ABSTRACT
Interactive game design prioritizes choices that are tough and balanced, where most players will feel genuinely conflicted. Emotional responses are ambient and often passive—players feel a when Link lifts a new item aloft and a sense of embarrassment or frustration when he falls in battle. Agency over the character's actions fosters an emotional connection, even if there is no formal way to express it. The original Mass Effect trilogy was careful to reinforce its main character's agency and competence throughout the game. Interactions between gameplay and narrative suggest that choices represent the options the main character is considering, and the player expresses agency by selecting one. Romantic partners are the emotional lodestone that guides the player's engagement. Whether the player attributes their preferences and choices to themselves or to Link varies, both from person to person and moment to moment.
