Mass Effect 3: Meeting David Archer from Overlord DLC

[@jumeauxelaine3960]

A character who was on screen physically for five minutes over both games has the power to make me cry. Dammit Bioware.

[@JohnsDough1918]

Jumeaux Elaine and a DLC character.

[@endroo93]

AAAAAAAAND it's gone. Thank you for Andromedia, Bioware.

[@JohnsDough1918]

I know, right?

[@ahmetkurum4114]

Can someone provide context before i injure myself for not playing this DLC back in ME2

[@JohnsDough1918]

You can go to the Overlord DLC's page on the Mass Effect wikia and get more story details than we could give you here.

[@Littleattack]

"The number of days you lengthened my life." I never expected such a beautiful line ambushing me while I was playing. I was like: W-what... omg.. *Holds back the feels*

[@Pheelyp]

YES!

[@kuronyra1709]

+Liam Dae I was ambushed too... And I just couldn't play for a good hour after that.

[@Grendell100]

Ikr? My eyes got instantly teary.

[@toadlord8594]

It's incredible how short yet genuinely touching this scene was and still is to this very day. I haven't played Mass effect trilogy sadly in over 2 years since I moved on to PlayStation 4 yet all it took was this scene to make me start getting teary eyed and remember the massive feels the Franchise made me feel. Here's hoping someday to see Mass Effect trilogy in PS4 again, unless they already have it somewhere in the PlayStation store.

[@toadlord8594]

@@NoneOfItEvenMattered I know it's only a minute long but it's more genuinely jerking than any games I played in the last few years. So sad that most video games these days are more about the amazing graphics and money grubbing (cough Microtransactions cough*) than actual depth for the story and passion for the game industry but there's still hope. Doom Eternal is one beacon of hope lol. Along with Nier Automata cause that's still fun to play to me personally at least

[@greyknight5813]

"It was never your fault." That had me in tears.

[@elbirri]

John OReilly cus is true :)

[@cobbler9113]

+John OReilly Don't suppose Garrus ever saw Good Will Hunting...

[@SHADOWofJUSTiCE]

Garrus calibrated that response for maximum effect on humans...

[@Luxai]

Garrus is the ultimate bro.

[@AimlessTrek]

“Just like old times” - Garrus Vakarian

[@cobbler9113]

"It was never your fault". Someone should have told Garrus what effect that sentence can have on humans bursting into tears...

[@anacleos345]

+Simon Turner you know David was apologizing for hacking the Normandy is ME2

[@cobbler9113]

Oh yeah, I was just thinking of that scene from Good Will Hunting.

[@FakirCB]

I thought I have played ME 2 enough times to know it inside out, but I don't recall David ever hacking the Normandy. AFAIK the Normandy was hacked only by a virus from the Reaper IFF device.

[@cobbler9113]

FakirCB Did you play the Overlord DLC?

[@loganator01]

Normandy never got hacked. I'm sure he was apologizing for infecting then geth and attacking Shepard

[@koshi6505]

It's such a shame that people say this has the worst storyline, when it was really just the ending that disappointed everyone. It's full of amazing moments like this.

[@godoflemmings17]

That's it, too many people let the ending ruin the journey, when actually the journey was incredible.

[@patrickhallett6220]

Take away the last 5-ish minutes and this was a fantastic, borderline-flawless storyline. Unfortunately, everyone sees the last 5 minutes only and judges the entire 150+ hour Mass Effect journey on that alone.

[@shmoeyshamboni4287]

No, plenty of people agree that there was lots wrong with it, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate the good parts of it.

[@notaseal7864]

@@godoflemmings17 I liked the ending choices of Control and destroy because you could see the game setting you up for it from the start especially with Control or destroy the collector base. Synthesize is retarded tho

[@mazanakaUA]

There are lots and lots of poorly written, poorly directed, nonsensical scenes and even whole plots (The whole prologue, Cerberus "reorganisation" in 6 months, Leviathan, deus ex devices and eons old secrets across the galaxy being unearthed at the last minute and characters decrypting everything in a matter of hours, several weeks at most, etc.) A few decent scenes here and there do nothing but show what this game should have been, but never was and never will be.

[@patrickhallett6220]

David: “Guns. Lots of guns. Goodbye.” *turns to leave* Shepard: “David!” David: *turns back around* Shepard: “...Square root of 912.04 equals...” David: *smiles* “...30.2” Shepard: *smiles*

[@ilovejettrooper5922]

I'd have paid for that paragon interrupt

[@youseff500]

That would be too repetitive and dumb, you already said it once.

[@conor6802]

@@youseff500 No, that was 906.01. It would of bee heartwarming if Shepard said 912.04.

[@YuraOlsen]

@@conor6802 I do not think so. To me, that would be intrusive

[@foreverjune8]

Renegade Femshep: *Guns the smartass down including all the witnesses while smiling* Harbinger on the intercom: "Wow, bitch! This is cruel even by my standards."

[@jumeauxelaine3960]

David is physically on screen for five minutes in both ME2 and ME3, and I cried. Dammit Bioware, why are you so good at this stuff?

[@lazorize]

They really are.Sort of hard to believe they made us cry at a bunch of Polygons,huh ?

[@VoiD-ok9xh]

EDI: - He looks much healthier. David: - I remember you. The Normandy computer. - Sorry. EDI: - No apology is necessary.

[@sebastiangoldstein6598]

The square root of 906.1 equals 30.1. It all seemed harmless.

[@skyeye7274]

petargrad ME2 DLC. Overlord. One of the best moments of the entire trilogy.

[@Twilitparadox]

petargrad David's an Autistic savant. When people who experience autism of a certain severity are put in situations that take them out of their comfort zones they get very distressed, so they'll sometimes re-enact certain patterns or procedures that they are familiar with to calm down. For David, that was reciting a series of root conversions.

[@Twilitparadox]

petargrad Glad I could clear that up :)

[@StealthTheFoxz]

+Twilitparadox That... actually explains a lot.

[@patrickhallett6220]

I can speak from experience when I say @Twilitparadox is right. I am a percussionist with mild autism, and when I’m thrown into a situation that makes me uncomfortable (which is more often than is probably healthy), I find myself tapping rhythms on my thighs or shoulders to give me something I know to focus on, increasing in complexity the more uncomfortable I am

[@bloodrosereaper2099]

" The number of days you lengthened my life, " I'm actually crying. To see David better, peeled away from the torture Cerberus forced on him is just so... overwhelming. As someone with autism myself, this means more than words can properly say,

[@JesusKid1000]

"Sorry." "It was never your fault." "What have you been doing?" "Counting." "Anything specific?" "The number of days you've lengthened my life." I'm not crying! You're crying!

[@gn019202492000]

No, you're crying!!!!! :'( ...or both of us.

[@danielhaire6677]

"I've been counting." "Anything in particular?" "The number of days you lengthened my life." Damn Bioware, you definitely know how to deliver the emotional gut checks, good and bad, for the results of my actions. Hearing those words from David definitely made the decisions in Overlord worth it. And yes, they did make me tear up.

[@TSFCaesar]

you are not alone there.

[@ClearanceClarenceMods]

"I've been counting." "Anything in particular?" "The number of days you lengthened my life." - This had me in tears

[@DanTalksGames]

I'm not going to lie: I shed a tear of happiness when I saw this. The Overlord DLC touched me very personally. I'm diagnosed high-functioning autistic, and seeing David used and abused by his brother was shocking and infuriating beyond belief. My worst fear for anyone with autism is that they're manipulated by others through abusing their talents and preying on their social inadequacies. Seeing David free and recovering made me so incredibly happy. And that music...damn, gets me every time.

[@tigermaximus8003]

me too... maan. me to...

[@twotailedavenger]

I thought this would be the last time the game would get me in the feels.... and then we went to Rannoch...

[@Mariusweeddeath]

"Oh Blue Rose of Illum..."

[@Zombiewithabowtie]

There's a short comic made with that same title, exploring Charr's final moments. If you can manage to read it through the tears, it's brilliant.

[@Mariusweeddeath]

+GiRayne You have a strange idea of what a 'comedic beat' is. I didn't see it that way but if you do, all the more laughter for you. You need it in this game.

[@Mariusweeddeath]

GiRayne Oh my bad. Yes in ME2 its definitely a little funny story. I thought you mean the poem of his death. When you bring it to Eraba to listen to her pained voice and such. My apologies.

[@TheCorrodedMan]

GiRayne my heart,it hurts

[@mvvkiran]

The music itself, though so sad, makes one feel so happy, for seeing a character like David, so healthy and happy... wow...

[@eleventhknight9744]

9 years later and I'm back to this point in the legendary edition. The delivery of "the number of days you lengthened my life" is still a gut punch in the feels.

[@EldritchAugur]

One of the best moments in the series. This is one of those moments where I felt like my choice had a great impact.

[@combinecommando001]

Which is sad considering that ME3 should have been filled with moments like these.

[@EldritchAugur]

combinecommando001 It was.

[@thekaboominator1]

combinecommando001 Conrad verner, Jack, Samara, Grunt, Rachni Queen, Wrex, Quarians v geth, hell, even the matriarch's writings from me1. The list goes on. The problem was that the ending had almost none of these moments.

[@EldritchAugur]

thekaboominator1 The ending didn't need these moments because the whole game was filled with them.

[@thekaboominator1]

Jonathan Ashton I will see this.

[@FluffyNinjaLlama]

It’s one of the best DLCs ever made, very profound and touching, you should definitely buy it.

[@KororaPenguin]

Shakespeare could have made a fantastic play from the story of David Archer. Possibly have Act V be all-new material, where Gavin performs some great act of heroism (getting mortally wounded in the process), and then (in verse far superior to what I could come up with here): *Gav:* At least I cannot harm my brother more. God bless him greatly in his life to come. *Shp:* He hath forgiven thee. *Gav:* Thank God for that. My time hath come; may God forgive me too. _[dies]_ *Shp:* May God upon thy soul show mercy great.

[@Spectacular_Insanity]

A small cameo, but I love how you always feel like you've made a difference in people's lives in Mass Effect.

[@SkiniNinja]

dear god i still get emotional after seeing that and with the music in the back ground.

[@SkiniNinja]

Yes i do this game just has great music to fit the moment.

[@MichaelStephenLordReserei1987]

What was done to David made me irrationally angry in Project Overlord, considering I'm also on the Autism spectrum. So my decision was a no brainer. It made me all kinds of happy, and hit me in the feels, to see him pop up again in ME3 during this mission.

[@patrickhallett6220]

I completely agree with you. I too lie on the autism spectrum, so when I found David, there was no doubt in my mind what the right choice was. Then, months later, when I found him in Grissom Academy, healthy and happy, tears of joy and pride were shed

[@kappapride6332]

Another autistic here. Overlord DLC fucked me up the moment I saw David's flashbacks and realized what was going on. It was so nice to see him again in ME3. The happiest moment of the series for me.

[@shadowwriter4538]

I knew someone as kid who's autistic. Seeing what happened to David made me think about him a bit and I made sure to save David from that fate he was in. Also, saving David is something all my Shepards do; it doesn't matter how they align in terms of morality.

[@s-094cam5]

Not irrational. I still want to vent his brother's head and it's been almost a decade since I first played Overlord

[@stealthpyjamas4346]

ME3 is a great game, you can't let you disappointment with the end scene detract from all the beautiful moments that come before. In this case, I love how Shepard was able to answer "30.1" without thinking. Despite only spending a little bit of time with David, she remembered his equation as of they were sold friends. And Garus' "It was never your fault," line just teams up for an emotional hit. Such a great series

[@HanithSVK]

Of course she remembered. What was done to David... That was the worst shiet that humans did on other humans. The pure cruelty... Considering what Archer did to his own brother... And seeing those memories... "It all seemed harmless". Damn still got goosebumps when i remember that scene.

[@greenghost9325]

"I've been counting the number of days you've lenghtend my life."It's good to be good :')

[@Anonymaus209]

I can still remember the first time I had this encounter, truth be told I'd completely forgotten about David by the time of ME3. I'd already run through the third game once without linking up my ME2 save, so I was ready to pull out the old Paragon check to convince them to stand down. Seeing David down there made me exclaim out loud. Then when he thanks you for saving him, and just how much better he looks and sounds compared to in Overlord... Good never felt so good.

[@IvanVassiljevitsch]

i could rewatch this clip a thousand times (about 20 by now) and i'd still be deeply moved everytime. This is the reason The Mass Effect Series is my favorite franchise to date.

[@angusirwin1729]

When this happened in my play-through I had to stop take a moment to compose myself. This is why I play Mass Effect.

[@ViTALiTY924]

Still get chills from the conversation paired with the music.

[@crazy4sian]

This is one of many reasons why Grissom Academy is among my favourite missions.

[@The_Slav]

I love this moment just brings a tear to my eye, and that song in the background... I love the Mass effect trilogy and overlord dlc is one of the best :3

[@olli316]

After meeting David again, I truly felt that I had done something right.

[@n543576]

Screw whoever say Mass Effect was not one of the best RPG's ever made. I've to this day have yet to find a universe of such interesting characters and tearjerking moments before except mass effect. These moments that carry over from one game to the next all around show what you was fighting for all along and i love it so much bravo bioware, bravo.

[@user-ps4mw5om4j]

Mass effect is the best game imo

[@jeremysmith7097]

when i first saw David again, and that he was okay and happy. i got emotional man. because seeing david in that state in the overlord dlc broke my heart.

[@calebshonk5838]

David was basically me after my wife died. I can still remember it clear as day. People would ask me questions and I would always answer them straight and to the point, with as few words as possible. Not intentionally. I just couldn't think of anything else to say. Person X: "What time is (the funeral) tomorrow?" Me: "10 o'clock. I'll be there.....9:15....goodbye." I was 28. And already burying my wife.

[@D-Skotes]

Hey uhh this gonna sound weird coming from a stranger on the internet two years later but I hope you're doing better I know the hole of loosing someone never fully heals.

[@_Cato_]

Hey bud, I hope you’re doing a little better these days.

[@Skyblade12]

Sorry. I hope your life has improved.

[@SHADOWofJUSTiCE]

Garrus calibrated his response for maximum effect on humans...

[@alexiscardillo3206]

Overlord really struck a cord in me. I have Aspergers and seeing David after that shield went down, I nearly brawled my eyes out then and there. And now I just about ready to do it again seeing David and how well he's doing.

[@Megablueliner1]

"I've been counting." "Anything in particular?" " The number of days you lengthened my life." ;-;

[@theonionofcatarina9821]

THIS MADE ME CRY "the number of days you have lengthened my life"

[@1vaultdweller]

I love how David got so little screen time and still made people cry. Bioware rocks at storytelling.

[@jj_grabes]

Coming back to this years later, I’m not crying. I’m ready to single-handedly take on all the Reapers by myself so David can keep counting his days lived.

[@LEEboneisDaMan]

“It was never your fault.” Words to live by by people who are on the spectrum and or who have been abused by loved ones.

[@JnEricsonx]

Moments like this made this game so great. WHY THE HELL wasn't the same thought put into the ending. :(

[@Titansphere748]

When i saw david and heard him doing hes calculation i was stunned of awesomeness....such moments make this game great, confrontation with youre choises from the past.

[@LightShadowOnyx]

everytime I get to this part it make me cry I felt terrible for David for everything he had to go through in Project Overlord

[@Arrakeen77]

Oh man I got chills during this scene!

[@simple-commentator-not-rea7345]

David Archer, one of the most tormented and scarred innocent victims in video game history

[@StealthTheFoxz]

And in the end he seems to be recovering at a good pace.

[@Blazieth]

@@StealthTheFoxz He honestly seems more upset at what *he* did than traumatized over what was done to him.

[@YumaNanami]

There's like One gun and a mod.... Good to see him again though.

[@GreatestMKfighter]

"I remember you. Normandy crew. ...Sorry." *instantly bawls*

[@Glytch85]

Love your post. Mass Effect is a very emotional series. xD

[@BuckySeifert]

It's so awesome that they put him in. Actually when I learned it was Grissom Academy that Cerberus was attacking I went right to the mission. It was so touching to see David again, because as the brother of an autistic the ending of Overlord had a very strong impact on me. Course the gun and mod I got was a nice bonus as well :3

[@KingQuicksilver]

When I first saw this it made me feel so good about myself for helping David.

[@Westchemes]

"Guns. Lots of guns. Goodbye."

[@Mikhael_bureau]

They even bring back the music of the end of the Overlord DLC

[@frzferdinand72]

"The number of days you lengthed my life" is a punch to the gut.

[@stephenking5852]

When I heard the words, “square root,” I instantly recognized him.

[@kuronyra1709]

Damn... What would have been awesome after that is that the music continu... And then they use the Overlord battle theme for the rest of the level! :D

[@Troubleshooter11]

"The number of days you lengthened my life"....damn ninjas cutting onions on my keyboard :'(

[@EnigmaticBroffalo]

Everybody Renegade until the Overlord David theme starts playing, then we ball our eyes out.

[@sealdude5581]

-I've been counting -Anything in particular? -The number of days you've lengthened my life *bro*

[@acidqueen5426]

I wept when I saw this scene. I never once hesitated helping David in the Overlord DLC--all he wanted was for it to be quiet.

[@coursaire2628]

having autism, ADHD, and asbergers myself... it really hit me in the feels when i found david. And it was the very first time, i ever cried from a video game. The fact that we have an uncanny ability with a subject does not mean people are allowed to exploit it and use it against us.

[@umegaalfa5900]

When i did it in my "universe", only one word, paragon. Feel soo good to be an paragon, an avenger paragon. That background music is awesome.

[@zonia1351]

"It's enough to make a grown man cry. And that's okay, you go ahead tear."

[@velociraptorrick6361]

I just started the Legendary Edition and seeing David like this has brought me more pride than any Call of Duty game.

[@RickeGnool]

You can hear the smile in Jennifer Hale’s voice when she is talking to him.

[@shadows.82]

I'm glad the Grissom academy was able to help David.

[@karankenZ]

Moments like this and mordin solus' last song. Mass Effect, thank you for making my life wonderful.

[@adriangel143]

This is one character that I wanted to hug in real life as soon as I saw him...and that music...geez, this is some very deep emotional sh%@!

[@HunterX9001]

"I've been counting." "Anything in particular?" "The number of days you lengthened my life." This section plus the music made for an extremely touching moment. Very glad to see David's doing okay.

[@cgmaster2]

I just realized the song that plays in the background when you meet David again is the same when you first meet him when he's hooked up to the machine. Nice touch bioware

[@repulser93]

I have yet to play the games. I got all my info from the Internet. I knew this moment from the Heartwarming moments of Mass Effect 3's TVTropes... and I still nearly shed a tear at this scene.

[@captainAlex258]

david: goodbye me: goodbye son u did well

[@paragonflash8937]

when I first saw David I was like oh my god I want to hug him it's so glad he's in good hands

[@nonaes]

so glad to have gotten this scene

[@lumberluc]

One of the shortest lived characters that most of us seen, and some of us can't hold back the tears for this man.

[@CarryOnGames1996]

I was so suprised when I saw David there. I was like "I KNE GRISSOM ACADEMY SOUNDED FAMILIAR!"

[@D00dman]

God, I swear I would've been fine had they not played that damn music. I remember it from the DLC

[@KennyG881]

This is one of many reasons why I can never go full Renegade. Leaving David with Cerberus is one of the cruelest decisions in the whole trilogy.

[@Evantrop]

It was so satisfying to meet him.Something I can never do in real life.Change someone's life for the better.

[@jesuseduardoroldan]

I’ve been counting…The number of days you lengthened my life. TOP moments of the ME trilogy.

[@DarthCruciare87]

saw the vid of him before you rescue him from cerberus. the transformation made my jaw drop.

[@n0sk3ll]

This lad was in one side quest in ME2. Yet I was so happy to see him again. Well played Bioware.

[@duckslapper12]

Damn, always gets to me...

[@raniwasacyborg]

I've been trying to avoid spoilers for this game like the plague, but I'm still so glad that I gave in and watched this. It's so great to know that he's okay, I was so hoping he'd be in the third game!

[@sammoore5864]

This is so heartwarming 😭😭😭 glad David is safe and ps your Shepard looks so Pretty

[@vampires18]

Stuck me right in the heart when he said sorry.

[@Tekuto1]

Everytime I watch this scene it makes me cry. Happy for David, wish there were more dialogues with him.

[@genericcomplaininggamer6206]

I cried at this part I am not ashamed to admit it

[@FredrikNorrgard1]

Its so sad that if you do not play the Overlord dlc and jump into this mission David is being gunned down by 2 Cerberus troops mid-mission right in front of shepard. One of soldiers says something in the line of "Do not fire on the biotics, we need them alive, who was it?" and the other responds with: " No harm done, only some mathemathic genius, low priority"..

[@ragingsaviorkami9862]

Holy shit, I didn't have to read this, it's so fucked up...

[@phantom4cerberus]

He wasn't low priority back at the time of ME2, wow Cerberus turns on its subjects quickly xD

[@codyevett2098]

Holy sh!t, that was DAVID? Now i REALLY hate Cerberus (i have autism too so i can understand what he's going through)

[@codyevett2098]

Good job saving David bro

[@codyevett2098]

Pretty sure my autism is less severe than his though but have to play Overlord DLC to be sure

[@Rachelplum]

Ahh that dlc was so sad - glad he got a somewhat happy ending! I wonder if you bump into his brother in ME3 too! I love the background music in this, so pretty

[@cooperfelix2892]

Project Overload was heart breaking for me.. poor David

[@Mysteryof89]

This made me super sad/happy to see David again

[@Cheburashka207]

The feeelings this meeting brought to me is.... undescridble. It felt so great to influence someone life to better. Awesome.

[@DorianMichaelsIII]

+Cheburashka207 There's a trope for that-- Good Feels Good (and hot DAMN did it *ever* feel good in this scene).

[@JonathanLundkvist]

This part of Mass Effect 3 almost brought me to tears of joy of seeing him again.

[@Cheburashka207]

It was so satisfying to meet him.Felt so good to influence someone's life for the better. Can't do it in real world so might as well do it in the game.

[@matthewwatkins4938]

That dang Overlord theme just hardens the already iron-hard fist of emotions slamming your gut.

[@WillieManga]

If you listen closely, you can hear David Archer's theme from Mass Effect 2 when they say "The Square Root of 906.01 equals... 30.1." Talk about heartwarming. Everything about your reunion with The Overlord; the fact that he remembers her, the fact that Shepard recognizes him through math, the fact that he says that you saved his life and kept track of how long he's been free for, how far he's come since then. As an autistic person myself, I love this moment. Overlord is my favorite DLC in Mass Effect 2 alongside Shadow Broker because of the twists and emotions. And again, hearing that emotional leitmotif made it all the more poignant. Finally, him being the first of the students to trust us? I would not have it any other way.

[@rottenpotato4733]

"I've been counting" "Anything in particular?" "The number of times I cried during this scene" (and it's precisely 30.1 times, it all seemed harmless)

[@Alchera201]

Okay, I cried at that. All this time I was dying to know if this kid was alright.

[@michaelperez37]

A game that literally took every choice you made and gave it meaningful impact, going even further to give more impact if you completed the DLC. Truly a masterpiece