So I’ve been on a super-speed run of Mass Effect 2 this past week. The last of the Mass Effect 3 campaign DLC drops this week, and I don’t have a save point in my ME3 game that will allow me to access any of it. I always knew that I would have to start over my playthrough anyway, if I wanted to play the DLC with my paragon Shepard. Since I always wanted to replay ME2 with my paragon anyway to change just one thing, I decided that there’s no time like the present. Since I don’t want to lose my original playthroughs with my paragon, I moved those save profiles to a USB drive and then started a new ME2 game with an import from the first game, just like I did the first time. Once I start ME3, I’ll do the same thing. So yeah, I’ll have four sets of saved profiles for one Shepard.
Am I little nuts? Yeah, but we always knew I was a bit nuts over this series in the first place.
So what is the one thing I’m changing? Yeah, it’s a really girly thing, and it’s probably stupid in most people’s eyes, but it is important to me, so there it is. When I first played ME2, Kaidan’s breakup was utterly heartbreaking for me. I had to turn off the game when it was over, because I was in shock at what happened. And then he sends that email later that was a bigger kick in the crotch…yeah, I saw no point in remaining loyal to him, which was my original plan. I had already been told that Kaidan/Ashley were not romance options in ME2, but I had no idea they showed up and dumped you. And Kaidan being upset that Shepard didn’t contact him when she was dead over the last two years…are you serious?
I always had a thing for Garrus, even from the first game, so yeah, I had no problems developing that relationship. At least here is a guy who is willing to hear Shepard out and stay loyal despite the Cerberus ties. Kaidan wouldn’t even let Shepard really explain; it was 100% black and white with him, so yeah, I didn’t feel any remorse in going after someone else when Kaidan made it so clear it was over.
Of course, then he returns in ME3 and made everything so damned complicated. I still had a soft spot for Kaidan, but then there’s Garrus, who has been loyal from the start. I accidentally triggered a commitment scene with Kaidan while playing, and I’m glad I did, because otherwise I never would have known that he thought Shepard cheated on him. If you commit to someone else, he won’t have the commitment talk with Shepard at all. When he said, and I quote, “Look, I understand why you cheated,” I about screamed at my TV. I felt like Ross from Friends in that I wanted to tell him, “WE WERE ON A BREAK!” We weren’t really even on a break; he dumped my ass. I have the email as proof.
So ANYWAY…I’m going to see how different it goes with Kaidan when Shepard remains loyal. As much as Kaidan hurt me (not Shepard, me, as sad as that may sound) in both ME2 and ME3, I still have a soft spot for Kaidan and I want to see one Shepard work it out with him. That’s the beauty of playing a game; you can replay it and change the outcome as much as you want.
Best part? So far, I’ve been able to recreate my original playthrough to a T, save for the romance. Oh and it looks like this time I’ll save my crew in full as well. Definitely not reenacting that mistake.
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