8. Stronger Romance
This is something that just about all video games struggle with, even those games like GTA and indeed, Mass Effect, which are frequently lauded for their writing. The romantic exchanges in the games - which have been oddly controversial in the media for their depiction of human-alien sexual liaisons - are really quite reductive, hinging on getting brief dialogue wheel sections correct, and essentially, telling the prospective partner what they want to hear. Now, while we're not saying we want 10 hours of the game devoted to the courtship of our mate, something a little more substantial and less insulting to our intelligence would go a long way; the current method is precisely why I never invest any time or effort in romantic elements of video games, unless the game forces me to. Simply, there is no chemistry, no allure, nothing that seems remotely real about the romances in the Mass Effect games. Given how "progressive" BioWare have been by allowing homosexuality in their games, the writing still feels curiously stuck in the past; give us a strong-minded independent woman who is going to challenge our protagonist rather than end up just capitulating.