History MassEffect / TropesEToH

* TheEpic: The original trilogy as a whole is considered one massive epic, where Shepard leads a diverse group of humans and aliens on a mission to save the galaxy from a [[EldritchAbomination mysterious, ancient, and devastating threat]]. It also has LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, tons of sidequests and content that create a vast, living galaxy full of different species and cultures, each with their own traits. The OldSaveBonus across each game gives the trilogy a level of player continuity unmatched by almost any other video game epics of this type.

* HadToBeSharp: Krogan. This explains why they have secondary and even tertiary organs, and why they are [[ExplosiveBreeder Explosive Breeders]].

** It's Played Straight with the merc bands you encounter, however. Many high-ranking enemies (Blue Suns Legionnaires, Eclipse Vanguards and Engineers, and Commanders in either faction) forego helmets in favor of prominent armor.

* FantasticFirearms: Most guns function by scooping up a microscopic chunk from a metal slug and using the [[MinovskyPhysics eponymous mass effect]] to accelerate it to nearly relativistic speeds in the enemy direction. Some use half-inch sized slices room-temperature superconductor charged with massive ammounts of electricity instead of metal shavings, which makes them turn whatever the projectiles hit into plasma.

* HasTwoMommies:
** A definite possibility for any asari, since they mate through genetic tweaking as opposed to actual sex. As long as the other mommy isn't another asari. [[FantasticRacism That's a big no-no.]]
** The third game alludes to this being very possible for humans, and Miranda's origins confirm that human technology is capable of it. Samantha Traynor, if romanced, certainly talks about raising a family with a female Shepard after the Reapers are defeated.
** Due to their societal norms, angara have multiple mothers (Jaal has ''five''), but only one true mother.

* EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: Initially averted. Before [=ME3=], not one single event of any plot importance has occurred on Earth in the series. The ''only'' relevance it had to the current plot is that it's one of three selectable pre-service origins for Shepard. It's suggested that [[spoiler: the Collectors will eventually hit Earth for the population density]], but they never have the chance. [=ME3=] begins with a full-scale invasion of the planet by the Reapers, and the ultimate goal is the launch a final battle both on and around Earth. [[spoiler: Earth is actually the ''second'' victim of the Reapers after Khar'shan (the batarian homeworld), and Shepard doesn't return until the very last section of the game. However, the Reapers seem to be awfully focused on Earth, and actually move the Citadel into the Sol System to make a second attempt at creating a human Reaper, which conveniently forces the final battle to take place there]].

* TheEighties: According to the WordOfGod, ''Mass Effect'' is an homage to 1980's sci-fi flicks, including the soundtrack (''Film/BladeRunner'', and so on). ''Mass Effect 1'' seems to hearken to the early 80's, while ''Mass Effect 2'' seems to hearken to the latter part of the decade. One example of this influence is the music in the first game, particularly the more synthesized tracks on the Citadel, which are a great ShoutOut to Vangelis' music in Film/BladeRunner.

* TheGhost: On an impressive scale. The games mention there are other species in the galaxy beside the ones we see... we just never see or hear anything about them, or even get a name.

** When the "Geth Incursions" sidequest is completed, it ends with a video of "a lone quarian singing a single, haunting wail over a hushed mass" about lost innocence, and is aimed at the systems beyond the Perseus Veil. Later games will reveal the geth in ''1'' were the Heretics, and this group was ''apologizing'' to the True Geth for their actions.

** Dr. Manuel, the crazy researcher you find on Eden Prime. When you listen to him the first time, it seems like he's just [[CloudCuckoolander spouting off nonsense]]. Then you go back through a second time and you [[MadOracle realize that]] ''[[MadOracle he was right]]''.

** In an early sidequest in ''Mass Effect'', Signal Tracking, Shepard fights an AI that refuses to negotiate with organic life forms, saying it "understands organic life must always enslave or destroy synthetics." [[spoiler:This conflict ends up being the core of the overarching plot of the series.]]
** In one of Miranda's conversations aboard the ''Normandy'', she says that "I'm still human. I make mistakes. And when I do, the consequences are severe." In the suicide mission, [[spoiler:Miranda says she can maintain the biotic shield as well as Samara, or any other biotic. She can't, and one your squadmates is killed if you choose her]].

* GenderNeutralWriting: Wholly averted, though not often; because most conversations are with Shepard, not about them, their gender isn't brought up much. But when the occasion arises the writers do not shy away from it. Most of the romances are gender-unique, and there are several other gender-unique scenes as well. For example, in [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 the second game]], there is a scene where a merc recruiter calls female Shepard a stripper. Bad idea.
--> '''Merc Recruiter:''' Well, aren't you sweet. You're in the wrong place, honey. Stripper's quarters are that way.\\
'''Shepard:''' (''takes out her gun'') Show me yours, tough guy. I bet mine's bigger.

** For the Asari, their society in general has a major problem with Arrogance. They are the galaxy's ProudScholarRace who take a lot of pride in their countless accomplishments and as a result their society has become [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent incredibly stagnant]] and rarely solve their own problems [[note]] Major wars break out regularly, but their wisdom & culture do ''nothing'' to actually stop them, and its usually another species that actually fixes the problem. Matriarch Aethyta mentions how her proposal to build Mass Relays led to her being laughed off of Thessia.[[/note]]. Their arrogance is best exemplified in the Third Game, when [[spoiler: the Reapers attack their homeworld. Not only are they completely overrun in a matter of days [[note]] Whereas the Humans and the Turians are able to hold out for months [[/note]], but its revealed that their species were secretly hording valuable Prothean technology from the rest of the galaxy, [[{{Main/Hypocrite}} an action that is highly illegal in the Citadel laws THEY largely created]], just to maintain an advantage. In doing so, they very nearly destroyed the only chance to save their species & the galaxy from the Reapers.]]

** For the Asari, their society in general has a major problem with Arrogance. They are the galaxy's ProudScholarRace who take a lot of pride in their countless accomplishments and as a result their society has become [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent incredibly stagnant]] and rarely solve their own problems [[note]] Major wars break out regularly, but their wisdom & culture do ''nothing'' to actually stop them, and its usually another species that actually fixes the problem. Matriarch Aethyta mentions how her proposal to build Mass Relays led to her being laughed off of Thessia.[[/note]]. Their arrogance is best exemplified in the Third Game, when [[spoiler: the Reapers attack their homeworld. Not only are they completely overrun in a matter of days [[note]] Whereas the Humans and the Turians are able to hold out for months [[/note]], but its revealed that their species were secretly hording valuable Prothean technology from the rest of the galaxy, [[{{Main/Hypocrite}} an action that is highly illegal in the Citadel laws THEY created]], and could have saved their species & the galaxy long before the Reapers arrived.]]

** For the Asari, their society in general has a major problem with Arrogance. They are the galaxy's ProudScholarRace who take a lot of pride in these accomplishments and as a result their society has become [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent incredibly stagnant]] [[note]] Major wars break out regularly, but their wisdom & culture do ''nothing'' to actually stop them, and its usually another species that actually fixes the problem. Matriarch Aethyta mentions how her proposal to build Mass Relays led to her being laughed off of Thessia.[[/note]]. Their arrogance is best exemplified in the Third Game, when [[spoiler: the Reapers attack their homeworld. Not only are they completely overrun in a matter of days [[note]] Whereas the Humans and the Turians are able to hold out for months [[/note]], but its revealed that their species were secretly hording valuable Prothean technology from the rest of the galaxy, [[Hypocrite an action that is highly illegal in the Citadel laws ''they'' created]].]]

** The geth show signs of being Space Muslims. They live in a place that used to belong to the quarians (Jews). [[spoiler: Feared and hated for a terrorist act that was committed by a minute strain of heretical geth, while the vast majority are peaceful, and really aren't as unlike the organic races (who tend to assume that geth have no use for anyone who isn't a cybernetic) as people think. Also, they get hassled by airport security. As Legion would like to remind you: "Geth do not ''intentionally'' infiltrate."]]

* EverythingFades

* GreenLanternRing: The omni-tool. Essentially, it's a portable computer which can hack locks, bank accounts, computers (including ones in enemy weapons and armor) and slaughter people by activating tech powers...
** They're also useful for playing computer games like Alliance Corsair.
** Also, in Mass Effect 3, it can ''stab'' people, despite being just 'light'. And can be electrified or set on fire.
*** ...and [[DeflectorShields kinetic barriers.]] That can shoot fire and ice.
*** The HardLight blade is justified by it not actually being the light that does the damage. The light just tells you where the transparent, nearly diamond-hard RazorFloss blade is.

** The codex and dialog make it clear that space combat in the setting averts most of usual the StandardStarshipScuffle tropes, especially ArbitraryMaximumRange. In cutscenes every space battle happens at ludicrously close ranges, so close the capital ships can't even bring their main guns to bear. In the first game this is a tactical choice by the attackers, but in later games there's no reason for it beyond looking cool.

* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: It's not very obvious, but turians are very similar to dinosaurs: raptors, to be exact, though they also share many similarities with birds. [[AllThereInTheManual Captain Anderson even mentions it in the novel]]. A sidequest in the third game involves finding an alien dinosaur fossil for salarians to clone dinosaurs from for krogan to ride as battle mounts.
** There's also that skull you find on one of the uncharted worlds where a geth patrol lured you into an ambush with a false distress beacon. Your armor's HUD can't identify it.