Anybody else noticed that Mass Effect's sexism is making a great return here?
Bioware advertises romance like it's one of the main features of their games.
Yet, let us compare the gorgeous ladies:
To the male companions:
.....Do I need to add anything else?
This game is pulling a Bound By Flame on us, by making hot female characters and ugly male characters.
Yet a load of people are complaining that Cassandra isn't pretty enough, while there are a metric ton of people who want to romance Varric. Just proves that different people like different things.
I am not a troll. I swear.
This is something that has always bugged me a lot about Bioware games.
Dragon Age: Origins felt like it had the equal share of eyecandy for boys and girls of all sexual preferences.
But personally I always felt Mass Effect was definitely sexist. (Anyway, this is not the Mass Effect forum.)
Now I see the companions of this new game, and.... look at the pictures above. Female companions seem clearly designed with "must look hot" in mind, while male characters are plain ugly or average.
I suppose I'm the only lady in this forum who is bothered by this? Are you fellow ladies eager to date Solas or Varric, while your fellow players can enjoy dating Vivienne or Cassandra?
But despite personal preferences, there is such a thing as objective beauty.
The Penguin from the Batman series has fangirls drooling over him. This does not mean he is an attractive character, or even a character meant to be considered attractive.
People out there can find a Brood Mother sexy, and that would hardly invalidate my argument...
That's Cassi from DA2. In DA:I she's been hit by the ugly stick.
Was Rhemar ugly ? Goto admit I'm not a good judge of beauty in men but here are pics of him and
Group shot.
Rhemar was ok, although something about his face was... meh. As if they intended to make him look like a rugged sexy rogue, but that turned out wrong.
Now compare with the two impossibly attractive ladies (I'll give Bioware this: the ladies of Inquisition are attractive, but still feel realistic and not like a live action anime).
Mmmmh.
This is what happened to Cassy after she was hit with the DA:I ugly stick.
I agree that Vivenne looks like some sort of fashion model, but she's more an exception than a rule.
Mmmh. She's still attractive, but she definitely doesn't have that "superphotoshopped" look that Vivienne has...
Anyway I don't have a big problem with the ladies - they look all good, but except Vivienne, they're somewhat realistic.
I do have a big problem with how the males did not get the same treatment. Seriously, the point is, today I looked at the character list in the wiki for the first time, and I was like.... EEWWW.
But despite personal preferences, there is such a thing as objective beauty.
Lay it out for me, then. If there are fixed international standards for beauty, I'd like to know how I stack up.
I am not a troll. I swear.
Lol your FIRST post on this forum, and it's a thread intended to start some kind of argument? 
Buuuuuuuut to hell with it, I'll bite.
I think in general video games (including previous DA and ME) do tend to churn out attractive women and unattractive men. However I think Inquisition has done a LOVELY job with the companions. Each one, to me, looks very unique, and when you have such a spectrum of people there is bound to be someone for everyone. So to speak.
I find it odd that you only posted two of the male companions. What about Dorian and Cullen? I think they are definitely going to be considered "attractive." Cullen already has a pretty big fanbase.
I think your concerns are valid in general, but I'm not seeing a huge rift between the sexes in Inquisition. 
Do we actually have a decent shot of DA:I Cullen?
Anybody else noticed that Mass Effect's sexism is making a great return here?
Bioware advertises romance like it's one of the main features of their games.
Yet, let us compare the gorgeous ladies:
To the male companions:
.....Do I need to add anything else?
This game is pulling a Bound By Flame on us, by making hot female characters and ugly male characters.
Don't get me wrong. I hate that many of the male characters are bald or hairy. However, there are attractive male companions here, and it's been stated that this game's romances are the largest they've ever done, so we definitely have more than 5 romances. (DAO had 4 romances, and DA2 had 5. Since we have more romances than previous games, then it's safe to say that we have at least AT LEAST 6 romances.)
Attractive Males: (in my opinion)
Cole
Cullen (Though you won't catch me dead romancing him. I kind of hate his guts.)
Dorian (The mustache is a turn off for me, but I can put it aside.)
Well, there are 3 that I'd romance for looks. The Iron Bull I'd romance because it would be the first time a Qunari was romanceable...that is, IF he is a romance.
*shrug*
So far, the only dudes in the main cast of DAI that I don't especially want my characters to bang are Cullen, Solas and Cole. And I may completely change my mind about Solas once we hear more about him. And with Cole it's because he's a spirit with the mind of a child and nononononowrong, whatever he looks like. And I will have one of them bang Cullen anyway, for science completeness.
Varric, Iron Bull, Blackwall, and Dorian? Let me at them! I'd even say that Dorian and Blackwall are rather attractive even by conventional standards.
Lol your FIRST post on this forum, and it's a thread intended to start some kind of argument?
Buuuuuuuut to hell with it, I'll bite.
I think in general video games (including previous DA and ME) do tend to churn out attractive women and unattractive men. However I think Inquisition has done a LOVELY job with the companions. Each one, to me, looks very unique, and when you have such a spectrum of people there is bound to be someone for everyone. So to speak.
I find it odd that you only posted two of the male companions. What about Dorian and Cullen? I think they are definitely going to be considered "attractive." Cullen already has a pretty big fanbase.
I think your concerns are valid in general, but I'm not seeing a huge rift between the sexes in Inquisition.
Well, I have a habit of always pointing out what I do NOT like with a videogame. I think that's what helps the developers; there's no help given in just praising what they already did right.
(Plus, my perceived sexism of Mass Effect is still fresh in my memory, so I really don't want to see it happen anymore.)
I admit. Dorian looks relevant to my interests as he reminds me of Autolycus, and I love Bruce Campbell. I really hope he shares the same personality of Autolycus: then he'd probably become my favorite.
But I am just figuring out who the companions are... had to google Cullen since I didn't see him listed in the wiki. He's not my type but he does look objectively attractive.
I suppose all the focus put on the ugly male companions and the pretty female companions is why I missed those characters...
Am I the only one that finds Solas attractive? Perhaps it's a guy thing. Dunno.
Well, I have a habit of always pointing out what I do NOT like with a videogame. I think that's what helps the developers; there's no help given in just praising what they already did right.
(Plus, my perceived sexism of Mass Effect is still fresh in my memory, so I really don't want to see it happen anymore.)
I admit. Dorian looks relevant to my interests as he reminds me of Autolycus, and I love Bruce Campbell. I really hope he shares the same personality of Autolycus: then he'd probably become my favorite.
But I am just figuring out who the companions are... had to google Cullen since I didn't see him listed in the wiki. He's not my type but he does look objectively attractive.
I suppose all the focus put on the ugly male companions and the pretty female companions is why I missed those characters...
Oh my GOSH I didn't think of Autolycus but now I totally see the resemblance!!! GAAAAHH!! I hope he has a similar personality as well. Or.. well ANY kind of interesting personality, really.
You're right though, for a time a lot of the focus was on gorgeous Cass versus short hairy Varric, but hanging around these forums I've learned that a LOT of people find Varric attractive and Cass not so much.
I'm really optimistic about this game. I think we'll all find someone particularly attractive to romance. 
(Not that physical appearance is most important but yaaaa know. For the purpose of this thread.)
Reminds me of someone but I can't place the name. Was in Rocky Horror Picture Show I think.
I am not a troll. I swear.
This is something that has always bugged me a lot about Bioware games.
Dragon Age: Origins felt like it had the equal share of eyecandy for boys and girls of all sexual preferences.
But personally I always felt Mass Effect was definitely sexist. (Anyway, this is not the Mass Effect forum.)
Now I see the companions of this new game, and.... look at the pictures above. Female companions seem clearly designed with "must look hot" in mind, while male characters are plain ugly or average.
I suppose I'm the only lady in this forum who is bothered by this? Are you fellow ladies eager to date Solas or Varric, while your fellow players can enjoy dating Vivienne or Cassandra?
I have to agree, DAO have perfect balance.
And DAI situation bothered me too, because right now, I can't imagine I could romance bald elf, or dude with mustache. They don't look attractive to me. Varric could be best friend, but can't imagine him as LI, same goes with Iron Bull and Blackwall.
Seems Cullen - is only option because he looks okay compared to others, but I never liked him. Also there is my personal hope that blonde rogue NOT Cole., because if he is Cole means tabu to any romance.
I admit. Dorian looks relevant to my interests as he reminds me of Autolycus, and I love Bruce Campbell. I really hope he shares the same personality of Autolycus: then he'd probably become my favorite.
Reminded me of Lando Calrissian but I get where you are coming from.
Am I the only one that finds Solas attractive? Perhaps it's a guy thing. Dunno.
Nah there's a pretty devoted Solas fan group on here! Acronym BEES or something?? Lots of really fantastic fanart of him as well. I didn't find him attractive but then got swept away on the Solas bandwagon.
I think you may be on to something, though - what (for example) straight men find attractive can often be very different to what straight women find attractive.
Oh my GOSH I didn't think of Autolycus but now I totally see the resemblance!!! GAAAAHH!!
You're right though, for a time a lot of the focus was on gorgeous Cass versus short hairy Varric, but hanging around these forums I've learned that a LOT of people find Varric attractive and Cass not so much.
I'm really optimistic about this game. I think we'll all find someone particularly attractive to romance.
I swear, if Dorian has an Autolycus-like personality, then I don't care if all the other male companions are hideous hairy deformed monsters or something.
Must be a Bioware marketing thing. They focused on the most gorgeous female companion and the first male companion they showed is, well, an hairy dwarf.
Dorian's pretty damn good-looking and he can twirl his moustache at me any time he likes. And I don't usually like facial hair. The power of Dorian's moustache has overcome me!
And Iron Bull is pretty good looking if you like big bull-like men. He's not classically handsome but he does have a good strong face. I certainly like it.
As for Varric, I've been wanting to run my hands through his chest hair since the first time I met him in DA2. Why does he have to be so faithful to Bianca?
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