Mass Effect will hurt you...

[@FDSignifire]

Spectacular video fam😭😭😭

[@chateau.melancholia]

Came here on your recommendation! I’m excited for this one

[@Icynova]

I love your recommendations.

[@Maedas]

Found you recently @FDSignifire and saw your recommendation, a welcome use of the community functions ❤️

[@MagickP00dle]

Bro how are you finding all these great creators you keep shouting out? The only one I think I've found before you is Nickolas Nameolas.

[@ComradeTabby]

Thank you @FDSignifire for all your recommendations. I have found so many great creators thanks to your shout outs.

[@heliogt1961]

"you exist because we allow it. and you will end because we demand it" if not the best line in videogame history

[@irregularpearl08]

I'm commander Shepard and this is my favorite Mass Effect video essay on the citadel.

[@eitkoml]

We'll bang OK

[@matthewbreytenbach4483]

I actually quite miss the strange atmosphere of the first Mass Effect. At times it felt quirky or oddly soothing, but there was always a sort of threatening undertone to everything. Like standing in the sunshine and watching a sky-blackening thunderstorm draw in.

[@chriswaves]

couldn't have put it better myself!

[@simla5]

That looming atmosphere hits different after you meet Sovereign, it fits Mass Effects Lovecraftian themes so well. As much as I love the whole trilogy they were never able to recapture that feeling of pure dread and meaninglessness.

[@matthewbreytenbach4483]

@@simla5 Agreed. The other games, while great, were diminished in atmosphere.

[@Shamino1]

Drew Kapersky was the real genius behind the atmosphere and setting the environmental expectations. He was also the primary writer behind the concept of biotics, mass-effect generators, and Reapertech. You'll notice that Mac Walters appears as co-writer in ME2, when the series becomes a series of hallway simulators and hollywood action-quips and a circular plot that doesn't contribute meaningfully whatsoever to ME1 or 3 without 'Arrival,' and then Mac Walters is the sole lead writer when the series falls apart in Mass Effect 3.

[@P.L.U.C.K.]

Always got misty when Tali said “I have a home, come back to me…”partly because I know that my wife, the love of my life, would be absolutely devastated, and likely never forgive me if I martyred myself in the same way. But also because I know that I would still go if in Shep’s shoes. The thought haunts me.

[@roguesquadron521]

That, and the words "I want more time" and how her voice almost breaks. Tali was and always will be my main romance in ME, lol.

[@SnuubScadoob]

That line tears me apart, because Marauder Shields’ sacrifice would be in vain. I would have built him that home on Ranoch.

[@Mastabuilda212]

Mordin Solus was a good man who sacrificed his life for the good of an entire race. May he rest in peace. He is the very model of a scientist Salarian.

[@docdingus6961]

I am the very model of a scientist Salarian *sniffle*

[@rhael42]

Had to be him. Someone else might've gotten it wrong.

[@iknowhowtoescapetheMatrix]

Might run tests on the seashells.

[@Gnust]

Mordin truly was the very model of a scientist salarian. But more important: The very model of a good friend

[@gladoshrh0832]

There was, I believe it was a deleted scene in Mass Effect: Andromeda where Ryder would eat the leaf of a plant, and experience a hallucination. S.A.M would start singing A Modern Major General And the camera would show the back of a… somewhat familiar salarian on a beach, looking upon the shore…

[@FDSignifire]

When Legion (spoiler) after saving his people i legit broke down crying and went to bed. It was like 6 am and i had gotten the game on midnight release and played all night. Its probably my most cherished gaming experience. And then the next day i finished ME3 and it felt like a bad beeakup. Like i had gotten ghosted on my wedding day. It still stings.

[@PensFan35]

The bad breakup was amplified by a pretty hastily strewn-together ending with that ghost child. I really don’t envy being in that writing room, though. It’s gotta fuckin suck trying to come up with something that pleases everyone. In hindsight I think I and many others were too harsh with how BioWare finished it.

[@chriswaves]

that's a really great way to put it- there's a horrific emotional whiplash once that elevator takes you up... there's also aome *very* interesting stuff going on with the quarians and the geth and Jewish folklore and cultural practices, but I couldn't quite fit it into this video. definitely down the line though!

[@galactic85]

I screwed up on my first play through and had to let the geth die. I was romancing tali and I couldn't let her die so I chose to save the quarians. But after I did it I still felt horrible. After that moment I vowed to replay the series just to ensure that I would be able to save both the geth and the quarians.

[@thetaarakian]

I've always said that the finales of Tchanka and Rannoch were the real core "endings" of Mass Effect as a trilogy. It always bothered me that folks kinda threw away these amazing culminations of the series when talking about ME3 due to the color choice ending of the game.

[@MagickP00dle]

​@@chriswavesI'm glad you referenced this here. I would love to see a video about that in the future.

[@austinfowler2707]

That tali scene in ME2...aa a huge Tali stan who NEVER misses that paragon interrupt....that hit HARD.

[@perryekimae]

Here thanks to FD Signifire. My grandfather passed away in the early morning on Jan 25, 2010. After falling in love with Mass Effect 1 before it was even released, I absolutely collapsed into Mass Effect 2 on Jan 26, 2010. It was a comfort, a sanctuary, a counselor, therapy... There is no game series that has had as much impact on me as Mass Effect. Revisiting it is always at once retraumatizing and cathartic. Thank you for sharing this journey, albeit parasocially, with me.

[@Para2normal]

I really understand you, my Dad died the day before Elden Ring was released, that damn game, no matter how bad I am at it, helped me through the darkest time of my life. Rest in Power Dad.

[@aaronbood1999]

Sorry for your loss ​@@Para2normal

[@arsxxmoriendi]

If you don't prompt Javik to relive his past through the shard, he will tell Shepherd that he will travel the galaxy as a historian of his people.

[@chriswaves]

this is true, and it's immensely satisfying that he will write a book with liara. but looking at the shard just reveals so damn much about his character...

[@caitlynblythe6201]

You are the first person I’ve ever heard actually talk about how god damn good the third game is at creating that sense of finality and dread. You put to words everything I feel about these games and the intense emotions that come with going through all three narratives. Playing these games cause such a strong reaction in me that I didn’t think anyone else experienced. Thank you, this is one of my favorite video essays I’ve found.

[@ExternalDialogue]

It really sucks that people just dismiss the third game wholesale as, while flawed, it also manages to carry so much more thematic value than the other two games combined.

[@troyscribner4342]

This game genuinely changed my life, and who I am as a person. For better or worse? I’ll never know. What I do know, I think about this game, this universe, constantly. I miss it like a dead lover, despite the fact that it has been years. I constantly say and tell myself Im going to replay it, because I love this game, but im genuinely afraid too. I don’t know what will happen if I replay the game. I don’t know if it will change me again or change how I remember this part of my life, and that scares me. Thanks for reading my vent.

[@koltenearnhart8227]

I love 3 it's my favorite

[@thefloodwatch785]

@@ExternalDialogueit is absolutely tragic that there are people pit there who ala game of thrones have stayed away from mass effect because of what people say about the ending

[@FDSignifire]

Sigh... Am i ready for this

[@chriswaves]

took me like an hour to hit "publish" cause *I'm* not ready for it

[@tlomofficial]

Ive played the trilogy on a biyearly basis since ME3 came out, and I wasnt ready for this😭

[@Alitheone6618]

Nope...

[@troyscribner4342]

I sure as hell wasn’t.

[@jayhypnos6872]

I've played through the trilogy a few times... You're never ready. So many heart wrenching moments... Mordin always hurts the most. For me personally

[@mudson7380]

Played through countless times. Same moments still leave me distraught. One of the few, reliably cathartic experiences I can think of. That prayer scene with Thane wrecks me every time.

[@blargh65]

WHY WHY WAS I PROGRAMMED TO FEEL PAIN

[@chriswaves]

SO THAT YOU KNOW YOU ARE ALIVE. ALSO, SO THAT YOU AVOID BEAR ATTACKS.

[@DJ_Drakon]

I JUST got back into my like 10th playthrough of the original trilogy and EVERY time Sovereign says "You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it." I get chills. This video is a work of art. Absolutely required viewing for any Mass Effect fan

[@gagrin1565]

I don't think this is a VI

[@ghostofrhys]

Haven’t even finished the video yet and already I’ve almost cried so many times. I am watching this while cooking but I know it’s not just cus I’m literally cutting onions, it’s the way Mordin says “I made a mistake”😭😭😭😭

[@chriswaves]

and then right after he says it, his eyes dart around, like he's processing what he just said. he knew it deep down, and he blurted it out, and only then does he consciously get it.

[@bretts1646]

Your section about Javik once again reinforces that BioWare made a huge mystake by originally making him a preorder bonus and locking out people from having him for a while. He is absolutely critical to the game imo.

[@chriswaves]

100%

[@arsxxmoriendi]

Game should auto-force Liara AND Javik for Thessia.

[@2285kenn]

I just went through the trilogy for the 1st time and it's mind boggling that he was DLC. He is extremely necessary for the narrative of ME3.

[@wolfy6631]

@@2285kenn He was initially supposed to be a massive part of ME3, but BioWare was running out of time, so they had to make him a DLC

[@Shamino1]

@@wolfy6631 EA and Bioware at that point were slicing and dicing already created content and then piecemeal selling it as DLC. This game was one of the very first to remove obviously plot-crucial characters and already designed weapons/locations/missions and ripped it out of the base game to sell for extra. It started with ME2, but was really, really bad with ME3.

[@mwenyachikwa4685]

The messed up part of the intro (the reaper attack) in the third game is the hint that you are the reason the reapers attack so hard. All your actions in the previous games however great put your planet higher on the priority list. All those deaths though inevitable hit harder. I hated that leaving earth track because it hit too hard.

[@jayhypnos6872]

They hit earth the hardest because Shepard and I think Shepard knows that. Hell harbringer basically said. "Fuck the citadel I want that earth pack." He wanted the smoke. Even tho logically taking the citadel first is smartest. Take the citadel no more mass relays. But nah he wanted Shepard dead. Which I get.

[@trenter2002]

I have played the Mass Effect Trilogy probably seven times through, and each time, the moment that breaks me, without fail, is the prayer with Thane as he dies on the Citadel. It's what I love about Mass Effwct. The quiet, human drama's going on against unimaginable odds and suffering. The world is falling apart, but for brief moment, you get to have a quiet moment with a good friend.

[@A1fAnERD]

I will actually refute the "Tali being the objectively best romance option in the game." thing. Garrus also exists, and they are joint best. So much so that if you romance neither of them, they get together. They are both such great characters. That's it, end of my refute, wonderful video in all other aspects.

[@MistahJay7]

Liara clears

[@emylikula9159]

Blonde fem shep Renegade Jacob romance get cockblock in ME3, proceed to kill him everytime in the suicide mission.

[@josephhiers9523]

Thane bodies

[@logandelaharpe6362]

I am aware thane is a body now

[@Davidofthelost]

Reminds me of the choice between Leliana and Morrigan from DAo. Thankfully there’s a bug that lets one work around choosing.

[@pdfoltin5076]

i think it is 37 mins in at the hospital but that asari talks about her seeing jokers sister die

[@MistahJay7]

It's so refreshing to see such a creative video done on the Mass Effect trilogy that doesn't just summarize the games plot beat by beat like some summary. I swear most videos do that like I haven't beaten these games a Billion times. We Need more Mass Effect videos like this.

[@chriswaves]

thank you! I was honestly worrying I was summarizing it too much

[@SKULLKR3W]

Mass effect 1 will always be my favorite as soon as I see that opening screen and hear the theme I’m transported back to high school playing it at my grandmas every weekend

[@ghostofrhys]

not the Kaidan slander 😭😭

[@chriswaves]

actually I love him in me3! but in me1 he's tough to fall into...

[@BleedingLiar17]

I like him in 1 more than 2 and 3 😂 ​@@chriswaves

[@ChrisDeebo]

Mass Effect is always a series that no matter how old I get every has both the same and different reaction to it at the same time.I'll never understand how Bioware released these games and ended up in their current state

[@shepardcommander5174]

Greedy people

[@Phingolfina]

Capitalize demands it.

[@user-ed5be9eu7t]

EA is the reason....

[@thefiendish186]

20:04 Why do you hurt me like that! My poor Tali 😢

[@ShyGuy47]

To paraphrase Disco Elysium, 'Nothing would please your enemies more than for you to lay down and die.' So if you don't have hope there's always unrelenting and passionate spite.

[@d.n5287]

I'm more of a volition guy myself, but I can respect the half light grindset.

[@ahgasegg1205]

It's absolutely insane for this video to only have 25k views. Every time I run a playthrough of the trilogy from now on, this video feels like an essential epilogue to cap it off and tie all of those feelings together. Great stuff man, subscribed

[@MagickP00dle]

Man.... That bit in part 3 about death not being cruel or merciful really hit me. My grandma passed away nearly 2 weeks ago after several years of being ravaged by Alzheimer's. She raised me more than my parents did, which rescued me from a turbulent household that was rife mutual domestic violence and food insecurity as divorce loomed on the horizon. She was the person i was closest with and if I'm being honest, the family member i loved the most outside of my siblings. I'm flying half way across the country tomorrow to attend her funeral... I'm the type of person that mourns through catharsis but I hadn't found a single thing that was helping knock the emotional cobwebs loose until certain parts of this video. ME1 was the game I escaped when real life was too hard back then. ME2 made me feel like I could make friends when I had trouble connecting with people. ME3 was the game that helped me learn how important it was to maintain supportive relationships, to find mutual value in another person. To think that all these years later, you make a video about a game that i initially picked up for $13 in a GameStop bargin bin on a whim, and it's helping me deal with how to say goodbye to someone I love so much... That's crazy. This is my long winded way of saying thank you for this video. Truly excellent work. And thanks for helping me find the words to describe everything going on right now. ❤

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

I'm sorry for your loss + losses.

[@BrokeBech]

This. I've struggled with how to put my own feelings about this series into words for so long, and I had to go back and read through this a second time because I felt like you were writing my personal experience. I lost my Grandmother January 11th last year and my story regarding her is identical to yours as well as how Mass Effect helped me through both that as well as being a balm and a means of allowing me to not feel alone through the turbulent relationship I have with my husband. I feel your pain and I pray that you find comfort through it all. Thank you for sharing this.

[@bracesbread01]

This has to be the best video essay I have watched in a very long time! Thank you so wo much for the effort put in to this and im currently installing thr legendary edition now on my series s to re play. Just wow

[@TheBionicfury]

On the subject of Mordin, and his decision to put things right. Something that really stood out to me when you get Eve and Mordin, is that one of the computers you can interact with has a log that says the Salarians were considering doing a stealth uplift of the Yahg, so they could have plausible deniability.

[@RexytheRexy]

Oh, god. I don't know if I'm ready to watch this right now, but I'm so glad this exists (and I'm giving it a shot right now, anyway). This series means the world to me, even though ME3 was *painful*. When I adopted my service dog in 2014, and it was time to name him, I thought of the best companion character, my favorite companion character, in videogames, and named him Garrus (rest in peace, sweet starpup).

[@chriswaves]

there's no Shepherd without Vakarian! genuinely an amazing name for a dog

[@RexytheRexy]

​@@chriswaves He fully lived up to it. My Garrus was a huge, gorgeous brindle harlequin Great Dane who quite literally saved my life. We were a perfect FemShep and Garrus team who went everywhere together (he was a great flier, but took up an entire bulkhead row's worth of seats). Were this the Golden Compass universe, Garrus was my Daemon. It still feels like I'm missing a limb without him. Not many people recognized his name, but it was wonderful when they did.

[@RexytheRexy]

(P.S. This is why you're exactly my kind of people at parties)

[@chriswaves]

@RexytheRexy if I find you at one I'll buy you a beer!

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

@@RexytheRexy I'm so sorry he passed & so grateful for your time with him.

[@manonadr7641]

I will always remember 2 things of my first play of Mass Effect. 1. The way I understood REALLY that my actions in the game as impact on others because Tali was the first one to die in ME2 and REFUSED to start ME3 without her 2. The 30 min cry I had when I finished the trilogy. And when I say 30 min. I MEAN 30 min. I will never understand how much Mass Effect has the impact it has on me. Even if I play others REALLY good games I just can't change the feeling I have with Mass Effect. It's the game that made me realize "damn video games can be THAT ?" I was only playing the sims at that time 😂 What a shook it was to see something so much more profound than a COD. Anyway. Thank you for that deep message that was so obvious but that I was unable to see until now. You made Mass Effect even more special to me 😊

[@diegochavez1286]

Mass Effect is the best and most unique mix between sci-fi and cosmic horror ever created. My big brother, may he rest in peace, was a huge fan of Mas Effect and to be honest, I never was intrested in give it a try, until he pased away... I grabed his old PS3 and started playing it, now I play the whole trilogy once every year in his name, that's why I love this game so much, because I feel attached to my brother even if he's no more with us and I enjoy it just as much as he used to enjoy it.

[@ArenBlut]

Played through this series for the first time last year. The genophage arc especially hit me super hard. What an incredible, incredible story. Also, I take your Tali and I raise you a 💕✨ Garrus ✨💕

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

I second your Garrus.

[@jayhypnos6872]

I third your garrus. But recommend thane as second best

[@CulturedMuppet]

I remember being up at 1 AM, TV turned all the way down because i was home from spring break and had a total of 3 days to get through of ME3. The wave of emotion that hit me at the (spoiler) voice line about "the shephard" was so intense i still think about it today. I was also a hit let down by the ending, but I have always felt that ME3 is truly the best game out of the 3 just because of how much happens in the journey to the ending. I also think even if they had a better written ending that there would still be a sizable backlash, if only because it is the conclusion of something many people put a ton of time into. It was always going to be controversial because it had to pull all the strands of narrative together, and given that (as you put it) Mass Effect is definitely messy as a series, it was kinda bound for an ugly finish.

[@arsxxmoriendi]

The ending was never about a cutscene, it was absolutely about the journey and choices. Plus, Citadel DLC is now the proper ending.

[@savagepatchkidz4670]

51:41 when mordin sings, it's the same singing style of the recap play at the end of season 3 of Reboot. someone is a fan obviously lol

[@jdbabaj]

It's an explicit reference to gillbert and Sullivan's "model of a Modern Major general" from the pirates of penzance, which Reboot also plays homage to. The song is a satire, mocking the British navy's officer corps which consisted largely of well educated elites that had a very wide range of knowledge in every subject but military practice. Perhaps this choice in songs represents mordins own disconnect between the Science of the Genophage and the material reality of what he was doing. Just as the modern major general cannot tell apart at sight a mauser rifle and a javelin, nor can mordin see the consequences of his actions. He knew how to create the Genophage, sure, and he knew the statistical effect it would have on the krogans population, but he knew not what it would be like to witness the deaths or the desperation or the depression he caused in the people he cursed But actually, more likely I feel, the real reason it was chosen was because knowing gillbert and Sullivan signifies that you are a massive nerd and singing gillbert and Sullivan signifies that you are a very confident, massive nerd

[@BlueBoxRevan]

I wish I could had more Miranda in Mass Effect 3. It bothers me that Liara is essentially forced to be THE romance choice through the trilogy

[@progeniesofthetoiletpaperh6433]

Gawdayumn your entire series breakdown is god tier. Not even a single second I wasn't listening. Just earned a subscriber.

[@erseshe]

I think the inevitability of death and despair has always been secondary to the theme of overcoming odds until the ending. In ME1, Shepard sacrifices her life to slay Sovereign, an incomprehensible eldritch being. _But she lived!_ In ME2, Shepard dies. _But she lives!_ Then she goes on a suicide mission. _But everyone lives (if you prepared!)!_ In ME3, your squad mates die. But some of them live! Again, if you prepared! And it's not like the theme of sacrifice is ignored. If you don't prepare, everyone dies. If you kinda prepare, your squadmates die. If you prepare, your squadmates live. Just do this, but more. Then, if you failed to prepare as much as possible over the course of three games, you can still have the thematic martyr sacrifice, or if you did, you can overcome all odds one final time and have your happy ending.

[@lloydasaur5210]

So I just finished the Legendary Edition last night after playing the original 3 games many years ago. This video popped up at exactly the right time as I was wrestling with all the feelings that the ending of the games gives you. This was superbly made, and you gave me even more to think about with the discussions of death over the course of the series. And yeah, Tali for life, every time

[@ebucehil9757]

The thing most saddens me about this game is the same feeling i get when i finish reading a book or watching a movie series where i cared more and more about the characters as the story moved on. That emptiness when you realize that you won't be seeing this cast in a new adventure or together ever again. Every time i think of this trilogy, i just get sad that i won't be seeing this virtual, fucked up family again.

[@chriswaves]

i like to call it an "art hangover."

[@zshadowhunter3049]

In reference to Chapter 2 & Death: to that note, Vermier is also where you experience your first [and unavoidable] Squadmate death a theam that depending on player choice will be more or less central to Shepherd's journey. Yet never wholly absent, especially in ME:3

[@Slappadabreeh]

You put words to something I absolutely loved about this series. Yes it was messy but this game did something great and rarely seen

[@hirograveyard8236]

I’ve never played this series, but my first therapist loved it. I’ve been thinking about checking it out

[@chriswaves]

you must!!

[@moonled44]

Wow. Just--wow. This was just indescribably beautiful. I've never played any of the Mass Effect games before, and honestly before this video i don't think I could have called upon a single plot point or character. But this? This sort of video that oozes deep, emotive care for the subject and takes the time to carry the reader through the heart and soul of a game series like this? I think you've made me fall in love with a game I've never played. The careful, cherished way you speak, the flawless editing that occasionally leaps leagues beyond a normal video essay and simmers into something more artistic and mesmerizing, it was all an incredible experience. When I first clicked to the video, I had it on in the background, but within 15 minutes it was up on my screen and I minimized everything else so I could be sucked into the world this video created. Even the messages, the way love and hope and companionship and persistence in the face of what feels like absolute despair... These are things I needed to hear and see right now. This game seems like a messy, yet masterful labor of love and I'm going to stalk it on Steam until it goes on sale so I can give it a try. I really look forward to future videos from you, to be taken by the hand and brought into your carefully crafted masterpiece. Thank you Chris :)

[@KpatTX]

I finished the trilogy last night. I had never cried so hard due to any piece of art ever.

[@ambis99]

Best Mass Effect analisis/documentary video I've seen. You understand and can see what Mass Effect was really all about.

[@apollogiesforeverything]

The first time I played Mass Effect was when the legendary edition came out, my mom bought it for me because she had played it when it first came out in 2007. I modelled my first Shepard after her, and for the first game I tried to play how my mother is. But about halfway through ME2 Shepard became mine, I started playing her like me. The playthrough wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was one that I was proud of. I did the best I could with zero knowledge of the games. And then I finished ME3 and I sobbed for genuinely three hours straight. I went back to my last save and tried to find a way to save my Shepard. It turns out I was about ten assets away from the “best” destroy ending, and it sucked. But I didn’t go back to change the ending anymore. It wouldn’t be right. I’ve had more runs, but they weren’t ever mine. My Shepard gave her life to fight, but it doesn’t mean her fight wasn’t worth anything. She hoped and loved and won. That’s the point. Death makes everything have a meaning. I think your video really encapsulates all my thoughts on the series, bravo to you.

[@emylikula9159]

Control ending always just to flex my brand new super advanced body on the Turian conselor. Now you believe he.

[@Vladimirlives13]

Damn, bro, I felt that. I was lost when I played this game. I emerged in a raw state of being but definitely sure of where I wanted to go with my life. But this trilogy stayed deep within me; I let it in, and it spoke to me.

[@australianman47]

Man mass effect is truly one of the greatest series of all time I swear I cried like a bitch when tali went back on the ship after getting injured during the last mission (if ya brung her) hearing cry out and shit just fuck man I love this series

[@GeraltORivia]

I fucking love mass effect. I did my first ever full playthrough in 2017 and refuse to pick it back up until 2027 so I can forget as much as possible before another playthrough.

[@LouRou23]

Fantastic video essay. You've managed to put my complex feelings about this series into words. I never consciously realised that it was the narrative exploration of death's inevitability that I found equal parts terrifying and compelling but, now that I think about it, it all makes sense. As someone who has a visceral fear of my own death, maybe this is why I keep coming back to these games. I've never found another series that quite manages to recreate the feelings Mass Effect continues to provoke in me. It truly is a messy masterpiece. Thank you for making this video 😊

[@DarkestDawnZK]

Something that really drives home the terrifying nature of Sovereign being the first reaper you encounter is his voice. Whatever BioWare did to make it so robotic and foreign is perfect. On a hilarious side note though, Sovereign's voice actor is Peter Jessop, who is also Paladin Danse in Fallout 4 which is a wild contrast in tone and voice style lmao

[@pitadude9836]

I'm currently in the Citadel DLC with Thessia being my next mission on my first playthrough of ME3. I think, with ME being designed as a trilogy could have always had a "Shepard Lives" ending and/or an "heir" on the horizon because the sacrifices throughout have felt genuine. Its established, in Universe, that those not involved in the main plotline aren't always aware of it. Having Shepard live opens the door to a rebuilding continuation wherein Shepard is faced with the people who survived all those lost in the Conflict. Travelling to Illium and confronted by Asari who lossed family when Thessia fell, Quarians potentially agitated that Shepard united them with the Geth only to destroy them after the Quarians had grown accustomed and possibly dependent on their assistance. It opens up a more direct path for consequences to be presented, even is you take a hardline paragon/renegade stance throughout. One thing i hope to see in ME 4/5(whatever they call it) is that sometimes, those Charm/Intimidate options still just don't matter, but its an opportu nity for the player/Shepard to show they've done everything in their power to get their desired goal.

[@writethepath8354]

Literally, the only game I ever played Heart of Courage has been my ringtone for 14 years

[@natapie8702]

this is SO ridiculously good. one of the best video essays ive watched in a while. this needs more views, fantastic work 👏👏

[@warwolf3005]

56:00 Only thing is.. these simulations are right. If you fail to persuade Wrex, its his brother Wreav who takes charge - and he is the stereotypical Krogan. Violent, dumb, warmonger. Eve does offer some stability so maybe she would suffice to stabilise Krogan, but.. its a risk. Same with Wrex - him alone might not be able to change the Krogan. It takes 2 miracles: a mutant (Wrex), and an action of a salarian (Maelon) to give Krogan a chance to be reborn. And presence of these 2 torpedoes simulations. Simulations assumed no unifying culture. Wrex already in ME 2 begins culturan renessance of the Krogan - he orders research into crops and medicine, tries to get clans to cooperate. With Eve/Bakara its further augmented.

[@SparrowFae]

All of this is why my favorite ending is actually the "Refusal" which I think was added by the Citadel DLC. It's gut wrenching, because you literally have to give up all that catharsis of the big, emotional ending with swelling music and seeing your surviving friends carry on. You literally have to accept that you, and they, and everyone and everything you experienced and fought for in the entire game just dies off screen, probably thinking they'd failed. But it's the best ending, because it contextualizes all the weaknesses of disambiguating the Reapers as you seeing through their bullshit. They really are just broken robots. And you shouldn't let their flawed perceptions dictate your own. It epitomizes the themes of hope, self-determination, sacrifice, progress through community, and death. And it is a great example of salvation through helping others. Because even though you were too late to really, truly stop the Reapers, the next cycle would do just that, and create something new and thriving and peaceful. All because you chose not to hold on to "your" playthrough, but instead offer up your experiences to help a new generation.

[@BrokeBech]

The heartache left in the wake of finishing Mass Effect will never leave me, yet I go back again and again, stubbornly deluding myself that "This time will be different." But... I know it won't, so why????

[@Jarathi]

Awesome video. I always felt that MEs strength was in getting people to love the characters so completely, and to use that attachment to tell different stories. Which is why the ending muted my feelings so drastically. It's not that I needed a happy ending or a sad ending, but I needed an ending that felt like it loved the characters/universe as much as I did. Instead I got one that felt like it couldn't wait to distance itself from it all. I still love the series, but boy oh boy is it bittersweet.

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

Garrus walked so the Creature in Shape of Water could dance. There are a ton of precursors but I think ME's widespread success (until um the colours) was undeniable proof that even the most alien-y of aliens could be lovable/f-ckable.

[@ExternalDialogue]

The ending feels such cruel disregard towards its own setting. Even something like the citadel just... unceremoniously getting blown up feels so jarring. Its a place that means so much, has hosted so many stories. I'm not opposed to having it be destroyed but jeez give it some gravitas, its a station of millions of people, thousands of years of history and the hub of all galactic culture and trade, not just a mcguffin to be used and discarded when the plot demands it.

[@Ilogunde]

Who in their right mind criticizes the beginning of ME3? It's one of the most haunting moments in gaming history. To this day I can't listen to "Leaving Earth" without this sense of loss and despair... And I really like the pacing of this beginning. It starts a little slow and then turns the dial up to 11. And you don't get to catch a break for a long while... If you romanced the Virmire-survivor, it get's even more impactful... I just got him back (at least somehow), after he struggled with my coming-back-from-death-and-start-working-for-the-bad-company-stunt - and now he's severely injured and possibly dying right in front of me, while I still had no time to process the loss of my planet and the guilt for leaving my fatherly mentor behind. It's a lot! Therefore I never really had a problem with the nightmares and the ghost child. I've always seen this as a manifestation of Shepards trauma. (At least till the end. That's when this child begins to grate my nerves. I end your f***ing cycle! I did not come here and lost my friends and Anderson for you to talk, as if there wasn't an entire galaxy dying out there!) Maybe it's because I'm a little bit older and a mother, but I recognized the problem with the genophage from the beginning. I've seen the impact miscarriages or involuntary infertility had on people. To imagine, an entire race facing this? It's no wonder, the Krogans are how they are. Like Eve says, they have nothing to live for. (As a race I mean. It's totally okay, if individuals don't look for parenthood. But ultimately, without children, societies face extinction. So, I always scoff a little at Mordins "it's not a genocide", because it totally is. Just a slow and cruel one.) And, Tali and Garrus belong together!

[@chriswaves]

I love this comment and completely agree on all major points. also love that your perspective as a mother kept you from buying into Mordin's b.s. also the Virmire romance is great, Kaidan especially! his acting was great. and I honestly think Jack would have been the best romance if she got to be a squadmate in 3. for me, though, it just comes down to Liz Sroka's performance as Tali. her vocal inflections and chemistry were just off the charts!

[@dorottyapapp]

I went through something similar in my first playthrough with the Kaidan romance. The only thing that got me through ME2 was that hopefully someday we will reunite again. (I absolutely hate that they forced us to work with Cerberus and took our player agency away by not letting us at least agree with the Virmire survivor on Horizon...) And then finally Kaidan is there on Earth too. When James asked whether he knows the Commander and he said: "I used too." It broke my heart. And the game didn't let me tell him that you still do, because I'm still the same. Then he almost gets killed under my watch... Also, I chose Synthesis, sacrificed myself for the galaxy, because it's the ruthless calculus of war. My first reaction was: I'm sorry Kaidan! I'm sorry I made you mourn me twice. But it had to be me... It wasn't just an emotional rollercoaster, it was a guilt trip.

[@youtubingitup247]

Bro! took it off two times speed and actually watched the screen. Awesome work

[@chriswaves]

as an avid 1.5x guy, this is a huge compliment! thank you

[@zombieboy46]

I have always thought it should have ended with Shepard and Anderson looking out into space watching the reapers dying from the catalyst. Shepard then dies and it cuts to that final scene on the Normandy.

[@chriswaves]

@@zombieboy46 this!

[@SpielkindFR]

I was listening to this in the background while doing other stuff. But the second Tali finding her dead father comes up I almost started to cry. Thats how hard Mass Effect hits you.

[@KarmaticBuggAdventures]

I've been waiting for this! Thank you for making me not feel so alone in being overly emotional about a video game storyline. This trilogy ruined me as well, an unexpected darkness underneath.

[@uberbeau]

The mass effect trilogy ruined me from any other video games. I always find my way back to it and I’ve replayed the trilogy. Probably at least 20 times over. It is my home. no matter how many times I play it, the characters are part of me and I always want to go back to them. no other game has had that effect on me, before or since.

[@chriswaves]

I highly recommend Disco Elysium! I also have a video on that one to convince you, but it's a genuine recommendation

[@uberbeau]

@@chriswavesthank you. I will check it out

[@brantregare]

There is a third scenario on Ranoch, that has both Quarians and Geth survive. There is peace. Tali does not die and the newly individualized Geth, welcome and help the Quarians rebuild. Not easy to achieve, a lot of preconditions need to be met, but it does exist.

[@11thAmeno]

Hey Chris! I've been planning to get my hands on the "Mass Effect" trilogy for over a decade now, and I guess all I needed was a little push from you. I survived a war as a child in a city under siege, and everyone I love has lost someone and suffers from some form of PTSD, myself included. The themes of war, dismemberment, death, and fear of dying will no doubt hit home for me. Your take on "Mass Effect" and the themes it deals with is both heartwarming and heartbreaking - thank you so much!

[@chriswaves]

I'm so sorry to hear about your experiences. I hope you get something beautiful out of Mass Effect!

[@11thAmeno]

@@chriswaves You shouldn't be, but thank you! It's what made me who I am, in a way. :-) As for "Mass Effect," I'm sure I will. ❤ By the way, I loved your video essay on "Disco Elysium" - one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking games I've ever encountered, a true "Brothers Karamazov" of the gaming world. Keep up the good work, Chris!

[@timelesschronicles2182]

“It’s a Mr. Death. He’s come about the reaping. I don’t think we need any.”

[@AudemusN7]

As the author of LE's happy ending mod, I feel the need to respond to the claim that fans believe that Shepard surviving would've fixed the ending. Because you're completely right. I've often been lumped in with (and have sometimes even been the face of) the "Shepard needs to survive!" crowd, understandably so given what my mod does. But my approach for the happy ending mod was to rework the ending we have to provide a satisfying conclusion as best as I could, but it was not meant to make the ending what it always should've been. I see it more as aloe vera to soothe the burns that the vanilla ending inflicted rather than an attempt to say "this is the REAL ending". Shepard needed to die in order to provide an ending that felt narratively consistent with the themes that carried us through the trilogy (and particularly ME3), but this is an issue with the vanilla ending as well since all my mod is doing is essentially expanding on the existing scene we get in high EMS Destroy showing Shepard surviving. Anyway, this was a fantastic video. It really reminded me of why this series has stuck with me more than anything else. Thank you!

[@chriswaves]

dude. thank you. this is crucial context, and it makes perfect sense in terms of how/why you'd approach the mod the way you did. truly glad you liked the video.

[@LegionF99]

First video I decided to watch today and now I’m not sure what to do next. I don’t have the exact words to express the feelings of what playing this franchise put me through. Watching this video and revisiting this universe after so long. It’s more than nostalgia for my younger years. It’s my experience. It’s heavy hitting and hard to deal with, even now upon the video end. But it’s worth it, it will always be worth it.

[@gameygeemer4142]

God, I am loving the Paragon and Renegade lights in the background for most of the video

[@pitadude9836]

Now, now, Mordin's work on the genophage explicitly wouldn't have resulted in Krogan extinction...

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

Given the birth rate of Krogan females, it would lead to a perfectly sustainable population (assuming other factors like the male/female pop. ratio and deaths aren't unsustainable). A female can have a thousand children a year. 1/1000 still means a child a year. Given the fact that Krogan have extremely long lives, that's a lot of kids.

[@pitadude9836]

@@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem 100%

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

@@pitadude9836 I want to point out that I am not a complete supporter of the genophage, though. I see it as necessary at the time it was deployed, but it should have been cured long ago with a proper solution to the problem found. I say the solution is a leader like Wrex or Bakara, rather than the Wreave type ones they have had for centuries during and since the Krogan Rebellions.

[@pitadude9836]

@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem pretty much the take Mordin had. Based on available data and Krogan trends at the time, additional conflict seemed inevitable. Without Wrex or Bakara those projections would likely come true after the cure, based on the behaviors exhibited by other Krogan leaders through ME2 and 3

[@ALLMINDmercenarysupportsystem]

@@pitadude9836 Yep.

[@XFallenFreakX]

this is the second best video i've ever seen in my life, and all I do all day is explore youtube all day. This hit me right where I live, tore my heart out of my chest, and demanded that it kept beating.

[@banettebrochacho5636]

I am very, very glad I found this in the midst of my most recent play through, the bringing to light of themes I hadn’t considered much was really fun to hear and were quite thought provoking

[@ADayForeverGreen]

This video is fucking great and deserves way more views. You should be proud of this, it’s truly excellent.

[@Patriarch.Chadimus]

It is absolutely CRIMINAL this doesn't have more views! This was incredible work man

[@dr.coomer9750]

This was PHENOMENALLY well put together. You also helped put into words why I play this game the way I do and always have since I was a teenager. Thanks for this.

[@del_6]

i remember watching the end in ah, i see it as you can do so many right things but still fail in the end. it was the friends who we made along the journey. YES, it would have been great to save everybody but i am okay with Destroy Ending. Couldn't find myself siding or aligning with the enemy for Blue/Green Ending? Easily my fav video game trilogy. I can wish to replay it all over again for the first time. great video

[@travisstockwell8460]

The games shows humanity's defiance against overwhelming odds and almost certain death

[@TheMementoo]

The death of Mordin broke me, it was the first time i cried real tears for a video game character .

[@harrybrich6049]

I….wow. Just wow. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a video essay touch me in such a deeply personal way. Tw: for Suicide and Family Death So…the last 2 years I’ve kinda been dealing with my own mortality a lot lately. I lost my maternal Grandfather during the New year in 2022. Then that December, on my 31st birthday, I spent 5 days in a mental health facility due to suicidal ideations that I have been fighting on and off through out my life. I’ve spent this last year really trying to deal with my grief, my fear, my pain,and my happiness. Just like you, Mass Effect had found me, or continues to find me, in a very difficult time in my life. Mass Effect has always been a series that gives me so much emotional catharsis. And I think your essay here really REALLY hits the nail on the head with why I’m resonating with it more and more every time I revisit it. ME as a franchise is messy and it’s a beautiful mess. Despite its alien sci-fi setting it’s an innately human story. Flawed, beautiful, and hopeful til the bitter end despite uncertainty . Just….thank you for this. I feel I’m not as coherent with my feelings on this, but this has brought a level of introspection I’ve been needing. And all it took was a video essay on my all time favorite franchise to bring me peace and make me sob uncontrollably in my bed for an hour.

[@jeanetteblankenship6107]

I played Mass Effect at the time I was watching Almost Human. I played through once (FemShep) picked the options I just wanted and was completely immersed the whole time. I had a much different take on the series. I really thought it was about A.I. and what makes a species alive. Is it consciousness? The ability to know right from wrong? Something involving being organic? I quickly came the conclusion that if anything has consciousness and morality it is alive. So I sided with the Geth and chose Synthesis as the ending. I felt like with Eve, the Geth and everything else Commander Shephatd would want to defeat the Reapers completely and would choose to let A.I. love because they are also alive. I tried to play again and just couldn’t. I got my ending and going through and making different choices just because wouldn’t have been faithful to MY Shephard and her beautiful, tragic story. I feel she did the right thing in harrowing circumstances and chose the option that made the most people live. I did cry though, several times. I’ve never had a video game effect me in the same way and I don’t think I ever will.

[@NickEn816]

I've been putting off watching this every time it's come up...let's do it.

[@chriswaves]

@@NickEn816 hope you like it!

[@717UT]

You put to words so many things my mind has touched but never really understood. Thank you for your essay. You did a fantastic job.

[@ramtasitic2276]

wow this is amazingly made. Your storytelling abilities are amazing and the insight you give on the game is eye-opening.

[@JulesA5266]

I just finished a 140 hour playthrough about 2 weeks ago, and I'm on a new playthrough now - with almost no break in between. I just can't seem to get myself to leave this game behind because it's more than just a game. It definitely REALLY hurts if you've invested a lot in all the characters. ME3 was really good at breaking our hearts. I know that in war, we must make sacrifices, but selfishly, I can't let Shepard go. I understand now why Liara went through all she did to get Shepard's body back in 2. She couldn't let go, and I just can't either. I'm relieved to know that there are others who feel the same. And the weird thing is that, even though it hurts so much, I am still willing to relive the hurt by watching videos like this. I think maybe it's just cathartic to see others relate to how I feel, and then to analyze the reasons why. I'd never thought about the fact that when you go to the 3rd level, that the first thing you see is the memorial wall. I mean, I see it, but just never thought about the impact of it. T__T Good observation! And finally, LIARA FTW!

[@PyroMancer2k]

To maintain the cosmic horror of the Reapers it wasn't just explaining them but also defeating them that ruins it. Also if you take the theme of death the fact of beating the Reapers is over coming death which can't be overcome, only delayed. The theme of the Arrival DLC I think should have been the theme of the 3rd game. You destroy a whole solar system and it basically means nothing as the Reapers show up a few days later. Instead if should have been a fight to cut off their advance the Reaper advance with tough choices like that one to cut them off from council space as you effectively delay their return to some far flung date. Or perhaps break the cycle by discovery of other means of FTL, even if slightly slower, so the Mass Relay system can be dismantled thus breaking from the path the Reapers laid down for civilizations. Even if that means going off the grid so to speak with system not aligned along the relay system and thus outside the Reapers standard patrols, essentially turning much of the races into Nomads like the Quirn. I do agree that there shouldn't be the happy ending where everyone lives as it completely undermines the threat of the Reapers. It was fine for ME2 as you were simply fighting the minions and a heist. But ME3 is a war for survival, as stated by characters multiple times you can't save everyone.

[@unworthyexp2519]

Been waiting for this kind of breakdown, thank you

[@Pipepotato]

Amazing video. You brought me back to a place I had forgotten about, a franchise that meant a lot to me and highlighted what made it so special in spite of its flaws. After ME3's ending and Andromeda I had managed to somehow forget and taint my experience with the franchise as a whole. I couldn't play ME3 at launch despite being a huge fan and trying out almost every combination of choices and scenarios for ME2. I played it almost two years later an all the fan reaction to the game and it's ending made me hesitant to actually finish it. Both the Krogan and Geth/Quarian conflicts were incredible experiences, but for the longest time I couldn't pull myself to actually complete the game and reach the ending. Sometimes the expectation of disappointment can cloud the experience so much. I didn't have the visceral reaction to the ending I was expecting, but it was emptying. Once again, amazing video.

[@variansloth]

mass effect is one of, if my all time, faves. i've replayed a few times but never been one to examine things effectively enough to put into words to share, so really enjoyed this video. thanks for the upload

[@DodgySmalls]

Really enjoyed this video essay. The prevailing rhetoric of "Mass Effect Analysis" is marred by the extraordinary complexity of defining the axes of value on which to judge the games, and the conflicting nature of "choices" and their outcomes. It's a series that to truly love, you must accept the death of the author. The combined passion of all the people participant in it's creation prevails, and yet its beauty is unambiguously at odds with much of its own delivery. One interesting facet of the discourse around Mass Effect, all these years later, is how consistently creators include much discussion of their own lives. Something about the series has inspired people to feel compelled to share (often long) elaborations about themselves and their personal lives, and the effect the games have had on them. You pretty much can't watch a video about the trilogy without people reminiscing about where they were in life when they played it before, and where they are in life playing it now. I think that speaks volumes to the power and depth of its narrative; how a game entirely divorced from our contemporary existence touches so deeply on people's perceptions of life itself. It's a series that is easy to criticize, and yet so impactful that it seems to live on with all of us whom it has moved.

[@Psikeomega]

This was probably one of the hardest videos I've watched because of how hard it hit me. Its absolutely fantastic, and i was crying many times throughout it. I share your opinion on the ending and 8m glad because it sometimes felt like i was the only one that felt Shepard had to go no matter how bad we wanted them to stay.

[@SlayerOfVampyres]

I am family friends with someone who worked on the atomic bomb. For my privacy and his I won't mention his name, but he's still alive and not one of the big names. Mordin is a very good representation of those types of people.

[@pitadude9836]

RE: development of racial/species expression throughout the trilogy. In Mass Effect we (Shepard and humanity) are still very much a fish out of water, taking everything at face value in part because history is, generally, written by the Asari, Salarians, and Turians. It isn't until we delve deeper into working with our squadmates in ME2 that we begin to notice these perceived biological differences are actually cultural, eventually culminating in the Rannoch story of all things.

[@RedRobin714]

Liara's final gift has an entirely different meaning if you romance her. If you didn't, the scenery depicts light blue ashes and a white, blueish light (the void). If you did, then the ashes turn red, and the void is red as well. What is clear is that a romanced Liara is Shepard's light, and Shepard is Liara's. The symbolism of red throughout Mass Effect is inherent with the Reapers, Renegade actions, anger, hate, and malice. Blue symbolizes good, Paragon actions, peace, and tranquility. Non-romanced Liara is showing you a peaceful, consoling end she wants to share with her dear friend. Romanced Liara is sharing her last intimate moment with her lover before facing the worst imaginable end. The caveat is that the color symbolism doesn't work for the ending choices.

[@Internetgamer420]

5:03 Mass Effect was actually way ahead of its time when it came to facial animations. At the time no game really came close to

[@0verWay]

Fantastic video and essay. Bless