Mass Effect 1 is Terrifying

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#MassEffect #BioWare #MassEffectLegendaryEdition

[@CoolBossFights]

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: The feeling of Sovereign on Eden Prime and Sovereign revealing he, a living ship, is the actual villain and not Saren, is an experience I will never ever forget in my lifetime.

[@TehButterflyEffect]

Yep. I think that scene was one of the first things I ever uploaded to KZbin.

[@Kainlarsen]

And Sovereign's character was perfect in its coldness of manner. They ruined it with Harbinger in 2.

[@mosesmorales2173]

@@urlauburlaub2222 this is so true. I'm planning to show Mass Effect to someone who never played any KOTOR, so I'll know for sure after.

[@sarahj7507]

The conversation with Vigil touches on this terrifying emptiness, too. I'll never forget the feeling when Vigil said the keepers didn't answer this time, and I realized that but for the grace of a handful of forgotten acts of courage 50k years ago and the fragile, unplanned grasp by my Shepard of their light flung forward, the galaxy would already have been destroyed in Shepard's lifetime.

[@romulo.silveira]

Holy fuck I don't usually mind spoilers at all but I do regret reading the first sentence of you comment. I'm on my 1st playthrough and wasn't ready for this revelation lol no problema thought I'll save this vid for later

[@Nokard]

This is exactly what I enjoy most about mass effect 1, that feeling cannot be replicated on mass effect 2 and 3, that's what makes ME special as well, excellent video!

[@John_shepard]

Always remember your first 🫡

[@baxxseditbox8911]

The only ME1 felling of loneliness and insignificance I got was in ME2 on the dead reaper

[@nikik5567]

That’s my biggest complaint about ME2 and 3. It’s really dropped off the rpg elements that ME had in favor of more action sequences and linearity. It’s why I love the graphical improvements and story of the latter games, but ME will always be my favorite game in the franchise.

[@evaproctor2219]

I still get goosebumps at the end credits, like wow, what an adventure.

[@_bakz_3682]

@@nikik5567 ppppp

[@attilay2k224]

Mass Effect gets me emotional every time I'm getting towards the end because I just don't want it to end

[@John_shepard]

Usually feel the same way. When I play me1 I do EVERYTHING possible all the boring crap to lengthen my playtime, one of the few games that I will willingly grind thru because I enjoy it.

[@johnnyboy3410]

played ME2 and I could never go back to 1, probably will come back to do my Liara run other than that

[@mirkopirrotta0157]

Literally 100% completed mass effect 1 and 2 Two times each, with all the side missions. The 3rd mass effect was my only one who I didn’t complete 2 times. I think it is because I want it to be a one-time experience, you know why

[@thatguy2393]

I always wish I had more to ask or say to my crew mates lol

[@evildego]

Did you too get all choked up at the end of ME3 when you're in the final mission saying goodbye to everyone?

[@bsd107]

Totally agree. I LOVED this about Mass Effect 1 - i.e. the feeling it gave you of being a tiny human in a huge galaxy. I spent so much time exploring desolate planets and reading the information about these planets. Really did a nice job of keeping human insignificance in perspective. Great video!

[@jknott1509]

Yet youre the first human spector and save the universe

[@monkeybusiness673]

@@jknott1509 True, but it IS a hero fantasy, after all. What I like about that is that even your fuzzy moments and great victories are hostile. Nobody trusts humans, really; many actively despise them; the council only very grudgingly supports you in the face of overwhelming evidence, because politics; even though you are a Spectre you're pretty much on your own...And when you finally dig up the terrible truth, everyone dismisses it yet again. And your final victory, while a great one indeed, is only the prologue to more insanity and hostility on all fronts; including "Space Nazis" (well, not really, but kind of) and effin' UDINA, that SOB!

[@calvinmatthews1527]

ME1: setting up a universe. ME2: getting to know that universe. ME3: trying to save the universe. Seriously, very few fictional media can match the quality, consistency, & realism of the Mass Effect Trilogy!

[@John_shepard]

Absolutely nailed it.

[@everdinestenger1548]

And Andromda sucks

[@skipper4126]

Mass Effect 3 Grunt + Rachni = Seriously bad ass moment.. and for a moment.. sad. Grunt + DLC = Pure joy.

[@jyshot]

@@skipper4126 so how were the noodles

[@v5k456jh3]

@@skipper4126 amogus

[@christopherdavis3424]

I can’t even count how many times I played through ME1 before ME2 came out. The game is just a masterpiece and does such a good job of establishing the universe.

[@mbogucki1]

Interesting. When ME2 and ME3 came out I never touched ME1 again and just used character creators/save editors because it was just so...painful to play. Even with LE I only played once. ME3 though I can play over and over again.

[@maskednil]

Played ME eleven times, ME2 nine times, and ME3 only once.

[@lastat00293]

Mass Effect is my Star Wars. Just absolute art

[@larsthemartian9554]

@@mbogucki1 I get you. Even though ME1 is an excellent game that sets up the world extremely well, it is arguably the least fun of the trilogy. The game is a bit of a slow burn when compared to the relatively fast-paced sequels.

[@DaveMastor]

@@maskednil That's spot on for me as well. I played ME at -least- 11 times. 3 or 4 full 100% playthroughs on the Xbox 360, maybe more (it's been 15 years lol), and then 3+ full playthroughs on PC before ME2 came out, and then another set of 3 again before I did a full playthrough that culminated in Mass Effect 3's playthrough.

[@kermut]

Driving around the desolate worlds might have been boring to some but I really loved how empty and alien everything felt. Hoping Starfield makes me feel that way tenfold

[@cantdestroyher7245]

Totally agree, that feeling of unsettling loneliness was amazing

[@devildolphin2102]

Think Andromeda and make it buggier. That will be Starfield most likely. Especially considering the Creation 2 engine is not that great at all.

[@apesibe6972]

@@devildolphin2102 cmon let's give them a chance, let's see the state of the game after 2-3 weeks, I'm sure they learned from their mistakes...

[@devildolphin2102]

@@apesibe6972 That’s what we say every time. First It was Skyrim. Fallout 4 Then Fallout 76. Somehow they get worse over time, and we just need to Get used to it. I have more self respect I will wait and actually see if Bethesda has tried to improve.

[@AlyssMa7rin]

@@devildolphin2102 fallout 4 was better than Skyrim by a mile, change my mind

[@jessehenderson2967]

Cosmic Horror hits ya like nothing else. I love ME1, much, much more than its sequels.

[@11strelok100]

Agreed so much! While they were certainly better in terms of gameplay polish, they never truly captured the feeling of isolation and astronomical horror that ME1 did ❤

[@bpths]

One of my favorite quotes: “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” -Arthur C. Clark

[@TehButterflyEffect]

We are indeed not alone, and the thought is very comforting to those who believe.

[@stevenscott2136]

I never got that quote. If we're alone, the worst that can happen is we ruin ourselves, and even that's temporary, thanks to the Sun cooking the planet in 5 billion years. Plus, I won't live to see it, anyway. If we're not alone, that might be a bit scary, but we're well fortified by sheer distance, so the chance of anything bad is low. And again, if it doesn't show up in my lifetime, it doesn't count.

[@LordVader1094]

@@stevenscott2136 Yeah you missed the meaning lol. It's purely short sighted.

[@Blox117]

thats nothing, try this for terrifying: "Mass effect andromeda was the best game in the series"

[@nathanielgarza9198]

@@stevenscott2136 I think it meant like if either was proven somehow we’re not that well off We find out probably gonna lead to conquest or enslavement We don’t find out we realize the burden and or isolation of being the only sentient beings alive

[@CataclysmDM]

ME1 is definitely terrifying... space is a hostile place, and this game displays it so well. ME1 was soooo good.

[@ZrodyApo]

With time and after countless hours playing both the original and remaster, Mass Effect 1 ended up being my favorite game in the trilogy and what you describe in the video is one of the reasons for that. And yes, the exploration is very basic and most of the assets are re-used when it comes to ennemies and structures, but it's that sense of loneliness and nothingness that makes it so good in my eyes. This feeling is incresead with the knowledge that there's something sinister lurking around in the galaxy that caused the extinction of the advanced Prothean, this cosmic horror that is still unkown. Not to forget the sound in most uncharted planets in ME1, it reinforce this sense of loneliness because the only thing you hear are the wind or celestial objects crashing down. They captured that perfectly imo Edit : more content like this is always welcome 😁😃

[@brendankelly2653]

I actually thought ME2 was the best, but after a re-run of ME1 and ME3. ME1 has the best story and groundwork, and ME3 felt like a true continuation of ME1 because of the Reaper threat, and my goodness I never felt so small and insignificant fighting 1 Reaper ship. ME2 was really hard, but had the best supporting cast. I know Andromeda isn't as good as the original trilogy, but it has its own charm. But as I was playing Andromeda, I felt that it's potential of being a great game is going to be in the new Mass Effect. I liked all of the Mass Effect games equally. But ME1 has the most compelling story. Andromeda has the best gameplay.

[@YariQue87]

I do remember this feeling of loneliness while you were dealing with rogue AI (EDI) on the moon. And mostly because of music and sound during interior exploration… same music by the way was on peak 15 mission and as I found later on the all abandoned bases…

[@ProjectFraz]

edi wasnt in the first game. thats a different ai

[@Hatfright]

@@ProjectFraz It wasn't named yet, but later in ME2, I think, we find out it was, in fact, EDI on the moon.

[@nexusomega1]

I believe it was a... prototype? Or if not that, Cerberus used the fragments of the AI to create EDI

[@YariQue87]

@@ProjectFraz yes, at that time it was just an AI, but later in ME3 while you are assaulting Cerberus base during “Priority Earth” if I do remember correctly, you can find short video logs on different screens, where Cerberus staff discusses development of EDI prototype on moon. And Shepard himself after watching it, says to EDI who’s companion on this mission, something like: “So it was you back on the moon” and she responds that “she” was not fully developed at that time and “she” had no self awareness. Sorry for not quoting everything correctly, I’m sure you can find this scene somewhere on KZbin :)

[@Oraoraoraorra]

Fun fact: The binary code when you destroy the AI translates to HELP

[@quanti5]

Mass Effect 1 is my favorite of the series and the first time it hit deep within me was coming upon the planet Klendegon and its Great Rift valley. The evidence of a mass accelerator weapon 37 million years ago causes a horrible realization to wash over the soul like a cold wind. It's an inevitability that someone else, somewhen else can be traveling the cosmos and find absolutely no evidence that we ever existed.

[@celphalonred1999]

Duuude, well said

[@HeisenbergTheFirst]

Mass effect 1 was made back when games were made with love and care and not just money. The golden age of games

[@aks19880]

Yeah that period between 2007-2013 truly was a golden age. We got amazing games like ME trilogy, Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas, the Bioshock trilogy, Uncharted 1,2,3, Last of Us 1, Assassin's Creed 1 and all the way till Black Flag, Far Cry 3, Dragon's Age series, LA Noire, Alan Wake, Max Payne 3, GTA 4 and 5, Prototype series and more. The PS3 era saw some really great games that will be remembered for years to come. Good single player stories that didn't overstay their welcome. No microtransactions and paid add-ons. No live service shit lol

[@_BRUVAMAN_]

Old school cods

[@ShadowX40]

Every age is the golden age if you are playing the bangers

[@believeinmatter]

The first one is such a awesome experience, and i think the legendary edition did a good job of revitalizing it

[@nextgenkilla2140]

Overall its alright but the lighting is kind of off in the LE. unless you can mod it the OG version is still better IMO. also preferred the old HUD system for shields and health

[@zerocool5395]

I've never had any Xbox, so I couldn't play ME1 until the Legendary Edition came out on PS5. One of the greatest games ever imo, the story, world building, the relationships with everyone, the missions etc. My favorite one in the trilogy. Also it was awesome playing all three back to back with all the DLC.

[@camrynduplessis2743]

@@nextgenkilla2140 agreed, i also prefer OG ME1 over LE ME1

[@ashokrohan7232]

I would have loved the LE of Mass Effect 1, but the messed with they lighting which killed all the cold, dark, melancholic atmosphere it had. Really wish there was a mod to bring back the old lighting effects and the blue tint.

[@samvimes9510]

And it fixed that super annoying texture bug on Noveria that turned you and every NPC into a blocky, black mess

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

I also miss ME1’s absolutely beautiful skyboxes. I’d just chill in the mako, on a random beautiful planet, just looking at the sky before going to bed.

[@Huspree2011]

"Sometimes I'm not sure if the Normandy's a warship, or a traveling freak show." ~Urdnot Wrex

[@CepbIuLOL]

When does he say it?

[@Huspree2011]

@@CepbIuLOL Mass Effect 3 when you go to meet the Krogans at the Salarian special project. As the shuttle is lifting off and you introduce Wrex to Javik.

[@lolusuck386]

One of my favorite planets in all of ME was the one that is on a collision course with a nearby planet that is supposed to happen in a few years and when you are on its surface, you can see this massive fucking object in the sky bearing down on you through the clouds as high winds blow all life away and leave nothing but a dark desert and broken mountains. It's far more unsettling and existentially scary than anything else in the series.

[@TehButterflyEffect]

Yeah, I remember that. I don't remember a giant dildo in the sky, but I do remember the rest.

[@BLAZEU.]

The dread of getting stranded alone on that planet.

[@CepbIuLOL]

iirc, there are no such planets in ME1. There is Roche World, basically 2 planets flying very close to each other, but they are not colliding. Planet that are supposted to collide in 100+ year is introduced in DLC Overlord.

[@MarkConforti]

The creepy space ambience is the perfect backdrop to this video. The emptiness of some of the environments paired with the ambience always gave me an unsettling feeling. I think you articulated it very well.

[@AceOfHeartz4]

Mass effect 1 is easily the best sci-fi rpg. It’s settings and worlds and lore made me want a space rpg

[@toe_sucker_4165]

Ok bucko, stay in your damn lane. Best space RPG, MAYBE. You don't want this argument.

[@AceOfHeartz4]

@@toe_sucker_4165 nice bait

[@nagger8216]

@@toe_sucker_4165 A footf@g and a pretentious redditor douche? Damn dude, you really rolled snake eyes in life

[@njmfff]

and that Sovereign encounter, I swear no other character in any other game made me feel more insignificant. Yeah, you get other villains be dismissive of hero, however Sovereign was completely indifferent to your existence, because to Reapers, someone like Shepard is basically just bacteria.

[@jeffbezos2960]

@@toe_sucker_4165 literally what is even number 2? Besides the other mass effects of course

[@GTAVictor9128]

When I first played Mass Effect as a kid, I was still learning English as a language so I couldn't understand much of what was going on and was quite incompetent, often needing my older brother's assistance to complete certain missions. Hence, it was the space exploration aspect that really drew me into the game, with my favourite activity being the exploration of the uncharted planets. So when ME2 first came out, I initially didn't like it because they stripped away the exploration aspect to focus more on the characters and narrative, so the game felt too complicated for me. It was only years later that I came back to replay the full trilogy now that I could grasp complex topics. For this reason, the original Mass Effect is my favourite because it has that unique atmosphere of exploration and awe that the sequels went away with.

[@Grand-Theft-Sasquatch]

I think it really shows the talent of the devs when literal nothingness becomes a cherished aspect of a game.

[@george-o1018]

I absolutely loved my first playthrough. I knew that as soon as the credits started rolling and m4 part 2 started playing that I had just played one of the greatest games ever made

[@RedRabbit-ZA]

The first time I played ME1 was with the Legendary Edition. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it compared to the other games. I feel like it has deeper RPG mechanics, which I prefer. If only Andromeda was more like ME1.

[@Trenex1000]

I never played the original trilogy, and my first time playing the franchise was through the Legendary Edition on January 2022. I unlocked all the achievements for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, by the way. I remember being four to six hours into the first game and just being entranced by it. I had a hard time playing anything else until I unlocked all the achievements for the first game. There is something about the first game that really makes me gravitate toward it, even though Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 have better and more refined gameplay and mechanics. I deeply suspect it's because it sets up this amazing world masterfully, and the threat of the Reaper invasion is primarily kept in the background. You can focus on the politics and affairs of the galaxy without this nigh God-like nihilistic cosmic horror awaiting the harvest of sentient life without feeling or remorse like it has done countless times before.

[@chillax319]

Andromeda, apart from too much repetitevness, weakest aspect was story and writing. I don't think even a single person apart from the Pathfinders father felt like a competent person. It felt like Milky Way loaded their respective races village idiots on the arcs and launched them in the direction of the closest galaxy away from them.

[@Trenex1000]

@@chillax319 I never played Mass Effect: Andromeda, and just about everyone says it's the weakest of the four games.

[@efteron5342]

@@chillax319 it's easier to make the main cast seem smart by making everyone around them idiots, as opposed to actually making the main cast smart. The OT suffers from the same problem but it's easier to justify because our governments are a bunch of idiots IRL too, whereas the leadership of the Initiative were supposed to be handpicked and tight-knit.

[@Trenex1000]

@@efteron5342 What's an OT?

[@DANRYX]

The moment Sovereign first speaks on Virmire, the moment it declares what it is and its purpose, I get chills from how impossibly ambiguous, imposing, powerful and ominous this entity feels. I felt more intimidation and dread from the concept of the Reapers in that scene than I did any other time in the trilogy, including when they arrived at Earth in ME3. An honourable mention is the most intriguing scene of expository dialog of any game I have ever experienced; The conversation with Vigil. The voice of Vigil, the music, the setting, all of it was such a perfect moment in gaming for me. These two moments were never captured in the sequels.

[@Blox117]

how did you feel when you found out the reapers were killing organics to save them from being killed.

[@DANRYX]

@@Blox117 I gathered that the Reapers didnt harvest organics for survival, but to historically archive each advanced species that emerges from every cycle and I do find that concept fascinating. My only complaint about the Reapers is how they were personified as a one-line repeating boss voice in ME2. The third installment fixed that tremendously and made the Reapers unsettling again, especially with the introduction of the Banshees (Asari indoctrinated).

[@Blox117]

@@DANRYX if thats true, then why are they putting valuable archives on the front lines to be destroyed?

[@DANRYX]

@@Blox117 that is an excellent question. I would assume that the initial reaper is the physical manifestation of the specific race it archives, but the actual historical and base genetic template is share amongst all of them. I factor what Sovereign stated on Virmire where it is said that there are no individuals. Where Andromeda should have explored would be the Reapers beyond dark space and the discovery of an entirely synthetic and massive world that functions solely as their main archive. Where after the creation of a new reaper, it returns to this world to perminantly archive what it assimilated, then return with the harvesting fleet to await the next cycle. So much about the already massive ME universe could have been expanded upon with ME:A that was completely abandoned, unfortunately.

[@Blox117]

@@DANRYX me:a was a mistake altogether

[@heavymetalweatherman7774]

I love and agree with the premise of this video. I think what adds to that feeling of insignificance in ME1 is that it’s the only game in the series where Shepard isn’t a galactic hero and celebrity. He becomes a Spectre, sure, but the only people who have any actual clue what he’s up to don’t believe him when he warns them about the Reaper threat. He’s on his own. And the vastness of space offers little solace or comfort over this lonely feeling.

[@idrinktapwater6174]

Mass Effect is a game with the Morrowind vibe. Mystery, atmosphere, exploration and some cosmic horror. It maintains it throughout the whole game. ME2 begins pretty strong but wastes no time in ruining the mystery of The Collectors and then it becomes a pretty bland third person shooter with "who do you wanna smash?" as it's big decision. Then Shepard became less of a conduit to investigate the world of ME and more of a standalone character you watch do stuff until it is time to shoot stuff. It was quicker to make a sequel to a Mass Effect 2 style game than Mass Effect. I think everyone just wanted Andromeda to be the sequel or spiritual successor to Mass Effect.

[@Refat_swordfish]

When ME1 came out I had absolutely no interest in Sci-Fi. I loved realistic shooters and the idea of running around shooting lasers and such just felt lame. A friend of mine kept nagging on me to give it a try. It took him almost a couple of years before i finally gave in. I fell instantly in love. ME1 is the only reason I´m a Sci-Fi buff today.

[@camrynduplessis2743]

nice thing about mass effect is its also not exactly to heavy on the sci-fi aspect of things like say halo or star wars

[@sainkanzaki]

@@camrynduplessis2743 SW is more fantasy than sci-fi. Mass Effect is more sci-fi than Halo, what makes ME more attractive is that all it's sci-fi (at least in 1) is consistent. Kinda like The Expanse, it's so detailed and well thought that it doesn't leave too much to hand waving or space magic.

[@jashloseher578]

@@sainkanzaki Indeed, ME1 paid quite a lot of attention and lip service to various sciences. The doctors that started it were, well, doctors, after all. Halo's 'realism' goes no further than 'bullets and physics don't suddenly stop working in space.'

[@reecenotryhs]

I've seen a few games handle empty space well (AC Origins and RDR2 spring to mind) but I never knew Mass Effect did this too, since I've never played these games and was under the impression they were entirely linear. Glad to see they nailed the emptiness of space.

[@MrEmiosk]

Optional. I did not know how much there was todo outside the mainstory elements. By common vernacular, I rushed the story and the game was awesome, but then years passed and I learned that what I thought was pretty much the entire game, was prehaps only 30-40% of all content.

[@TheMelancholicWriter]

Well that’s just great! Now I HAVE to replay the whole trilogy again for the 17th time. Thanks, ya bloody Pom!

[@tyrongkojy]

I describe the difference between 1 and the two sequels, especially 2, as such. 1's cover is blue. Calm. Collected. Mysterious. 2 is red. Fiery. Angry. Action. Focus tested.

[@juliab7934]

The vastness of space really hits you when you get out of the mako and walk around on foot for a bit. It makes you feel incredibly tiny and insignificant. Mass Effect 1 is my favorite because the terrifying feeling of loneliness and desolation isn’t matched by anything else, I love it.

[@Bacadami]

I’m loving the Mass Effect content Fizhy, started playing the trilogy again myself.

[@bradreed4414]

I recently did a run with the expressed purpose to grab the last platinum trophies on psn. So I guess now I need to go play properly 😅

[@eodyn7]

Do the Legendary edition, it's better.

[@Bacadami]

@@eodyn7 I am playing the legendary edition.

[@aaroncarr3413]

Me and my roommate too, well originally he was gonna play DA:O but he tried everything, every launcher, every setting, he has a bug where the text won't load, I'm pretty sure it's a video card error. But yeah very epic game ME1

[@foobar-9k]

At 6:35... man... I had forgotten how haunting that background music was! Very simple... but it always gave me the chills.

[@ana_d_73]

Mass Effect 1 is my favourite of the series because of the mastery with which they handled the space exploration. The dangerous atmospheres, the desolate planets filled only with enemies, the size and scope of the Citadel, the various people milling around the Citadel living their lives unaware of what's coming, the peeks of the long dead Protheans...and how tiny we humans are in comparison to everyth It's so layered and diverse, and the atmosphere and music created in the game has not been replicated in any of the sequels. It delivered everything about space faring that I as a child imagined looking up at the stars late at night. The Mass Effect series is one of the few series I feel a major emotional connection to, and ME1 is integral in establishing that connection. The game is flawed, but it is a masterpiece in world building and an awesome RPG.

[@whatwhowhen]

I love the trilogy as a whole, but ME1 certainly is something special.

[@nickando1734]

i completed mass effect 1 after having given up on it years ago and got the legendary edition and it became one of my favorite addictions! i cant wait to play ME2 once i have time

[@HeathenSWolf]

For me the empty planets were a grim reminder of what will happen if Reapers were to win. Planets with no life, but some random ruin here and there. It especially felt this way on that planet with a single building-thing and a sphere with cryptic message on it.

[@ioannistsak9843]

You put in words my feelings of ME1. It's one of the games with such unique atmosphere, unduplicated by any other. So many mysteries when I first played that game and so many unique planets. Noveria? Or Ilos? Thanks for the video.

[@SaltyRocksPew]

I find how infinitely small humanity is compared to the rest of the universe comforting, actually. No despair no sadness no terrible thing, no matter how big, is actually all that significant in the cosmological sense. The thought comforts me, at least.

[@LandofBrickForests]

Like others here have mentioned, mass effect 1's eerie atmosphere is also one of things i love about it. The music, some of the locations and characters all had this dark, strange vibe them. I've played through this game many times, man. I love it. They had a hard time replicating the vibe the first game had for the next two entries to the point where it never happened, but maybe bioware wasn't trying for that with 2 and 3. I'm not sure.

[@Kushrada]

I still remember the first time I came across a Thresher Maw. My Shepard was several planets deep, he had easily beaten smugglers, slavers and merc groups. Fielded numerous expeditions, marked mining nodes and completed several side quests. Then we heard the scream, the Thresher Maw rising the the ice several meters away, the size of it and the quickness it submerged. The mako still, waiting to line up a shot, the sound of a a blizzard barely muffling the rumbling terrain beneath the wheels. Then it emerged, directly underneath us, Mako sent flying, on fire admits a raging blizzard, shields gone, only one part of the thing undamaged. Then came the acid, instantly melting through the hull. Commander Shepard, Liara and Wrex, half melted corpses freezing solid admits melted slag. That was my moment of terror, that at any point one may emerge on any planet at any time. Reading their lore after getting revenge solidified this fear for the rest of the game.

[@TehButterflyEffect]

I avoided the big flat open areas like the plague after the first time I ran across a thresher maw. The word you are looking for is 'amidst.'

[@V1rtualFlod]

It was this feeling that made me fall in love with the first game, and it was the lack of it that made me disappointed with its sequel. I'd also add that ME2 feels a lot more gamified and less like a new world. Streamlined shooting, linear level design, end of mission screen, tiny citadel space etc. ME3 was a sequel to ME2, but I still argue that no game is a proper spiritual sequel to ME1.

[@roll14tideroll]

ME2 is actually my least favorite of the series

[@Bmanbeast]

I played Mass effect 1 so much before mass effect 2 came out I had to get another disc because I burned it out Ah good times and memories

[@HamanKarn567]

That ominous scary music that plays in all the research scientist centers scared me as a kid playing back in 2008 on Xbox 360. Still is pretty creepy.

[@nikik5567]

Man if I could just relive my first playthrough of mass effect…my first time in the citadel. The game had been out for about five years at that point, but not having internet at home back then I didn’t get spoiled by anything or anyone. So I went in totally blind and no matter how much of a break I take these days I can never capture that feeling again…

[@VerdeMorte]

"JENKINS! NOOOO!" "It's okay! He just needs a new neck transplant." *"And we've got one to spare!"* (Abominashep)

[@benm3382]

Its hard to believe this game was released 11 years after Super Mario 64... 3D games really weren't that old, yet it's such an achievement in immersive gaming.

[@chazclark86]

Fkn amazing series man! Not long played through the trilogy again! Brilliant.

[@silentflamemc]

Absolutely. I have a love-hate relationship with the Labs 2 song that plays whenever you explore another lifeless prefab that had no business being on a planet out in the middle of godforsakened nowhere. Funnily enough, the song itself is even _missing_ from the soundtrack, which is the most ironically fitting thing. You won't find it in it's home along with the other tracks, you have to go out and look for it. It's mysterious, terrifying, and ultimately humbling.

[@Fizhy]

I love that track for the same reasons I hate hearing it hahahaha

[@hunivan7672]

Link please :D

[@Raptorman0205]

Title: Mass Effect 1 is Terrifying The thumbnail: the Mako Me: "Yeah, that checks out"

[@joshuapatrick682]

6:33 I love looking up at that planet and immediately thinking that it looks like it got glanced by some type of giant rail gun slug, only to find out that’s pretty much exactly what happened. Great stuff!

[@MagnusVictor2015]

Thought I'd have fun pointing this out: That planet model isn't just something cooked up by the game devs. That's Mars. Yes, that Mars.

[@AbdulBido]

Should youtube survive this long.. I'm willing to bet that mars will have some horrific history. You heard it here first.. ​@@MagnusVictor2015

[@Bizarrejoe]

According to Mass Effect's backstory, all of these planets were inhabited. Thanks to the reapers, they're not anymore.

[@lxginventorymanagement1859]

the difference between shroom-takers and non shroom-takers is that shroom-takers find this comforting

[@nicholasdonin1465]

After the 1st Thresher Maw I encountered, I was like wtf was that. Then I find a few more unmarked Maw nests. That second one made me leave that planet in my 1st playthrough.

[@r0cketm00se3]

Curious, how did you feel about H-047c in Andromeda? Personally while I was doing the side quests on that asteroid and Vetra's loyalty mission I was having serious ME1 Uncharted world nostalgia. That's the feeling I wanted, having a couple hub worlds is cool and all but they needed more "abandoned moon with a criminal gang operating illegally on it" kind of locations to explore/mine/fight on.

[@indigo4afbry701]

H-047c was my favorite in Andromeda. It gave me a similar feeling to the Luna mission in Mass Effect 1. The lack of atmosphere just gave both a silent sense of awe at the universe. In a way, it kinda makes sense that you would have the ability to explore empty worlds in ME1 but not in Andromeda. In ME1, the Reaper threat hasn't made resources scarce yet. While in Andromeda, you don't have the time/resources to land and explore every uninhabited world in each system - you needed a society that could be productive a year ago.

[@rickysmith6081]

@@indigo4afbry701 good point.

[@stevenscott2136]

@@indigo4afbry701 The Pathfinder was intended (in-universe) to basically be Magellan, but everything had fallen apart so badly that he ended up having to be Wyatt Earp instead.

[@SmegHead06]

What unnerved me about the 1st game came from the realisation that because the cycle has been repeated over millions of years then its highly likely that the dead and baron worlds we can explore were most likely once the home worlds to species that were entirely wiped out to the last and all traces of their existence has been utterly erased by both the Reapers and the relentless march of time before Dinosaurs even roamed our planet.

[@mahatmacharya]

Very well done video essay. A heartfelt tribute to this wonderful game! The first time getting introduced to and free roaming the Citadel was indeed unbelievably awesome! Some people found the planet roaming as their least favourite part but to me that was the most authentic and immersive experience of the Mass Effect Universe. The other time I fully felt this sense of being relatively insignificant was in ME3 while nearing the end of the game, once in the quiet and lonely Shooting range, while desperately testing and modifying the right weapons to take on the giant reaper invasion. That, combined with the experiences of ME1 and ME2, was when the feeling of this dread and insignificance fully sank in.

[@MalevolentStudios]

There is another game from 2003 called Freelancer that does this except with whole systems instead of planets. There are dozens of systems you can fly through in that game, and I refuse to pass through most of them due to a sense of fear and dread. What makes it worse in Freelancer is that some systems are downright dangerous just flying around. Some of them have radiation that eats away at your ship, some have mine fields spanning half the map, explosive pockets of gas, etc. I don't know what it is, just something about the vastness of the nebulas and the empty pockets of space outside of the main trade lanes unnerves me.

[@TehButterflyEffect]

I think that's what made Mechwarrior 4 so much better than Mechwarrior 5. The planets themselves just seemed big and empty. That and the missions made a lot more sense, but yeah. Everywhere you went felt like somewhere new that humans had just begun to inhabit.

[@MiaMizuno]

OH, the atmosphere, OH the soundtrack! Also I remember being totally lost in the citadel when I started the game x'D In my first run it took me like 4 hours to leave the citadel, I was so brainmessed with that map. Still, I LOVE the trilogy. And I simp Kaidan. I loved my trilogy ending with Kaidan. Period. 🙃

[@adamfisher686]

Me3's ending was meant to be about dark energy. It was touched on at various times during me1 and 2. Company greed was just starting to be a thing within computer games development world. The game ended up being rushed and the ending changed. We unfortunatly never got to see the intended ending, I wish I could have seen the intended plot.

[@thesufferingpariah]

not sure why so many ppl hated on exploring planets and driving around in ME1, the game blew my mind when it came out.

[@buckrodgers1162]

I have always had ME1 as my favorite of the 3. I played them when they first released (except ME3, which I played a year after it's release via bought 'used' copy), but never played the LE (Boycott of EA that I refuse to break). And ME2 to me, represented the story of EA taking over BioWare; A small company of people (BioWare/Shepard and team), being sold out by a larger company ((can't remember their name)/The Alliance), only to seek 'refuge' within an notably 'untrustworthy' company (EA/Cerberus).

[@KristinkaAranova]

When u said at some point there will be no evidence that we ever even existed..right in the feels

[@ThePersonNetwork]

The scariest thing about Mass Effect to me is that it to one day, like all things, will mostly be forgotten. ME1 has jaw-dropping atmosphere that I don't think will be replicated ever again.

[@RobertEdwinHouse9]

The labs theme is absolutely terrifying

[@gdreyer]

One think I love the most about ME trilogy is the eerie music, it's both calming and frightening at times.

[@technologic21]

I really appreciate the essay. ME1 really set the tone. The expanse, isolation, and emptiness of space contrasts the limitations and finite nature of humanity. All the species in ME are limited by their evolutionary biology. The Reapers, on the other hand, are so powerful and intelligent, they have become a force of nature unto themselves. "Stand amongst the ashes of a trillion dead souls, and ask the ghosts if honor matters. Silence will be your answer." - Javik

[@hawk66100]

I totally agree. I personally always feel a little apprehensive and creeped out when exploring the barren planets in ME1, I get the sense that I’m millions of miles from nowhere and utterly alone.

[@paStLife463]

Mass Effect 1 was AMAZING for what it offered - exploring deep space with mates, choices which shaped the world AND it was the first. What it offered was impressive. The way it offered them thankfully improved in later games. The bad thing is that no other game - even Andromeda (!) - didn't try to offer an even better experience....Andromeda was even worse than 1 so...

[@coryaustin7379]

Man, sitting on the Earth's moon, it's dead quiet you're just running around and then you hear the Rachni song from out of nowhere.

[@aleckelsey2663]

Well ... You nailed it. ... And that's why the original - and subsequently 2 and 3 - enthralled me so thoroughly. It may be that the first game set the stage too well. And thay could be why I cannot for the life of me get into Andromeda.

[@baldygrey2779]

This is a great take. I like 2 the most overall, but 1 vibed the hardest for reasons that I perhaps didn't truly understand or appreciate but I think you have articulated well here.

[@sushijones]

I was nonplussed by ME1's minimalist and repetitive exploration mechanic, until I got to Earth's moon, and suddenly it felt real and grounded. And then I found a human space probe - a named, real one, from actual history, and suddenly I went, "oh f***, I GET it now". I suddenly completely bought in to the incredible thrill of setting food on strange worlds, feeling like Buzz Aldrin or Neil Armstrong every time I landed the Mako somewhere new.

[@paulgallagher5889]

I play through the trilogy about every year or 18 months. The music, the atmosphere, that lived-in feeling and reality of each location just strikes true every single time. Sad that they just don't make games like that anymore.

[@Rex_W]

Just contemplating how vast the galaxy is, let alone the universe, can really put things into perspective

[@erwinmeisel2545]

To be fair to ME Andromeda. It was the remnants who made the planets habitable. This explains the high density of life-sustaining planets.

[@BrockShake]

I am so glad I am not the only one who got the creeps from standing on the moon in and looking at the Earth in ME1.

[@southofzero2510]

i rarely enjoy mass effect videos, but yours really pleased me. cool video!

[@duckinator2951]

Let's not forget the amazing, sombre soundtrack that always accompanied you! It's not over the top, it's not orchestra, it's not that iconic actually. It's calm, sombre, tranquil, almost boring. When you are out on a world void of life feeling just how insignificant you are, the score is there in the background. It doesn't take the scene, it just understands, it shares what you feel and amplifies it. Vigil has to be the best moment in the game for me. It's an AI that tells you how hopeless the relentless persecution of it's creators was, how it had to shut down many life pods to preserve the few. Those in it reawoke to a galaxy without hope. A world where they had lost not all they own, but all their entire species had ever strived to be and hoped for. They travel to the Citadel and I cannot even begin to imagine how absolutely terrifying an empty Citadel would even be! They go there to give the next cycle a chance, fully knowing they will find no sustenance nor life there and slowly die off absolutely alone in the galaxy they once knew as prosperous. Now that's where I would like to see a dead space like mass effect sequel, just putting the idea out there Bioware!

[@BroncoBoys]

The scariest soundtrack has to be where your in a underground facility on a uncharted world,hell nah.

[@ericlondon2663]

We are but motes of dust upon a grain of sand orbiting a tiny spark. Nothing like existential dread to add some flavor to a morning coffee.

[@Tamisday]

The Thorian is still pants shittingly terrifying all these years later.

[@Sheamu5]

I'm an og mako enjoyer, and this is my favorite Mass Effect video essay.

[@ruex1234]

Sir. You articulated in words what I never could. Thank you.

[@RayleighJones]

Ironically enough, the most damaged of MEA's Golden Worlds (Habitat 5, H-047c), the shattered moon, was one of my favourite places to explore there. I mean, the others were gorgeous places. But too teeming with life and stuff to see or do. Looked more like old fantasy worlds than just alien planets.

[@rickysmith6081]

The smashed planet is a fucking blast!

[@CJ_Espinoza]

The only terrifying thing about Mass Effect 1 was how the Mako controlled like a motorized stick of butter.

[@zac0918]

i liked exploring those worlds, the scenery was always nice in them, specially the ones where the nearby star was very close by

[@radicalcentrist4990]

It makes sense why the sequels don't have exploration anymore. Because you already explored the galaxy in the first game and you had the time to do it. In the sequels you gotta focus on the mission because it's an emergency situation.

[@anthonyworstell3768]

Mass Effect was my first Sci-Fi Exploration RPG. Then there was Dragon Age. And Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey… unfortunately. Anyways, Mass Effect was my step-dad’s games, but as a kid I always played them. But this game is special to me: the story itself is unlike anything I’ve played before. The power of choice felt impactful and shaped the Milky Way by my actions. And the idea where your character’s can get stronger via upgrading gear and purchasing skills when leveling up. And I was like, “Sign me the f**k up!”

[@TehButterflyEffect]

Dragon Age Origins was amazing, but it's difficult to replay now due to the game not aging well. DA2 was pretty good, DA3 was really lacking because they quit focusing on character development and made the story too big.

[@haydenkinley5266]

The eerie loneliness of desolate planets is such a strong and stand-out feature of the first game it sometimes replaces the actual plot of the game if I brush ME in my memory. First game is my absolute favourite in the series, the atmosphere is so strong and sinister, I love it immensely. One thing that MELE screw up a bit is visual presentation of the first game, colour correction was more intense and varied and did a good job of accenting said atmoshpere, but I love it nonetheless.

[@jago09]

The revelations at ilos is what makes ME1 heartbreaking and gripping

[@Kryptice]

Despite its flaws, ME1 is an absolute gem; and still my favorite game in the Mass Effect franchise. Great video! Keep up the good work.

[@thebrownbanana7863]

This is the reason why space absolutely horrifies me.

[@OneTrueNobody]

It really does help that Legendary Edition fixed the vehicle handling, though.

[@Esiaa]

I still remember the first time I've heard Rachni song on the moon. I had goosebumps.

[@ApocGuy]

For me personally, it was NPC's (well, companions) that were THE element of whole ME trilogy. i can still remember the smile i got when i found out that archangel was actually (probably best) your old pal, Garrus. love interests with liara/Ashley/Kaiden lay groundwork for even more options in next installments.music was awesome too, and the fun of climbing mako up the 90 degree slopes... LOL :D .

[@stevenscott2136]

I literally yelled out loud "GARRUS!", like we were old friends.

[@Nautinthislifetime]

I wish I could get back that feeling of awe, wonder and horror that I had the first time I played ME1 about....11 years ago! The trilogy to this day is still one of my favourite game series and yes, I agree, ME1 is terrifying! The ones that really get me is the totally silent then, every now and then, you hear the Rachni song, and also I think...Klendagon (cannot remember the spelling) and you look to the moon and see the massive scar across the face of it.....where did that come from? I remember seeing a lore video on what may have happened but I can no longer find it. To this day, that all still freaks me out. Andromeda never felt silent, lonely and overwhelming.......a film that captured that feeling of hopelessness and being lost in space was Aniara.....that movie gave me those feelings ME1 did

[@KaitoGillscale]

While Mass Effect 2 will always be my favorite in the series for what it does to me emotionally...ME1 is a haunting, deeply emotional RPG that says a lot with 2006's engine.

[@spartastic4]

The biggest thing I hated about the explorable plaents in ME1 was just how mountainous they were. Like, each planet probably has it's own hilly area, plains area, and some rare ones probably have a coastal area but they decided to drop you in that planet's equivalent of the Rocky's or the Himalayas. Made some parts just stupid for no reason. Also the reason why people like/make fun of the Mako.