Discussing the 4 Sacrifices of Mass Effect 3

[Winter]

Before we talk about this mission let's take a quick look at Virmire over in Mass Effect 1. Virmire is often regarded as one of the best missions in the entire ME series and a major factor in that is that it is the only mission where one of your companions can die, namely one of the first two you pick up Ashly and Kaidan. At one point during the development of the game it was possible to save both Ash and Kaidan but this was changed and I honestly think that was the right call as it helped sell the threat of the Reapers.

Skipping over to ME2 a major point in favor of the Suicide Mission of that game is that it is possible to get through the entire mission without losing ANYONE! It's possible to save your entire crew and squad with no real injuries. However, it still helps show just how dangerous the Reapers are by having this be a mission where it's possible to get just about everyone killed with the exception of Joker and EDI but that part is entirely down to you and the choices you made and plays a big part as to why ME2 is the most popular game in the series.

Thus we come to ME3. In ME3 there are a total of 4 characters who sacrifice their lives in order to stop the Reapers those characters being Mordin, Legion, Thane and Shepard. However, of all these deaths only Mordin's death is universally praised while the other three are more mixed. Why is that?

I think it comes down to a couple of points the first of which that being -

Mordin

Mordin's death FITS with what the story is trying to convey, is a result of player choices throughout the series and, most importantly, can be avoided or switched over to another character altogether depending on if Mordin survived ME2. Though this we see SEVERAL outcomes and see how different sides to Mordin's character that are otherwise locked off.

Also, of all the deaths we'll be covering, Mordin's is the LEAST contrived.

In the end Everything in storytelling is just a writer moving the story in the direction they want so, in essence everything is contrived so things happen as the writer intended. What makes a good story is how well the writer convinces everyone how it isn't contrived.

For example, the One Ring just HAPPENS to fall into the position of Bilbo after the ring "Abandons" Gollum and is unable to fully corrupt him despite being with him for possibly decades even though we see it being able to corrupt people within a matter of minutes. But we go along with it because we see that Bilbo is a strong willed person who cares more about those in his life then he does about power and we know the events that led to this moment so we willingly overlook the more contrived part of the story because everything else works so well.

Of course the STG is going to have set up the shroud to destroy if the cure is used because the Salarians had hundreds of years to figure out how to deal with Krogans if a cure for the Genophage was ever made. Of course Mordin needs to override controls manually as just because he was told about the sabotage doesn't mean he's going to have a instant fix for this problem because, again, the Salarians had hundreds of years to plan for something like this.

And finally Mordin's death is part of a larger arc which is the question of whether or not the Genophage needs to end. For me, between Wrex's leadership and Eve's wise counsel showed that the Krogan had changed and that with them on our side the galaxy would be a better place.

And we know Mordin's larger role in this arc and why it's so important for him to cure the Genophage.

Everything here, if Mordin does die, works within the narrative that has been set up and sadly, IMO, the same can't be said about the others.

Thane


youtu.be/h3KGCWaKdh4

For me, this is the WORST death of the lot because unlike Mordin, Legion or Shepard, Thane dies via Ninja Assassin and second worst character in the series Kai Leng saving someone he doesn't know or care about via charging at him instead of just shooting him at a distance. There is NO Reason for Thane to die and the fact that it's Leng that kills him makes this whole fight come off as cheap and insulting both to the character and the players.

Thane helped take down the Collectors, he deserves better then death by Idiot Character Leng who NO ONE takes seriously.

It doesn't help that Thane had done basically nothing in the game outside of talking to use once towards the start and then he shows up just to die. Thane has never been a favorite of mine but I still like him and while I expected his death I figured he would have a more badass way to die instead of just Leeroy Jankins it. Like I said, this is the worst death in the game, it is uphill from here... okay it's more a slight incline but it is better.

Legion

I don't understand this death. Legion realizes that he can use the Reaper code to upgrade the rest of the Geth into true Intelligent beings... which sounds like a REALLY stupid move when you say it out loud. It's like saying "I can use the sword of Satan that was purified in the blood of the innocent to solve world hunger", it's just not a phrase that instills confidence as much as you think.

Anyways, Legion can upgrade the Geth and if you play your cards right you can get the Geth and the Quarians to help in your war against the Reapers which sounds great and ties into the major theme of this subplot within the series. And then Legion says it can't upload the code so in order to get it to the other Geth it has to die... because of reasons that are never clarified in the game itself.

Again, with Mordin's death everything is laid out in such a way that him sacrificing himself makes sense but here... why does Legion need to die to get the code uploaded to the other Geth? We have the code, we've convinced the Quarians to stop firing on the Geth... Why can't we just take the time to figure out how to upload the core without killing Legion?

This feels more like the game just needed to have one of your companions die because, well, Mordin died to cure the Genophage or you killed Wrex and Eve, indirectly, to keep it going so it makes sense that someone else should die to stop the war... That we've already stopped... And will still have the Geth and the Quarians on our side to fight the Reapers... So this death is pointless as we can keep Legion alive and have it figure out how to upgrade the Geth later.

At this point I should point out that Mordin is the first character to die and by all accounts it was agreed that curing the Genophage would be one of the first missions players would do. So, with that in mind, I can't help but wonder if these deaths are the result of other writers in the game trying to emulating Mordin's potential death to recapture the impact of that death but failing to understand why it worked.

Which then leads us to the final heroic sacrifice of ME3

Shepard

Of all the deaths we've talked about so far Shepard's is the most controversial. Even after 10 years it's STILL the most hotly debated death in the series with many, myself included, hoping it is somehow undone in the upcoming Mass Effect game while others are perfectly fine with it.

So, let's start with those who do like this ending and why they're fine with it. From what I've been told those who like this death like it because they felt it fit with the story that was being told and the journey they were on with Shep. For them, Shepard giving their life to save the galaxy fit the story perfectly and to these people I say... I get it and more power to you but. For some players this is just fine if not great because they had crafted a story and a Shepard that fit within the narrative they had created.

There in, however, lies my and others issues with the death of Shepard. It doesn't fit the story WE were shaping. I was shaping a story where me and my friends managed to beat the odds, unite the galaxy to defeat the enemy of all life. I was going to retire and hang out with Garrus and make a family with Liara and help everyone rebuild and keep the peace I had spent 100 hours building.

I had seen the worst the galaxy had to offer and I STILL felt it was a galaxy worth saving and that I could live to see that galaxy. Sure, I couldn't save everyone but I could save everyone else and I had no reason to assume that my Shepard would die.

And then the ending game along and told me, "No. You don't get that ending. You have to pick one of three options and prove you enemies right."

Choose Red

You Prove that you agree with the idea that A.I. and Organics can never live in peace and it would all be better if we just wiped them all out despite making peace with the Geth and EDI.

Choose Blue

You are now a hypocrite because after 100 hours of telling people like Saran and The Illusive Man that trying to control the Reapers is stupid you now prove them right and take control of the Reapers.

Choose Green

You now violate the bodes of EVERYONE in the Milky way without their consent and, again, prove yourself to be hypocrite because you're now agreed with Saran and TIM again as part of their goal was to change all life to better suit their, and by extension, The Reapers vision of perfect was.

Refuse to Choose

Everything you love and fought for is destroyed and someone else will just pick one of the other options that you should have chosen.

And just like Legion, this death feels forced as we have no reason to trust a single thing the Little Blue Troll says and the fact that we can't defend ourselves just throws salt on the wound. And it's almost impossible to survive this and it's debatable if we even did in the one instance where we can... And how DID we survive the Citadel BLEW UP!!! IN ORBIT!!! And we're were at the center of the BOOM!!!

I hate to make this comparison but... take it Rise of Skywalker!!!


youtu.be/EsjwVu_ihKU

Of all the deaths I feel that Shepard's is the most contrived because it requires you to ignore all you know in order for it to work. I was already willing to suspend my disbelief and buy into whatever BioWare had to sell but in the end I just couldn't buy into it.

This was not the story I was shaping, this was not my Shepard and this was not what I was promised. I was promised that the ending would be shaped by my choices throughout the Trilogy... AND IT WASN'T!!! Instead a random character, who looks like a kid I met ONCE comes in to tell me "No, you don't matter I do but I'll throw you a bone and let you pick one of three options."

Casey Hudson himself promised that this sort of thing would NOT happen. That there would not be some long lost Reaper Off-Switch, that we would not an A, B and C ending and that the endings would have a lot more sophistication and variety in them. Only for the ending to include a Reaper off-switch, be an A, B and C ending and have little to no real variety to them.

Let me be clear I'm NOT saying that those who enjoy this ending are idiots because, again, for those who do enjoy it they like it because it fit the narrative of the story they were telling. But it did NOT fit the narrative the other half of the fanbase was telling.

So as a result, while Thane is the worst death Shepard's is the one I hate the most because I was promised I could shape the ending of my Shepard the way I wanted but instead I was lied to and I was told to take the endings I was given.

Again, if you like or even love the endings of ME3, more power to you, but don't expect me to love it alongside you.

And that's it, those are my opinions on the four deaths of ME3. I personally only like one of them and a bit part of that is because I can shape how it plays out or if it is avoided altogether. But what about you, what's your opinion about the 4 Sacrifices of Mass Effect 3?

[CharlesPhipps]

The problem with the ending of Shepard is the fact that we don't get to follow up on all of the things we did in the game like Dragon Age. I wanted to wake up in a hopsital and talk with Admiral Hackett where he says.

"Really, Shepard you let the Krogan genophage cure be destroyed? Why?"

"Racism!"

[hammerofglass]

Minor quibble: Saren never suggested or advocated for controlling the Reapers. The closest he got was "if we're submissive enough they might not kill us".

[stryke]

To go with Mordin fitting thematically, I'd add that it's just executed incredibly well which is not at all something I can say for any of the others. The re-use of his signature line especially hitting like a freight train.

[CharlesPhipps]

I feel bad for the romancers of ME2.

Aside from Garrus and Tali, every romance from that game is utterly fucked.

"I hope you didn't like Thane!"

[Winter]

I feel bad for the romancers of ME2.

Aside from Garrus and Tali, every romance from that game is utterly fucked.

"I hope you didn't like Thane!"

In the original release of the game I'd have agreed to that but with the Citadel DLC this was largely fixed as we get more time with our love interests from ME2. And seeing that moving forward this DLC will always be included I feel this is at least ONE point BioWare managed to correct.

Even Thane is given a bit more with his funeral and the messages he leaves for Shepard. It's sadly not much but it's at least Something.

Really the Citadel DLC is the light at the end of the tunnel with ME3 because, for me, the story of ME3 takes a noise dive after Rannoch with what is, IMO, the worst mission in the series with Thessia and the, again IMO, overrated Sanctuary and Cerberus Base along with the hugely disappointing last level.

The Citadel ranks as my favorite mission in all of ME, beating out Virmire and the Suicide Mission and part of that is down to how this DLC, more then any other part of ME3, is shaped by our choices. This DLC will always play out a little differently then any other mission depending on how you play it.

It's really just a fantastic DLC and while not my personal gold standard for DLC (which is currently held by Assassin's Creed 3's The Tyranny of King Washington) it is up there and helped save the game for me.

[hammerofglass]

I actually liked how the Thane romance ended. You knew he was dying when you met him, it was always going to end this way. Props to the writers for not chickening out on it. Plus his scene passing in the hospital with his son is one of the few genuinely good ones in the game.

Hell of a lot better than the "sorry, I knocked someone up while casually cheating on you" way the Jacob one ends.

[Winter]

I actually liked how the Thane romance ended. You knew he was dying when you met him, it was always going to end this way. Props to the writers for not chickening out on it. Plus his scene passing in the hospital with his son is one of the few genuinely good ones in the game.

Hell of a lot better than the "sorry, I knocked someone up while casually cheating on you" way the Jacob one ends.

Yeah, Jacob is pretty much terrible no matter what version of ME3 you get but I think what CharlesPhipps meant was they didn't like how little the romance options from ME2 where used in ME3. In the original release of the game all of the romance options from ME2, with the exception of Tali and Garrus, only get one mission and ONE scene and that's it.

As I mentioned at the start, by issue with Thane's death wasn't that he died but rather HOW he died. Getting killed by Kai Leng to protect someone he didn't know or care about (the Salarian Councilor) felt rather cheap. I remember my sister being PISSED at the death scene and straight up stopped playing the game after that.

The scene where he dies is well done but scene where he is mortally wounded THAT'S where the problem comes in. He should have died fighting alongside us and gets injured during that part of the fight which, combined with all the awesome stuff he does during that fight, is to much and he has to be taken to the hospital. From there the scene plays out as it does in the base game. Here he doesn't die to save some jerk who's been a hindrance to us since day one but instead helps use to drive an army back.

It can still be by Leng's hand but Thane deserves better then what he got.

[CharlesPhipps]

It's funny but Kai Leng is basically Kylo Ren before Kylo Ren exists. All of the things that are designed to make him badass are undermined to the point that he comes off as incredibly pathetic. Which is something a lot of fans thought was unintentional with Kylo Ren (narrator: It was not) and without Adam Driver's performance to carry it.

* Kai Leng looks like Nightwing went to the Citadel's Hot Topic
* Kai Leng kills one of your companions - except it's Thane, who is already sick with Space Cancer.
* Kai Leng kills the most powerful biotic in the world in the novels - except it's a 16 year old autistic girl.
* Kai Leng fights you but it's with some generic mooks and a gunship and STILL loses.
* Kai Leng isn't indoctrinated or is but it just makes him more of a douchebag with his letter, which is his ONLY characterization.

Hell, he even has the memetic I EAT YOUR CEREAL.

[Winter]

It's funny but Kai Leng is basically Kylo Ren before Kylo Ren exists. All of the things that are designed to make him badass are undermined to the point that he comes off as incredibly pathetic. Which is something a lot of fans thought was unintentional with Kylo Ren (narrator: It was not) and without Adam Driver's performance to carry it.

* Kai Leng looks like Nightwing went to the Citadel's Hot Topic
* Kai Leng kills one of your companions - except it's Thane, who is already sick with Space Cancer.
* Kai Leng kills the most powerful biotic in the world in the novels - except it's a 16 year old autistic girl.
* Kai Leng fights you but it's with some generic mooks and a gunship and STILL loses.
* Kai Leng isn't indoctrinated or is but it just makes him more of a douchebag with his letter, which is his ONLY characterization.

Hell, he even has the memetic I EAT YOUR CEREAL.

Weirdly enough, this sort of character is strangely popular with writers. Rafe in Uncharted 4, Konstantine in Rise of the Tomb Raider, Cesare Borgia in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ahmet in AC: Revelations, Daniel Cross in AC3, Charles Lee also from AC3 (yeah this was annoyingly common in Assassin's Creed for a while) and of course Kylo Ren and Kai Leng.

I've no idea why writers like these sorts of character as I don't know many fans who like these characters. Even in the stories that are well loved like Uncharted 4 the villain in that story is seen as one of the least interesting parts of that game.

This character is pathetic, everyone treats him as pathetic and as such we can never take him seriously in the story itself. It's like the Kazon in Voyager, we know these idiots aren't a threat and they need someone else to help turn them into a threat and when their gone their not missed.

Contrast this with Prince Zuko or Catra as both are, when you get down to it, pathetic. Zuko wants his father's love and do get it he has to capture the Avatar but fails for most of the series and the one time he DOES capture Aang he fails so badly that he needs the Gaang to save him. Catra refuses to join Adora because of her need to beat her at ANYTHING to prove she is Adora's equal or better.

But there are few who see these two as pathetic and are seen as intimidating and effective villains despite the fact that they almost never succeed. When the Gaang learn that Zuko is on their tale their response isn't to laugh at him but instead are filled with fear and despite never succeeding to capture Aang the only reason for that was because the Gaang had to escape him or knock him out. In a straight up fight, they almost always retreated.

With Catra, Adora was terrified of the idea of dealing with her, not just because she loved her but because she knew that Catra was the better planner and it was thanks to Catra's strategical mind that lead to the Horde almost conquering Etheria.

Same thing with Hunter over on The Owl House or Sasha in Amphibia. These are characters who do things because of selfish and often petty reasons but are seen as threatening and a force to be reckoned with.

You don't get that with characters like Kylo or Leng. They're just pathetic and we all know it.