Mass Effect 3is filled with hidden secrets, unexpected connections, and easter eggs, some of which are far darker than others. One fan just connected the dots between Jeff “Joker” Moreau, pilot of the Normandy, and a deeply disturbed Asari introduced inMass Effect 3to create an unsettling picture.
In the game, players can encounter an Asari huntress called Aeian T’Goni being treated for PTSD at Huerta Memorial Hospital in 2186. Speaking with her will reveal that she was sent to Tiptree to help with the human evacuation and took refuge at a farm, only for her second-in-command to be converted into a Banshee and slaughter the farmers. Aeian managed to save a young girl named Hilary, but extraction never came, and they were forced to venture back into the overrun farm to radio for help. In the process, Hilary’s leg was broken and Aeian was forced to kill her to stop her cries from giving away their position, a decision that may notcost players theMass Effect 3good endingbut is certainly horrifying.
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This story may not seem like it has much to do with Joker, but conversations with him in-game will reveal that he is from Tiptree and has a younger sister named Hilary who is missing throughout the game. Redditor alien_pl saw the connection and immediately began to draw other fans' attention to what had happened. Players also made a recentdiscovery about Anderson inMass Effect 3which is a bit less grim.
Many fans were surprised and saddened to see the connection, but others already knew from conducting their own research during playthroughs. It didn’t take long for the full story to come out, including the details that Aeian will ask Shepard for permission to carry a gun–as she didn’t have one when her second-in-command turned–and if given permission, she will commit suicide, costing War Assets. While opinions on whether or not Shepard should give her the gun appear divided, there is an option to refuse and allow her to simply continue her therapy. This level of nuance and hidden detail is part of what makes theMass Effect Trilogyone of the best video game trilogiesout there.
Writer Patrick Weekes has confirmed that the Hilary Aeian killed was indeed Joker’s sister in a Twitter conversation, though the original game leaves a bit of ambiguity. This little tragedy may not be on the same galaxy-ending scale as the war that dominates most of theMass Effect 3, but judging by the way users discuss it, it still packs quite the punch.Mass Effecthas its share of horrifying glitches, but the games' story can be equally horrifying, especially when it touches on the scars of war.
Mass Effect: Legendary Editionis available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
