Mass Effect (2007)

As Commander Shepard, lead an elite squad against Saren and an ancient threat endangering civilization. Travel through the galaxy, meet its inhabitants, and decide how Shepard responds to the conflicts along the way.

Explore locations and planets, speak with squadmates and other characters, and take on missions through dialogue and combat. Battles combine third-person gunplay with squad commands and character abilities.

Customize Shepard, develop skills, and manage your squad’s equipment as you progress. Choices shape events in this game, with decisions also designed to carry into later entries in the trilogy.

Players often praise the story, science-fiction setting, lore, and memorable squadmates, with dialogue and choices adding a sense of personal investment. Some also enjoy exploring the galaxy and the game’s atmosphere. Combat and planetary exploration draw mixed reactions: recurring criticisms describe the combat as clunky and some missions as repetitive, while several players report bugs or graphics problems in the PC version.