Does this unit have a soul? Worthy of inclusion on the list by virtue of concluding the Geth and Quarian conflict (built up over three games) and doing it justice. The one-on-one duel with the Reaper is silly but fun, but its the final dialogue with Legion that immortalises this mission. Who do you save the Quarians or the Geth? The Quarians - perpetual exiles of the galaxy- will claim that they deserve to return the homeland that they havent seen for hundreds of years; that their only crime was trying to turn off some machines they feared would rise up against them. The Geth will claim they acted in self defence out of fear when the creators turned on them. Have you done enough to bring both around to a peaceful resolution? However it pans out in your playthrough, this is Mass Effect at its very finest.
6. Virmire (ME1)
This mission was the first time I realised I was a fully-fledged Mass Effect fan. It was also the first time a video game made me think for about half an hour before I pushed a button. Beautifully simple, this mission exemplifies the most important lesson we can take from the franchise: your choices should matter. Having built up your relationship with two crewmates, you must now choose who to abandon to their death. Theres no escape with a high enough charm or intimidate score; theres no cheat code. Both of them go to Virmire, but only one of them leaves. Should it be Kaidan, whose L2 implants might affect his life expectancy anyway? Or Ashley, on the grounds of the frankly suspect comments she sometimes makes about aliens? Either way, the consequences of your choice are staying with you for the rest of the trilogy. If only all your Mass Effect decisions had this kind of impact...
5. Priority: Tuchanka (ME3)
This mission had three games worth of build-up to resolve, so its a good thing Bioware didnt pull any punches. This is the Krogan homeworld as youve never seen it before, showing the promise of a race the galaxy likes to paint as mindless warriors and nothing more. Here we see primitive Krogan architecture, their temples and their art. Apart from the fascinating insight into the Krogan; this mission contains two of the most memorable scenes of the trilogy. The first is the moment you lure the giant Thresher Maw Kalros to do battle with the reaper, and watch two immensely powerful beings fight to the death under the red sun of Tuchanka. The second is the moment Salarian Dr Mordin Solus tries to right his races wrongs by giving his own life so that the Krogan might know the end of the genophage, the genetic curse inflicted upon them by the Salarians. These moments will stay with you long after the trilogy is finished.
Laurence Gardner was born in Canterbury, England. After moving around various cities during his childhood, and spending some time travelling in Europe and America, he studied English Literature at Oxford University. Since then, he’s been living abroad, teaching English, learning a range of languages, and writing in his free time. He can currently be found in Heidelberg, working as an English Tutor and Translator and studying at the University. If you liked this article, follow him on Twitter to get automatic updates on his work.
