Happy N7 day, troops! November 7th is the annual celebration for all things Mass Effect. Not that we NEED a holiday to celebrate, but we’re going to anyway. So here are 7 of the best moments from the trilogy. Spoilers ahead!
Escaping Virmire – Mass Effect
Near the end of the original Mass Effect came the mission that put BioWare’s RPG on the map as one of the most epic stories in video game history: Vermire. You are faced with two major choices. First, how to deal with Wrex’s objections to the mission, which could potentially result in his death. And of course, deciding who save from nuclear annihilation: Ashley or Kaiden.
But the confrontation with Saren was one of the most dramatic moments in the game. Saren has Shepard by the throat, and your only way out is to be a sheer badass. You’ve made your choice about who to save, and now it’s time to get the hell off the planet before you’re caught in the nuclear blast. As a female gamer, playing Femshep and literally carrying Kaiden to safety made me feel powerful. It would be the first time of many where I felt empowered as a player.
Punching the Reporter – Mass Effect
Even playing a paragon, there are some people who just deserve a punch in the face, like reporter Khalisah al-Jilani. Her snide remarks and clear attempts at trying to slander you is some serious BS which Commander Shepard will not tolerate. It was such a popular moment that BioWare repeated the bit it the second and third installments.
Mordin Sings Gilbert & Sullivan – Mass Effect 2
Everybody’s favorite scientist Salarian surprised us all while discussing Collector culture. When he casually mentions appearing in a multi-species Gilbert & Sullivan performance, Shepard can’t help but to pause the conversation and ask about it. Then it gets better.
Shoving the Mercenary Through a Window – Mass Effect 2
Some people never learn that giving Shepard attitude is always a bad idea. If a bad guy is being a jerk to Shepard, they’re going to meet the business end of your gun. Or in this case, your fist. The fact that you can hit a guy hard enough to send him through a window is quite a feat in and of itself, but despite that, it’s definitely a great moment.
Please Don’t Touch That – Mass Effect 3
When you get to the Salarian base on Sur’kesh, there is a tech standing in front of a button. Being a gamer, of course you need to check every clickable thing and push said button. Doing so only annoys the Salarian… which you can do for a solid minute.
Send in the Clone – Mass Effect 3
The Citadel DLC was the largest and most-fulfilling DLC pack in the trilogy. It had several mini games as well as a series of small missions and cut scenes for each of the side characters. Although the bonus material offered a lot of hilarity and short moments, the plot wove a very fun mystery. Someone is trying to kill Shepard… again. But the moment when you realize that the shadowed threat is your identical twin is a twist that made the story ten times more intriguing.
This One is the Hero – Mass Effect 3
We first hear about Blasto, the fictional Hanar action star, in Mass Effect 2. In The Citadel DLC, Javik gets asked to star in some kind of vid to help promote morale and brings Shepard along to help. As it turns out, this vid is actually the next Blasto movie, and Shepard has something to say about playing second fiddle to a diva.
BONUS: A Friendly Chat – Mass Effect 2
This one is an Easter egg from ME2. If you take Garus and Tali into the Citadel with you and go up some stairs, you get this delightful conversation about the good old times.
There are lots of great moments from the Mass Effect series including finding out that Jack is a woman, Shepard killing Kai Lang, finally hooking up with your love interest, showing Grunt who’s boss, Mordin’s farewell, and shooting anything with the M-920 Cain just to name a few.
What are some of your favorite Mass Effect moments? Let us know in the comments, and have a great N7 Day!
Feature image: BioWare