Mass Effect 3 players have found a new reason to be upset with BioWare over the third installment to the franchise. Without spoiling too much just yet, fans are upset over BioWare's use of a stock image to portray the looks of one of the game's big character reveals.
Warning potential spoilers ahead.
In Mass Effect 3, players have an opportunity to find out what the Tali looks like without her signature mask on via an in-game photo. Tali has appeared in both previous Mass Effect games, but this is the first time fans can she what she looks like without the mask; apparently, it's not what they hoped for.
What they got, instead, was a stock image by photographer Matthew Leete, which is freely available for commercial use to anybody with a Getty Images account.
[via Destructoid]
The Mass Effect fanbase seems pretty split between those offended by BioWare's decision to not hire a model for the part, and others who understand it was most likely cheaper to just use a stock image. Some are just calling BioWare's decision a result of lazyness from the developers. While I recognize fans' disappointment to BioWare's decision, I'm not so sure it's as bad as fans are making it out to be.
It seems the reaction is just the final straw for many of franchise's fans fed up by how BioWare has handled ending of Shepard's trilogy. Up to now, BioWare has built Mass Effect up to the point that no matter what they did, it would be met with criticism.
BioWare is no stranger to fan overreaction or online hatred. The company made headlines when they decided to include G4TV's Jessica Chobot in the game. Of course, fans are also upset that their beloved game was "tarnished" with the inclusion of co-op multiplayer. Fans have expressed their outrage via Metacritic by scoring the game extremely low.
What do you guys think? Are Mass Effect 3 fans justified in being upset with BioWare's use of a stock image?
