5 Games to Play If You Loved Mass Effect but Don’t Want to Commit to a Trilogy

Mass Effect is a stupendous achievement for developer BioWare. On their own, the three trilogy games are great (we don’t talk about Andromeda), but when you put them together, you have the best example of a series where player choice truly matters. It’s not simple set-dressing. Sure, you’re going to end up in roughly the same place as everyone else, but choices made in the first game actually impact who is there with you at the end. While that specific aspect of Mass Effect is impossible to replicate without a massive trilogy of games, there are a few games that capture the series’ style of squad-based space opera.

Here are five games that feel like Mass Effect, but don’t ask you to play an entire trilogy.

5) Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t take place in space, which is why it’s at the bottom of this list. That said, it has pretty much everything else you’d want. Your choices matter. NPCs feel like actual characters and not cardboard cutouts. The world-building is second to none.

It really is like playing through a classic BioWare RPG in a more modern setting. Well, that and a little bit of Grand Theft Auto. It’s not a perfect replacement for Mass Effect, but Cyberpunk 2077 is a phenomenal RPG that you can play again and again.

4) Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Now, we go to space. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy doesn’t have the Earth-shattering choices of Mass Effect or Cyberpunk 2077, but it does capture the Mass Effect 2 feeling of jumping into a seemingly impossible situation with a team at your side.

Building those relationships through the story and gameplay is what makes Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy so great. It’s not the best Marvel adaptation, but it’s up there thanks in large part to its mastery of the Guardians‘ quippy dialogue and silly personality. Plus, it’s only about 20 hours long, so you can blow through it in a long weekend.

3) Starfield

If Bethesda had delivered what fans were hoping for, Starfield would probably be on top of this list. Unfortunately, several planets feel samey, which makes the universe bland. It also struggles technically at times, making it hard to love.

If you get past those issues, you’ll find a universe filled with some of the best faction storylines in gaming. Bethesda also knows how to keep players running on its treadmill with great ship and outpost building and solid side quests. Finally, the New Game Plus twist rewards players who stick with Starfield through a few replays.

2) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

This is the only BioWare game on the list and something of a precursor to Mass Effect. Anyone who has played both games will know that action has taken a major leap from KOTOR to Mass Effect, but the campaign formula remains the same. You’re going around the universe, recruiting new companions, and making choices that have a lasting impact.

Again, don’t come in expecting the solid shooting combat you’ll remember from Mass Effect. KOTOR is much closer to a tactics game. Still, it’s worth playing through KOTOR‘s campaign to see what early BioWare was getting up to. If nothing else, you won’t regret learning the massive twist that KOTOR hits you with. Hopefully, it hasn’t been spoiled for you, because it’s one of the best twists in gaming history.

1) The Outer Worlds 2

This is the one to play. Every game on this list does a good job of recapturing the feeling of a few aspects of Mass Effect, but The Outer Worlds 2 (and the original) are the closest you’ll get to a one-off Mass Effect game.

The big difference comes in combat, which is much closer to Fallout, but still similar enough that you won’t feel out of your depth. Plus, some of the abilities you learn and sci-fi weapons you find will immediately turn you into a fan. Developer Obsidian is more interested in letting its players have fun than making The Outer Worlds 2‘s combat feel realistic, which is always a choice I can get behind.

On top of that, The Outer Worlds 2 is one of the best choice-based RPGs we’ve seen in the last few years. Not only is it packed with great moments that’ll leave you laughing out loud, but your decisions actually matter. There are so many different ways to approach every situation that a replay is almost required. And don’t be concerned about there being two games in the series. The Outer Worlds 2 is set in a new star system, so there’s no real story connection between the two games. Just pick one and be prepared to have an absolute blast.

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