Game: The Mass Effect Series
So a short review of the Mass Effect series would be: like Dragon Age, but in space! But there's a little more to it than that :D
The Mass Effect Series (Mass Effects 1, 2 and 3, as well as various downloadable addons and tie in media) are another set of roleplaying games from Bioware, this time in the space opera genre. There's more emphasis on shooting things and less on forming relationships, and the second game relegates all queer content to the background, but there's still something deeply appealing about playing as Commander Shepard, badass queer woman (or dude) in space.
These games are aimed at adults, with lots of sexual content, gore, and dark themes. Not as triggery as Dragon Age, I'd say, apart from one avoidable quest in Mass Effect 2. Also, see my previous comment about Bioware games being like Joss Whedon shows :D
Here's a trailer for the downloadable mission "Lair of the ShadowBroker", including the pansexual alien Liara and some dialogue and combat:
The setting is amazing, a really believable and fleshed out science fiction universe where humanity is one of the newer entrants into a galaxy of complex interspecies relationships with long and messy histories. The first game has the best overarching plot, in my opinion, starting out as "figure out what the hell is going on" and getting more interesting from there. The second and third mostly consist of gathering resources and preparing for a battle with a Mysterious and Overwhelming Alien Foe, but as with Dragon Age there is a lot of fun to be had exploring the world, getting to know your crew, and figuring out how your character will react to various choices and events.
I really enjoy the combat. I usually hate first person shooter type games but the easy mode is really easy, and there is something deeply satisfying about lining up a distant enemy in my sniper scope and taking them out with a headshot. There are some very big guns and fun telekinetic powers. There are also cheats on the PC, which in some games allow for extra same sex relationships using cut dialogue.
The main character is Commander Shepard, seasoned soldier in the human Alliance. You choose Shepard's gender, background, and appearance, and generally navigate him or her between the poles of law abiding diplomat and ruthless renegade (the game rewards you for consistently sticking with one or the other, but most players enjoy swapping sides a little here and there) The dialogue is mostly the same regardless, some have complained about this being lazy writing but it does create for a female character who isn't defined at all by her femaleness. There is some attempt at ethnic and to a lesser extent cultural diversity amongst the humans, and while there is an unfortunate lack of female characters for most alien species as well as ubiquitous male gaze the human female characters are diverse and awesome.
One of the alien species you meet are the blue skinned pansexual monogendered Asari, who are generally read as female. They're not too bad as all-woman alien races go: they have a believable complex society and are as likely to be mercenaries as exotic dancers. (DID I MENTION THE MALE GAZE) After the backlash against the (brief and subtle) sex scene between a female Shepard and the asari love interest in Mass Effect 1 their pansexuality was largely glossed over in Mass Effect 2. In Mass Effect 1 there is one same sex love interest, the asari Liara. In Mass Effect 2 Liara shows up again and there is also the possibility of a very brief romance/flirtation with your pansexual female human assistant Kelly.
But then Mass Effect 3 was (by comparison) wonderfully, wonderfully queer. This is the only Bioware game I've played which not only has bisexual love interests and random shags but also has same sex relationships amongst the random background characters you encounter, though off the top of my head I think they're all human woman/asari. There are six possible same sex romance options:
Liara, an asari scientist who shows up in all three games and her own Mass Effect 2 downloadable side mission "The Lair of the Shadowbroker"
Kaidan, a male human soldier who was romanceable by a female Shepard in Mass Effect 1 but only realises his attraction to a male Shepard in Mass Effect 3
Steve, a gay human pilot who is introduced in Mass Effect 3
Samantha, a lesbian human analyst who is introduced in Mass Effect 3
Kelly, your pansexual female human assistant from Mass Effect 2
Diana, a bisexual human journalist who shows up in Mass Effect 3
I've only played Samantha's romance, and I ADORED it (some people complain that it was too sexy. I thought it was just sexy enough ;)), but I have heard that the Kaidan, Liara and Steve same sex romances are really well done too. From what I have seen Kelly doesn't show up for long but I did screw up her dialogue. Diana is a generally unpopular character so I don't know of anyone who's done her f/f romance. Also: Samantha and Steve are unambiguously POC, and the creator has said that pretty much all humans are mixed race at this point in history.
In Mass Effect 1 Liara has some irritating dialogue that only shows up in the f/f romance about being "not strictly speaking a woman", other than that noone really comments on same sex relationships as being notable. Steve talks about his dead husband regardless of your character's gender and dialogue choices, which is the only example I can think of where mention of m/m relationships is unavoidable in a Bioware game (they tend to allow players to avoid them, since many gamers find the concept distasteful. Bah)
Reactions to Mass Effect 3 are very mixed, however, and with good reason: the plot, while very engaging, is pretty railroaded regardless of your character's choices and personality, some characters and romances from previous games are treated perfunctorily, and while many of the hanging threads and characters arcs from the previous games have beautiful, satisfying conclusions that occur during the main gameplay, the final end scene is brief, confusing, and deeply unpopular. Bioware is actually releasing a new improved ending after fan backlash, so if you're thinking of playing the game it might be worth waiting a little longer. I still really enjoyed the game overall, but YMMV.
The Mass Effect Series (Mass Effects 1, 2 and 3, as well as various downloadable addons and tie in media) are another set of roleplaying games from Bioware, this time in the space opera genre. There's more emphasis on shooting things and less on forming relationships, and the second game relegates all queer content to the background, but there's still something deeply appealing about playing as Commander Shepard, badass queer woman (or dude) in space.
These games are aimed at adults, with lots of sexual content, gore, and dark themes. Not as triggery as Dragon Age, I'd say, apart from one avoidable quest in Mass Effect 2. Also, see my previous comment about Bioware games being like Joss Whedon shows :D
Here's a trailer for the downloadable mission "Lair of the ShadowBroker", including the pansexual alien Liara and some dialogue and combat:
Click to viewThe setting is amazing, a really believable and fleshed out science fiction universe where humanity is one of the newer entrants into a galaxy of complex interspecies relationships with long and messy histories. The first game has the best overarching plot, in my opinion, starting out as "figure out what the hell is going on" and getting more interesting from there. The second and third mostly consist of gathering resources and preparing for a battle with a Mysterious and Overwhelming Alien Foe, but as with Dragon Age there is a lot of fun to be had exploring the world, getting to know your crew, and figuring out how your character will react to various choices and events.
I really enjoy the combat. I usually hate first person shooter type games but the easy mode is really easy, and there is something deeply satisfying about lining up a distant enemy in my sniper scope and taking them out with a headshot. There are some very big guns and fun telekinetic powers. There are also cheats on the PC, which in some games allow for extra same sex relationships using cut dialogue.
The main character is Commander Shepard, seasoned soldier in the human Alliance. You choose Shepard's gender, background, and appearance, and generally navigate him or her between the poles of law abiding diplomat and ruthless renegade (the game rewards you for consistently sticking with one or the other, but most players enjoy swapping sides a little here and there) The dialogue is mostly the same regardless, some have complained about this being lazy writing but it does create for a female character who isn't defined at all by her femaleness. There is some attempt at ethnic and to a lesser extent cultural diversity amongst the humans, and while there is an unfortunate lack of female characters for most alien species as well as ubiquitous male gaze the human female characters are diverse and awesome.
One of the alien species you meet are the blue skinned pansexual monogendered Asari, who are generally read as female. They're not too bad as all-woman alien races go: they have a believable complex society and are as likely to be mercenaries as exotic dancers. (DID I MENTION THE MALE GAZE) After the backlash against the (brief and subtle) sex scene between a female Shepard and the asari love interest in Mass Effect 1 their pansexuality was largely glossed over in Mass Effect 2. In Mass Effect 1 there is one same sex love interest, the asari Liara. In Mass Effect 2 Liara shows up again and there is also the possibility of a very brief romance/flirtation with your pansexual female human assistant Kelly.
But then Mass Effect 3 was (by comparison) wonderfully, wonderfully queer. This is the only Bioware game I've played which not only has bisexual love interests and random shags but also has same sex relationships amongst the random background characters you encounter, though off the top of my head I think they're all human woman/asari. There are six possible same sex romance options:
Liara, an asari scientist who shows up in all three games and her own Mass Effect 2 downloadable side mission "The Lair of the Shadowbroker"
Kaidan, a male human soldier who was romanceable by a female Shepard in Mass Effect 1 but only realises his attraction to a male Shepard in Mass Effect 3
Steve, a gay human pilot who is introduced in Mass Effect 3
Samantha, a lesbian human analyst who is introduced in Mass Effect 3
Kelly, your pansexual female human assistant from Mass Effect 2
Diana, a bisexual human journalist who shows up in Mass Effect 3
I've only played Samantha's romance, and I ADORED it (some people complain that it was too sexy. I thought it was just sexy enough ;)), but I have heard that the Kaidan, Liara and Steve same sex romances are really well done too. From what I have seen Kelly doesn't show up for long but I did screw up her dialogue. Diana is a generally unpopular character so I don't know of anyone who's done her f/f romance. Also: Samantha and Steve are unambiguously POC, and the creator has said that pretty much all humans are mixed race at this point in history.
In Mass Effect 1 Liara has some irritating dialogue that only shows up in the f/f romance about being "not strictly speaking a woman", other than that noone really comments on same sex relationships as being notable. Steve talks about his dead husband regardless of your character's gender and dialogue choices, which is the only example I can think of where mention of m/m relationships is unavoidable in a Bioware game (they tend to allow players to avoid them, since many gamers find the concept distasteful. Bah)
Reactions to Mass Effect 3 are very mixed, however, and with good reason: the plot, while very engaging, is pretty railroaded regardless of your character's choices and personality, some characters and romances from previous games are treated perfunctorily, and while many of the hanging threads and characters arcs from the previous games have beautiful, satisfying conclusions that occur during the main gameplay, the final end scene is brief, confusing, and deeply unpopular. Bioware is actually releasing a new improved ending after fan backlash, so if you're thinking of playing the game it might be worth waiting a little longer. I still really enjoyed the game overall, but YMMV.