Mass Effect series games

Mass Effect

— a series of third-person shooters with elements of an adventure RPG, originally developed by Bioware for the Xbox platform, but later ported to Windows and PS. The action takes place in a futuristic space setting where humanity has discovered the technology for interstellar travel (the very "mass effect" after which the series is named) and has encountered alien races. However, the player will mostly engage in traditional shooting gameplay—on planet surfaces, space stations, and ships, moving "on foot," and occasionally using combat vehicles.

As of early 2022, the series includes 4 main games for desktop platforms: the "classic" trilogy about Commander Shepard and his fight against the Reaper race (the first three numbered parts) and Mass Effect Andromeda, which takes place more than 600 years later in another galaxy. In 2021, the main trilogy was re-released as Mass Effect Legendary Edition, with several additions and improvements—particularly enhanced graphics, access to all three parts from a common menu, a reworked combat system in the first part, and so on. Both the original and the "legendary" editions use a "carry-over character" system: the hero can be ported from the previous part to the next, and key decisions made in previous parts will be considered in the storyline. The main trilogy has several endings that contradict each other, initially raising doubts about the possibility of continuation. Nevertheless, as of 2022, there is reliable information about the development of Mass Effect 4 (and even some hints about which ending will be accepted as "canonical").

In turn, Mass Effect Andromeda is almost unrelated to the storyline of the main trilogy (limited mostly to references in various informational materials). In this game, among other things, the leveling system has noticeably changed: classes as such have disappeared, and individual special skills characteristic of a particular class become available depending on which main skills the player develops.

Overall, the original Mass Effect series received high praise for its meticulously crafted universe and quality storyline (the games in the series were initially created with an emphasis on "cinematic" experience). The fourth part was received more coolly due to a noticeably weaker plot; nevertheless, the overall atmosphere of the game and the combat system were praised.