The galaxy is trapped in an endless cycle of extinction. Every 50,000 years an ancient machine race invades and with ruthless efficiency wipes out all advanced organic civilization. They leave behind only the scattered ruins of technology, destroying all evidence of their own existence.
Mass Effect is the best RPG I have played since Knights of the Old Republic. It is in the same ballpark but certainly not the superior of the aforementioned Star Wars game. It has very engaging gameplay and an A+ storyline and voice cast. The game also looks great and plays smoothly. It does have some minor downsides – atrocious inventory system and some tedious missions but overall is a great game that blends traditional rpg elements and 3rd person shooter mechanics.
Certainly worth purchasing and playing, however the vast improvement of its successor shows that this was not a perfect game.