Romances in video gamesare often underdeveloped, awkward, or just laughably bad. However,Mass Effect Legendary Editionis proof that sometimes gamescanget romances right. Throughout the course of the trilogy, players encounter a number of characters they can form meaningful relationships with, some of which carry over from one game to the next.
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As with all things, some of Mass Effect’s romance options are better than others. While many of the trilogy’s relationships are messy and short-lived affairs, the good romance options leave a lasting impression and are undoubtedly one of the biggest selling points of the series.
16Diana Allers (Mass Effect 3)
Mass Effect Legendary Edition features a plethora of compelling and well-written characters. Unfortunately, Diana Allers is neither of those things. The character is as boring and one-dimensional as they come and romancing her doesn’t really get you anywhere.
Shepard can choose to pursue Diana Allers on the Normandy, but after sharing a kiss in the Commander’s cabin the whole thing just kind of fizzles away inexplicably. Romancing Allers doesn’t grant the Paramour achievement, nor does it prevent the player from romancing other characters. It’s pretty obvious that this “relationship” was supposed to be some sort of fan service, but it fails even on that front.
15Morinth (Mass Effect 2)
Most Mass Effect players are probably unaware that Morinth is a potential squad mate, let alone a potential romance option. And that’s probably for the best since romancing the Ardat-Yakshi means buying a one-way ticket to the afterlife. And I don’t mean the club on Omega.
Unlike Samara, Morinth is very receptive to Shepard’s advances, although she warns the Commander that a relationship with her could be deadly. If Shepard insists, the two get to hook up after the suicide mission, which results in the Commander’s untimely demise. While definitely a memorable moment, it’s not a particularly interesting relationship.
14Javik (Mass Effect 3)
This is less of a romance and more of a bit of trolling fromBioware. Out of all the characters Shepard encounters throughout Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Javik is probably one of the last people the Commander would consider hooking up with. And yet, anything is possible given enough alcohol.
During the Citadel party, a female Shepard can have a one-night stand with the Prothean. The relationship doesn’t really go anywhere but the scene where Shepard wakes up next to Javik is pretty funny nevertheless.
13James Vega (Mass Effect 3)
Vega was obviously shoehorned into the third entry to make sure that players have a human character as a squadmate, just in case they decide not to reunite with Ashley or Kaidan. Players can’t enter into a proper relationship with Vega, but they can have a one-night stand with him provided they meet certain requirements.
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A female Shepard can flirt with Vega in her apartment on the Citadel and can hook up with him during the party, but that’s as far as this relationship goes. It’s not really explained why, but the next morning the lieutenant asks Shepard never to mention what happened at the party.
12Kelly Chambers (Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3)
Kelly Chambers is one of those unassuming characters that grow on you over time. She takes your messages, feeds your fish, and, if you play your cards right, she can dance for you in a skimpy outfit after the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2.
The relationship with Kelly Chambers carries over into Mass Effect 3 where she and Shepard get to share a passionate moment before the Commander is off to save the galaxy. It’s just a shame that players don’t get to pursue the relationship any further afterward.
11Jacob Taylor (Mass Effect 2)
Jacob has a reputation for being one of the most boring characters in Mass Effect Legendary Edition, so it’s not surprising that players usually avoid romancing him. However, if you do decide to give it a shot, you’ll find that the relationship is pretty much what you’d expect: plain, unsatisfying, and a little bit awkward.
One of the best parts of romancing a character is learning interesting details about their background that they wouldn’t share with you otherwise. In the case of Jacob, the unique dialogue options are mostly related to Cerberus and his father, the same two topics you’re probably sick of hearing about by that point. Shepard meets up with Jacob again in ME3, but he’s in another relationship by then and isn’t willing to break it off for the sake of the Commander.
10Kaidan Alenko (Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 3)
For some reason, Bioware decided that every game in the trilogyneedsto have a dull male character. ME3 has Vega, ME2 has Jacob, and, of course, ME1 has Kaidan Alenko. To be fair, Kaidan does become more interesting as a character by the end of the trilogy, but he never becomes better as a romance option.
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Kaidan can only be romanced by a female Shepard in the first game but in ME3 he’s also open to a relationship with a male Shepard. That makes him pretty unique, but it’s not quite enough to earn him a higher spot on this list.
9Samantha Traynor (Mass Effect 3)
Samantha Traynor acts more or less as a replacement for Kelly Chambers in Mass Effect 3. She doesn’t dance for Shepard, but she does beat the Commander at chess and is generally a more fun person to be around. Although she only appears in the third installment, she instantly became a fan favorite thanks to her charm and witty banter.
Unlike some of the other characters on this list, Sam offers Shepard an uncomplicated and drama-free relationship. That’s the sort of relationship most people want in the real world, however, it’s not particularly exciting as far as video game romances go. Still, it’s not bad, just a bit bland compared to some of the other ones.
8Steve Cortez (Mass Effect 3)
Mass Effect 3 introduced some questionable side characters, but it also introduced a couple of very good ones like Steve Cortez. While it’s tempting to ignore his sob stories and go about your business, Steve’s kind and gentle nature will eventually draw you in. As the character’s backstory starts to unfold, it’s hard not to feel for the guy.
At the same time, there’s a good amount of guilt that comes with romancing Steve. The man lost his husband to the Collectors and he knows he’s likely to lose Shepard to the Reapers. The whole thing is very touching but, sadly, the relationship doesn’t have a lot of time to develop since there are much bigger things going on in ME3.
7Ashley Williams (Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 3)
Ashley is a divisive character that can be difficult to like, let alone love, in the original Mass Effect. The Chief softens up quite a bit if you decide to romance her, but her attitude toward aliens is hard to ignore even then. Just like Kaiden, Ashley shows up in ME2 but mainly just to yell at the Commander and express her disapproval that Shepard is now working with Cerberus.
It’s during Mass Effect 3 that Ashley’s character arc takes a turn for the better. She’s still pretty hostile at first but becomes more agreeable as the game progresses and eventually learns to trust Shepard again. It’s not very appealing to try and rekindle a relationship with Ashley after your brief encounter with her in ME2, but give her a chance and you may be pleasantly surprised by how things develop in the sequel.
