Mass Effect 3

Spoilerzzz.

I recently finished playing the Mass Effect series of games. Three words: so many feels. This game drew me in and I couldn't stop playing until I had defeated all my enemies and lived with the knowledge that I had done what I could to save the (fictional) galaxy. It was so beautiful and poetic, almost art, with the way characters interacted with you and how your choices carried the story up to the final stretch of the game (for the most part). I am unashamed to say that I broke down and sobbed at more than one part in this game, as it creates attachments inside of you to characters and places that are so well-developed and almost seem real.

The Mass Effect series follows Commander Shepard (a male/female of various backgrounds) through her quest, and the galaxy's quest, to defeat an ancient enemy: the Reapers. The Reapers are a race of machines that seek to destroy organic civilizations at their peak. Shepard is pretty much the only person that can stop them, as he/she has communicated with them and proven her worth, and with the help of his/her friends,  recruits all possible allies in the galaxy to have a strong enough force to destroy them. Shepard can develop relationships along the way, she can make friends and enemies, and she can choose to be the epitome of goodness or a ruthless leader.

The three most heart-wrenching scenes in this final installment, for me at least, are as follows:

1. Mordin's death. Mordin is a salarian (an amphibious alien) doctor and the only hope another race, called the krogans, has of curing the genophage, which has essentially sterilized their people. Mordin works tirelessly to develop a cure and even develops a friendship with a female krogan. He sacrifices himself in the end to give life to future generations of the krogans. His death scene was beautiful. I bawled like a baby because of the (fictional) sacrifice of once-sketchy man who gave his life for the greater good.

2. Saving Rannoch. Rannoch was the home of a race of people called the quarians, who live in suits after being exiled onto ships by a race of artificially intelligent machines that they had created. It is vaguely reminiscent of Earth and to win it back for the quarians was heart-warming. When Tali, a quarian friend that Shepard must bring along, talks about setting up a home with the living room "right over there," I was touched. To finally bring closure to a race of people, and to give them a home again, was a beautiful moment.

3. Shepard's death. There is only one possible way that Shepard can live at the end of this game among about 16 ways the game can end. You must have a high enough military score and gathered enough allies for the final stretch of the game. This is difficult if you don't have downloadable game content or don't play multiplayer. In fact, it is impossible if you don't import an old save file from the other two games. So, at the end of the game, as my character said her goodbyes to her friends, I started tearing up. This was the end of Shepard. The end of the game. The end of my restraint. My Shepard was going to die and there was nothing I could do to stop it. When you are able to choose the final outcome of the Reapers (synthesis, destroy, or control), I chose destroy. I had no intention of saving Shepard because I did not believe she could be saved, so when the final scene cut in, and Shepard was breathing under a pile of rubble, I lost all control. I was able to save every possible person I could. And that was beautiful.

I sincerely recommend this game franchise. It draws you and gives you so many feelings toward everything that happens. It is completely tailored to your choices and mistakes. It is so wonderful and so realistic (for the most part) that I suggest that everyone should play it.