Why We Love Mass Effect

In most communities, today is just November 7. In the video game world, it's N7 Day – a time to celebrate the Mass Effect series and its hero, Commander Shepard. An ambitious trilogy that spans an entire console generation, BioWare’s sci-fi RPG series represents some of the best that gaming has to offer. We couldn’t possibly list all ways this franchise distinguishes itself, but this list runs through some of the characters, features, and moments that make us love Mass Effect.

The Conversation System
This was a major talking point about Mass Effect before the first game was even released, and with good cause. Instead of making players interpret the nuances of complete sentences before responding, the dialogue prompts you with a few words that convey a general sense of your response (rather than a word-for-word recitation). This keeps Shepard’s conversations moving at a steady pace, making your interactions with other characters more believable.

Evolution
The Mass Effect trilogy isn’t just the same game split into three parts. Each entry takes different risks, implements gameplay tweaks, and comes up with new ways to immerse players in the expansive sci-fi universe. The way BioWare wasn’t afraid to try new things and refine the formula from one entry to the next is admirable. Not every change may not have been well-received, but at least the developer wasn’t content to just coast on what had already been achieved.

The Galaxy Map Music
It changes slightly between entries, but the same basic tune plays as you navigate the galaxy map. Maybe you’re trying to find your next destination, or maybe you’re just reading planet descriptions. Whatever the case, this relaxing music (from composer Sam Hulick) perfectly captures the sense of endless possibilities that comes with Mass Effect’s space exploration.

This "Conversation"
It’s so simple, and yet it says a lot about the shared respect between Shepard and Wrex…and their affinity for not wasting words.

Skill Progression
The first Mass Effect leaned more toward classic RPG leveling mechanics, with lots of different categories in which to place various skill points. While that process gets streamlined as the series continues, the system is still gratifying. You feel a sense of anticipation when you see an ability that you want, and you are satisfied when you finally work your way through to it in the skill trees. A deeper and more complex approach might have made some fans happier, but combat and leveling remain entertaining regardless.

Next: Even more little things to love about Mass Effect.

Garrus
This series has a lot of great characters, but Garrus is the best of them. He’s always got Shepard’s back, knows how to handle himself in combat, and isn’t afraid to break a few rules. He’s one of the few characters to fight alongside Shepard in all three games, making him a constant and reliable companion. If there's anyone in the series that you could fist-bump without it being awkward, it's Garrus.

Killing Kaidan
There’s one on every crew – a whiner who is more interested in telling sob stories and complaining about headaches than making real contributions to the team. That’s why it’s so satisfying to abandon Kaidan to his fate on Virmire. Apparently you can choose to have Kaidan survive somehow, but that’s only an untested rumor, since no one ever chooses him over Ashley.

A Scientist Salarian
Mordin is a scientist – practical, calculating, and precise. Don't let that serious demeanor fool you into thinking that he doesn't know how to cut loose with some showtunes.

The Aliens
Most sci-fi properties have a bunch of alien races, but Mass Effect goes the extra mile to make them distinct and explore their places in the universe. From the Krogan genophage to the Quarian flotilla, all of the species are marked by their past and face compelling struggles in the present. As you encounter the varied inhabitants of the galaxy, you understand them better and begin to sympathize with their situations – which makes a big difference when Shepard starts to steer the fate of entire civilizations.

Shepard’s Dance
Shepard is technically able to dance, but the commander’s skill is questionable – a fact that resurfaces regularly as a joke among the characters.

Biotics
Straight-up magic doesn’t make sense for the Mass Effect universe, but BioWare’s analogue is a lot of fun. Biotics are beings with latent psychic abilities that can be used to manipulate the world, from levitating objects to creating gravitational singularities. While most of Mass Effect’s combat still involves a lot of gunplay, using these special abilities adds a cool wrinkle to encounters.

Next: The last batch of memorable characters, moments, and features. 

The Illusive Man
He’s a cool character and everything, but more specifically, we love this image of the Illusive Man.

Paragon vs. Renegade
Compared to the good vs. evil structure presented in many choice-driven games, Mass Effect gives players more subtlety in their choices. You can’t really be downright evil; you are always the hero. Shepard’s leaning toward paragon or renegade actions is more about how much you are willing to sacrifice for the greater good…or how often you are willing to hang up on the stupid council.

The Suicide Mission
Mass Effect 2 culminates in an assault on an alien base with superior technology, and your crew’s survival is not guaranteed. The real highlight is seeing how your previous actions can affect this scenario. Did you do enough loyalty missions? Did you assign appropriate tasks to your allies? Did you take too much time? Depending on your choices, this final push can be a bloodbath, permanently killing key characters. On the upside, if you’re thorough and efficient, you can make it through with no casualties, and see your friends again in Mass Effect 3. And on that note…

Citadel DLC
Some fans may not like the idea of downloadable content, but everything about Citadel just works. As the final piece of DLC, it is designed to give players a way to say a final farewell to Shepard and the rest of the surviving characters. In fact, it works even better being separate from the core game. After all of the drama surrounding Mass Effect 3, dropping after all of the dust had settled (a year after the game’s original release) to say a proper goodbye felt perfect.

Multiplayer
With it reputation as a massive single-player RPG, fans weren’t sure what to think about the addition of a multiplayer mode to Mass Effect 3 – and it ended up being one of the best (and most popular) surprises about the game. The four-player co-op pits your squad against waves of enemies, and you use teamwork to survive until you are extracted. Months of free DLC and weekend challenges kept players engaged with this mode, giving Mass Effect 3 an exceptionally long shelf life.

Your Own Story
While players hit many of the same story beats, your Mass Effect experience is surprisingly individualized. This has to do with the choices you make, but also with the ways you weave your own narrative context into Shepard’s actions. Did you create a repugnant Shepard just to punish Kaidan in his romance subplot? Did you try to make Ashley’s life a living hell after she (possibly) shot Wrex on Virmire? While they may not be referenced explicitly in the game, these motivations and victories you imagine yourself can be just as definitive as the ones that BioWare created. Its ability to support this kind of connection is one of the main reasons fans keep returning to Mass Effect for one playthrough after another.

These things are just scratching the surface of Mass Effect's great quality. What things do you appreciate the most about the series? Share your thoughts in the comments below!