SOURCE: Gamemoir.com
Mass Effect: Ready for a Transgender Protagonist
As BioWare’s fourth installment lies on the horizon, the team’s writers seems more than capable of creating a strong transgender player character for the series.
When it comes to creating nuanced in-game characters, Canadian role-playing developer BioWare is no stranger. In the past, the team’s writers have examined such complicated topics as the socio-economic disenfranchisement of Denerim’s elves, and the sexualities of the gender nonconforming Asari. Indeed, throughout such series as Dragon Age and Mass Effect, BioWare explores the lived experiences of a variety of identities, and subsequently critiques sociocultural issues that mirror our own world’s struggles.
Certainly, BioWare has gained a large following over the years for their poignant representation of marginalized sexualities and gender identities. And as E3 2015 slowly moves forward, fans eagerly anticipate the first worldwide reveal of the fourth Mass Effect – which promises to feature a brand new protagonist within an unrevealed storyline.
At the moment, little is known so far about the fourth game. However, the team has confirmed that the original trilogy’s iconic player character, Commander Shepard, would not return for the fourth installment. Instead, BioWare is working on a new protagonist, who will feature their own unique background, personality, and motivations for venturing out into the galaxy.
While Shepard will be sorely missed, change can be good for the series. With a new player character in development, BioWare can explore the galaxy from a previously unseen perspective which diverges from Shepard’s point of view. Therefore, BioWare should make the most of this opportunity by crafting a brand new voice, which is rarely heard within video game narratives. In particular, the new Mass Effect should feature a transgender player character, and discuss their gender identity as they venture out into the galaxy.
A New Lens in a New World
A wide range of identities exist throughout Mass Effect’s universe, and each species struggles with a variety of sociocultural issues amongst themselves. For example, humanity is prided (and scorned) as an ambitious species, desiring expansion into the universe. Whereas the Quarians are a contemplative people, who utilize their pilgrimages for self-growth, and carry great shame for the creation of the synthetic Geth. Each species explores different cultural issues within their identities, and no two members of the same race are alike.
Discussing these societal differences makes Mass Effect’s world truly stand out. And BioWare’s series critiques these identities, and examines their significance within the real world. Through humanity, for instance, Mass Effect explores the dangers of imperialism and institutionalized power. And the Quarians explore the social rituals that are cultivated within a refugee population, as the Migrant Fleet struggles to accommodate for the loss of their homeworld. By discussing these nuanced sociocultural issues within Mass Effect’s narrative, BioWare constructs a world that feels lifelike, and reflects the various lived experiences found throughout our own reality.
In the same regard, a playable transgender character would reveal a brand new perspective on gender identity within Mass Effect’s world. A transgender protagonist would examine gender roles within various species, and deconstruct the discriminatory structures (or lack thereof) that exist across Mass Effect’s various cultures. In turn, this would further enrich the narrative by raising more questions about Mass Effect’s galactic species, and their relationship with marginalized identities. After all, what would the galaxy look like to a transgender leader? How would transgender experiences differ per species? Would the Citadel government show sensitivity to transgender accommodations, or is gender discrimination still prevalent among the fourth game’s era? By crafting a strong transgender character, BioWare could open a brand new discussion on gender identification in their science-fiction series.
Indeed, a fourth Mass Effect would open a major discussion on transgender experiences in science-fiction. After all, when BioWare set out to write Dragon Age: Inquisition’s transgender male character, Cremisium “Krem” Aclassi, the team created a transgender character that examined the relationship between transgender characters, cisgender characters, and the culture that both find themselves. In his blog post on Krem’s characterization in Inquisition, for example, BioWare writer Patrick Weekes notes that Krem’s transgender identity cultivated new discussions on gender roles among the Qunari race. Indeed, the Inquisitor themselves learns about Krem’s identity as an “Aqun-Athlok” – that is, “what we call someone born one gender but living like another,” according to Iron Bull. And the player can ask questions (albeit often quite invasive) towards Krem and Iron Bull, and learn about Krem’s gender identity as a transgender soldier. BioWare certainly knows that well-written transgender characters open empowering discussions about transgender experiences in gaming, and make their narratives’ worlds feel more inclusive for marginalized gamers.
Granted, Krem only exists as a minor character. However, by giving players the opportunity to play as a transgender protagonist, BioWare could examine the complicated relationship that transgender characters have with the galaxy’s various species. And not unlike Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Krem, Mass Effect’s latest installment could explore these issues through various storyline branches, as the transgender player character becomes acquainted with the various societies that compose the Milky Way.
Creating the Player
Writing a transgender protagonist is certainly not easy. Without prior experience, cisgender writers often struggle with creating nuanced transgender men, women, and non-binary identities. As Weekes notes in his official blog post, Dragon Age’s Krem was “uncharted territory for all of us on both the technical and the artistic side,” and required constant feedback from genderqueer and transgender readers.
Yet, while inexperienced writers will struggle with creating a transgender protagonist, BioWare’s writers are anything but novices. The development studio consists of some of the strongest narrative designers in the industry, and the team prides itself on their thoughtful representation of marginalized identities within gaming. Indeed, throughout both Mass Effect and Dragon Age, BioWare demonstrates the skills necessary to create a strong transgender protagonist.
As Weekes explains, BioWare understands that a transgender character should not simply be created as a “token” for the plot. “Every character in our game serves a purpose,” he notes, such as “reinforcing the theme of a plot, character, or area.” Weekes emphasizes that a transgender player character should be developed because their story would give back to the world, and enrich the player’s experiences through a new lens. A transgender protagonist should never be “someone who is just there to tick off a box,” but rather, must be a complex character who possesses a meaningful relationship with the world around them.
As fans say farewell to the original trilogy’s Commander Shepard, BioWare’s latest installment could potentially revolutionize the series’s relationship with the player. By crafting a transgender protagonist, BioWare would amplify the lived experiences of transgender gamers across the world, and reveal an unexplored perspective in Mass Effect’s universe.
BioWare certainly possesses the finesse to create an enjoyable transgender protagonist, who adds further depth into the Mass Effect universe. Indeed, the series is ready for a transgender playable character – the only question is if BioWare is, too.
