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. greenbey
    Jun 27, 2020
    8
    A-
    Good story and rpg elements, general gameplay is not the best in the series.
  2. AntiqueOne
    Jun 27, 2020
    8
    It took time to understand the world and combat but when I passed the adaptation phase what I saw was incredible. The story was quite captivating and all RPG mechanics was well designed. I felt that I was a part of the world - an important one obviously - and enjoyed it.
  3. pipes_pipes
    Jun 26, 2020
    8
    Very nice game. It has nice plot and great atmosphere. On the other hand elevators take too long to take you somewhere and sometimes journal could be more helpful where to go and what to do.
  4. EsteticBomzh
    Jun 24, 2020
    7
    Отличная игра с точки зрения лора, сценария, персонажей, режиссуры роликов и т.д. Но геймплей у игры всегда был довольно устаревшим и довольно спорным. В целом я люблю эту игру, но всегда ради сюжета приходилось терпеть скучную стрельбу. В целом серии mass effect необходим ремейк.Отличная игра с точки зрения лора, сценария, персонажей, режиссуры роликов и т.д. Но геймплей у игры всегда был довольно устаревшим и довольно спорным. В целом я люблю эту игру, но всегда ради сюжета приходилось терпеть скучную стрельбу. В целом серии mass effect необходим ремейк.
  5. themars2011
    Jun 23, 2020
    10
    Mass Effect is one of the best games that have ever been created. I played through this game possibly hundreds of times (I stopped counting) and I still enjoy every minute of it. If you are a sci-fi fan and can bear some kinda outdated (-ish) gameplay, definitely play this game.
  6. ahrek
    Jun 22, 2020
    9
    mass effect is one of the most extraordinary scifi game franchises that you will ever play. the soundtracks are beautiful and will forever bring back memories that will cause your heart to drown in nostalgia. excellent gameplay. the decisions you make in this game will carry repercussions til the very end of the trilogy. you will get to fall in love with a lot of memorable characters. thismass effect is one of the most extraordinary scifi game franchises that you will ever play. the soundtracks are beautiful and will forever bring back memories that will cause your heart to drown in nostalgia. excellent gameplay. the decisions you make in this game will carry repercussions til the very end of the trilogy. you will get to fall in love with a lot of memorable characters. this game will offer you a great story in a sandbox with multiple places to visit whenever you want. it also offers a great index full of information about the different alien species, their cultures and their evolutionary history. also there is a lot to read about planet's compositions and the marks left by ancient battles and the ruins of species forever lost in history. not to mention you get to read about the particular technologies used by the galactic community. this is a game that almost certainly will make you a fan.

    BE WARNED! all three games have important story dlc's and may not be on the some pc online stores! make sure you get them.    … Expand
  7. Gegner
    Jun 21, 2020
    10
    Mass effect это величайшая игра, для меня она действительно многое значит. Пускай она уже старая и не имеет крутой графики, но приключения Шепарда и команды отпечатались в моём сердце. Атмосфера игры захватывает воображение, а сюжет рассказывает по настоящему эпическую и проработанную историю.Mass effect это величайшая игра, для меня она действительно многое значит. Пускай она уже старая и не имеет крутой графики, но приключения Шепарда и команды отпечатались в моём сердце. Атмосфера игры захватывает воображение, а сюжет рассказывает по настоящему эпическую и проработанную историю.
  8. Kluco
    Jun 21, 2020
    8
    One of the best RPGs. Combat is clunky and outdated but the story, characters and one of the best video game protagonists of all time make Mass Effect worth playing even years after release.
  9. Dgeorgian
    Jun 20, 2020
    9
    This game is the pedestal of a grate trilogy, The story is top notch, the gameplay could be better but not bad and your choices really matters, some of the minor choices having effect in the final game.
  10. Hawkfrost123
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    Clunky but some of the best world building I've ever seen. The characters are likable, the story is good and the combat, although quite stiff, is tactical and rewarding.
  11. MattKingsbury
    Jun 19, 2020
    8
    The original Mass Effect is a fantastic game that sets up one of the greatest trilogies in science fiction: solid characters, a good story with interesting worlds, meaningful decisions with lasting impacts. If you are able to look past its limitations (the combat mechanics and repetitive side quests), there is a lot of fun to be had here.
  12. theirrelephants
    Jun 9, 2020
    8
    One of the best scifi rpgs I've ever played in my life. The shooting mechanics are a bit janky (this is fixed in the second game), but overall this game knocks it out of the park. A shining example of how Bioware used to make great games.

    The story is thrilling with good pacing, and your companions (with two exceptions, the human ones) are likeable or at the very least not dull. The    One of the best scifi rpgs I've ever played in my life. The shooting mechanics are a bit janky (this is fixed in the second game), but overall this game knocks it out of the park. A shining example of how Bioware used to make great games.

    The story is thrilling with good pacing, and your companions (with two exceptions, the human ones) are likeable or at the very least not dull. The main villain was very well done, especially considering that it is a talking space ship. Just the right amount of spooky and 'im above you.'

    The first of the series and ties with with mass effect 2 for my favorite.    … Expand
  13. hoanns
    Jun 6, 2020
    9
    you feel like the galaxy overlord/saviour at the end. best space adventure series
  14. Lucif3r
    Jun 1, 2020
    9
    Bought this with no expectations and must admit had an great time. And i prefer this over the sequels. Has an unique atmosphere and i do enjoyed driving the MAKO which many complained was one of the weakest parts. Which i disagree.
  15. bancandrei
    May 14, 2020
    9
    One of the best RPGs ever made and the best part is the story. Or rather the presentation of the story. It still hasn't been matched. The fact that it is mostly a shooter I did not like very much, nor did I enjoy the vehicle sections, but at least they were not as boring as scanning planets for resources. Decisions you make feel more impactful than they are, but that's what will stick withOne of the best RPGs ever made and the best part is the story. Or rather the presentation of the story. It still hasn't been matched. The fact that it is mostly a shooter I did not like very much, nor did I enjoy the vehicle sections, but at least they were not as boring as scanning planets for resources. Decisions you make feel more impactful than they are, but that's what will stick with you the impressions and how it made you feel.… Expand
  16. GraysonUA
    Mar 31, 2020
    7
    Цікавий світ та сюжет, різноманітні персонажі, можливість будувати з ними відносини. Але механіка бою храмає, не відчувається імпакт зброї.
  17. 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.
  18. Corefitz
    Feb 15, 2020
    5
    Too much focus on loot in a RPG game.

    That pretty much describes what Mass Effect 1 was for an experience to me.
    Played it once to get the story.
  19. jared1209
    Feb 7, 2020
    6
    Whilst fun and a good time, this game is a little bare bones. The story is interesting but overexplained. The huge amount of dialogue in this game is both impressive and redundant. The script needs editing and dialogue scenes need something more visually interesting to be happening. It needs different shot sizes, camera movement and character action. I hope you enjoy 3 recycled shots thatWhilst fun and a good time, this game is a little bare bones. The story is interesting but overexplained. The huge amount of dialogue in this game is both impressive and redundant. The script needs editing and dialogue scenes need something more visually interesting to be happening. It needs different shot sizes, camera movement and character action. I hope you enjoy 3 recycled shots that look exactly the same for all dialogue scenes because thats 60% of the game.
    This game takes forever to get going with a very long winded opening that feels like a walking simulator for the first few hours.
    Massive fail not allowing you to play the game past the end mission.
    2nd play-through wasn't worth it as the difference between classes and dialogue choices are not interesting enough to keep you playing.    … Expand
  20. Sh3p4rd90
    Feb 4, 2020
    10
    One of the greatest RPG's ever made. This game has some of the best and most iconic video game characters ever created, a great story and some challenging decision making that will have a big impact on the game. Combat mechanics can feel a bit stiff sometimes but except for that this is a true classic.
  21. dandalis
    Jan 26, 2020
    9
    Original Mass Effect is one the most special experiences i've had in gaming. The game isnt perfect by any means, no freakin game is period, but when it comes to the journey you take, the universe it has, the lore, the characters, there are little or second to none games that compare to Mass Effect. It just totally engrossed me on my first play through. Im probably in minority in MassOriginal Mass Effect is one the most special experiences i've had in gaming. The game isnt perfect by any means, no freakin game is period, but when it comes to the journey you take, the universe it has, the lore, the characters, there are little or second to none games that compare to Mass Effect. It just totally engrossed me on my first play through. Im probably in minority in Mass Effect fandom, but i do think this first game here is where Mass Effect is at its best, but only just, as Mass Effect 2 is an amazing game aswell.

    While i think the overall game is truly amazing, i do want to get a a few gripes out of my way that i have with the game and which hold me to honesty in why i cannot give the game a 10/10. One of which is the AI, both enemy and companion. They tend to act erratic and even suicidal during combat. In some side missions, there are massive difficulty spikes, where the enemy AI simply swarms you and annihilates you, such as the the one on Earth's moon. On anything higher than the Normal difficulty setting, these missions are basically a masochist's treat. I can see some people rage quitting due to these and cursing the name of Mass Effect for the rest of their lives. Your companions tend to be a mixed bag, sometimes they can take out enemies, but many times they cant hit their targets. Even leveled up they cant take reasonable damage and get knocked out quickly under enemy fire, even Wrex, often leaving you alone to deal with groups of enemies.

    The combat itself, while lacking polish, i actually quite like, i enjoy its RPGness, how each class requires a different approach to it, and i was disappointed how it was severly dumbed down in the sequel. Entering combat requires you to play smart and employ tactics, smartly use, combine your and your teams abilities and gear. Speaking of gear, i have another gripe to mention, and its the loot management. If youre the type of player who collects everything, inventory management will overwhelm you, as you'll be collecting duplicate items constantly and outdated items will take up a lot of space. On the other hand, if you like micro management, it can be kinda of fun, or even immersive, as i kinda of like, at the end of missions, to manage my and my crew's inventory, sell unneeded items and buy something new.

    While the game can easily take over 35 hours to complete if you let your self loose in it, i do feel that the game could've had atleast 1 more major mission, because there arent that many of them frankly.    … Expand
  22. Andreas444
    Jan 13, 2020
    8
    I heard of the series before,but I never had the interest to try the trilogy until 2019.
    Highly recommended by some friends so I decided to buy it during sale on Steam,turns out I had a really good time exploring and knowing the universe of Mass Effect.
    The OST is good,the environment,the alien races,and it`s story in general with it`s characters as well. Although most side missions are    I heard of the series before,but I never had the interest to try the trilogy until 2019.
    Highly recommended by some friends so I decided to buy it during sale on Steam,turns out I had a really good time exploring and knowing the universe of Mass Effect.
    The OST is good,the environment,the alien races,and it`s story in general with it`s characters as well.
    Although most side missions are a bit boring to complete,some of them have a back-story to it,best one being Shepard`s,depending on what back-story you chose for him/her.
    Classes for the most part are enjoyable to play through,tho some of them requires extra knowledge or multiple playthroughs to understand them,like Infiltrator and Sentinel.
    Now I have a AMD laptop and the performance for the most part was good,except in some cases where it was stuttering all over the place.
    The gameplay is a bit clunky but playable.
    Overall,if you want an RPG with an amazing universe and a beautiful set of characters which isn't too complicated to understand,this is a game you must play through,at least once.    … Expand
  23. yota71
    Jan 10, 2020
    6
    Maybe in the 2007 this was a good game, but i have played it in the 2016 and let me say this game hasn't aged well, a pretty **** AI, companion that are blocked behind a wall, incapable to escape from an elevator and so on and so on, ME2 is a way much better
  24. md5fungi
    Dec 4, 2019
    8
    Mass Effect revels in its superbly epic homage to classic sci-fi and fantasy fare, creating an incredibly endearing cast of characters that will seem familiar to anyone somewhat versed in the genre. It's a good thing the characters are good, too, because most of this game involves you (Commander Shepherd) talking to them.

    The Commander Shepherd you decide to be over the course of the    Mass Effect revels in its superbly epic homage to classic sci-fi and fantasy fare, creating an incredibly endearing cast of characters that will seem familiar to anyone somewhat versed in the genre. It's a good thing the characters are good, too, because most of this game involves you (Commander Shepherd) talking to them.

    The Commander Shepherd you decide to be over the course of the game has long-lasting and potentially universe-changing consequences, and these consequences extend into the sequels of the series, should you choose to import your character (which you should absolutely do). This sense of consequence creates an immersion that few games even come close to.

    The FPS gameplay is solid, but by itself a little uninspiring. However, the character classes and their associated skills are what really make the gameplay of Mass Effect shine. You can play as the typical but somewhat dull run-and-gun class, but you can also play as a support class that can levitate and throw enemies, as well as overloading their shields. You can even play as a character that has the ability to hack robotic enemies and make them attack their own cronies. The classes are fairly distinct and they require different approaches to be successful.

    In addition to the skills, the game has a good number of weapons at different levels that can be upgraded for you and you are squadmates. People that don't care much for RPG-style upgrading may find this a bit tedious (I did), but it definitely adds variety to the gameplay.

    As far as how the game looks and sounds, it's still an awe to look at after all these years. The film grain and synth soundtrack give the game a sense of timelessness, and detract from the outdated textures. The character models are pretty to look at (especially the armor), and the environments are varied enough to keep things fresh (especially towards the end of the game). The voice acting is fantastic.

    After I finished Mass Effect, I was pretty blown away from the entire experience, and felt even more rewarded that Commander Shepherd's legacy would live on for the second game. The fact that I pondered over the decisions I had made throughout the game for days afterward is a testament to the immersion of this sci-fi marvel..    … Expand
  25. Genek13
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    First in series, nut not best one :)
    Story is main strong point of this game. Visuals and mechanics are let's say - OK :)
    Many hours to play with satisfying cliffhanger.
  26. JBurnes3
    Nov 12, 2019
    9
    Still holds up fairly decent in 2019. I would recommend graphical mods on PC of course to give it a little extra polish. However even though the combat is still a bit clunky it doesn't detract from what makes Mass Effect great which is the story, lore, and of course the characters.

    Mass Effect was a great game when it released in 2007 (2008 on PC), and it's still a great game 12 years later.
  27. brwnie
    Oct 28, 2019
    10
    The game that started arguably one of the best trilogies in all of gaming. Really Innovative in terms of character development and storytelling.
  28. SilverOrlov
    Oct 9, 2019
    10
    I played this game of 2008 in 2016, and it was interesting to me. With its very simple graphics, it has a very, very strong atmosphere, history and game-play. It is a masterpiece.
  29. Wineneeder
    Sep 30, 2019
    1
    This is the effing game everyone liked in 2007? It looks like **** for the time, the textures are that xbox 360 low res crap and the gameplay is horrible. No wonder RPGs are all horrible now.
  30. MaxmilianKohler
    Sep 24, 2019
    9
    Good game, but struggling to drive up mountains & selling items taking forever & dialog skipping oversight & slow running & driving & limited sprint means a game+ playthrough is definitely not an option.
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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.
    Read full review
  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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