The Mass Effect Legendary Edition released 14th May 2021, follows the same story and events that happened throughout the trilogy. The Legendary Edition remasters the trilogy from 2007 and brings it upto today’s standard. In addition to graphical improvements, Bioware has also made various changes, adjustments, and improvements to the trilogy.
Playing Mass Effect is a totally different experience from the game available today. You have to make a lot of important choices throughout the story in the trilogy and one such decision involves the faith of two characters from Mass Effect 1 — Kaidan and Ashley.
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Saving Kaidan or Ashley isn’t hard, but the game story pits you with a difficult choice of choosing either of one to save. That’s right, you can either save Kaidan or Ashley, not both, those who already played Mass Effect 1 previously might know this.
There isn’t any option to save both, while Bioware had intended to include a 3rd option to save both, it was scrapped before the release in 2007. That said, Bioware has again chosen to follow the original storyline and doesn’t offer the 3rd option to save both in the Legendary Editon.
How to save Kaidan or Ashley
Right after the completion of two of the first three plot worlds: Therum, Noveria, or Feros; you will acquire “The Virmire” mission.
The Virmire mission sequence is a major turning point in the Mass Effect series. Unlike other missions, you can’t leave the planet Virmire before completing the mission.
Upon landing, you will be forced to see Virmire’s mission chain to its very end, and on the way, you will end up losing a lot of allies including Kaidan or Ashley.
The mission starts with the drop-off on Virmire. From here you have to make your way to the Salarian Camp via 3 gatehouses. When you reach the camp, you will be greeted by a cutscene of Ashley and Kaidan arguing with the salarian captain, who introduces himself as Captain Kirrahe, 3rd Infiltration Regiment, STG.
Captain Kirrahe has a plan to infiltrate Saren’s base, but it involves high risk and a lot of luck. At this point, Kirrahe will form assault teams and ask you for a volunteer for one team. Here you will be put between Kaidan or Ashley on who will accompany Captain Kirrahe and who will go to the ‘bomb’ run with you.
When you are on the bomb run with the one you choose, the other will make a distress call asking for immediate assistance leaving one behind. A few instances later, Geth will start dropping all over the place and your team will have to arm the bomb sealing the fate of everyone.
Both Kaidan and Ashley will be in a dire situation where saving both will be impossible and you will have to make the hard choice of saving one of them.
The one you pick will remain in your team and journey with you through the series (all 3 games) and the other will perish with the bomb and permanently leave your squad for all three games.
Who to choose, Kaidan or Ashley?
From the point of the story, none of the two will affect the future events and plots in any way. The main differentiating point between Kaidan or Ashley is the combat abilities. Kaidan is a Biotics class while Ashley is a normal Soldier. Kaidan might prove useful later in the game as Biotics will be helpful later in the game.
As for Ashley, being a Soldier she is a master of arm with high firepower. Both the characters are well written and can be romanced later, but in this department, Ashley’s character is very well written and have tons of dialogues. So from the prospect of gameplay Kaidan might looks a better fit but from the point of romance, Ashley will fit more.
Pick whoever you want to pick, both will fit well perfectly in your squad and won’t become a burden later on in the series. Just remember that once the choice is done, the other character won’t be available throughout the series and will perish with their inventory.
