Highlights
- The Mass Effect series is highly acclaimed and offers a huge world with rich RPG elements, providing immersive gameplay experiences in a space setting.
- Mass Effect 4 is currently in development and is expected to be the biggest game in terms of size and scale. Fans should be prepared to dedicate many hours to complete the series.
- Each game in the Mass Effect series offers a considerable amount of content, with the main campaigns ranging from 17 to 24 hours, and completionists can expect over 200 hours of gameplay in total.
Developer Bioware's Mass Effect series 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 the Mass Effect games 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 since Andromeda was released in 2017, fans worldwide rejoiced at the news that Mass Effect 4 is 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.
The Mass Effect Games Contain Hours of Content
The first Mass Effect was released in 2007, 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 2 literally improved and evolved every aspect of 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 3 was 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: Andromeda is 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. Andromeda is considered to be inferior when compared to the Mass 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 where Andromeda'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.
The Mass Effect Trilogy Legendary Edition is available now on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.