Rather than doing a remake of the epic trilogy, BioWare opted to remaster theMass Effectgames intoMass Effect: Legendary Editionin order to preserve the nostalgia from the original games. However, some changes were made, such as anoverhaul ofMass Effect 1’s gameplay, as well as more minor adjustments like camera angles during a certain Miranda scene inMass Effect 2. So, many fans might be expectingMass Effect: Legendary Editionto allow for more same-sex relationships.
Same-sex relationships are possible throughoutMass Effect: Legendary Edition. However, BioWare didn’t make changes or additions to romantic options, so sexualities haven’t changed. For example, Ashley Williams is only romanceable as male Shepard in theMass Effectseries, and this will stay consistent with theLegendary Editionremasters. Interestingly, thoughKaiden Alenkowas only romanceable with a female Shepard inMass Effect 1, he can be romanced by both male and female ShepardsinMass Effect 3.
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One caveat to same-sex relationships in theMass Effecttrilogy is the alien races. WhileMass Effectlore officially considers these relationships xenophilic romances rather than heterosexual or homosexual, most aliens in theMass Effectuniverse are considered either masculine or feminine. Still, while some aliens like Liara T’Soni are available to both male and female Shepards, others likeGarrus and Thaneare only available to female Shepards and Tali is only available to male Shepards.
The news that characters and their sexualities were not changed will come as a dismay to some fans, especially in light of a report from TheGamer, which stated thatMass Effect2’s Jack was originally written as pansexual. BioWare changed this, reportedly after some heat from Fox News, due to criticism following Liara T’Soni’s romantic scene inMass Effect 1. Jacob as well was once meant to be a same-sex romanceable option. However, BioWare chose against making these adjustments, despite some backlash that followed after TheGamer’s report.
For humansame-sex romance options in theMass Effecttrilogy, there are only a few as most “same-sex” relationships are left to alien races such as with Samara and Morinth in addition to Liara. Kelly Chambers is one of the most popular choices, making her debut inMass Effect 2, and she’s available for both male and female versions of Commander Shepard, as is Diana Allers, who appears only inMass Effect 3. For men, Steve Cortez isn’t bisexual but is available as a romance option if players chose a male Commander Shepard.
Mass Effect: Legendary Editionreleases on May 14 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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