i think i will just go ahead and correct your statement Mass Effect is, aesthetically and to a lesser degree thematically, science fiction... just as you might call Zookeeper a "comedy" or Lethal Weapon 4 an "action movie". Doesn't mean it has to be particularly good (though I wouldn't say Mass Effect is quite that bad); I never said it was some sort of crown jewel of the medium, only that if you like mainstream/pop-culture science fiction stuff, you'll probably find at the very least a familiar point of reference in its universe or characters. Metropolis or 2001 it is not, hell, it can't even compete with Star Trek or the Twilight Zone, but... well, I guess it's not Plan 9?