Mass Effect

This article explains the Mass Effect series; for the first part of the series see Mass Effect (computer game) .

Mass Effect
developer	BioWare
Publisher	Microsoft Game Studios (2007) Electronic Arts (from 2008)
First title	Mass Effect (2007)
Last title	Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017)
Platform (s)	Android iOS PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Wii U Windows Windows Phone Xbox 360 Xbox One
Genre (s)	Action RPG , third person shooter

The games in the Mass Effect series are developed by the BioWare developer studio and are based on the genre of action role-playing games . The first part of the series was published in November 2007. The developer attached great importance to a large-scale science fiction story, which was written by long-time BioWare employee and novelist Drew Karpyshyn , among others , and which was originally geared towards a trilogy.

In the Reaper trilogy, the player slips into the role of either the male or female Commander Shepard to fight the threat posed by an alien race that threatens to wipe out the intelligent life of the entire galaxy. The last part of this trilogy appeared in March 2012. In addition to the offshoots of the Reaper trilogy, there are two other smaller games for Apple's iPhone and one of them for Android- based smartphones.

After the end of the Reaper trilogy, a fourth part was announced under the name Mass Effect: Andromeda , which does not take place in the Milky Way, but in the eponymous neighboring galaxy Andromeda. The game was released on March 21, 2017.

prehistory

In the year 2148 a monument to an extraterrestrial race, the Protheans, is discovered on Mars . Archaeologists manage to decipher the Prostean language, which enables access to its advanced technology. You will discover the decisive technical prerequisite for starting your exploration of space: the mass effect that gives the game its name. It makes it possible to manipulate the mass of various objects and thus to travel through the galaxy in a very short time due to the curvature of space.

This discovery also makes humanity aware that it is not alone in the universe, and a multinational alliance is formed in the year 2149, which is given responsibility for the colonization of alien worlds and the defense of humanity against aliens. To protect against extraterrestrial threats, she begins building a large space fleet. In the same year it is discovered that the Pluto moon Charon is a so-called mass portal enveloped by interstellar dust. Once activated, it turns out that there is a whole network of such mass portals that enable trips to the most distant regions of the Milky Way in seconds .

Humanity begins to establish colonies on many distant worlds. In a colony on the exoplanet Shanxi, the first contact with an intelligent extraterrestrial species, the turians, occurs in 2157, which ends in a bloody confrontation. The resulting “first contact war” is developing disadvantageously for mankind, but can be ended diplomatically in good time by a multi-species coalition, the “Citadel Council”. In the years that followed, mankind increasingly integrated into this network.

The political headquarters of this community is the "Citadel", a huge, millennia-old space station that was discovered by the Asari people floating in a planetary nebula . The origin of the Citadel, like that of the mass portals, is uncertain and is traced back to the Protheans. Communication with the keepers, an insectoid people who already inhabited the station when it was discovered and who take care of maintenance, is not possible. Meanwhile, representatives of all space-faring species who have officially joined the Citadel Council live on the Citadel. Within the community they often take on specific roles, such as the trading people of the Volus. The leadership of this coalition is initially incumbent on the representatives of three peoples: the extremely long-lived and scientifically-oriented asari, the tech-savvy salarians and the turian warrior people. In addition, numerous other peoples maintain representations at the station, but have no voting rights in the Citadel Council. Since joining, the alliance has endeavored within the community to achieve greater acceptance and greater say for people. However, due to the First Contact War, it often encounters reservations among the other member peoples.

Main series

Mass Effect

→ Main article : Mass Effect (computer game)

The first part of the series of the same name marks the beginning of the trilogy and is about Commander Shepard, a soldier of the Alliance of Men who is on a secret mission on behalf of the council to recover an ancient Prothean artifact. When unexpected things happen, however, he learns of an impending invasion of an unknown race and is commissioned as the newly appointed Specter, a special unit of the council, to collect further information and to avert the possible threat.

During the game the player meets some other characters that he can recruit to his crew. In space, the player can navigate his spaceship and navigate to various planets and locations and sometimes land on them. On planets, the player can move around on foot or in an all-terrain vehicle, depending on the location and situation. The fights take place in real time and are based on the use of firearms, techniques or biotics. Of all crew members, Shepard and two other members are always active as a group. In contrast to Shepard, the group members cannot be controlled directly, they only take commands. The story is propelled through dialogues and missions.

Mass Effect was first released on November 21, 2007 exclusively for the Xbox 360 and PC game consoles and was later released on December 7, 2012 for the Playstation 3 game consoles .

Mass Effect 2

→ Main article : Mass Effect 2

The second part of the series begins shortly after the end of the first part. The central figure is again Commander Shepard, who is currently on a mission in space and in the process loses his ship, his crew and his life to the surprising attack by an unknown person. The Cerberus Syndicate, resurrecting him, sends him on a new ship to fight a new threat.

The game is similar to its predecessor in almost all respects. However, the ratio of role-playing and action elements has been changed in favor of the latter.

The game series was designed as a trilogy from the start. It is therefore possible to import your own character from the first part into Mass Effect 2 and continue playing based on the decisions made in the previous part. This has a direct effect on many conversations and actions, but not on the course of the main storyline. Alternatively, a new character can be created, but its history is predefined. In contrast to the first part, Shepard can also die depending on the decisions made in the course of the plot.

The game was released in Germany on January 28, 2010 simultaneously for PC and Xbox 360. The version for the PlayStation 3 was released in Germany on January 20, 2011. In contrast to the Xbox 360 and PC versions, the DLCs ​​are "Overlord", "Kasumi - Stolen Memories" and "Shadow Broker" already included.

Mass Effect 3

→ Main article : Mass Effect 3

The final part of the Reaper trilogy was released on March 6, 2012 in the USA and on March 9, 2012 in Europe. In Germany, however, the game was released on March 8th. Building on the previous two games, the plot revolves around Shepard's fight against the criminal organization Cerberus and the Reaper who have arrived in the Milky Way. The Reaper's first target is Earth. Commander Shepard is on Earth at the time of the attack. On board the Normandy, he must flee the planet and unite and organize the Citadel peoples for the defense against the Reaper. The game concludes the story arc about the protagonist Shepard.

As the first game in the series, Mass Effect 3 included a cooperative multiplayer mode in addition to the single player campaign. With the optional Galaxy at War game function , multiplayer and single player modes were also linked, so that successes in multiplayer mode have a positive effect on the final confrontation of the single player campaign.

Offshoot

Mass Effect Galaxy

Mass Effect Galaxy
Studio	BioWare
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Erstveröffent- lichung	June 22, 2009
platform	iOS
Game engine	Torque engine
genre	Action
Game mode	Single player
control	Touch screen
medium	Download
language	German
Current version	1.1

Mass Effect Galaxy , originally announced as Mass Effect: Jacob's Story , is an action title for iOS . It is located between Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 and was released on June 22, 2009.

action

The main character of the game is Jacob Taylor, who also appears as a companion in Mass Effect 2 . During his vacation on a dream cruise ship, it is attacked by Batarian pirates. Taylor can fight them back and then travels to the Citadel. Preparations for peace negotiations with the ambassador of the batarians are in progress there. Since an attack on the negotiations is expected, Taylor and the Cerberus agent Miranda Lawson, who also appears in Mass Effect 2 , should find out more about the background.

Gameplay

The two-dimensional gameplay is presented from a bird's eye view , with the exception of the comic-style cutscenes that are presented on television. The player controls his character by tilting his device (iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad) in the appropriate direction. Jacob automatically takes enemy figures under fire, but enemies can also be targeted using the appropriate markings using the touch interface. Special commands can be given to him via command symbols on the right-hand edge of the screen, such as switching to other weapon systems. Leaving a level is only possible when all opponents on a map have been eliminated. However, fights can also be prevented by skillful conversation in advance.

reception

The game received mediocre ratings. It was called a boring shooting game. Among other things, the game principle that did not match the series, the short duration of the game and technical performance drops during the game were criticized.

In August 2010, BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk described the release of the game as a bug in an interview and ruled out further games for iOS for the time being.

Mass Effect Infiltrator

Mass Effect Infiltrator
Studio	IronMonkey Studios
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Erstveröffent- lichung	March 6, 2012 May 23, 2012 (Android)
platform	iOS , Android , Windows Phone
genre	Third person shooter
Game mode	Single player
control	Touch screen
medium	Download
language	English
Current version	1.0.3

Mass Effect Infiltrator is a third-person shooter for Apple iOS , Android and Windows Phone developed by Melbourne- based IronMonkey Studios. The player is supposed to free prisoners from a base of the criminal organization Cerberus. The game is a companion product to Mass Effect 3 . Certain game successes in Mass Effect Infiltrator have a positive effect on its single player campaign via a connection to the Galaxy at War function of Mass Effect 3 .

action

The focus of the plot is the former Cerberus mercenary Randall Ezno, who has kidnapped numerous alien creatures on behalf of the secret organization in the past for the secret organization's series of experiments. However, when Cerberus kidnaps his asari partner Inali for the same purpose, he turns against his previous employer. The aim of the game is to infiltrate a Cerberus base and free Inali.

Gameplay

Mass Effect Infiltrator is a third-person shooter that is freely controlled through the level-based game world with two simulated analog sticks via the touchscreen of the game device. The game is a linear action title with little freedom of choice for the player. A large part of the game consists of working your way forward with the help of an integrated cover system and eliminating all opposing pawns. There are four branches of arms and four so-called biotic forces available for this.

At the end of a level, the style of play is assessed in the form of style points. Quickly eliminating opponents one after the other and using various weapons and skills in a variety of ways are rewarded more. Together with the playing time and the remaining life energy, credits are then credited to the player, with which he can buy new equipment and improvements for his character. Alternatively, such extensions can also be purchased from the game provider against payment in the form of micropayments .

In contrast to the main series, the dialogues of the game are automated and also mostly linear. In some places, the player is sometimes faced with a decision, such as whether to spare certain people or to execute them. However, these have no relevant influence on the course of the game.

Larger opponents drop so-called data disks several times during the game. The player can exchange these for game credits. Alternatively, with the help of a link via an Origin account, he can also use it to increase the so-called galactic readiness for the Galaxy at War game mode of Mass Effect 3 .

development

Mass Effect Infiltrator was announced on February 7, 2012 during a Mass Effect 3 press event . The game was released at the same time as the US release of Mass Effect 3 on March 6, 2012 via Apple's App Store . An Android version followed on May 23, 2012.

filming

Legendary Pictures announced on May 24, 2010 that it had acquired the filming rights to the Mass Effect franchise. Mark Protosevich ( I Am Legend , Thor ) is to write the script. According to the film studio in July 2011 at the Comic-Con , the film should be based on the plot of the first game, with a male Commander Shepard as the main character.

Anime adaptation logo

April 2011 it was further announced that BioWare was working with FUNimation and the support of the companies TO Entertainment and Production IG on an anime film adaptation, which was released in 2012 and is entitled Mass Effect: Paragon Lost . The focus is on James Vega, a companion character from Mass Effect 3 . The film sheds light on part of its backstory. As the leader of a squad of elite soldiers, James Vega has to protect a human colony from the attack of the collectors (see plot of Mass Effect 2 ).

→ Main article : Mass Effect: Paragon Lost

literature

Non-fiction

• Casey Hudson , Derek Watts & Stephen Reichert: The Art of the Mass Effect Universe , Splitter Verlag 2014, ISBN 978-3-86869-759-9 ; English original edition: Dark Horse Comics , Milwaukie 2012, ISBN 978-1-59582-768-5 .
• Various authors: The Art of Mass Effect: Andromeda , Dark Horse Comics (untranslated), March 2017, ISBN 978-1-5067-0075-5

Fiction

• Drew Karpyshyn , William C. Dietz , Jason M. Hough , KC Alexander , NK Jemisin , Marc Walters : Mass Effect (novel series) Panini Verlag , Stuttgart
  • Volume 1: The Revelation (Original Title: Revelation ) 2007, ISBN 978-3-8332-1648-0 (before Mass Effect 1.)
  • Volume 2: Der Aufstieg (Original title: Ascension ) 2008, ISBN 978-3-8332-1745-6 (located between Mass Effect 1 and 2.)
    • Mass Effect Anthology: Vol. 1: The Revelation / The Rise 2018, ISBN 978-3-8332-3631-0
  • Volume 3: Retaliation (Original title: Retribution ) 2010, ISBN 978-3-8332-2128-6 (located between Mass Effect 2 and 3.)
  • Volume 4: Blendwerk (original title: Deception ) 2012, ISBN 978-3-8332-2443-0 (located between Mass Effect 2 and 3.)
    • Mass Effect anthology: Vol. 2: Vergeltung / Blendwerk 2019, ISBN 978-3-8332-3767-6
  • Volume 5: Andromeda - Der Aufbruch der Nexus (Original title: Andromeda - Nexus Uprising ), April 2017, ISBN 978-3-8332-3358-6 (before Mass Effect: Andromeda settled)
  • Volume 6: Andromeda - Baptism of Fire (Original title: Andromeda - Initiation ), November 2017, ISBN 978-3-8332-3521-4
  • Volume 7: Andromeda - Annihilation (Original title: Andromeda - Annihilation ), February 2019, ISBN 978-3-8332-3618-1

Comic

• Mac Walters , John Jackson Miller , Omar Francia , John Dombrow , Jeremy Barlow : Mass Effect (comic series) Panini Verlag , Stuttgart
  • Volume 1: Redemption (original title: Redemption ) 2010, ISBN 978-3-86201-011-0
    anthology of an originally four-part comic series. Tells how Liara managed to get to Shepard's body after the Normandy SR-1 was destroyed.
  • Volume 2: Evolution (Original title: Evolution ) 2011, ISBN 978-3-86201-076-9
    Collection of an originally four-part comic series. Illuminates the career of Cerberus and the unknown.
  • Volume 3: Invasion (Original title: Invasion ) 2012, ISBN 978-3-86201-314-2
    Anthology of an originally four-part comic series. Is about Aria T'Loak's expulsion of Omega by Cerberus.
  • Volume 4: Heimatwelt (Original title: Homeworlds ) 2013, ISBN 978-3-86201-557-3
    anthology of an originally four-part comic series. Contains four stories about the past of crew members Garrus, Tali, Liara and James.
  • Volume 5: Foundation 1 - On behalf of Cerberus (original title Foundation 1 ) 2014, ISBN 978-3-86201-814-7
    anthology of an originally four-part comic series. Contains four stories about the past of the crew members Ashley, Kaidan and Wrex as well as information about Maya Brooks known from Mass Effect 3.
  • Volume 6: Foundation 2 - Project Lazarus (original title Foundation 2 ) 2014, ISBN 978-3-86201-815-4
    Collection of an originally four-part comic series. Contains four stories about the past of the crew members Miranda, Jacob, Jack and Thane as well as information about Maya Brooks known from Mass Effect 3.
  • Volume 7: Foundation 3 - Shepards Klon (original title Foundation 3 ) 2015, ISBN 978-3-95798-187-5
    anthology of an originally five-part comic series. Contains five stories about the past of the crewmembers Mordin, Zaeed, Kasumi and Thane as well as information about Maya Brooks known from Mass Effect 3. The anthology also includes the mini-comics Mass Effect: Blasto: Eternity is Forever and Mass Effect: Who's Last Laughing .
  • Volume 8: Andromeda (original title Andromeda ), 2017, ISBN 978-3-7416-0325-9
• Accompanying doctoral publication
  • Mac Walters, Eduardo Francisco, Michael Atiyeh: Mass Effect: Incursion , IGN , first published June 21, 2010.
  • Mac Walters, Jean Diaz, Michael Atiyeh: Mass Effect: Inquisition , USA Today , first published October 25, 2010.
  • Mass Effect: Genesis
    Since the first Mass Effect only appeared in the trilogy version for PlayStation 3, Mass Effect 2 on PS3 contained this specially developed interactive comic. It tells the plot of the first part and offers the player several options for action. So PS3 players could also fall back on game decisions that could be imported from the predecessor for the PC and Xbox 360 versions with the help of an old save.
  • Mass Effect: Conviction , Dark Horse Comics, September 2011.
  • Mass Effect: Blasto: Eternity is Forever , Dark Horse Comics, November 2012.
  • Mass Effect: He Who Laughs Best , Dark Horse Comics, May 2013.
  • Mass Effect: Genesis 2
    Similar to Genesis 1, this interactive comic allows Wii U players of Mass Effect 3 to make a variety of choices from the first two parts.

Web links

• Official website (English)
• Mass Effect series at MobyGames (English)
• Mass Effect Wiki

Individual evidence

1. ↑ List of changes for imported characters on masseffect.wikia.com (English)
2. ↑ Walkthrough without imported characters on PCGames.de
3. ↑ Official homepage  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ http://www.masseffect-game.de/content/view/1310/1/
5. ↑ Release date of Mass Effect 3 in the video trailer. Retrieved August 25, 2011 . 
6. ↑ Announcements about Mas Effect 3 in the Bioware forum  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
7. ↑ GarageGames : Torque Made Games: iPhone Games , last accessed March 3, 2012.
8. ↑ Andrew Yoon: Survey reveals Mass Effect: Jacob's Story for iPhone ( English ) In: Joystiq . AOL . April 28, 2009. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
9. ↑ Thomas Ruhk: Mass Effect: Galaxy - Test . In: GamePro . IDG . September 11, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
10. ↑ Martin Woger: Monkey Island SE & Mass Effect - Test . In: EuroGamer.de . EuroGamer Network. August 7, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
11. ↑ Jörg Luibl: Test: Mass Effect: Galaxy . In: 4Players . freenet AG . August 14, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
12. ^ Levi Buchanan: Mass Effect Galaxy Review - Mass Effect meets Smash TV. . In: IGN . News Corp . August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 21, 2011. 
13. ^ Neon Kelly: In the house with Dr. Greg Zeschuk ( English ) In: videogamer.com . EuroGamer Network. August 28, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
14. ↑ Apple : [itunes.apple.com/de/app/mass-effect-infiltrator/id486604040 Mass Effect Infiltrator] . In: App Store . Retrieved March 10, 2012.
15. ↑ Daniel Feith: Mass Effect: Infiltrator - Shooter is coming for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch . In: GamePro . IDG . February 8, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
16. ↑ ^{a b} Kirk Hamilton: BioWare's Mass Effect iOS Game is the third-person shooter Mass Effect: Infiltrator ( English ) In: Kotaku . February 7, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
17. ↑ Markus Schwerdtel: Mass Effect: Infiltrator in the test - No role-playing game, a lot of Mass Effect . In: GamePro . IDG . March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
18. ↑ Electronic Arts : Win 5 x Mass Effect: Infiltrator for iPhone and iPad . In: Official company website . March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
19. ↑ David Hinkle: Mass Effect: Infiltrator available on Android today ( English ) In: Joystiq . AOL . May 23, 2012. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
20. ↑ Mass Effect is Coming to the Big Screen on comingsoon.net (English)
21. ↑ Legendary Pictures : Your Questions Answered: The Comic-Con Film Panel ( English ) In: Official company blog . August 11, 2011. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 22, 2011. 
22. ↑ Tamoor Hussain: Mass Effect anime revealed - BioWare and FUNimation team up for feature film ( English ) In: Computer and Video Games . Future Publishing. April 7, 2011. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
23. ↑ RL Shaffer: Mass Effect Anime is Coming ( English ) In: IGN . News Corp . March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
24. ↑ Mass Effect: Incursion (June 21, 2010). IGN , last accessed February 27, 2012.
25. ↑ Mass Effect: Inquisition (October 25, 2010). USA Today , last accessed February 27, 2012.
26. ↑ Exclusive Digital Comics Available from your Retailer (July 1, 2011). Dark Horse Comics , last accessed February 27, 2012.
27. ↑ [1] . Dark Horse Comics , last accessed April 11, 2015.
28. ↑ [2] . Dark Horse Comics , last accessed April 11, 2015.