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The age-old discussion of Mass Effect Paragon vs Renegade is back with Mass Effect's complete and up-to-date re-release later this week. That's right - coming out this Friday, on the 14th of May, we've got Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which is a huge deal for RPG and science fiction fans of the Mass Effect trilogy.
To reiterate what we've already spoken about in substantial detail, the Legendary Edition of Mass Effect includes a remastered and retooled version of the original Mass Effect as well as updated variants of its two incredible follow-up releases. Perhaps the best news of all, though, is that we're getting all the DLC (except Pinnacle Station), too. Those who had previously attempted to purchase Mass Effect titles may remember that buying its DLC was an expensive and annoying endeavor, but that's not going to be an issue moving forward!
To think that such a massive release is coming just a week after RE: Village... May 2021 is a hell of a month, isn't it? Strap right in and let's get to business!
Morality and You: The Story of Mass Effect
As you're bound to know by now, none of the original Mass Effect games could traditionally be considered "open-world". Instead, they're hub-based narrative role-playing games with a clear, albeit not linear progression through the story. Things happen to Commander Shepard and the world changes accordingly. It's a classic story-focused conceit that Bioware managed to do perfectly during their original, pre-Andromeda stint with the franchise.
To be perfectly honest, we did enjoy our time with Andromeda, but not for the same reasons we enjoyed the original Mass Effect trilogy. For the most part, the three original titles were incredibly well-paced and offered an amazing sense of progression, simply because the player always had some way to affect the final outcome. This is, in fact, the primary topic of this article, but it affords us a chance to look at the wider context of Mass Effect, too.
Now, what we're most excited about here is that the games' respective progression systems and narrative developments will feel that much punchier when you're playing them back-to-back. Make no mistake, this is going to be a huge game. Actually, no, scratch that: Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is going to be a combination of three games, each of which is huge. The end result can't be anything but epic, really.
We're reasonably sure that Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will be the best sci-fi narrative RPG on the market, bar none. There's virtually no competition in this space, and with most devs turning to open-world gameplay-focused experiences instead, Bioware and EA have got a slam dunk ready to go. We can't wait to dive into the game!
Mass Effect Paragon vs Renegade - Why is it such a big deal?
If you're a veteran of the franchise, not much we'll talk about here will be new to you. The Mass Effect Paragon vs. Renegade system is well-established at this point. At its absolute simplest, it's merely a red/blue dialogue option. Under the hood, though, the decisions you make at these key junctions in the story will shape everything about Commander Shephard in the long run. Even physically, starting with Mass Effect 2. That's a story for another time, though.
Depending on the type of character you want to play, you may have access to a variety of actions that sit firmly either in the Paragon or Renegade corners, respectively. A Paragon Commander Shephard will often be compassionate and heroic, whereas a Renegade Commander Shephard behaves ruthlessly and is apathetic to suffering and violence. The nuances go way beyond that, though. These are just general explanations to keep in mind moving forward.
What's particularly interesting about this dialogue system is that, eventually, it may lead to unique unlocks, missions, and quests. In fact, those who may play things safe and do a bit of Paragon with a dash of Renegade may find themselves locked out of certain content, while having access to stuff that hardline Shephards otherwise wouldn't have. It's a pretty great and organic system, all in all. But, which should you choose?
Mass Effect Paragon Explained
If you decide to build a Paragon Commander Shephard, you'll soon find yourself unlocking a wide variety of 'Charm' options in dialogue and gameplay. These Paragon Points will allow Commander Shephard to smooth-talk his or her way through tense situations, and to behave like a reasonable, level-headed party in social situations. It's the politician's choice, really.
The Paragon version is - obviously - the blue dialogue option, and going Paragon means you'll have the chance to stack up a high Paragon score by doing the following actions:
- asking characters how they feel
- being interested in other people's motivations
- picking specific Paragon and/or Charm dialogue options
- performing dialogue interrupts that spare lives, provide support, comfort, or call out others on certain actions
What's particularly neat is that, if you're a proficient enough Paragon, you may have the opportunity to entirely sidestep certain encounters. Characters will generally view you as an open and friendly person, and they'll sooner start talking about their true motivations and feelings. If that's the sort of thing you want to foster, Paragon is an easy choice for you.
Mass Effect Renegade Explained
If Paragon is the politician, the Renegade version is definitely the wildcard. Abrasive and oftentimes abusive, a Renegade Commander Shephard is basically an officially-sanctioned warlord who prefers brute force to diplomacy. Indeed, Renegade Shepard players who opt for many Renegade actions will soon find others fearful of them, which may end up resulting in more combat overall, depending on how far you take it.
Further still, starting with Mass Effect 2, Renegade Shephard will undergo unnerving visual changes too. Namely, his scars and eyes will become, for the lack of a better term, Sith-like. This will let you showcase just what a badass asshole your particular version of Shepherd is at a glance! Fun!
Being the red dialogue option, Renegade relates to fast and violent actions for the most part:
- telling characters off
- taking a hardline political stance
- performing violent actions, such as pushing people off edges and executing them point-blank
- picking specific Renegade and/or Intimidate dialogue options
- performing dialogue interrupts that take lives, scare others, or straight-up murder them in cold blood
Much like Paragon, too, a high Renegade stat may sometimes lead to unique questlines and unlocks. Oftentimes including combat, as you'd expect. Depending on how keen you are for multiple playthroughs of the trilogy, your choices may reflect on Shephard in vastly different ways. Honestly, if replayability is a concern, just switch your character's Paragon vs. Renegade approach and you'll be good to go.
Paragon vs. Renegade: Wrap-Up
Though it might seem like you absolutely, positively need to lean towards either Paragon or Renegade, that's not actually the case. The beauty of the Mass Effect game is that, depending on how things are going, you'll almost always have access to several dialogue options to choose from. Depending on both Paragon and Renegade scores, these may get expanded further. On some occasions, you may even get multiple Paragon and/or Renegade lines, if you score highly enough.
Further, it won't kill your Paragon score if you do something only Renegade Shepard would do from time to time. If you see an opportunity for a fun interrupt, just go for it. After all, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is just another chance for us to save the galaxy. How you get to that point, though, is entirely your business.
Different sides of Paragon and Renegade Shepards will appeal to different players, and most players' Shephard will probably be some combination of the two extremes, depending on the given playthrough. In some cases, some options just don't make any sort of sense. After all, why would Shepherd behave like a massive tool towards people that are suffering the effects of war? He or she can do so, of course, but why?
With just a few short days to go before we ask these questions ourselves, we couldn't be more excited about an upcoming weekend. Now, keep in mind that we've got lots more Mass Effect-themed content coming over the next week or so. If you're intrigued by the prospect, check-in and see what we've got!
Get in the Game ! 
