First time meeting Sovereign

My bad. Should have referenced Kett-to-Reaper poll instead.

Sorry!

That moment as well as that mission is when my obsession with the IP truly started

This. 

Was going to articulate my thoughts, but trout has pretty much spoken for me. 

Well said

I figured we'd end up talking to a Reaper at some point., so the convo wasn't a huge surprise.

I wasn't all that impressed with some of the dialogue. Too much vague bluster, and I got the impression that the writers had no idea what the Reapers were and why they were doing what they do. Regrettably, I was right.

I'm not saying that the scene was bad. Just that, like much of ME, you can see the holes if you look.

I don't know, I wish I could have put my finger on why the revelation comes off as so lackluster. Maybe it's because there was already so much drama or that there wasn't enough build-up? I have no idea, only thing I can remember was how corny the following exchange between Shepard and Sovereign went. Hard to take something that deigns to trash talk an organism that's the equivalent of a roach to it seriously.

Now Shepard's last stand against indoctrinated Alliance while the reaper artifact was speaking was far more chilling. Shepard was going to go down, it was just a matter of how long it was going to be before the Commander would be curb-stomped by the one that pulled the strings all along. It was perfect in capturing the feel of what all the extinct races that failed to beat the cycles must have gone through.

Was an interesting meeting at least. Setting up the bad guy and what they were like.

I always think back to my first time every time I reach it.

My mind really was blown. When it started speaking I was really impressed and awe-struck. I didn't understand how it could be ship but also a sentient being at the same time. What was Sovereign exactly (a giant woodlouse)? Where did a million year old machine come from? And why was it doing what it was doing?

I understand the "holes" in the scene, but it still gives me goosebumps. One of the best moments in the game.

Funny enough, I interpreted it to mean that the Reapers were borderline unknowable and possibly a mechanism for the universe to allow new growth.

It was fantastic. Terrifying. Shepard's threats really seemed puny in that scene, which fits the theme that we're just meaningless ants to be trampled on to Sovereign. "Your words are as empty as your future." Great. Most of all What a turning point.

Harbinger's dialogue at the end of Arrival was just so hugely disappointing after that.

My main problems with the Harbinger dialogue are:

- it's very short
- nothing meaningful is said, no revelation, no turning point, nothing
- his voice is not 10% as intimidating as Sovereign's
- Harbinger had lost my respect long before with his childish taunts on the battlefield. He seemed really obsessed with me, for Sovereign I was just a gnat.

I was intrigued by how a ship was possible to manipulate minds, and I did try to figure out how Saren was able to do it throughout the game. And then Sovereign spoke and I got a 'holy crap' moment. I totally agree with the people who consider it one of the best, if not the ultimate Mass Effect moment. Up until then, it was a pretty standard, albeit well-written, sci-fi game.

(For the record: My second holy crap moment was this pic of the citadel tower. Never realised the similarity till it was pointed out to me.)