Review - Mass Effect 2

Platform: Xbox 360
Spoiler Danger: Low

The Good:
+ Great characters
+ Much improved combat
+ No more texture pop in


The Bad:
- Some RPG elements were cut
- Not as much focus on the overarching story

Shepard's Death and Other Mass Effect 2 News

In his blog over at IGN, Bioware's Casey Shepard announced that it will be your decisions throughout the game that determine whether the protagonist you've created will live or die. From the blog:

When we say that Shepard can die in Mass Effect 2, it’s not something that happens at points in the middle of the game. Yes, you can “die” in gameplay as normal but that’s not what we’re talking about here. It’s not a “Game Over” screen. It’s not a gimmicky thing where you make a choice, “die”, and reload to continue to the “real” ending. When you get to the very end of the story in Mass Effect 2, you will get one of a wide variety of climactic and satisfying endings. Depending on how prepared you were, your ending may involve Shepard making the ultimate sacrifice to accomplish the mission.

What that means: if your choices cause Shepard to die in Mass Effect 2, you will not be able to play as Shepard in Mass Effect 3.

Casey goes on:

If you do die in the ending of Mass Effect 2, it will not come as a surprise, nor will it be random. It will be pretty obvious that you headed into the final mission knowing that Shepard probably wouldn’t make it out alive. Throughout the middle of the game you are building up information, resources, a team, and a ship that will be able to do the job, and although you can jump straight to the final mission at a certain point, you’ll have a good feel for whether you’re likely to survive it.

Part of what makes the final mission dangerous in a more profound way is that each squad member could potentially die a real, story-based death during that mission as well. You might have an ending where Shepard’s entire team survives, or where the entire mission is a bloodbath and everyone (including Shepard) is killed, or anything in between. And for all characters, death in Mass Effect 2 means they won’t show up in Mass Effect 3.

One big reason you’ll want to be alive after the ending is that after the credits roll, you are returned to the game world - ready to head back out for more adventure. You can complete unfinished missions, explore the galaxy, and download new adventures to play. But Mass Effect is a trilogy about Commander Shepard’s journey - if your Shepard dies in the end of Mass Effect 2, that’s the end of him / her. In that case, you can play Mass Effect 3 as “a” Shepard – just not “your” Shepard. As in real life, not being able to keep living is really the main down-side of death. So if you care about playing the next game with your character, make sure you survive this one.

Wow. That's just ridiculous. I am quite seriously drooling in anticipation of this one. Casey goes on to give some more details of what exactly is carried over from Mass Effect into the sequel if you have a save game to import. He has confirmed that all choices you made in the first game will be imported to the second game and may have an impact on the events of the sequel. He has also confirmed that skills and items in ME2 have been completely redone from ME, so the import will "adapt the key assets of your character" without necessarily bringing the exact skill points and level over.

The primary party members from ME (Liara, Ashley, Kaiden, Wrex, and Garrus) will return to ME2 assuming you did not allow them to die in ME. Not all will be able to join your squad for ME2.

We also have some more information about the potentially really sweet interrupt actions. Watching Shepard push the guard out the window in the demo was really sweet, and this promises to be one of many such moments throughout the game.

Interrupts are not meant to be “quick time events”. They are additional options that can appear throughout an NPC’s line that allow you to take a more physical action versus one of the verbal responses. You don’t need to fixate on a part of the screen – a flashing icon will catch your attention in your peripheral vision when it is available. A red icon on the left of the conversation wheel means you can pull the left trigger to fire a hostile interrupt. A blue one on the right side means you can pull the right trigger to do a heroic interrupt. This system allows you to really throw your weight around and get involved in more dynamic interactions with other characters.

And finally, Casey gives us some more juicy tidbits about the improved combat system. I loved the combat engine from the first game - it was fun, intense, and full of strategic options. But this one looks to push all those bars to new and exciting levels.

We’ve made a bunch of changes that add up to the ability to fight without pausing. But you can still hold the powers screen up to pause the action and plan your next moves. One of the biggest improvements was the option to fire your powers in realtime by mapping your favorite ones to buttons – this is a lot of fun and really unlocks the real potential of the combat system. The other big improvement was separate, context-based squad commands on the d-pad. So with a single press of the d-pad you can send a specific squad member to exactly where you want him / her, or to hit an enemy with a special power. This means you can run around with the best powers of your team right at your fingertips and enjoy realtime tactical mayhem – or you can pause with the powers screen to really think about what you want to do next.

Color me excited for this game. It's easily the thing I'm anticipating the most for the new year.

More Video Game Joy

While we have to wait for next year for Mass Effect 2, there are several other HUGE video games getting released this fall. First up is Modern Warfare 2, the sequel to the best selling shooter of all time. It certainly ranks as the best first person shooter in my book. The epic moments are unparalleled in gaming history. And MW2 promises to show us even more. It's developed by the same folks who started the Call of Duty franchise and did the original Modern Warfare game, Infinity Ward. Speaking of Call of Duty, the franchise used to be good... that is until certain other developers started making the games and adding Nazi zombies and other junk. Anyway, Infinity Ward seems to have moved completely to the far superior Modern Warfare franchise. Check out the demo of the game. Keep in mind that all of this is in-game footage and it's all player controlled. These are not cut scenes. This game can't come fast enough.

Modern Warfare 2 at IGN.com

Second up is the other BioWare game called Dragon Age: Origins. Unlike the other Origins we've experienced this year (*cough* Wolverine *cough*), this, I can almost guarantee you, will be great. I mean, come on, it's BioWare!! They're the same folks who make Mass Effect! Check out the trailer here too.

More Dragon Age: Origins Info

While we're at the video game trailers thing, check out Assassin's Creed 2, which takes place during the Italian Renaissance.

Assassin's Creed II at IGN.com

Oh, and I stumbled across these direct feeds of the Mass Effect 2 demo. Revel in their glory. Note the detailed lighting and better graphics. Smooth framerates. Evolved score. Good god, I cannot wait for this game. Drooooooool.

More Mass Effect 2 News & Previews

Mass Effect 2 at IGN.com

More Mass Effect 2 Info

More Mass Effect 2 News & Previews

Mass Effect 2 at IGN.com

I would like to end this blog by expressing my undying love for BioWare and the amazing games they produce. :-)

Juicy Details from Mass Effect 2

With E3 coming to a close today, I've had a chance to look back on it and find the things I am most excited about. And the thing I am most excited about... three words. 

Mass. Effect. Two.

Holy cow the details came pouring out of E3 over the last couple of days. Additionally, OXM ran a very detailed report prior to E3, giving us tons of new details. Shepard's not dead, at least, in the beginning of the game he's alive. Sigh of relief. I started playing Mass Effect again last night, a new game plus with my level 52 Vanguard. I almost forgot how easy it is to get swept away by the game's deftly executed story and the deep and engaging characters. I don't think that one will be leaving my XBox until I beat it again. 

The best character in the game is, of course, Commander Shepard. He is whoever you make him, and that, combined with the sheer intensity of the story, make him into a character you care about. He is, after all, YOU in game form. So the idea that he may end up dead... well, it's a little startling. 

Anyway, Bioware told OXM that the Geth shown in the teaser trailer (you know, the one that looks like it's wearing Shepard's armor) is actually a character in the game, one that we as the audience are going to empathize with a great deal. so does that mean...

Could Shepard be turned into a Geth? A little out there, but it might be feasible. Only time will tell.

Also confirmed is that the decisions you made in the first game will impact the second game. Nobody's sure if every decision will matter. But if you killed Wrex, expect him to remain dead when you continue into Mass Effect 2. If you allowed the Council to die, then they will remain dead, and whatever form of government you allowed to be established at the end of the game will be in place (or in the process of being created) when you begin Mass Effect 2. Also, the choices that you make in this game - supposedly darker and more impacting - will continue to shape how the game plays. Bioware says that the decisions you make in ME2 will directly impact how the game plays, there will be more deaths, and the choices will be much harder with more serious consequences. I don't know about you, but the decision to let the Council die when I was playing as a Renegade was tough. It was hard to let them die, because the characters were so real, it was like making a decision to let somebody actually die. If the choices are darker in the sequel, I may not be able to continue on with my Renegade.

Bioware has not confirmed how your character's level and skills will transfer over, if they do at all. I'd be a little disappointed if all the time I will take to get my Vanguard up to level 60 goes to waste, but given the already huge complexity of the game, it wouldn't be that big of a deal to me. I know many people who would be just up in arms about it though. 

The story, as we know it so far, revolves around the mysterious disappearance of several human colonies. Shepard takes on a mission to investigate it, a mission headed by Cerberus. The mission is considered a suicide mission, but we as players, will surely find a way to survive... right?

I am ready for this game. 

The game is slated for release in early 2010, and it truly can't get here fast enough. Here's a trailer with which to bide our time, courtesy of the folks over at IGN. Play it hi-res if at all possible. 

More Mass Effect 2 News & Previews

Video Game News Galore!

Just in! There's a new Mass Effect 2 trailer (choose the bottom right option, then select the video that shows the guy (not the robot)) posted to Bioware's site. Check this bad boy out, because there are some juicy new details about the game in here. They're still hinting at the possibility that Shephard is dead, but they have confirmed that certain actions in the first game will ahve effects on the second.

New video for Modern Warfare 2 has been added recently - it's a commercial for basketball that airs on TNT. Yes, it's a commercial for basketball, but there's some actual gameplay footage included.

SPECIAL BONUS VIDEO

I love this song (NOT censored, so perhaps NSFW).

Never thought I'd see the day
Big boat coming my way
Believe me when I say
I f------ a mermaid!

Video Games of 2009

My last post was about movies that are coming out soon, today I'm talking video games. It looks to be a good year for the video games - heck, it already has been a great year with Resident Evil 5 still sitting in my 360. Let's take a look (in no particular order).

• Halo 3: ODST - It's Halo, what else do I need to say? Plus, unlike Halo Wars, it is being scored by Marty O'Donnell, the genius behind the soundtracks from the Halo Trilogy.
  
  
  
  
• Prototype - Sandbox world with a main character who can't remember his past and can run as fast as a car on the freeway. What's not to love?
• Wolfenstein - My personal favorite Nazi zombie shooter is back for the first time since the original XBox. That was a masterpiece, so I can't wait to see what this holds.
• Dragon Age: Origins - One of my favorite game developers of all time (BioWare) brings some fantasy RPG style to the 360. BioWare also made my until-recently-favorite game on the 360, Mass Effect, so I have nothing but lofty expectations for this game.
• Batman: Arkham Asylum - It's Batman, it's the Joker, it's intensity in a game. This is being touted as being a superhero game unlike any we've ever played, so it's a shoo-in for this list.
• Bioshock 2 - Bioshock ranks as the second best FPS on the 360. It had one hell of a twisted story and depraved characters, and it all built up to one of the most jaw-dropping revelations in video game history. I expect nothing less from Bioshock 2. 
  
  
  
  
• Mass Effect 2 - Though this isn't slated for release until early 2010 (which probably means Christmas 2010), it still makes the list. As the sequel to my second favorite 360 game, there is nothing that will come between me and owning this game on midnight whichever day it ends up coming out. Just from the teaser trailer, I guarantee you this game will be EPIC!!!
• Modern Warfare 2 - This game seems to be ditching the Call of Duty moniker for just Modern Warfare. That's fitting considering the less-than-cool direction CoD 5 took. Call of Duty 4 is the best FPS I have ever played - it included some of the most gripping cinematic moments (yes, better than Bioshock's) in the history of video games. The story was great, the action was heart pumping and white knuckled... but there were these moments in the game that dragged you to the edge of your seat with bug eyes and no conscious awareness of anything else going on around you that made the game something special. The level Shock and Awe will live forever in my memory as the single most startling and one of the most heart-wrenching scenes to cross the pixels of my TV. Can the sequel be better? This game is being developed by Infinity Ward, the same company behind CoD4 (though not the same one that brutalized CoD5), so I believe it can.
  
  
  
  
• I Am Alive - Very little is known about this game, but check out the coverage - it looks like it's got plenty of potential.
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction - This has been on Ubisoft's plate for quite a while. I wasn't the biggest fan of the previous Splinter Cell games, but this one looks entertaining. 
• Tekken 6 - My favorite fighting game franchise is no longer a PS exclusive, and I couldn't be happier. Thoughts of beating face with King in glorious HD have me all giddy in anticipation of this release.
• Assassin's Creed 2 - Yet another Ubisoft title, the original game made me love platforming like Prince of Persia just never could. The story was topsy-turvey, and the end left me scooping my jaw off the floor. I can not wait until the sequel to show me what happened after the earth-shattering end to the first one. 
• Borderlands - This looks to be an entertaining FPS RPG (two of my favorite genres, mixed!). There are a rumored 650,000 weapons in this game!! WOW! Plus, add in my new favorite video game feature - cooperative play - and you have the makings of a winner.
• Alpha Protocol - This game is loosely defined as an action espionage RPG. Seems to be in the same vein as Mass Effect, but the previews indicate there will be tougher choices with more impact. Seems like my kind of game.
  
  
  
  
• The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf - The Witcher, an action RPG, was a smash hit on the PC, and the developers are talking about a brand new combat engine specifically designed for the console. This could be really good.
• Alan Wake - I have a friend who's been hyping the crap outta this game since he first heard of it. He's convinced that this will finally be the game to justify that 360 purchase he made. To that, I say, "Play Resident Evil 5", but this looks pretty darned good too.
• Splatterhouse - The return of one of the most blood-tastic games ever made. This time it comes in splashy HD. Should be fun.
• Aliens: Colonial Marines - This game is based off the Alien movie franchise. That means it could be either really great or it could suck some major butt. 
• Halo 3: Mythic Map Pack - It's not a game, but it IS more maps for Halo 3. What more do I need?

Mass Effect 2 Trailer

Here it is, in all its glory. The teaser trailer for Mass Effect 2. Bioware still has not posted embeddable code on their site yet, so I ganked this from YouTube. Enjoy.

Dead... WHAT?

Bioware recently released the new Mass Effect 2 trailer. 

WOW!!! 

In exactly 60 seconds, BioWare takes all the work we gamers did in the original Mass Effect and completely turns it on it's head. Commander Shepard... dead? KIA? Is that even possible? The character I created and shaped for hours upon hours... dead? I'll hope that does not come to pass. They showed a Geth wearing the iconic Spectre armor. Horrifying... truly horrifying.

For those of you not familiar with my various rantings, I think Mass Effect is the best RPG on XBox 360, bar none. The gameplay is ferocious fun, the dialog system is fantastic, the story is epic goodness, and the character development is extraordinary, espeically for a not-Japanese RPG (well, even those have faltered recently, but eh). Those bits keep me playing that game to this day, exploring the various character types and skill sets. The way things change as you begin to reveal the true tone of the main character, or you essentially is just jaw-dropping at times, particularly at the end. And then there's this... a Geth wearing your armor... it's almost beyond comprehension. 

After the release of the trailer, BioWare's forums literally exploded with fans reacting to the 60 second trailer. How awesome is it that a game experience can be so engaging that the killing off of a character can inspire such a reaction? This is akin to the death of Aerith (for those of you familiar with Final Fantasy VII).

Check out the reactions over in the forums. I'll post the video here once Bioware makes the code available tomorrow (EDIT: Bioware still ahs not made the code available. It says: "Available February 24, 2009". Humbug on lateness).

*EDIT* I forgot to mention that Chris Priestly (the Community Coordinator over on the ME forums) posted the following in response to some of the reaction: "The trailer TELLS you nothing. It hints at a few things, but that is it. As we've said elsewhere, don't delete your saves."

This hints that ME2 will pick up where ME left off, with all your previous choices intact, so you can continue to grow your character and expand his personality. Commander Brian Shepard must be alive! :-)