Eugenics in Mass Effect and the Question it Poses

After some personal issues, I’m back with another meandering pointless post about video games!

Today I want to discuss Mass Effect: Andromeda. Again. Because despite the massive amount of shit the games getting, I still really like it and I enjoyed it a lot. Plus Jaal is probably one of the best Bioware boyfriends (after Dorian of course).

But there’s something I find myself thinking about when I play the Mass Effect games. Eugenics. Namely the Krogan problem as I like to call it. It’s a pretty interesting concept for a video game to include, mostly because it’s such a heavy subject. Eugenics is widely considered to be a terrible thing amongst most people (rightfully so). The idea is something supported by Nazis and other crazies who believe that there is a superior race (usually one they’re part of). It goes against everything that we as a society are supposed to believe in, at least for ourselves. We breed animals, dogs, cats, horses, to make them desirable. But as people we’re supposed to be above it. Not to mention the whole can of worms it opens about breeding out undesirable traits (race, sexuality, etc).

Which is why the way Mass Effect handles the Krogan is so interesting. Some of my favorite characters come from the new Mass Effect game and they’re Krogan. Drack is hilarious. He shows the love that the Krogan can possess for their family and I legit teared up a bit towards the end of his story arc with Kesh, who I also love. With characters like the, who you can’t help but love, it’s hard to justify the Genophage. These are characters you get to know during the course of the game and they become part of your character’s family. Seeing Kesh talk about trying to breed out the Genophage so that their children can survive.

However, in the second game Mordin makes a seemingly reasonable point about the Krogan. They did grow too much and destroy their homeworld. They were posed to destroy other worlds. Almost all the Krogans you meet are violent. They enjoy battling and they war against each other. They’re a bloodthirsty species so perhaps it was only appropriate for other species to step in and keep the peace.

But then again, Kesh doesn’t come across as remotely similar to the other Krogan. She’s actually a fairly apt politician. And for all his posturing, Drack is a kind, loving individual.

It’s interesting to ponder and there’s probably no right answer in the context of the games. But it’s something that should be thought about.

Let’s Sexualize Male Video Game Characters!

Since I talked a bit about sexualization of female characters in video games, let’s sexualize male characters in video games for a bit.

There are tons of lists about there and discussion about the sexiest female characters in video games (it’s totally Cassandra from Dragon Age by the way) so I decided to make a post about some of the sexiest male characters in video games. There will be some minor spoilers for the characters and the games listed but nothing that ruins the actual plot of the games.

Jaal Ama Darav (Mass Effect Andromeda)

A relatively recent hunk, Jaal from Mass Effect is probably one of the best romances in the game. The Angara are a new species that was introduced in the latest installment of Mass Effect. They’re a species mistrustful of strangers, long at war with the Kett. Jaal is a resistance fighter (along with several of his family members, including his mother) and is assigned to basically keep an eye on you. As you travel with him, you learn that his species is rather open emotionally and he never shies away from that. He’s a strong fighter, he’s funny, and it’s almost impossible to phase him. His banter between your other companions is always spot on. Plus he kind of looks like a dick.

Cullen Rutherford (Dragon Age Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age: Inquisition)

I really had to limit myself when it came to Bioware games because they have so many great and attractive characters of both genders. Cullen made the list because not only is he ruggedly handsome (and he wears that weird little furry thing over his armor which is so glam), he truly grew as a character between all three games. When you first meet him, he’s been abused and mentally tortured by mages. As such he wants you to kill them all without a thought. In the second game he’s started to recover. He takes his duties as a Templar seriously but it’s clear that he wants to help and genuinely does care about keeping people safe. Of course his boss turns out to be batshit. And then in Inquisition you can finally romance him. He’s a capable general and more than willing to lead your troops into battle. He only wants what’s best, even while struggling with a crippling drug addiction. And if you romance him, he starts to open up about his life. He’s a genuinely sweet character and it’s beyond perfect when he gets himself his first dog.

Genji Shimada (Overwatch)

Genji had a tough life. Once a young and carefree playboy, he was nearly killed by his older brother. Barely alive, Overwatch made him an offer. They’d rebuild his body if he would join them and help out. And so came to be the cyborg we know and love. He worked to destroy his family’s empire even while filled with self-loathing for the machine he had become. Eventually he found peace with the help of a robotic monk. I hate playing him in the game, he’s ridiculously hard for me to get a hang on. But I love his backstory and his design. He’s sleek and sexy. Still very much a man. And of course, dat robot ass.

Johnny Gat (Saints Row series) 

Okay. So he might be a psychopath who loves chaos and destruction. But he’s a sweet, loyal psychopath who loves chaos and destruction. It’s not good being on his bad side, after all he’s one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy. But when you’re on his good side, he’s fantastic. He’s loyal to a fault and willing to do whatever he wants to for his friends. Not to mention he was a romantic when it came to his relationship with Aisha and even years after her death, he’s still suffering from the guilt of it.

Ignis Scientia (Final Fantasy XV)

Sure, he’s not the most buff of your companions and he wears a shirt. But to be perfectly honest, Iggy is clearly the best of the boy band from this game. He has gravity defying hair, cute glasses, and sexy driving gloves. Plus he loves to cook and the meals he makes look positively delicious. There’s banter when you’re traveling where he notices that Noctis has a button coming loose on his clothing and he advises that he’s going to fix it for him. Who wouldn’t want a man who can cook and sew and loves driving you places?

Honorable Mention:

Erron Black (Mortal Kombat X)

Shirtless sweaty cowboy. ‘Nuff said.