With the exception of the most recent entry into the franchise, the Mass Effect games take place in the Milky Way galaxy. They follow Commander Shepard and their crewmates as they battle a variety of enemies throughout the original trilogy of games, and finally take on the Reapers in a last bid to save the galaxy once again. Created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn, and Preston Watamaniuk, the Mass Effect series encompasses multiple games, spin-offs, books, comics, and an animated film, with a multimedia reach almost as vast as its setting.