More Than Skin Deep: The Representation of Disfigurement in Modern Gaming

Here, Gabriele Aroni explores the topic of facial scarring in videogaming, asking if disfigurement can be portrayed positively

 

Videogame protagonists come in all shapes and sizes, from humans and animals, to fantastic beasts and robots. Facial scarring, on the other hand, is more rarely seen, since from a game standpoint, as well as within the framework of disability, it does not necessarily imply an infirmity or a decrease in functions. A scar, as visible as it can be, is difficult to translate into a game function, such as mobility impairment. Videogame characters can become figuratively “disabled” by a reduction of capabilities following a player’s mistake, such as taking damage from an enemy, but there is not a “disability” to overcome when it is related to facial scarring. In fact, completely disfigured characters are often portrayed as villains.

In the role-playing game Mass Effect 2 (BioWare, 2010) the protagonist carries visible scars that affect both the story and the gameplay, albeit in a limited way. The game begins with the protagonist Shepard presumed dead and resurrected thanks to cybernetic implants. These implants carry a visible, glowing mark on Shepard’s face (see image 1). The scars are not disfiguring but definitely noticeable, and most importantly, can be reduced by the player, but only by performing certain actions. These implants, the player will learn, are based on the very same technology of the game’s antagonists, hence the scars are the visual beacons of her/his “corruption” to the enemy’s side. In fact, it is possible to remove the scars by performing certain in-game actions, and removing them will award the player with “paragon points” that will move her/him toward the “good” side. Interestingly, it is still possible to play as a “good” character regardless of the scars, but the link between the presence of facial scars and being a “renegade”, i.e. a “bad” guy, is obvious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another character from Mass Effect 2 worth mentioning is Garrus, who receives a severe facial scar that leaves him disfigured for the rest of the game. However, Garrus is already an alien with an appearance that one would define as monstrous (see image 2). As such, the same scars on a human face would have a considerably different visual effect. If the player decides not to remove the scars, the protagonist and Garrus are shown joking about their respective scarred faces, with a type of humour that is positive, as it removes potential negative associations with disability.

The issue of linking scars to a “good” character still lingers, but the fact that the player can nevertheless play as a heroic character is indeed positive. Moreover, the light, jesting attitude taken towards the issue of the protagonist’s and her/his companion’s scars, while at the same time not making it a stigma or the subject of lengthy discussions, is already a positive direction.

 

Dr Gabriele Aroni is Senior Lecturer in Games Art. With a background in architecture, digital media, and communication, his research focuses on the visual semiotics of digital games. As a burn survivor, he analyses the representation of scarred characters in digital games and how it relates to narrative and gameplay.