Save or Kill the Rachni Queen – Mass Effect
This was a decision that really challenged the player’s moral compass. When Shepard encounters the Rachni Queen, she claims that her children were being controlled by an unknown signal and did not mean to start a war nor desire to start another one anytime soon. She asks that Shepard free her from her cage, promising that she and her children will hide away and never bother the galaxy again.
The Rachni had terrorized the galaxy once before and forced the Turians and Salarians to use the Krogan as living weapons to stop them. The effect of this war left a lingering impression on the galaxy. It was the reason why the Krogan genophage was ultimately introduced, and why humans weren’t immediately welcomed when they first met the other species of the Milky Way.
Deciding whether or not to trust the Rachni Queen is a tough call. Up until that point, the horrific descriptions of the Rachni are entirely based on second-hand accounts. The consensus is that Rachni are a menace, but there’s no way to prove their actions weren’t coerced. One thing is for certain though, the Rachni Queen hardly encourages any feelings of sympathy. Her voice, a low guttural whisper, communicates through the minds of other species, sounding creepy and quintessentially villainous.
