Kai Leng

The only religious angle I see harkens back to in-game religion... The Asari. Especially Shiala's little speech about "one-ness" on Feros. I think Synthesis is the ultimate expression of this sort of big picture/homogenized universe, in Bioware's minds. It's why I'm often tempted to kill her. "Enough mystic crap!" I think everyone needs to get along on a more individual level and it takes work. And there's lots of failure inbetween --- and that's OK. I don't care for these grand solutions. It's why I'm a little put off even by Asari romance. There's no work in it, no honeymoon period, no long hours just getting to know and appreciate someone.. It's just getting from point A to B, in the most instant way possible.

I feel like I'm all over the place, but I feel like Synthesis is doing the same thing, with a bigger problem. It's all coming from the same mindset. Call it religious maybe. But I think they're all just the "ideal" thing in Bioware's minds. Perhaps the tech/organic cyberpunk-ish angle is something worth promoting, but this is too hokey for my tastes. So I can see if you want to remove it from that.

Went way off topic with my above post.

Kai Leng would be better if he used a pistol or assault weapon instead of his sword

That's definitely one aspect. But I think there's the other strain.. that's pro human, but not in the destructive ways like Cerberus.

I view them both as "Ascension", one with the Destiny Ascension, one with the Ascension Project.. serving as sort of symbols. The latter was just as big of a theme, especially in the books.

Lastly, Javik made a point to show the flaws of unity.. and how our separate but binding relations are what gives us a bonus over his people. He also pointed out the Asari as the frauds that they really are. And in the end, I think Liara is actually a controller (Paragon Control) symbol than Synthesis. She loves being the Shadow Broker. Same with the Council. Same with Aria (but Renegade here). Not sure about her mother.

Meh, that's secondary.

Kai Leng would have been better if he had been portrayed as a thinking individual with an agenda and a personality of his own, rather than just TIM's errand boy.

Given the way kinetic barriers work, I can understand the value of a blade.  Though why he gets a sword and Shepard gets a lightsaber-switchblade I'll never understand.

Having some sort of ranged weapon for combat would makes sense.  But the greater tragedy is the criminal underuse of troy Baker's talents

Sigh.. it's only an underuse of talent because of the rewrite. They intended much more.

This is one of the clear issues that I lay all on EA's heads. Not Bioware.

Sorry for the super-late reply

Sorry, I wasn't trying to imply you didn't understand how barriers worked, I was just explaining my thoughts about it (slightly too excitedly, after not talking about these things for years ). And there, gameplay/story segregation strikes again It's true that Leng's fighting style and equipment isn't really conducive to the situations he finds himself in in ME3 and he should have been curb-stomped much sooner had the good guys actually acted how they should have in combat. He doesn't act like the assassin he's supposed to be. Hmm, it's been so long I actually don't remember if he used the palm-blasters... I know he could since the (other) Phantoms do. Maybe he stupidly threatened the salarian councilor with them without shooting before Thane interrupted him to show him how to really threaten someone without shooting them? I mean, 2 assassins in 1 scene who hesitate for ages? Can't remember.

*Gasps* You know, I don't remember him explicitly using biotics now that you mention it. It has been a while, but... wow. Somehow I never clued-in!

Aww, haha. I'm not really one for social interaction either. Well, I am with friends, but not randoms in MP. You don't actually need to interact though, you can mute everyone and not talk. Still, I understand where you're coming from because my girlfriend doesn't even like that. We're both shy What platform are you on, out of curiosity? I loved ME3MP, but haven't played in ages.

And I agree to agree on the last paragraph

Yep, that would have been a lot better than what we got. Destroy, always.


I always thought the end itself didn't need to have choices, just everything leading up to it. It's the culmination of our choices - or should have been - like the Suicide Mission. Prepare properly, do better. Don't prepare/prepare badly, fail.

Oh, and if they did that, we wouldn't have to go to an entirely different galaxy to continue the series. There is/was still so much to explore in the Milky Way, both physically and thematically. Oh well.

See, that's exactly why I not only don't like synthesis, I think it's flat out morally wrong. I agree with some of StrayKat's points about it as well (individuals working to overcome differences etc.), but the main reason is because it is a violation of all life (even plants [And Joker's Hat!]) on a fundamental level, and I don't say that lightly. Shepard didn't send out a form to every living entity in the galaxy asking if they wanted to be synthesized or not. It's as simple as that. Regardless of what it even does, regardless of making sense - it's one of the most repulsive ideas I've encountered in fiction.

I have this fun little memory of my final fight with Kai Leng. He was half health and started charging at my Shepard. In my imagination it was this epic final encounter between him and Shepard. He got close and wanted to use his sword but then BOOM HEADSHOT. His body just swished to the right. I looked to the left and saw Garrus with his black widow looking smug.

Ha, thanks

Hmm, yeah, I can't specifically remember him using them offensively either. Kind of odd it lists Electric Slash as an ability though since it was added in MP in DLC and seems different from anything Leng used... Oh well. Right, that's true. It always bugs me when characters use cool tech that our protagonist can't even when they could have access to it That bubble certainly does look like tech, what with the hexagons and everything (and I think they reused it later for the volus in MP ), but that second shot definitely looks like the biotic auras you see whenever powers are used. So I'm confused again

That's a good point, that may have been it. Haha, yup, looking cool is always a priority

Another shy person on the internet? Can't be Yeah, that makes sense, I'm not good at interacting with people I don't know either. Thanks

Ah, nice. I got a cheap PC copy to take screenshots and videos, but I played primarily on Xbox 360. I wish your unlocks carried over between platforms, but oh well.

It's sad that I only like talking about what Kai Leng could have been.


I could care less what he actually is. Thessia is so dumb it's barely worth thinking about. But knowing that it was intended as Virmire 2.0 is what bugs me.

The problem with Kai Leng is that he feels way too gamey. Sure ME3 is a videogame, but its focus is on storytelling, characters and immersion. Leng just does'nt fit in.

The only good part of Kai Leng:

I wouldn't say it's *good* but satisfying. The only reason he exsists is to be a punching bag for the player.