TheMass Effecttrilogy focuses on Commander Shepard’s fight against the Reapers, which culminates in the third game. However, the journey that Shepard goes on from becoming the first human Spectre to activating theCrucible inMass Effect 3is filled with moments that are hard to forget. While there are plenty of reasons to feel like a hero, there are also countless tragic moments that linger long after the credits roll.
With Shepard at the center of the trilogy, the most powerful moments tend to revolve around their companions and journey. The fate of the galaxy is on the line, and that means thatmany moments in the trilogy hold a lot of weight. However, not all the most memorable moments are action-packed or dramatic, some are lighthearted and remind players of the bonds that exist among the crew members of the Normandy.
10The Citadel Shows What Galactic Society Is Like
Explore Citadel Districts & Culture
The Citadel has a different layout in each game, as the areas that Shepard visits change as well. However, seeing the Citadel for the first time inMass Effect 1helps relay the futuristic society that players get to experience in the trilogy. It shows a glimpse of the society that has been built by multiple races working together, andit sets the tone for how large the trilogy’s universe feels.
The only thing that could make the Citadel more memorable during Shepard’s first visit would be letting them explore a larger area of it.
Compared to the size of the Citadel that can be seen when traveling towards it to dock,Shepard is only able to visit a small portion of it. Sometimes, games that are set in space can feel unexpectedly small, so thefirst sight of the Citadelis the moment whereMass Effecthas to show the scope of what the in-game universe will be like. The only thing that could make the Citadel more memorable during Shepard’s first visit would be letting them explore a larger area of it.
9Virmire Is The First Big Decision
Virmire: The First Sacrifice
Shepard has to make numerous decisions throughout the trilogy, but not all of them have significant consequences or a noticeable impact on the overall story. However, other decisions can result in companions dying, and the first time that Shepard encounters this type of situation is on Virmire. During this mission, it’snot possible for everybody to make it off the planet alive.
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Ashley and Kaidan are two of Shepard’s human companions in the first game, and on Virmire, Shepard has to pick which one willstay behind and die. The person who lives will return in the next two games, and their roles will generally be the same regardless of which character is alive. Instead, the biggest impact of this moment is that it’s the first time that Shepard’s decision directly leads to somebody’s death, and it can’t be avoided.
8Vigil Reveals The Truth
Vigil: Discover Reaper Threat
Before Shepard understands the connection between Saren and Sovereign and what that means, they come across a virtual intelligence on Ilos that’s named Vigil. This is the moment where thestakes start to show, and the mysteries of the Protheans are slowly solved as the pieces of information Shepard collects fit into place. It’s also a memorable moment because the crew starts to realize that the Protheans didn’t simply vanish.
First, Vigil is relieved that none of the people present are an AI or indoctrinated, which leads him to believe that the measures that Protheans took to help the next cycle are working, at least to some extent. Vigil then explains that the Protheans fell victim to a cycle of killing that has gone on for millions of years, led by the Reapers. This is the moment thatgave Shepard an idea of who their real enemy was, even if nobody outside their crew wanted to believe them.
7Saren Is Indoctrinated By Reapers
Saren: Indoctrination’s Power
An ongoing question in the first game is what Saren’s motives are, and Shepard doesn’t receive a decent answer until the latter half of the game. Saren is a Spectre, and he’s generally respected in the galactic community, so there doesn’t seem to be a reason for him to go rogue. It’s obvious that something is wrong, but the full extent of what that might mean is tough to uncover, since Shepard is missing crucial context.
Because of this, when Saren is revealed as being indoctrinated by the Reapers, the moment is memorable from the realization alone of what it means to have the Reapers moving against the Milky Way.
It’s also a frustrating moment, because Shepard doesn’t have the same level of reputation or evidence, or they end up being dismissed. Knowing that a huge threat is on its way,Shepard is left to work with Cerberusto try and stop the Reapers from arriving.
6Priority: Rannoch Decides The Future Of Two Species
Rannoch: Geth-Quarian War
Priority: Rannoch is a quest inMass Effect 3that ends theGeth and Quarian feud, which has been an issue long before Shepard met either Tali or Legion. It was a hatred that lasted centuries, and Shepard’s decisions throughout the trilogy would decide how it ended. With Rannoch as the original Quarian homeworld, it’s where the Geth and Quarians first became enemies, and Shepard can make it the place where they return to being allies.
During this mission, Shepard has three choices, although the ones that are availablechange based on previous decisionsmade in the game, such as siding with Tali or Legion during arguments or trying to defuse the situation without taking a side. Shepard can eliminate the Geth, fight the Quarians, or broker peace between the two. Given their tumultuous history, bringing peace not only creates a memorable moment, it also gives Shepard the most War Assets.
5Joker Evades The Collectors
Joker: Piloting Prowess
The playable character in theMass Effecttrilogy is Commander Shepard, but there’s one sequence that’s an exception, and it ends up being nerve-wracking, considering the circumstances. After Shepard leaves with their crew for a mission, the Collectors attack the Normandy and abduct the rest of the people aboard the ship. During this event,players take the role of Joker, who can evade enemies as a pilot, but not so much as a person.
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Due to a disease, Joker’s body is rather fragile, and that means he can’t defend himself from the Collectors as well as other crewmates can. Instead, players have to play what is basically a stealth mission at this point and get Joker to safety.The feeling of vulnerability is unusual while playing as Shepard, so Joker’s section is memorable and terrifying, especially since players witness what the Collectors are doing to others while moving through the ship.
4Mordin Sacrifices Himself For The Krogan’s Future
Mordin: Heroic Sacrifice
Mordin is the Normandy’s beloved scientist Salarian, but that doesn’t mean he’s proud of all the projects his people have researched. However, Mordin gets the opportunity to fix a past project that he no longer agrees with, andreverse the Genophage that’s driving the Krogan to extinction. The Genophage was only meant to be a deterrent, but the Turians actually deployed it. Even so, Mordin felt a measure of guilt since his people developed it in the first place.
This task becomes a suicide mission, and while Shepard tries to get Mordin to leave the building with them before they both die, Mordin refuses.
With his intelligence and determination, Mordin is able to create a cure for the Genophage, but it isn’t easy to administer. This task becomes a suicide mission, and while Shepard tries to get Mordin to leave the building with them before they both die, Mordin refuses. He decides tostay behind as the building is exploding to release his cure, because he knows that this is the right thing for him to do, even if it means he’ll die.
3Anderson And Shepard’s Final Moment Together
Anderson’s Final Advice
Part of thefinal sequence inMass Effect 3involves Shepard making it to the building that controls the Crucible with the intention of setting it off andfinally ending the war against the Reapers. When they arrive, Anderson and the Illusive Man are already present and in conflict. After handling the Illusive Man, Shepard and Anderson take a moment to rest on the ground, believing that they’ve activated the Crucible and their roles are complete.
While the Crucible doesn’t actually activate from the remote control they used, they aren’t aware of that right away. Instead, Shepard is able to have a moment with Anderson, who has acted a lot like a mentor and parental figure to them during the games. So, it’s impactful to have this scene in the middle of the chaos and war where these two are exhausted and battered from fighting, andAnderson lets Shepard know that he’s proud of them.
2The Reapers Arrive At Earth
Earth Under Siege
At this point, it’s the start ofMass Effect 3, and Shepard is being held in prison for killing hundreds of thousands of Batarians during theArrivalDLC forMass Effect 2in the hopes of delaying the Reapers.Of course, it wasn’t a big delay, and now the Reapers are attacking in full force, ready to end another cycle of organic life, which earns Shepard an early release from prison and their position as Commander reinstated.
The scene when Shepard leaves the building and sees the Reapers attacking is hard to forget. It immediately sets in how serious the situation is, and that time is definitely not on their side. Between the visuals showing how massive the Reapers are, the destruction a single laser can cause, and the “Leaving Earth” soundtrack playing, itproperly sets up the atmosphere of the game.
1The Normandy Is Destroyed To Start Mass Effect 2
Normandy Destroyed: New Threats
Part of what makes this the most memorable moment ishow unexpected it isto have a serious attack on the main character and their companions at the beginning of a game. Not only that, but Shepard doesn’t make it off the ship, since they prioritize their crew’s safety first. So,ME2not only starts with an attack on the ship, but the death of the main character, too. While Shepard is revived by Cerberus, the impact of the sequence remains.
The sound design and visuals are well-done during this scene, too. When the ship breaks apart, the only sound becomes Shepard’s breathing, which is almosteerie with the chaos happeningaround them. As more of the ship falls apart, it starts to sink in that there’s nowhere to go without an escape pod, so Shepard, making sure that everybody else gets in one first, is left to fall to the nearest planet with the gravity to pull them down.
Shepard’s journey is unforgettable for a lot of reasons, and a big one is the bonds they forge with the people around them, leading to new understandings of different races and learning about history that happened before humans first left Earth. That’s why it’s not surprising that the trilogy has so many memorable moments, either, as trying to save the galaxy is not a small feat. So, as long as the next game has the same heart and soul put into it, the journey after theMass Effecttrilogy should be memorable in its own right.
