There were video games that tried to attempt full on character relationships prior, but Mass Effect really did something pretty special with them when it released back in 2007. One of the major aspects of Mass Effect is the ability to make your own choices that shape certain outcomes in the game. This also includes picking out which if any characters you would like to romance, which starts fairly small in the first game. With the release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, figuring out which character you can and want to romance is a big part and this guide will tell you just who you can select between in the first Mass Effect.
Who Can You Romance?
The first Mass Effect offers players three romance options total, though both Male and Female Commander Shepard each have two, with one shared between them. We will discuss who the three are and which version of Commander Shepard you will need to be to romance them.
Ashley Williams is the first option that you can choose from, who is a female human soldier that can be romanced by Male Shepard only in the first Mass Effect. Kaiden Alenko, a male human soldier, serves as the counterpart that you can only romance as Female Shepard, at least in the first game as well.
If you do not want to be spoiled, I would skip to the next paragraph now, but there is a moment later in the game that can really impact these two relationships. You have to make a decision that will make you choose between the two, so you may want to pick the one you want to have a relationship with. The interesting thing here is that Kaiden actually becomes an option for Male Shepard to romance in Mass Effect 3 too, so you can play the long game there even though it’s not possible in the first.
The third romantic option in Mass Effect is available to both Male and Female Shepard, which is Liara. This female Asari is a fan favorite for a lot of reasons and is an option regardless of which Shepard you are playing as in the game. Like Ashley and Kaiden, Liara’s relationship can be carried forward, though mostly in Mass Effect 3 after a short appearance in Mass Effect 2.
