Gendered Avatars and Gendered Lore. On Gender in Mass Effect 3

Abstract

Two questions are addressed here. First: how does the video game Mass Effect 3 represent gender? Second: how does the game Mass Effect 3 force notions of gender unto the player? With regard to the first question it is argued that masculinity is ubiquitous and largely unmarked, femininity’s representation however is more limited and tokenist in nature. Though the game as whole seems to celebrate diversity, as this is what allows the galaxy to resist the Reapers (the main antagonists), many of the properties attributed to aliens and specifically the female ones are essentialist and in many ways reinforce existing, limiting stereotypes of gender. However, the game is self-conscious about its effort to be inclusive and does facilitate certain instances of feminist intervention. With regard to the second question it is argued that the game clearly facilitates the possibility for a player to create a Shepard (the main character) of his/her own, but this does not affect the plotline or the themes of the game. This is partly due to practical limitations, but nevertheless is a missed opportunity for BioWare (the studio that produced this game). However, what the game has managed to do, is facilitate a means of immersion, through the extensive character options, for an extensive group of people, who are often ignored as an audience. This argument makes use of the medium specificity of games, looks at the game’s ‘lore’ and seeks to find opportunities in the game, rather than focussing exclusively on its faults. Specific attention is paid to the ‘aliens’ in the game, the antagonists and the extensive options the game provides to customize the avatar.