Mass Effect is a game that I love, but am not exactly sure of the reasoning behind it.
Mass Effect's main issues lie within its menus and combat. Because of the weak menu design and horrible micromanaging systems, it makes it hard to appreciate the role-playing game elements of this title. The combat as well, plays like a 3rd person shooter but my allies appear to be f*cking retarded and the enemies seem to all want to tackle me judging by the way the run up and hump you.
Certain other issues arise in the game as well. Firstly is that the car you drive, which looks like some boss from Twisted Metal, is far too good for the amount of combat you do in it, I suppose this is balance by the fact that its controls may as well have been reversed the way it handles, but that is all lost once you figure out that every fight is easily one because you have a f*cking rocket launcher on your car. Secondly is the side missions, which are all identical and all a waste of time since this game suffers from the Oblivion complex of "levelled enemies".
On the other hand, Mass Effect's story become quite involving once you get the hang of the hour long conversations that take place in the game. Thanks to its choice system you can build your character up to be either a racist a**hole or a big lovey-dovey p*ssy Bioware's system of having good and evil on different scales in this game however doesn't make a lot of sense since you end up with both bars filled eventually, defeating the entire purpose of them and since you can't lose points it further defeats their purpose.
Play Mass Effect because it is an experience; a game that will suck you in and spit you out 2 days later with a 200 page novel in your brain. Overlook its flaws for the sake of a good story, and develop your own character to be a consistent amount of a d*ckbag for the best experience. I've also heard its better on PC so I guess do that, especially if your some PC gamer with the PC gamer god complex you all seem to have.