soldiers like the

commander are rare

women like shepard, even more rare


Shepard, particularly a female Shepard, is so special. She has much the same dialogue as her male counterpart, and Mass Effect's story is so much more impactful when it's a woman that its driving force. Mass Effect was not a game I planned to play. This is part a genre thing. I'd seen it, the box art, heard people talk positively about it, but I wasn't even aware that Femshep existed.

Femshep alone was a major selling point of these games for me. I was so drawn in by her and her cool collectiveness, her staunch stubborness and "y'know what, Citadel Council, don't believe me, I'm going to go save the galaxy anyway, you're welcome" attitude. In the face of incalculable odds she never backs down; even death doesn't stop her. She becomes such a legend that the Reapers themselves fear her. The opening hours of ME3 in particular are so grim and it's so much for anyone mentally to bear but she has to keep going. They show her bouts of weakness and doubt and her struggling, and that's such a human experience, and it doesn't make her any less of a fighter. I watched my flatmate play all of ME1 and ME2 - shoutout to Laurel Shepard - but they moved out not long after they started ME3. I had to know the rest of the story. I had to see her and how it ended. And so I ventured into a genre I was horrendously bad at because it was some of the best fiction I'd ever seen: and Jennifer Hale's performance, I just. Shepard would not be the same without the emotional weight she lends her with her voice.

If I had to give you my top five fictional characters, no doubt Shepard would be on that list. I am very attached to her; she is one of, if not the reason that led me to Ashe. When I played Mass Effect: Legendary, I did it with my original paragaon Shepard, Ryan. And I'd missed her. I think Shepard might be due for another go at it sometime soon - I don't think you ever stop thinking about this trilogy or Shepard once you've played it. [Shepard / Mass Effect]

what do you

need me to do?

[return]