Mass Effect 3’s reputation system according to BioWare

In today’s most sad news, BioWare has confirmed that there’s no special ending in Mass Effect 3 that reveals Commander Shepard is actually secretly a Reaper, and everything that’s happened was just an elaborate plot to gain the trust of humanity, before Reaper-Shepard turns on his crew and eats them while the credits roll across a screen spattered in blood.

Okay, technically they didn’t say all that stuff, but they did say that there’s no way to be “the villain”, which is more or less exactly the same thing.

“Paragon actions are usually about building alliances, obeying galactic law, and basing decisions on sympathy and trust,” BioWare senior writer Patrick Weekes told Eurogamer. “Renegade actions usually involve a pragmatic, results-focused approach, breaking laws or taking extreme steps as required to get the job done.

“You’re never going to be the villain of Mass Effect 3.”

“If you take every Renegade option in the game, you may be brusque with your friends and brutal to your enemies; you may make hard choices that cost you friendships; you may have to go to your grave carrying the weight of crimes that would have you reviled as a monster if they ever came to light. But you are always fighting to save the galaxy, no matter what tactics you take.”

Instead of filling Paragon and Renegade bars on the character screen (and making your eyes red), your actions will instead increase a total reputation meter, comprising all Paragon, Renegade, and other miscellaneous activities. That combined reputation score, in its turn, determines your character’s charm and intimidation options.

“You’re still rewarded for being a completionist player and doing as much content as you can, but you can do it as a Paragon or Renegade player without penalty.”

But damn it, I had money on Reaper-Shepard. 🙁