Hey guys, so.. as the title says, Worst possible Mass Effect runs (1-3 only please).
So, as I'm working my way though Mass Effect 3, I was wondering.. why not do a run though while making all the worst possible choices?
So, I'm asking you guys what choices you guys would make.
I chose to play Mass Effect 2...
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Worst possible choices...were actually all the best choices. Playing as a Renegade: Kill this guy; sacrifce a bunch of hostages. Kill this guy; sacrifce a whole oil refinery. Electrocute mechanic; boss fight against gunship is easier.
Although making the worst choices in Mass Effect 2 is not upgrading the Normandy at all before you go into the Relay.
Although making the worst choices in Mass Effect 2 is not upgrading the Normandy at all before you go into the Relay.
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I was actually thinking the same thing and maybe recording a playthrough of it! Someone attempted to do something like that on Youtube but the series never went on after ME2, so I've given thought to doing my own (because there are plenty of best possible ending playthroughs, and also best endings are way more subjective). I have a pretty good idea of how to make the worst possible run, not one where you just play as a terrible Shepard but a run where the universe ends up in a really messed up state.
My plan needs decisions from the previous two games to work, so you'll probably want to get the save editor for ME3 if you don't want to play through the first two games too.
I promise I'm not an evil mastermind...I just know the games well! The list will go on forever if I document every single bad choice, so here's the big ones I have for you:
My plan needs decisions from the previous two games to work, so you'll probably want to get the save editor for ME3 if you don't want to play through the first two games too.
I promise I'm not an evil mastermind...I just know the games well! The list will go on forever if I document every single bad choice, so here's the big ones I have for you:
Spoiler: MAJOR SPOILERS For Mass Effect 1-3Show
Save Only the Geth > Choose Destroy Ending
Essentially, you wipe Rannoch clean of life. Definitely bad.
Kill Wrex > Save the Krogan
This will put the krogan under the control of the more traditional-krogan Urdnot Wreav, who's definitely going to resume the krogan's conquering ways if you save his people. This will cause far more damage to the galaxy than committing genocide, which is the more personally evil choice for Shepard, but has less far reaching consequences.
Don't Disarm the Bomb on Tuchanka
And give the krogan more cause to lash out at the rest of the galaxy.
All Companions Die or are Corrupted
This one's a bit tricky and I haven't tested this out because I hate killing companions. My work-in-progress plan is to save Morinth, Jack and Tali in the suicide mission (Morinth because she turns into a banshee, Jack because she turns into a Phantom if you don't save the Academy and Tali because if you don't not save the quarians, it's the saddest thing ever). Once you lose these three companions in ME3, you have the option of killing the Virmire survivor during the Citadel attack. That leaves you with just Liara, James and EDI (don't do Eden Prime and though you don't get a message or anything for it, Cerberus will canonically get Javik). If your Military Strength is low enough, the two companions you take to Earth (James and Liara) will die. And since the ending chosen is Destroy, that kills EDI as well.
Romance Either Tali or the Virmire Survivor
And then be responsible for their death. It's not a grand galaxy changing choice, but it makes Shepard a really really terrible person.
Delay Saving Your Crew in ME2
After your crew is kidnapped and you don't go to them immediately, more of them start dying off (I learned that the hard way my first playthrough). Delay doing all your side missions until your crew is taken and then just waste all your time doing them. Some of the people you lose will probably be Cerberus loyalists, but given the amount of named characters who would help you in ME3 if they survive, it probably does more bad than good.
Help Cerberus As Much As Possible
Pretty self explanatory- hand Legion to them, save the Collector Base, don't do Grissom Academy (so they kidnap Jack and the biotic kids), etc.
Destroy the Rachni in ME1 > Save the Reaper-Rachni in ME3
They turn on you and helps lower your Military Strength. And ICly you have more enemies to face, though it doesn't make a gameplay difference.
Only Complete the Arrival DLC
This is because the events of Arrival happen regardless of whether you do it or not. If you don't, some random Alliance team does the same job and blows up the system, so might as well give Shepard a terrible reputation (at least among the batarians).
Don't Save the Council in ME1
Shepard and humanity will get a bad reputation if you do that. There's also an option to make a human-only Council at the end of ME1 which never follows through. I guess ICly it just doesn't work out in the end, but I'd pick it just to give Shepard a worse name.
Don't Save Kirrahe in ME1 > Thane Doesn't Survive Suicide Mission
This will let Kai Leng kill the Salarian Councillor on the Citadel in ME3.
Essentially, you wipe Rannoch clean of life. Definitely bad.
Kill Wrex > Save the Krogan
This will put the krogan under the control of the more traditional-krogan Urdnot Wreav, who's definitely going to resume the krogan's conquering ways if you save his people. This will cause far more damage to the galaxy than committing genocide, which is the more personally evil choice for Shepard, but has less far reaching consequences.
Don't Disarm the Bomb on Tuchanka
And give the krogan more cause to lash out at the rest of the galaxy.
All Companions Die or are Corrupted
This one's a bit tricky and I haven't tested this out because I hate killing companions. My work-in-progress plan is to save Morinth, Jack and Tali in the suicide mission (Morinth because she turns into a banshee, Jack because she turns into a Phantom if you don't save the Academy and Tali because if you don't not save the quarians, it's the saddest thing ever). Once you lose these three companions in ME3, you have the option of killing the Virmire survivor during the Citadel attack. That leaves you with just Liara, James and EDI (don't do Eden Prime and though you don't get a message or anything for it, Cerberus will canonically get Javik). If your Military Strength is low enough, the two companions you take to Earth (James and Liara) will die. And since the ending chosen is Destroy, that kills EDI as well.
Romance Either Tali or the Virmire Survivor
And then be responsible for their death. It's not a grand galaxy changing choice, but it makes Shepard a really really terrible person.
Delay Saving Your Crew in ME2
After your crew is kidnapped and you don't go to them immediately, more of them start dying off (I learned that the hard way my first playthrough). Delay doing all your side missions until your crew is taken and then just waste all your time doing them. Some of the people you lose will probably be Cerberus loyalists, but given the amount of named characters who would help you in ME3 if they survive, it probably does more bad than good.
Help Cerberus As Much As Possible
Pretty self explanatory- hand Legion to them, save the Collector Base, don't do Grissom Academy (so they kidnap Jack and the biotic kids), etc.
Destroy the Rachni in ME1 > Save the Reaper-Rachni in ME3
They turn on you and helps lower your Military Strength. And ICly you have more enemies to face, though it doesn't make a gameplay difference.
Only Complete the Arrival DLC
This is because the events of Arrival happen regardless of whether you do it or not. If you don't, some random Alliance team does the same job and blows up the system, so might as well give Shepard a terrible reputation (at least among the batarians).
Don't Save the Council in ME1
Shepard and humanity will get a bad reputation if you do that. There's also an option to make a human-only Council at the end of ME1 which never follows through. I guess ICly it just doesn't work out in the end, but I'd pick it just to give Shepard a worse name.
Don't Save Kirrahe in ME1 > Thane Doesn't Survive Suicide Mission
This will let Kai Leng kill the Salarian Councillor on the Citadel in ME3.
Spoiler: ME1 and some snarkShow
EDEN PRIME
"Sheppard, what is that? It looks so ancient... and so alien...""Stay back. I don't know what that thing is, but I don't like it. I'm going to huck a grenade at it from far enough away that it can't interface with my mind."
"Why is that even a concern of your-"
"HWAA!"
*BOOM*
AND THEN EVERYONE DIED.
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Spoiler: ME2 SpoilersShow
Delay Saving Your Crew in ME2
After your crew is kidnapped and you don't go to them immediately, more of them start dying off (I learned that the hard way my first playthrough). Delay doing all your side missions until your crew is taken and then just waste all your time doing them.
After your crew is kidnapped and you don't go to them immediately, more of them start dying off (I learned that the hard way my first playthrough). Delay doing all your side missions until your crew is taken and then just waste all your time doing them.
I did this one on purpose! All the Cerberus clowns from your ship get fed into a big blender to make a Reaper smoothie and Dr. Chakwas is spared. There is literally no downside.
Spoiler: SpoilersShow
I did this one on purpose! All the Cerberus clowns from your ship get fed into a big blender to make a Reaper smoothie and Dr. Chakwas is spared. There is literally no downside.
Oh...I didn't know Chakwas survives either way. I guess the engineers who can survive and help you in ME3 don't make too much of a difference to the universe if they survive compared to what the Cerberus people do, though I'm not sure if they count as war assets so you might not want to save the crew to lower Military Strength. Plus, you might want to lose Chakwas during a worst-possible playthrough, and the only way to do that is assign a non-loyal squadmember to escort the crew, and if Chakwas dies here, everyone else dies along with them.