Mass Effect: Legendary Editionhas been out for quite some time now, with BioWare able to collect data on how those who played through the trilogy interacted with all of the decisions. As all fans know, choices are important in theMass Effecttrilogy, with a choice made in the first game have long-lasting influences on the whole trilogy.
Notably, BioWare recently released some data that revealed themost popular choices inMass Effect: Legendary Edition, which skewed toward Paragon-based decisions and more Soldier-style Shepard playthroughs. One detail stands out, though: while a vast majority of plays saved Wrex on Virmire and even cured the Genophage, he ranked fourth among the most popular companions in Mass Effect 1, only above Ashley and Kaidan. However, Wrex deserves much more than that.
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For clarity,Garrus was the most popular companion inMass Effect 1, and that’s no surprise given his cult-like following. Tali is second, Liara is third, Wrex is fourth, Ashley is fifth, and Kaidan is dead last. This is to say nothing against Garrus, Tali, and Liara, but the fact that Wrex only comes above the human companions is quite heart-breaking.
Wrex in the Mass Effect Trilogy
Wrex doesn’t have to be popular as a companion to be have a prominent force in the galaxy. As long as he survives Virmire, players will encounter him inMass Effect 2andMass Effect 3, where in the latter Wrex works diligentlyto cure the Genopage(which was a popular Paragon-like decision inMass Effect: Legendary Editionanyway). He’s effectively the Shepard of the Krogan race, with him basically being unreplaceable in the story. In fact, it’s worth noting that if he is dead inMass Effect 2, his replacement is his more bloodthirsty traditionalist half-brother Wreav. This sounds like a traditionalDungeons and Dragons dead-player style follow-up: create a similar character who is related and just different enough in name and style that the DM allows it.
Wreav may not be on a quest to avenge his brother, but replacing Wrex with Wreav has an interesting impact inMass Effect 3. Whereas Wrex will see throughthe fake Genophage cure, should the player and Mordinelect to do so, Wreav will not. TheDungeons and Dragonsplayer, extending the metaphor, rolled a lower intelligence score on Wreav it seems.
Still, though, he was mostly saved which means the majority of players saw Wrex return inMass Effect 3. Saving his people will lead Wrex to a heart-warming speech during the Priority: Tuchanka mission, where Wrex will proclaim Shepard as a champion to his people, a friend to Clan Urdnot, a brother or sister to him, and that any Krogan named Shepard will know that name means hero. During the Final Stand on Earth, Wrex will be there with his Krogan troops and reveal Eve/Urdnot Bakara wants to name their first child after Mordin. It’s a heartwarming tale from start to finish, and while his role is prominent no matter what, establishing thatrelationship inMass Effect 1only makes it stronger.
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The Complicated Relationship of Wrex and Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Players
Of course, while establishing that relationship early on helps define these moments and overall how Wrex does respond to Shepard, none of that explains why he proved to be the least popular alien companion in the first game. Perhaps his attitude was too off-putting, or perhaps it came down to how classes worked.Soldier was the most popular class inMass Effect: Legendary Edition, so despite Wrex having biotic abilities too, perhaps players just went with characters who were better tech-wise, biotic-wise, or less tank than their own builds.
Another reason could be howMass Effect: Legendary Editionbrought in new players, as well as old. Perhaps veteran player stuck to their tried-and-true methods, knowing how to navigate Wrex’s story without needing to utilize him as a companion. Perhaps new players missed out or fell into the reason above. Or perhaps the most likely explanation is that he just didn’t prove to be that popular among players for a variety of more basic reasons. After all, there’s no such thing as a bad choice for a companion inMass Effect.
Luckily, there is a bit of a silver lining here. The entireMass Effect: Legendary Editionoozes replayability, just like the original games, but perhaps moreso because of the technical upgrades made to the game. For whatever reason, it’s worth replaying through, and while some players may be tempted to make the same or similar decisions again, there’s no reason not to focus a bit more on Wrex the next time around. As with any companion inMass Effect, players won’t regret it.
Mass Effect: Legendary Editionis available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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