Summary
Developer Bioware’s Mass Effectseries has received critical acclaim over the years and is considered to be among the finest RPG series ever made. The games present a huge world, rich with RPG elements for gamers to immerse themselves in, all against the vast backdrop of space. The protagonist, Commander Shepard, and their diverse crew of travelers have found themselves in various engaging and memorable situations, with each game escalating in size and scale. All four of theMass Effectgames are large, as expected, and gamers wishing to tackle the entire series should be prepared to dedicate many hours to the task.
With no new game sinceAndromedawas released in 2017, fans worldwide rejoiced at the news thatMass Effect 4is officially in development. As of now, little is known about the project, but given how technology has advanced since the last entry, it’s a safe bet to assume that, in terms of size and scale, it will be the biggest game of the series so far. None of the games can be considered small though, with upwards of 75 hours needed to finish all four main campaigns. For completionists, this number rises considerably, with over 200 hours of gameplay waiting for those determined to see and do everything.
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The Mass Effect Games Contain Hours of Content
The firstMass Effectwas released in2007, a year considered one of the very best in gaming, and became a hit with fans and critics alike. Despite being eclipsed by its superior sequels later on, the original’s blend of real-time action with RPG elements and an immersive world proved to be a huge success for developer Bioware. The main story clocks in at approximately 17 hours, but those seeking to 100% the game should expect to spend upwards of 40 hours with it.
Mass Effect 2literally improved and evolved every aspectof its predecessor. Considered to be the strongest entry in the entire series, it doubled down on the RPG mechanics and introduced some of the most engaging, well-thought-out side content an RPG had ever seen. Giving the player an unprecedented amount of freedom to make game-changing decisions, to this day it has rarely been topped in the action-RPG genre. The main campaign alone offers roughly 24 hours of content, but completionists will easily double that as they explore the galaxy.
Mass Effect 3was the final part of Shepard’s trilogy.The most polished entry in the series revamped the combat while retaining the RPG elements, and completed the main story arch. While the game’s ending managed to polarize the fan base, it did little to sour the series' reputation. The game was very similar in length to its predecessor, with approximately 24 hours needed to finish the main story, and more than 50 for those wanting to see everything it has to offer.
Mass Effect: Andromedais the latest release in the franchise, arriving in 2017. It introduced many new elements, including an explorable open-world, and a brand-new protagonist and cast of characters.Andromedais considered to be inferior when compared to theMass Effect Trilogy, and received a mixed response at launch. The game’s size significantly eclipses its predecessors, but despite this, the main campaign is just 18 hours. It’s in all the other content whereAndromeda’s scale really becomes evident. Gamers can easily spend over 90 hours seeing everything the Galaxy has to offer, which is almost double the size of the other games.
TheMass Effect Trilogy Legendary Editionis available now on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
