Bollywood: ME3’s DLC Crewmate Should Never Have Been A DLC

When it first launched, the Mass Effect series had well over a dozen pieces of DLC, each one adding a variety of new items and other content, and crewmate Javik was a part of one of these packs - but he really should have been part of the base game. Some of these DLC packs were more essential than others, introducing story elements that helped flesh out the trilogy as a whole, while others were purely cosmetic. From Ashes, released alongside Mass Effect 3, was arguably the most essential of the bunch, bringing Javik in as a fully implemented and permanent crewmate.

Javik is an ancient prothean and the last surviving member of an otherwise extinct race. He was more fleshed-out than the previous DLC crewmates introduced in Mass Effect 2 - Kasumi and Zaeed had far less story content and no proper conversations, instead only offering scarce lines of dialogue and one mission each. Neither one was romanceable, either, whereas Javik has a joke romance that can be completed in ME3's Citadel DLC.

The prothean race was first introduced in Mass Effect 1 as the mysterious progenitors of the galaxy's spacefaring technology, presumably responsible for the construction of the Citadel and the Mass Relays. The overarching story of the trilogy kicks off when Shepard discovers a prothean beacon on Eden Prime, receiving a grim warning of the eventual invasion of the Reapers, the true origin of the galaxy's technology and the species responsible for the prothean's extermination.

The protheans only became more relevant as the series progressed, culminating in Mass Effect 3 in which it was discovered that they were responsible for elevating the early asari people. Javik in particular holds a significant amount of narrative relevance, though. As the avatar of vengeance, he bears the burden of avenging his race, taking personal responsibility for ensuring the destruction of the Reapers. To that end, he's a valuable part of Shepard's team. His knowledge of the ancient civilization also provides a unique perspective not seen in any other characters, and his tie to Shepard and Liara grows stronger after Javik is recruited on Eden Prime in part because of their shared knowledge of the protheans.

Given all these factors, it seems that Javik was almost meant to be a part of Mass Effect 3 from the start. The fact that the From Ashes DLC was released simultaneously to ME3 seems to further prove this point, and it was a misstep to keep such an essential crewmate locked behind a paywall for seemingly no reason. Fortunately, Mass Effect Legendary Edition includes almost all of the Mass Effect series' DLC in one package, allowing every player to access Javik's story and abilities without paying extra now. The series should arguably learn from this heading into Mass Effect 4, leaving essential parts of the story in the base game rather than making them DLC-exclusive.

Next: How Lovecraft Inspired Mass Effect 3's Leviathan DLC

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August 16, 2021 at 12:08AM

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