BioWare’s upcoming Mass Effect Legendary Edition has taken a fresh look at the trilogy’s gratuitous camera angles focusing on ME2 character Miranda – or more specifically, her bottom – and made some changes.
Speaking to Metro, Legendary Edition project director Mac Walters said that times had moved on since the original games launched, and adjustments had been made to a few things which stood out.
“I do think a lot of things have evolved since [the original games],” Walters said. “I don’t know if I would say we were ultra-concerned about it or anything like that, but there were considerations. Kevin [Meek, environment and character director] actually called out some camera cuts that were just… why was that focusing on Miranda’s butt? So in some cases we said, ‘Okay, we can make a change there.’ “
Other camera changes include some awkward angles for Shepard, which were clearly designed purely with the male Shepard model in mind. From experience, playing these through as female Shepard means she sits there manspreading in a skirt, and it’s just ridiculous and a bit broken to watch.
“A male Shepherd animation would have him sitting with his legs quite wide open with a low camera where, if you were wearing a skirt, it would be a bit unflattering,” Walters continued. “So we can’t necessarily change that animation, but you can raise that camera up slightly to reduce the problem.”
Mass Effect character Miranda is defined her by appearance, and her coming to terms with the fact her DNA was genetically-modified by her father is a major part of her overall character arc. But the trilogy’s writing does a good enough job of tackling this – without players constantly being reminded of her body with camera shots of her catsuit.
For more on Mass Effect Legendary Edition, including our questions to Walters about returning to a franchise many feared might not continue, Eurogamer published its own interview and impressions earlier this week.
