Having companions in a single-player RPG was nothing new by the time the Mass Effect trilogy began, but Bioware can certainly be given some credit for making companions that truly feel like real people. It is arguable that mainstream Bioware titles like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic made the idea of a group of complicated and interesting characters accompanying the player on their RPG journey much more common.

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Mass Effect, in particular, accomplishes this in several novel ways that still haven't been replicated very much in the 8 years since the finale of the trilogy. It is hard to argue that Garrus, Wrex, Tali, and many others aren't still talked about like real living people all these years later.

10 They Comment On What Is Happening Around Them

Mass Effect Wrex Garrus Elevator

When Mass Effect first became popular, other games featured people that accompanied the main character but did not have much to say about what is going on around them. While you might be able to have scenes with these characters, they rarely speak until spoken to.

In Mass Effect companions will interject during conversations with many of the people Shepard encounters, and will also comment on their surroundings when they visit somewhere interesting. They also fill up long elevator rides with banter instead of awkward silence.

9 They All Have Their Job On The Normandy

Mass Effect 2 Garrus does calibrations

In a lot of RPGs, it can be a bit off-putting for a player to think about their party camp. What are all those capable people doing with all their free time while the main character and a few others do all the work?

In Mass Effect players can often encounter crewmates performing duties on board the ship. From Mordin working in his lab to Garrus's infamous calibrations, it is clear these people have skills and hobbies outside of shooting people with Shepard.

8 They Can Fall In Love

tali shepard cuddling mass effect

Romance has always be tied to the Mass Effect series since the beginning. The mention of possible romances in the game set cable media on fire with news anchors commenting on Mass Effect being a deeply inappropriate game. Years later those fears are well debunked but it is very much the case love can blossom in outer space.

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More interestingly, such love is not just for the player but can even blossom between teammates like Garrus and Tali. Making it seem like knowing each other for years actually affected these people in real ways.

7 Their Personalities Can Change Over Time

An image of Liara from Mass Effect pondering and thinking about something

Reactivity gets thrown around like a buzzword a lot in the games industry, but it is an apt term for the way squadmates react and adapt to a player's actions over the course of the Mass Effect series. Depending on how paragon or renegade Shepard behaves in their dealings characters can become much more cold or kind in response.

This makes it seem like Shepard is truly rubbing off on real people rather than simply acting in a vacuum.

6 They Each Help Build The World

Mass Effect Tali and Legion

The main characters that Shepard travels within Mass Effect pull double duty as interesting people and cultural waypoints meant to express important world-building information to the player. Liara explains her age so the player can learn about how Asari culture works.

Wrex speaks about his feelings on the genophage so that the player can find out what that is. The character's knowledge about the world and their opinions on it makes both the world and the characters feel more real.

5 Loyalty Missions Made It Clear That They Had Goals

Mass Effect Loyalty Squad

Mass Effect 2 has an interesting structure in terms of RPGs. Most games in the genre have the player gather most allies right at the start and then go on an epic quest, but Mass Effect 2 had a different take. Getting allies was the quest for a large part of the game's runtime, with most main missions consisting of searching for an expert to join Shepard's squad and help take down the collectors.

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After meeting the team the player then was given optional loyalty missions that delved deeper into those characters and their goals. Completing these missions gave greater context to the character's personalities and goals and even affected their outcomes at the end of the game.

4 Disagreements Between Them Made It Clear What They Thought About Each Other

Mass Effect 2 Miranda Jack Argument

An interesting thing can happen even after getting a teammate's loyalty in Mass Effect 2. Multiple loyal teammates might have a serious personality clash that makes it nearly impossible for them to continue working together.

When these situations occur, Shepard needs to have a very good capacity for persuasion or else they risk losing the loyalty of one of their crew. The fact that loyalty can be lost makes it clear that your squad has beliefs and ignoring them will not be enough to make a cohesive team.

3 They Can Actually Die

Mass Effect 2 Squad Prepares for final fight

At multiple points throughout the story, it is possible for teammates to be killed by Shepard, other teammates, enemies, or self-sacrifice.

Knowing that the consequences of your actions might mean a dead ally colors much of the series. Losing some of the wonderful cast of characters present in the series can be absolutely heartwrenching.

2 They Have Their Own Lives

Mass Effect 3 Ashley williams

Many players were surprised and even a little upset when certain characters didn't return to the squad in each installment of the series. While this frustration is understandable the reasoning behind it makes the characters feel all the more real.

When Shepard isn't around they become mercenaries, clan leaders, teachers, or any number of other things. They continue to live and grow even when not around Shepard, just like real people.

1 They Can Turn On You

Mass Effect 1 Wrex Aims gun at Shepard

In some of the most heartbreaking moments of the series, many main characters can completely lose trust in Shepard and the player. Wrex might turn over Shepard's plans on Virmire, Ashley over their involvement with Cerberus, and so on. In these moments things often become violent, but they always hurt.

Losing a teammate because something bad happened is bad enough, but knowing that trust between friends has been lost is a far more powerful step towards verisimilitude in gaming.

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