Mass Effect is an RPG set in a distant future in which mankind, having discovered alien technology, has catapulted to the stars and found itself as one of many races looking to co-exist (or not) in the cosmos. You're a military man (or woman) with the last name of Shepard serving aboard a human Alliance ship. It's a mix of classic RPG elements: multiple character types, character leveling and development, an epic storyline, and 3rd person action in which you command a squad of three troops (at a time) through various missions and assignments. It is not a perfect game, but its combination of in depth storytelling, consistently fun action and top notch presentation both visually and aurally make it a must play game for anyone who likes a good old-fashioned PC RPG experience.

When you're first starting out, the game may seem like a pretty standard, narrow-focused 3rd person shooter. When you're dropped planetside from the ship on which your character serves, the game feels very much like it's on rails. It doesn't take long, however, to start peeling back the layers and, as you do, you'll find yourself with more and more freedom in determining where to go and what to do next.

To facilitate that freedom you'll eventually find yourself with a ship of your own and a team of six non-player character (NPC) party members, some human and some not, any two of which you can bring with you when you go on a mission outside the ship. Each of your team members has a specific set of skills that you'll want to consider when deciding who to bring with you.

Just like your NPC party members, your character, too, is schooled in a diverse set of skills, ranging from decryption to sniper rifles to how good you are at talking your way out of trouble. Bioware has done a marvelous job of investing you, as a player, in your own character. You can, if you so choose, make up a character in your own image, which is a nice option to have given the amount of face time your player character receives throughout the game. There are a handful of character classes that allow you to specialize in three main skill areas or some combination thereof: combat (weapons and armor), biotic skills (think magic) and tech (decryption, electronics, etc.). But beyond that, the game also lets you select a two-part back story involving how you grew up and a life changing event.

There are only a few options to choose from, three for each of the two parts, but the back story you select is frequently reflected in the game. If you decided that your marine was the sole survivor of a planetary disaster, for example, NPCs throughout the game will refer to that back story. There's even a quest that specifically ties into the back story you selected.