Mass Effect Legendary Edition has arrived, allowing players to relive the adventures of Commander Shepard with enhanced graphics and gameplay. BioWare's original Mass Effect series set the bar for action-RPGs, and proved every bit as popular as their fantasy Dragon Age series. Now the release of the remastered Mass Effect Legendary Edition celebrates the legacy of Commander Shepard and the SSV Normandy.
One of the things that the original Mass Effect series is most fondly remembered for is its story. BioWare forged an epic tale of galactic proportions, but still managed to get players to connect and empathize with the individual members of their crew. Nowhere else is this connection more important than in the final mission of Mass Effect 2, the infamous Suicide Mission.
Mass Effect 2's Suicide Mission
Like many RPG titles, Mass Effect 2 allows players to recruit Squad Members to join their team over the course of the game. These Squad Members can then be upgraded to make them more effective, and will offer special missions to earn their Loyalty. In Mass Effect 2 this Loyalty is essential as, unlike most RPGs, the game isn't afraid to kill off Squad Members if players are unprepared.
The Suicide Mission in Mass Effect 2 is the game's final point-of-no-return, and has the potential to kill off all 12 of the game's Squad Members. In fact, it's possible to fail so badly that not even Shepard makes it, leaving pilot Joker as the only survivor. Obviously a save-game in which Shepard dies can't be imported into Mass Effect 3, but any other outcome can. This means players can enter the final game in Mass Effect Legendary Edition with 12 major characters completely absent from the story.
In order to avert this disastrous outcome, players need to be thoroughly prepared for the end of Mass Effect 2's story. Fortunately, the game makes it clear throughout the campaign that the odds are going to be stacked against the Normandy. In order to save the whole crew, players must first upgrade the Normandy's armor, shields, and weaponry. They must also earn the Loyalty of their Squad Members, and choose the right ones for certain tasks when they reach the Collector Base. Failure to do any one of these will result in at least one death, if not more.
Why Mass Effect 2's Companions Matter
Very few RPGs will allow companions to be permanently killed, and especially not all of them. At the same time, it also means players have to grow close to and understand more than just their handful of favorite companions. Sure, Garrus is still incredibly popular, but if players want the Suicide Mission to go well too, they can't ust focus on him in the entire game.
If Mass Effect 2 was the final game in the Mass Effect series, then the Suicide Mission wouldn't be quite so shocking. A few losses in the last hours of a series would only help drive home the importance of the mission, and not cost much in the way of resources. It's the fact that the final mission of Mass Effect 2 can cut significant plot from Mass Effect 3 which is really unprecedented.
On top of this, the Mass Effect series has always done a great job of driving players to connect with their Squad Members. While some companion-based RPG titles, like The Outer Worlds, are content with players picking a couple favorites and sticking with them, Mass Effect makes sure that each Squad Member continues to be present in the story throughout. This presence, along with the excellent work that was done sculpting likeable and believable characters, is what has led to the Mass Effect Squad Members being some of the most fondly remembered in gaming.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
