字谜探险：战神的挑战 Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords p.388

我可以说《质量效应 1》这么具有沉浸感的原因是我们有幸能先花将近一整年的时间来构思出一个完整的宇宙（星球、科技、外星种族、政治构架和历史细节），之后我们才真正开始写游戏的剧情。这让我们得以真正创造出了一个颇具深度的游戏世界。

I can say that the reason ME1 was so immersive is that we had the luxury of spending almost a year thinking up and fleshing out the universe (planets, technology, aliens, political and historical details) before we had to actually start writing the game. It let us really create something with a lot of depth.

Drew Karpyshyn
《质量效应》主文案

Drew Karpyshyn,
Mass Effect's lead writer

所有这些系统都为《质量效应》的冒险增色。你在星图上选择一个目的地，开着飞船到达那里，带着两个队员一起去探索星球，遇见新的种族、地点以及谜团，在这过程中一直做着属于自己的选择，最终塑造出属于自己的故事，并且一步步迈向最终的目标。

就是在这个过程中《星航》和《行星控制》的精神得到了体现。你可以探索星球和小行星来获得宝贵的矿产和遗物，还能开着灰鲭鲨号（Mako）——一辆全地形车——去做支线任务，其包括剿灭海盗、土匪以及异星生物，或是与叛军进行谈判，抑或简单的搜寻更多的遗物和矿产。

可惜的是，你并不能完全自由的探索银河系，你只能从一个星系跃迁到另一个星系，同时游戏里也没有太空战役。大部分支线任务都挺公式化的，基本都是在差不多的场景中进行一系列简单的遭遇战。不过这些支线也不是一无是处，在做任务的过程中你可以听到很多对话和广播，还能骇入终端机，有时也会接到上将的直接通信。

实际上，这就是《质量效应 1》成功在三部曲中脱颖而出的原因：真实的探索感。薛帕德指挥官还不是他/她未来会成为的“太空救世主”，而只是领导着一群离经叛道的士兵，经由体制管控，但却在解决体制内解决不了的问题。

All this builds up to Mass Effect's enticing call to adventure – you choose a new destination on the star map, travel there with your ship and go out exploring with two squad mates, meeting new aliens, locations and mysteries, all while making choices that define your story and bring you closer to your final goal.

It's here that the spirit of games like StarFlight and Star Control are felt in force. You can survey planets and asteroids for valuable minerals and relics, as well as land on a few of them with the Mako, an all-terrain vehicle, for side-quests that range from killing pirates, bandits and aliens to trying to negotiate with rebels or just hunting more relics and minerals.

Sadly, you cannot move freely in space – only jump from planet to planet – and there's no space combat. Most of these side-quests are also very formulaic, being set in similar locations and usually just boiling down to brief combat encounters. But there's a nice effort to give them weight, as you learn about them by overhearing conversations and news broadcasts, hacking terminals or when fleet admirals directly contact you.

In fact, this is where Mass Effect 1 stands out from the rest of the trilogy: the sense of scope. Shepard is not the “Space Jesus” she/he would later become, but rather the leader of a group of misfits working from inside the system to solve a threat that the system can't handle.

2021 年，BioWare 发布了《质量效应：传奇版》。本作为完整三部曲的重制版，增强了画面效果，添加了一系列体验优化，发售平台为 PC、PS4、Xbox One。

*In 2021 BioWare released Mass Effect Legendary Edition, a remaster of the entire trilogy for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, with improved graphics and a few quality of life features.

虽然《质量效应 2》和《质量效应 3（Mass Effect 3）》有着大大增强了的游戏性，体验大幅提升的战斗，更好的画质以及经过充分打磨的整体体验，但这些续作却丧失了一些很重要的元素。两部续作的叙事场景都有所缩小，一切都围绕着薛帕德指挥官、收割者（Reapers）^[3] 和塞伯鲁斯（Cerberus）^[4] 进行。这最终导致了后来的《质量效应：仙女座（Mass Effect: Andromeda）》不得不软重启，把故事搬到一个全新的星系去讲。

《质量效应 1》同样也有很多故意迎合玩家的内容以及剧情上的陈词滥调。尤其是那极其戏剧化的结尾。不过大部分时候其还是很成功的描绘了一个宏大的宇宙的，这个宇宙里人类只是一个年轻的二等种族，直到最近才解锁了太空旅行的技术。

由于其叙事的精巧，《质量效应 1》是三部曲中做的最棒的一部。它展现出了一个具有无限可能的宇宙，许多有意思的生物以及谜题，而这些东西全都等待着那些勇于踏入星辰大海的人去探索。

模组：

高清材质包（MEUITM）：全名为质量效应高清材质包（Mass Effect Updated/Improved Textures Mod），极大的提升了游戏的画质，并且加入了高清贴图和阴影。

更多材质（A Lot of Textures，ALOT）：该模组为高清材质包的补充，加入了大量高清贴图。同样也适用于《质量效应 2》和《质量效应 3》。

While ME2 and ME3 would greatly improve the gameplay, adding a more engaging combat, enhanced graphics and a much more polished overall experience, the series also lost something important in the process. It narrowed the setting, made everything revolve around Shepard, Reapers and Cerberus. And only that. So much so that Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) had to do a “soft reboot”, travelling to a whole new galaxy.

Mass Effect 1 still indulges in player-pandering and some power fantasy clichés from time to time – especially during its overly dramatic ending – but most of the time it succeeds at painting an overwhelmingly large universe. One where humanity is just a young, second-class race who recently unlocked space travel.

Setting-wise, Mass Effect 1 is the series is at its best. It presents a galaxy filled with possibilities, interesting creatures and mysteries, all waiting to be uncovered by those brave enough to reach to the stars.

Mods:

MEUITM: The Mass Effect Updated/Improved Textures Mod greatly improves the game’s visuals, adding high-res textures and new shaders.

A Lot of Textures (ALOT): A complementary texture pack for MEUITM. Also available for ME2 and ME3.

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³ 译者注：收割者是游戏中的一个高等机器种族，其每 5 万年便要对全银河系的高等有机文明进行收割，低等文明和未开化物种不会受到影响。游戏开始时多数种族仍然只将收割者视为旧日的传说，而非切实的威胁。
⁴ 译者注：又名地狱犬，是游戏中的一个准军事组织。但由于其“人类至上主义”的信条和无底线的非法行动，星联和神堡议会均将其视为恐怖组织。