Mass Effect

Mass Effect is a video game that consists of 7 releases
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Mass Effect is a science fiction-themed, action-oriented, story-driven role-playing game from BioWare for the Xbox 360 and PC. As Commander Shepard, players set out on an epic adventure to save the known galaxy from an apocalyptic threat.

Overview

Developed by BioWare, Mass Effect is an award-winning science fiction RPG set in an expansive and diverse universe of strange alien species, galactic politics, and advanced technology. Humanity is a newcomer on the galactic stage, and players take the role of a customizable male or female character -- invariably with the surname Shepard -- who joins the elite SPECTRE corps as a representative of mankind's interests. While testing to become a SPECTRE, Shepard will first investigate a mysterious attack on a human colony world -- and in the process discover a danger which threatens the galaxy and culminates in a shocking truth which affects all life. Mass Effect utilizes many of BioWare's signature RPG elements, such as extensive character building, engaging dialogue trees, and an engrossing, branching narrative.

Unlike past BioWare hits like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, however, the combat is not turn-based. It instead controls much like a third-person shooter such as Gears of War, with a useful cover system and over-the-shoulder aiming mechanics. The player is also able to pause the action to line up shots and issue commands to other party members. Like Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire (another BioWare RPG), Mass Effect allows for the customization of the player character's appearance, gender and basic backstory, and the player's actions during the course of the game determine the ultimate good-or-bad orientation of the character at the end. Additionally, Shepard and his allies have various special skills and abilities that can be improved with the application of attribute points.

Gameplay

Mass Effect draws its gameplay from two distinct lineages: KotOR with its various trees of dialogue, and Gears of War's combat system. This is a shift from the turn-based combat BioWare has dealt with extensively to a third-person shooter with a cover system, a first for the company. Conversations are carried out via dialogue trees on Mass Effect's "Conversation wheel", which instead of telling you exactly the line you character will deliver, gives the general gist and tone of your response, in an attempt to make conversations flow better. However, you can wait as long as you want to choose a response after the other person is done talking, with no difference in the dialogue or reaction from the NPCs. Occasionally, a dialogue tree option will appear red or blue, which means it requires a certain skill level in either charm (blue) or intimidate (red) to unlock that dialogue option. Pressing "X" while someone is talking will interrupt their line with yours, but they will not react to being interrupted. It is a function to speed up the pace of the dialogue, or skip over it entirely if you have already heard it before.

Combat is third-person, gun based, with biotic abilities (comparable to Force Powers form the KotOR games). Combat is set in realtime, although you may pause the game and select a power or readjust your aim at any time by holding the right bumper on 360. This brings up a circle menu listing the powers of you and your two squadmates. You can choose any power from any party member currently in your squad to queue up from this radial menu, and your teammates will use it when you unpause.

Races

Mass Effect has a large variety of races and has been compared to franchises such as Star Wars and Star Trek for its great creativity and imagination. Some of the games primary races are listed below.

Garrus, a former Citadel Security personnel.

Turians

The turians were invited to join the Citadel by the Asari and Salarians. They form the backbone of Citadel military power, and have the largest fleet in Citadel Space, as well as the largest number of personnel in C-Sec. They are respected as peacekeepers throughout Citadel space. Culturally, their race places an emphasis on civil duty, including military service, and have a class system, based on the amount of civil service performed by individuals. In the past, there has been hostility between humanity and the turians, due largely to the First Contact War.





Liara, an Asari scientist.

Asari

The Asari were the first species to discover the Citadel. Once the Salarians arrived the Asari proposed the establishment of the Citadel Council to maintain peace throughout the galaxy. They can live for over a thousand years. Asari possess an uncanny affinity with biotics, and Asari biotic implants are renown for their superior quality. They are a mono-gendered race, but due to their physical appearance, several misconceptions about their reproductive process are rampant throughout the galaxy. Of all the alien races, the Asari perhaps most resemble human females.





A Salarian citizen

Salarians

 The Salarians were the second race to discover the Citadel and soon joined the Asari in forming the Citadel Council. Salarians have a high metabolic rate, and consequently live short lifespans, roughly 40 years. Salarians think of other species as sluggish and dull-witted due to this elevated pacing. Born with superior non-linear thinking and observation skills, many Salarians venture into scientific endeavours. The Salarian scientists were also responsible for the development of the genophage during the Krogan Rebellion.




Wrex, a Krogan mercenary.

Krogan

When the Salarians first discovered the Krogan race they were a brutal, primitive species who were struggling to survive a self-inflicted nuclear winter. The Salarians taught the Krogans to use and build modern technology, although the alterior motive was to utilize Krogan soldiers in the Rachni War.  The Krogan despise the Turians for using the genophage, a Salarian developed bio-weapon. It affects fertility, and because of this, only one in a thousand Krogan pregnancies are viable. The genophage and their own war-based culture is causing the Krogans to slowly become extinct.






Tali, a Quarian citizen on her Pilgrimage.
Quarians

The Quarians are a race that has no planet to call home, due to the Geth occupation of their homeworlds. The Quarians travel in what is called the Flotilla, a massive fleet of over fifty thousand space ships. Due to the lack of resources on the Flotilla, every Quarian has to go on a 'Pilgrimage' when they come of age. In the Pilgrimage, they leave the fleet, only to return when they have found something of value to the fleet. Other species tend to look down on the Quarians due to their role in the creation of the Geth, as well the large negative impact on a planet upon the arrival of the Flotilla in a system.








Batarians
Batarians

The Batarians and generally seen as Humanoids with four eyes and a bad attitude. Humans had a conflict with them in the Verge over territory rights. When it was clear humanity had the upper hand and the Council was not going to intervene in the Batarian's favor; they severed all ties with the galaxy at large and now live isolated and away from the other species. This began a period of self-imposed exile, coupled with well-funded pirate raids on human colonies. Batarians who remain deep in the Terminus systems are often slavers, pirates, and smugglers. However, the typical Batarian is not so vile. The majority of them are forced to remain on their homeworld by the oppressive Batarian Government and have little say in greater galactic issues.



A Geth "hopper"

Geth

The Geth are a race of sentient machines. They were created by the Quarians 300 years ago as tools of labor and war. The Quarians attempted to exterminate the Geth when they showed signs of self-evolution, however, the Geth rebelled and won the resulting war.  The Geth now reside beyond the Perseus Veil, and have kept to themselves until the events of Mass Effect.



Hanar

Hanar

Their homeworld is 90% water, littered with Prothean ruins, and ruled by a Theocracy. Most Hanar view the Prothean sites as religious structures left by the elder race that brought civilization to the galaxy. They have evolved to live in oceans, so Hanar are large, pink masses raised high by anti-gravity packs with all of their tentacles hanging down. They are excessively polite and very precise. Due to their unique culture, they only refer to themselves with third-person pronouns, such as ‘This one’ or ‘It’. It is considered very informal and impolite when using their own name or first-person pronouns, and only do so when speaking with family or close friends. They speak with subtle pulses of light, and only through fluid real-time computer translators can they understand and be understood in languages of the other races. They are arguably the most ‘Alien’ of all the sentient races in Citadel space.

Plot


Normandy



The SSV Normandy SR-1
The game begins on the Human Alliance vessel, the SSV (Systems Alliance Space Vessel) Normandy. As the player stands near a window, a conversation by Captain Anderson, Ambassador Udina and Admiral Hackett plays overhead. They debate whether Shepard is the right individual for a certain task with large political implications. After a brief introduction to some key crew members, including Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko and the pilot, Joker, the player is summoned to the briefing room. Some optional small talk with personnel onboard reveals that the Normandy is on a 'shakedown run' to one of humanity's most stable colonies, Eden Prime. They relay concerns that something is amiss with this explanation, as the presence of a full crew would not be standard protocol for such a task. The Citadel has also sent one of their agents, a turian SPECTRE (Special Tactics and Reconnaisance) named Nihlus, to observe the proceedings, which further fuels the crew's suspicion. When Shepard arrives in the briefing room, Captain Anderson informs him/her that the Normandy is actually being sent to Eden Prime to recover what seems to be an ancient Prothean artifact. Nihlus, who is also present, reveals that, in addition to helping with the recovery of the artifact, he will also be evaluating Shepard. On this and several more missions, he will determine whether or not he/she has the skills for induction into the Spectres, the elite shadow operatives under the Citadel Council. The political implications of such a placement would bolster humanity's status into one of the elite races within Citadel space. Anderson further explains that humanity would then use this position as leverage to obtain a position on the Citadel Council.


Eden Prime



At Eden Prime
Once Sheperd is briefed, the Normandy intercepts a distorted distress call from Eden Prime. The planet is under attack by unknown assailants, and the local militia have been all but wiped out. After landing and a few engagements, Shepard learns that the invaders are sentient robotic life forms known as the Geth. The Geth haven't been seen outside their region of colonized planets, 'the Veil', for many centuries, so it is odd that they have attacked Eden Prime in force. Shepard guides them through the killing fields and rescues a trapped Marine, Ashley Williams, who becomes a pivotal character in the plot.

Saren shoots an unsuspecting Nihlus
Elsewhere, Nihlus encounters his friend and mentor, a turian Spectre named Saren Arterius. Relieved to see a familiar face, Nihlus lets his guard down and confesses to Saren that he is confused about the proceedings on Eden Prime, and why Saren is here. Saren calmly explains that he was sent to help him and, when Nihlus turns his back to him, Saren shoots him the head. Shepard, Alenko, and Williams continue to search for the beacon, which leads them to tram station leading to the docks, and Nihlus' corpse. On their approach, the massive ship, Sovereign, is seen taking off. They discover a dockworker who was hiding behind a crate and after a brief interrogation learn Nihlus' fate. After defusing several charges intended to eliminate all evidence of the Geth invasion, Shepard manages to find the beacon. Depending on your gender, the team member opposite of your sex approaches the beacon, and it begins to pull them forcibly towards it. Shepard leaps to the rescue, and consequently is lifted into the air. The beacon imprints on his/her mind a confusing and fragmented vision. After this brief succession of images, the beacon explodes, and knocks Shepard unconscious.



The Citadel



Shepard regains consciousness in the Normandy's infirmary. Conversing with Captain Anderson reveals that the human ambassador, Udina, has recalled the Normandy for a full explanation of the events on Eden Prime. He also informs the Commander that Ashley Williams has become a permanent member of the crew. After a cutscene showing the majestic Citadel Station, the Normandy docks, and the team proceeds to the human embassy. Some deliberation occurs with the Ambassador, and he informs Shepard that he has set up an appointment with the Citadel Council to bring Saren to trial. In the council chambers, Saren appears via hologram and vehemently denies any charges. Using his position of trust with the councilors, he attempts to manipulate them into believing the incident was caused by human error and accuses humanity of trying to cover up their own mistakes, citing his past with Captain Anderson as proof. He comments that humanity's aggressive expansion needs to be stopped and humanity needs to be put in its place. Having no substantial proof, the Council rules that Saren is innocent and all charges are dropped. Commander Shepard, in conjunction with Capt. Anderson and Ambassador Udina, devise a plan to find evidence that would prove Saren’s involvement in the whole incident.

Fist is convinced to talk
During the course of his investigation, Shepard finds out about a local crime boss, named Fist, who is dealing with Saren. Depending on how you conduct the investigation, Urdnot Wrex, a krogan mercenary, and/or Garrus Vakarian, a hot-blooded turian C-SEC (Citadel Security) officer, leads you to his base of operations and assists you. After confronting Fist, Shepard learns that in exchange for a large amount of cash, the crime boss has set up an ambush for a young Quarian who approached him with information regarding Saren. Shepard rushes to assist the Quarian in the ambush. In debt, the Quarian agrees to help with the trial, and the group heads to a more secure location, the human embassy, to reveal the evidence. The Quarian, who introduces herself as Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya, plays a recording taken from a Geth. In it, Saren's conversation with an unidentified person, possibly female, reveals his involvement in Eden Prime. As well, a cryptic reference to 'the Conduit' and the return of the Reapers is mentioned. The humans takes this new evidence to the council. The evidence gives the edge required to sway the council. Saren is found guilty, his Spectre status is revoked, and he is named an enemy to the Citadel. Udina demands that the Citadel send its fleets after him to track him down. However, the council denies the request, pointing out that a fleet cannot track a single person, as well as the political implications of such an act (a war with a number of rogue systems). Shepard volunteers to go after Saren, if he/she were given the authority. The turian representative opposes the move, saying that humanity is not ready for this honor. Shepard points out that it was a turian who broke the law. He relents and the Citadel Councils appoints Shepard Spectre status, a first for humanity.


Rescuing Liara



Liara trapped
The council informs Shepard that it has a few leads that may tell them what Saren might be up to, the player is given a couple of options as he can go to investigate reports of Geth in Noveria and Feros or look for Matriach Benezia daughter, Liara in the Artemeus Tau cluster. Afterheading to the cluster the player finds a mining colony and after landing on the planet the player finds that it is under attack from the Geth and that the mining colony that was there has been wiped out. After the player journeys through an underground cave, he/she finds Liara. She is trapped behind a force field that she claims she activated to protect herself from a Krogan and Geth that were looking for her.  She denies any involvement with her Mother and Saren and she is in fact attacked by Saren’s men who seek to use her expertise in the Protheans for their own benefits. Being a researcher on the Protheans, she is also very interested in Shepard because he/she has had contact with Prothean technology and attempts to help the player decipher the information in the form of a mind meld. She also makes an astounding claim that the evidence she has managed to piece together shows that the Protheans were not the first civilization to disappear from the face of the Galaxy, rather this cycle has continued for eons.


Feros Colony
A citizen of Zhu's hope
A citizen of Zhu's Hope
After rescuing her player goes to the colony Zhu’s hope on the planet Feros which is under attack from the Geth. The colonists seem to be barely hanging on andShepard does what he can for them in the form of helping take out the Geth command post and communications. He also learns of the Exo-Geni headquarters that can be reached using the Prothean skyway. On the way therethe player finds a small group of colonists hiding in a underground bunker of sorts, they claim that they have been separated from the rest of the colonists. Julianna Baynham is one of the fewpresent there alongside a representative from Exo-Geni named Ethan Jeong who is extremely jumpy. Julianna asks you to look for her daughter Lizbeth who she thinks is still stuck at the headquarters, Jeong repeatedly warns you not to go about snooping in Exo-Geni matters and to make the excursion as short as possible.

After fighting their way though the skyway the team reaches the headquarters and locates Lizbeth who is alive and well. Shepard ventures into the complex to find answers and runs across a Krogan who is demanding information from an VI. After dispatching of the Krogan, Shepard learns about the Thorian that is buried under the colony, Zhu’s hope. Shepard proceeds to disable the force fields and damage the Geth ship that is attached to the headquarters. Heproceeds back to the group in the bunker and confronts Jeong on the issue of the Thorian. Meanwhile, Jeong has reestablished contact with Exo-geni and has orders to purge the place. The player can either talkhim down if his charm skills are high enough or threaten him. Alternatively the player can shoot Jeong in the head and kill him instantly. The player also learns that the Thorian is controlling the colonists and that using asimple anti-Thorian gas will temporarily paralyzethem and allow Shepard to continue unhindered.It is the players choice whether he/she accept it or not but regardless Shepard battles his way to the freighter that is near the heart of the city. There he encounters the Colony leader as he is struggling with the Thorian for control of his mind; it seems that the Thorian has ordered him to kill Shepard for his transgression but he ends up shooting himself in the head saying that he is free now. The player goes on to move the freighter and descends down a stairway.
The Thorian
There he spots an massive plantlike creature that spans many levels, after approaching it the Thorian "secrets" an Asari who claims to speak to him. The Asari/Thorian tells him briefly of Saren and how he betrayed him, he also refuses to talk to the Player and the Asari along with multiple Thorian Creepers attack the player. Afterdefeating them, the player goes on the offense and targets the Thorian's neural nodes, thereis a little cut scene which shows that the Asari is reanimated suggesting that the Thorian and the Asari are somehow connected with each other. After the playerdestroys multiple nodes and waver after wave of Thorian creepers and the Asari clone the Thorian crashes down and is "killed'.
Thorian creepers
An Asari bursts free andthanks the player, although she confesses that she wished the Player had not killed the Thorian. Shepard asks her questions about Saren and the Conduit and she agrees to him the "cipher". It will help the player better make sense of the images. She also gives her back story about how her along with Benezia went to Saren to try and guide him down a gentle path.However, on Sovereign he was all but unstoppable as the ship had an effect on all of them. Soon they found themselves allying with Saren and executing his plans. It is the players choice whether he kill the Asari for her transgressions or let her go so that she can help the colonists that she had harmed. If the player completed the optional side quests then you will find that the power, water and food is restored to the colony. Also, if you used the Thorian gas then the casualties are minimal. The citizens thank you and vow to continue on with their lives



Noveria



Gianna Parsani
The second planet that Shepard visits is Noveria, which is a Icy world that is more or less ruled by the corporations on it. Although it is technically part of the citadel it operates outside the citadellaws and so for that reason many companies have set up research stations there. The research varies from Biotic implants to A.I. development, which is strictly forbidden in Citadel space. Uponentering the planet it is immediately made clear that the authorities are of no nonsense type. They warn you that if your identity as a Specter does not check out your ship will be commandeered and that you will face charges. Further more once you get on the surface and try to enter the main complex a stand off ensues as the security chief refuses to let you in with your weapons still on you. You can force a standoff with your weapons drawn or you could stand down your party, either Gianna Parsani, who is the assistant to Administrator Anoleis confirms your identity and admits you into the facility. When inquired about the location of Matriarch Benezia you are informed that she has gone to peak 15, which is rented by the company Binary Helix and cannot be reached because of a snow storm.  Due to the blizzard, the shuttle system on Noveria had been rendered inoperable and therefore Shepard is forced to use the Mako to get to peak 15. However, to do so he is told that he would need a garage pass from Anoleis, who promptly refuses his request. After much probing by Shepard he says that there has been a Code Omega at peak 15 and that all communications are cut off. Heis visibly agitated by Shepard’s questions and curtly tells Shepard to get lost.
Anoleis
Meanwhile, Parsaini informs you that there are other ways to get the pass and she tells you about a man named Lorik Qui’in who is need of help. He turns out to be Turian who is investigation Anoleis for corruption but has run into some problems with Noveria’s corrupt security. He tells you that if you can retrievesome data from his office, which has some incriminating evidence he willhand you a garage pass. The office is overrun with Security and a fight ensues with the end result being Shepard kills a lot of Mercenaries in the service of Anoleis, who was trying to retrieve thatinformation. You can either give that information to Parsaini who says she is investigating corruption charges or you can give the information to Lorik Qui’in in exchange for a Garage pass. Alternatively, you can give the information to Anoleis in exchange for a garage pass, regardless of you choice you are given a Garage pass. After you head out to the Garage you are promptly ambushed by a Squad of Geth and you learn that the Matriarch and her bodyguards, who are Asari commandos carried with them large heavy metal boxes. The local security seems stunned and speechless as to how they could hide Geth soldiers in them because they had checked out as negative for element zero, which is a key ingredient in the power pack.


A rachni warrior
The player fights their way to Peak 15 encountering numerous Geth along the way. After disposing off the enemies the player enters an area where the Geth are facing off against what seem to be Giant insects, this is the players first introduction to the Rachni, a species that was thought to have been wiped out by the Krogan a long time ago during the Rachni wars. Once, within the mainfacility it is discovered that the main power is off and that the V.I., Mira is offline. After the player reboots her from her memory core she advices him of the situation. She tells him that a Code Omega was issued at the hot labs and as a result safety features kicked in. She informs the player that the “landlines” have been cut and the main reactor has been shut down. After defeating hordes of Rachni, the player is able to reconnect the landlines and after fighting off the Geth the reactors are turned on, providing power to the facility again. Mira informs the Player that there are survivors in the Rift Station and that Matriarch Benezia is likely present there. Shepard takes the Tram to the facility and finds out that there are indeed people holding out there and that they are led by Captain Ventralis who is the head of the Stations security. He informs Shepard that the Rachni have been attacking them for a week and that everyone including his men are at their limit in terms of endurance.
Rachni don't make good pets
In addition to the small security team that is holding out, there are also a number of scientists, most of them look shocked and extremely on edge. However, one Asari seems almost bored and is very arrogant to you, accusing you of breaking her concentration while she was relaxing. The player can do a Side quest where he helps one of the doctors develop a cure for the patients who have gotten sick. If Shepard chooses to help that he or she has to go talk to Ventralis for permission. Shepard is allowed access to a Medical facility where the cure can be concocted.  There they encounter a few more survivors and after the player develops a cure, Shepard is ambushed by the Asari that was seen earlier and a squad of Geth. She informs him that she is a agent of the Matriarch and is under orders to eliminate him if the opportunity arises, after the player defeats her, you can confront Ventralis who will deny any knowledge of the incident. After, she is defeated the player ventures to the hot labs in search of the Matriarch, however all he finds there is the director of the facility. He will explain to Shepard who they brought back the Rachni who were seemingly extinct. It turns out that a Queen egg was left frozen on a derelict Rachni ship that had been floating about for untoldcenturies. Binary helix found the Egg and decided to clone it and make themselves an Army of Rachni. However, once the youngsters were separated from the Queen they had gone rogue and killed anyone on sight. He informs that the neutron purge must be activated and that the labs must be cleansed. However, before he can give you the activation codes he is killed by a Rachni warrior. After killing the Rachni, Shepard takes the codes and tells MIRA(V.I) to activate the purge system. Meanwhile, outside the room Rachni gather by the hundreds, the player and his party make a run for the elevator and the Hot labs are purged. If you had done the previous side quest for the doctor then you can use the Garage pass he gives you to sneak through the back of the facility and face Benezia. However, if you did not do the optional side quest you have to go back through the facility, Ventralis and his men inside will inform you that they have orders from Benezia to kill you and will attempt to do so. After you defeat them, you continue through the Station and after defeating numerous other Geth and Humans alike you will come face to face with Benezia, who is standing on an Elevated Platform near a glass tank that is holding the Rachni Queen in it.
The asari, with the queen in the background
Even if the player has Liara in the party, Benezia will not be dissuaded, she mocks Shepard and launches wave of wave of deadly Asari commandos who are backed up by the Geth. After the player fights though waves of these enemies he can finally engage Benezia. She temporarily weakens and in her moment of weakness, she pleads with you to listen to her. She too talks aboutSovereign’s indoctrination powers and claims that she had no control over her actions once she fell into its vice. She also informs you that the reason that she came to the facility was so that she could extract the location of the MU Relay, which has gotten “lost” after a star that was nearby went Supernova. However, the relay was found by the Rachni and since the memories of the queen are carried onto other Queens, he forced the information out of the Rachni. She confesses that she was not gentle and if Liara is present in the party, lets her know how proud of her she is. She once again loses control and Shepard is forced to put her down for good. Once she is dead, one of the other Asari that was near her is reanimated, Shepard and the rest of the squad look on cautiously as she speaks, however it is the Rachni queen that is talking. The queen explains that she can use people temporarily when they are either unconscious or close to dying. She asks you what you will do to her, whether you would condemn her to the same fate as the rest of her species or if you would give her a chance and set her free. She claims that because she had no part in the War, she can be neutral and promises that she desires nothing more than peace. If Wrex is in the party he is extremely annoyed at this and points out that millions of his people died to put down the menace. However, the other person in your party interjects and says that you will be committing genocide if you do kill her.

Wrex and Garrus on Noveria
If you decide to kill her, she pleads with you once more and if you still do not listen she will look helplessly as you fill the tank with Acid and thereby kill her. However, if you do free her she promises you that she will remember your kindness and will sing “songs” about you. If you have wrex in the party he will slyly comment “Great, Bugs are writing songs about you Shepard”. Regardless of you choice, your mission in Noveria will come to an end. You will have pieced together another piece of the puzzle; that the Mu Mass relay will lead to a planet and that is somehow related to the return of the mysterious Reapers. After you make your report to the Citadel, you are informed that there is an Infiltration team on Virmire that has sent an emergency transmission and that the council believes that it has something to do with Saren. They also inform you that they have lost contact with the team on Virmire and have very limited data on the ground conditions.  




Virmire



Facing off against a Geth colossus
Once the player gets to Virmire and enters orbit, Joker informs you that there are a lot of anti-aircraft turrets and that you will have to take the MAKO and that you will have to shut the turrets down. You are dropped in a little river of sorts and in addition to some local wildlife, which are completely harmless to you the place is overrun with Geth. The Geth are there is force and include armorunits like the monstrous Colossus. After fighting through the multitude of enemies you reach the first barrier of sorts, which has controls to the anti-aircraft barricade. After you disengage another turret the Normandy is free to land. You are also informed that there is a Salarian encampment a few clicks from your position and you proceed there. As you reach the encampment, you are greeted by an Salarian named Captain. Kirahee and he informs you that he is part of the STG (Special Tactics Group) and that he was here to take stalk of the situation. He looks shocked to see that you have only brought a small crew and he tells you that he requested that the Citadel sent a fleet. He goes on to tell you that Virmire houses Saren’s main medical base and that they are developing a Cure for the Genophage. He also tells you that the Base must be destroyed so that the “mistake” of unleashing the Krogan is not committed again. If you agreed to take aboard Wrex on the Citadel, he makes an appearance and he warningly tells you that the Krogan are not a mistake before angrily stalking away. Captain Kirahee looks extremely perturbed by Wrex and asks youif you can deal with him and make sure things don’t get out of hand.

Wrex and Shepard face off
You tell him that you will do so and you go to confront Wrex, who is busy trying to shoot down birds. Immediately upon enteringinto the Conversation, Wrex accuses you of not giving back to him and points out that he has stuck behind Shepard in every instance. If your charm/intimidate skills are high enough youcan convince him to stand down. If you use the charm action you can point out gently that the Krogan are not really a part of his Race as they work for Saren who is using them as cannon fodder,alternatively if you chose to use Intimidate you can drive home that point more forcefully. However, if your Charm/intimidate skills are not high enough you will be forced to put down Wrex. You can do this in a few ways, you can signal Ashley to shoot him from afar, you can Shoot him yourself, otherwise when the conversation starts going south, Ashley will automatically kill him saying better him that you.Regardless, once you have “dealt” with Wrex, you go and talk to Captain Kirahee who gives an inspiring speech to his men and tells you about his plan to attack the facility. His plan involves you splitting into two squads, with his main force directly attacking the facility, which will almost certainly entail in death. He says that you and your smaller squad will use the diversion to sneak around the relatively unprotected back and will destroy the facility. He asks you for one of your squad mates, either Kaiden Alenko or Ashely Williams to be part of his team. He reasons that this would help better facilitate communication in between the squads. Along the way he advices you to look for opportunities to undermine the Geth operations in the area, such as knocking down communication towers and such. After you decide on either Kaiden or Ashley, you proceed with the mission. It is immediately clear that Capt. Kirahee’s distraction has succeeded as you face a very small contingent of enemy forces.

You will enter the facility through the backside so to speak and you will have to work your way to the middle-front of the facility to reach the main lab section. Eventually after wading through Geth and Krogan alike you will reach a holding area which will be staffed by mindless Salarians, the same salarians who were part of capt. Kirahees STG commandos group. Infact, if you talk to him before you start the mission he will tell you that he sent out scouts who did not return. After you kill them, you will have the choice of taking a elevator up to the labs or proceeding through another door.

Captain Kirahee's distraction should give you a clean shot at the base
There you will encounter another Salarian, who seems hell-bent on getting out of his holding facility. He tells you that he hears an incessant noise coming though the cell wall. If you have Wrex or Ashley in the party they will advice you not to let him out. Either way he will freak out and end up knocking himself out by running into the cell door. After, you have dealt with the Salarian you can take the elevator up to the labs and you are promptly encountered by a multitude of Krogan and Geth. The lab area is large and you will have to work your way through the facility. Of note is the fact that the organics in the facility are really immersed in their work; on one such occasion a Krogan will come running to face you shouting about how the work he is doing benefits his race and that he will not let you destroy it. They almost seem a little mad. After you succeed in destroying everything in the facility, you proceed through a door to further reaches of the facility. Also, Capt. Kirahee and the rest of the main squad advices you that they are under heavy attack and have taken casualties.

As you make your way through the facility you will run across an Asari doctor who has barricaded herself in an office, she will beg you not to kill her and is willing to trade information for her life. She makes a startling revelation that Saren’s ship has the power to completely take over someone’s mind and if the process was repeated long enough that the person would be lobotomized. In fact, the medical facility was actually constructed so that Saren could uncover a way to nullify that and in the process protect himself from the mind controlling powers of Sovereign. She also informs you of the outlook on nearly every organic person on the medical facility is a bleak one as they are either killed or completely lobotomized due to Sovereign’s immense power.  She also tells you that she can give you a pass card to Saren’s personal office if you let her live. If you choose to kill her for “her crimes” she will try to run away and you will be presented with a little cut scene where you shoot her in the back. Alternatively if you let her live, you will take the pass card from her and tell her to get the hell out of the immediate vicinity because you plan to blow the station once you are done.

Regardless of your choice, you enter Saren’s lab and you notice that there is another Prothean beacon... similar to the one that you found on Eden prime in your first mission. After you activate it, you are shown more of the same in the sense that the vision that you saw earlier is replayed but with somewhat of a better quality. In the vision, you are able to make out people screaming in the distance and horrible distorted figures on their knees almost as if they are begging for their lives. After you view the beacon you notice that there is another Holographic station on the upper level and you proceed to activate it. In one of the most enigmatic twists in the game, you are greeted with an image of what looks to be almost a long eight legged creature... it is in fact, Sovereign, which is Saren’s ship. The player is presented with an opportunity to ask a multitude of questions, regarding the reapers and Sovereign itself. Sovereign reveals that the Citadel and mass relays, as well as the majority of the 'Prothean' legacy, was originally created by the Reapers. This technology was purposely left behind so that galatic society would follow paths that the Reapers could anticipate.

"I am the vanguard of your destruction."
It tells Sheperd that a massive Reaper fleet lies in waiting in dark space, awaiting Sovereign's activation of the mass relays in order to reek havoc and destruction upon the entire galaxy.  It informs the player that the Reapers have repeated this process for millions of years; wiping the galaxy clean of sentient organic life once every 50,000 years and retreating to dark space. Sovereign holds the organic races of the galaxy in low regard as it views itself and its fellow Reapers as the pinnacle of technological advancement and that it cannot be surpassed in any shape or form. It views the Geth as nothing more than tools to reach his end goal, and finds their worship to be pitiful. It is implied that Sovereign is the true enemy and that Saren, like so many others, is another pawn in Sovereign’s scheme. When asked for the motivation for its actions, it merely responds that its reasoning would be beyond the comprehension of an organic being such as Shepard. He then cuts off the transmission by claiming that there is nothing more to be said.

Shepard receives a transmission from Joker that Sovereign just pulled a 180 degree turn, and was headed back for Virmire. The strike team rushes out of the room, blasting Geth as they go, and race to the anti-air tower, which they take out while Captain Kirrahe's team takes out their target. Shepard and co arrive at the bomb spot, and Joker flies the Normandy into the compound, delivering the bomb. However, while the bomb is being armed, Shepard recieves a transmission from Kirrahe's team that they are pinned down by the AA tower. Shepard and team set out to save them, but halfway there they get word from the bomb site that Geth reinforcements are pouring in, and they can't hold them off. Shepard is faced with a choice to either rescue to team with Kirrahe, or the team at the bomb. One party member is at each location, and Shepard can't recue both. The player is presented with a choice of who to save here. Whichever party member is not saved will remain at their post and try to hold off the Geth for as long as possible. After Shepard saves the team member Shepard chose to, Saren arrives. The two have a brief fight, and Saren reveals his motives to Shepard, thinking that he will save the galaxy by siding with Sovereign. Shepard defeats Saren in their confrontation, but he escapes. Joker arrives to pick up the survivors of the assault, and the Normandy escapes to orbit as the nuclear device detonates on Virmire, creating a giant explosion visible from orbit, killing whichever party member Shepard did not save.

Villians


Saren Arterius


Saren
Saren is the antagonist in the game and throughout the game you will be fighting against characters who are loyal to him. He has allied himself with the sentient machine race, the Geth and being an outspoken critic of humanities growing expansion, he seeks to put them in their place. Later on in the game it is learned that he is in league with Sovereign, who is a Reaper. Further on we learn that he too is falling under Sovereign's indoctrination and as such seeks to bring about the end of all sentient living things in the galaxy.  The geth follow him because they view him as a messiah, who can bring about the return of the Reapers, who the geth view as the pinnacle of A.I. Evolution.

Sovereign


Sovereign
Along with serving as the flagship for Saren, Sovereign is also the Vanguard for the Reaper fleet. The reapers are an ancient race of machines who pillage and cut a swath of destruction in the galaxy once every 50,000 years. By citadel space faring species standards Sovereign is an extremely advanced ship. It is able to land on planets, which is an almost impossible feet as the amount of mass effect field it would have to generate is almost incalculable. In addition it can indoctrinate organics and make them its puppets.




Matriarch Benezia


Matriarch Benezia
Matriarch Benezia
An Asari matriarch, Benezia is looked up to as one of the elders of her race. A Matriarch's wisdom is trusted above all, and thy have many followers. Benezia originally attempted to dissuade Saren from his genocidal course by joining him and attempting to stop him from within his organization. However, Benezia (and all her disciples that had followed her to Saren's service) slowly fell under the spell of Sovereign's indoctrination, and they now believe completely in Saren's cause. Benezia is Liara T'soni's mother, although the two have not spoken for many years, and have an estranged relationship. Benezia can be found at the Peak 15 research facility on Noveria, where she is attempting to calm the rampant Rachni Queen.

Controversy

Cooper Lawrence and Geoff Keighley
Mass Effect was the source of much controversy upon its release due to it containing scenes of a sexual nature, which players could achieve by building up a relationship with certain characters through the games' dialogue trees. This culminated in a notorious showdown between game journalist Geoff Keighley and a Fox News panel (including psychologist Cooper Lawrence) who were thoroughly negative about the game and referred to the Xbox 360 as the "Sexbox". Keighley was lauded for his defense of the game by the gaming community especially after asking Cooper Lawrence if she had played the game to which she replied "No, of course not". Lawrence was subjected to many negative reviews of her book on Amazon, and she later issued an apology for participating in the panel. Fox News has never apologized for airing the panel.

Reception

Mass Effect is the first in a planned trilogy of titles from Bioware, intended for release across the Xbox 360 and PC platforms. It's said that subsequent games will accept the player's save data, ensuring a cohesive experience with the same character from start to finish. BioWare invested a large amount of time and effort into establishing an expansive universe for Mass Effect, ultimately creating a world with the complexity and robustness of older franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek. This attempt at creating an intricate universe was recognized by many critics and fans alike, and the game received almost universal acclaim, selling around 1.6 million copies in six weeks from its release.


Equipment


Weapons


Pistols are highly accurate, easy to use on the run, and have minimum recoil. Effective at close to medium range, but inflict the least damage. All classes except for the Sentinel can train in this weapon.

Shotguns are powerful weapons burdened with a high recoil, high overheating and slow rate of fire. They compensate for this by being extremely damaging in close range combat. Soldiers and Vanguards can train in them.

Assault Rifles are somewhere in between pistols and shotguns. Good at balancing between accuracy, range, rate of fire, overheating and raw firepower. Only Soldiers train in Assault Rifles.

Sniper Rifles have a very long range, very high accuracy, and very damaging effect in well trained hands. However, the rate of fire is very slow, and are poor choices for close combat situations. Soldiers and Infiltrators can train in them.

Grenades are handheld devices that act as either a timed (10 second 'fuse') or remote explosive. They also stick to most surfaces. Only Shepard can use grenades. He/she can buy upgrades that increase the number of grenades he/she can carry at one time.

Armor


Light Armor gives a some protection while minimizing penalties to weapon accuracy and movement. All classes have access to light armor. Most light armor has low protection versus projectiles and high biotic resistance.

Medium Armor gives both more protection and more penalties than Light armor does. Soldiers earn them automatically, Vanguard and Infiltrators may train to use them. The majority of medium armor averages out base armor versus projectiles and biotic resistance.

Heavy Armor awards high levels of protection but the most severe penalties to movement and weapon accuracy. Only Soliders can use it, and even then they must train to do so. Generally, it has lower biotic resistances and higher base armor versus projectiles.

Miscellaneous


Bio-Amps increase Biotic power, resistance, and decrease recharge time. Typically they are attached behind the ear or at the base of the skull.

Omni-Tools can hack, decrypt, and repair many items found in the game. They provide a shield, tech recharge, or tech power boost, depending on the manufacturer and the quality of the tool.

Omni-Gel is gained from breaking down your items, or picked up from enemies and various containers. It is used for electronic work such as repairing the Mako and bypasses for most mini-games, such as decryption.

Medi-Gel heals all your team damage, and attempts to cure any status ailments (poison, burn etc.) Upgrades to 'First Aid' and 'Medicine' skills vastly improve the effectiveness and recharge time of medi-gels. Upgrades can be purchased to increase the maximum number of Medi-Gel packs Shepard can carry, and most medical facilities contain a free medi-gel dispenser.

Classes


Soldier


The Solider is the Combat Expert. High amount of health. Many weapons and armor choices. Soliders focus more on shooting things, and the majority of their skills assist them in this endeavor. A class for new players, or for those who wish to 'run and gun' through the game.

Soldier wearing medium armour
Starting Talents:
  • Pistols
  • Assault Rifles
  • Combat Armor (light and medium from beginning, heavy after upgrade)
  • Fitness

Unlockable Talents:
  • Shotguns
  • Sniper Rifles
  • First Aid
  • Assault Training

Engineer


The Engineer is the Tech Expert. They focus on healing the party, de-buffing enemies, and manipulating the battlefield with tricks like AI Hacking, which can use Turrets and Geth to your advantage.

Engineer
Starting Talents:
  • Pistols
  • Electronics
  • Decryption
  • First Aid

Unlockable Talents:
  • Basic Armor (light)
  • Reverse Engineering
  • Shielding
  • Medicine

Adept


The Adept is the Biotic Expert. Their abilities vary from party support to offensive damage. They have a weak defense and few weapons.

Adept surronded by mass effect field
Starting Talents:
  • Basic Armor (light)
  • Throw
  • Barrier
  • Warp

Unlockable Talents:
  • Pistols
  • Lift
  • Stasis
  • Singularity

Infiltrator


The Infiltrator is a blend of Combat and Tech ability. They focus on quickly disabling and gunning down their enemies from a distance.

An Infiltrator holding a sniper rifle
Starting Talents:
  • Pistols
  • Tactical Armor (light and medium after upgrade)
  • Electronics
  • Decryption

Unlockable Talents:
  • Sniper Rifles
  • Fitness
  • Shielding
  • First Aid

Vanguard


The Vanguard is a blend of Combat and Biotics ability. Generally, they have difficulty attacking enemies at a range, because the majority of their skills focus on close-quarters combat.

Vanguard holding a shotgun
Starting Talents:
  • Pistols
  • Fitness
  • Throw
  • Warp

Unlockable Talents:
  • Shotguns
  • Tactical Armor (light to start, upgrading to medium)
  • Lift
  • Barrier

Sentinel


The Sentinel is a blend of Biotic and Tech ability. A very flexible class. They are very good at manipulating and disabling enemies while protecting themselves and the party. This comes at the cost of all combat skills and armor profeciency.

An Adept utilizing biotics and an omni-tool
Starting Talents:
  • Throw
  • Barrier
  • Electronics
  • First Aid

 Unlockable Talents:
  • Lift
  • Stasis
  • Decryption
  • Medicine

    •

Achievement Rewards

Mass Effect is one of the few titles that allows in-game rewards for achievements. By unlocking certain achievements, the player can gain tangible in-game rewards that will apply to all future characters the create. Below is a list of these achievements and their in-game rewards.

  •      Sniper Expert - Unlocks Sniper rifle talent tree for all future characters
  •      Assault Expert - Unlocks Assault rifle talent tree for all future characters
  •      Pistol Expert - 25% Marksman cooldown bonus
  •      Shotgun Expert - Unlocks Shotgun talent tree for all future characters
  •      Singularity Mastery - Unlocks Singularity talent tree for all future characters
  •      Warp Mastery - Unlocks Warp talent tree for all future characters
  •      Throw Mastery - Unlocks Throw talent tree for all future characters
  •      Lift Mastery - Unlocks Lift talent tree for all future characters
  •      Barrier Mastery - Unlocks Barrier talent tree for all future characters
  •      Stasis Master - Unlocks Stasis talent tree for all future characters
  •      Neural Shock Specialist - Unlocks Medicine talent tree for all new characters
  •      AI Hacking Specialist - Unlocks Hacking talent tree for all new characters
  •      First Aid Specialist - Unlocks Medicine talent tree for all new characters
  •      Sabotage Specialist - Unlocks Decryption talent tree for all future characters
  •      Overload Specialist - Unlocks Electronics talent tree for all future characters
  •      Damping Specialist - Unlocks Shielding talent tree for all future characters
  •      Dog of War - 10% Health bonus
  •      Geth Hunter - 10% Shield bonus
  •      Completionist - 10% EXP bonus
  •      Tactician - 10% Shield bonus
  •      Power Gamer - 5% EXP bonus
  •      Long Service Medal - 5% Damage increase
  •      Rich - Spectre weapons unlocked at Normandy Requisition Officer and C-Sec Requisition Officer
  •      Quarian Ally - 10% quicker cooldown for Sabotage and AI Hacking
  •      Turian Ally - 10% quicker cooldown for Overload and Damping
  •      Sentinel Ally - 10% quicker cooldown for Throw and Lift
  •      Soldier Ally - 10% Hardening bonus
  •      Asari Ally - 10% quicker cooldown for Barrier and Stasis
  •      Krogan Ally - Regenerate 1 HP per second
  •      Medal of Valor - "N7" Gamer Pic
  •      Distinguished Combat Medal - Saren Gamer Pic



Collector's Edition

BioWare also released a Limited Collector’s Edition of Mass Effect. This was available at online retailers only in the United States and Canada, as well as in-store retailers in mainland Europe. The Collectors edition comes boxed in a tin, with a plastic sleeve. The collectable contents inside are:

Galactic Codex: Essentials – A guide to the galaxy with a timeline, race information, important events, etc                                                                                                                                                       
A future imagined – A book containing Mass Effect concept art
A bonus DVD containing the following: 
Mass Effect Limited Collector's Edition
Mass Effect Limited Collector's Edition

The vision of Mass Effect (documentary)
The making of Mass Effect
Interactive Storytelling (documentary)
Inside BioWare (documentary)
18 Mass Effect gamer pictures
16 Dashboard themes
Ten songs from Mass Effect Soundtrack
Five Mass Effect trailers
Design gallery
Blue Dragon demo
Halo 3, Lost Odyssey and Halo Wars videos


Downloadable Content

Bring Down the Sky is a downloadable mission available for Mass Effect that was released on March 10th 2008 for the Xbox 360 and on July 29th, the same year, for the PC version. For the mission BioWare inserted a new asteroid into the Asgard System. Shepard and his team are tasked with stopping this asteroid before it collides into Terra Nova and kills millions of innocent people. Batarians are also introduced into the universe. In this mission they are portrayed as an extremely hostile race with vengeance in their minds. They hijacked the mobile asteroid and put it in a crash coarse towards Terra Nova in order to avenge the Batarian lives lost when humans colonized their home territory.

It is priced at 400 points or 5 dollars. Some gamers question whether or not the 5 dollar price point is validated by the 90 minutes of gameplay. The mission is free to download for those with the PC version.

It is currently unknown if and when Bioware will release more downloadable missions.

Soundtrack


The Mass Effect soundtrack was composed by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick. The music for the game was inspired by classic '80s Sci-Fi films such as Blade Runner and Dune.  It was released on 11/20/2007.
  1. Mass Effect Theme
  2. The Normandy
  3. Eden Prime
  4. Battle at Eden Prime
  5. Saren
  6. The Citadel
  7. The Presidium
  8. The Wards
  9. Criminal Elements
  10. Spectre Induction
  11. Liara's World
  12. A Very Dangerous Place
  13. Feros
  14. Protecting the Colony
  15. The Thorian
  16. Noveria
  17. The Secret Labs
  18. The Alien Queen
  19. Fatal Confrontation
  20. Saren's Base
  21. Breeding Ground
  22. Virmire Ride
  23. Exit
  24. Love Theme
  25. Uncharted Worlds
  26. Ilos
  27. Vigil
  28. Sovereign's Theme
  29. Uplink
  30. Battling Saren
  31. In Pursuit of Saren
  32. Infusion
  33. Final Assault
  34. Victory
  35. From the Wreckage
  36. The End (Reprise)
  37. M4 Part II (Faunts)

Sequels

Mass Effect was always presented from the initial announcement as a planned trilogy, and the cliff-hanger ending of the first game made it quite clear that sequels were coming. After the release of Mass Effect, Bioware was bought by mega-publisher EA Games, who has taken over publishing duties for future Mass Effect titles, which brings with it the possiblity that future titles in the series may go multi-platform, as opposed to being Microsoft-exclusive.

Xbox 360 Game Installation

Mass Effect requires 6.8GB of space to install on an Xbox 360 HDD.

General Information Edit
Game Name Mass Effect
Platform(s)
Publisher(s)
Developer(s)
Genres
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Action
Adventure
Role-Playing (RPG)
Shooter
Themes
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Fantasy
Sci-Fi
Original US Release Nov. 20, 2007
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Original US Release


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Aliases ME
OFLC
OFLC: MA15+
BBFC
BBFC: 12
ESRB
ESRB: M
Trivia
Which of the following is NOT a weapon type the player can use in Mass Effect?
  • Rocket Launcher
  • Sniper Rifle
  • Shotgun
  • Pistol
  • Assault Rifle

User Reviews
Platform User Reviews Avg. Score
All Reviews 81 reviews
Xbox 360 71 reviews
PC 10 reviews
Add your own user review
Associated News
Grab the Popcorn: Mass Effect Movie En Route
For once, a game-to-movie deal based on a franchise with enough narrative substance to maybe, just maybe work.
DLC Price Drop Hits 360
Major Nelson has details on a temporary price cut for some Xbox 360 downloadable content.
Mass Effect? More Like Mass ACTIVATION Effect, Am I Right?
EA and BioWare are cooking up some pretty unsavory copy protection for the PC release of Mass Effect.
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