Mass Effect (2007)

Developer: BioWare, BioWare Edmonton
Publisher: Electronic Arts, Microsoft Game Studios
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360
Genres: Shooter, Role-playing (RPG)
Rating: 4.3 of 5, 2,502 player ratings
Main story: about 30 hours
Completionist: about 49 hours
Where to get it: Xbox

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The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A galaxy-spanning sci-fi epic that mixes tactical squad combat with weighty character-driven drama.

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About

Mass Effect is an action role-playing game set in the year 2183. The player takes the role of Commander Shepard, a customizable character who serves as Executive Officer aboard the SSV Normandy. After a routine mission goes wrong, Shepard assembles a squad and pursues a threat that escalates into a galaxy-wide conflict. The game features real-time squad-based combat where players choose companions and tactics suited to different enemy types, from biotic-wielding opponents to heavily armored machines. The game spans a large science fiction universe, with explorable locations ranging from the Citadel space station to alien homeworlds and remote outposts. Player decisions affect mission outcomes, crew relationships, and the overarching narrative across the trilogy.

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