10 Most Difficult Decisions You Are Forced To Make In Mass Effect

7. Keep The Genophage Data Or Destroy It

Mordin's loyalty mission takes you to a very dark, ethically ambiguous place. Long ago, the krogan engaged in aggressive expansion across the galaxy, and were eventually stopped by the turians and salarians when they unleashed a crippling bioweapon into their homeworld known as the genophage that would allow only one in one thousand births to be successful, with all the rest being stillborn. It goes without saying that this has had profound impact on krogan culture, causing a ripple effect that threatens to drive them to extinction. Is this genocide, or simple pragmatism? Should this kind of genetic engineering be considered an atrocity, or a necessary evil? This is perhaps the most intriguing ethical quandary presented by the Mass Effect trilogy, and one of the most pivotal points of this story arc is Mordin's loyalty mission, in which the player has two options, each with two permutations, allowing you to finally voice your stance on the issue. At the expense of many innocent lives, Mordin's former protégé Maelon has gone off the deep end in his attempt to cure the Genophage, and undo the wrongs of his past. Mordin is caught somewhere in the middle, convinced that the Genophage - something he played a key role in engineering - was the best option. As time wears on, you'll be able to influence Mordin's conscience, and convince him that he did the right thing, or made a mistake. Do you agree with Mordin's cold pragmatism, or do you think Maelon's data should be preserved? Preserving the data could be beneficial to a cure, which could ultimately result in history repeating itself. If you do decide to go that route and deny the krogan a second chance, it means betraying your friends and even losing the people who care you about, but it's for the greater good, right? No matter what you choose, this is the most pivotal part in the Genophage saga. If you destroy the data and later decide the krogan are worth saving, you'll probably regret not coming to that decision sooner.