Legion of the Damned

I'm feeling rather proud of myself: Been playing a lot of Mass Effect 2 and got Legion recruited in my squad. I like this character a lot, in the fact that he is a member of the 'enemy' (from the first game), he speaks with the knowledge absorbed from various data sources and his electronic voice is kinda cool.

Now that I think of it, my experience with RPGs and the people have played them has revealed that there is always someone in your party who you, the player, hate: Someone who is just annoying or just can't pull their weight in combat (or both). Players are encouraged to get behind someone and fight to the death to defend their character against the haters with so much passion, you'd think it was a law for an RPG to have someone to hate.
I personally found it puzzling that anyone would tolerate someone of such caliber: Anyone useless would seriously have been given their marching orders - likewise to someone who is trying to be funny but instead comes across as annoying.



I have never had such a problem: I would never hate a character becuase, in a way they are there for a reason: If not for combat then for the plot. If they at least contribute something in their own way then that's fine be me. As RPG's are renowned for taking up tens of hours of gameplay, I am willing to give time to charatcer so they can have the chance to impress me.
By way of (Final Fantasy) example: Quina must be the most maligned character in the Final Fantasy universe but at least s/he has some neat blue magic to make up for it. Also I think Tifa Lockhart is a poor fighter and nothing more than fanboy fodder but I must admit she does play a key role in the plot. And with FFX, everyone seems to hate someone in the main party (except for Auron) but with me, I used all seven combatants and utilised the sphere grid to great effect in order to build a team that functions like a well-oiled machine.

Which brings me back to ME2: It would seem that I don't hate anyone on board the Normandy. Each character is well realised and makes their own unique contribution to the game itself. I have no favorites and, similarly, no one has got on my nerves. I may thought Liara was a bit dull in the first game but now, as an information broker, she kicks arse!
I think what makes this work is the loyalty missions: Here, the character's background is explored, they are provided some depth and they undergo proper development. Better still, they contribute unlockable skills and their personality is changed with the quest completed. Thus Jack becomes more than hostile, Miranda shows more beyond snobby and Mordin shows signs of morality.
In any case, this was a masterstroke on Bioware's end and it is, in a sense, real effort being made to stop such 'useless character' bollocks that RPG's seem to have.
I for one am delighted that such effort is being put into the realization of these characters and only hope that this catches on.