[Tali's loyalty mission took us to the Migrant fleet for the first time, gave us our first real look into quarrian culture and the possibility to sway opinion for or aginst a war with the geth. I'd say that's significant. Mordin's mission may also have very significant lasting repercussions. While the repercussions were strictly personal, Jack's mission served to remind the player just what kind of organization Cerberus is and just how many skeletons are lurking the the closet.
I enjoyed the Migrant fleet mission. I had always wanted to go there. I just love that girl and that was the mission that felt the most like I still playing the first Mass Effect. But it wasn't related with the story's plot of "Humans are disapearing". That's how the game was introduced in teaser and that's what the plot was. Will it all be linked...I'm sure they'll do something. ME2 was a big game but those loyalty missions were more about ME3 than ME2.
Granted the loyalty missions for Miranda, Thane's, Garrus and Samara didn't have much of a connection the the rest of the game plotwise, but they all served to advance their respective character arcs and deepen our understand of them. What did we get out of Jacob? His father was an arsehole. Whoopie.
I can sympathize with that though.
I had a similar father until...
With all the others you get a real sense that something in them has changed once they're "loyal."
Miranda: Didn't get that feeling. She still treated Jack badly ans she still had stick to be removed. I have this thing about people that treat the abused badly and she made that mistake too many times.
Jack: I think it actually did dedicate Jack to you yes. Jack was the character I most drawn and repelled by. Jack definitely needed to blow that place up. And it was weird because I didn't want to take her there because I though I would alienate Cerberus in the process. So I delayed.
Thane: I loved talking with him. His story was a mystery. I don't think I felt him any more loyalty to him than before he dedicated himself to me
Zaeed: He was an idiot but what do expect from a Mercenary. He's a hired gun I felt the loyaltay bit for him was ridiculous.
Mordin: I didn't get it. We rush there to save the day and don't save anyone.
Tali: Felt REAL, the death of her father made that so much more powerful. It definitely developed Tali just as well as she was in the first game.
Garrus: Seemed a bit on the superficial side. We need more anxiety on his part before hand to make the mission feel more like a release and I know they kept saying "you've changed" but I didn't see it much.
Grunt: The Rutting thing was exciting and it really felt like Grunt got things clear in his head. This makes believe that it's the actors pulling this off and not just the story itself.
Samara: extremely tanget. Most of the loyalty missions...(if not all ) are just to coincidental for my taste. This is one of them and its too often family related. While the mission was kewl and unique it felt forced. At least we were running and gunning through another loyalty mission again.
Kasumi: I thought her mission should have been the first mission we did instead of straight up combat...it would have been nice to string together a little intrigue between the illusive man and her bad guy. I didn't get the feeling she was more at ease...it was just another mission to me.
. Either a weight has been lifted, or a new sense of purpose and meaning is found or a new perspective is gained. With Jacob you never get that there's anything dogging him (besides being Miranda's ex) until he the moment he mentions the distress beacon.
And I understand that it was supposed to be out of the blue but it felt uh...boring.
For some reason I feel Jack's Tali's and Liara's mission were the most profound and potentially most important. The game should have ended on the Liar of the shadow broker. Jack blowing up the Cerberus installation should have come just before that leading to a break away from Cerberus and Kasumi's first with Jack's following.
Grunt would have been a necessary side mission like picking up Jack after payment. It would have been a shorter game but it also would have made a bit more sense and then you could pick up the other characters directly by payment...(the point of resource hunting) . There missions would have been there but there would be no loyalty factor....
