Team Talk: Who’s the best Mass Effect squadmate?

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As the Legendary Edition of the Mass Effect trilogy has been released, daring us to venture into the stars once more (keep your eyes peeled for our review soon), we decided it was time to talk about the crew of the Normandy SR1.

Throughout the three games, your protagonist Shepard is accompanied by a cast of colourful characters, and series fans will all have their favourite that they will protect through thick and thin, despite, in some cases, multiple opportunities for them to fall on the field of battle.

Do you have a favourite? Let us know in the comments. Perhaps you favour one of the supporting characters you don’t get a chance to tag along with you, like the mysterious Illusive Man, who looks oddly like Martin Sheen or that reporter Al-Jilani, who turns out to be more vindictive than an early 2000s Piers Morgan.

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by James Michael Parry

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@James_Parry

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by Team PTC

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@pass_controller

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Sam | Wrex

While I have fond memories relating to certain companions from later in the series, choosing one of the original Normandy crew members only seems right. Wrex was my favourite when the franchise first launched, and, for different reasons, he’s winning my favour all over again in Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

I was 13 when the original Mass Effect first hit Xbox 360. Wrex was the undisputed champion because he’s a grizzled reptilian mercenary - that made him the coolest, and therefore the best.

Although I can still appreciate that Wrex is a badass, I’m now more interested in chipping away at his (literal) hard exterior. It takes some time, though Commander Shepard can eventually learn that this krogan isn’t as cutthroat as he’d like people to believe. Beneath all the bluster, Wrex is incredibly vulnerable.

Other character relationships develop over time, but not quite with the same gravity and subtlety. There are no ulterior motives here, either, as Wrex can’t be romanced. Most crewmates automatically assume you want to jump their bones based on very little, whereas Wrex simply relishes the chance to speak freely and briefly feel at ease.

Feelings are good, but Wrex's best feature is his tank-like strength: send him into a room of enemies and watch the carnage unfold.

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James | Mordin

The obvious choice would be Garrus, given he gets some of the series most memorable lines and (minor spoiler) has an outstanding turn as Archangel in ME2, but in fact the companion I enjoyed chit chatting with the most was eccentric scientist Mordin.

As the only character with a musical number to his name, Mordin Solus was introduced in the second game, but his work on the genophage, an artificial fertility modification programme, links him back to one of your most lasting decisions in the first game - the fate of the Krogans.

The Salarian’s approach to his work is that the ends always justify the means, he is far from callous for a scientist, and has an arc of his own and, ultimately, one of the most meaningful climaxes for any of the supporting characters.

In combat he’s not to be sniffed at either, with significant tech powers and able to hold his own fairly consistently – though no doubt his true value is in the lab.

While his relationships with the other characters can portray him as single-minded as far as his work is concerned, there’s no doubting his capabilities and the value and variety he adds to the team introduces some variety to what can otherwise otherwise be a very human-centric squad.

Mordin's omni-tool doubled as a harmonica.

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Liam | Ashley

Of all the many crew members that accompanied my Shepherd in the campaign against the Reapers, it’s Ashley that stands out the most, even though she was missing for large parts of the sequels. Alongside Garrus, she was ever-present as I made my way through the first game (watch out for spoilers below).

Her absence from ME2 hit hard when I realised she wasn’t going to be part of the crew, which is why I’m ranking her above everyone’s favourite turian. As well as being a solid side kick, she also plays a major role in the battle of Virmire, a mission that lives long in the memory.

I did once leave her to die on a recent replay, but it wasn’t quite the same having Kaidan knocking about the ship instead. It might be easy to dismiss her as just another soldier type, but her backstory and motivations are actually quite interesting, particularly when it comes to her family history.

ME2 and 3 might be considered better titles in terms of gameplay, but the original’s atmosphere, missions and story made it the superior experience for me, and Ashely and the original crew were a big part of what made that game so enjoyable.

Also the companion to have around if you like poetry.

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Who was your favourite companion? Let us know below.