We Need to Talk About Liam – Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Worst Character

I understand part of Mass Effect: Andromeda’s appeal is in its steamy character interactions but, for the love of Athame, Liam, put a shirt on.

It’s time to blow off some steam about Liam Kosta, the most grating and irksome person you’ll run into during your time in Mass Effect: Andromeda.

You see, for all intents and purposes, Liam seems like a really nice guy. But he’s also an asshole. Allow me to explain.

Spoilers for Mass Effect: Andromeda ahead.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, first. The man is obsessed with his own torso. Early on in the game, you’ll accidently walk in on Liam and Jaal checking out each other’s armor; both stripped down to the bare necessities.

It’s a bit of a weird encounter, but their nudity makes sense considering the context of the situation. And yet, following this interaction, Liam outright refuses to put his clothes back on, not just for the remainder of the scene, but for several future conversations on the Tempest after that. 

There’s literally one moment where you walk into the room and he’s topless while doing press-ups as if he didn’t expect anyone to come into this public part of the ship.

I have to put up with enough of this alpha male garbage in the real world, Liam, and I certainly don’t want to be dealing with it in a video game.

But Liam’s chiseled nips and biceps are not my only quibble, here. Au contraire, his personality makes me want to barf.

More from Opinion

• Baldur’s Gate 3 patch #5 introduces game-changing epilogue and modes
• Fallout TV series: A canonical odyssey into the post-apocalyptic universe
• Bethesda’s Starfield faces Steam criticism with developer responses
• Nacon’s Revolution 5 Pro for Playstation: Is it worth it?
• Embracer layoffs: A deep dive into the impact on the gaming industry

My main quarrel with Liam here is with regards to his inappropriate levels of optimism, which comes across as disingenuous more than anything. People die, awful events transpire, and danger lurks around every corner throughout your travels in Andromeda, but all Liam seems to care about is making bad jokes and whooping noises like the terrible human being that he is.

I have no idea if the Uncharted series exists in the Mass Effect universe, but I’m pretty sure that Liam has played it, and appears to spend every waking hour trying to be like Nathan Drake, cracking wise as the galaxy around him crumbles into depravity. I see through you, Liam, and it’s not working.

And then there’s his loyalty mission. As a romance-able character, Liam is more than happy to get it on with female Ryder (his idea of a romantic night is getting busy on his moldy couch), as you might imagine from the way he flaunts his mediocre six-pack like some sort of presumptuous peacock.

But to earn his trust? You have to plant outposts on at least three different planets in the solar system. If you haven’t realized from your Andromeda play-through yet, that’s going to take quite some time. Too much time, frankly, if all I get is your measly trust despite the fact that I’ve saved your life multiple times and given you a sense of purpose once again, Liam.

Other characters will award you their loyalty after politely asking for help with a small favor, but not Liam. The man values the price of his friendship far too highly, if you ask me.

In fact, other than his fetishistic penchant for toplessness, the guy barely has a personality. He’s so boring. Ask him about his backstory; I dare you. It’s basically along the lines of “something, something police force, something line of duty.” Ugh, give me a break.

Cora grew up with the Asari and wields immense biotic powers. Drack is a 1,400-year-old Krogan space pirate. Jaal is an enigmatic squid man with genitals for fingers. What do you have, Liam? Nothing.

You may feel like I’m being a bit harsh here, and maybe I am. Indeed, like Mass Effect: Andromeda itself, Liam’s character does improve over time. The problem is, he makes such a bad first impression during Andromeda‘s first ten hours, that you’re inclined to be annoyed by anything he does from thereon, no matter how much he redeems himself during the later half of the story. 

Next: 10 Worst BioWare Companions

Consider this; there is one point in which Liam tricks you into thinking you’re going on a date, only to place you in danger – without your knowledge – as a proxy for stealing some data from a local market. I beseech you, fellow Pathfinders; do not be charmed by his chiseled abdomen. Liam is just the worst.

The views expressed in this article explicitly belong to the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of, nor should be attributed to, App Trigger or FanSided as an organization.