BioWare prioritizes relationships and choices above just about everything else in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. While some might rightly classify the Mass Effect series as third-person shooters, they're much more in line with role-playing games based on building connections with the characters around the player. Navigating interpersonal relationships is a key element of that, but so is understanding and making choices about the game's political world.
This article contains spoilers for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
At the end of Mass Effect 1, Commander Shepard faces yet another tough choice: they need to decide who should be appointed to the Citidel Council, Anderson or Udina. Choosing which person should be the first-ever human member of the Council is a big moment in the game, but it's hard to see what the long-term ramifications will be for either candidate in the rest of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.
Who to Choose: Anderson or Udina
Unfortunately for Commander Shepard, there's no real right or wrong choice. Both characters have their pros and cons and both have repercussions later in the series. Both characters have strong presences throughout the game, so once the player gets to the end of Mass Effect 1, they probably already have an idea of who they prefer. Personal feelings for each character aside, however, both are viable options.
Anderson has plenty of experience being on the front lines of combat, so he knows better than anyone on the Council how whatever decisions they make will impact the lives of everyday people. However, because of this, Anderson has little experience in the political world and doesn't fit in amongst the other members. He demonstrates throughout the game that he's not afraid of making compromises, so he gains favor due to his personality.
Udina is a career politician, fitting right in with the rest of the board, and is able to connect better with the members. He already has plenty of experience on the Citidel and has gained the respect of the members of the council making him more likely to be of use. Udina wouldn't necessarily be caught up in the bureaucracy of the Council as much as Anderson because of his history with the other members.
The impacts of Shepard's choice aren't felt until Mass Effect 2. Anderson isn't entirely comfortable with the role if he was appointed; however, he does his best to help Shepard's fight against the Reapers. Udina throws Shepard under the bus outright and leads the council to ignore the Reaper threat. The unfortunate thing is that no matter what the player chooses, by Mass Effect 3, Udina will have been given the role of Councilor and Anderson will have been removed from the board. While this choice is made up to be a big one at the end of Mass Effect 1, its widespread ramifications aren't particularly deep.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
