Mass Effect is truly something special. No series before or since has managed to so completely draw me into its world and characters. The adventures of Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy over the course of the trilogy will forever remain one of my favorite video game experiences of all time. And the original entry in the series is what started it all.

Despite not aging well in some respects (character models and animation, for example) and the ever present frustration of the inventory system and the Mako, I feel like the original Mass Effect still holds up after over ten years. The second and third entries refined gameplay and visuals (to a certain extent), but the first Mass Effect created the world, characters, and story that propelled the series forward. I personally like Mass Effect 2 and 3 better, but it is impossible to ignore the draw of the original. Indeed, I can still remember how excited I felt to be playing this cinematic space RPG; I moved on to other BioWare games like KotOR and Dragon Age, but I have no doubt that Mass Effect is what solidified my love for the developer and their games.

For this playthrough, I wanted to do something a little different. So I decided to play on PC for the very first time with a new Shepard. Aside from the issues present with every version of the game, I had a great time, and I look forward to continuing my new Shepard's story with the rest of the trilogy on PC.

In 2010, at a time where I cared about my K/D ratio in fast-paced online shooters and about perfecting my aim and tracking, playing Mass Effect was my gateway into the world of RPGs. Right from the opening minutes, I was captivated. These moments, where the excellent Mass Effect Theme played as your crew prepared for its first mission, forever sticks in my mind as one of the greatest openings in gaming. Playing the prologue mission on Eden Prime and then going through the Spectre induction ceremony with its theme playing, I knew that an amazing game was likely heading my way.

Not only did the game do a great job of explaining the background of this universe to you through the story itself, but you can also read a lot more about this world in the Codex. The Codex made the history buff in me howl with glee as I downloaded the Mass Effect universe. Lore is always welcome in RPGs for me, and Mass Effect remains my high bar.

Although the gameplay and animations have not aged well at all, the story and characters continue to be the reason why I can still come back to the game. Since the decisions you make in this game affect quests in Mass Effect 2 and 3, any time I want to change an outcome in the sequels, I'll come back and replay this to make sure I get the experience I want in the future games. This is the "Mass Effect" — playing one of the games means playing all of them.

There's so much to say about Mass Effect that I could only dream of fitting it all into two podcast episodes. I came into this series without firsthand experience of BioWare and WRPGs, but the allure of space and good storytelling called out to me, and I regret very little.

The first title had me from its very opening moments, and I still get those goosebumps each time the opening theme plays and the title rolls across the screen. Mass Effect captured all the makings of an old sci-fi movie or series with its music, lighting effects, and film grain, but especially in how it introduces the alien races and humanity's place in the galaxy among them.

Revisiting Mass Effect reminded me just how expansive the worl- er, universe is, without fully becoming a daunting, open-world title. I was reminded of how charmingly annoying the inventory system and Mako were, how much I enjoyed the character relationships, interactions, and politics, and how I knew I'd be coming back to this series for years to come.

And hey, I got to make silly puns with my last name forever.