Summary
Commander Shepard had a level of control over the narrative that allowed for optional companions to be left behind in the originalMass Effecttrilogy, and this kind of dynamic has the potential to make the next game feel properly tailored around the player’s desires. With some of the most memorable examples of these situations involving the deaths of existing or potential companions, however, allowing the entire squad to end up dead in the nextMass Effectwould serve to represent a remarkable example of freedom in a party-based RPG.
Skipping out on characters is an interesting way to shape the game around an individual’s preferences, but killing them off can make for vastly different playthroughs that enhance long-term replayability. Considering thatMass Effect’s sad companion deathsare already some of the most memorable in modern sci-fi RPGs and design trends have been shifting towards this direction in the industry as a whole, the next game should have plenty of inspiration to draw from.
Some of the Mass Effect Trilogy’s Most Intense Moments Involve Squadmate Deaths
Wrex on Virmire and ME3’s Galaxy of Consequences
In a moment that is emotionally difficult for many players, Wrex threatens to betray the party duringthe originalMass Effect’s divisive Virmire mission. He can die right there and never appear again in the series or be talked down with sufficient skill, and the same mission requires the player to let either Kaidan or Ashley die. By the time of the final entry, Shepard has so much influence in the galaxy that the player can allow entire planetary populations to die out, leading to the tragic loss of a mainstay like Tali and other companions from previous titles.
ME2 and Its Suicide Mission Are a Masterclass in Modular Gameplay
Not only can players choose to leave many of their companions behind in the first place, butMass Effect 2’s Samara can be killed straight upand replaced with her vampiric daughter, for example. The final Suicide Mission allows Shepard to assign roles to the party, and making the wrong choice here will prove permanently fatal for them. This can act as a moment of narrative consistency or an instance of the player sending these characters to their deaths, but the level of choice it represents is its biggest achievement.
The Next Mass Effect Should Give Players the Freedom to Let the Entire Party Perish
Creating Meaningfully Distinct Routes and Worldbuilding After the Reapers
Any number of characters dying throughout the original trilogy was generally handled by replacing them with a more generic NPC filling the same role in terms of narrative, and BioWare going into the nextMEwith this type of design philosophy could lead to even more variation in these sorts of playthroughs.
Since the next game will likely see a rebuilt galaxy afterthe Destroy ending ofMass Effect 3, it could even make narrative sense for certain companions to be relegated to conflicting factions which push the player to side against certain options. It’s unknown if the next protagonist will be as much of a heroic icon as Shepard, so there’s more room than ever for morally ambiguous actions like killing squadmates.
How BioWare-Influenced Titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 Handle Killing Companions
It might be true that routes like the one involving Shepard’s death inME2due to having no living companions aren’t usually able to be canon to series lore in RPGs, but this doesn’t mean elements of it can’t be managed effectively. Titles likePillars of EternityandBaldur’s Gate 3have utilized similar formulas, but feature no limits on allowing the player to kill the entire party and end up completely alone.
BG3’s Dark Urge Origineven focuses on this concept in specificity, showing how some of the most notable modern RPGs have been able to make the most of companion deaths. Whether or not the nextMass Effectprominently features returning characters, building up its roster just to let them be torn down could be one of its most effective emotional tools.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
WHERE TO PLAY
One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it’s ever faced. Relive the legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors and packs — remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD. Experience an amazingly rich and detailed universe where your decisions have profound consequences on the action and the outcome.
