Mass Effect: How To Lose As Many Squadmates As Possible & Still Finish

There are multiple crucial choices to be made across the Mass Effect series, many of which have a large impact on Shepard's crew. In particular, quite a few of the series' companions can die if actions aren't taken to secure their loyalty or prepare for the final war with the Reapers. Here's how most of Mass Effect's squadmates can die throughout the franchise, but players can still finish the trilogy.

Given how focused the series is on player freedom, even the seemingly smaller decisions can have major repercussions in Mass Effect. Particularly in ME2 and ME3, timing becomes a crucial gameplay factor to consider. Missions often have a particular order they must be completed in, and the repercussions are severe for players who ignore the game's recommendation. It can be difficult and even stressful to ensure everything goes smoothly, particularly if players are hoping to get the best possible ending to the trilogy.

Related: Mass Effect's Best Companions For Every Class In Each Game

Others, though, may simply be looking to go full Renegade in their Mass Effect playthrough or perhaps are curious about choices that they haven't made before in previous ventures through the trilogy. As such, certain players could be actively looking for ways to beat the game with the least possible number of survivors, giving the series an ending that arguably fits the war-heavy tone of its later installments. There are multiple different methods to kill off the maximum number of squadmates in the Mass Effect series.

Prior to Mass Effect 3, the easiest way for squadmates to die is during Mass Effect 2's suicide mission in the game's final segment. If players are ill-prepared, having failed to purchase the required upgrades for the Normandy and complete every crewmate's loyalty mission, nearly every character, including multiple members of the Normandy's crew, will be killed. In this scenario, the Normandy's pilot Joker will be left behind as the only survivor. However, it's worth noting that both Shepard and at least two squadmates will need to survive to import progress into Mass Effect 3.

There are a few ways to kill off squadmates before beginning Mass Effect 2, as well. Shepard's mission on the planet Virmire forces players to choose between rescuing either Ashley or Kaidan; whoever is left behind will be killed. Wrex also has a chance to die if players cannot persuade him to destroy the planet's krogan breeding facility. Investing skill points into either Charm and Intimidate, or having a high Paragon and Renegade score, can help avoid this possibility.

Wrex can also be killed later in Mass Effect 3, though, even if he's spared on Virmire. When discussing Shepard and Mordin's plans to cure the krogan genophage, the salarian Dalatrass will bring up an alternative method to resolve the storyline, suggesting that players instead sabotage the process to render the cure non-functional. However, if they do, Wrex will confront them later on in the game, and Shepard will be forced to kill him during the encounter.

Related: Nearly Every Mass Effect Legendary Edition Player Saved Wrex

Mordin can likewise die while curing the genophage, and in fact, typically will regardless of how players opt to approach the storyline. Unless Renegade players go out of their way to save Mordin in Mass Effect 3, he'll be killed during the process of dismissing the cure on Tuchanka, either while within the Shroud or during Shepard's attempt to stop him.

Another important turning point in Mass Effect 3 comes during confrontations between the quarians and the geth on the planet Rannoch. Legion is one of the crewmates that can be lost here. Unlike Mordin, though, there is no way to save him from dying. Shepard can either allow him to upload the Reaper code, giving the geth true sapience, or refuse to allow the process to continue and instead direct quarian forces to annihilate the geth. Either way, Legion will be destroyed.

Siding with the geth without successfully brokering peace between the geth and quarians will also result in Tali's death. Even if Shepard tries to intervene with a Paragon interrupt, there's no way to save Tali in this circumstance. Shepard must have a significant amount of either Paragon or Renegade reputation to broker peace, and certain choices throughout both ME2 and ME3 impact this mission as well.

The controversial ending of Mass Effect 3 results in Shepard dying more often than not, unless players have a high enough readiness rating and select the Destroy ending. Although Mass Effect 4 could potentially change this, as the teaser trailer seems to indicate that Shepard will be involved in some form or another, for the time being, their presence on the Normandy's memorial wall means it's safe to count them as one of the casualties in Mass Effect. Likewise, though not necessarily squadmates, Anderson and The Illusive Man also die in the game's final hours.

Related: Could Mass Effect 4 Succeed Without Shepard?

War assets also factor into the survival of whichever two companions make the final run to the Citadel, as well as the fate of the Normandy crew after Mass Effect 3's ending. One of the more difficult to avoid deaths comes in the form of EDI, who is likely to be killed when players select the Destroy ending. Low war preparedness also hints toward galactic destruction on a much larger scale, perhaps indicating more deaths than what is explicitly shown in-game. Mass Effect 4 could explore this possibility.

Thane's death is unavoidable in Mass Effect 3, but others have the potential to die during the Citadel coup as well. Either Ashley or Kaidan, depending on who survived Virmire, will confront Shepard near the end of the mission. They will need to be killed if Shepard doesn't have a high enough trust rating with them, the measurement of which is dependant on various choices throughout the series.

Later on in Mass Effect 3, Miranda is another squadmate's death that can sometimes be difficult to avoid, given how many actions have to be taken to keep her alive. This includes securing her loyalty in Mass Effect 2, as is the case with Grunt. Players will have to check their private messages regularly and arrange to meet with Miranda on various occasions to ensure her survival. All of these meetings have a time limit, as does Mass Effect's Grissom Academy mission, which, if ignored, will result in Jack's experimentation and eventual death at the hands of Cerberus.

Next: Every Mass Effect Squadmate Ranked By Likelihood To Die In The Suicide Mission

https://ift.tt/3lBbnA6
August 06, 2021 at 12:15AM