Mass Effect Trilogy
A trilogy about Commander Shepard's fight against the Reapers.
The Mass Effect Trilogy is a series of three military science fiction video games developed by BioWare. The first game was published by Microsoft Game Studios, while Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 were published by Electronic Arts. The trilogy follows Commander Shepard, a customizable player character, as they attempt to save the Milky Way galaxy from the Reapers, an ancient race of hibernating machines. The games are third-person shooters with role-playing elements and are noted for their narrative, characters, and emphasis on player choice.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Mass Effect
- Developer
- BioWare / Edge of Reality / Demiurge Studios / Straight Right
- Publisher
- Microsoft Game Studios / (2007–11) · Electronic Arts / (2010–present)
- Genre
- Action role-playing / Third-person shooter
- Platforms
- Xbox 360 / Microsoft Windows / iOS / PlayStation 3 / Android / Windows Phone / Wii U / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One
- Creator
- Casey Hudson
- First Release Date
- November 20, 2007
- Latest Release Version
- Mass Effect Legendary Edition
- Latest Release Date
- May 14, 2021
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Mass Effect Trilogy takes place in the Milky Way towards the end of the 22nd century. Humanity discovered Prothean ruins on Mars in 2148 and learned that Charon is a mass relay enabling faster-than-light travel. Humanity encountered other space-faring species, including the asari, salarians, and turians, and was welcomed into the galactic community after the First Contact War. The center of galactic governance is the Citadel, a massive space station believed to be built by the Protheans. The trilogy centers on Commander Shepard, a Systems Alliance Navy soldier who becomes the first human SPECTRE. Shepard investigates the Reapers, artificial lifeforms that scour the galaxy every fifty-thousand years. The trilogy includes Mass Effect (2007), Mass Effect 2 (2010), and Mass Effect 3 (2012).
Reader's Guide
The Mass Effect Trilogy was met with commercial success and universal acclaim, praised for its narrative, characters, voice acting, world building, and emphasis on player choice. The ending of Mass Effect 3 drew widespread criticism, prompting Electronic Arts to release an expanded cut with additional cutscenes. The trilogy originated the dialogue wheel, a mechanic enabling players to dynamically steer conversations, which has since seen widespread use in other role-playing video games. The series also generated attention and discussion about its representation of same-sex relationships and sexual minorities. The success of the trilogy spawned adaptations in other media, including novels, comics, and an animated film.
Did You Know?
- The trilogy's first game, Mass Effect, was released in 2007.
- The player character Commander Shepard's gender and personality are determined by the player.
- The trilogy's ending of Mass Effect 3 drew widespread criticism, leading to an expanded cut with additional cutscenes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mass Effect Trilogy?
It is a three-part military science-fiction RPG series created by BioWare that blends third-person shooting with deep narrative branching. Players guide a customizable soldier through a galaxy-spanning war while making choices that ripple across all three titles.
Who is Commander Shepard?
Shepard is the player-created protagonist who starts as a human special-forces operative and gradually becomes the galaxy's central figure in the fight against the Reapers. Their gender, appearance, personality, and major story decisions are all shaped by the player.
What are the Reapers in Mass Effect?
The Reapers are an ancient, cyclical force of hibernating synthetic machines that periodically wipe out every advanced organic civilization in the Milky Way. They act as the trilogy's overarching antagonists, bound by a programmed directive to reset organic evolution.
How does the Mass Effect Trilogy end?
In Mass Effect 3, Shepard must pick between destroying all synthetic life, seizing control of the Reapers, or merging organic and synthetic consciousness into a new form—each outcome filtered through earlier choices and the player's accumulated war assets. The finale, particularly the original ending, sparked one of the most heated debates in modern gaming.
Who developed and published the Mass Effect games?
BioWare designed and built all three titles. Microsoft Game Studios published the first entry, while Electronic Arts handled publication for Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.
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