8 Reasons Why Mass Effect’s Story Isn’t As Great As You Think
6. The Council Were Right… Sort Of
One of the key plot points in the original Mass Effect is the Citadel Council’s refusal to take proper action against the traitorous Saren. Sure, they send you and your merry band of expendable soldiers to ‘investigate’, but what they really ought to be doing is amassing an army and starting a war to prevent total galactic wipeout.
This nervousness and clumsy indecision culminates in player choices that – spoiler alert – see you save or sacrifice the Council. It’s a turning point for human engagement in the wider galaxy, which is kind of a big deal. And throughout, it’s strongly implied that you’re dealing with a council of jack-asses, so depending on your decision a) letting them die is sorta OK or b) you’re doing them a massive solid by saving them.
But really, weren’t they right not to do a damn thing? Would the galactic populace welcome a war based on the ‘visions’ of a lone human? How would we react if our politicians claimed that Dave the plumber from Braintree had foreseen the end of the world? They might be a bunch of stuck-up bureaucrats, but whether we like it or not, the Citadel Council were right not to take immediate and destructive action.