchased this game in 2012 and spent few days playing it almost non-stop. Very well made, well written and hell lot of fun. There is was a potential for more, here I mean exploring the planets. The game could have been slightly more open. Another downside for me was the character creation, notably the lack of options. It could have been bigger. Also the ui seemd somewhat unfriendly, but that's just me I guess. Overall, excelent game.… Expand
  47. DegenCutter
    Jun 17, 2015
    9
    A great game that introduced the world to a fascinating new science fiction setting, Mass Effect was a triumphant game for Bioware. The shooter mechanics were unfortunately a slight bit rough and would subsequently be improved in both Mass Effect 2 and 3, but there is an indelible charm to the first Mass Effect game and I still have nostalgia for the first time I discovered the wonderfulA great game that introduced the world to a fascinating new science fiction setting, Mass Effect was a triumphant game for Bioware. The shooter mechanics were unfortunately a slight bit rough and would subsequently be improved in both Mass Effect 2 and 3, but there is an indelible charm to the first Mass Effect game and I still have nostalgia for the first time I discovered the wonderful setting and was introduced to some of the great characters like Wrex, Tali, Liara, and Garrus.… Expand
  48. Witcharob
    May 20, 2014
    9
    Cons:
    Pacing can be slow at times, programming is not as good as it is on the sequels, EA published.

    Pros:
    Great characters, great story, nice decision system, fun gameplay, immersive atmosphere, great sci-fi universe, real RPG feel, politically charged & nice classes to choose from.
  49. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    8
    2/18/2012: Mass Effect is not a perfect game. It is plagued with bugs and inane design decisions, and yeah, Mark Meer's performance isn't exactly stellar. But there is a good thing about it for every bad thing, and unlike say, Dragon Age: Origins, It didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth at the end. It's a fun trip back to the days of pulp Sci-Fi, and bears as much in common with Star Wars2/18/2012: Mass Effect is not a perfect game. It is plagued with bugs and inane design decisions, and yeah, Mark Meer's performance isn't exactly stellar. But there is a good thing about it for every bad thing, and unlike say, Dragon Age: Origins, It didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth at the end. It's a fun trip back to the days of pulp Sci-Fi, and bears as much in common with Star Wars as it does with the new Battlestar Galactica. I much prefer action RPGs to traditional ones, but ME1 is so clunky it might as well be the latter. The inventory system is utter garbage, and there are a few too many featureless planets with inconsequential battles to fight and wreckage to salvage. I for one LOVE the Mako, one of the most-hated elements of this game. Still, I forgot a lot of the game's problems during fights and especially during dialogue. A word of warning: The first time through this version of the game, it crashed on me constantly.… Expand
  50. escknx
    Mar 20, 2020
    9
    Very good even by 2020 standards. Not as good as ME2, shooting mechanic is the weakest part, but manageable. Plot is thick and tenable.
  51. MadnessisRising
    Mar 6, 2019
    8
    When it comes to gaming the Mass Effect-Trilogy is the best what you can get! It has by far the best character's, a giant and fantastic universe you can't even imagine and one of the best story in a game ever! 8 / 10 because the game play is actually really bad compared to the second and third, but maybe this is a personal preference.
  52. AlexeySoltan
    Nov 6, 2021
    10
    i hated space setting until i played this game. masterpiece .
  53. AgentLvi
    Dec 27, 2022
    8
    Great game. The story is decent. The scoring is great, visual is really amazing, the voice & sound is also amazing
  54. MarkG
    Oct 30, 2008
    8
    If you're a fan of Bioware RPGs and especially if you're into sci-fi, you won't be disappointed by this most recent release if you overlook the few minor UI quirks - however, those against draconian DRMs, who like to feel that they actually own the game or tend to like a bit of variety in their side quests, may have to look elsewhere.
  55. M.A.
    Oct 28, 2008
    9
    Fantastic game, glued me to the screen for quite a bit. graphically brilliant (the newest unreal engine still has me in awe), acting absolutly fantastic. some of the missions do get a bit repetitive, but you don't have to do them, so their only a problem if you're one of those i've-gotta-do-all-the-quests types (like me)
  56. GenevieveF.
    Jun 2, 2008
    9
    How to describe how fantastic this game is in just one paragraph? I probably wont be able to, so heres the jist of it. -The graphics are amazing. Not perfect and there are certain times where I wonder if it will crash when it pauses for a bit, but its still, just utterly breathtaking. -Conversations are smoother this time around. It feels like i'm actually speaking to someone instead How to describe how fantastic this game is in just one paragraph? I probably wont be able to, so heres the jist of it. -The graphics are amazing. Not perfect and there are certain times where I wonder if it will crash when it pauses for a bit, but its still, just utterly breathtaking. -Conversations are smoother this time around. It feels like i'm actually speaking to someone instead of standing there like a dolt without saying a word until 3 minutes later. If I were talking to somone who took 3 minutes to respond, I would've ditched them already. -Its not strictly black and white when it comes to choices. You actually have to be able to make decisions based on logic or preference or how you deem your character would react. You can be both Paragon or Renegade to a certain extent on the meters. Neither decreases the points of the other. -The abilities and weapons are great. Being able to throw people out floating in thin air or warping their insides is more satisfying than just running up to an NPC with horrible AI and shooting their face off. -Customization of your own character is endless. Not the depth of Oblivion(Which drove me nuts, took me at least 3 hours to make a perfect face) but enough to make your character truly unique. What I loved the most was the makeup and the scars you could put on her face. (Never really created a male shep before but have tried). -Main missions are interesting and well designed. I guess the only downside would be that they are so awesome that the next time I replay this game i'd probably skip all the side quests and go for the main plot everytime. -The other characters are neat and have the funniest lines! Even just an NPC that you would encounter somewhere could hold the wittiest banter you could ever hear in a game. Most of them don't all look the same and the gestures aren't overly repetitive. -The music is epic. Not much else to say about it. Its not cheesy and portrays the events hapening or about to come perfectly. -Environments for the main missions are spectacular. It went from caveish, to ruiny, to snowy and then tropical. I looked forward to the next one everytime. -Controls are easy to learn and combat situations require some degree of thought before entering. Can't just charge and blast anymore, have to know what weapon to use, who to use and what to do tactically. A few complaints that make this game a 9 for me: -The side quests. At first, I thought some of them were cool, but after a while they got repetitive. Each side quest planet had things to collect and seemed very bare. I understand they were considered poorly populated worlds, but couldn't we see where the Turians or Volus live for example? Just a little peek? -More interaction between companions. I mean, they did talk to each other once in a while and I did get the sence that(for example, Kaidon and Ashley talked to each other like they were old pals) but what about the others? Need some arguments or some jokes, something so that you know they acknowledge each other as more than a face they see every 4 days. -The option to turn on your companions in the end. I wouldn't pick it on my first playthrough, but it would be nice if it was there for my second. A renegage would most likely abandon their friends and go where the money or the power takes them. Other than that, this is a revolutionary RPG/Action game. I'm looking forward to playing through it and getting a couple of the acheivements in there. Can't wait for ME2!… Expand
  57. SeanB
    Jun 26, 2008
    9
    Mass Effect is a great game, and it does not suffer from "consolitis" as someone else claimed except in the interface menus, which could have been done better. The controls feel responsive, and have been optimized for the PC (along with better squad control and number bound quickslots). The story is amazing, and the fictional universe is on par with Star Wars. Character customization is Mass Effect is a great game, and it does not suffer from "consolitis" as someone else claimed except in the interface menus, which could have been done better. The controls feel responsive, and have been optimized for the PC (along with better squad control and number bound quickslots). The story is amazing, and the fictional universe is on par with Star Wars. Character customization is quite in depth...I was actually able to create a character that looked somewhat like me in real life. You can play it with a run and gun style, or take on more of a support role and use some tactics. Most of the characters on your team are unforgettable, and I cared about what happened to them. I want to play through the game again already and its only been about a month since I finished it. The graphics are good, amazing even at some locations, and you'll be able to bump the resolution even higher than the console version if you have a powerful PC. However, there are some negatives. I had trouble getting the game to start on my PC. I have Vista 32-bit,and I was able to fix this issue by setting the game to "Always run as administrator". The game tends to crash once every few hours. The worst issue by far, however, is the buy/sell menu. You'll automatically be picking up lots of items, and you can only hold up to 150. Trips to vendors will probably be frequent. When you go to the sell menu, all you get is a completely disorganized list of ALL your items and you can only see around 10 on a single page if I'm remembering correctly. This results in a huge time sink as you go down the list, figuring out what you want to let go of and what you want to keep. I've spent over half an hour in a single selling session, but that probably has a lot to do with my play style. Anyway, the pros of Mass Effect outweigh the cons, and you should definitely pick this up if you have a decent PC and you haven't played the console version already.… Expand
  58. ZO
    Jun 2, 2008
    8
    Not bad, but not really that great either. I found myself enjoying The Witcher much more, and ME seems kind of bland and shallow and the story is your typical cookie-cutter Bioware stuff (i.e. VERY predictable). Still, it's worth a playthrough atleast and would still recommend it.
  59. JoeA.
    Aug 7, 2008
    10
    I found this to be one of the best PC games to come out in a long time. Certainly the best since Oblivion came out in 2006. It plays like an epic movie with a great story. I finished my first play through in 41 hours and could easily have stretched it to 50-55 if I wanted to do all the side quests and explore every system. The combat is great, reminds me of Kotor in many ways. I thought I found this to be one of the best PC games to come out in a long time. Certainly the best since Oblivion came out in 2006. It plays like an epic movie with a great story. I finished my first play through in 41 hours and could easily have stretched it to 50-55 if I wanted to do all the side quests and explore every system. The combat is great, reminds me of Kotor in many ways. I thought it was great they had all dialogue voiced. It really added to immersion and that "movie" feeling. There is lots of re playability in there as different classes can play very differently and its worth it at least once to play though as a bad guy if you, like most, went though your first time as a good guy. Or to explore more and do missed side quests. Best game of 2008 imo for the PC. Unlike many ports, this one was well done. It plays fantastic on the PC with a good UI overall.… Expand
  60. fuwaneko
    Jan 2, 2010
    9
    Very good CRPG, absolutely one of the best. Good action, clean and easy mechanics, interesting characters. However, there are 2 problems: too much of chit-chatting and disbalance in classes. E.g. adept is weakest of all. Hope ME2 will have more battles, less talking and good balance.
  61. SimonO.
    Oct 5, 2008
    10
    Oh my god, I haven't had this much fun with a game in many years! It is simply captivating and breathtaking. When I browse about on the surface of a new planet I just love the vista of a huge red dwarf (slowly dying star) on the hemisphere, simply magical. I will never see other planets and outer space, and this is as close as I will ever get to being the space-crusader that I was Oh my god, I haven't had this much fun with a game in many years! It is simply captivating and breathtaking. When I browse about on the surface of a new planet I just love the vista of a huge red dwarf (slowly dying star) on the hemisphere, simply magical. I will never see other planets and outer space, and this is as close as I will ever get to being the space-crusader that I was destined to be, albeit being born in the information age and not the faster than light-space age! The story is captivating and intelligent, the interaction with non-player characters is good and varied: I was shocked when suddenly I had killed this guy just because I said "off him" which was meant for fun, not in all seriousness haha. I love it. Best game for me and beats anything else e.g. Oblivion, HL2 and Crysis, bearing in mind that it is NOT a shooter, but a great movie with you as the main character… Expand
  62. Daniel
    Jun 13, 2008
    10
    This game is awesome. Yes, there are some bugs, some of which do cause crashes, but none of which are very serious at all. Also, to J.N. and to all of you who are having trouble with instability, you should probably just update your drivers. I had some very annoying instability to begin with, but when I updated my drivers for my 8600GT, I no longer had any instability, and was able to run This game is awesome. Yes, there are some bugs, some of which do cause crashes, but none of which are very serious at all. Also, to J.N. and to all of you who are having trouble with instability, you should probably just update your drivers. I had some very annoying instability to begin with, but when I updated my drivers for my 8600GT, I no longer had any instability, and was able to run the game on max stats (2.13 Core 2 Duo, 2GB G. Skill RAM, nVidia 8600GT; pretty low). Also, to the SecuROM alarmists, including our good friend Stephen Y., SecuROM is honestly not that bad. I have Daemon Tools and run Daemon while running Mass Effect, and have no problems. The servers are honestly never down. I have played the game for about 60 hrs and have never had a startup issue. About the three activations issue, I'll admit that I'm a little annoyed myself, but how many are you really going to need? This game is too awesome to uninstall, so that's not an issue, and even if you do heavily modify your computer all the time (most sane people will not heavily modify their computer more than once every twenty-four months), EA will still probably give you more activations. Contrary to popular gamer sentiment, EA is NOT the evil empire of profit-driven game making (yes, they are profit-driven, but so are all commercial companies, even the saint of the gaming world, Blizzard herself). EA makes and publishes some damn good games, thank you very much. Also, back on the point, though it is a difficult and challenging process, you can remove SecuRom. In fact, I have done so just to see if I COULD do it. It took me about three hours, but I managed. And, finally, to Stephen down there, if your vaunted principles prevent you from buying a game, of all things (I can see where you'd boycott Nike for sweatshops, but Mass Effect because of SecuROM is stupid), you, my friend, take yourself far too seriously. And finally, (I promise to shut up in just a second), please, PLEASE, do not blame BioWare for SecuROM. It was EA's decision, and theirs alone. Please, for your own sake, buy this game and enjoy the fantastic blend of Diablo 2, Call of Duty, Star Wars, and Starship Troopers that is my beloved Mass Effect. This is Walter Cronkite, and that's the way it is.… Expand
  63. TarmoS.
    Jun 20, 2008
    10
    A Grand space-opera RPG masterpiece with breathtaking attention to detail and massive amounts of well thought out content and narrative.
  64. CoreyG.
    Jun 3, 2008
    9
    Very good game, has held me entranced when I normally can't make it more than an hour into an RPG. Has some technical flaws though or otherwise I'd rate it a 10. I've gotten stuck a couple times, once in an elevator and once talking to someone where I gave it a command to do something but it then got stuck mid-command and I had to go back to my last save. Also has serious Very good game, has held me entranced when I normally can't make it more than an hour into an RPG. Has some technical flaws though or otherwise I'd rate it a 10. I've gotten stuck a couple times, once in an elevator and once talking to someone where I gave it a command to do something but it then got stuck mid-command and I had to go back to my last save. Also has serious issues with SLi in specific areas of the game, but otherwise runs fine.… Expand
  65. JohnS
    Jun 9, 2008
    10
    Oh my god, people! I'll start off saying I'm giving this a 10, not because it's as perfect as it could be, but as perfect as to what you can do with available technology and the resources invested into creating this game. If you're not going to utilize the purpose of a 1-10 scale, you're kidding yourself if anything could match up to this marvel. This is just a Oh my god, people! I'll start off saying I'm giving this a 10, not because it's as perfect as it could be, but as perfect as to what you can do with available technology and the resources invested into creating this game. If you're not going to utilize the purpose of a 1-10 scale, you're kidding yourself if anything could match up to this marvel. This is just a phenomenal sci-fi RPG that is remarkably entertaining throughout both the main and side-quest storyline. The reevaluated "good/bad" morality axis, from Bioware's past KotOR game, made for a huge killing of time throughout multiple play-throughs and the choices were satisfyingly thorough. This is what I buy games for; replayability is a key assessment to determine which games are worthy to their design. If you're easily enthralled while watching a good drama, you would hit a whole new realm of emotion due to the depth shown in the characters. I really can't summarize this movie in a short manner, probably because I'm busy dreaming about playing it again haha. I did happen to crash a couple (pretty much just 2) times while playing, however, I was in the habit of saving every couple minutes simply by using the F6 key. These crashes are practically impossible to defend against and isn't at all Bioware's fault for handling operating system faults. I'm assuming any other technical issue people are experiencing are associated with old hardware.… Expand
  66. VinceB
    Jul 1, 2008
    9
    Good replay value due to the nature of the storyboard design and 'moral' compass. However, this game would have scored a 10 if it wasn't so unstable, and my computer has a lot of good hardware. As previous comments pointed out: textures can take awhile to load, fps drops, and sometimes when fumbling through the menu's and gui the mouse cursor disappears and you're Good replay value due to the nature of the storyboard design and 'moral' compass. However, this game would have scored a 10 if it wasn't so unstable, and my computer has a lot of good hardware. As previous comments pointed out: textures can take awhile to load, fps drops, and sometimes when fumbling through the menu's and gui the mouse cursor disappears and you're unable to move at all during game play! Perhaps this maybe fix in the a future patch, but as it stands right now the game is pretty solid despite this.… Expand
  67. PeterK
    Jul 18, 2008
    9
    If you like this style of RPG-lite (think Knights of the Old Republic, by the same guys), then you might just find this to be the best game you ever played. The story is phenomenal. The voice acting is wonderful. The universe building is top notch. The flaw that makes it a nine instead of a ten are the repetitive side missions. The planets all look very similar and the builds are all If you like this style of RPG-lite (think Knights of the Old Republic, by the same guys), then you might just find this to be the best game you ever played. The story is phenomenal. The voice acting is wonderful. The universe building is top notch. The flaw that makes it a nine instead of a ten are the repetitive side missions. The planets all look very similar and the builds are all built from a very small number of templates. The good news is that you don't have to do any of the quests, but, still, a little more attention to this part of the game could have made it spectacular. Regardless, it is well worth the purchase.… Expand
  68. AndrewA.
    Jul 20, 2008
    9
    Not a ten due to graphics issues.
  69. MaartenV.
    Aug 11, 2008
    10
    I don't know were to start. First off, the graphics are ace. The animations look natural enough and the texturing is very neat. The story is just pure joy, especially the final part. The cinematic make it feel like watching a good sc-fi movie, a really good one in fact. The gameplay is easy to learn and straightforward, enough explanation given. This is one of the games that keep you I don't know were to start. First off, the graphics are ace. The animations look natural enough and the texturing is very neat. The story is just pure joy, especially the final part. The cinematic make it feel like watching a good sc-fi movie, a really good one in fact. The gameplay is easy to learn and straightforward, enough explanation given. This is one of the games that keep you hooked all the time! ive got 50 hours of gameplay already and I'm not done yet! For me this is by FAR the best RPG ever made. good job Bioware!!… Expand
  70. MatthewB.
    Sep 5, 2008
    8
    This is a fun game for sure but I don't think it's THAT great. It's really a very similar game to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, though it lacks the same compelling story line. Still, it's a worthwhile play if you're looking for an action oriented RPG.
  71. MikeO
    May 29, 2009
    10
    I just finished playing through Mass Effect for the first time. It's one of the best games I've ever played. I beat it in 30 hours but I know there was more to do and accomplish. It seemed as though every 5 minutes I was being amazed either by the Sci-fi and science literacy, Amazing visuals, gameplay options and features or story elements. (Those visuals are very intensive on I just finished playing through Mass Effect for the first time. It's one of the best games I've ever played. I beat it in 30 hours but I know there was more to do and accomplish. It seemed as though every 5 minutes I was being amazed either by the Sci-fi and science literacy, Amazing visuals, gameplay options and features or story elements. (Those visuals are very intensive on CPU and GPU cores, my system wasn't affected by any slowdown, crashing or DRM issues I did buy it on Steam however, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.) I can't think of a game that last made me care about the personalities, interests and goals of npc characters in same way as this game has. Each of the characters has a very specific and unique storyline, each one has their own motives in certain situations which impact how a mission or the whole storyline will eventually come to a close. The science fiction in this game as a whole is far from soft; they explain practically every piece of relevant technology in the game, and many of them are theories that already exist in science now or modified from excellent science fiction writers like Poul Anderson, Issac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and many others. The voice acting is fantastic, they got several well known actors (especially in sci-fi) to play major characters as well as having at least 40 other voice actors filling in the rest of the minor characters. The game also really puts you into the position of the main character, you have many, many difficult decisions to make regarding your morality and eventual path in the story as well as how every other character will react to you in the game, The RPG element is very powerful in this game yet it remains simple, it never overpowers the action or strategic elements either, a fault many in the same genre fall to. I've seen elements in this game that when I last saw them were expressed only in the most hardcore, ambitious sci-fi games 20 years old by now, but brilliant, engaging games, Starflight, Tau Ceti and Nomad to name a few. Yes, this game reminds of some of the first and best PC games about space flight in a sci-fi setting. All of this comes together to be one of if not the most immersive Action/RPG games ever made.… Expand
  72. BarneeB
    Jul 12, 2009
    10
    The pc version is even better than, the x360! The combat interface has been improved, and although the visuals are stunning, it runs great on a mid-class pc (athlon x2 6000+, 2 gb ram, 8800 gts 512). The only problem I had with the game was, that during conversations, between each sentence, the character animation is a bit blocky. This is probably the only game I would give a 11 if it was The pc version is even better than, the x360! The combat interface has been improved, and although the visuals are stunning, it runs great on a mid-class pc (athlon x2 6000+, 2 gb ram, 8800 gts 512). The only problem I had with the game was, that during conversations, between each sentence, the character animation is a bit blocky. This is probably the only game I would give a 11 if it was possibble. I find it not just the best rpg, but simply the BEST GAME OF THIS GENERATION. I've never been shocked like this before by a game. Of course you can't directly compare older and newer games. It is even better than Kotor, which is saying something! The story is excellent! Production values are amazingly high! The attention to the smallest details is evident everywhere! There's so much content in the game that it blew me away. Graphics, music and voice-over is also top notch. There are some minor technical issues like occasional slowdowns, but they never break the game so it's probably doesn't even worth mentioning. Combat is also done very well, I enjoyed the game playing as a soldier the most, it became practically a shooter with RPG elements, and for me it is the best combination. The new conversation system works very well, it's hard to go back to the traditional one, found in other RPGs. Do yourself a favour and buy this game, even if you are mildly interested in scifi, shooter or RPGs!… Expand
  73. MarkW
    Jan 23, 2010
    10
    Excellent Game brilliant story, fantastic gameplay just installing the 2nd one now :D
  74. AndyP.
    Jan 30, 2010
    10
    Simply an awesome game,with memorable charachters and great story. Yeah the gameplay is not perfect,gameplay i would give a 7.5,but i have to give the game as a whole a 10.
  75. IanB.
    Nov 5, 2008
    10
    Iâ??ve just finished the PC Version, after having play the 360 version through a couple of times a while back. And I must say, I am still gripped by the storyline, I am still emotionally attached to the characters, even the ones I didnâ??t use the first couple of times through. I enjoy the subtle mix of action, threaded with story, smothered in Sci Fi credibility. Everytime I Iâ??ve just finished the PC Version, after having play the 360 version through a couple of times a while back. And I must say, I am still gripped by the storyline, I am still emotionally attached to the characters, even the ones I didnâ??t use the first couple of times through. I enjoy the subtle mix of action, threaded with story, smothered in Sci Fi credibility. Everytime I play it through, I find out and discover things I missed the other times through. I have read both novels, and they flesh out the interest in the Universe very wellâ?¦ with the prequel giving us huge swathes of background to the main game arc, and the second novel giving us key insights into cultures only touched upon in the game. There is no better example of a total experience than Mass Effect, it delivers in terms of cinematic thrust, it supplies you with a credible fascinating Universe to explore, and it also lets you walk your own destiny through the main storyline. The visuals, the music, the tactical action, the look and the feel all coax you into this world, a world where you can make a difference, a world where you can BE THE HERO, and watch the compelling story play out. Explore it many times, only slightly differently, with a new lead.. I mean what other Sci Fi experience gives you that? For me, its bigger than Star Wars. For me, its richer than Star Trek, more involved, more credible, less tacky. I am totally sold on the concept, and essentially youâ??ve provided a game Iâ??ve always hankered after since I was a star gazing child. The dulcit haunting tones of the Sovereign finding a resonating set of harmonics with my own vibration. Please continue with good work, and deliver us unto Mass Effect 2 with more expansion on the Universe and its inhabitants and the ability to participate in something so tangible and epic at the same time. All kudos to you.… Expand
  76. Ralphw.
    Oct 31, 2008
    10
    This is in my top 5 RPG games of all time. It was absolutely captivating. The twists and turns the moral decision you have to make. The more adult themes in this game just make a well rounded engaging story. This could easily be turned into a couple of hollywood blockbuster movies. I was riveted from start to finish. I cannot think of any major issues I had with this game. Some aspects of This is in my top 5 RPG games of all time. It was absolutely captivating. The twists and turns the moral decision you have to make. The more adult themes in this game just make a well rounded engaging story. This could easily be turned into a couple of hollywood blockbuster movies. I was riveted from start to finish. I cannot think of any major issues I had with this game. Some aspects of the inventory could have been streamlined and the bioitics were a little cumbersome.… Expand
  77. JB.
    May 19, 2008
    10
    Superb game. Every element is seamless - wonderful to play. BioWare do it again.
  78. LeonardoT.
    May 31, 2008
    10
    If you enjoyed the Neverwinter nights series, and don't mind a change from orcs and elves to futuristic aliens, you'll just LOVE the game, as it is much more detailed and alive than NWN2 (that is one of the best games as well in my humble opinion).
  79. JasonJ.
    Jun 1, 2008
    9
    Very original mix of the shooter and an rpg. Graphics very impressive. Story is very compelling. My new favorite game.
  80. PrestonJ.
    Jun 11, 2008
    9
    In response to J.N., I have had no stability issues at all (save FPS issues but the stems from having a three year old machine, maybe you just have a bloated problem machine you need to fix), yes it is an interactive movie with superb writing and voice acting where I have died maybe twice during a combat encounter (maybe you're just a crappy gamer Joe, or you don't know how to In response to J.N., I have had no stability issues at all (save FPS issues but the stems from having a three year old machine, maybe you just have a bloated problem machine you need to fix), yes it is an interactive movie with superb writing and voice acting where I have died maybe twice during a combat encounter (maybe you're just a crappy gamer Joe, or you don't know how to use the tactical HUD). The improvements made over the console version certainly have impacted the gameplay and flow and are a welcome addition, and the inclusion of both RPG and Shooter elements are melded well so that me (a fan of both genres) are pleasantly surprised. This isn't my favorite game ever created, and it does have some issues, such as the quest menu, and i feel the radar on the HUD could have been better, but most of those are nitpicky issues that don't impact the overall experience of play.… Expand
  81. AH
    Jun 14, 2008
    10
    Great plot, pretty good graphics, very fun to play. The "Star Wars" like force powers are very fun to use in battle. It is also very fun to drive the military "dune buggy" on different planets. Not that many "carbon copies" of NPCs. Conversations are funny, intriguing, sexual--very fun. Great musical score. I can't wait for Mass Effect 2!
  82. JAce
    Jun 23, 2008
    10
    This PC version is actually much more polished and everything is easier to handle than in the console version. Those things alone make it even better, and since it's already one of the better RPG games I've ever played, in PC it really is worth what ever you pay for it.
  83. AlecR.
    Jul 12, 2008
    10
    John M, I would just like to point out the reason you think this wonderful game is horrible isn't the game. Your computer isnt running the game right, meaning you dont have the system specs you need. The review industry for games is much better than the review industry for movies. In other words, I would trust video game reviews before i would movie reviewers.
  84. KyleB.
    Aug 20, 2008
    8
    This game is very fun, epic scenery makes it even funner! But lack of Co-op gameplay on Xbox Live makes it lose a few points. And Gameplay could get very confusing at some times for people new to these types.
  85. Kiwi
    Aug 23, 2008
    10
    A great game, with a few bugs that should have been ironed out, but nonetheless, they can be overlooked as it is perfect in pretty much everything else, and as the first part of a trilogy, it sets the game up well for it's own future, and doesn't leave you with a "halo 2"-esque cliffhanger to get annoyed with.
  86. FredrikL.
    Aug 4, 2008
    10
    This game is huge! I can not imagine how it is possible to make such incredible big worlds and still keep this impressive high quality of graphics and gameplay.
  87. DylanS.
    Aug 8, 2008
    10
    Amazing storyline and tons of awesome twists in the story. Definitely buy the PC version though, as it in my opinion is a lot better, with bug fixes and smoother gameplay.
  88. PatrickL.
    Nov 6, 2009
    8
    I would give Mass Effect an 8 because it has a really really great storyline, I really enjoyed it the time I played the game. I've spent alot hours playing through this game and I dont regret it. It has some nice classes and like in Knights Of The Old Republic you get a choice of doing things the good or the bad way. Now to the graphics. I gotta say I dont have a high end gaming PC I would give Mass Effect an 8 because it has a really really great storyline, I really enjoyed it the time I played the game. I've spent alot hours playing through this game and I dont regret it. It has some nice classes and like in Knights Of The Old Republic you get a choice of doing things the good or the bad way. Now to the graphics. I gotta say I dont have a high end gaming PC but it could take Mass Effect on Ultra High, and I gotta admit, the graphics are really nice. I especially like the effects of some skills. And additional free downloadable contents make this game even more enjoyable. After all it is a great game, sure worth playing and also worth the money spent on this game, give it a try!… Expand
  89. RikR
    Dec 1, 2009
    9
    Awesome, awesome, awesome! Okay, with that out the way, I'd first like to respond to Bruce H and his "doesn't play nice on quads" post; I just played it all the way through in about 45hrs (yeah, I read slow, lol) with a half dozen crashes on my Intel quad (o/c'd QX6700 @ 3.5GHz). Fabulous story, love the dynamic "steerable" nature of play, love the attention to detail, e.g. Awesome, awesome, awesome! Okay, with that out the way, I'd first like to respond to Bruce H and his "doesn't play nice on quads" post; I just played it all the way through in about 45hrs (yeah, I read slow, lol) with a half dozen crashes on my Intel quad (o/c'd QX6700 @ 3.5GHz). Fabulous story, love the dynamic "steerable" nature of play, love the attention to detail, e.g. all the details about celestial bodies, the navigable star chart -- it just blew me away! I loved Halo and was kind of expecting this to be similar, but it's really not; I found I really got into the story, the characters, the whole concept. Superb music -- again, dynamic and appropriate. It only misses a full 10/10 because I had issues with getting the sound levels right on my X-Fi card -- speech too low, SFX too high, no amount of slider jiggling could fix it for good. What a refreshing change from WoW... :s For the record, I run on WXP64. Buy this game! :D Buy the sequel, too! lol Buy the devs a Christmas gift :D… Expand
  90. AlexanderS
    Dec 26, 2009
    10
    The game is the best there is. There is no game like this out there at least for now. Graphics is good, fighting and interacting is very well made. The only minus are the copy/pasted space levels. Hope ME2 will correct this.
  91. Asha
    Oct 25, 2009
    9
    I have just finished this game for the first time and find it one of the best games I have played over the last few years. I must say that I wish that the game would take longer. It has taken me a little over 20 hours to finish the game including having done most of the side quests. I guess it's normal to wish that the game would take longer as the game is so much fun and the story I have just finished this game for the first time and find it one of the best games I have played over the last few years. I must say that I wish that the game would take longer. It has taken me a little over 20 hours to finish the game including having done most of the side quests. I guess it's normal to wish that the game would take longer as the game is so much fun and the story is incredibly good. I have had no technical issues at all (I got the game on steam and for that version all DRM has been removed which suits me as I don't buy games with DRM). The game ran with 45-50 fps on my E8400 and HD4890. I don't get that people here complain about the story. I would say that the story beats most science fiction stories that I know. Maybe I just don't know enough about science fiction but if I compare this story with for example Star Wars then I find Mass Effect's story a whole lot more interesting. It's been planned as a trilogy and I expect the story to become even better when the next games appear. If you don't have this game and you like RPG's, a good story or science fiction in general then just go out and buy your copy. You won't regret it! (and I have a history of not liking EA games...)… Expand
  92. PeterD
    Dec 9, 2009
    9
    I loved every moment. Admitedly, the random planet based side-quests would probably get boring if you do too many of them, but some of them are just plain humorous (such as the monkey one) and while driving the Mako can be a little tedious, I find it's also rather fun (Wee! Jump jets! - silly, I know, but still fun). To be honest, I found that the dialogue system worked very well. At I loved every moment. Admitedly, the random planet based side-quests would probably get boring if you do too many of them, but some of them are just plain humorous (such as the monkey one) and while driving the Mako can be a little tedious, I find it's also rather fun (Wee! Jump jets! - silly, I know, but still fun). To be honest, I found that the dialogue system worked very well. At times it felt like I was watching a movie, at other times participating in one, and occasionally, was even there at the site of the action. Enjoyed the combat, the level up system worked well and the moral system felt natural. Great game. I'd recommend it to anybody.… Expand
  93. PaulChapman
    Jun 1, 2009
    9
    amazingly fun game only problem is that side missions are a bit repetitive and replay value is although greater than 90% of any other game still relatively small. other than that AI is good, combat excellent, cinematics are amazing (want more lol), talk system fun, girls sexy, and story invigorating! long live mass effect!!!
  94. LiamH
    Jul 5, 2009
    9
    An amazing game from start to finish. I completed the campaign in a bit over 16 hours. I'm an FPS guy, but Mass Effect was amazing. A few glitches, but in a huge game like this one I don't expect absolute perfection, a google search fixes all of them. This is THE best single player experience I've had since Half-Life 2. My new favorite game.
  95. LukasA
    Jan 12, 2010
    10
    The best storyline i have ever played! Storyline: 10 Gameplay: 10 Combat: 8 due to some stupid enemies and AI i give it 8 instead of 10. Overall: 10 I got grapped by this game so hard, i cant wait until the sequel comes out here in January!
  96. Jeffrey
    Jan 16, 2010
    10
    Mass Effect is a very immersive Rpg with a well put together story line and easy yet tactical combat aproach.
  97. MatthewV
    Jan 17, 2010
    10
    With it's port to the Computer, Mass Effect only got better. Combat became smoother, and the mechanics were improved. It's storyline and gameplay are proof that Bioware is, without doubt or equal, the King when it comes to creating RPGs.
  98. KyB
    Jan 17, 2010
    10
    Absolutely phenomenal. I've never beaten a games single player more than 3 times, I've beaten this 10 times now. It is just an extraordinary adventure with great game play, storyline, and choices. People are like, "choices don't matter!" Well, maybe there weren't critical ones that made a tremendous difference, but in the second one, it will be clear what choices Absolutely phenomenal. I've never beaten a games single player more than 3 times, I've beaten this 10 times now. It is just an extraordinary adventure with great game play, storyline, and choices. People are like, "choices don't matter!" Well, maybe there weren't critical ones that made a tremendous difference, but in the second one, it will be clear what choices affected what. Pros: -Great Graphics, -Great Game play -Amazing story -Ultra believable characters -Fantastic voice actors -Immersive environments -6 classes -Fun -Tons of side quests -Choices. -Large array of weapons -Large array of armour -Ability to chose your squad mates -Ability to chose when you do the missions -Goal for level 60 and beating it on Insanity difficulty -Awesome dialogue and responses Cons -Graphics are great, but there are a few odd hitches. Smooth otherwise -Ally AI are sometimes a bit dumb, but they usually listen -No heavy weapons, but Mass Effect 2 does -Some choices don't make much of a difference, but in the second one they will matter a bit more. IE Killing the Council or not. -Sometimes I wish there was a longer Main Story, but I've beaten it 10 times on all difficulties aside from the easiest, and I enjoy it more each time. Highly recommended.… Expand
  99. ChrisM.
    Dec 23, 2008
    10
    Absolutely amazing game, I just finished playing Fallout 3 before this, and looking back, I like Mass Effect way more. Also its worth noting that Mass Effect just came out on steam, without any extra DRM crap, just the regular steam DRM which is perfectly acceptable to me. The game has a steep learning cure, and it took me well over 4 or 5 hours to really grasp everything, but after thatAbsolutely amazing game, I just finished playing Fallout 3 before this, and looking back, I like Mass Effect way more. Also its worth noting that Mass Effect just came out on steam, without any extra DRM crap, just the regular steam DRM which is perfectly acceptable to me. The game has a steep learning cure, and it took me well over 4 or 5 hours to really grasp everything, but after that its smooth sailing.… Expand
  100. TimT.
    Jun 13, 2008
    10
    The single best single-player experience I've ever had in my 18 years of being a gamer. So what if it doesn't have a completely open world? It beats GTA IV in my book because of it's incredibly well-designed universe, races, and characters. Let's see GTA imagine an entire, fictional, sci-fi world that feels so real you could get lost in it.
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PC Game of 2008
6
#6 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 45
  3. Negative: 0 out of 45
  1. GameSpot
    90
    Whether you're a seasoned Spectre looking to suit up again, or a newcomer who has never set foot on the Normandy, the refined PC version is your best choice for experiencing this excellent game.
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  2. PTGamers
    95
    Mass Effect PC wasn't rushed, this version has clearly been thoroughly thought-out to exploit the advantages of this platform.
    Read full review
  3. G4 TV
    100
    Computer owners are getting everything found in the Xbox 360 game, including achievements and online leaderboards, but with better visuals, smoother action, and a more streamlined interface. That the game rings up at a lower retail price and offers the first expansion pack as a free download is simply icing on the cake.
    Read full review
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