11 rare Mass Effect scenes you probably never saw

Mass Effect 2 Source: BioWare

BioWare cinematic designer John Ebenger tweeted last year that about 92% of Mass Effect players went full Paragon. Despite all the piece of work the developers put into plotting out and designing Renegade options, virtually players never took advantage of them.

It makes sense if yous think most it. Mass Effect's morality system rewards yous for existence every bit adept (or bad) every bit possible, making yous more charismatic or intimidating during pivotal scenes. Then gamers typically go all-in on Paragon or Renegade, and it turns out more than people are comfortable with beingness "good" in games.

We're all eagerly anticipating Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's improved graphics and mechanics — plus the chance to romance a new crewmate or rekindle an onetime flame — one time information technology launches on May 14 for the Xbox Ane/ Xbox Series X, PS4/ PS5, and PC. But I have a hunch that many of you lot volition stop upwardly making most of the same choices equally in previous playthroughs. Why switch things up when you know what works?

Because of that, you'll miss out on some pretty ballsy scenes. And I'm not talking most hilarious Renegade interrupts similar shoving enemies through a window or headbutting some jerk krogan — fifty-fifty paragons can exercise a few of those for fun. There are some genuinely emotional, painful, or shocking Mass Outcome moments that virtually of you never saw because you'd accept to make difficult or bizarre choices to run into them.

Here are 11 rare Mass Effect scenes most players never encountered in their own playthroughs. New players, be warned: beware major spoilers from all 3 Mass Effect games.

1. Liara almost dies of dehydration (Mass Consequence i)

Summary: Afterward completing your missions on Feros, Noveria, and Virmire, you (Shepard) finally become to Therum, where Liara has been trapped in a protective barrier the whole time. Exhausted and dying, she believes you're a hallucination until you free her. Once you return to your ship, you tell Liara all about the Reapers, and she's devastated that she wasn't there to help report any of information technology.

Why you missed it: If a game gives you a recruiting mission, nigh people exercise that first. Anybody on their outset playthrough isn't going to miss the risk to add a Prothean scientist to the team, and anybody replaying ME1 is apparently going to rush to get Liara.

Why it'southward impressive: Total props to Bioware for thinking to add together this variation that almost no one would ever see. Poor Liara is trapped with no one just Geth for company for weeks, then finds out the story of the Reapers when normally she'd have discovered it with you.

ii. Legion crashes Tali'south Geth treason trial (Mass Effect ii)

Summary: Tali has been charged with treason due to her father'south alleged experimentation on the Geth. You brand the ridiculous decision to bring Legion forth with yous to her trial, leading to some tense confrontations and unique dialogue.

Why you missed it: Yous most likely completed Tali's loyalty mission earlier boarding the Derelict Reaper and recruiting Legion. After recruiting it, you typically only have time to complete its loyalty mission before the game wants yous to start the final mission. Too, bringing a Geth forth to a Quarian coming together seems needlessly risky and confrontational.

Why it'southward intriguing: Bioware programmed dialogue for Legion in almost all of the ME2 loyalty missions knowing that almost people would never hear them. All the same, it's specially worth bringing Legion forth for this mission. The Quarians' terror at its presence helps illustrate why their society would be and so willing to go to war with the Geth, fifty-fifty in the midst of a Reaper invasion. It also gives more context to the admirals' opinions on the Geth, particularly Xen'south agonizing plans for enslavement.

Alternative rare scenes: Geth VI, Legion's replacement if he dies in ME2, has all kinds of culling dialogue that most people never saw.

3–iv. Mordin lives... or you impale him (Mass Effect 3)

Summary: Mordin realizes the Salarians sabotaged the genophage cure and that you're letting them practice so in substitution for aid. He wants to right his mistakes, but yous convince him that Udrnot Wreav will use the cure to conquer the milky way once the Reapers are gone. Mordin reluctantly agrees to proceed upwards the facade and go into hiding.

Why yous missed it: To get this scene, Wrex must die in ME1, and you must destroy Maelon's information in ME2. Virtually players go along Wrex alive; plus, most save the data to have the option to use it later, thus preventing Mordin from seeing your side of things.

Why it'southward interesting: Wreav is the worst, and Bioware made sure that mattered. Other replacement characters for dead companions (like Mordin's substitute Padok Wiks) are stand-ins that don't change the story much, simply Wreav'southward inferiority to Wrex as a moral leader makes it more plausible that Mordin the pragmatist could be talked downward. It'southward just too bad that Mordin'due south survival doesn't really impact the story afterward.

Culling rare scene: Padok Wiks fantasizes nigh how krogan mate. It'southward... bad-mannered.

Summary: Wrex and Eve are alive and fix to rebuild the Krogan people, merely Mordin discovers your sabotage plans. He shouts that he made a mistake by helping to perfect the genophage, and that he won't go along with this. You lot shoot him and throw your gun away in cloy, while Mordin crawls to fix the sabotage but dies right before he can.

Why you missed it: You lot probably didn't get this because calculation the Salarians doesn't have a major impact on the Crucible project, and because betraying Mordin and Wrex is a bridge too far even for some Renegade players.

Why it'southward (painfully) awesome: Mordin's heroic sacrifice scene is powerful in its ain correct, but Mordin's hurting-filled "I made a mistake!" speech takes many of the same lines you know and adds so much more than emotion behind them. You come across how his decision to sterilize the Krogan people has grown to haunt him and how fifty-fifty the threat of expiry won't cease him.

Alternative rare scene: Hither's a palate cleanser for that painful scene: Mordin singing "Krogan Queen", which most players missed unless they visited him in the Medbay several times.

5. Shepard kills Wrex (Mass Effect iii)

Summary: Wrex discovers your betrayal and confronts you. Y'all can try to justify yourself or gaslight him, but he isn't fooled and attacks you. Either you or Citadel security kills Wrex.

Why you missed it: Assuming Wrex didn't already die in ME1 (a more common occurrence), most Paragon players wouldn't take the middle or breadbasket to betray Wrex and trigger this moment.

Why information technology's what Renegade players deserve: Tricking the Krogan to throw their lives away to save Earth with no adventure of repopulating is monstrous, no matter the justifications, and Bioware provides a fitting punishment for your pragmatism by making you kill Wrex.

Alternative/ atrocious rare scene: Tali commits suicide every bit the Quarians are wiped out. Feel free not to watch it unless you lot want to weep.

6. Major Kirrahe gives an inspiring spoken communication on Earth (Mass Effect 3)

Summary: Before the final battle on Earth, Major Kirrahe speaks to Salarian troops, imploring them to fight. He tells you they volition hold the line.

Why you missed it: Wrex must survive ME1 and Thane must survive ME2. So, you must demolition the genophage cure, killing Mordin/ Padok and Wrex in the process.

Why it's awesome: Kirrahe gives good speeches, and this one lives upwards to "Hold the line." Getting to hear it almost makes upwardly for the series of betrayals it took to become Salarian help. Near.

Alternative rare scene: Wreav "jokes" before the battle on Earth that he plans to own Australia.

7. A small romantic moment with Samara (Mass Effect 3: Citadel)

Summary: Afterwards saving Samara at the Ardat-Yakshi monastery, you invite her to your apartment to reminisce. You declare that you still accept feelings for her, and despite her fears, you can buss or hold her.

Why you missed it: In ME2 (assuming you didn't recruit Morinth), yous tin effort to woo Samara, but she mostly rebuffs your advances. She wasn't a romance option in ME3, then rekindling the romance only became an option with the Citadel DLC, at which point most people had moved on to other characters.

Why it'due south sweet: The Citadel DLC gave enough of fanservice to players who romanced ME2 companions that didn't return as squadmates in ME3. This small scene rewards Samara fans for their patience. While its short length may be disappointing, it nails the justicar cautiously, finally opening up to you, and is pretty touching.

Alternative rare scene: Shepard slaps Jacob for adulterous on her.

8. Engineer Shepard isn't some stupid grunt (Mass Issue 3: Omega)

Summary: Cerberus eneral Petrovsky uses Omega'southward reactor to power strength fields protecting his troops. Shutting it downwardly volition also shut down life support for Omega citizens. If y'all're playing equally an engineer class, yous featherbed this tough decision and immediately reroute the power while shutting down the forcefulness fields. Aria praises your quick thinking.

Why you missed information technology: In theory, ane in 6 players would cull Engineer out of the other classes. In practice, more players chose other classes that give you biotic abilities, cloaking tech, or improved shooting.

Why it's bittersweet: This scene shows the missed role-playing potential of the Mass Effect series. In virtually activeness cutscenes, you lot merely run and shoot. You never utilize your biotics to freeze a earnest-taker, actuate camo to sneak backside monologing enemies, or bull-rush Kai Leng with a Vanguard charge. Your pre-service background equally an orphan or colonist also never comes into play for dialogue options.

That's why this small-scale cutscene advantage for Engineers is a welcome exception.

Culling rare scene: Shepard touches an orb that transports you into the mind of a Cro-Magnon hunter.

ix. Renegade Kaidan breaks up with you lot (Mass Effect)

Summary: If yous're a Renegade FemShep who romanced Kaidan while criticizing the council at every opportunity, you've convinced him that the Alliance should be in charge. If you lot change your melody and say that'due south too extreme, he questions how honest you lot are and decides to accept a footstep back from your human relationship.

Why yous missed information technology: Even if you romanced Kaidan and played as a Renegade, most people would keep choosing Renegade options all the mode through, non suddenly switch tracks.

Why it's unexpected: Like the variation with the trapped and exhausted Liara, this dialogue shows how much endeavor Bioware put into ME1 to brand sure you could make even the nearly nonsensical of choices, resulting in real consequences for your character.

10. Claw up with Javik or James (Mass Effect 3: Citadel)

Summary: As FemShep, you've made information technology through all 3 games without whatsoever romantic partners. That sort of ends after the political party at your flat in the Citadel DLC, where you have a drunken one-night stand with Javik or slowly corner James into sleeping with you. (Here'southward the link to the James scene)

Why y'all missed it: You demand to be single during the Citadel DLC, past which point virtually people have chosen a partner. You lot may also need to use Javik or James as your squadmate more than any other teammate to trigger the selection, so hold an energetic party. You tin can flirt with James at the party to trigger things, but the Javik scene merely sort of happens.

Why it's bad: The James "romance" involves repeatedly flirting with him while he's clearly uncomfortable and uninterested, before he eventually gives in to his superior officer. Yikes. As for Javik, his scene triggers automatically without whatsoever "We'll blindside, okay?" dialogue choice, so someone playing Shep equally asexual could be in for a rude surprise. These are rare scenes that I'one thousand glad well-nigh people never had to meet.

eleven. Everybody except Joker dies (Mass Issue 2)

Summary: You travel through the Omega 4 relay, but through a series of bad decisions, all of your teammates dice 1 past one. Equally you blitz to the ship, you take no teammates to defend yourself from the Collectors, and you fall to your expiry. The Illusive Man speaks to Joker almost the coming attack. Joker supposedly prepares to take Shepard's place in ME3.

Why you missed information technology: To become this scene, you take to avoid loyalty missions, decline to upgrade your send, expect to go through the relay so the coiffure dies, and neglect to recruit either Zaeed or Kasumi. You also have to brand bad tactical decisions like taking Jacob upwardly on his light-headed offer to be an engineer. If you become this ending, you meant to go it.

Why it'south and then hardcore: Bioware gave u.s.a. its stance of speedrunners with this absurdly bleak ending. Ignore the needs of your crewmates for the sake of the mission and everyone dies. There's no way Joker unites the galaxy to rebuild the Crucible, so the Reapers win by default and you can't continue this playthrough. You lot probable never saw this outside of YouTube, but the fact that you could trigger this ending is pretty bully for adding tension.

Alternative rare scene: Shepard, an idiot, decides to embrace eternity with Morinth.

Experience these rare scenes for yourself

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