The game I have chosen to create a character for is Mass Effect as I feel it has a very expansive and interesting universe in which I could create a convincing character that would live in this vivid universe.
Mass Effect is a series of science fiction action role-playing third person shooter video games developed by the Canadian company BioWare and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows, with the third installment also released on the Wii U. The trilogy largely revolves around a soldier by the name of Commander Shepard, whose mission is to save the galaxy from a race of powerful mechanical beings known as the Reapers and their agents, including antagonist Saren Arterius. The first game sees Shepard investigating Saren, whom he slowly comes to understand is operating under the guidance of Sovereign, a Reaper left behind in the Milky Way tens of thousands of years previous when the Reapers exterminated virtually all sentient organic life in the galaxy as part of a recurrent cycle of genocide of an unknown purpose. Sovereign is a vanguard whose purpose is to trigger the imminent return of the Reaper fleet hibernating in extra-galactic dark space, starting the process of extermination yet again. The second game takes place two years later, and sees Shepard battling the Collectors, an alien race abducting entire human colonies in a plan to help the Reapers return to the Milky Way. The final game of Shepard's trilogy centers on the final battle against the Reapers.
Mass Effect has 3 mercenary groups; The Blue Suns, Eclipse and The Blood Pack
The Blues Suns:
Founded by notorious Batarian slaver Solem Dal'serah, the Blue Suns began as a Skyllian Verge protection racket providing genuine protection from slavers and pirates. Eventually captured by the Systems Alliance Navy, Dal'serah beat almost two dozen charges to be convicted on a single count of conspiracy. The slaver benefited from the tutelage of cell mate and brilliant con artist Bernard "Legits" Ledger. Upon release five years later, Dal'serah incorporated Blue Suns as a legal security agency.
Today, the Blue Suns boast a galaxy-wide force of Batarians, Turians, Humans, and Krogan. Each deployment is backed by a logistics corps selling everything from heavy weapons to shaving cream. Despite claims that Blue Suns sells its captives as slaves, no Blue Suns employee has ever been convicted on such charges.
Many Blue Suns members sport the company logo in tattoo form, removed during assignments and reapplied at mission-end.
Eclipse:
Brainchild of Asari commando Jona Sederis, Eclipse was incorporated as a "proactive" security company. Influenced by Asari and Salarian military doctrine, Eclipse specializes in sabotage, assassination, and personal and organizational security. Although Citadel governments regard the corporation with suspicion, it's embraced in the Skyllian Verge and Terminus Systems.
Early on, Sederis sought government contracts to establish market share against the better-established Blue Suns. Her agency scored a galactic PR coup by retaking several space stations captured by the Anhur People's Liberation Army and neutralizing its leaders, a victory Eclipse's marketing department never ceases trumpeting.
Based on Omega Station, Eclipse controls nearly 20% of the asteroid's real estate. Its services range from mech repair to open warfare, although assassination is reserved for meeting wider, longer-term company goals (for instance, pre-emptive strikes against pirates rather than murdering spouses for insurance money). Despite numerous reports, Eclipse denies sabotaging or kidnapping business rivals.
The Blood Pack:
Originally a small Terminus Systems Vorcha gang, the Blood Pack was transformed into a legion by visionary Krogan Battlemaster Ganar Wrang. Exiled for striking a female in anger, Wrang obsessed over reclaiming his lost status.
Leading the Vorcha pack as a pirate crew, Wrang cultivated recruits and infamy for a decade before incorporating his fighters as a security company across the Skyllian Verge. His notoriety ensured his initial public offering for investors made him rich beyond most Krogan's dreams. Wrang returned triumphantly to his clan, rallying elders, Krogan hordes, and their firepower and biotic support toward professional violence in the Terminus Systems.
Banned from Citadel space, the Blood Pack bribes its way through spaceports into armed conflicts across the galaxy. Priding themselves for accepting otherwise untouchable contracts, the Blood Pack rejects bodyguarding and security in favor of cases requiring minimal oversight and maximal violence.
There are also organizations in Mass Effect some good, some corrupt such as Cerberus which is the most prominent one throughout the game:
Cerberus is a human-survivalist paramilitary group led by the enigmatic Illusive Man. Cerberus' core belief is that humans deserve a greater role in the galactic community, and that the Systems Alliance is too hamstrung by law and public opinion to stand up effectively to the other Citadel races. Cerberus supports the principle that any methods of advancing humanity's ascension are entirely justified, including illegal or dangerous experimentation, terrorist activities, sabotage and assassination. Cerberus operatives accept that these methods are brutal, but believe history will vindicate them. Nevertheless, both the Systems Alliance and the Citadel Council have declared Cerberus to be a terrorist organization and will prosecute identified Cerberus agents accordingly.
Cerberus employs assassins and hit-men to take down their enemies or to eliminate someone in their way such as the assassin Kai Leng:
Kai Leng is an assassin working for the human-survivalist organization Cerberus. Leng was formerly a lieutenant and N7 marine in the Systems Alliance known for having anti-alien attitudes. He is described as being Earth-born with features that show his dominant Chinese heritage.
While little is known about Kai Leng's early life, Alliance records show that he enlisted in the Alliance Military on November 14, 2172 at the age of 16, although his credentials were faked at the time. Leng's prowess in combat and xenophobic nature drew the attention of the Illusive Man, and Cerberus helped liberate Leng from prison after he was incarcerated for murder. The Illusive Man used Leng as his best wet-work operative and assassin for over a decade, realising he was not only ruthless but discreet and methodical. Leng became the Illusive Man's most trusted agent, working as an infiltrator and assassin. His cybernetic modifications appear to include Cerberus's Phantom-class implants.
This character will be the main influence for what I want to achieve as I want to create an assassin like character that could live within the Mass Effect universe. These iterations of Kai Leng are quite similar with the core look staying the same; very slim, agile looking character with obvious implants to help him fight (which also adds good gameplay elements for the character) not just for aesthetic purposes. I like how they implemented the colours of Cerberus in his uniform (black, white and yellow) which is something I will take into consideration when I develop my character if he is apart of an organization or group.
This is some of the weaponry used in Mass Effect which my character could utilize. there are many varieties of weapons with various colours, attachments and shapes, which I could tweak to suit the tone and feel of my character.
Reference:
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki
