Mass Effect 3 dev shows what it would look like if Shepard and the Illusive Man literally just kissed and made up

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The Mass Effect romance you didn't know you needed

Mass Effect 2
(Image credit: EA)

A Mass Effect developer has shared a very fun video, showing two unlikely characters sharing a kiss that was made when Mass Effect 3 finished production.

Ex-Bioware dev Violet McVinnie took to Twitter to share a video of a unique tradition she used to have at the developer when production on a game finished. McVinnie said she’d throw a video together of what the game would look like if the characters would 'kiss and make up.'

And that’s just what the video shows, too. In an animation made during the end of Mass Effect 3’s production, McVinnie put together the video of male Commander Shepard running through various funny scenes (including an uncalled-for body check on James Vega), to reach The Illusive Man where, with Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing blaring, the two characters share a rather impassioned kiss. 

Commander Shepard and the Illusive Man share a rather complex relationship in the games, with the latter bringing the series protagonist back to life in the second game, but them being opposed ideologically. With the inclusion of Reaper indoctrination, the relationship eventually flies off the rails and has them up against each other, but maybe all they ever needed was to share a heated moment of passion to work out their differences. The games were always known for their romance options, after all…

This kind of in-joke from developers is always fun to see and makes you wonder what other kinds of fun animations have been made for internal use only. One would have to imagine there is some real fun gold out there, hidden behind closed doors.

As for the future, Mass Effect 5 is being worked on by Bioware. There's some speculation that Commander Shepard could return somehow, but what we know for sure is that it’s a single-player game and it will feature fan-favorite Liara. However, it doesn’t seem like we should expect it any time too soon, so for now, you’ll have to get your fill by watching Commander Shepard and the Illusive Man making out. 

Looking for a dense narrative experience to hold you over before Mass Effect 5? Check out our list of the best RPGs.

Patrick Dane
Freelance writer

Patrick Dane is the former Guides Editor at TechRadar. He is now a freelance games journalist writing for sites and publications such as GamesRadar, Metro, IGN, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and the International Business Times, among others. He was also once the Managing Editor for Bleeding Cool.