Mass Effect | |
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Genres | Action role-playing, third-person shooter |
Developers | |
Publishers |
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Platforms | |
Platform of origin | Xbox 360 |
First release |
Mass Effect November 20, 2007 |
Latest release |
Mass Effect Trilogy December 6, 2012 |
Mass Effect Trilogy | |
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Developer(s) | BioWare |
Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
Platform(s) | Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 |
Release date(s) |
Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows
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Genre(s) | Action role-playing, third-person shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player, co-op multiplayer |
Mass Effect is a science fiction action role-playing third-person shooter video game series developed by the Canadian company BioWare and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Windows, with the third installment also released on the Wii U. The fourth game is expected to release on Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
The original trilogy largely revolves around a soldier named Commander Shepard, whose mission is to save the galaxy from a race of powerful mechanical beings known as the Reapers and their agents, including the first game's antagonist Saren Arterius. The first game, released in 2007, sees Shepard investigating Saren, whom Shepard slowly comes to understand is operating under the guidance of Sovereign, a Reaper left behind in the Milky Way tens of thousands of years before, when the Reapers exterminated virtually all sentient organic life in the galaxy as part of a recurrent cycle of genocide for an unknown purpose. Sovereign's purpose is to trigger the imminent return of the Reaper fleet hibernating in extra-galactic dark space, restarting the process of extermination. The second game takes place two years later, and sees Shepard battling the Collectors, an alien race abducting entire human colonies in a plan to help the Reapers return to the Milky Way. The final game of Shepard's trilogy centers on the war being waged against the Reapers.
The next installment will take place in the Andromeda Galaxy and feature a new cast of characters.
All of the first three major installments of the Mass Effect series have been met with commercial success as well as critical acclaim. The series is highly regarded for its narrative, character development, voice acting, universe, and emphasis on player choice affecting the experience.