(ME1 Part 1) Here we are, one of the heavyweight champions of gaming history. This series is certainly not underrated, but scored a ton of controversy shortly after its release which may have put some people off. If someone did miss this one, here it is in all its glory for you to enjoy: Bioware's masterpiece, "Garrus's Dating Simulator" ... I mean, "Mass Effect." {Editors' Note: I might just upload this series on the weekends, not sure yet.}

(ME1 Part 2) This game is actually not as much about the battles and actions as you might think. This is a space opera. Relationships between major characters, very subtle non-verbal storytelling, humor, and perhaps a little melodrama is what will carry this title. Not to mention some honest-to-goodness Lovecraftian horror (which we don't get nearly enough of these days.)

(ME1 Part 3) It was Saren... in the conservatory.... with the candlestick. {Editors' Note: So, in Mass Effect canon, Sheperd is a guy. I made Sheperd a woman here because that is my policy and because Jane Shepherd is a fan favorite (I'm a fan). If I can play as a woman in a video game I will. I'm not a feminist by any means or any type of "alphabet person" or anything, it's simply an option you don't always get. I can't play as a woman in Kurohyou or Black Mesa or XCOM or ... another series that I almost spoiled, and I like having options. It's not weird, although there will be some weirdness later that I will discuss when the time is right.}

(ME 1 Part 4) I see the vision.

(ME1 Part 5) Well, that could have gone better. The Council won't be convinced of Saren's betrayal and treasonous activities without more compelling evidence. Also, leave that Hanar alone, he's not hurting anyone. {Editors' Note: Pax vobiscum.}

(ME 1 Part 6) .... Sheperd.

(ME1 Part 7) Detective Garrus Vakarian joins us on the raid of Fist's nightclub. That Quarian woman isn't going to save herself. {Editors' Note: Sorry about the short part, my new mouse went on the fritz there at the end.}

(ME1 Part 8) So, we gotta talk about gameplay for this title. It's a struggle for a majority of the time you see onscreen, for real. I kinda play it off well, but it's not good. New Vegas on my GekokujoMusic channel was worse, for sure, and I never mentioned it during that playthrough because it wasn't a review, but you have to fight with that game constantly to get anything to happen. Playing New Vegas is a fight. I remember outside the El Dorado power station near the end of the New Vegas run, my group got attacked by a Legion deathsquad and I swear Courier Ira was lagging behind my inputs by about 3 or 4 seconds at the standard framerate and gameplay speed. Doesn't sound like much but in a fight, I'm telling you that is an eternity in a fight. This game isn't quite that bad, it isn't a fucking brawl to keep the game on track, but I will say ME1 is not very responsive. I'm not complaining, it is fun, just wanted to mention that, that particular criticism is definitely going in the review.

(ME1 Part 9) When I said "hit the club" this isn't what I meant. Also, this Quarian agent has crucial information we need, so save the girl.

(ME1 Part 11) That'll teach me to think I'm a C-Sec police officer. {Editors' Note: Did the fucking audio cut out like 1 minute in to this? Goddammit, sorry about that. That's why I leave subtitles on.}

(ME1 Part 12) I learned that keeping up with levels is of vital importance. These Batarians were supposed to be pushovers but because I didn't level the team up, it was a slog. Duly noted. Also, that Mako vehicle is a nightmare to drive, it won't come through on the video, but damn.

(ME1 Part 13) If we're going to be entrusting each other with our lives, we might as well know a little about each other.

(ME Part 14) I'll have to get better at steering the Mako vehicle because it is a wild ride with my current driving skill.

(ME1 Part 15) I think this is the place. It would be weird if this wasn't the place, considering all the enemy units.

(ME1 Part 16) Peace through superior firepower.

(ME1 Part 17) We got a biotic space magician, a techie, and a badass in our squad, we'll be fine. The first human Spectre has a lot of ground to cover with all the other species and rocking the boat on the first outing is not going to score any points with any one. Best to follow the rules as best we can, for now, and at least give the appearance of a team player from humans to the other species. Also, you know what Ms. Parassini ... I like the cut of your jib, and your last name.

(ME1 Part 18) You're not high, I'm using my new reshader program on the game to make it more colorful. Also, they were all dead when I showed up. {Editors' Note: You might be high ... But, for sure I am using a new reshader program.}

(ME1 Part 19) Believe what you want, Matsuo-san. If it were me though, I'd believe what happened right the fuck in front of me. Trust yourself.

(ME1 Part 20) We are doing a lot of good for Noveria and the Alliance and the galaxy in general with all the work we've done here since we arrived, but we are here for a reason. We got a mission, and that mission is to stop Saren by stopping Benezia. At the very least, we can slow them down by interfering with there plans here.

(ME1 Part21) I don't know what to tell you yet about these things. They are big, angry, and violent. Best to solve the problem in the quickest way possible to not be in a threatening situation any longer than you have to. {Editors' Note: I don't remember the Rachni being this tough. Insanity difficulty is no joke.}

(ME1 Part 22) There are people down here?!

(ME1 Part 23) Can I like, not get betrayed for 1 fucking day? Please?

(ME1 Part 24) Here is the monkey wrench in Saren's plans. What is so important he and Benezia will risk putting a huge red alert to the Alliance to transport? Moving weird, heavy, and probably illegal cargo to a remote station is not the most subtle move I've ever seen, Saren must have known we would pick up on it. What is the plan here?

(ME1 Part 25) Guys, a species of powerful arachnids that communicate using colorful music? Come on, who wouldn't at least be interested in that? {Editors' Note: Discordant, oily shadows, remember that. It will be on the test.}

(ME1 Part 26) Wrex is just full of interesting stories, Garrus still has some open cases out of C-Sec, and Tali is adjusting well to the new ship. Lastly, Ashley is a Christian, so she just scored a ton of points with me. {Editors' Note: Uh, why is there no audio? That pisses me off. Welp, we just gotta read this time.}

(ME1 Part 27) I hope there are humans here, and they aren't that weird. A distress signal is pretty common in space (I imagine) and the Navy never leaves anyone stranded out there, but there are a variety of reasons someone sends a distress signal. Hopefully it's not that big of a deal here.

(ME1 Part 28) I'm going to give Ashley and Garrus a break, for now. I want a lot of tech power (and somone that wants to take out the Geth badly) and I want a little biotic power as well, since we will be fighting the Geth here. Enter from stage right, Wrex and Tali.

(ME1 Part 29) Y'all! Wrex is so cute with that pink and white armor on!

(ME1 Part 30) This anti-human, corporate bullcrap has gone far enough. That Thorian plant thing sounds super dangerous and I'm taking it out, if I must. The people at Zhu's Hope aren't expendable.

(ME1 Part 31) The initial push into Zhu's Hope is met with some truly strange creatures. Plant-based mind control has turned former humans into what I can only describe as vegetable bullet sponges. I'll try not to harm the colonists, but I really don't enjoy getting shot at.

(Me1 Part 32) I probably could have left this part out and just said I saved everyone there without killing any colonists. Well, anyway, here it is.

(ME1 Part 33) This is the Thorian? I know plants and this doesn't look like any plant I've ever seen. This thing is gross, and plants are usually not gross like this.

(ME1 Part 34) Sorry Thorian, you are quite the interesting lifeform, but you are causing way too many problems for the humans here at Zhu's Hope. You're sending all these bullet sponge Creepers at the people, you're mind-controlling everyone, you're creating Asaris(?) somehow?... You gotta go.

(ME1 Part 35) This part of the journey to save the galaxy from Saren's evil plans brings us to a small planetary system called "the Solar System," maybe you've heard of it. I think it was Admiral Hackett that asked us to take care of some overactive A.I. program on Earth's Moon, so let's see what the damage is.

(ME1 Part 36) We take care of the Moon's little problem, I get a promotion, and there is a surprise inspection of the Normandy and her crew.

(ME1 Part 37) I don't like what you say, but I'll defend your right to say it. Just don't make shit up, I'm warning you now. You're a reporter Ms. Al-Jilani, report.

(ME1 Part 38) To boldly go where no... Spectre... has ever gone before? or something?

(ME1 Part 39) I said we would venture forth and reclaim Wrex's family armor, and that's what I intent to do.

(ME1 Part 40) Hey Garrus, we happy? ... Garrus! We happy? {Editors' Note: Yeah, we happy.}

(ME1 Part 41) Long time no see, old friend. How are things? Making good decisions still, I hope?

(ME1 Part 42) What the hell are they doing here? Experimenting on Rachni and Thorian Creepers, that can't be good. I mean, Cerberus are probably experimenting on humans too, with all this going on.

(ME1 Part 43) We were too late to save Admiral Kahoku from Cerberus, but hopefully we can save the people of Vermire from Saren's troops in time.

(ME1 Part 44) Hi, I'm Commander Sheperd, Council Spectre with the Alliance Navy, now get the fuck out of the way so we can help out.

(ME1 Part 45) That's a brave thing you and your troops are doing there Captain. I wouldn't even agree to be a part of this plan if the stakes, were any lower, or if there were any other way. Saren is far too dangerous to the galaxy to let him slip away, now that we know his location, we cannot let him escape. {Editors' Note: Thank you for understanding, Wrex. I want to cure the Genophage too, but clones of indoctrinated slave Krogan isn't the answer for your species.... (Sheperd).}

(ME1 Part 46) I don't get stressed often, but this Lovecraftian-type literal cosmic horror tends to get my blood pressure up. What are we gonna do?

(ME Part 47) Saren is crazier than I even gave him credit for, the Reapers are not only real but more terrifying than anyone thought, and the Council doesn't even know about it. At least there isn't an army of mind-controlled Krogan on Saren's side. {Editors' Note: I skipped this one when uploading in order, sorry about that.}

(ME1 Part 48) Alright y'all, I'm going on leave... Oh, we are to report to the Citadel, right now? Even better, that's what I was about to do anyway.

(ME1 Part 49) Hit him again, Captain. Also, I found the last keeper, I knew I would. That was weirdly therapeutic somehow.

(ME1 Part 50) Now that we aren't grounded anymore, might as well clean up the galaxy a little while we are up before we can't. And before we get to Ilos and who knows what will happen after that. {Editors' Note: Welp, wasn't expecting that.}

(ME 1 Part 51) I feel sorry for you guys here, but I have to save the galaxy and I can't have y'all kill me. Even though I understand what you're going through, I will still defend myself.

(ME1 Part 52) I hope you feel this where it hurts, in the pocketbook.

(ME1 Part 53) Let them go or I'll make you.

(ME1 Part 54) You seem like a reasonable man Father Kyle, why don't we solve this problem peacefully. That way no one else gets hurt.

(ME1 Part 55) Who knew Wrex ( ... Shepard), Liara, and me would be such a great team? We probably should have Tali or Garrus in here too for the tech expertise, since we are fighting the geth, but we will be ok.

(ME1 Part 56) We should fill in a few blanks before we make our way back. Who knows what we can learn, and if this source of knowledge will even still be around later. The more we know the better, about the Protheans and about the Reapers.

(ME1 Part 57) Saren has made his move. He used a trap specifically designed to catch every space-faring species off-guard to be conquered since time immemorial. I don't want to be conquered. There is a slim chance that we can stop him if Wrex ( ... Shepard), Liara, and I go through the relay here and fight, which is better than the certainty that we all lose if we don't fight.

(ME1 Part 58) I guess we're on foot now, since Wrex (... Sheperd) crashed the damn vehicle..... Nah, that was me that crashed the Mako. We're still on foot now, though, and we have to hold out at least until the Normandy gets here. We ought to take Saren down before then, simply to not lose any precious time. {Editors' Note: Sorry about the short part, I forgot to turn on my cooling system on my computer and it almost evaporated trying to run this game. My bad.}

(ME1 Part 59) I wasn't expecting more Krogans, but this is simply a minor setback. I will treat them like any other opponent, power through and trample them underfoot. (Editors' Note: I'd bet you're feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole.}

(ME1 Part 60) All Saren had to do was not betray every sentient lifeform in the galaxy to the Reapers... Not exactly a tall order, but he couldn't even do that. Welp, now I gotta kick your ass.

(FFT Part 61) Sorry aliens, I'm a human supremist. Humans got the brains, humans got the guns, humans got the spirit, and right now we need all three. The fuckers on the Council are not worth the lives of every race in known space. {Editors' Note: "You'd sacrifice human lives to save the council? What have they ever done for your kind?"}

(ME1 Part 62) Now saving the Citadel is just a matter of breaking into the main computer in the Council Chamber, and in some kind of way to lock Sovereign out of the mainframe.

(ME1 Part 63) Ah, Mass Effect. A treasure of gaming. One of the very few titles that is a true space opera, with all the melodrama, action, violence, relationships, and romance, minus fat ladies singing. I couldn't get enough of this series when these games came out in about 2007-ish and it was a weekend treat for me and my friends after a working all week. I will now go through my Big 4 important aspects of this masterpiece. To start off with, the gameplay start to finish is heavy and a little clunky. There is no way around the fact that this is not a game designed to be a modern cover-based shooter, even though that's what it is. This isn't Gears of War or even Army of Two in terms of smoothness, this is downright rough. Despite that fact, every combat encounter is fun and intense, without exception. The fight with Fist in Chora's Den near the beginning of the game shows how nearly every enemy encounter goes. The sprint function is really cool and kind of a new feature to gaming at this time in history, but not well-implemented because Shepard doesn't have enough endurance and can only run like 10 yards without breathing hard, even though she's this legendary soldier. The RPG (role-playing game) stat screens and decision-based character development is pretty cool. Not really what I'm in a game like this for, but I am glad it is there. The skill menus are quite extensive and allow for a bit of variety, but you will more than likely maxing out nearly everything like I did. Everything else I have about gameplay is probably nitpicking, so, average gameplay with a ton of wiggle room to play around with tech and biotic powers, even though I didn't. The art style is evergreen, in my opinion, timeless. Without my new reshader program this game oozes style, with the reshader this is a phenomenal looking game. Truly jaw-dropping visuals during gameplay, and the cutscenes are masterfully choreographed and directed. Every color pops, the bright colors are directly in your face and the dark colors sink back, deep into the background. I'd like to say that every species and creature in this game look wonderful. Some planetary environments could use a little polish, but the indoor corridors and the insides of buildings and whatnot look great. I'm not the reviewer that will stare at a wall of a game and tell you how bad it looks if that's not what I do during standard gameplay. I'm not a micromanager and I don't enjoy nitpicking when I don't have to. For as clunky as Shepard moves through each landscape, the framerate is smooth, and the framerate will only dip slightly during very demanding portions of action, like explosions or there there is a lot of characters moving quickly, which is almost to be expected. The art style itself draws upon elements of Heidegger and H.P. Lovecraft (which we don't see nearly enough of in my opinion). Organic life mixed together with a little advanced technology is very "Aliens" film to me, but the Reapers are about the most Lovecraftian evil villain you will ever see in a videogame, moreso than even some titles with Lovecraft right there in the name. At the very least, the Reapers are presented the best of any Lovecraftian thing in any videogame and have the looks to match. The Reapers look like a combination of a scarab beetle, a scorpion, a spider, and a hand (which I personally find terrifying, except the hand I guess, but I had to mention that). An armored exoskeleton, a predator, and a dangerous object, all of these listed items have that in common and those are all things the Reapers embody. The Reapers are superbly-designed enemies. Saren slowly succumbing to more and more powerful Indoctrination is also fantastic design because Saren's degeneration is as much storytelling as anything else. Saren could say nothing each time you meet, and you as the player would immediately know what is going on with him and how far his Indoctrination has landed him, if you pay attention. That is attention to detail, that is incredible craftsmanship, and that is art. Onto story and writing, now. At the very beginning, Mass Effect 1 is simply put, an above average Star Trek episode, that is until the Reapers are introduced. There are so many unnerving things happening at once when the Reapers show up. The fact that Saren, being a Council Spectre, would be formidable enough as an opponent without help from the Reapers was a great touch. Also, the Reaper reveal being dragged out for so freaking long during the plot until you speak to Sovereign face-to-face over a facetime-type situation was a great writing technique, perfectly paced, and perfectly placed. The reveal comes out of nowhere, no one sees it coming, and it's such a horrifying discovery that this enemy is superior to any sentient lifeform in nearly every conceivable way. Terrifyingly intelligent, gigantic in size, can fly, made of crazily strong metal armor, computerized, cold, calculated, mechanical, murderous, and with experience carrying out a plan the for total annihilation of everyone in the galaxy. This is a true enemy that would make even Lovecraft's sick mind swell with pride. Not to mention the ability for these things to Indoctrinate those unlucky enough to get near them, with horrifying results. This startling realization changes Saren from being the main bad guy of the story, to the sense of urgency ramping up dramatically to stop Saren from assisting the real main bad guy, Sovereign. The Reapers are perhaps the best villain in gaming. I will be quick here and say the audio design is among the best in this genre, maybe even in all of gaming. Every track is exactly what it's supposed to be within the game. The ambient tracks are relaxing and calm. The combat music is exhilarating and pulse-pounding. The dramatic scores have synth strings swell with orchestral walls of sound, and can even be a tad overwhelming at certain key times. The music is in a league of its own, the ambient tracks are especially pleasant during downtime, and every other non-music sound blends perfectly into the experience of the game. Footsteps sound present but not distracting, winded breathing is at a great volume when compared to everything else going on. The whispers, heavy traffic, and industrial noise of the Citadel sounds just as good as the slightly windy, yet creepily quiet of some of the empty, unexplored planets. Every gunshot and explosion is impactful and forceful, making combat all the more enjoyable to the player. To conclude, I value gameplay over all else when talking about videogames. And that is a weird thing to bring up because I can't describe this title's gameplay any more accurately than "average." So, a game with average gameplay is one of my favorite game of all time, but how? While this game isn't quite as underrated or unknown as some games I will play through, the first game in the series is and there is a certain amount of people that would have been turned away because of a controversy. The controversy is that you can romance some of your companions in the game and have sex with them. It was bad y'all, the game was getting badmouthed on the news, and copies were getting pulled from store shelves, I remember it was bad. I didn't romance anyone during this playthrough, which is weird because it's really difficult to actually not do that in this game. But somehow, I accidently avoided any romance, lucky me. When I played through this game originally in 2007 or 2008 I romanced Ashley because she's tough and no nonsense and Christian, and I like all of that. Liara isn't a bad choice either because she's really shy, and sweet, and smart. Anyway, everything except the gameplay is at an incredibly high level of quality in this game. So much so that even with the most important aspect of the game, gameplay, just being average, the quality of every single other thing in the title elevates this game to one of the best of all time. The other titles in this series are not like this one, so enjoy ME1 while it lasts.