In an interview with CVG, Casey Hudson, the executive producer for the game, implied that the team hasn’t conclusively decided what to do about Tali. Reading his comment one way, it sounds like BioWare has made its decision and is hoping fans like it. Read another, it’s still up in the air. Here’s the full context.
We changed Tali—that was tough because people were very passionate about her. A lot of people want to have her face revealed and obviously people are going to be pissed off either way.
Like “I thought she was going to look beautiful!” or “I thought she was going to be the most hideous thing ever!” So we’ve had a lot of debate over Tali’s face, but that’s the one we kind of dread a lot. We’re always “well, let’s talk about something else for a while!” That’s something we’re going to have to decide.
So it sounds like they’ve made up their minds on her appearance but are still waffling on whether to reveal it. My bet is on beautiful.
One detail is settled: Shepard will have the opportunity to punch a reporter, again.
Mass Effect 3: BioWare on Surprises, Inspiration and Tough Decisions [CVG]
weresmurf
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 8:28 AMYES! AWESOME! THAT’S BRILLIANT! Isocan’twaittopunchthatbitchoutagain…
ZenMarx
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 8:31 AMMy guess is she’s going to look a bit like Merill from Dragon Age 2… that’s kinda how I picture her, anyway… although hideously ugly Tali would be pretty funny.
And it wouldn’t be Mass Effect if you couldn’t punch a reporter!
Steve0410
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 3:40 PMI would laugh if they pulled off the mask and underneath she has a Predator face.
“You’re one ugly motherfucker”
Quirkhall
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 9:15 AMConsidering that the entire furrie base has the hots for Tali, my guess is they’ll make her look like a very attractive human with animal features.
Steve0410
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 3:36 PMPretty much this. I loved Mass Effect as much as the next man and picked the first game way back when, back before it became the phenomenon it is.. but Mass Effect has the creepiest fringe fanbase.
Just checking out the official BioWare forum is a den of horror that approaches Deviantart.
Wrex
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 9:35 PMIt can be rabid, occasionally.
Especially devotees of one particular character or another.
thaum
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 9:36 AMGoddamn Talimancers.
miniluv101
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 10:03 AMI think she’s dead already :( Guess I didn’t do enough probing.
warcroft
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 10:23 AMGuarantee it will be the stereotypical hot chick unmasking.
Eg: Metroid.
Awnshegh
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 10:40 AMShe’s a grey – The Quarian’s are all greys and they’re really hiding their faces because they know what they did to me *sniff*
Nath
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 10:44 AMMan! I deliberately romanced Tali in ME2 JUST so I could see her face. I was bitterly disappointed. She went to so much effort to, *cough*, prepare herself for Shep.
Uncle Avvy
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 10:44 AMI’ve got my fingers crossed on a lizard like face (and yes, Talimancer here!)
Maybe like a sexy Voldemort… (hah, something I never thought I’d write…)
Cannon de Rosnay
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 10:58 AMOr they could just take the easy way out, and not show anything. Then try to push it onto the audience that they’re supposed to use their own imaginations to come up with the Tali face of their liking.
People will get angry, but at least their image of Tali being beautiful/ugly/furry/elven/whateverthehellyouconjureup will be intact and BioWare can’t be accused of only appeasing one group of Tali fans.
Doraiya
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 11:02 AMI’d prefer to leave her unmasked. Keeps the whole fanbase speculating and ultimately becomes one of those features that you love or hate.
I personally fall in to the former.
James Mac
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 12:55 PMOr, masked… maybe?
Azza
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 12:18 PMAnyone else not win her mission as you decided to tell the others of her race what her dad was up to?
Screw that bitch if she can’t act like a grownup and see the sense in what I did.
Supersumthing
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 12:29 PMIt’s like master chief some people will want to and some people never want it to happen what ever they do some one will be upset
Underworld
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 12:42 PMTali is my favorite character. I think I would like to see what she looks like but I’m fine if they don’t. She’s the best eitherway. Love her :)
Don Danbury
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 12:55 PMmass effect is a game of choices, why not let the player decide if we see her face or not?
James Mac
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 12:58 PMI never understood the obsession with Tali.
If it wasn’t for Jack, she’d be my least favourite squadmate…
Steve0410
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 3:38 PMGamers love demure nerdy, unassuming characters and would write 10,000 word fanfiction for it. Just take a look at the Merrill crowd.
Chrissomerry
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 8:12 PMBecause she’s a likeable character. But I’ve only played, like, half of ME1, so I had no idea you could try and get in her pants in ME2. That to me is a little too far. She was a cool character, not THAT cool though.
MrBS
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 1:11 PMShepard.
Sheppard
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 2:04 PMWrex.
Wrex
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 8:50 PMShepard.
Arcane Azmadi
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 1:31 PMIt’s one of those situations where they just can’t win. One of the reasons people like Tali so much is BECAUSE they don’t know what she looks like. Attractive, ugly or plain, no matter what she looked like revealing her face would piss off a HUGE portion of the fanbase. They’re probably not going to do it at all.
Cody
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 2:44 PMThe weird thing is, if you’ve ever looked, she actually has 3 things like super long finger claws thing. I dated her in the game because of her personality, but in retrospect she’d be rather grotesque underneath.
Lillee
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 5:06 PMI hope they don’t, your imagination is the most powerful Aphrodisiac
Femto
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 5:10 PMMy bet is on attractive grey skined woman with glowing eyes. You can see an outline of her face under her mask in ME2.
WiseHacker
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 5:44 PMI’m thinking more of Garrus’ response.
Shepard: “Garrus! Come and look! Tali has her mask off!”
Garrus: “Can it wait a moment? I’m busy with these calibrations.”
Old joke, I know – but it was bound to happen.
Dunnowhathuh
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 6:51 PMMy Shepard banged Tali. It’s going to be somewhat awkward if she is hideous (yeh, I’m a shallow asshole).
JimmyJoeJoe
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 6:57 PMUnder the mask will be another mask.
FACT.