Mass Effect Cut Content

This article is about cut content in the first Mass Effect game. For its counterpart for Mass Effect 2, see Mass Effect 2 Cut Content.

Mass Effect went through a number of changes up until its release. Many missions, scenes and even chapters were vastly reworked, abridged, or cut, as evidenced by the presence of many leftover files in audio, text, and other forms. This page serves as a general guide with the purpose of linking to articles that contain further information on such content.

Most missions in the game have various amount of cut content associated with them; often, additional challenges or larger areas were abandoned before release. In addition, one of the game's main missions, Find Liara T'Soni, had the majority of its original plotline truncated, which included its own urban hub, dozens of characters, and several interlinked assignments. These plotlines, taking place on Caleston, have been reconstructed in detail and can be accessed below.

In regards to non-mandatory content, a trio of major assignments labeled internally as "Global Plots" were abandoned completely, but they are reconstructed here in varying detail thanks to internal file leftovers. An additional hub world known as Misery was also cut, though its overall significance remains unclear. Several post-release DLC's focused on Mars and Cerberus were also in development, but these were scrapped in favor of Bring Down the Sky (which is itself loosely based on a cut UNC mission) and Pinnacle Station (which is similar to the combat simulator once planned to appear on the Citadel).

Note: this page only contains brief summaries of a page's related cut content. Click on the link to each individual page to access its more detailed Cut Content section.

Eden Prime

• Prologue: Find the Beacon – the mission was at one point much longer. Commander Shepard had more interactions on the SSV Normandy before the briefing, and the path through Eden Prime would have contained many more obstacles and given opportunities to learn more regarding farming worlds.

Normandy

• Normandy workbench – the workbench was a cut mechanic that allowed the player to craft any type of gear (armors, weapons, omni-tools, bioamps and mods) using "salvage" (omni-gel). If you had at least 100 units of omni-gel, you could choose, through the dialogue wheel, which type and subtype of gear to craft. In Mass Effect 3, the workbench is featured but only allows to apply modifications to Shepard's weaponry.
• Joker could have had a lot more ambient voicelines in the cockpit.
• A crewman stationed in the garage, Ian Ferguson, could be interacted with.

Citadel

• A combat simulator was accessible in what is now C-Sec academy.
• Citadel: Doctor Michel – the blackmailer would have come to the clinic in person.
• Citadel: Garrus – Garrus Vakarian's introductory cutscene has alternative dialogue.
• Citadel: Scan the Keepers – Chorban was first found on the Presidium, not in the Tower.
• Citadel: Schells the Gambler – the introduction cutscene has unused voicelines.

Cut Assignments

• Citadel: A Friend of a Friend – assignment which involves assisting a doctor.
• Citadel: Aria – assignment which mainly consists of interactions with the eponymous character.
• Citadel: Cheaters Never Prosper – assignment centered around helping a cheater.
• Citadel: Oculon Syndicate – assignment about infiltrating the Citadel's criminal underworld.
• Citadel: Save My Sister – assignment involving two sisters working in bars.
• Citadel: The Good Doctor – assignment about delivering supplies.
• Citadel: The Hate Monger – assignment involving a dispute between a hanar and a security guard.
• Citadel: The Mugger – assignment consisting of dealing with a mugger.

Caleston/Therum

• Find Liara T'Soni – this mission originally took place on Caleston, and the search for Liara T'Soni started in the Throw Down mining station.

Cut Missions

• Caleston: Last Man Standing – mission about infiltrating and destroying Caleston's gangs.

Cut Assignments

• Caleston: Free Prostitutes – assignment to liberate Throw Down's sex workers.
• Caleston: Redemption – assignment where you'd help reunite two high-profile lovers.
• Caleston: Reactivate Production – assignment to perform repairs in the refinery.

Feros

• Feros: Geth Attack – there were additional objectives and obstacles in the defense of Zhu's Hope.
• Feros: The Thorian – Jeong could be persuaded to abandon Zhu's Hope and pay off the survivors.

Noveria

• Noveria: Geth Interest – a cut dialogue mentioned the valley transit system being closed.
• Noveria: Matriarch Benezia – many dialogues and additional objectives were cut.
• Noveria: Reactor Repair – repairing required additional interactions.

Virmire

• Virmire – Kaidan and Ashley could hold long conversations in Kirrahe's camp.
• Virmire: Assault – Droyas could be talked to, and both Kaidan and Ashley could be rescued safely.

Finale

• Ilos: Find the Conduit – the first section of Ilos included restoring power to the ancient complex.
• Race Against Time: Final Battle – Kirrahe could assist the player, Sovereign had one last conversation with Shepard, and Shepard and Anderson had a different reunion cutscene in which Pallin also appeared.

Other Assignments

• Pinnacle Station: Combat Missions – an early script shows different dialogues and scenarios.
• UNC: ExoGeni Facility – there are a number of unused voicelines.
• UNC: Listening Post Theta – an Investigate dialogue option was cut.
• UNC: Lost Module – the geth would have chased after the module before Shepard recovered it.
• UNC: Rogue VI – there are a number of unused voicelines.
• X57: Bring Down the Sky – this assignment existed in the base game as UNC: Bring Down the Sky, with many differences.

Cut Assignments

• Global Plot 1 – major assignment about chasing after biotic human test subjects.
• Global Plot 2 – assignment in which Shepard must deal with an AI threatening the galactic economy.
• Global Plot 3 – assignment taking place in a conflict between the hanar and the lystheni.
• Misery: Mapping the Uncharted Worlds – assignment about mapping planets.
• Misery: Tap Dance – assignment revolving around the recovery of incriminating evidence.
• Misery: The Lost Mechanic – assignment on deciding the fate of a missing person.
• Misery: The Trouble with Threshers – assignment about hunting thresher maws.
• UNC: Bring Down the Sky – previous version of X57: Bring Down the Sky, with major differences.
• UNC: Stunt Club – series of assignments consisting of finding markers on the surface of planets.

Cancelled DLC's

• Cerberus Brainchild – an investigation into Cerberus experiments which would have introduced the Illusive Man.
• Mars – an assignment about resolving an attack on a Prothean digsite on Mars.

Miscellaneous

• Mass Effect Cut Content/Soundtrack – a collection of unused music tracks found in the files.
• Vehicle modifications – it was planned at one point to be able to modify the M35 Mako, a feature that would eventually be integrated into Mass Effect: Andromeda for the ND1 Nomad. The following unused descriptions refer to Mako parts that could be customized:
  • Vehicle Minigun: All combat vehicles include a coaxially-mounted rapid-fire minigun for antipersonnel suppression.
  • Vehicle Cannon: The main cannon is primarily used against vehicles and other hard targets, though it has some anti-personnel utility.
  • Vehicle Shields: Vehicles fit kinetic barriers similar to those in infantry body armor.
  • Vehicle Plating: Most combat vehicles are designed with replaceable modular armor that eases repairs and modifications.
• Interrupts – a mechanic which was cut allowed the player to press a button to "interrupt" the other character. This mechanic can be seen in the X06 2006 trailer. Mass Effect 2 and other sequels have the Interrupt action, which is a much more contextual and consequential mechanic.
• Movie Mode – a feature that would eventually be included with Mass Effect 3, a menu option in the first game would have allowed the player to set how much agency they have in dialogues. "Normal Mode" was the default experience, while "Movie Mode" disabled player input entirely during conversations.
• Codex entries: three entries, Harvester, Grenades and Javelin, were removed from the game.
• Several weapon and armor manufacturers and their products were made inaccessible, some of which were fully implemented.
• Some achievements were made obsolete by being related to cut features or cancelled DLC's.
• Four "training skills" were cut, which gave stat bonuses.

See Also

• Mass Effect Cut Content/Miscellaneous Texts
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Altered Names
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Prologue Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Normandy and UNC Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Citadel Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Caleston: Last Man Standing: Infiltrate Gangs Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Caleston: Last Man Standing: Help Fred Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Caleston: Redemption Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Caleston: Reactivate Production Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Caleston Miscellaneous Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Feros Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Noveria Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Virmire Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Ilos and Ending Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Global Plot 1 Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Global Plot 3 Voicelines
• Mass Effect Cut Content/Pinnacle Station Voicelines