Summary
Out of the many memorable and era-defining moments seen throughout theMass Effectseries,Mass Effect 2’s Suicide Mission might have set too high a bar that future games in the series may never meet. Following the release ofMass Effect: Legendary Editionin 2021, players both new to the series and returning fans could experienceMass Effect2’s infamous Suicide Mission, a climactic finale that pushed BioWare’s player-driven narrative style to its limit. Though it isn’t the only player-made choice with ramifications for later games, the arguably brutal scale and long-lived reputation ofMass Effect 2’s Suicide Mission has unquestionably set a precedent for the series.
With anticipation building aroundMass Effect 4and fans hopeful for a return to form followingMass Effect: Andromeda’s mixed reception, there is still an underlying risk that neither the upcoming game nor any others in the series can accomplish whatMass Effect 2did. Given thatMass Effect’s fans are now primed to expect high-stake Suicide Mission-like moments and BioWare faces the challenge of trying to meet or surpass those expectations, it might not be possible to recapture the magic of the original trilogy. However, this shouldn’t rule out the potential forMass Effect 4with a surprise twist for players.
Mass Effect 2 Put Everything Into its Suicide Mission Finale
After more than a decade sinceMass Effect 2’s original release and two more games in the series, the Suicide Mission remainsone ofMass Effect’s tensest and darkest finales, owing to how far-reaching the player’s decisions can be both before and during this level. For instance, even before heading intoMass Effect 2’s endgame, a sweeping range of player choices can lead to the permanent death of key characters, such as waiting to rescue the abducted crew or failing to upgrade the ship. Below is a list of potential outcomes caused by the small but critical details duringMass Effect 2’s Suicide Mission.
Mass Effect 2’s Ending Reshapes Mass Effect 3’s Story
While there are many other timesMass Effectis unforgiving with character permadeaths, the unique combination ofMass Effect 2’s Suicide Mission’s stressful decision-making and the eventual consequences seen inMass Effect 3puts it in a position other games might not be able to achieve. For example, if certain squad mates are killed duringMass Effect 2, their deaths will impact the outcomes of several ofMass Effect 3’s stories, such as the potential peace between the Quarians and Geth. With every former squad mate missing inMass Effect 3, players will miss resolving their respective story arcs from previous games.
Mass Effect 2’s Ending Hit The Trilogy’s Sweet Spot Hard
Moreover, the weight of the player’s decisions duringMass Effect 2’s Suicide Mission is arguably more pronounced due to the impact it could have on its most well-established characters, such as Garrus and Tali introduced in the first game. Putting characters like these who the player has bonded with at risk due to their own decision-making deepens their loss, especially as they move into the trilogy’s final game. Now withMass Effect 4picking up whereMass Effect 3ended, unless BioWare is prepared to kill off any surviving classic characters, it may be some time yet until players face another Suicide Mission-like moment.
