Son 1

Chloe Son

Professor Douglas Moody

WGSS7.01

June 6, 2018

Examining Gender and Cross-Species Romance in Mass Effect 2

I. Introduction

The title Mass Effect 2 is well-known across the gaming community. Developed by the studio Bioware in 2010, the role-playing video game has established itself as one of the most ambitious and well-executed game projects of its time. Not only was the game a commercial success, but its 9.5 rating from IGN, 94 Metascore indicating

“universal acclaim”, and “overwhelming positive” mass of reviews on the gaming distribution platform Steam validate its critical acclamation, as well. The game itself is a narrative-heavy space saga, one that comfortably nestles in the intersection between science fiction and first-person action shooter. In the fictional world of Mass Effect 2, humanity has made their first contact with extraterrestrial life, a discovery that subsequently tore the remaining obscurity away from all the other hidden, intellectual lifeforms residing in deeper pockets of the universe. However, though the scope of the game spans across fictional galaxies, the true purpose of the game is revealed in how it reflects modern society.

In the universe of Mass Effect 2, diversity in race is not fragmented by the conventional signifiers like skin or hair color. Instead, in the larger picture of the Son 2 universe, a black human male and a white human female are much more likely to feel mutual familiarity with each other as opposed to with a sentient, floating blob of pink membrane like the Hanar race. The visual and cultural discrepancy between races is so large that differences within one single race are easily overshadowed. Thus, this essay is interested in how Mass Effect 2 explores the concept of the alien “other” through its representation of its galactic races. By extension, the essay will then delve into the romantic relationships that may be developed across species and how such cross- species encounters stray from the heterosexual norms constructed in modern society.

II. Aliens and Cross-Species Romance in Other Texts

Interracial love and alien sex is not an unfamiliar topic within the realm of the science fiction genre by any means. After all, science fiction has always characteristically been “filled with ‘unfamiliar’ and ‘unknown’ bodies” (Hampton 15). A notable example is featured in science fiction author Octavia E. Butler’s short story

“Bloodchild,” which focuses on the symbiotic relationship between an alien and a human boy. In “Bloodchild,” the humans receive security from the T’lic in exchange for bearing the T’lic’s offspring through the surgical procedure of cutting open stomachs, implanting the baby grubs, and sewing the human wombs back up. As the impregnation process can be a painful one, the relationship requires a high degree of trust despite insurmountable physical differences and inevitable fear of the other. Another example manifests in the award-winning television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The show includes an episode named “The Host” in which the female human Dr. Crusher is forced to come to terms with her own limitations in tolerance as her romantic relationship deepens with an alien named Odan (Roddenberry n.p.). While “Bloodchild” Son 3 ultimately ended in acceptance of the other, “The Host” results in the collapse of a couple because Dr. Crusher’s could not adapt to the drastic changes that a cross- species relationship demands. Crusher cited “humans’ essential heterosexuality” as the obstruction from what could have been a long-term relationship with Odan, admitting that this sexual norm “limits the mobility of their desire” (Heller 231).

III. The Human and Alien Characters in Mass Effect 2

In the same way, fear of the alien other is not an extinguished, archaic notion in

Mass Effect 2. Even with centuries of knowingly cohabitating the galaxies together, the alien races still wage war against each other and only understand the tip of the iceberg in terms of each other’s deep wells of culture and history. It is not enough to understand alien species within the constraints of the norms of one’s own species. Each race was designed by Bioware’s development team to have their own distinct set of value systems, cultural norms, and ways of life.

The player plays as a human named Commander Shepard in the game.

Although the race of Shepard has been pre-determined by Bioware, several other aspects of the Commander are able to be toggled with in accordance to the player’s desires. Perhaps the player wishes to experience the game as a ruthless warmonger, in which case they would choose the “ruthless” background path for Shepard as opposed to the “war hero” path. Perhaps the player desires to self-insert himself/herself into the game. Then, he/she may customize sex and outward appearance as they desire by Son 4 finding a suitable hair color and eye shape. The power in allowing players to customize

their characters is that

they begin to identify

with Shepard, which

influences the amount

of investment the

player may experience

while playing the

Shows character creation in which Shepard’s appearance can be personalized game; by personalizing

Shepard, players begin personalizing their own “version of the character” by “evok[ing] very different personal narratives for who the character was and what he or she was fighting for” (Bizzocchi 397).

This emotional investment can undoubtedly apply to the other characters, as well. By personally engaging with Shepard, the player also feels as though he/she is experiencing the relationships that Shepard is forming. A survey was conducted on

Reddit, an online social discussion platform, which ultimately collected 5806 responses regarding players’ personal narrative choices throughout the game. Several results proved that to the players, this game mattered.

For example, in Mass Effect, Shepard recruits Wrex, one of the last survivors of the Krogan species. Hundreds of years ago, the Krogan species was devastated by a lab-engineered plague which sought to chemically sterilize female Krogans, leaving the population and their hope of surviving extinction to shrink. It is an understandably tragic war crime. But, when Wrex discovers a possible cure for the plague, Shepard is forced Son 5 to become less understanding. While the cure does indeed restore fertility to the females, it also breeds a mindless army of powerful, unbridled Krogans. In the spur of the moment, the player is provided with three options: shoot him, allow one of your crewmates to shoot him, or talk him down (provided that the player has established a strong enough bond with Wrex). 92% of the respondents reported that they chose to

“talk him down,” showing an unwillingness to kill a crewmate that they had spent hours of the game fighting alongside. One player expressed genuine grief for the Krogan in his first playthrough in which Wrex did not make it out alive: “I actually shouted ‘NO!’… never before had I experienced a scene so shocking that I actually yelled out loud in shock and horror. That was the power of Wrex's murder” (Burch). Indeed, Wrex’s death struck a chord with several players. But, what is more powerful is the attachment that the players developed for an alien. Wrex does not look remotely human, as depicted in the figure to the right.

Yet, the players began to recognize him as an ally, as a crewmate, and as a friend. This is what makes

Shepard’s crew, likely the most diverse out of all the other spaceships traveling across the galactic, unique to others. It is also what gives Mass Effect the opportunity to promote acceptance of the alien “other” and encourage diversity. Son 6

A notable character aboard is named Liara, an Asari. The Asari are a

monogendered, blue-skinned race. They are “traditionally feminine in appearance,

utilize female pronouns, and their life stages—maiden, matron, and matriarch—…

parallel…certain aspects of the human female experience” (McDonald 69). A

pronounced aspect of the Asari is their fluid sexuality; they are the only known race that

can reproduce asexually with any other species and sex. Although visually coded in the

appearance of traditional femininity, the tendency to mark Asari as female according to

human expectations is meaningless. Human concepts such as “gender” and “sex” do

not apply to a monogendered species which does not require such distinctions (Zekany

72). However, the Asari do refer to themselves by female pronouns and will often fulfill

the female role in a romantic relationship.

Perhaps as a direct result of their sexual fluidity, many young, rebellious Asari

can often be found scantily clad in the night clubs across the galaxy, sensually dancing

on tables. Another Asari introduced in the game emanates such intense sexuality that

her love literally consumes her

sexual partners due to a

dangerous genetic mutation. Liara,

on the other hand, shyly confesses

to the player that she is a virgin,

evoking a more innocent and pure

Depicts Liara along with her blue skin, fringe, & feminine characteristics image. However, she is not

averse to losing her virginity, which also “challenges the conventional human moral

imperative that women must wait until marriage to have sex” (Lucas 71). As can be Son 7 seen, Mass Effect 2 showcases diversity in the Asari’s expression of sexuality throughout the game. I argue that this is because Bioware’s development team specifically designed this outwardly feminine, sexually fluid race to counter common gender stereotypes regarding female representation in video games.

Another advanced and influential race in the Mass Effect series are the Turians.

Stature-wise, they resemble something humanoid, but visually, they are easily one of

the less human-looking species.

In designing the Turian race, art

director Derek Watts stated that

they were intended to be “a bird-

like creature, a military race.” He

pinpoints one of the game’s

Depicts Garrus, a Turian onboard the Normandy SR-2 main characters, a Turian named Garrus, as an example. “You can see it in his mouth—looks like a beak. The horns on the back start to represent maybe some of the feathers on an eagle. A very proud race.” The Turian militant culture as well as their avian origin do well to differentiate them from the species that we are used to seeing in real life. Their design is also further distinguished by their vocals, which bear a distinctive flanging effect.

As can be seen, the Turians quite suitably encapsulate the notion of the alien

“other.” However, despite these immediate differences, Garrus has consistently ranked at the top of favorite character polls from the Mass Effect franchise. PC Gamer awarded the Turian first place out of thirty slots, reasoning that his “is one of the best friendship stories in gaming. And if you decided to get all up in his insect-bird-man business, it's a Son 8 lovely romance as well.” It is a surprising result considering that organisms with unexpected, unfamiliar visuals tend to incite our human fear of the unknown. But, players of the franchise did not take too long to warm up to the charismatic, if not slightly awkward Turian who started as an insecure officer to a hardened vigilante. In designing a close friendship with a Turian (the species which has been cited as “the least human-like in appearance (Zekany 71)), Bioware was able to make a statement about fear of otherness.

IV. The Romance Mechanic in Mass Effect 2

As a character-driven narrative, Mass Effect 2’s use of the romance mechanic is significant. After Shepard recruits members onto his crew, he/she is able to further relationships organically. This entails walking around the Normandy SR-2 and finding time to talk with each crewmate, listening to their concerns and problems, and eventually helping them resolve them. In doing so, Shepard gains their loyalty, and, if the sex the player has chosen for Shepard is compatible with the crewmate’s sexuality, their love. There are a portion of Shepard’s available options that are follow more familiar conventions of relationships, namely the human crewmates. However, something that even Bioware found surprising was the overwhelming popularity of the romanceable aliens. Creative director Cate Hudson reported that “the game’s aliens proved to be its most emotionally engaging characters” (Zekany 73).

Liara was decidedly the most popular option overall with 24.6% of players reportedly choosing to romance her (this result, however, is advantaged by the fact that

Liara is romanceable by both male Shepards and female Shepards) (Lukric, n.p.). For male players, engaging in a relationship with Liara may not seem all too unfamiliar Son 9 seeing as Liara resembles a human woman much more accurately compared to her fellow alien crewmates. However, for female players, the relationship strays from the heterosexual norms that society has constructed.

In the survey conducted on Reddit, results showed that Tali, a female coming from the Quarian species, was the most popular option for male Shepards while Garrus was the most popular option for female Shepards. Both results are quite striking, to say the least. In Tali’s case, what is surprising is her character design’s rejection of the pressure for female standards of beauty. By no means is Tali an ugly character, but the Quarian race is distinguished by their need to ceaselessly wear their breathing masks. Thus, her face—a part of the body that people typically use to determine beauty—is covered the entire course of the game. Thus, the fact that she was chosen as the most popular option for male players is a surprising one. Depicts Tali with her mask

Garrus’s romance is consistently ranked as one of the topic romances, as well

(PC Gamer). While female Shepard’s romances with other humans comes across as being largely lust-driven, her relationship with Garrus seems organic. Garrus is the one character who accompanies Shepard on her adventures throughout the entire Mass

Effect franchise. Their relationship starts off as it should have: platonic, polite, with a tinge of awkwardness. However, when Shepard retrieves Garrus for another mission in

Mass Effect 2, the dynamic in their relationship has melded into a compact, unbreakable Son 10 link of trust and mutual respect. Despite their insurmountable differences in possibly every aspect of life, Shepard and Garrus’ relationship seems more normal, almost more

human than any other

relationship in the game.

If the Bioware team was

striving to design a

refreshingly wholesome

romance to portray the

genuine feelings that

Depicts the culminating romance scene between female Shepard and Garrus at the end of Mass Effect 2 can arise despite physiological difference, then they undoubtedly succeeded.

V. Conclusion

Indeed, Mass Effect 2 has excellent combat mechanics, incredible animation and graphics quality, and clever writing. However, the social impact of the game is not influenced by its production value. As stated before, Mass Effect 2 is a character-driven game. Despite the overarching conventional plot in which the fearsome alien beast threatens the existence of the very universe, the true heart and emotional crux of the game lies in its ensemble of diverse characters. This is proven when players cry out in protest when their favorite Krogan squadmate is shot in his desperate attempt to restore fertility to his race. It is proven again when players choose to engage in a romantic relationship with a bird-like, alien creature who has stuck by your side with his charismatic sense of humor and unrelenting loyalty. Son 11

By formulating the game to revolve around its alien characters, Bioware also accomplished in making Mass Effect 2 a game that challenges its players to think beyond the confines of “human.” As described by Zekany, we cannot view Shepard and

Garrus’ relationship from a human lens. It is not a female Shepard in a heterosexual relationship with a male Turian. Neither do we have Shepard in a heterosexual or homosexual relationship with Liara. Instead, we have what fans have dubbed an “Asari- sexual” relationship (Zekany 74).

Bioware is not necessarily calling its players to imagine a future exactly like what their science fiction game has depicted. However, they are presenting a possibility, a possibility that modern society can loosen their hardened perceptions of what gender roles and romantic relationships should look like. Mass Effect 2 presents hope for a more open-minded, tolerant future.

Son 12

Works Cited

Bizzocchi, Jim, and Joshua Tanenbaum. “Mass Effect 2: A Case Study in the Design of

Game Narrative.” Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, vol. 32, no. 5, 31

Oct. 2012, pp. 393–404.

This source discusses the elements of design in the game Mass Effect 2,

particularly Commander Shepard and how the designers gave players

freedom to customize the character in terms of facial visuals and gender,

which can lead to the player engaging more strongly with the character

they create. I believe this element is important in the immersion of the

game and how this can make the player’s relationships with other

characters feel more personal.

Burch, Anthony. “You CAN Always Get What You Want: Mass Effect and Wish

Fulfillment.” Destructoid, Disqus, 19 Dec. 2007.

This article depicts a player’s personal experience with playing the game.

It particularly illustrates their experience with dealing with Wrex’s

unexpected death during their playthrough. The author uses this to

reinforce his argument of how Mass Effect 2 emphasizes its players’

emotional connection to the story’s characters. It is not an academic

source, but it is valuable in how video games, especially role-playing

games, are tailored to be personalized to each player.

Butler, Octavia E. Bloodchild and Other Stories. New York: Four Walls Eight Windows,

1995. Print. Son 13

“Bloodchild” is written by science fiction author Octavia Butler. It depicts

the cross-species relationship between a human boy named Gan and an

alien species named the T’lic. It is noted for its portrayal of alien-human

sex and impregnation. This source is pertinent to my primary text because

they are both science fiction texts that hone in on the development of

romantic and sincere relationships between aliens and humans.

Fenlon, Wes. “The Mass Effect Companions, Ranked from Worst to Best.” PC Gamer,

Future Plc, 14 Dec. 2016.

This source is also not an academic source and is biased by the author’s

personal experience with the playthrough. However, from personal

experience with the game and the fan community, the list is quite accurate

to the sentiments of the broader community and reflects the general

likeability of the characters in the game. The list also showcases how the

alien characters in the game are consistently ranked higher in comparison

to the human crewmates.

Game Informer, director. Creating Garrus: Mass Effect's Character Design. Youtube,

Google, 21 Nov. 2011.

The video depicts art director Derek Watts describes the process in

creating Garrus and the Turian race. They described their desire to create

a species that was more raptor-like in comparison to the more humanoid

species. Watts also notably describes the Turian as a military race, which

shows the cultural and physiological differences that the Bioware team Son 14

has designed for the Turians in contrast to humans. It is a valuable

resource as the information derives directly from the art director of the

project.

Heller, Lee E. “The Persistence of Difference: Postfeminism, Popular Discourse, and

Heterosexuality in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation.’” Science Fiction Studies,

vol. 24, no. 2, 1997, pp. 226–244. JSTOR, JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/4240605.

This source can be used in my essay to supplement the research question

with analysis of Star Trek, particularly the episodes “The Host” and “The

Outcast” which both feature interspecies relationships and romance and

how these stray from the heterosexual norms of society.

Lukric. “Mass Effect Decision Survey.” Survey. July 2, 2015.

This source is a survey that was conducted on the online discussion social

platform Reddit. It details the distribution of choices that players made in

their playthrough of the series, such as which character they chose to

romance and which characters they chose to save. The results are

skewed as it was likely only answered by players who have a huge

passion for the game and actively engage with the Mass Effect Reddit

page. Thus, the results of the entire, general players of the game are not

accurately represented, but it does present a clean perspective of which

characters the players liked and their emotional attachment to certain

characters over others, particularly the alien crewmates. Son 15

Mass Effect 2. Windows PC Version, Bioware, 2010.

Mass Effect 2 was the main primary text used in this essay. It is a valuable

science fiction text in the gaming community and is very relevant to the

class as it opens the player to engaging in homosexual, cross-species

relationships. Thus, it does not subscribe to the heterosexual norms of

society, as well as giving female players the opportunity to play as a

female Shepard, which empowers women by placing a female in a

position of power in the game.

McDonald, Heidi. Digital Love : Romance and Sexuality in Games, CRC Press, 2017.

ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-

com.dartmouth.idm.oclc.org/lib/dartmouth-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5122168.

This source is an academic, reliable source that has multiple citations. It is

pertinent to my essay as it expands upon the Asari race in the game and

how their appearance, femininity, and sexuality may be applied to modern

society today. It brings about several ideas such as the idea of fear of

lesbians and of the sexualization of “space alien babes.” It does a close

examination of what differentiates Asari as a race, which is pertinent to the

alien “other” idea used in this essay.

Roddenberry, Gene. “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Season 4, episode 23, 11 May

1991.

Star Trek is similar to Mass Effect in how both are science fiction space

sagas that depict relationships and characters that deviate from the Son 16

conventions of society in order to challenge societal norms. The particular

episode used in this essay discusses the hardships, yet realistic aspects

of engaging in a relationship with one who is invariably, insurmountably

different, but how love can still occur.

Zekany, Eva. ““A Horrible Interspecies Awkwardness Thing”: (Non)Human Desire in

Mass Effect Universe.” Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, Vol 36, Issue

1, pp. 67 - 77 First Published December 30, 2015.

The quote in the title of this research article comes from one of the most

beloved characters of the franchise, an alien of the Turian species named

Garrus. He states this after the character has their Commander Shepard

propose to have a relationship with him. The abstract of the article that it

focuses on how the game explores the boundaries of alien sex and how

these escape the constraints of heterosexual norms. It discusses how

surprisingly, the two most popular romance options for both male and

female Shepard were alien.