Almost 20 Years Later, I Still Think This Mass Effect 2 Missions Is Flawless

Mass Effect 2 benefited from a massive scope, befitting a game that would take you across the galaxy. As opposed to the more straightforward first game or the more directed war effort of Mass Effect 3, the often character-driven missions of Mass Effect 2 were a natural way to expand the setting and endear the cast of side characters to the player before they lead them on a potential suicide mission. Some of these missions remain highlights of the entire series, such as teaming up with Garrus to get revenge for his fallen comrades or helping Miranda save her younger sister from their manipulative father.

Almost all those missions in Mass Effect 2 are great, but I’ll die on the hill that the best side mission in the nearly twenty-year-old game — and action RPGs period — is the mission surrounding Thane. The serene assassin was clearly a favorite for BioWare, with the character even making an appearance on the cover art for the game. However, what made Thane so memorable as a character was the way he subverted expectations, with his bittersweet loyalty mission speaking not just to his personal arc but to the overall moral quandaries of the game as a whole.

Thane’s Loyalty Mission Was All About Helping An Assassin Save A Life

Thane is far from the first squadmate that Shepard recruits in Mass Effect 2, but the assassin’s skill set quickly makes him an ideal ally for the player’s black-ops missions. Throughout his interactions with Shepard, Thane proves to be a restrained, quiet, and thoughtful figure. He’s quietly religious, with a clear sense of morality that contrasts with his chosen position as a hired gun. He’s also terminally ill, prompting him to increasingly reflect on his actions and regret the arc of his life.

This comes to a head in Thane’s loyalty mission, “Sins of the Father.” Thane reveals to the player that his estranged son, Kolyat, has become an assassin. Determined to keep Kolyat from making the same mistakes that he did, Thane recruits Shepard to help him prevent Kolyat’s mission. This is one of the handful of loyalty missions in the game that doesn’t have a single bit of active violence and instead depends on the player’s choices and ability to charm or interrogate people.

Eventually, players will find Kolyat on a mission to assassinate a Turian politician who is riding a wave of anti-human sentiment to political office. While the exact fallout of the event will depend on the player’s choices (whether Kolyat is able to follow through on his assignment or Shepard is able to give Thane a chance to get through to his son), the mission’s focus on character and story above action and lore is what makes it so compelling.

Thane’s Mission Highlights Exactly What Made Mass Effect So Special

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best action RPGs of all time, in large part due to the expansive and vivid cast of characters that players work with. Their various loyalty missions have an in-game reason — unlocking newfound perks for the characters — but they also go a long way towards making each character feel like a real person. While all the missions are solid, it’s the non-combat storylines that are the most compelling from an emotional perspective. Garrus and Samara have similar storylines, both of which also confront the guilt of the ally and Shepard’s efforts to help them overcome it.

However, Thane’s stands out for the way it blends some quietly complex moral questions into the circumstance. Thane’s dynamic with Kolyat is loving but distant, with the young man furious that his father had only just now seemingly expressed an interest in him. It’s a clear and relatable family dynamic that is amplified by the sci-fi setting and dramatic elements, something Mass Effect does well across the board. Another element of the mission that makes it so effective, from both the perspective of a player going through the game as a Paragon or a Renegade, is the way it muddies the waters by making the criminals sympathetic and the target for assassination — a xenophobic alien politician — a frustrating figure to save. In fact, a renegade approach can even see Shepard kill the politician himself.

However, at the core of the story (and especially the Paragon route) is a chance for Thane to be open with his son about his regrets and reflect on the cycle of violence. This is a strong reflection of the series’ overall approach to questions about destiny and fate, especially when it comes to the inevitable nature of violent change represented by the Reapers. An overarching theme in the narrative of the trilogy was rooted in questions about the mortal cost of our actions, with Thane’s story bringing that element to the forefront. It’s even quietly a great way the game foreshadows two of the eventual endings of the trilogy, which sees Shepard end the conflict once and for all.

Thane’s mission isn’t challenging from a gameplay perspective, as the toughest moments are either dialogue-centric or based on following the politician from afar without losing him. That emotional core in the mission is what makes it special, a simple morality play that highlights the character depth BioWare afforded to the cast. Thane’s discussion with his son about faith and morality has stuck with me for nearly two decades, and it remains one of my favorite side missions in any RPG, let alone Mass Effect 2.