I discovered Mass Effect almost ten years after its first release. I wasn’t looking for a video game to play per se. I was writing sci-fi stories at the time and wanted some inspiration when it came to world-building, something immersive enough to pull me into another world for a while.
What I ended up playing was the best video game I’ve ever experienced. No exaggeration.
I’ve loved other games, Kingdom Hearts will always have a place in my heart, but Mass Effect became something else entirely. It became my favorite of all time. And that says a lot, because I’m not really a gamer. I mean… does The Sims count? HAHA. I’ve always been more drawn to story, atmosphere, and world-building than the mechanics, gunplay or competition.
So Mass Effect is a role-playing game (RPG) set in a richly imagined sci-fi universe where your choices shape the story which is pretty cool. So you have tons of control over how the story goes. It real decisions that shaped relationships, outcomes, and the emotional weight of the entire story.
So you play as Commander Shepard, a human tasked with navigating interstellar politics, ancient threats, and moral dilemmas while building a diverse team across the galaxy. More than a game about combat which I don’t play ever, Mass Effect is about decision-making, relationships, loyalty, and the consequences of leadership, all unfolding within an expansive, explorable universe.
Then there was the world-building. The planets, the civilizations, the politics, the histories, all of it felt lived in. You weren’t just moving through levels, you were roaming a universe. So freaking cool. You could explore, listen, read, experience and linger. It felt so expansive without being overwhelming, intimate without being small.
The storylines were everything. Each character felt layered and human, even the alien ones. The friendships, the conflicts, the quiet conversations in between missions, those were what stayed with me. It wasn’t just about saving the galaxy. It was about connection, responsibility, and the weight of leadership.
At the time, I was living with my longtime ex, and he handled most of the shooter parts. I’ve never been a fan of guns, not even in games. Sometimes I’d do it myself, but he preferred to take over anyway, and I was perfectly happy focusing on the narrative which he didn’t care for as much.
Looking back, it really was a time. The creative headspace I was in and the way the game mirrored themes I was already exploring in my own writing, it all blended together.
If I had to rank the trilogy, it would be 2, 3, 1, without hesitation.
Mass Effect 2 is my favorite by far. The entire game was perfect compared to the first one. From the writing, to the exceptional character development and the intense loyalty missions. It was very deep and just unmatched when it came to the others. Very character-driven which I love. It had really fantastic, cool and fun DLCs as well.
Mass Effect 3 was the epic conclusion, and honestly, it was devastating. I don’t think I’ve ever cried that much over a game. Everything had been building toward that moment, the romances, the friendships, the choices you carried across all three games, and then it just… ends. The emotional weight was overwhelming. This entry had the most intense combat and the strongest sense of urgency, paired with a powerful emotional climax. That said, some of the plot points felt rushed, which was frustrating. It easily could have supported a fourth game, and that’s where it felt like BioWare dropped the ball.
Mass Effect 1 comes last, but not because it’s weak. It’s foundational. As the first entry, it had a lot to establish and, naturally, a lot to refine. It doesn’t carry the same emotional punch as the later games, and some of the technical elements clearly needed improvement.
But this is where the world-building shines the most. The universe is carefully introduced and allowed to unfold slowly, layer by layer. It feels like a classic sci-fi novel, deliberate, dense, and essential to everything that follows.
Sci-fi gives me just enough distance to feel things deeply without being overwhelmed. It lets me sit with big questions about power, loyalty, choice, and loss without having to name them directly. Mass Effect did that for me. It wasn’t an escape so much as a place to think, to feel, and to exist inside something larger for a while.
Honestly, Vanessa 