Mass Effect is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It is the first installment in the Mass Effect series. The game takes place in 2183 CE and revolves around Commander Shepard’s mission to save the galaxy from a mechanical race known as the Reapers who are threatening all organic life.

Gameplay consists of a combination of a third-person shooter and role-playing game elements. Players control Commander Shepard, an organization’s representative, with their decisions and actions determining Shepard’s story arc as they explore an open world environment. Progress is achieved by completing missions, earning Experience Points (XP), researching advanced technologies, purchasing new weapons and armor, building relationships with alien species, and carrying out side quests on various planets.

The goal of Mass Effect’s story-driven campaign is to stop the Reapers from wiping out all organic life in the Milky Way galaxy by finding and activating a secret device called the Crucible. Successfully doing so requires the player to undertake numerous missions that require exploring the extragalactic space systems in order to obtain resources, build alliances with other galactic species, research new technology, establish diplomatic relations with deep-space aliens, defeat rogue armies intent on conquering human colonies or wreaking havoc in civilizations, attract powerful allies to create an army against evil forces attempting to take over civilizations or enslave its people. Attaining success also rewards players with bonus XP as well as unlocks special items such as powerful weapons and armor upgrades.