Mass Effect 2’s opening death was my first contact with the series

The first time I met Mass Effect’s Shepard, I watched him die.

Before fully getting into BioWare’s space opera circa 2013, a year after the original trilogy had already wrapped, I downloaded a demo. I wanted to get my feet wet before purchasing the games and make sure they’d be for me. (Mind you, at this point most of my hours spent gaming were with Call of Duty and Madden, like a lot of 18-year-olds.)

Either because the Mass Effect 2 demo was the only one of the trilogy available on the Xbox Live Marketplace or because I was just lazy and that was the first one I saw, I downloaded the opening moments of Commander Shepard’s second outing to see what all the buzz was about. And, my, what an introduction.

Mass Effect 2’s opening moments didn’t waste time. Without knowing what was going on or who anyone was — is that Seth Green from Austin Powers I hear? — I was thrown into the middle of an attack. The Normandy (cool name, cool ship) was searching for Geth (whatever that was) when it was attacked by an unknown assailant. Crew members dropped and fires broke out as the Normandy was thrown into disarray.

As the remaining crew evacuated, I was given control of Commander Shepard (cool name, cool armor). Explosions flared as Shep clambered up a staircase to the Normandy’s top deck. Doors opened, and into the vacuum of space he went. This moment still takes my breath away some 13 years later; that short walk along the Normandy’s destroyed bridge, with only his armor shielding Shepard from the void of outer space, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. With Shepard’s steady breathing as the only audio, it’s oddly serene — until you remember this ship is under attack.

Shepard sauntered over to the cockpit, where Joker was desperately still trying to fly the Normandy. The mysterious enemy ship came around for another attack, and Shepard quickly got Joker to an escape pod in time, but not before he could escape himself. Instead, he drifted in space as the Normandy broke apart around him. Shepard’s armor began leaking air, and — oh, yep, he just died. I hadn’t even spent 10 minutes in this universe, and already I was watching its protagonist get spaced.

What a way to be introduced to what is now my favorite sci-fi franchise.

Image: BioWare/EA via Polygon

The intro to Mass Effect 2 is a dramatic entrance for a game full of dramatic entrances. If there’s one thing Mass Effect 2 does well above all else, it’s how it handles characters, and they all have top-notch introductions.

We first meet sexy bird alien man Garrus during a shootout with various mercenary groups on Omega, a refuge for criminal malcontents. He was an integral squadmate in the first game, which I played and enjoyed after Shepard’s Mass Effect 2 demo death introduced me to the series. The first time I played through Mass Effect 2 (the full game, not just the demo), I couldn’t wait to see what this mysterious “Archangel” was all about, and was overjoyed to reunite with BFF Garrus Vakarian from the first game. That reunion had to be put on hold as various mercs were trying to claim our heads, and then Garrus just had to go and take a rocket to the face.

Image: BioWare/Electronic Arts

Jack’s intro might be the most adrenaline-pumping. Shepard and crew are sent to a prison to recruit a souped-up Biotic, which then leads to a level of chasing said Biotic as she absolutely rips the station apart. I’m also especially fond of assassin Thane’s introduction. We gradually climb an office tower trying to get to his target, only to watch him swoop down and get the job done shortly after Shepard and crew arrive. Meeting Thane also serves as the player’s first meeting with a drell character, undoubtedly the coolest aliens in the franchise (sorry, you know it’s true, though), and a new species introduced in Mass Effect 2.

Plenty more characters get grand entrances throughout Mass Effect 2, like Legion and the Shadow Broker. None, however, can quite top those opening moments, especially if watching Shepard get spaced is not only your introduction to Mass Effect 2, but to the series as a whole.