As someone who thoroughly enjoys this game and plays it daily. I completely agree with your post. The game doesn't have a sense making you feel like what's "happening" in the game matters. A game that truly made me feel like I made a difference to the game was Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/emerald. You actually witnessed and saw what was happening. The floods, the droughts, the impending battle between the two factions and you in that game. But Mass Effect games did the same thing. You actually felt like what was happening in the game world was real to you