I'd say your monitor brightness settings are really f'd up...

I can see everything else fine though. I can see what it says on the wall in the hallway. I can see the chair behind him just fine. There are just a lot of shadows covering his face. Outside of him being a tanned, well proportioned guy with what seems like dark brown or black hair and a scruffy beard, I just don't see the connection. All of the facial features, especially on the right side of his face before the light hits the side of his head, are marred in deep shadows.

Look at this picture. I can see every indentation on his face, because it's close up and well lit.

Even this, with Shepard further away and the majority of the background pitch black I can see the face clearly because the light source is hitting the front of his face as opposed to the back of his head.

There's hardly an inkling of light hitting Shepard's face in the picture you provided. It's all coming from that hallway to his right and hitting his back.

So on everyone else's monitor, these pictures all are basically the same in terms of lighting? They're in stark contrast on mine.

Of course it's darker, but if you can't see facial details you have major monitor settings issues. When I get back to the ship I'll take another picture for those of you contrast-challenged people out there.

Don't worry, I just blasted the hell out of my settings so everything looks like Easter pastels and I can see him. It started to lighten up at about 80%. I usually keep it at a 50/50 split, so it keeps the colors rich. It looks kinda like him I guess, but I think it has more to do with the hair style and facial hair you chose than his actual features. If you switched his look away from Gladiator and more to The Insider or A Beautiful Mind it wouldn't show a big resemblance. He might pass for Gerard Butler though, although I would hate you for subjecting me to more Gerard Butler.

That is sexy Shepard. I made mine with blonde hair and a red moustache beard.

Updated, let me know what you think now.

This begs the question, what happens if you do give him surgery, then run into old party members later in the game.  Will they notice/comment?  That would be awesome...

Yeah, it's basically what I said. It's mostly the hair giving the impression of it being Russell Crowe. While it gives a good Maximus impression, he doesn't really look like this guy:

Unfortunately they (and everyone else in the universe, since you were insanely famous) immediately recognize you as Shepard.

Unfortunately they (and everyone else in the universe, since you were insanely famous) immediately recognize you as Shepard.