Mass Effect is so full of great romance options that basically made Bioware into an RPG powerhouse. But according to one of the series' original writers, even he was surprised that some folks would choose to romance a different species than Shepard.
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According to Mass Effect writer Drew Karpyshyn, he was shocked that fans of the series basically fell head over heels for Garrus and Tali Zorah - two romanceable aliens in the original trilogy. As reported by Kotaku, Karpyshyn revisited his thoughts on people romancing these two characters in a Reddit Q&A promoting his newest novel, Time Kings Of Las Vegas.
One user asked the former Bioware writer about Garrus and Tali, with him revealing that romancing the two of them reportedly wasn't always the plan. He said that Garrus and Tali have always been viewed by the development team as returning companion members, but not as romance options.
Karpyshyn was sort of accepting that people would fall for Tali, though. He said that while players technically never see her face, it was still easy to imagine something human in her despite her obviously alien-looking legs.
But the reception to Garrus was the one that "blindsided" him, since he didn't look human at all. But as soon as he and the team saw fans swoon over the Turian badass, they eventually decided to give them what they want by the time Mass Effect 2 rolled around.
Either way, it's universally accepted by fans of the original trilogy that Garrus and Tali (Liara should arguably be in the picture) are two of the best romance options and companions in the franchise. Perhaps they'd even argue that they're two of the best romance options in any game ever, Bioware-made or otherwise.
As for those who ship Garrus and FemShep/Tali and BroShep so hard they'd want them to have kids, they really can't - at least according to current Bioware decisions, says Karpyshyn (via PC Gamer). So don't go expecting a Turian-Human hybrid baby anytime soon, though you'd definitely see an Asari have a baby with a human.
Read also: God Of War Guide: How To Beat All Valkyries
Moving Forward With Mass Effect
Look, we know you love your Garrus and Tali. But judging by how the series' story would continue in the next game, you're probably never going to see them again. Probably.
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If (and only if) ME 4 is set many, many years after the original trilogy, there's a chance that Garrus, Tali, and all other squadmates that aren't Asari or Krogan will have already been dead by then. Only Liara, Wrex, and Grunt would be alive even just around a hundred years after Mass Effect 3 - though Wrex will be quite old and close to dying anyway.
But whatever happens to the story and your prior romance options, it looks like the narrative is in good hands. As we reported here earlier this month, award-winning Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy writer and Eidos Montreal veteran Mary DeMarle will lead the story development of Mass Effect 4.
Related: How To Save Mordin In Mass Effect 3