Star Wars has always been about the classic battle between good vs. evil. It is very effectively told in the original trilogy, and that is one of the reasons those movies connected with so many people. However, it is also very simplistic. There is very little nuance on either side. The good guys are wholly good, and the bad guys are wholly bad. There are some exceptions, but for the most part there is no question of who you are supposed to be rooting for in the Star Wars movies. Of course the real world isnt so easily reduced to such black and white standards of morality, and this is where the Mass Effect series is leaps and bounds ahead of Star Wars. In your Shepards quest to unite the various civilizations of the galaxy, you are forced to involve yourself within their conflicts, and in doing so discover that every one of them is more complicated than you thought. There is no thoroughly good or evil enemy, and every side has its reasons for doing what they do. The series also brilliantly challenges your preconceived notions at every turn. The best example of this is the Geth, a race of synthetics you are led to believe are bent on destroying all organic life, until you eventually learn that the majority of them just want to be left alone. Even the main villains, the Reapers, arent as purely evil as you thought they were. So while Star Wars is great at creating a gripping story of light against dark, Mass Effects more nuanced look at conflict is more emotionally satisfying because it forces you to confront complex and potentially uncomfortable issues head on in a fascinating and compelling fictional universe.
