The Mass Effect franchise quickly became one of the most prolific and influential science fiction RPGs upon its release back in November 2007. Developed by genre veteran BioWare, the creator of Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, and Dragon Age, Mass Effect served as the evolution of RPGs at the time. Its rich game world, well-written story, interesting characters, and third-person shooter gameplay made it a unique take on the classic genre. The two mainline sequels that followed completed a trilogy of games to go down in history as a benchmark in gaming history.