KyoZz
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Contain major spoilers 
Mass Effect 1:
I think Mass Effect 1 still holds up surprisingly well in 2026 and has certain particularities that make it incredibly endearing. It's got that raw, gritty space opera vibe that nothing else quite nails
The squadmates are the real hook. Wrex carrying all that Krogan baggage, Garrus raging against the Council bureaucracy, Tali being the ultimate tech gremlin, Liara geeking out over Prothean ruins... their loyalty missions hit hard and actually make you care.
Those bonds carry through the whole trilogy, and it's one of the strongest parts of the series.
Gameplay-wise, it's serviceable. Tactical pauses, talent trees, squad commands, it's all there but combat feels stiff. AI is braindead more often than not and sorting through that inventory hell is pure masochism. It's not transcendent as the combat feels a bit clunky.
The Mako tho? Yeah, I actually like driving that bouncy death machine around! Planetary exploration gives you a real sense of scale, even if half the time you're just bouncing off rocks.
That first episode lays all the foundations of the trilogy masterfully: moral choices that shape the story and carry over to sequels, Shepard customization and an universe that is incredibly rich, meticulously crafted with a rare coherence that makes ME1 an unmatched SF experience even by today's standards.
The Codex is also a goldmine: hundreds of audio and text entries (fully voiced!) unveiling millennia of history, galactic conflicts and cosmic mysteries. A real pleasure to dive into the history of the Quarians, nomadic wanderers on their Flotilla after being exiled from Rannoch by their own creations. Or the Turians, ultra-militaristic and hierarchical society scarred by the Krogan Rebellions where they enforced the genophage. And the Krogans, brutal prolific warriors cursed with engineered sterility to curb their explosive expansion.
Also, all the seeds are there: side quests like scanning the Keepers on the Citadel (ultimately revealing their artificial origins tied to extinction cycles), infiltrating Cerberus and its horrific experiments or the Asari Matriarchs, ancient conservatives embodying their race's wisdom (or arrogance). And that's without forgetting hints at the Protheans and the first whispers of the Reapers.
You feel immersed in this vast story, with a living galaxy and side quests that actually expand the world or deepen factions, and exploration that quickens the pulse before the unknown.
The art style seals the deal, delivering a mature sci-fi aesthetic that's equal parts Blade Runner noir and expansive space opera—think neon-drenched Citadel wards buzzing with alien life, the utilitarian Normandy interiors, and procedurally generated planets with jagged terrains and eerie ruins that feel authentically vast and foreboding. Complementing this perfectly is Jack Wall's soundtrack, a masterpiece blending brooding electronic pulses with swelling orchestral motifs that evoke cosmic wonder, tension, and heroism
That's what makes ME1 timeless: it doesn't settle for a linear blockbuster, it invites immersion in a coherent, epic world where every discovery expands the horizon.
An absolute must for any SF fan.
Mass Effect 2:
Mass Effect 2 loses some RPG depth from ME1 but doubles down hard on lore, universe and those unforgettable characters, turning it into pure squad-based space opera gold.
Gameplay shifts to straight-up action shooter and it's a massive upgrade over ME1. Cover mechanics feel tight, heavy weapons have punch, powers like Warp or Overload hit way harder with cooldowns and combos that chain into biotic explosions. The squad AI is smarter (mostly) and the inventory nightmare is mostly addressed. Planet scanning is gone (thank god) and the exploration is more linear but denser.It's still feels a bit dated in big fights and enemy variety's is meh.
Iconic moments carry it though: that opening death/rez sequence or the Suicide Mission finale where your loyalty choices decide who lives/dies is just chef's kiss tension.
The characters are the absolute peak. Best squad in gaming history, yes I'm saying it.
Each loyalty mission is a mini movie unpacking baggage: Miranda's daddy issues and genetic perfection complex, Jacob's Cerberus family drama, Mordin's genophage guilt (great singer too), Jack's biotic psycho rage turned vulnerability, Grunt's Krogan rite-of-passage, Samara's justicar code dilemma, Thane's dying assassin poetry, Legion's Geth heresy reveal... There's just so much. And the banter between Garrus and Tali is pure gold. All in one, you care if they survive. ME1 quests were very solid, but ME2 make them family.
Shepard bites it hard after ME1's Citadel win as Collectors snatch whole colonies, Cerberus Lazarus Projects you back and now you're assembling a suicide squad of outcasts to punch through to their base and stop the Reaper human smoothie factory. It's less galaxy-spanning epic than ME1, moral gray areas everywhere but the character arcs and escalating dread make it click way harder. Recruitment runs are bangers. Storming Omega for "Archangel" Garrus vs Blue Suns hordes, hunting Thane through Illium vents, springing biotic psycho Jack from a prison nightmare, Mordin's clinic while he spits fire rap on genophage ethics or Kasumi's stealth heist. Peak BioWare.
That ending is, imho, gaming's GOAT finale. Point of no return hits, your upgrades, loyalties, and choices dictate everyone's fate. It also sets up ME3 perfect.
Mass Effect 3:
What's striking is the staging, right out the gate with that airy, wandering camera lingering on shots without constant cuts, making everything feel dynamic and alive from the opening Reaper invasion chaos.
Gameplay is the trilogy peak. It's fluid with weighty, punchy gunfeel, omni-gel for ammo woes and FINALLY unlimited sprint without gasping after 10 meters. Powers evolved with multi-tier evolutions (e.g., Radius Freeze or Chain Lightning), combo detonations everywhere and the squad command is snappier. Adept/Vanguard feel godlike chaining biotics/tech and still holds up stupidly well vs modern cover shooters. RPG depth is also making a come back thanks to a more interesting power trees.
And yes, the story delivers the epic payoff (minus that last hour, we'll get back on this later). The Reapers are vaporizing entire worlds, Shepard's barely holding it together from the war's toll and you're racing to unite every race: broker the Quarian/Geth peace on Rannoch, cure the genophage to ally Krogans and Turians and hunt those Leviathan horrors for the Catalyst's big reveal. Your war assets from ME1 and ME2 choices all come alive, turning old decisions into massive stakes. Pure hype. Sides like saving Grissom kids or Aria retaking Omega are also peak (a bit long for Omega, but still).
The epic missions are non-stop highlights. You get the Palaven orbital drop amid Harbinger's beams melting skyscrapers, Salarian/Krogan intrigue on Sur'Kesh, the bomb defusal and Shroud tower assault on Tuchanka (AMAZING setpiece), the heartbreaking fall of Thessia's Asari ruins, the mind-bending Leviathan station on Cronos... It never ends.
The characters feel like a true family now, even stronger than before. Garrus is the ultimate best bro with his eternal calibrations, the Wrex and Mordin arcs peak in emotional highs, Javik drops salty Prothean roasts everywhere, James Vega brings gym-bro comic relief, EDI's romance arc shines and even Kaidan or Ashley get proper redemption.
The banter is on fire and the Citadel DLC's party is much needed to say goodbye.
The ending - or at least the last hour - is shit. Total buzzkill after 100+ hours of buildup. That dream-sequence Starchild popping up like a deus ex machina, dumping vague Reaper philosophy then forcing one of three color-coded buttons with zero clear outcomes, Shepard dying anyway and your squad's fate left to imagination... All of this felt like a slap.
The Extended Cut DLC drags it back from the grave and adds actual explanations for cycles/choices but it's still far from perfect. it's less infuriating but damn...
Citadel: Shore Leave DLC seals the real goodbye. Makes the finale sting less. But still...
In the end, the Mass Effect trilogy is one of the greatest science fiction video game sagas (if not the greatest). 10/10.
