Fans of the Mass Effect games have created many tributes to their favorite characters, including the genius Quarian mechanic Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. While Tali's intricate design can be an obstacle for fan-made creations, one determined Mass Effect: Legendary Edition fan has used LEGO to craft an incredibly game-accurate fan-made sculpture of her.
Redditor kylechamrick has constructed an intricate bust of Tali that portrays her in her Mass Effect 2 outfit, featuring a purple hood, part of her black undersuit, gold rings around her neck, and a transparent visor. The bust cuts off at the top of her shoulders, but it's clear who Tali is and which environmental suit she's wearing. The statue captures many details of Tali's complicated outfit, much like another Mass Effect fan's Tali cosplay.
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The bust was not made using an official branded LEGO kit, though it's entirely possible that Mass Effect fans would buy a LEGO kit to design similar character busts. Instead, kylechamrick pieced together the sculpture out of existing LEGO pieces, possibly using an inner endoskeleton with different colors from the ones used on the outside. That exterior consists of striking purple and grey flat LEGO pieces on Tali's hood, which takes up most of the statue's surface area, and some seemingly custom-made black pieces to hold that hood in place and go with Tali's breathing apparatus. The level of detail is similar to the highly realistic Garrus cosplay another fan celebrated their birthday in.
Most of the LEGO pieces used in this statue are large and flat, keeping most of the connective pieces inside and concealed. This clever technique is offset by the unsettling fact that the transparent curve used for Tali's visor can be peered through, revealing there is no face underneath. It's difficult to say how the bust was constructed without detailed instructions or a play-by-play tutorial process to consult, but it is clear that, like the fan who created detailed portraits of every Mass Effect companion, kylechamrick put a lot of work into this creation.
The bust was largely well-received by fans, though several reported feeling disappointed upon realizing the piece was a sculptural bust and did not show Tali's chest. As of writing, the general consensus appears to be that the LEGO statue is genuinely impressive, particularly the emergency induction port. One poster even stated that they need the instructions for this Tali bust in order to continue living. However, another poster claimed that a bust like this is relatively easy to construct, similar to another Redditor's quick but incredible Miranda Lawson cosplay.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.