Mass Effect

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2054 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,807 out of 2054
  2. Mixed: 147 out of 2054
  3. Negative: 100 out of 2054
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  1. MrScruff
    Sep 3, 2012
    9
    Begins the fantastic Mass Effect series with a new style of Action RPG's, taking themes and designs from KOTOR. A flawed masterpiece mass effect struggles with combat, level design, and of course the Mako. But underneath all the flaws is one of the greatest video games I have played.
  2. muzziklover
    Dec 10, 2011
    8
    Since I pretty much have one more game to play this year (Skyrim) and next year, my most anticipated game will come out and the only game I am waiting for that year and that's Mass Effect 3 so I'm going to look back at the first Xbox 360 game I ever had. Mass Effect is a story telling masterpiece. I have never been so involved and emotionally attached to a game with a story this amazingSince I pretty much have one more game to play this year (Skyrim) and next year, my most anticipated game will come out and the only game I am waiting for that year and that's Mass Effect 3 so I'm going to look back at the first Xbox 360 game I ever had. Mass Effect is a story telling masterpiece. I have never been so involved and emotionally attached to a game with a story this amazing and epic. Looking back at it now, I would've given it a 10 when I first completed it but its been 4 years and I have to admit it hasn't age that well by game play standards. When playing it now, my big complains are its overly padded RPG elements, slow graphics and lagged out combat which thankfully have been improved in Mass Effect 2, which is one of my all time favourite games of the modern era. Those aside, it is still a good game and that's thanks to its amazing and varied story telling, interesting characters, tons of variety and a huge galaxy to explore. When I first completed the game, it became my personal gaming experiment and see what kind of things would I find differently if I play it differently entirely. Because of its immense replay value, I have lost count of how many times I replayed the story over and over again. Mass Effect holds a special place in my heart because it was the beginning of one of my favourite gaming franchises ever and I hope that Mass Effect 3 will be another 'greatest' in my list.… Expand
  3. huffnat890
    Mar 10, 2012
    8
    First, I would like to say that I unfortunately was not able to complete Mass Effect.I was about to decide to save or abandon the council when my game crashed and my save corrupted. I have never been more furious, but I can't help but realize that what I had almost beaten had been one of favorite gaming experiences. This game isn't perfect by any means. For example, why Bioware decided toFirst, I would like to say that I unfortunately was not able to complete Mass Effect.I was about to decide to save or abandon the council when my game crashed and my save corrupted. I have never been more furious, but I can't help but realize that what I had almost beaten had been one of favorite gaming experiences. This game isn't perfect by any means. For example, why Bioware decided to go with an infinite ammo mechnic is beyond me and the first few hours are incredibly stagnant for a game that eventually ends up being a phenomenal experience. There is easily 50+ hours worth of entertainment here but it's buried under mediocre controls and a weapon system that leaves something to be desired. Where Mass Effect truly shines is it's story. The player choice implemented invery action is a wonderful change of pace that sets Mass Effect apart from every other 3rd person shooter. After the first few hours the story picks up and goes to places that no man has gone before. In summary, Mass Effect is a wonderful game buried under a thin layer of mediocrity in the gameplay department. That doesn't stop Mass Effect from doing what it aims to do in the first place:deliver a masterful story that is diven by genuine emotion and player choice. Nathan out.… Expand
  4. Flapjack
    Oct 22, 2010
    8
    I've put some serious hours into this game over the years. Addictive as hell and a real story to boot. BUT, for some reason, I can't think of a proper reason as to why I love it so much... weird. Some games are like that, though.
  5. roachtbp
    Dec 5, 2017
    10
    This truly is a great game. Great graphics, great music, great story, great characters, and good gameplay. The world is so well developed and you can tell that so much thought went into developing the Mass Effect universe. Mass Effect is very dialogue heavy, so for gamers who prefer constant action, this may not be the game for you.
  6. Rodrigo_31
    Nov 4, 2010
    10
    Mass Effect is all about good story, great revelations, long worthwhile lenght gameplay, 25/30 hours... It posses a great artistic direction, awesome dialogues, great action! Some place are repetitive to visit like a paste and copy work, the graphics may have too much pop-in with weak anysotropic... But the rest makes this game of my favourite games of all time! Mass Effect is my favouriteMass Effect is all about good story, great revelations, long worthwhile lenght gameplay, 25/30 hours... It posses a great artistic direction, awesome dialogues, great action! Some place are repetitive to visit like a paste and copy work, the graphics may have too much pop-in with weak anysotropic... But the rest makes this game of my favourite games of all time! Mass Effect is my favourite game in this console generation...… Expand
  7. TristonDaShorty
    Feb 5, 2012
    9
    Mass Effect is one of the greatest games Ive ever played. The story is wonderful, the game is a unique experience every time due to the ability to make your own decisions. No complaints in the combat department, and I have very few in the graphics department. My only real gripe is that I found the final boss battles pretty lame, but that turned out okay cause the ending was so great.Mass Effect is one of the greatest games Ive ever played. The story is wonderful, the game is a unique experience every time due to the ability to make your own decisions. No complaints in the combat department, and I have very few in the graphics department. My only real gripe is that I found the final boss battles pretty lame, but that turned out okay cause the ending was so great. High nine out of 10, Bioware **** rules.… Expand
  8. TheOutlawXanadu
    Mar 25, 2012
    10
    Mass Effect is an amazing game, albeit deeply flawed. The gameplay is mediocre at best and horribly boring at worst, especially those Mako sections. That being said, the reason the game is still incredible in spite of its problems is that it has a marvelous story with some incredible decision-making sequences along the way. It has moments that are guaranteed to send a chill down yourMass Effect is an amazing game, albeit deeply flawed. The gameplay is mediocre at best and horribly boring at worst, especially those Mako sections. That being said, the reason the game is still incredible in spite of its problems is that it has a marvelous story with some incredible decision-making sequences along the way. It has moments that are guaranteed to send a chill down your spine. On top of that, it introduces the player to some amazing characters that you will enjoy talking to more than 90% of the people you know in real life. It isn't a perfect game, but it does deliver a perfect experience.… Expand
  9. nirvanamania
    Aug 9, 2011
    10
    This game can only be described in two words, purely amazing, I mean from all the information the designers of this game put into it to all the different planets you can discover, its just pure fun and really it signifies what Humanity is about, exploration and Curiosity. The only flaw is if you don't save periodically you can find yourself having to restart the whole mission, whichThis game can only be described in two words, purely amazing, I mean from all the information the designers of this game put into it to all the different planets you can discover, its just pure fun and really it signifies what Humanity is about, exploration and Curiosity. The only flaw is if you don't save periodically you can find yourself having to restart the whole mission, which believe me, is very frustrating, but other than that, its flawless… Expand
  10. theo20
    May 4, 2011
    7
    Great game, excellent cut scenes, good story, excellent graphics, recommended for any rpg fan. I am not an rpg fan but this was good enough to get the next one, looking forward to play ME2
  11. Sceptic
    Jun 13, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite some superfluous RPG elements,this is one of the finest games made.With a brilliant story,characters and setting,become Commander Shepard(Male or Female) and explore the galaxy in the search for a way to stop the Reapers,sentient alien spacecraft who destroy all organic life in an endless cycle repeated every 50,000 years.Visit alien worlds,recruit bounty hunters,assassins,scientists and soldiers to uncover the secrets of the past and future.Get to know your ship and crew intimately,and fight the extinction!… Expand
  12. miramax123
    Aug 17, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game that started the ''The next Star Wars franchise of this new generation'' clearly showed, why it would become the next most iconic sci-fi piece of work since over the last decades. Pointing out a few negatives, the Geth Hoppers were extremely silly and annoying at most times due to the fact you couldn't have a proper clear shot and that gets you into shouting ''Stand still, you stupid robot frog!''. Another negative I would point out is the annoying 'Ally' achievements that take a lot of time and additional money to spend to get them. Of course, the main reason why I would give this game a 10 is because of the weaponry and ammo varieties you got from it that made this game enjoyable, the complex and emotional story line certainly delivers appeal. The best part, emotionally, was the pressure you had on saving Wrex and then either having Kaidan or Ashley to die as heroes on Virmire. The planetary exploration especially was very, very intriguing, and super fun, which added to the mystery of every accessible planet each time you found an Anomaly on your radar with the Mako, loved the ''Bring Down The Sky'' DLC, especially the high-key, intense ambient soundtrack while outside the impending asteroid! Mass Effect's abstract animation and film grain added to the fun factor of this game! Mass Effect 1 is the progeny of a new revolutionary sci-fi era! Although a few extremely weird glitches popping up time by time, it wasn't enough to make me downgrade the score to 9, this and it's successor ME2 are a work of sci fi art!… Expand
  13. ImUnavailable
    Oct 22, 2011
    8
    An entertaining sci-fi adventure with a great story, interesting characters and a cool morality system. Bioware has crafted a beautiful and believable universe filled with history and conflict. Exploring worlds with the Mako is fun even if the vehicle's handling is poor. Combat is a little clunky and the slow loading of the graphics detract from the game.
  14. TheReaper
    Feb 12, 2012
    9
    Bioware have created a game set in a wonderful universe with exciting places to discover populated with unforgettable characters, with a very decent combat and leveling up systems and a fantastic storyline.
  15. icadaT
    Apr 26, 2011
    8
    Mass Effect is one of the best adventures i've had the pleasure of playing through in recent years. The story is set in a science-fiction environment which takes the best from all your favorite sci-fi and action film culture and melds it into an epic tale combining RPG with Third Person Shooter. Character development is excellent, as you add to your crew and build up relationships forMass Effect is one of the best adventures i've had the pleasure of playing through in recent years. The story is set in a science-fiction environment which takes the best from all your favorite sci-fi and action film culture and melds it into an epic tale combining RPG with Third Person Shooter. Character development is excellent, as you add to your crew and build up relationships for better or worse with your team mates. The player is eventually let loose to explore as much of the known galaxy as they desire which offers hours of exciting ventures, but for those who wish to stick to the main storyline it is one of the best crafted stories i have played through in a long time, with plenty of moments that make you shiver in excitement. The combat is pretty varied with a nice variety of classes and abilities for each you can use to slay enemies with. I would say the game is slightly tarnished by its clunky inventory system and occasional boring periods in the Mako tank (issues addressed in the sequel) but even today this game is still an essential play.… Expand
  16. lionalio
    Mar 2, 2012
    9
    Played and beaten Mass Effect 2 with a very excited mood, but when play again Mass Effect to get the original storyline and characters, it is still very impressive. Let´s forget the combat, which is a little awful, look at the storyline, an epic one, it will keep you hours just investigating and to understand more and more. Oh, one last thing: forget all of the assignments,Played and beaten Mass Effect 2 with a very excited mood, but when play again Mass Effect to get the original storyline and characters, it is still very impressive. Let´s forget the combat, which is a little awful, look at the storyline, an epic one, it will keep you hours just investigating and to understand more and more. Oh, one last thing: forget all of the assignments, they will bother you pretty much, and dilute you from enjoying the game.… Expand
  17. drlowdon
    Nov 5, 2016
    9
    The first game in the trilogy that helped take the action RPG genre to a new level with its excellent gameplay and interesting characters. The sequel improved upon it in many areas but this remains an excellent game in its own right and is still well worth playing even nine years after release.
  18. thebrock
    May 6, 2011
    9
    Mass effect is a fantastic game which really stretches what the rpg gender of games can do. The fact that it is set in space really made it for me since i am a bit of a sci fi freak. The gamplay and storyline are exceptionally good as as are the graphics and music. Another plus point is the upgrade and levelling up system. The only slight concerns i had about the game was the comat systemMass effect is a fantastic game which really stretches what the rpg gender of games can do. The fact that it is set in space really made it for me since i am a bit of a sci fi freak. The gamplay and storyline are exceptionally good as as are the graphics and music. Another plus point is the upgrade and levelling up system. The only slight concerns i had about the game was the comat system could have been better. Also by the time you reach level 30 the levelling up becomes a bit pointless because all the important skills you need you already have. All in all a very good game and one i would highly recommend.… Expand
  19. Rizzo
    Jun 2, 2011
    10
    One of the best RPG's of all time. Certainly of this gen. Almost everything in this game is outstanding. The only things that were annoying was the Mako and the inventory management which doesn't take much from the game at all I think. Outstanding game. One of the best.
  20. Baller195
    Jun 26, 2011
    10
    Absolutely deserves all of the attention that it got and more, and easy 10/10. And yes, the game is that good. Mass Effect 1 is my 2nd favourite game, the first being the sequel !!
  21. Sci-Fi-Dude1456
    Jul 28, 2011
    10
    Mass Effect is definitely one of the best game of all time. An impressive and original story , great graphics, and you get sucked into the universe of Mass Effect. For some reason, this feels like a realistic version of Star Wars with themes of xenophobia, space colonization, and freedom of thought. A lot of replay value is in this game , because you can make a new character for making badMass Effect is definitely one of the best game of all time. An impressive and original story , great graphics, and you get sucked into the universe of Mass Effect. For some reason, this feels like a realistic version of Star Wars with themes of xenophobia, space colonization, and freedom of thought. A lot of replay value is in this game , because you can make a new character for making bad choices or good choices. You can also import your existing Mass Effect character into Mass Effect 2. There are some issues like dumb squad A.I or enemy A.I , some framerate issues, and the Mako controls . The issues don't detract from the experience. I highly recommend this game. 10/10… Expand
  22. DarkEnergon
    Jan 26, 2012
    7
    Killer gameplay, a unique and enjoyable visual style and a truly inspired story, with even side-quests having enough well written mini-stories to keep you blasting. Were it not for a horrible revelation ten minutes ago, this game would receive a 10, sadly, once you complete the main story (a long affair in itself), the game ends, and all of the side-quests that you said you'd do afterKiller gameplay, a unique and enjoyable visual style and a truly inspired story, with even side-quests having enough well written mini-stories to keep you blasting. Were it not for a horrible revelation ten minutes ago, this game would receive a 10, sadly, once you complete the main story (a long affair in itself), the game ends, and all of the side-quests that you said you'd do after you'd finished the story become impossible to complete because the only way to play again is by starting over again, which is something even the most dedicated fan would be hard-pressed to do. This is especially annoying because it's something that was entirely unnecessary, every other RPG allows you to keep playing once you've completed the main quest, why couldn't Mass Effect? I enjoyed this game and its main story much more than Oblivion (Elder Scrolls), but a flaw this huge is unacceptable… Expand
  23. totoni
    Aug 31, 2011
    8
    Mass Effect is an excellent RPG with amazing characters and story (although it is a bit cliche) but Mass Effect is also a shooter game. And the shooting part, as well as the combat part isn't that amazing. The biotic powers are awesome, but the combat just isn't doing good. Both the friendly and enemy A.I. isn't the most advanced, the enemy A.I. being slightly more advanced, making combatMass Effect is an excellent RPG with amazing characters and story (although it is a bit cliche) but Mass Effect is also a shooter game. And the shooting part, as well as the combat part isn't that amazing. The biotic powers are awesome, but the combat just isn't doing good. Both the friendly and enemy A.I. isn't the most advanced, the enemy A.I. being slightly more advanced, making combat either easy or frustrating. The side quests can and will end up being very boring, mostly because there's only three different dungeon layouts, and the stories are pretty much alike.While I read a lot about the textures being really slow, I haven't really seen much of that problem. Some slight texture problems, yes, but not something you'd notice. But all in all, it is an amazing game with some problems, but still worth playing because of the amazing story it has.… Expand
  24. Luchinelrey
    Jul 25, 2011
    9
    Impresionante, uno de los mejores juegos que he tenido el placer de disfrutar. La historia es completamente de novela de ciencia ficción, Un RPG excepcional, acompañado por una buena ambientación. Gráficos a la altura de los tiempos, gran calidad, emoción, seducción, acción y una jugabilidad queImpresionante, uno de los mejores juegos que he tenido el placer de disfrutar. La historia es completamente de novela de ciencia ficción, Un RPG excepcional, acompañado por una buena ambientación. Gráficos a la altura de los tiempos, gran calidad, emoción, seducción, acción y una jugabilidad que al principio (hasta que terminas de entender como se usa tu personaje y como complementarlo con tus compañeros que tienes en el equipo) parece aburrida e incluso un poco difícil de entender, pero luego de pasar algunas misiones esto se convierte en un control sencillo e imprescindible para sobrevivir en cada fase.
    Totalmente recomendado para pasar unas cuantas semanas sumergido en una historia sumamente original.
    Recomiendo guardar las partidas en forma manual, ya que el autoguardado te puede dar sorpresas inesperadas, como morir al final de una fase y tener que empezarla casi desde el p¡rincipio !!!
    Conclusión: comprarlo sin dudar, ya que la segunda parte esta en el mercado hace tiempo y ya sale una tercera que promete dejarnos con la boca abierta.

    Un saludo

    Luchinelrey (Luchin Shepard para los amigos) XD    … Expand
  25. ShooterGuy
    Aug 15, 2011
    9
    One of my favourite games ,a tear comes to my eye while describing it.I think this should sum it up!!The game play is awesome with some control issues but other than that and some audio this game is awesome.
  26. GentlemanRick
    Oct 6, 2012
    10
    Yes the mako missions were a pain and the autosave was crap, but i still cannot give this game anything but a 10 still. The gameplay, once i got it down, it was so gooooood. Not to mention this campaign is no question the best i have ever played. Amazing story.
  27. Ali1247
    Sep 25, 2011
    9
    Mass Effect is great and definitely one of the greatest rpgs game of this generation. After a long time Bioware has finally made a series that can live up to the classic Stars Knights of the Old Republic series. Mass Effect has an amazing story, it is very well written, in depth and has excellent characters and settings. Its amazing Sci-Fi Universe is the quite possibly the best I haveMass Effect is great and definitely one of the greatest rpgs game of this generation. After a long time Bioware has finally made a series that can live up to the classic Stars Knights of the Old Republic series. Mass Effect has an amazing story, it is very well written, in depth and has excellent characters and settings. Its amazing Sci-Fi Universe is the quite possibly the best I have seen in any Sci-Fi game to date. Considering this game came out in 2007 the graphics look great, the environments look great if a bit repetitive at times, the characters models for both humans and aliens look excellent and the animations are still really good despite not being crisp there are a few frame rate issues but all in all the game still looks beautiful. The voice acting is also well done especially for the aliens it seems all the voice actors are into their characters, however the voice acting for some of the humans in the game can be a little cheesy and corny at times, but the voice acting is still excellent and better than most of the games out there. As far as the gameplay is concerned there are both pros and cons. First of all the good thing is that the game allows you to play in one of the six different classes given to you in the beginning of the game each classes have their own special abilities and skills that can be upgraded and also each class uses a different combination of weapons. When you play the game through once on one class than replay it with another class you will feel like you are playing a completely different game thats how deep and varied the game's classes and rpg elements are. The game also gives the player dialogue options which is the first of its kind seen in a game and a player can choose to respond in a way he wants to. The player can also decide to be a goody two shoe, a neutral guy or an evil guy in all these dialogue options. The player gets experience by even doing the smallest of things and once the player has enough points he can level up and spend skills points earned from the level up in the skills tree to improve his abilities and the abilities of the squad mates. Speaking of Squad mates here comes the Cons of the gameplay the Squad mates are just absolutely useless in combat they shoot at walls and boxes instead of shooting directly at the enemy, while you are allowed to tell them when to use their special abilities they don't use them on their own and there are also moments when the squad mates freeze forcing you restart from a previous save or wait for a cutscene to trigger. On top of all that your squad mates die very quickly and are not that competitive. The enemy A.I is good but not great most of them take cover in the wrong way allowing you to kill them easily and sometimes they decide to charge at you when they are taking heavy fire all these moments kind of make the combat annoying and painful at times. the game has alot of guns and mods but the gun do not have that much variety the only difference really is the amount of damage they do and the amount of shots they fire before overheating. The mods are good but they do not make your weapons that much better as you can only install one mod at a time and they still do not work that well against large enemies. The armor and armor mods in the game are good but once again lack variety. All the weapons, armor and mods go in your inventory and the game has a 150 item limit for your inventory once you break the limit the inventory shoves it in your face to convert s**t to omni gel every time you break the item limit all that was really annoying and painful. Than comes the Mako I know people have mixed feelings about it, I for one found it fun to us in combat early on than it got repetitive and the controls that are assigned to it are auite possibly the worst controls I have seen assigned to vehicle in a video game. The game also has hit detection issues sometimes when you shoot enemies in the head they don't get hurt at all sometimes when you shoot in thin air enemies die from head shot and sometimes the Mako's attacks don't hurt the enemies at all, the combat is not totally broken these problems do not happen all the time but they are there and kind of hurt the gameplay and make the combat more annoying than fun. The game's sidequests have a good background and give you choices but they can get repetitive and the infrastructure for the indoor areas of all the sidequests is almost the same and even the outdoor environments on most of planets look the same as well I understand the depth and the size of this game and the amount of effort it took to make it but this is kind of inexcusable or part of Bioware. In conclusion I would like to say that Mass Effect is great game and despite some flaws is one of the best rpgs of this generation and one of Bioware's greatest efforts if you love rpgs and are a fan of Bioware's games than you should definitely get this game you will have a blast. 9/10.… Expand
  28. crazydangerous
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    The worst points of this game are only some planets feel a little barren and the game begs for a melee button. This game is a excellent 3rd person shooter/ action rpg. It's dirt cheap to pick up now too.
  29. Maccfin
    Jan 20, 2014
    10
    This is one of the best games ever made, it has a stunningly good original story line that doesn't disappoint. The amount of joy one experiences at the end of the journey is awesome and this is a must buy for everyone interested in a good role play shooter game and a good story. The game also has an amazing soundtrack that completes the story very well.
  30. nightblade00
    Feb 19, 2013
    9
    I am writing this well after the fact. This game would have gotten a 10 if not for two aspects of the game (both of which are corrected in the sequels. The storytelling/storyline that this game starts is one of the best in modern gaming. The story is so well done that it has you thinking about it long after you have finished playing (much like a good book or TV series). However, ifI am writing this well after the fact. This game would have gotten a 10 if not for two aspects of the game (both of which are corrected in the sequels. The storytelling/storyline that this game starts is one of the best in modern gaming. The story is so well done that it has you thinking about it long after you have finished playing (much like a good book or TV series). However, if you are expecting great graphics, you will be sadly wanting. The graphics are definitely stuck in 2006. The gameplay is awesome with the exception of two aspects: Driving the Mako is maddeningly frustrating and the massive inventory of gun and gun upgrades. The physics of the mako movement work very poorly on the 360---you can tell it was designed with the linear gameplay of a PC in mind. Their are simply too many gun models in the game, 2/3rds of which are so bad you will never equip them. By mid-game you end up using the game guns no matter how many of the other models you get. Its pointless. That being said, the game provided just enough side quests (even with the repetitive environments) to satisfy the happy level grinder in me. Overall I loved this game and couldn't stop playing it.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2007
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2007
3
#3 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 74 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 74
  3. Negative: 0 out of 74
  1. Game Informer
    98
    It's an adventure that is so captivating that you'll be counting the days for the sequel. It takes interactive storytelling to new heights, and brings the player closer to content than ever before. It's easily one of the year's best titles and one of the most impressive games to date. [Nov 2007, p.151]
    Read full review
  2. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    92
    Far from being a ponderous sci-fi exposition, Mass Effect boasts a dynamic, well-constructed story with a broad emotional range. [Holiday 2007, p.82]
  3. Hardcore Gamer
    80
    As it is, it's merely very good on several different levels, and is more or less a must-play for RPG fans. It will drive shooter fans completely up the wall, though. [Dec 2007, p.56]
See all critic reviews »