History Franchise / MassEffect

# ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' was released for the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 in November 2007 and [[{{UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows}} PC]] in May[=/=]June 2008. The UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 version was released in late 2012 as part of the ''Mass Effect Trilogy'', and as a standalone digital download for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork. Taking place in 2183, it introduces the main character, System Alliance officer Lt.Cmdr. Shepard, and the beginning of that character's journey to become the first human Spectre, an elite soldier given full support of [[TheFederation the Citadel races]] to operate carte blanche in their interest. Shepard's first mission is to track down a rogue Spectre, Saren, and unravel his connection to the mysterious [[EldritchAbomination Reapers]], ancient beings that are only known as the ones who wiped out the [[{{Precursors}} Protheans]] 50,000 years ago. Shepard is set loose in a WideOpenSandbox galaxy with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore, in an... ''interesting'' 3rd-person-shooter-cum-RPG battle engine. They are aided by a [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits diverse band of companions]], as well as by the technology left behind by the Protheans.

# ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' was released on all three platforms in early March 2012, with a UsefulNotes/WiiU port being released at the console's launch in November 2012. It leads to the ultimate fear: the Reapers invade the Milky Way in the year 2186 and Earth is among the first to be overwhelmed. Shepard has reunited with the Alliance and retrieved blueprints for [[LostSuperweapon a potential machine to defeat the Reapers]] they call "The Crucible." To retake Earth, and more importantly survive the Reaper invasion, Shepard must form a new team and unite the races of the galaxy to fight back and commit resources to the Crucible. In addition to wrapping up the MythArc of the trilogy, it continued to refine the gameplay standard set by the second game, increasing movement and combat actions as well as weapon customization to the point that Creator/BioWare felt confident including a CoOpMultiplayer mode.
# ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' was released in March 2017 for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and PC. Set around the same time as ''Mass Effect 2'', the "Andromeda Initiative" was a colonization program to travel to the nearest galaxy, Andromeda. [[PlanetSpaceship City-sized starships]] full of {{Human Popsicle}}s (not to mention ones for asari, salarians, turians and krogan) go on a 600-year journey. (Because the game is essentially an {{interquel}}, [=BioWare=] were able to avoid CuttingOffTheBranches of the trilogy's MultipleEndings.) The player assumes the role of Scott or Sara Ryder, HalfIdenticalTwins who take on a leadership position within the Initiative when their ship arrives in 2819 and things go FromBadToWorse. The game places emphasis on the WideOpenSandbox which [=BioWare=] had intended to implement during the original trilogy, abandoning the [[SlidingScaleOfLinearityVsOpenness highly-linear maps]] and [[StoryToGameplayRatio narrative focus]] that replaced it.

''Mass Effect: Legendary Edition'', a 4K remaster of the original trilogy containing all three games and almost all of their single player DLC[[note]]''Mass Effect 1'''s "Pinnacle Station" DLC is not included as its source code has been corrupted.[[/note]] was released on May 14, 2021 for {{PC}}, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, with forward compatibility and enhancements for UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesX and UsefulNotes/PlayStation5.

''Mass Effect'' is a SpaceOpera multimedia franchise, originating as an [=RPG/=][[ThirdPersonShooter third person shooter]]. It was developed by Creator/{{BioWare}}, which also developed ''Franchise/StarWars: [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Knights of the Old Republic]]'', ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGate Baldur's Gate]]'', ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', ''Franchise/DragonAge'', and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights''.

* ''[[ComicBook/MassEffectEvolution Evolution]]'': A mini-series delving into the origins of the Illusive Man. Immediately after the First-Contact War, one Jack Harper comes to blows with the turian Arterius brothers over a Reaper artifact they discovered during the war.
* ''[[ComicBook/MassEffectConviction Conviction]]'': A one-shot bridging the events of ''Paragon Lost'' and ''[=ME3=]''. While DrowningHisSorrows on Omega, James Vega is hired by Admiral Anderson to guard Shepard after the events of the "Arrival" DLC.

* ''[[ComicBook/MassEffectHomeworlds Homeworlds]]'': An AnthologyComic delving into the backstory of a different ''[=ME3=]'' squadmate in each issue: James Vega grows up with an addict father and enlists with the Alliance marines with his uncle's help; Tali's Pilgrimage is derailed when she discovers Saren's agents tampering with the geth and flees to the Citadel[[note]], setting up Shepard's search for her in ''[=ME1=]''[[/note]]; during his LastStand on Omega, Garrus reminisces about his father and the failure of the Archangel[[note]], setting up his rescue by Shepard in ''[=ME2=]''[[/note]]; Liara visits the hanar homeworld to study a Prothean relic, racing Cerberus to find any means to fight the Reapers[[note]], setting up her reunion with Shepard on Mars in ''[=ME3=]''[[/note]].

* ''[[ComicBook/MassEffectFoundation Foundation]]'': A 13-issue series showing select events of the original trilogy from the POV of Cerberus field agents, mainly Rasa a.k.a. [[spoiler:Maya Brooks]], Kai Leng, and Miranda Lawson, as well as vignettes from the pasts of Mordin, Kasumi, Zaeed, and Thane.

* ''[[ComicBook/MassEffectFoundation Foundation]]'': A 13-issue series showing select events of the original trilogy from the POV of Cerberus field agents, mainly Rasa a.k.a. [[spoiler:Maya Brooks]], Kai Leng, and Miranda Lawson.

* ''[[ComicBook/MassEffectFoundation Foundation]]''

* ''[[ComicBook/MassEffectHomeworlds Homeworlds]]'': An AnthologyComic delving into the backstory of a different ''[=ME3=]'' squadmate in each issue: James Vega grows up with an addict father and enlists with the Alliance marines at the insistence of his uncle; Tali's Pilgrimage is derailed when she discovers Saren's agents tampering with the geth and flees to the Citadel[[note]], setting up Shepard's search for her in ''[=ME1=]''[[/note]]; during his LastStand on Omega, Garrus reminisces about his father and the failure of the Archangel[[note]], setting up his rescue by Shepard in ''[=ME2=]''[[/note]]; Liara visits the hanar homeworld to study a Prothean relic, racing Cerberus to find any means to fight the Reapers[[note]], setting up her reunion with Shepard on Mars in ''[=ME3=]''[[/note]].

* ''[[ComicBook/MassEffectConviction Conviction]]'': A one-shot bridging the events of ''Paragon Lost'' and ''[=ME3=]''. While DrowningHisSorrows on Omega, James Vega is hired by Admiral Anderson to guard Shepard after the events of "Arrival".