This post was originally posted in my IGN blog. You can go read it over here.
Let's talk about one of the best games of the last generation -- which is the Mass Effect trilogy. I count the whole trilogy as a game, the second one being the best chapter in the saga. It's not my favorite game, but it is high up there on my list.
Now you might be thinking the title to this blogpost was a little misleading, because it's true that there was no threesome in the Mass Effect series, but there was the dialogue option in the first one -- at least that I came across. This simple thing was one of the little details that just shows you what a masterpiece this whole series was. It was filled with potent and powerful choices that really made the experience very different for every person who played it.
In the first game you're posed with the question of whether to leave Kaidan or Ashley behind at Virmire. At this very moment was when I actually really encountered a problem on making a decision. Before I even made the decision, I knew this was going to somehow bite me in the butt later on. So, I made a specific save file at that point in order to be able to come back in case I "blew it."
Now, to elaborate on how that manifested itself, I'll say that my first choice was to get rid of Kaidan, because I was playing as a male Shepard who was attracted to women. Be it that this was a video game, I took advantage of things I couldn't do in real life -- which in this case was pursue two women at once because my real life skills could barely prepare me for the pursuit of one. They were Ashley and Liara.
The moment I got rid of Kaidan, it only took a few seconds after the mission debriefing for these two ladies to come and see who I was going to choose! Now, I was just mourning one of my best soldiers in the crew, and you want to know who's my love interest? Typical women behavior (just kidding ladies, take it easy...)! I had three choices. To pick Ashley, Liara or be bold and go for the threesome. Now, you know which option stands out in those three, am I right? So, I go for the threesome. Surprisingly, Liara is completely fine with this idea (she also responds first, too, so there go my hopes up!), but then goes Ashley saying that I'm disgusting just by even thinking of the idea... Come on!
A threesome you say?
Needless to say, after this little chat finished, Liara kept being cool, but Ashley was just bitchy from thereon after. So I decide to go back to my previous save point and pick Liara. Ashley kept being this insolent subordinate to her commander. Now, I must address the fact that at the time of playing this game, I was a spineless fool who couldn't stand the fact that anybody could dislike me -- even in a video game! Having said that, I just go back to my previous save point, pick Ashley.
Here comes the deciding factor for me. After picking Ashley, I go to talk to Liara and she's still being cool as she always was. Meanwhile, Ashley was now being all smug about me picking her over Liara. You know what Ashley? You don't have to rub it in on poor Liara's face! This was where I drew the line.
I go back to my save point one last time and I must say Ashley, you are out of here! Kaidan welcome back, buddy! This solved everything for me, because in the end I really liked Liara a lot. I don't know if I loved her, those were powerful words at that moment -- I mean, we only knew each other for like twenty hours at that point... I must also say, remember to have a spine people -- if somebody doesn't like you, that's their loss -- because having none can lead to another person's death!
I know this whole debacle I had when I played it said a lot about me as a person a few years back. I was really suffering because I didn't know which person to choose! That's how engrossed I was in that game. It's also how you know a game's good or not. If you're so stuck making a choice that you have to fully play out every single scenario... that's the measure of a great game.