In the multi-award winning game and beautiful narrative that is Mass Effect, you play as Commander Shepard- an all-around badass human being in a hypothetical future, where we have travelled the galaxy and encountered life elsewhere- and we’re the new kids on the block. It’s a fascinating place, full of thought-provoking moral ambiguity and philosophical dilemmas.

After the events of the original game, Commander Shepard is killed in an ambush by a mysterious alien species called the Collectors. Shepard is revived two years after the attack by a pro-human extremist organization called Cerberus, and is tasked with finding out more about the Collectors and why they are abducting entire human colonies. Shepard must recruit and gain the loyalty of a diverse team in order to accomplish what seems to be a suicide mission.

The game is beautifully complex and dynamic. You have the freedom to develop Shephard however you please, both in terms of physical skills and disposition. You can choose to pursue the path of a Paragon- virtuous, just, upright and honourable, or a Renegade- militaristic, iron-fisted and brutal. As in real life, neither approach is perfect, and both allow you to achieve your goals in your own way.

I want to focus on one of my favourite features of the game- Loyalty missions. Every character you come in contact with has his or her own personal history, motives and agenda, and it is your role to artfully charm or intimidate them into doing your bidding and working with you (or for you, if you’re so inclined) for the greater good of all of the galaxy.

The main mission is urgent and important- but as you and your crew travel the galaxy, personal matters inevitably come into play- some crew members have unresolved business that they will (often subtly) voice out to you. As commander, you have a choice- you can tell them to put it out of their minds and focus on the mission, or you can take the time and trouble to help them resolve their issues.

In-game, it’s obvious that doing these loyalty missions is deeply rewarding- you get to explore more of the Mass Effect universe, and all your characters develop and grow along the way. You earn money, learn new skills, develop a better understanding of your situation, and most importantly- you earn the loyalty of the crew members that you take the trouble to help. You can choose to do it out of compassion as a Paragon or out of calculative politicking as a Renegade, it doesn’t matter. Either way, the choice to risk your own life, resources and the greater mission to earn the trust and respect of your crew members proves to be a sound one. Earning the loyalty of your crew members increases the survivability of all of the crew in the final “Suicide Mission”, and is incredibly fulfilling by itself.

In-game, it flows as a beautiful story- but if you sit down to think about it, there are profound philosophical implications to be distilled here.

From a purely individualistic perspective, it does not make sense for Shepard to risk his life, resources and mission to help his crew. But if you look at the team as a holistic unit, it makes perfect sense- the time and trouble you take to earn each crew member’s loyalty pays huge dividends. It’s emotionally fulfilling to play a role in the development of the crew members, who you will grow to love and cherish as compatriots that you will gladly lay your life down for.

A hero is socio-centric rather than ego-centric. He acts for the greater good of everyone rather than out of self-interest. Yet there is an elegant win-win situation that arises, if you pay careful attention- by risking his life to aid his crew members, Shepard earns their loyalty, and ultimately boosts the success rate of the final mission and the survivability of the entire crew- including himself.

This holds true in reality, too. No man is an island- we are all part of tribes, herds, teams, communes and groups greater than ourselves. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we have the opportunity to aid a peer, at our personal expense- be it in terms of time, money or even simply mental effort. The unenlightened individual might see this as a waste of time and a distraction- but the true hero realizes that such scenarios are opportunities to forge bonds, to invest in mutually beneficial relationships that will help him fulfill his greater mission.

If you like scientific explanations- the very existence of emotional bonds suggest that it is in the self-interest of the individual to give a shit about the well-being of others. Shepard’s circumstances are not new or unusual- they are as old as humanity itself. Our neurochemistry reward us when we empower others, presumably because empowering others enhances the survivability of the individual by enhancing the survivability of the tribe.

If you are to be a Hero, realise that you cannot be indifferent to the plight of others. The selfish/selfless dichotomy is a simplistic model based on the flawed notion that we can evaluate the welfare of individuals independently of their respective tribes. You do not have to choose between one or the other- seek instead to glorify and empower yourself by glorifying and empowering others.

Start by evaluating the relationships in your life. Realise and acknowledge that they define you. Pay attention to the needs of your peers, and ask yourself is there is any way that you can help them accomplish their goals. Ask them. Be of assistance. You will be rewarded handsomely for it. Some people do take advantage of others in a parasitic rather than symbiotic manner. Bear them no grudges or ill will. It is most probable that they are simply unaware of the nature of mutually beneficial relationships- it is their loss when they exploit and alienate people, not yours. Make an effort to reach out to everyone in your life. Some people will reciprocate, some will not. Reward the former, and distance yourself from the latter. Over time, you will build a powerful network of mutually beneficial relationships, and you will find yourself empowered, far beyond anything you could have possibly accomplished yourself.

You can indeed have it all.

For anybody that’s never played Mass Effect and can’t understand what the fuss’s about, here’s a great review that explains it.