Fantastic format, delightful discourse, respectful romance, and hunky hosts!

Do you want to hear two people talk about fighting against the existential crises of sentient squid space ships and dragons with the souls of gods in them? Maybe about how they helped a jellyfish make a movie, or got a young dwarf into a magic school? You get all this and more on Reignite, my absolute favorite BioWare based playthrough show on Al Gore’s internet. Am I biased because they had me on as a guest once? I’ll never tell. But Matt and Frankie continue to be a pair of the most thoughtful gamers around, and I cannot recommend this show for Mass Effect and Dragon Age fans enough.

If you are a fan of Bioware you know why you are here. This podcast is a real gem and as a ME fan you owe to yourself to have a listen.

A must-listen for Mass Effect fans!

The Mass Effect series is one of my favorite game series EVER so this podcast is awesome! Great discussions over choices and even if I don’t agree with them, very entertaining!

**Update- after continuing to listen to the rest of season 2, I feel I was too hasty with my previous negative review. While I still feel like there are some missed discussions, the hosts do a good job trying to bring in a variety of guests and interesting discussions. I am glad I stuck with this podcast and I encourage everyone to do the same. ** Overall this is not an awful podcast. However, because both hosts go the strict paragon route, the discussions can feel pretty shallow and bland. Even then, they don’t really even try to understand some of the renegade choices, which can be frustrating as there are some fantastic discussions around the morality of renegade options (such as the trolley problem with the Rachni queen, not to mention the deeper lore around it) and the hosts just gloss over them. I hate to say this, but I was legitimately disappointed by aspects of this podcast and it’s why I’m taking stars off.

TLDR: While I feel the show can come off as kind of overly critical or harsh towards a lot of elements of the story, I do think their hearts are in the right place and that they do truly love these games like they say they do and you will not find a more detailed dissection and conversation of the Mass Effect games anywhere on the Citadel. Detailed: I like to end on a good note so I'll get my complaint out of the way first. Eveyone is different an dmy complaint most likely won't be a serious concern for most listeners so take this for the ignorant gripe it is. I'm a little sensitive (maybe overly) to complaining and negativity and sometimes it can be a bit much. I won't say anyone shouldn't be offended by something but I do feel it can be...addressed better? Things like female and LGBTQ+ representation are not always handled well in the trilogy but I do think as the series progressed it made great strides and definitely tried to improve in those areas. However they, and other subjects, are brought up so frequently as not being handled correctly, or with enough (or any) sensitivity, and as a source of complaints that, had I not already been a huge fan of ME before I started listening, I might wonder why anyone would play the trilogy because it seems like they just have so much wrong with them in terms of their representation. In fact there were times the hosts almost made me feel I was wrong to love the trilogy as much as I did because of how often these complaints were brought up. Almost, but not quite. I think it just comes down to everyone is unique and not everyone is going to read these games the same way and that is part of what makes them so magical. I consider myself a huge supporter of female, minority, and LGBTQ+ rights and don't think I'm a terrible person for liking these games. And I think, overall, the series does more right than wrong. On to the good. Matt and MJ are great hosts that are very knowledgeable about the games and their lore. The conversation moves along well while at the same time taking the right amount of time for each mission and plot point of the trilogy. It is also nice to hear the guests come on and give different view points and experiences with the series. This is a very thorough deep dive in to the Mass Effect games with every aspect, every character, and every moment treated with care and respect. Overall, highly recommend.

Have heard Matt do other events and podcasts, and so when I found out he did a Mass effect podcast I was SO EXCITED! Please go listen for hilarious antics matched with true knowledge and passion for the games.

With the legendary edition right around the corner I have been craving for anything mass effect. I came across this podcast randomly on Twitter and just finished season two and I can’t explain how happy I am finding it. Matt and MJ do a wonderful job not only recounting each mission and exploring each character but touching on the heavy subjects with care and tact. They are fun and engaging and each episode is a joy. While there is tons of shooting and pew pew it’s great to see the game discussed in this form. Mjs fandom corner is always a highlight as I have found many great Etsy items for gift ideas 😅 Mass effect is far and away my favorite game franchise and I’m so excited to continue listening up to the legendary editions release. Looking forward to season three!

As someone who’s been obsessed with Mass Effect and super involved in the fandom for years, I always wanted a podcast like this. I like that it goes mission by mission so we can comb through the games together. Their discussions on gameplay mechanics and gaming conventions is insightful. Okay, now, for a controversial topic: I often struggle with relating to other Mass Effect fans because I’m not a huge Garrus fangirl. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy, but my femshep is always closer to the characters that the fandom often doesn’t appreciate. Kaidan, Ashley, Kasumi, Thane, etc. I was worried that these hosts would write off these (mostly human) characters, which they sort of did initially. But after some time you can tell they really start to appreciate Soft Boy Kaidan, and I was grateful for the discussions about Ashley’s racism, even though I didn’t always agree. My biggest critique is I wish they had gone into these playthroughs with more intent to roleplay. As in, playing Shepard as separate from themselves, as an actual character. I would have liked if one had gone more renegade so we had more to contrast. But I understand that’s not the framing they wanted to go with. I just would’ve found that more interesting than playing as essentially themselves because their Shepards ended up so functionally similar. Thanks for such an interesting and fun podcast. I really am so grateful the fandom is still alive and making things like this!

Great hosts, great guests, and a solid podcast that enjoys recounting what they loved about Mass Effect (while also not being afraid to both laugh about AND critically think about some of the missteps). There are many laughs to be had, and I must admit I have started up a new game BECAUSE of this podcast. So thank you, thank your guests, this has been a nice place to land on the Internet. I should go.

This podcast tackles the tough questions. Is Kaidan a soft boi? Why is Liara so uncomfortably young? How do handle space racists? Will Dan Bull ever respond? I really enjoy the deep dive into what it would be like to personally live this universe and I appreciate the perspective time gives us on our favourite shows and MJ and Matt have a great rapport. I’m only one season in and blowing through them. My only pressing questions now. Why not more krogan stanning? 😜 (Volunteers to Stan some krogans for you.)

Brilliantly done. Hosts love these games and this world so much. Best Mass Effect podcast out there.

I love this podcast and the game, but it a little too woke.

Wow. This is different in the best of ways. One of my favorite franchises of all time and we get to get all nitty gritty with it? Sign me up! Handful of episodes into Season 1 and loving it. Also nice to hear a woman’s perspective on what this game presents, it’s a small touch, but a good one. Also they both bounce off one another really well...not to mention this can get very deep in the emotions department and they do well with talking it through. Worth a listen!

This show will make you fall in love with the Mass Effect franchise all over again. The hosts have great chemistry, and they discuss the universe in ways I’d never considered. I’ve come away with a far greater appreciation of the Mass Effect games thanks to this show.

I am so happy I stumbled across this lovely podcast through Twitter. The chemistry between the hosts and the level with which they dive into Mass Effect is a wonderful new take for a podcast. If you like Mass Effect, you need to be subscribed!

This is the first Specter-level podcast out there. Great job appreciating and breaking down the series!

The hosts have such a passion for this game. If you love in-depth discussion through the lens of gaming than this show is for you!

The hosts of Reignite (@reignitepod) Matt (@DJ_Stormageddon) and MJ (@ihoardlibraries) have great chemistry with each other, and a deep love for the universe of Mass Effect. As they play through, their unique backgrounds and perspectives allows them to present the games in a completely new light. Issues and aspects of the games that may have gone unnoticed are highlighted and discussed with respect, passion, and a good deal of humor. The only issues that I could point out, are their endemic misrepresentation and underestimation of Liara; and that new episodes only drop every other Thursday. Anyone that loves Mass Effect, should be listening and probably playing along, even if it is your 18th play through.

I found this podcast quite enjoyable - the two cohosts break down, mission by mission, the full Mass Effect series, reacting in the moment the way they would in Shepard’s shoes. Both hosts are deeply empathetic people and dedicate themselves to giving each party member their due, even the oft-maligned ones. The hosts strive to acknowledge all types of perspectives and identities, exploring some surprisingly personal territory and the way these games helped work through those experiences. I highly encourage ME fans to listen in. (Shameless plug) If you enjoyed my performance in Hamlet, be sure to check out Francis Kitt’s new vid, “War and Peace” - now available for streaming.

Playing through mass effect while listening to this podcast. Cannot recommend enough.

A great detailed discussion of one of my favorite game series ever. I was hooked after one episode and then binged through the entire first game's worth of episodes in a day to get caught up so I can be ready to jump in and start playing along once they get to number 2!

As someone who loves the idea of playing Mass Effect but has trouble getting past the prologue, it's so fun to hear these two take it too seriously. They have a lot of interesting insights and it's a fun way to experience a game that I've heard so much about.

The passion and love for Mass Effect really comes through. The hosts are very reflective and have a lot of interesting insights on the games. I want to re-play these games now just to play through with their insight!

I've been putting off this game for awhile now....now I gotta play it. Thanks Matt and MJ!

Funny hosts, MJ cracks me up. They’ve got a passion for game and a relaxed chemistry that makes for a good listen.

These two fine folks talk a lot of great stuff about this game, but all I want to do is play Shepherd again and rock the bodies of various spaceladies to the tune of lasers blastin and rock and roll. Seriously, though, this show is awesome. Great sound, cool takes on the issues, a sensitive approach to the darker themes in the game. Listen up, yall. This is the show for you. PS Tali'Zorah can energize my warp core any day, yall!

I've been listening since the first episode, but while listening to episode 5, I was really taken by the introspection MJ and Matt were affording the choices that their characters were presented in the game. It was really beautiful to see how thoughtful and ernest they were and how these choices really affected them. It's amazing to think a game can do that to someone and refreshing to see how they embrace that. This is a journey that I'm happy to join them on.