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. 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.
  2. 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
  3. K.G.
    Jun 8, 2008
    10
    Mass Effect is less an FPS/RPG hybrid than an interactive movie with FPS and RPG elements. The shooter aspect is 7/10, the RPG is 7/10, but the story, imagery, music all conspire to still elevate this game to classic status. I realize some people have had problems but for me Mass Effect was a totally bug-free experience. I have a feeling many complaints about bugs are due to people playingMass Effect is less an FPS/RPG hybrid than an interactive movie with FPS and RPG elements. The shooter aspect is 7/10, the RPG is 7/10, but the story, imagery, music all conspire to still elevate this game to classic status. I realize some people have had problems but for me Mass Effect was a totally bug-free experience. I have a feeling many complaints about bugs are due to people playing pirate copies. The save system serves to elevate the tension - compare this to Bioshock's Vita Chambers. Consolitis shows up in the limited and half-finished side mission worlds but otherwise the interface really looks and plays like a PC game. I would have also liked to see a space combat module as well - although I realize this game isn't Star Control IV sometimes I felt if I squinted really hard I could pretend it was.… Expand
  4. 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
  5. 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!
  6. JohnC
    Jan 8, 2010
    10
    Great game with huge area to explore, great long interactive story, tons of guns and upgrades, plenty of characters to form squads with, and really immersive interactions between characters.
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. Novi4ekNone
    Aug 2, 2009
    10
    good game
  15. MarkW
    Jan 23, 2010
    10
    Excellent Game brilliant story, fantastic gameplay just installing the 2nd one now :D
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. JB.
    May 19, 2008
    10
    Superb game. Every element is seamless - wonderful to play. BioWare do it again.
  20. 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).
  21. 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!
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. GeorgeC.
    Jul 9, 2008
    10
    At first, I didn't know what to expect, and almost turned away from playing the game because it was a bit confusing at first. But people said the game was good, and I decided to really give it a try. Sure enough, by the time I was about 1/3 through it, I absolutely could not stop playing the game. It's been said this game is much like kotor, since you can control the fate of At first, I didn't know what to expect, and almost turned away from playing the game because it was a bit confusing at first. But people said the game was good, and I decided to really give it a try. Sure enough, by the time I was about 1/3 through it, I absolutely could not stop playing the game. It's been said this game is much like kotor, since you can control the fate of your character through your choices, pursue a "good/bad" path, and take on missions in a rather non-linear fashion. However, when I played kotor, I don't think I experienced anything close to the enjoymjent and involvement I felt with this game. The game's real-time combat system, plentiful cinematics, intriguing storyline made me feel as if I'd just finished watching a great movie. I wanted more, and I can't remember the last time any game has ever made me do that.… Expand
  25. 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.
  26. 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.
  27. 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.
  28. JohnL
    Oct 11, 2009
    10
    For what the game was intended to be, it's the best of the best. The only slight annoyances had in the beginning was the inventory system which has since been fixed. Mass Effect is an epic story, a full length feature film where you get to direct the ending...
  29. 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.
  30. 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!
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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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