I was originally going to write an open letter to Bioware, but I'm a nobody and they would never have seen it. Instead, I'm going to write a piece about why putting the likeness of Jessica Chobot in Mass Effect 3 is a terrible idea. I know they can't change it now, and I don't expect them to. But, man, what the fudge pop.

Okay, if you haven't seen it Bioware released a new video starring the real world cast behind the in-game characters. The usuals are there, Trisha Helfer, Seth Green, Kieth David, etc. There's one addition, so far, that seems out of place. That person is Jessica Chobot, and her in-game character looks atrocious. The resemblance is close enough to immediately recognize her, but it's so bad that she looks out of place among the rest of the cast. Her face seems saggy, I have a picture.

There are two reasons this is a bad idea.

1: While Joker, Seth Greens in-game character, shares a resemblance, he fits in with the rest of the universe. It isn't a close enough likeness that I'm taken out of the experience. While Jessica doesn't really have a saggy face, her character is immediately recognizable and I'm afraid is going to pull me down from the immersion high I'll be on moments before she enters the room. At least with Joker there's enough of a difference to where I have to stop and think about who he is in real life. With Jessica's, not even a second passes and I know, and the high is gone.

2. Her model looks grossly out of place in the game. There's something about her face that in all honestly frightens me a little. Jessica is a good looking women in real life, in the game I get the sense that she's 30 years older and smoked for as many. Nothing looks right about it.

I wonder who thought it would be a good idea to put her into the game, and why. Were they doing her a solid? Was this done hoping certain outlets might rate the game higher because they see a friends likeness there-in? I mean, I hope no one would do that. If your argument is “Many game industry people are featured in games.” then I have to again ask, why? Especially one that is so well known. Mass Effect is all about immersion, the dialogue system, the way it moves from conversations to action, everything is done to enhance immersion. When the likeness of a familiar face is injected I'm immediately reminded that yes, I am playing a game. All of the work to make me forget that fact is undone.