A missile to the face: scarred characters in Mass Effect 2

Aroni, Gabriele ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1343-613X (2023) A missile to the face: scarred characters in Mass Effect 2. In: Gaming Disability: disability perspectives on contemporary video games. Routledge Research in Disability and Media Studies . Routledge, London, pp. 81-91. ISBN 9781032372853 (paperback); 9780367357146 (hardback); 9780367357153 (ebook)

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Abstract

This chapter explores the depiction of scarred characters in Mass Effect 2 (BioWare 2010), and examines how it relates to the narrative and the interactivity of the game. Digital games provide a rare imaginary space where a surprising number of characters have or receive scarring, opening potential to impact the image of scarred bodies in society – and by the scarred themselves. This chapter investigates to what extent interactivity enables players to identify with characters in role playing digital games and how this can be beneficial to both their self-image and the public perception of scarred people.