I just completed Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, ME:1. The team who worked on updating Mass Effect 1 did an incredible job of updating this game to remain playable in 2021. It was a clean 25ish hours for me.
Revisiting the game in 2021, I was surprised to have new reflections on racism in this universe. I used to think that Ashley was the most racist person on the ship, but after 2020, I now just think that her racism is the most obvious, and she’s also shown to grow and come to care about Liara well before the end of the game. She’s even the one who encourages you to reach out to Liara, after you and Liara killed her mother together.
Speaking of which, Liara’s voice acting is interesting too. She reminds me a bit of Olivia on Fringe, in that she’s wooden, but it’s a choice? There’s a moment where she’s pleading with her mother about the decisions that she’s making, and the player has to remember that while Liara declares herself barely an adult, she’s one immortal psychic, having an argument with a much older immortal psychic. Liara asks to come on the mission, planning to 100% murder her own mother if she has to. She’s not a wilting lilly.
When she’s pleading with her mother about the course of action she’s choosing, it’s not a 20 year old hot alien chick, but a hundred year old psychic arguing her godlike psychic mother.
Kaiden and Liara were in my party during the finale, and Liara is like “eh, we could save the counsel, buuuut.”
She was also the one to march over and put one last bullet in the horrific Sovereign-
When I played ME 1 as male paragon Shepard, I cared about Liara, but I wouldn’t say that I shipped them or anything. playing as female renegade Shepard, I ship these two.
Bonus Video: https://youtu.be/m2VBh4W3QHE?t=63
