Project Crucible

The atlas has been taken care of! Let's get the lady krogan out.

Back to the Normandy!

Remember that name, we'll be screaming it later.

I'm not totally sure why they went with crucible and not Project Asskicker or Project Fuck Up The Reapers. Would that not be rad, spending the game building the asskicker? Anyway, I looked it up on the wiki, and they had something really rad and smart which I'll copy/paste:

The classical definition of the word "crucible" is '"a severe test, as of patience or belief; a trial." or "a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures." Both definitions are fitting for the superweapon; it is both a test of galactic unity and a project which every race must pour its resources into.

From here, spoilers in that link.

Hackett goes on to say a bunch of stuff about how complex and yet how simple it is, which I'm assuming is code for "Bioware didn't really think about how this is going to work so just make up some technobabble," and then we're treated to a shot of Hackett watching them build the crucible.

We're then treated to a very Star Trek 1 scene where Hackett watches the crucible getting built.

Shepard mirrors the scene in the war room.

Hey, let's get to the conference room and see if we settled everything yet.

Wow, is there another character who could solve this for us?

... and krogan mythology didn't?

Sur'Kesh: So Close And Yet

I cannot believe I forgot to mention this! I totally forgot about the Prothean plasma rifle!

I think it's called a Prothean plasma rifle. Look, all I know is, it shoots green.

Give the plasma rifle to Garrus. Trust me. Garrus is batshit with the thing. He shoots everything on the screen, it is insane.

This is an accurate depiction of what Mass Effect 3 looks like when you play vanguard with Garrus handling the plasma rifle.

MSPIXEL: home of photorealism.

What the hell did that conversation even look like?

Hey! Yeah! You run into Captain Kirrahe! He doesn't do much else but wave, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention him.

Mass Effect: horniest game.

So anyway, life is easy. All Shepard has to do is release the pod, and it floats nicely over to the landing dock, where Wrex can land and get the lady krogan.

ARE Y'ALL STRAIGHT FUCKING WITH ME.

Okay, fine. Let's take care of the atlas.

Atlas management 101:

We can do that, sure, but we've got another option:

Charge can detonate overload! Do you know why?

Because charge is badass.

Mass Effect After Dark

When we step off the elevator, what do we see?

(He really says that. Sorry to kick you in the PTSD, there.)

Aww, damn, Mordin's been feeding Wrex information to cause a political upheaval! How sweet!

I'm not totally sure how this plays out if you didn't rip Mordin a new cloacha for the genophage in Mass Effect 2.

Mordin has something to show you.

... the lady krogan is all shrouded in shadows and shit so that you don't see her. ... I'm going to argue that, for the first and last time, I'm actually doing a better job of this than Bioware did.

I OUT ARTED SOMEONE. WRITE IT DOWN.

Quick, go talk to the salarian working the pod controls!

I love that Bioware's set up this whole renegade/paragon paradigm and, instead of making it good/bad, went ahead and gave us the most gleeful renegade anyone could imagine.

Mordin hops in the pod with the lady krogan. The level works like this: the pod will glide around the level. Shepard has to meet up with the pod, get rid of the baddies, and send the pod on its way. Shepard can't be slow about it, though, because the pod can't take too much damage and the lady krogan can't take too many bullets.

Shepard's able to step out into some sunlight to get a good look at the Sur'Kesh facility:

Ouch, that is a lot of fire.

The level is nuts. Shit explodes, scientists are taking shots, all to keep Cerberus from --

-- wait, what the hell, Cerberus? What the hell does Cerberus care about a genophage cure? Why would they take the lady krogan? They're not going to cure the genophage themselves. They couldn't have known what went on during the summit. Or if they did, wouldn't it be in Earth's best interest to get help from the krogans so they help the turians so they help humans? Taking the lady krogan has to be the dumbest idea --

They'll explain it very late in the game, but it will not make you think Cerberus is any smarter.

Anyway, let's take care of Cerberus in the usual way.

... shit, the next Shadow Broker!

Sur'Kesh: Let's Land!

YOU GUYSE

WREX IS BACK! AND HE'S IN THE SHUTTLE WITH US!

Wrex will of course converse with anyone you choose to bring in the shuttle, but he particularly likes talking to anyone who was in Mass Effect 1.

Such as.

Everyone who's seen this scene is just nodding, all like, "Yes, this is canon, this is what happens."

True story, when Bioware released the Mass Effect 3 demo, this was one of the demo stages. When nerds worldwide saw this cut scene, the Internet lit up with, "Who the hell is that driving the shuttle?"

Wrex just, like, straight jumps out of the shuttle.

You know, and salarians love krogans, and all of a sudden there's one jumping on them and firing pull and shit, and it is a giant mess.

Meet Padok Wiks, head of the STG at this facility!

I'm kind of being a shit, moving on.

(Ahem.)

So Padok Wiks goes off to do some salarian stuff. We can check in with Wrex if we want:

NEXT TIME: Hopefully an explanation!