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Mass Effect 2/Tropes G-M: Difference between revisions
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* [[Gameplay and Story Segregation]]:
** Combined with [[Cutscene Power to The Max]]. Samara is a [[Zen Survivor|battle-hardened]] asari nearly of [[Never Mess With Granny|matriarch age]] (as in the equivalent of Matriarch Benezia - one of the most powerful biotics known and a ''boss'' in [[Mass Effect 1]]), Jack can be proven her equal, Garrus is a [[One
** And, of course, heat clips. Everything about it, really. It can hold ten times the number of rounds in story.
*** The heat clips are an interesting case. The whole 'guns fire bullets the size of grains of sand and hold thousands of rounds' thing exists for no other reason than to avert this trope in the case of ''[[Mass Effect 1]]'''s different combat with overheat and cooldown. So when players complained and Bioware decided to go for a more contemporary combat in the sequel, they had no choice but to try and come up with [[Call a Hit Point A Smeerp|some excuse]] for why [[Sarcasm Mode|the need to reload is the latest advancement in weapons technology]].
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'''Joker:''' It's just mad that all of its footage looks like a dream sequence. }}
* [[Gay Option]]: Yeoman Kelly Chambers, although it's not as developed as the other romance options. It doesn't unlock the Paramour achievement, there's no romance scene, and apparently pursuing it doesn't count as cheating on any significant other from the first game (whose picture never gets turned face-down, at any rate). And there's another asari, but sleeping with her is [[Schmuck Bait|a]] [[Too Dumb to Live|very]] [[Idiot Ball|bad]] [[Press X to Die|idea]].
* [[Get Back Here Boss]]: {{spoiler|Tela Vasir}} in Lair of the Shadow Broker. And it is ''awesome'', in a masochistic sort of way. [[
** Though it is also quite awesome to pursue {{spoiler|her}} with your own Charge ability as a Vanguard. Especially once the shields and armors are down.
* [[Giant Space Flea From Nowhere]]: (In Liara's downloadable expansion) {{spoiler|The Shadow Broker's true identity, a yahg.}} Not a bad introduction for a new species, but since {{spoiler|the Shadow Broker has been around the canon since the first game}}, this can come off as a tad jarring. {{spoiler|The archive data does state that the yahg killed the old Shadow Broker and took his stuff the same way Liara does.}}
* [[Giving Someone the Pointer Finger]]: If {{spoiler|Legion}} is Shepard's second squadmate during Tali's loyalty mission, a few additional seconds of cutscene-footage are added where Admiral Korris does this to {{spoiler|Legion}} at the very beginning of the trial.
* [[Glass Cannon]]: The Hammerhead is nearly a [[One
** This also you when comparing ME 2 to ME 1. Removing virtually all defensive abilities but making putting up an offensive that much easier does that.
* [[A God Am I]]: Spoofed with a drugged volus who is convinced that he is a biotic god.
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* [[Gone Horribly Right]] / [[Gone Horribly Wrong]]: As a rule of thumb, Cerberus experiments never end well.
* [[Good Cop Bad Cop]]: When you and Thane are about to interrogate Elias Kelham in Thane's loyalty mission, you get the option of telling Thane which of these he should be (or just playing it by ear). Presumably, Shepard will then be the other, but you can jump off the rails, naturally, and have them ''both'' be "bad cop" or "good cop".
* [[Good Smoking, Evil Smoking]]: The Illusive Man smokes at least four a day. A batarian merc repairing a gunship lights up when spoken to. The smoke bothers Shepard, who can electrocute him and make the boss fight easier.
* [[Gray and Grey Morality]]: The decision to either {{spoiler|brainwash or kill the "heretic" geth}} at the end of {{spoiler|Legion's}} loyalty mission.
* [[Guest Star Party Member]]: Liara during Lair Of The Shadow Broker. She's treated as a full fledged party member (she replaces one of your companions, and has her own skill set along with Stasis as her loyalty power (which Shepard can learn as a bonus skill)), but ONLY during the DLC. Wilson in the intro level {{spoiler|and Kenson in the Arrival DLC}} qualify as well. Interestingly, they're both Engineers.
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* [[Happiness in Slavery]]: "Indentured servitude" on Illium, though the servants are usually treated right and the one slave broker you run into genuinely cares about the Quarian she's dealing with. One of the side quests deals with this, and a morally "right" decision isn't clear.
* [[Hard Mode Perks]]: The Geth Pulse Rifle, which you can only get by completing Tali's recruitment mission on Hardcore or Insanity. It pierces shields easier.
* [[Heel Face Brainwashing]]: {{spoiler|Legion's}} loyalty mission, where you have to decide on {{spoiler|whether to wipe out the heretic geth or use an indoctrination virus to force them to agree with the geth majority. Granted, the heretics were going to use it on the other geth to make them see their way, but it's a tough moral decision for most players that don't wanna just [[Kill
* [[Heel Face Turn]]: For certain values of Heel and Face. Paragon Shepard inspires Miranda to quit Cerberus and join him/her in blowing up the Collector Base.
* [[Henchmen Race]]: {{spoiler|The Collectors}}.
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* [[Hide Your Lesbians]]: Unfortunately, despite an already-present [[Discount Lesbians|sort-of]] [[Gay Option]] in the first game, and an initial promise from [[Bio Ware]] of additional options in the sequel, ''Mass Effect 2'' manages to obscure the possibility of homosexuality quite completely. Even though your relationship with Liara from the first game carries over (provided you romanced her), the closest the sequel comes to actually having a [[Gay Option]] is some light flirting with yeoman Kelly Chambers.
** Provided {{spoiler|you respond quickly enough to the crew being kidnapped and save Chambers from the Collectors}}, things can go a little further: after the endgame, you can choose to continue roaming the galaxy. If you've been chatting Kelly up throughout the game, you're able to invite her up to your quarters for a lap dance and a bit of a cuddle.
** There is actually a second, more [[Incredibly Lame Pun|fleshed-out]] [[Gay Option]]. [[Discount Lesbians|(Sort of.)]] On [[Warrior Monk|Samara's]] loyalty mission, you can choose to kill Samara and have her daughter [[The Vamp|Morinth]] take her place. The fact that you return from a mission with the woman you were supposed to kill is [[Hand Wave|hand-waved]] by explaining that Morinth can perfectly mimic Samara's speech patterns, actions, and powers. Morinth will then show an interest in mating with Shepard, but only after the [[Heroic Sacrifice|suicide mission]]. Assuming both characters survive said mission, the player is given the option to take Morinth up on her offer. Doing so will have three unfortunate side effects, however: first, you'll have to see her creepy sex face, second, you will ''die from ecstasy overload'', and third, [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|you still won't get the Paramour achievement.]]
* [[High Altitude Interrogation]]: During Thane's recruitment mission, Shepard happens upon a poor [[Faceless Goons|mook]], standing too close to a window, in a skyscraper. Shepard asks about Thane, threatening to throw the guy out the window. Subverted in that the mook doesn't have vital information necessary for you to continue the mission, and a Renegade Shepard knows it.
* [[Highly
* [[Hiroshima As a Unit of Measure]]: Used to drive home just how powerful dreadnoughts' main weapons are.
* [[Hoist By His Own Petard|Hoist By Their Own Petard]]: Shows up in {{spoiler|Legion's}} loyalty mission: {{spoiler|The Reaper-worshipping "heretic" geth have developed a virus intended to [[Brainwashed|brainwash the original geth into following the Reapers]]. You have the option of rewriting the virus and distributing it through the heretics' network, causing them to return to the original geth.}}
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* [[Hover Tank]]: The M-44 Hammerhead.
* [[Huge Holographic Head]]: Donovan Hock is apparently fond of this mode of communication, and [[Large Ham|acts appropriately]].
* [[Humans Are Special]]: Subverted. The Reapers have taken a ''special'' interest in humans [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|thanks to Shepard]], whose actions made them... ''interested'' in human DNA, in much the same way {{spoiler|the Prothians did fifty thousand years ago.}}
** Played straight in several conversations with Mordin, who explains that one of the things that sets humans apart from other sentient races in the galaxy is their large genetic diversity.
{{quote| '''Mordin:''' Biotic abilities, intelligence levels. Can look at random asari, krogan, make reasonable guess. Humans too variable to judge.}}
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** [[Good Is Not Dumb]]: There's also a Paragon solution that likely deals with Elnora just as well.
* [[Infant Immortality]]: Averted hard. Not explicit but a good bit of [[Fridge Horror]]. In a letter that is sent to you by one of the survivors of the Horizon attack it is mentioned children were abducted as well as adults. Given what happened to the other colonists they are either dead {{spoiler|or processed into grey Reaper goo.}} The latter is terrifying when it happens to adults but the thought of it happening to children is a whole 'nother level of depravity.
* [[Infinity
* [[Insistent Terminology]]: They're not slaves, they're indentured servants!
* [[Instant Win Condition]]: Some battles simply require you to kill one enemy. None of the others matter, and since you don't get exp for killing things this time around, there's no reason to.
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* [[Intimidating Revenue Service]]: One of the things Shepard has to do upon returning to the Citadel is go through the intergalactic IRS. S/he opts instead to fudge the system, because even Spectres can't make the IRS any less painful.
{{quote| '''Bailey:''' Spending a year dead is a popular tax dodge.}}
* [[Intrigued By Humanity]]: The Reapers are now ''very'' interested in Humanity, [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|due to Shepard]] [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|defeating Sovereign.]]
* [[Inventor of the Mundane]]: If you ask EDI where Cerberus gets funding from, Joker says that the Illusive Man invented the paper clip. EDI helpfully clarifies, "That is a joke."
* [[Ironic Name]] (with a twist of [[Genius Bonus]]): Cerberus. In greek mythology, Kerberos was the guardian hound of Hades. His job was to keep the dead in their place.
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* [[It Got Worse]]: The ending shows {{spoiler|the Reapers mobilizing to attack. What's more, every single one of those giant mech ships has a personal vendetta against you. Specifically.}}
* [[It Has Been an Honor]]: A minor instance. Appears in a note left by the security chief of the Hahne-Kedar production facility in a sidequest.
* [[
* [[
** The Reaper's facade of claiming indifference towards Shepard's actions begins to slip in "''Arrival''".
{{quote| '''Harbinger''': Shepard, you have become ''[[Understatement|an annoyance]]''.}}
* [[
{{quote| '''Shepard:''' I prefer obscure music.<br />
'''Morinth:''' How obscure?<br />
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** He is popularly referred to as "Friend-Zone Turian" on the internet.
* [[Kangaroo Court]]: The Admiralty Board of the Migrant Fleet, at least in the case of Tali's trial. Nonetheless, Shepard can get her off the hook in multiple ways.
* [[Killed Mid
** Often with a [[Bond One
* [[Kill All Humans]]: The Reapers' goal, along with the other sentient races. Humanity, however, is top of their list owing to Shepard's actions and {{spoiler|their decision to use humans for the next generation of Reapers.}}
* [[Kill
* [[Kill Him Already]]: Shepard and various party members can skip the angst and just get on with at several points. Or they can play the angst straight too.
* [[Kill It With Fire]]: Incendiary ammo is useful for taking down armor and enemies that regenerate health, mainly krogan. Incendiary grenades and the Incinerate power are also available.
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* [[Landfill Beyond the Stars]]: A justified case, since space travel really is pretty cheap, and the planet (Korlus) is only for spaceships that broke down in the vicinity of a mass relay in the first place.
* [[Large Ham Title]]: Fortack THE LORD HIGH RESEARCHER!
* [[Leaning On the Fourth Wall]]: An invocation of this trope occurs during one of Shepard's initial conversations with Miranda on the ''Normandy''. Their talk seems simple enough at first, but then Shepard remarks on how Miranda was "[[Fan Service|designed to be ]][[Form
** If Shepard is not involved romantically, Mordin gives the following response to constant asking about him. Quite [[Lampshade Hanging|aware of how romance subplot begins:]]
{{quote| '''Mordin:''' Different species react differently to stress. Aware you have come by a great deal. Have had other species become attracted to me before. Awkward. Not interested.<br />
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* [[Leeroy Jenkins]]: {{spoiler|Prazza's}} squad during the Freedom's Progress mission. {{spoiler|They completely ignore orders and charge into the middle of the colony, only to get massacred by a [[Mecha Mooks|big honkin' YMIR mech]] for their troubles.}}
** There's also the young merc wannabe on Omega who tries to join the group taking on Archangel - he even [[Call Back|looks and sounds quite similar to Jenkins]]. Unless Shepard prevents him from signing up, he vaults over the wall and [[Improbable Aiming Skills|instantly]] gets [[Boom Headshot|one between the eyes]].
** What about [[One
{{quote| '''Shepard:''' (dully) Charge.}}
* [[Lethally Expensive]]: Shepard recruits Tali after rescuing her from an important surveying mission gone south. Tali's entire squad (aside from herself and possibly one other soldier) is lost getting the data, which concerns a star destabilizing much faster than it ought to be.
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** Legion's loyalty mission: A House Divided (Luke 11:17)
** Legion's name: "My name is Legion, for we are many." (Mark 5:9, also appears in Luke)
* [[Load
* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]: Assuming you have the "free" (with new purchase of the game) DLC, there are 11 possible party members and one [[Palette Swap]] ({{spoiler|Morinth replaces Samara if you decided to be an evil bastard in the latter's loyalty mission}}). And that's not even counting Kasumi Goto, the (temporary) reappearance of ''[[Mass Effect 1]]'' squad members, guest party members such as the quarian marine from Tali's recruitment mission, or the numerous recurring NPCs, both good and bad.
* [[Loads and Loads of Loading]]: Due to the massive player complaints about the first game, the second one no longer tries to disguise its loading behind implausibly slow elevators, but uses obvious loading screens with stylized animations of the transition taking place (airlock, shuttle ride, etc). This would be fine, except the game will wait until the video is finished to start play, regardless of actual loading, and loads tend to be quicker than the video on a PC (Replacing the video with a short one is possible to avoid this).
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** Garrus, in an odd sense. If you never recruited him in the first game, you can't romance him.
** Speaking of romance, ''every'' new romance option in this game is only available ''in'' this game. It will carry over to ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'' if you start it here, but if you didn't, you can't start a new one with them later.
* [[Low Culture, High Tech]]: The krogan uplift.
* [[Ludicrous Gibs]]: Try shooting a flamethrower-toting enemy's fuel tank. Or Overloading it.
** Also try to finish off Ymir mechs with a headshot. [[Made of Explodium|KABOOM.]]
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** Tali if you romance her.
* [[Mugging the Monster]]: Samara's loyalty mission features a turian named Meln in the VIP area of a nightclub who will crassly proposition [[Fan Nickname|FemShep]] if she intervenes to keep him from sexually harassing (and possibly assaulting) an [[Blue Skinned Space Babe|asari]] dancer. Cue Meln being punched, then thrown in the general direction of the door. And if Shepard is wearing a certain [[Downloadable Content|DLC]] outfit, then this is done by a woman in high heels and a [[Little Black Dress|little black dress]].
* [[Multiple Endings]]: Four different endings depending on the decisions you made in the [[Suicide Mission]]. {{spoiler|If Shepard destroys the Collector hideout, the Illusive Man chews him/her out for destroying a valuable piece of technology, with Shepard [[Shut UP, Hannibal|responding in kind]]. If Shepard preserves the hideout, the Illusive Man praises him/her instead. In either case, if Shepard dies, Joker takes Shepard's place in the conversation with the Illusive Man. The ending also has minor variations depending on which party members lived or died during the mission.}}
* [[Mundane Utility]]: In one of the last Firewalker missions, Shepard discovers a gigantic Prothean sphere that can alter its size, emit energy, and transmit massive amounts of encoded data. S/he keeps it on his/her table as an ornament. It makes cool noises when you poke it.
* [[My God, What Have I Done?]]: One of the admirals on the board during Tali's trial is a geth apologist, a minority philosophical movement that thinks the quarians should leave their old homeworld to the geth and find a new place to call their own. Why? Because objectively speaking, the entire conflict is the quarians' fault to begin with: when the geth looked to be on the verge of becoming intelligent enough to rebel, the quarians tried to destroy them before it could become an issue -- only to discover that they were already smart enough, they just weren't interested in rebelling. The geth then said "Fuck this noise" and kicked the quarians out of the planet like you'd kick out a small but irritating hobo<ref>That's right. The quarians have exactly the same backstory as [[The Matrix]]</ref>.
* [[Mythology Gag]]: You can edit what Shepard wears while on board the Normandy. One of these outfits--black pants and a pale brown leather vest--is a direct callback to Canderous Ordo's default outfit in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]''.
** A statue of a [[Dragon Age]] Ogre can be seen in Kasumi's loyalty mission.
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