Mass Effect

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 523 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 421 out of 523
  2. Mixed: 70 out of 523
  3. Negative: 32 out of 523

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  1. Hiccup3319
    Aug 21, 2023
    10
    Good game, has its faults but generally, it's alright. Would recommend to someone.
  2. AlBal665
    Apr 28, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just finished playing Mass Effect for the first time as part of the Legendary Edition and I’ve got to say this game is incredible! Can’t believe I missed it the first time round! The story, characters and entire universe the team created is fantastic. I mean playing as a cross between (a female) James Bond and Captain Kirk fighting a rogue cyborg super spy and a mechanical God of Death, it doesn’t really get much cooler than that! Looking forward to seeing how this series goes.… Expand
  3. phoenix_prjct
    Feb 2, 2023
    9
    Final Thoughts:

    Mass Effect scorched the gaming scene with its epic space opera. Its rich world and extensive lore are expertly explored through a vast variety of vivid characters. Drawing the player in completely, it gives us our own iconic Commander Shepard and allows us to shape certain decisions in a conflicted and ignorant galaxy. The Legendary Edition is the definitive way to    Final Thoughts:

    Mass Effect scorched the gaming scene with its epic space opera. Its rich world and extensive lore are expertly explored through a vast variety of vivid characters. Drawing the player in completely, it gives us our own iconic Commander Shepard and allows us to shape certain decisions in a conflicted and ignorant galaxy. The Legendary Edition is the definitive way to play, smoothing out the still-present glitches while enhancing the stunning vistas it allows us to explore.

    I find it hard to believe there’s any gamer who has yet to enjoy this experience, but if you haven’t, jump in, **** it’s time to go save the galaxy.

    For the full review and more posts like it, visit my site: https://thephoenixprjct.com/mass-effect-mass-effect-1-in-depth-review/    … Expand
  4. hector_bcn98
    Nov 11, 2022
    9
    Casi con total seguridad, el comienzo de la mejor trilogía de ciencia ficción de la historia de los videojuegos comenzó con una revolución gráfica y argumental, pero con unas mecánicas a las que le faltaban cierta refinación y un sistema de exploración de secundarias algo repetitivo y poco inspirado.
  5. FelipeRam
    Jul 25, 2022
    8
    Apesar de não ter muitas referências, achei muito bom, pretendo atualizar no futuro
  6. kyle20ellis
    Mar 10, 2022
    10
    Mass Effect has become one of the colossal cult-classics of video gaming; and rightfully so. The game has great level design, endless narrative possibilities thanks to its multi-choice format storytelling that made it become iconic in the first place. BioWare knew what the hell it was doing when it decided to use the experience they got from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic andMass Effect has become one of the colossal cult-classics of video gaming; and rightfully so. The game has great level design, endless narrative possibilities thanks to its multi-choice format storytelling that made it become iconic in the first place. BioWare knew what the hell it was doing when it decided to use the experience they got from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and decided to apply all that to an original IP for the company. And the result: a classic that forever changed gaming in 2007.

    Mass Effect can debate-ably be considered Canada's biggest important of the 21st Century; at least in multimedia storytelling which the franchise has since gone on to 'effect'.

    Commander Shepard, The Reapers, Garrus, Tali, Urdnot Wrex have all gotten well-deserved love and respect from gamers everywhere. Mass Effect is a special franchise that feels like it's always been there in the background.    … Expand
  7. Filmanwalt
    Jun 21, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So we come to my absolute game series, namely Mass Effect. Basically, in all of the Mass Effect reviews of the trilogy, I will praise the game and its great universe. As part of the Legendary Edition, I've gambled through the game for the (very often) repeated times and it took about 25 hours.

    story

    Mass Effect 1 serves primarily as an introduction to the glorious and epic story of the Mass Effect universe around Commander Shepard. One becomes familiar with species, planets, threats and other realities.

    Mass Effect 1 brings you closer to the whole universe through many different codex entries, quests and side quests, as well as dialogues. The action of the game begins in the year 2183, after mankind already had the first contact with extraterrestrial life forms (especially at the beginning also warlike).

    The narrative style of the game is phenomenal. It's all a bit sluggish and difficult to get into, especially at the beginning, but it's definitely worth it. The counterplay between Shepard and the antagonist Saren and his geth is excitingly staged and the tension grows from game hour to game hour.

    But behind this hides the real threat that extends over the entire trilogy and reaches an extent that is ready for a film. The threat posed by the Reaper (inorganic people) is embodied in Mass Effect 1 by the Sovereign and represented by an ingenious dialogue.

    From a story point of view, Mass Effect 1 is the perfect introduction to the entire series and has both fun, difficult and very serious themes.

    Presentation / graphics

    Graphically, the game is of course older, originally from 2007. But the Legendary Edition has been greatly improved in its textures and offers very nice light settings, which makes individual panorama representations look strong.

    So far, a timeless look for me, which underpins its sci-fi setting and is very coherent.

    The characters, individual species, locations, spaceships, etc. breathe so much life into this universe and give off this very coherent image.

    The whole thing is garnished with great cut scenes, sometimes elegant camera work and overall a character representation in dialogues that is second to none.

    Gameplay

    This is where you notice the age of Mass Effect 1 the most. First of all, I like it very much that you have many options to equip your character with different equipment or also have the opportunity to distribute RPG-classic skill points and refine your class.

    The combat gameplay was very fiddly before the Legendary Edition and, especially in gunplay, it no longer felt up-to-date, but almost annoying. JustBut that has been significantly improved with the new edition, even if Mass Effect 2 and 3 are still much better.
    Unfortunately, the AI ​​often had dropouts and one or two bugs crept in.

    Nevertheless, one has to honor that Bioware did something here to make the gunplay feel more effective and to offer a smoother experience. But that was sorely necessary, otherwise most newcomers would probably have returned the Legendary Edition after 20 minutes of Mass Effect 1.

    The whole gameplay around the crew has to be emphasized. The crew of your own ship, the Normandy, makes up most of the game. Here it is important to deal with the people, to have dialogues and, as a whole, to pay attention to how they react to individual events. Interacting with the crew is at the core of the game.
    The dialogues are also very important outside of the crew and enable different exits from a situation. The attitude mechanics of our character, who, depending on how he behaves, embodies more evil or more and more the good, is also useful for this and thus unlocks various dialogue options.

    Conclusion

    Mass Effect as a whole is a phenomenon and my absolute favorite series of games. I've been devouring these games for years and Part 1 is part of every new playthrough. Mass Effect 1 offers entry into this incredibly large, complex and also very well thought-out universe and has captured my heart.

    Absolute recommendation for every game lover, action or RPG fan or sci-fi fan. And please take your time with the game, soak up the dialogues, research and explore. It's worth it, especially in the dialogues there are great moments that you have to experience.

    5/5 crew members.    … Expand
  8. RodrigoroRex
    Dec 21, 2020
    10
    "Mass Effect": Amazing game, it provides an amazing experience for the player. 7 out of 7. Played it on PlayStation 3.
  9. lulu_belle
    Dec 9, 2020
    9
    This is my favourite game of all time so I had to refrain in giving it a 10, but still wanted to give it a vote that matched my enthusiasm. I know, today we are in 2020 and the game play is a little outdated, it's more of a vintage RPG game play, however, for being a 2007 game the graphics still hold up pretty well, with facial animation that, back in the day, made us all excited and leftThis is my favourite game of all time so I had to refrain in giving it a 10, but still wanted to give it a vote that matched my enthusiasm. I know, today we are in 2020 and the game play is a little outdated, it's more of a vintage RPG game play, however, for being a 2007 game the graphics still hold up pretty well, with facial animation that, back in the day, made us all excited and left us in awe (that's why Andromeda was such a let down as well). This game is a good representation of what Bioware was capable of doing and their strength in story telling. Every choice matters and it impacts your characters. Yes, there is a binary way of playing, either you are a renegade or a paragon and to unlock certain options you will have to lean more in one direction that the other and vicecersa. This is all because of the kind of story they wanted to tell and limitations of the time.
    The combat is not the best, but that was never the point of this game, it's a story driven RPG that is meant to have you connect with your team and travel the galaxy in order to find a way to defeat the Reapers (the baddies). I replayed it earlier this year and enjoyed it as if it were my first time.
    Because my console is old (and it is a big game) it's very glitchy, that's why I would suggest to save often and right before fights.
    Even though the combat is meh, there are some aspects that I wish had been transferred in the sequels (I'll review the other 2 as well and explain why there), like the diversity in approach and tension that the different attackers approach you. Because the shooting is so basic and simple, if you are not much of a shooter game person, it won't be a problem, it will actually help you out in getting into them as it did with me.
    As I mentioned you will be travelling the galaxy, which means you will land on planets for side missions and you will have a chance to use the infamous MAKO. I personally grew to love driven it; you can defy the laws of physics with it, you'll be wanting to throw the controller at the tv or you can challenge yourself in accomplishing this extra challenge the game throws at you lol I now laugh at it and if you go on the internet to watch some videos you will witness the comedy of it all.
    This is definitely a game everyone needs to experience at least once. the remaster has been announced for 2021 and I can't wait to see how they update this chapter (I am terrified and exhilarated at the same time).

    I went with a rather high score because in the end it's a game that will make you dream and feed your imagination, especially if you like the wonders of space. I wanted to be fair (the age of the game) and true to what I fell about it.    … Expand
  10. CamyVero
    Jun 7, 2020
    9
    A magnificent ARPG with elements of tactical combat and an excellent science fiction story, reminiscent of the space opera of cinema or literary classics such as 'Star Wars' or 'Dune'.

    The game combines exploration mechanics, third person shooter, resource gathering and dozens of primary and secondary missions that ensure a good handful of dozens of hours of entertainment. In my case,    A magnificent ARPG with elements of tactical combat and an excellent science fiction story, reminiscent of the space opera of cinema or literary classics such as 'Star Wars' or 'Dune'.

    The game combines exploration mechanics, third person shooter, resource gathering and dozens of primary and secondary missions that ensure a good handful of dozens of hours of entertainment. In my case, playing it quietly and enjoying its development, it took me about 40 hours to complete it 100%.

    Today you can get the whole trilogy for very little money.    … Expand
  11. Kimblock
    Feb 19, 2020
    10
    In my opinion Mass effect series is perfect except andromeda. Because story is intricate and very emotional. The characters are very well written. So you can understand them and their motivation without any problems. And also you can empathize them without any problems. And I get a lot of satisfaction from the gameplay.
  12. Kai82
    Jan 30, 2020
    10
    Mass Effect was the Star Wars of video games. It created an immersive universe full of interesting characters, stories, history, conflicts, alien species, politics, technology, ideologies and cultures. The lore was so good that I had many good discussions with friends and read many articles in the Mass Effect Wiki. You have also a codex in each game where you can look up things for moreMass Effect was the Star Wars of video games. It created an immersive universe full of interesting characters, stories, history, conflicts, alien species, politics, technology, ideologies and cultures. The lore was so good that I had many good discussions with friends and read many articles in the Mass Effect Wiki. You have also a codex in each game where you can look up things for more details. Then they had a unique idea for the Mass Effect games. You can import your decisions into the next games. This was as interesting as impactful. Many of us had again so good discussions and arguments what the best course of action was or which outcome the decisions will have. There were a lot of mayor and some minor decisions that gave you different results in the follow up games (Think not of 2 different games / paths. It is more of an adaptation in the story, options and outcomes). But back to the game. You play as Commander Shepard as he/she is on the way to become the first human Spectre (An agent with huge competences and authorities) for the Citadel Council (Like the united nations but consisting of representatives of the 3 most powerful / influential species). During the story you discover a huge secret and a treat that can endanger the whole galaxy. I will stop here because of spoilers but will say the story is fantastic soap opera material. The side quest are also good and deepen the lore with good stories. A game like this is only as good as its characters. This is BioWares magic. They created so much fan favourite characters that it was often a hard choice which teammate we should pick. Each one had his own motivations, world-views and stories. My favourites are Liara T’Soni, Garrus Vakarian and Urknot Wrex for the teammates. For the NPCs I like Joker, David Anderson and Steven Hacket. All three of them earned my respect. For the gameplay you get a hybrid of RPG and shooter (More of a real time RPG with guns). You can of cause chose different classes with different abilities. You will acquire new equipment and level up your abilities as you rise in level. I will admit that the combat is not as polished as it should be but still fun to play. You can later explore planets via vehicle which I like (Was a weak-point for many and got removed for the sequels). The other main complaint was that the weapons have a heat system. You have unlimited ammunition but if you fire your weapons to often(in a short time) it will overheat and stop functioning for a short time. I find it a good mechanic but can understand the critic (Got also removed from Sequels). Lets go to the final evaluation: It is a fantastic starting point for a new IP and worth owning. I enjoyed this game a lot and will give 1 bonus point for world building / lore. Critical warning: It is my duty to warn you of the conclusion of the trilogy in Mass Effect 3. Before I planed to replay all games to get my favourite outcomes. After it I haven't touched the games again (I am the kind of gamer that replays his favourite games once in a while). I wont go in details but it was even in the mainstream media. For details the famous YouTuber Angry Joe has made a list what is wrong with the ending.… Expand
  13. BeboFett
    Jan 8, 2020
    8
    Even though I didn't play so many RPGs, Mass Effect caught me by its mechanics right from the start. It can get a little tedious sometimes if you want to be as complete as I am.

    The control isn't perfect and more than once I get frustrated, especially their coverage system, and their story is good, although not very original either.

    I spent almost 50 hours on this title.
  14. DeJota
    Jul 22, 2019
    10
    The Mass Effect Universe is one of the best - if not the best - ever created. It's delightful to get to know it as you play the game. I believe this game is underrated. It's one of the best games imo.
  15. marcosladarense
    Apr 27, 2018
    9
    I can't talk about PS3 adaptation. I've never played on any other plataform, so... I praise the fact of the game has no aliasing, with is amazing. The story is prety good, and the universe, the mythology are superb. Third best of the generation, tied with red dead redemption, just losing to deadly premonition and folklore. the battle systems is very flawless, that is why this game is worthI can't talk about PS3 adaptation. I've never played on any other plataform, so... I praise the fact of the game has no aliasing, with is amazing. The story is prety good, and the universe, the mythology are superb. Third best of the generation, tied with red dead redemption, just losing to deadly premonition and folklore. the battle systems is very flawless, that is why this game is worth of a 9, not a 10. The teammates are really good (the contrary of resident evil revelation partners, who are always useless), more than we wish, and ussually they kill 80% of the hostiles, and quickly, while you are at the first or second one. So i had always let them far away from where action took place. Now, when playing with your char, the aim is not good, very unprecise, or too fast, or too slow, being impossible to hit flying enemies. the power slots wheel is terrible and sometimes misundestands what you have chosen and breaks the pace, the heat of the fight. I had seen videos of the pc version, and that wheel was much better implemented (actually is not a wheel, is just disposed side by side at the top of the screen).… Expand
  16. JavierTaco
    Jan 17, 2018
    8
    This is a great game. Gameplay will perhaps show signs of aging, as it is very clunky and hard to get used to, but everything else is golden. The music, the characters, the story, the conversations and the freaking fantastic atmosphere. It is all pure bliss.
  17. SrPepe
    Oct 30, 2017
    8
    El comienzo de una de las mejores sagas de videojuegos. La historia y el universo que crearon los genios de BioWare en Mass Effect es digna de todos los aplausos.
  18. Termin8ter
    Jul 3, 2017
    8
    Mass Effect is actually a really rock-solid game. With fun and responsive gun-play, good characters and writing, and a good plot to boot, this game has stood relatively strong against the test of time. It's definitely worth at least one playthrough.
  19. Ronoboaventura
    Jul 17, 2016
    10
    Amazing history, amazing characters, and a fine gameplay. This game it's awesome, and once you start to undestand its mechanics, its impossible to stop playing. A master piece!
  20. Leptoi
    Jul 10, 2016
    9
    The game have a great RPG element and introduces a incredible world to the players ; by this fact some things must improve , wich happens in the next games . Dispite all of this , inclunding the old gameplay that it's based on an old technology , i recommend the game as a new adventure , if you have patience with old games and want to know a great saga .
  21. Mellow_Online4
    Mar 22, 2016
    9
    I never really hopped onto the train of Mass Effect fans when the Mass Effect series first got popular because I couldn't really see why it had so much popularity. I feel bad for doubting this game.

    Gameplay in Mass Effect is typical to any sort of RPG by Bioware. The gameplay is a blend of dialogue and talking to people, third person shooting and exploring tons of different planets in    I never really hopped onto the train of Mass Effect fans when the Mass Effect series first got popular because I couldn't really see why it had so much popularity. I feel bad for doubting this game.

    Gameplay in Mass Effect is typical to any sort of RPG by Bioware. The gameplay is a blend of dialogue and talking to people, third person shooting and exploring tons of different planets in tons of different galaxies. I was amazed by the shear size of Mass Effect, 8 different galaxies with around 5 or more in each and each planet feels unique and I don't think it is just a copy and paste of different planet. The character customization of Commander Sheppard, even though it's limited in some areas, I find is well done where you can customize your appearance to make him be as ugly as you want and you can even customize his backstory. What makes the character customization of backstories even better is that characters will have different dialogue responses depending on your choice of backstory. Most of the gameplay feature are good but I do have a couple of complaints. The third person shooting mechanics aren't that well done. They aren't terrible, they aren't on the scale of being unplayable but it feels like the third person shooter segments were just added in as an after thought and it took me alot of getting used to. The second and final problem I have with the gameplay is the karma system. One thing that I'm not too fond of in RPGs (despite RPGs being my favourite genre of video games) is the karma systems some off these games have) I like to build my character, now knowing if the choice that I just made was good or bad or Ilike to make a bad choice if I'm in abad or annoying situation without an affect on my karma. Because in these games I find it way too easy to be the good guy and way too easy to be the bad guy.I just like to be the character that I build my character up to be. Apart from those 2 complaints there aren't really any other complaints I have about the gameplay.

    The story in Mass Effect is that you play as the main character Commander Sheppard, who you can customize hisappearance and even his backstory. He joins up with a crew lead by Captain Anderson. His crew is given a task to procure a military beacon on the planet Eden Prime. However, after a disaster, involving one of the crew mates dying by the hands of a rogue spectre, who are the protectors of the council, the crew ends u failing. After providing evidence to the council that this spectre has gone rogue,it is up to Commander Sheppard and his crew to bring the rogue spectre down to justice. This general idea of a plot has been done alot but Mass Effect throws enough twists and turns in the story to make it seem unique.

    Graphics in Mass Effect are OK but could be better. While the game looks, in general, good, there are several graphical bugs and awful looking textures and slow loading textures which definately hold the game back. Sound is really good. There are creative sfx for sci-fi related objects that I wouldn't have even thought of which fit in excellently.

    This game will have you consumed for hours, I'm still busy exploring the galaxy and discovering all sorts of new stuff. There is also replay value in this. You will want to play the game again and try different dialogue choices, try and see if you can solve a problem either calmly, declaring war or see if you can find another creative way to solve a situation.

    Mass Effect is a gem of a game that I reccommend to litterraly anybody that enjoys either SC-FIs or RPGs and if u fit in this category, this game is a must have.    … Expand
  22. Joker92
    Oct 26, 2015
    10
    The start of one of the best ( if not the best) trilogies in gaming history. The story is on point, and the combat is a fun time once you get accustomed to the 2007 clumsiness. With all of the different choices and classes that will affect your entire journey throughout all three games, this masterpiece simply has to be played multiple time to really have the full experience, and bestThe start of one of the best ( if not the best) trilogies in gaming history. The story is on point, and the combat is a fun time once you get accustomed to the 2007 clumsiness. With all of the different choices and classes that will affect your entire journey throughout all three games, this masterpiece simply has to be played multiple time to really have the full experience, and best thing is each play through and experience is different and unique because there are just so many choices! Do yourself a favor and pick up the trilogy pack for real cheap, and experience one of gaming's most epic stories!… Expand
  23. tbagurdrumset94
    May 27, 2015
    8
    It's funny, finally playing and completing Mass Effect after having already thoroughly enjoyed 2 and 3 (2 being my favourite game of all time) made me truly appreciate what I love most about this trilogy: the characters, the dialogue and the story.

    Sure, there's an entire universe that Bioware has created, with detailed backstories for every single race, planet and bureaucratic    It's funny, finally playing and completing Mass Effect after having already thoroughly enjoyed 2 and 3 (2 being my favourite game of all time) made me truly appreciate what I love most about this trilogy: the characters, the dialogue and the story.

    Sure, there's an entire universe that Bioware has created, with detailed backstories for every single race, planet and bureaucratic component (in which you can easily lose yourself when you're learning about them for the first time). However, what makes Mass Effect as a trilogy distinctive is the attachment you develop to your squad as you complete missions and talk with them. Like 2 and 3, the greatest strength of Mass Effect is its story. Though I experienced Bioware's fully realized product in the latter two games, I enjoyed properly learning how Shepard's story began. Almost every single conversation was worthwhile, and every character was interesting in some way, and that includes more than just the squad and the Normandy's crew. The game had me fully immersed for nearly all of its 30 hours.

    The gameplay is generally a success. Again, the sequels are superior in this category, so the learning (ergo enjoyment) curve was all the more steep for me. It took me a solid 5 or 6 hours to properly get the hang of shooting and pausing and using the biotic power and shooting and pausing and shooting, etc., etc. Once I did, and once my weapons began to get more powerful, I found the combat to be solid. The cover mechanic, though perhaps unorthodox, is passable. The greater level of weapon variety and customization is nice, but the organization of all the weapons and weapon upgrades felt cluttered, especially when I had to sell all of the obsolete material or convert it to omni-gel.

    The flaws? First of all, there are technical problems galore in Mass Effect. This is indeed a recurring issue in 2 and 3, but not nearly to this extent. The framerate drops pretty consistently, the graphics hiccup and render slowly every time a new environment is loaded. There was even one instance where I was stuck in combat mode when I was supposed to be engaged in dialogue with a malevolent character. I re-loaded the save, but the character did not appear again (some kind of glitch, I'm sure). Lip-syncing is pretty dodgy. Most of the time, these issues are negligible, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't detract from the gaming experience.

    Then there's the exploration. This cost the game at least a point for me. Visually, the planets may seem different from one another, but they're all really quite similar. I learned to cope with the Mako, but I never truly enjoyed driving it. The controls were frustrating and its weapons often aimed in strange directions. Exploration as a whole is quite bland. You are dropped in the middle of nowhere on the planet and are required to navigate to a few significant points on the map. Some interesting things are collected along the way, but I found ME's "looting" mechanic to be better implemented in later games, when you are simply picking things up as you move, on foot, through the mission. The buildings you enter while on these planets also vary minimally; it really does feel like your going to the same places and doing the same things over and over again. These side-quests began to feel like chores as the final mission was approaching.

    All of Mass Effect's flaws are very well compensated by its fantastic story. Stuff like this makes me want to write science fiction novels for a living. And, though I consider the "ME1 has the best story of the trilogy" statement to be an unfair slight to the next two games, it is an undeniable strength and I believe that even today, 8 years after the game was initially released, it should be considered the standard by which all other plot-driven games must live up to.    … Expand
  24. Heisenberg93
    Apr 5, 2015
    10
    I arrived with a delay of eight years to play this game, but recently (knowing the prestige it had) I played and finished the whole trilogy.

    It must be said right away: with Mass Effect, BioWare has created a fantastic universe, with many facets, articulate but at the same time consistently; inspired and with many references to series like Star Trek and Star Wars. In other words BioWare    I arrived with a delay of eight years to play this game, but recently (knowing the prestige it had) I played and finished the whole trilogy.

    It must be said right away: with Mass Effect, BioWare has created a fantastic universe, with many facets, articulate but at the same time consistently; inspired and with many references to series like Star Trek and Star Wars. In other words BioWare deserves an Oscar just for this. Personally I found the story of Mass Effect incredibly beautiful, it catches you from the first minute. Characters, protagonists and antagonists, each have their own personality, their own history, and relations that are created with each of them manage to make the background of the plot even more beautiful, more complex. A praise for creating characters like Saren and the Reapers, who are truly ones of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

    At first glance, Mass Effect, might look like a common third-person shooter and nothing more. But actually what BioWare did was to create an hybrid blend with the genre of rpg, creating in fact one of the best of games of this genre. This fusion of genres has managed to perfection: the gameplay is deep and fun, with inventory, statistics, weapons and armor, upgrades, abilities, exploration of planets and recovery of minerals. Even the editor to create the character Shepard at the beginning is well structured and offers many choices, both in terms of physical appearance and customization of the story of the character as the place of origin, the psychological profile, the class and the skills that result. The dialogue system is very well done and convenient to use, the choices really change the course of story, and Paragon & Renegade moral points add something significant to the vision that Shepard gives of himself. The longevity of the game is great, from 20 to beyond 30 hours. Nothing is missing, there is everything and it works perfectly.

    The graphic is pretty good and appreciable, even the artistic level is great and very cinematographical. Not bad also the game soundtrack. Unfortunately, at least for the PlayStation 3 version, the game is unstable from the technical point of view: there are many bugs, and sometimes the game causes a freezing of the console, but afterall this is forgettable because of all that the game has to give.

    Mass Effect is certainly one of the highest points of BioWare, and one of its best games. A great rpg-game, and a masterpiece.    … Expand
  25. therob91
    Jan 30, 2015
    9
    A great setting to one of the best trilogies of all time, including other forms of media. The level of world building present here is really immersive. Even the simple things like exploring planets(which looked at on paper is a very monotonous boring task) is somehow engaging. Sometimes a game comes along that is more than the sum of its parts. The music alone is probably worth gettingA great setting to one of the best trilogies of all time, including other forms of media. The level of world building present here is really immersive. Even the simple things like exploring planets(which looked at on paper is a very monotonous boring task) is somehow engaging. Sometimes a game comes along that is more than the sum of its parts. The music alone is probably worth getting this game for. Incredible characterization as well, fantastic game.… Expand
  26. gyamtso
    Sep 21, 2014
    10
    I have a long experience in RPGs and action RPGs. Started with master system but my most intensive experience in the genre was with the SNES with games like Legend of the Zelda, Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger (my ever favorite game - I have more than 200 hours in that game), FFV and FFVI, Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Lufia I and II, Breath of Fire VI (not sure if is the VI) and many manyI have a long experience in RPGs and action RPGs. Started with master system but my most intensive experience in the genre was with the SNES with games like Legend of the Zelda, Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger (my ever favorite game - I have more than 200 hours in that game), FFV and FFVI, Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Lufia I and II, Breath of Fire VI (not sure if is the VI) and many many others.

    After that, loads of RPGs and action RPGs on PC, like Diablo I and II, Baldur's Gate II, FFVII and many others. With this introduction I want to say that I have some experience in the *real* RPGs and Mass Effect I is one of the best of the best, maybe the best PC action RPG that I've played, together with Diablo I.

    The RPG elements are all there, like the level progression, the incredible plot, the choices and the consequences, an astounding soundtrack and sound effects (I CAN'T forget the ringing sound that plays some times, haha). So, to sum up, it's an unforgetable game and experience.

    I've finished it 5 times and now is the time for a new game, on the hardest but this time I have no hurry in finishing that. My intention is to enjoy this precious jewel in all its rarity. So rare that the sequences aren't worth even the name "sequence".

    If you never played Mass Effect I and like RPGs, do it as soon as you can because this game will make you content.    … Expand
  27. mostruash
    Sep 10, 2014
    8
    Good stuff: Great characters, dialogs, main story, voice acting.
    Bad stuff: AI (both enemy and friendly), loading times, grindy side quests, inventory system, random freezing.
    Mixed: Gameplay, combat.
  28. roshi82
    Aug 3, 2014
    10
    I was given ME 2 & 3 as a present and was urged to play the first one (couldn't find it in stores bought on PSN) At first I was unsure. I must admit the first few hours were a little slow but once it started. Boy it started! The game was addicting! The story line was great the customization awesome! I love ME! I am a fan. Sure as with all games there are always flaws but they wereI was given ME 2 & 3 as a present and was urged to play the first one (couldn't find it in stores bought on PSN) At first I was unsure. I must admit the first few hours were a little slow but once it started. Boy it started! The game was addicting! The story line was great the customization awesome! I love ME! I am a fan. Sure as with all games there are always flaws but they were nothing to worry about! I would suggest this game to anyone who likes FUN GAMES!… Expand
  29. MaxPayneIsGod
    Jun 26, 2014
    9
    I've played all Mass Effect games on another platform, this is my first foray into ME on the PS3 and it's just as good, probably better. Fantasitc story, characters and detail, there is so much effort put into this game the scope is huge. It's only let downs are dated graphics and a slightly wonky aiming system, which is slightly tighter than it was on 360. The choice and consequenceI've played all Mass Effect games on another platform, this is my first foray into ME on the PS3 and it's just as good, probably better. Fantasitc story, characters and detail, there is so much effort put into this game the scope is huge. It's only let downs are dated graphics and a slightly wonky aiming system, which is slightly tighter than it was on 360. The choice and consequence system works very well and the various outcomes are very different. After 4+ playthroughs I still find something new by doing something slightly different. You can pick ME 1 up for really cheap now days and I really recommend that you do. 9/10… Expand
  30. SyrupForDragons
    Jun 13, 2014
    10
    The best game in the trilogy & the only true RPG of the bunch. This game sets the tone of the story, lays the groundwork for friendships & gives you hope for what's to come... before EA ruins everything.
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Official PlayStation Magazine Benelux
    Mar 14, 2013
    84
    The game's appearance remains unaltered, which sounds good, but unfortunately it isn't. The game doesn't look bad, but it certainly looks dated. From a cinematic standpoint everything's fine, but the numerous lip-sync errors bothered us immensely. [February 2013, p.80]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jan 28, 2013
    80
    As an interactive story it's one hell of a good piece of entertainment. Taking your first tentative steps into this seriously rich universe, planting the seeds for larger implications later in the series, and tangling with one of the best antagonists ever, Saren, is a trip well worth taking. There's a rich, colourful cast you'll want to meet for the first time (Urdnot Wrex in particular) and very poignant moments to be had (e.g. becoming a Spectre). These are watershed gaming moments that the ME2's 'introductory' comic book could never hope to encapsulate. [January 2013, p69]
  3. PlayStation Universe
    Dec 20, 2012
    83
    The original Mass Effect has finally arrived on the PlayStation 3, which completes the trilogy without hopping consoles. Even though the game shows obvious and often obtrusive signs of age, the original shooter RPG still holds up and delivers an experience to fans who have wanted it for so long.
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