Spoiler Warning: This article contains huge spoilers for the Mass Effect trilogy, so if you haven't experienced these games yet, I strongly recommend you to skip this.
All true forms of Art are essentially imitations of Life, in their own uniquely creative ways. And this applies to Videogames too, or at least to those rare, few ones that truly transcend the limitations of it’s medium to deliver an experience that’s as deeply memorable and evokes enough emotionally affecting responses to be called as indeed something of an Art form. But like all forms of Art that’s ever been crafted, they all have the same thing in common—they all imitate one or multiple facets of Life itself, in ways that are unique, memorable and worth revisiting multiple times.
And for videogames that focus on specific aspects of Life such as character developments or character driven storytelling, in all of my years of Gaming, I have never found an experience that’s nearly as memorable and engaging as that of the great Mass Effect 2. In terms of storytelling, it’s like a Soap Opera sci-fi Epic set in outer space with all the complexities and nuances that define anything worthy to be called by that name. Although the Mass Effect series has always been one of the greatest showcases of storytelling in Videogames, the first one was mostly about worldbuilding while the third entry was more focused on it’s sprawling intergalactic war, where the second game was completely centered around it’s characters, many of whom are rightly some of the most fully realized ones that have ever come out of Gaming.
But all of that is already praised to the Stars and is well-documented, so no point in re-iterating any of it. If you call yourself a gamer, you already know how great the Mass Effect trilogy is, so instead, this article will focus on the game’s more sublime aspects and all of it’s little “Life-Accuracies”, which is also part of what makes is so phenomenal.
Let’s start off with the game’s Paragon/ Renegade system and it’s respective interrupts during conversations. As you already know, the Paragon choices are the ones that are Morally ‘Right’ or the ‘right’ things to do in all situations while the Renegade ones are self-centered, apathetic and violent (though unintentionally funny and even hilarious at times). And from both Religious and Spiritual perspectives as it’s already been written and described through allegorical forms in just about all ancient texts across the World, the path of the ‘Right’ essentially implies a higher or correct moral position and the path of the ‘Left’ is depicted as more of a wicked or egoic path. Also it’s a commonly known fact that it’s the ‘Right’ part of our Brains where compassion and Love arise from and whereas the ‘Left’ part is more hyperactive and self-centered.
And then, keeping in mind all of the above, let’s look at how Mass Effect 2 mapped both it’s Paragon and Renegade options into the input devices—the Paragon or Heroic options are activated through the ‘Right’ click of the Mouse while the Renegade or the selfish ones are done with the ‘Left’ click. This practical-literal symbolism is just staggering, and it’s the kind of sublime, Truth-at-plain-sight-presentation that really makes Mass Effect 2 so much more than a great Videogame.
Also, let’s look at the symbology present with the respective color of both Paragon (Blue) and Renegade (Red) options—the color Red or the Red Energy is often associated with our Root Chakra (read Energy Center or dimension) which represent our base and violent tendencies. While the color Blue is associated with a Higher Energy center within us which represents our more selfless, higher and Loving nature. It’s really clear how both Paragon and Renegade paths represent specific dimensions of Life present right within us, and it’s just another deep Truths-at-plain-sight symbolism that makes Mass Effect 2 so much more ‘Life accurate’.
Also let’s examine the character of Paragon Shephard and see what we, as Human beings can learn from him in a way that’s practically applicable in most of our Life situations. To illustrate this, we need to look at certain key character-based conversations and morally challenging choices present in the game. For example, look at the end of Tali’s loyalty mission where the player encounters a sort of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation where both choices that you can make seem as a potential disaster for your squadmate—if you choose to reveal the Evidence to the Admiralty Board, she’s emotionally devastated as it makes her Father into a war-criminal in the eyes of her entire race, and if you choose to conceal the evidence instead, then the Board declares her guilty and she is exiled forever from her own race and homeworld.
And this is where the Paragon or the Heroic path solves the situation completely as it provides the higher, best possible solution where the board declares Tali as not-guilty and withdraws all charges against her without you having to reveal the evidence. And here’s how it went:
The Paragon options leading to this kind of win-win, unifying and balanced solutions are showcased further in the game in cases of resolving situations involving several key characters having arguments where siding with either will inevitably antagonize the other which can have dire, game-changing consequences in the later events of Mass Effect 2.
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| Paragon Shephard to the rescue... |
So what we can all learn from the Paragon or the morally ‘Right’ path presented in Mass Effect 2 (and 3 as well) is how in our own Lives, we can truly choose to resolve conflicts in a way that instead of siding with one and making the other feel bad or hurting their feelings, we can go with a true win-win situation that benefit both or ALL members involved in the conflict. This ‘You Win, I Win’ approach in real life is also known as the Principle of Balance, and is one of the greatest skills to learn and master as a Human Being.
Another instance in the game that showcases this win-win, higher path in resolving conflict is this one, which is also one of my most favorite ones:
Another aspect of the Paragon which is particularly inspiring shines through in the relationship with his squadmates, which is also the focal point of the game. Mass Effect 2 has an incredibly wide range of characters and all of them with wholly different moral positions—and this is where it gets so interesting. Instead of patronizing any of them in any way, the Paragon truly understands them, empathizes with them and most of all, offers all of them his unconditional friendship, without ever trying to change them in any way.
As a result, they gradually open up to him, become ‘loyal’ allies to him, and through his own example, they eventually end up becoming a better version of themselves. In this sense, the Paragon is a lot like Superman or Captain America in the MCU where he, by the virtue of leading by example, has a transformative effect on others around him as they, on their own, aspire to become better by just watching him as a character.
There is another great Life lesson to be learned from this—the Paragon changed all of the characters around him, but not by wanting to change them or by trying to force them in any way. But by simply being the absolute best version of himself that he can possibly be, and this in turn causes a sort of rippling effect among those around him and inspires them to spontaneously change for the better.
This is something that we can also become in our own lives, instead of trying to change the ones we don’t like or treating them in a condescending way, we can inspire them to be better than they are through leading by example ourselves. So we can change others through ourselves and as we see from several characters in the trilogy, it just feels so uplifting.
And the fact that all of this is coming from a Videogame is simply awe-inspiring, as this is also a testament to the fact that just how much evolved Videogames have become as a medium as it’s now more than capable of delivering such vital Life lessons through entertainment experiences. While also demonstrating just why Mass Effect 2 is so phenomenally crafted and a truly ‘Life accurate’ experience to ever come out of gaming.
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