Mass Effect is, fundamentally, a futurist work. In as much as the games concern themselves with difficult political realities and tough moral quandaries, they do present a fairly optimistic vision of the future. The humans of Mass Effect have eradicated most diseases, travel around in glorious sky cars, and live to about 150. The Citadel itself, the vast space station at the center of galactic life, acts as a cosmopolitan melting pot, where different species rub shoulders beneath neon lights, hyper-clean architecture, and artificial skies.
However, the distinctive skyscrapers and striking geometric forms and shapes of the Mass Effect universe didn’t simply come out of nowhere. As with any great artistic project, Bioware drew on what came before.
