Mass Effect is a series of sci-fi action role-playing video games developed by the Canadian company BioWare and released for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and, from the second installment on, also for the PlayStation 3. The first game in the trilogy centers around a player-created character named Commander Shepard and his/her mission to save the galaxy from a race of mechanical beings known as the Reapers, and its followers, including Saren Arterius. The first game sees Shepard facing Sovereign, a Reaper left as a vanguard, who plans to allow the Reaper fleet currently hibernating in extra-galactic dark space to invade the Milky Way, and destroy all sapient organic life, continuing a mysterious cycle of destruction. 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 third and final game centers on the final battle against the Reapers.

Since the beginning, the series has been a major critical success. All three games have received critical acclaim for their storyline, characters, romances, voice acting, choices, tolerance of diversity, and the depth of the galaxy.^[1] Video game website GamesRadar called Mass Effect the best new franchise of the generation, saying that the galaxy was so well-constructed that it felt like a decades-old franchise and that it represented "a high-water mark for video games as a story-telling medium."^[2]

Games[link]

A trilogy of games has been released, each continuing the game's story in chronological order. The Mass Effect series combines action role-playing game elements, with the main series games being in third-person perspective. The protagonist can use two AI-controlled squad members in battle, which usually consist of members he or she has recruited from various places and for various reasons, and taken onto the Normandy, Shepard's starship. The player could make perspective decisions depending upon the situation. At these times, the player has multiple sets of dialogue choices with which to respond to NPCs, separated by tone. Starting from Mass Effect 2, the player can interrupt cut-scenes calmly or aggressively. The games often have various mini-games in them as well, such as drinking and dancing.

Main trilogy[link]

• Mass Effect (2007): The first game in the series was originally created as an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 but was later ported to Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The game focuses on the protagonist, Commander Shepard, and his/her quest to stop the rogue 'Spectre' Saren Arterius from leading an army of Geth to conquer the galaxy. During pursuit of Saren, Shepard learns of a far greater threat in the form of the Reapers. Saren has been mentally enslaved by the Reaper 'Sovereign', a vanguard sent into Citadel Space to initiate the purge of all advanced sentient life in the galaxy, a cycle repeated by the Reapers every 50,000 years. Mass Effect was received with critical acclaim by many industry reviewers, and has garnered a large fan-following.
• Mass Effect 2 (2010): The second main game in the series was released on January 26, 2010 in North America and January 29 in Europe.^[3] A great deal of secrecy surrounded the game prior to launch, with few details emerging other than Casey Hudson, Project Director for BioWare, stating that "players should keep their save files, because decisions made by the player in the first game will continue to have influences on their character in the sequel."^[4][5] The game takes place two years after the events of Mass Effect. Human colonies are being attacked, their colonists disappearing without a trace. The game's protagonist, Commander Shepard, is forced into an uneasy alliance with the pro-Human paramilitary organization, Cerberus, in an effort to discover the cause. Evidence emerges pointing to the 'Collectors', an advanced, enigmatic race of insect-like humanoids. Adding to the threat is the revelation that the Collectors are working for the Reapers. Shepard sets out on a "suicide mission" to stop the Collectors, accompanied by a hand-picked team of soldiers, assassins, mercenaries, and specialists. Mass Effect 2 has received overwhelming critical praise since its release, for its characters, storyline, voice acting, and refined combat and gameplay with many critics calling it a major improvement over the original and an easy Game of the Year contender despite its January release. At Gamescom 2010, it was announced that a PlayStation 3 version would be available in January 2011. Although PlayStation 3 owners will be able to play the second installment, Microsoft still has publishing rights to the first.
• Mass Effect 3 (2012): The third and final installment in the Mass Effect trilogy, the game was released on March 6, 2012.^[6] Casey Hudson commented that Mass Effect 3 "will be easier [to develop] because we don't have to worry about continuity into the next one."^[7] However, decisions will still be imported from the two previous titles to Mass Effect 3, as to keep continuity within the series.^[8] In the final chapter of the trilogy, the Reapers have returned in force, and have begun their purge of the galaxy, attacking the human home world of Earth. During this attack Commander Shepard is on Earth and forced to flee.^[9] After fleeing Earth Commander Shepard must race against time to rally the advanced races of the galaxy to make one final stand, not only to save Earth, but also to break a cycle that has continued for millions of years. Casey Hudson stated in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show that Mass Effect 3 would complete the story arc of Commander Shepard, and would pull in over 1,000 variables from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 to shape how players experience the final chapter. The first official trailer was unveiled on December 11, 2010 during the Spike TV Video Game Awards show.^[10]

Spin-off[link]

• Mass Effect Galaxy (2009): This is backstory set between the events of Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 and exclusively on the iOS platform. The story is focused around two characters who appear as squad members in Mass Effect 2: Jacob Taylor and Miranda Lawson. When the passenger liner Arcturian Jade is attacked by Batarian raiders with Jacob on it, he takes on the task of defending the ship. After safely arriving at their destination on the Citadel, Jacob's former CO contacts him about an undercover Alliance operation in the Nemean Abyss to investigate the Batarians' increasingly aggressive activities.
• Mass Effect: Infiltrator (2012): A third-person-shooter released on the Android and iOS platforms. The story for Infiltrator involves Randall Ezno, a Cerberus agent, who discovers Cerberus's cruelty and goes rogue, killing Cerberus troopers and freeing prisoners from a hostile base. Players will "receive rewards" for collecting evidence of Cerberus' crimes. According to EA, "Every completed rescue and intelligence discovery in Infiltrator will increase a player's Galactic Readiness rating directly through the 'Galaxy at War' system in Mass Effect 3."^[11]
• Mass Effect: Datapad (2012): A free app for iOS devices. Datapad will allow players to check the status of the galaxy map in Mass Effect 3 and receive messages from characters. Datapad will also contain information about the characters, races, vehicles, weapons, and storyline of the Mass Effect universe, as well as mini-games that interact with the Mass Effect 3 'Galaxy at War' system.

Adaptations[link]

Novels[link]

• Mass Effect: Revelation (2007): The first novel based on Mass Effect, the plot is centered around then-Lieutenant David Anderson and tells the story of how he came to know Saren. It expands on the history of the Mass Effect universe and reveals in detail how Anderson failed to become the first human Spectre. Mass Effect: Revelation was written by Drew Karpyshyn.
• Mass Effect: Ascension (2008): The second novel based on Mass Effect, the plot centers around protagonist Paul Grayson, a member of Cerberus, who is in charge of raising a biotic girl named Gillian. It is set approximately two months after the ending events of the first game. Mass Effect: Ascension is the second novel set in the Mass Effect universe to be written by Drew Karpyshyn.^[12]
• Mass Effect: Retribution (2010): On July 27, 2010, Bioware released the third Mass Effect novel written by Drew Karpyshyn, a sequel to Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect: Ascension.^[13][14]
• Mass Effect: Deception (2012): The fourth Mass Effect novel, it centers on Gillian Grayson. The first book in the series to be written by William C. Dietz. The novel's story is: Gillian was once the subject of horrifying scientific experiments, but now, after her rescue, she is beginning to master her amazing powers. When she falls under the sway of a radical group who believe their powers make them superior to ordinary humans, she finds herself faced with a choice between her destiny and her humanity. Response to the novel has been almost universally negative due to a large number of inconsistencies with lore and characterization, prompting many fans to petition Bioware to disregard the novel as canon.^[15][16][17] In response to these widespread complaints, Bioware and Del Rey have announced that a number of changes are being made for future editions of the novel.^[18]

Comics[link]

Writer Mac Walters in front of a Mass Effect poster at the Dark Horse Comics booth at the 2011 New York Comic Con.

• Mass Effect: Redemption is a four-part comic book mini-series that was released between January and April 2010. The story, which revolves around Liara T'Soni, is set in the interim period between the prologue and main storyline of Mass Effect 2, and is related to the downloadable content Lair of the Shadow Broker that was released for the game.^[19]
• Mass Effect: Incursion is an eight-page mini-comic that follows Aria T'Loak's encounter with the Collectors one week prior to the opening events of Mass Effect 2. The events of Incursion link into the events of the comic mini-series Mass Effect: Redemption. It was made available on June 21, 2010 through IGN.^[20]
• Mass Effect: Inquisition is a short 8 page comic released on October 25, 2010, through USA Today.^[21] Taking place after Mass Effect 2, the plot revolves around Captain Armando Bailey and his investigation of Executor Pallin and allegations of corruption within C-Sec.
• Mass Effect: Conviction is a short 8 page mini-comic available through digital distribution exclusively via participating retailers. Released in September, 2011, it introduces the character James Vega prior to events of Mass Effect 3.
• Mass Effect: Evolution is a four-part comic book mini-series. The first issue was released in January 2011. The story focuses on the origin of the Illusive Man, and is set during the First Contact War, shortly after the discovery of the Mass Relays.^[22]
• Mass Effect: Invasion is a four part comic book mini series that was released between October 2011 and January 2012. It follows Aria T'Loak, the pirate queen of the space station Omega, as her station comes under attack from a new threat unleashed by the human-survivalist organization Cerberus.
• Mass Effect: Homeworlds is an upcoming comic book series written by Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 lead writer Mac Walters. It is due to be released in April 2012. Each installment will focus on a main character from Mass Effect 3.

Film[link]

On May 24, 2010, EA announced that Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros. acquired the rights to a Mass Effect film, with the game's executive producer Casey Hudson, as well as Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuck from BioWare, serving as executive producers. Legendary plans to produce the film with Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, and Avi Arad, with a screenplay by Mark Protosevich.^[23] Protosevich and the producers have stated that the film will follow the plot of the original game.^[24]

Anime[link]

• Mass Effect: Paragon Lost: On April 7, 2011, EA announced that anime distributor Funimation Entertainment and Japanese studio T.O Entertainment will produce an anime film adaptation based on the series. The film will be released in the summer of 2012.^[25] It serves as the prequel to Mass Effect 3 and follows the early career of Alliance Marine, James Vega as he leads an elite Special Forces squad into battle against The Collectors. Stationed at a colony in a remote star system, Vega and his soldiers must protect the civilians from a ruthless invasion determined to capture the population for unknown purposes.

Fan Film[link]

• Red Sand (2012) is a fan film that serves as a prequel to the Mass Effect series. It is set 35 years before the plot of the games and tells the story of the discovery of the ancient Prothean ruins of Mars. The film stars Mark Meer, voice of the male version of Commander Shepard in the games, as Colonel Jon Grissom. It was produced by the students and faculty of the Digital Video Program at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona.^[26]

The fan film now has two trailers and an updated synopsis: "Serving as a prequel to the MASS EFFECT game series,"Red Sand" is set 35 years before the time of Commander Shepard and tells the story of the discovery of ancient ruins on Mars. Left behind by the mysterious alien race known as the Protheans, the ruins are a treasure trove of advanced technology and the powerful Element Zero, an energy source beyond humanity's wildest dreams. As the Alliance research team led by Dr. Averroes (Ayman Samman) seeks to unlock the secrets of the ruins, a band of marauders living in the deserts of Mars wants the ruins for themselves. Addicted to refined Element Zero in the form of a narcotic nicknamed "Red Sand" which gives them telekinetic "biotic" powers, these desert-dwelling terrorists will stop at nothing to control the ruins and the rich vein of Element Zero at its core. Standing between them and their goal are Colonel Jon Grissom (Mark Meer), Colonel Lily Sandhurst (Amy Searcy), and a team of Alliance soldiers tasked with defending the ruins at all costs. At stake - the future of humanity's exploration of the galaxy, and the set up for the MASS EFFECT storyline loved by millions of gamers worldwide."^{[27] [28]}

Characters[link]

Main game series characters[link]

Note: Some characters may or may not appear in Mass Effect 3, depending on their fate in the previous games. Some of the characters in Mass Effect 2 only appear if the player has installed the relevant DLC.

Spin-off game series characters[link]

Novel/comic series characters[link]

Reception[link]

This section requires expansion.

All three major installments of the Mass Effect trilogy have been met with commercial success as well as critical acclaim. The series is highly regarded for its narrative, character development, and emphasis on player choice affecting the experience. The story is often cited for its cinematic nature and its emotional resonance, and has been compared to Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mass Effect official website
• The Mass Effect Wiki, an external wiki
• The Mass Effect: Inquisition comic at USA Today