Top 10 Mass Effect Moments

Although Liara T’Soni doesn’t get to join your squad throughout the main story in “Mass Effect 2,” you do get to accompany her in this DLC pack. Your search for the mysterious Shadow Broker takes you to his ship, although getting inside is easier said than done. Upon landing, Shepard must thwart off guards in the midst of an electrifying storm. This leads to a stimulating face off with the Shadow Broker in which Liara delivers the final blow and usurps his title (xref). The universe’s secrets are in good hands.

“Mass Effect” is full of intriguing AI characters and by far the most intimidating is a reaper known as Sovereign. With a voice that could rock an entire planet, Sovereign is like HAL 9000 on steroids. Shepard’s introduction to the sentient flagship amounts to several shocking revelations concerning the universe’s evolution and a haunting conversation about the universe’s extinction. You feel the weight of every word Sovereign says, clouding this scene with dread and impending doom. If you weren’t hell-bent on stopping the reapers already, you’ll be totally pumped now.

The beginning of “Mass Effect 3” really feels like the end of days as Shepard is forced to leave the crumbling earth. Powerlessly watching giant reapers destroy our home world and a little boy attempting to flee in horror, we’re overcome with an ungovernable sense of loss. The musical score only adds to tragedy, fitting the distressing imagery perfectly. If this wasn’t scaring enough, players realize that Shepard has been truly shaken by this event as he constantly replays it in the dream sequences you experience throughout the game.

Of all the side characters in this universe, Joker probably wouldn’t be anybody’s first choice to take control of. Nevertheless, his mission in “MassEffect 2” is one of the series most exhilarating instances. With Shepard and the others absent, Joker and EDI are left to defend the Normandy against collectors. The fact that you’re unarmed, unaccompanied by party members, and playing as a crippled person contributes to the danger and vulnerability. At any moment, you could die – but EDI still has the nerve to crack a joke. And you wonder why AI’s are illegal.

With the final mission on the horizon, you’d better make your final moments with your lover count. In a majority of games, sex scenes usually feel like gratuitous fan service. This isn’t the case with “Mass Effect,” though. No matter whom you decide to pursue as a love interest, you can always expect the romance factor to be touching and meaningful. It honestly feels like you’ve come to know this individual as if they are a real person. Finally getting to hold them intimately is a genuinely rewarding, heartfelt experience.

With the fate of the universe in jeopardy, it’s somewhat irresponsible for Shepard to go on shore leave. This makes leeway for some of the franchise’s funniest dialog, however, as the squad reunites for either a relaxed or energetic party. This shindig is a testament to how interesting and relatable the Normandy crew truly is. Listening to everybody make banter is just as much fun as fighting alongside them in battle. Capping things off with a poignant ending, we’re reminded why we love all of these characters so much.

Depending on the decisions you make, your “Mass Effect” experience can be full of tragic deaths. It is possible to save Mordin, but only at the loss of Wrex and Eve though, so most players experience this as trilogy’s absolute saddest. What makes his death even more tear jerking is that he willingly sacrifices himself to cure the genophage. He does so with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. It’s devastating to think we’ll never hear Mordin’s incomprehensible jargon or angelic singing voice again. Rest in peace, sweat salarian.

Any other game would have probably saved a riveting cinematic such as this until the climax. “Mass Effect 2” opens with the biggest bang imaginable, though, as the Normandy is attacked. Not only is the ship destroyed, but Shepard also dies in the process. You’re less than ten minutes into the game and already it’s clear that this is going to be a grader, more breathtaking experience that raises the stakes. Every moment from the previous game feels like a dress rehearsal compared to this opening.

The “Mass Effect” games are all about making difficult choices, many of which have no easy answers. While Choosing between Ashley and Kaiden(xref) challenged us, it’s the Quarian/Geth decision that still haunts us. Shepard is forced to make an unthinkable judgment that’ll wide out one of these two species. While neither outcome is ideal, Legion isn’t going to make it no matter what. Only under the tightest of circumstances can you save both races, but if you make the mistake of agreeing that the Geth deserve their own place in the galaxy, the Quarians do something rather rash and Tali can’t take it any longer.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Punching the Reporter
“Mass Effect” Trilogy (2007-12)
Grunt vs. the Racni
“Mass Effect 3” (2012)
Mordin Singing
“Mass Effect 2” (2010)
Illusive Man and Admiral Anderson’s Death
“Mass Effect 3” (2012)
Meeting the Leviathan
“Mass Effect 3” (2012)

If you thought the opening to “Mass Effect 2” was mind-blowing, the finale raised the ante to immeasurable levels. Everything you’ve fought for and every choice you’ve made has worked up to the suicide mission. If you play your cards right, Shepard and all the characters you’ve come to adore will get through this ordeal alive. There’s also an extreme possibility nobody, including Shepard, will survive. Exciting, inspiring, heartrending, and unpredictable, it’s epic gaming in the purest sense. If only the ending of “Mass Effect 3” had been like this.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite “Mass Effect” moment? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.