How Mass Effect helps validate pansexual identities
When was the last time that you saw a pansexual character in a video game?
Outside of non-narrative, character-creation focused games like The Sims, pansexual characters very rarely see the light of day. Doing some digging into the topic will only pull up a few results, many of which are minor side characters.
Pansexuality is often equated to bisexuality or other sexualities in media and in discussion, both online and in person, if not simply ignored altogether. While the two are similar, they aren’t the same; Bisexuality usually refers to the attraction to two or more genders, while pansexuality refers to romantic attraction that is not limited to any gender or identities. It should be noted, though, that these labels paint a broad brush, and one can be attracted to anyone regardless of how they personally choose (or don’t choose) to identify.
The first example of a AAA game that let me effectively identify as pansexual in a meaningful way is Mass Effect.
Mass Effect is routinely praised for its narrative and focus on player choice. While, in the grand scheme of things, romance doesn’t have much of an impact on Mass Effect’s narrative, being able to wine and dine characters adds to the game’s immersion and fun factor.
This doesn’t mean that Mass Effect is a romantic power fantasy. Just because your character can identify as gay, straight, bisexual, pansexual, or whatever else you want, doesn’t mean you can seduce anyone in the game. Characters have their own stories and experiences, and some of them just won’t be interested in you depending on whether you choose to play the male or female version of the protagonist, Shepard.
Still, the simple fact that characters such as Liara, Kelly, and Kaiden can be romanced by all characters is significant. Pansexual players don’t have to internally choose if they want to play as a straight or gay character if they decide to pursue romance; they can just be themselves.
To someone who identifies as pansexual, simply hearing that someone in real life or in media identifies the same way as you is a big deal. Being given the opportunity to roleplay a character that identifies sexually in the same way that you do feels like an even bigger deal.
When Mass Effect was first released back in 2007, I was still a kid who had little to no concept of his own sexuality. I still remember hearing about how Mass Effect gave you a little freedom in your romance options. It struck me as odd, as this was definitely not the norm at the time, but I distinctly remember feeling a strange sense of happiness. After all, why shouldn’t one be allowed to romance whoever they wanted in this video game? It just felt like common sense to me.
As I grew older and began exploring my sexuality, it was clear that I wasn’t straight. I came to the conclusion in my mid-teens that “pansexual” was the best word to describe what I was, even though I had never met anyone else who identified this way.
I lived in a setting where I didn’t feel comfortable expressing my sexuality publicly, so I only was able to live fully out after moving to college. Thus, whenever I would meet or hear of certain real-life people that identified as pansexual, I would feel such a sense of happiness. When Brendon Urie [lead singer of Panic! at the Disco] mentioned in passing that he was pansexual in 2018, I was so happy I nearly cried. There were other people out there just like me.
Nothing, however, could match the feeling of playing a game that allowed me to be pansexual. Video games such as Mass Effect and tabletop experiences such as Dungeons & Dragons let me express myself in other mediums and worlds; I could escape reality and yet still bring a bit of myself, perhaps the most personal part of myself, with me.
Whether it was meeting another pansexual person in real life, finding one in a video game, or being able to play one myself, I would always have the same warm feeling: what I feel, what I am, is real. It’s valid.
Now, almost 15 years after first hearing about romance options in Mass Effect, I get to experience the whole series in the Legendary Edition. Not only do I get to see the games enhanced for new hardware, but I also get to look at them through the eyes of someone who has been identifying as pansexual for years. Playing through the games still makes me feel valid, seen, and helps me have the courage to be fully myself every day – and nothing could take that away from me.
Each year, more games are developed and released with inclusive options. Games such as Spirit Swap continue to put a spotlight on diverse voices and highlight different sexual identities. Hopefully, in another 10 or 20 years, being able to identify as pansexual (or anything, for that matter) in games may be the norm.
While Mass Effect might not be the most progressive game on the market, it helped me come to terms with my own sexuality and brought an intense feeling of validity into my life. I still get that same feeling while playing the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, and I’m sure others do too.
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