1. Lair of the Shadow Broker (ME2)
Where to begin? Let me add some perspective to this choice: Im by no means a Liara fan. By the high standards of Shepards squadmates, I find her relatively uninteresting and her high status within the canon baffling. This mission, however, is her shining hour. You get a sense of her relationship with Shepard and the crew in their banter during the firefight on the Shadow Brokers base (take along a ME1 squadmate for the best experience), the base itself being absolutely stunning graphically. The gameplay is a mixture of detective work, an all-too-brief car chase, shooting sections, not one but TWO excellent boss battles, access to a hub world and a large amount of background information on all of your squadmates. It begins with a visit to Liaras apartment in Illium. Shes not there, but an Asari detective is, investigating the gunshot in the window and what seems like an attempted assassination. You help her track Liara down through clues left in the apartment, and when you actually find Liara the detective youve been working with is revealed as (shock, horror) a rogue spectre, Tela Vasir, whos actually behind the attempt on Liaras life. She flees and, after a brilliant car chase, some strong dialogue between Liara and Shepard and a hostage situation, you manage to catch up to and do away with her. Her final words will stay with you, however, making you wonder how far your Shepard would go to save the galaxy.
Theres a brief respite here, but then its on to the Shadow Brokers base for the showdown. Its hard not to feel goosebumps here, his base is beautifully realised and youve heard so much about the information agent during the two games that youve bound to delight in the anticipation. The final confrontation doesnt disappoint, as he is revealed to be a Yahg; an ancient and exceedingly rare race known for their violent temperaments. The melee fight that follows is challenging and satisfying, and after defeating him, the switchboard lights up: his global network of agents want to know whats happened. Liara looks at you, then answers their call shes the new Shadow Broker. Its a fascinating shift for the character, and you get the opportunity to call upon all of her new resources in future visits to the base. A gold standard for DLC and
Mass Effect missions both,
Lair of the Shadow Broker was Bioware at the top of their game, and they should look towards it when theyre thinking about how to proceed with the inevitable
Mass Effect 4. Smaller scale missions with an emphasis on character development, meaningful choices and varied gameplay.
