Mass Effect 2 « Riddlethos

The Vetoed Picks – Ethos: Jack

Monday, July 26th, 2010

During the process of creating these Top Five lists, Riddles and I ran into a number of disagreements. Some of them so great that we decided that we’d both be allowed a single veto. Because there was more debate on the female side of things, we each vetoed a female pick of the other’s. But we also decided that we’d get a shot to defend the one we wanted to make the list so bad. So here goes.

Jack is sexy. Riddles is quick to call any woman with a tough shell a bitch…which is especially funny because if Oliver were a woman, he’d be exactly like that. Anyway, Jack definitely can be rude and rough around the edges, but she’s smart, honest, and doesn’t bullshit. I respect that. She went through an insane childhood, raised in a testing facility and referred to as “Subject Zero”. When she finally escaped, she went on a rampage, joining cults, killing people, and desperately trying to find herself.

Sure, all the murder and crazy biotic powers make her a little scary, but she grows to trust Shepard; a very rare thing for Jack to do. It’s once this happens that Jack shows that she hasn’t just turned into a killing machine. She never turns into that scared little girl who just needs a friend, but she is able to speak freely of her vulnerabilities and own them while making it clear that she has no problem blasting somebody’s face off if she has a reason to.

But Jack is not just sexy in her confident, quick, and no bullshit attitude. She’s also tattooed from head to toe, which excuses the fact that’s she’s practically naked – the tats basically look like clothing – she shaves her head, and as mentioned before, is a powerful biotic badass. Not to mention she’s got the brooding loner thing going for her. She’s a sexy chick, and Riddles is crazy to use his veto in this case.

But then I should know that he’s crazy, just wait ’till you see the complete shit he wanted to drag into our list. I had to let Samus fly because I had no choice but to place my veto on his insane opinion. Sorry for the spoilers, but I look forward to seeing Riddles fly off the handle because I’m bashing his dear Shelob.

Tags: Jack, Mass Effect 2, The Vetoed Picks
Posted in Sexy Summer Week

Hey! Look! Listen! #54

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Oh, hey! It’s this column!

I know I only missed a week, but it feels… longer. But, then again, last week felt like it lasted for 327 years, so that might be why. In any case, I’m back, and sincerely happy to be here. I have seen the world outside, and it’s a far less pleasant place than Riddlethos.

Generally speaking.

I actually *don’t* have Alan Wake at this exact moment, but that’s only because I rushed home to begin work on this very article. Still grabbing it tonight, and I’ll have impressions up by tomorrow evening at the latest. Or, if I’m feeling crazy enough, tonight. (Don’t count on that one, though. Just throwing it out there. To torture you.)

Final Fantasy XIII Sells 5.5 Million, Square Enix Has Record Year

I didn’t realize until now, but during its 2009-2010 fiscal year, Square Enix released a numbered Dragon Quest, a numbered Final Fantasy, and two Kingdom Hearts games. The result? Money, and lots of it.

In an earnings report today, Square Enix announced that their games division had seen a 128.4 % increase in sales over the previous year, to 109,949 million yen. Operating income went up 254% over the previous year to 23,814 million yen. All considered, it’s the best fiscal year they’ve had since the Square and Enix merger in 2003.

Impressive, eh? You can thank Final Fantasy XIII, sad as that is to say. It’s sold a combined 5.55 million units since its release in Japan last year. Perhaps even more absurd, though, is the four million strong that Dragon Quest IX pushed – seeing that it was only released in Japan.

So, despite the apparent loss of their ability to make good RPGs, Square Enix isn’t going anywhere. And that’s all I’m really taking away from this. (IGN)

Square Enix “Looking Into” Releasing Vs. XIII on 360

Totally called this. Not that it’s much of a “call” these days. Publishers tend to release games on multiple platforms. It makes sense, and it’s not as difficult to do as it (apparently) once was.

During an investor meeting, in which financial matters (such as those in the story above) were being discussed, Square Enix’s president Yoichi Wada had this to say concerning Final Fantasy Vs. XIII’s multiplatform-ness:

“We’ll be looking into it internally until right before the formal announcement.”

Looking into it. Alrighty then. You know what I’d like to see, now that I think about it? A breakdown of how many copies that Final Fantasy XIII sold on the 360. I have a feeling that, if I could see one, I might be able to predict their decision. (VG247)

Aggregate Ranking Roundup: Alan Wake, Prince of Persia, Red Dead Redemption

As you’ve likely gathered, it’s Alan Wake Week here at Riddlethos. But, Alan wasn’t the only contender for the “honor” – a certain Prince and an assortment of outlaws from the Old West made fine arguments in their favor. Now that the week is here, how exactly are the three games faring in the critical realm?

Sitting comfortably on the first place position is Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption. It’s currently holding down a 95.79% aggregate score on GameRankings. (It’s worth noting, I suppose, that the PS3 version only has a 93.36%). Impressive. Most impressive. Only based on twelve reviews at this point, but still. Maybe we should have made this Red Dead Week. Oh well.

Coming in at number two is our very own Alan Wake, with an aggregate score of 84.40% And that’s based on 40 reviews. Solid. Quite solid. I’m excited to judge for myself.

And, at number three, everyone’s favorite Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands with a 76.00%. That’s only based on five reviews, yes, but… disappointing? The reviews are actually largely positive. But, frankly, when I play Prince of Persia, I’m expecting a masterpiece. Then again, after 2008’s rather underwhelming reboot, maybe I… shouldn’t. Ah well. I’ll buy it and play for myself eventually; frankly, I’m hoping it drops in price as quickly as the last game did.

Aw, C’mon: Mass Effect 2’s Mining Streamlined

I didn’t do a whole lot of mining in Mass Effect 2, which I know did me no favors. (You gotta do it if you want to get higher-level weapon upgrades.) However, the reason I didn’t do much mining in Mass Effect 2 is because it was slow. Very. Very. Slow. It was actually kinda fun in an odd way, but god damn… was it ever slow.

Anyway. I think you catch my drift. The reason I’m writing this story is because BioWare released a patch for the 360 version of Mass Effect 2 (PC patch coming soon, supposedly) that addresses this exact issue. And according to Gaming Today’s Phil Owen, “The scanner now moves very quickly, and the scanner itself is much larger… talk about streamlining.”

Well fuck. That would have been nice four months ago, BioWare. Then, maybe then, I could have acquired that awesome [insert high level something or other here] that I always fucking wanted. (Gaming Today)

Oh, For Fuck’s Sake: Nintendo Attempting to Make New Zelda “Easier to Play”

I haven’t been reminded of this fact terribly often lately, but it remains: I hate, hate, hate, hate Nintendo. So much. So much. So. Much. It started with childish gimmicks like motion controls. Then it was instructional DVDs teaching us how to play games. And now? Well, now they’re taking my once-favorite franchise of all time and… doing god-knows-what. Whatever it is, it can’t be good.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the man who created Zelda, was recently speaking with a German gaming site Gaming Media about the illustrious, unreleased Zelda title for the Wii. (1UP transcribes). During said interview, he claimed that Nintendo was “creating a new way to play the game.” Excitement? No. Definitely not excitement. Why? Here’s why:

“We are trying to make Zelda, which has become very complicated, easier to play.”

Complicated? Complicated?! Complicated?!

Pardon me while my mind explodes.

Ahh, that’s better.

Okay, maybe I’m thinking of the wrong Zelda here. You know, the fucking bread-and-butter of action-adventure games? Crawl dungeons, fight baddies solve puzzles? Again: bread-and-butter. BREAD AND FUCKING BUTTER.

BREAD AND BUTTER IS NOT COMPLICATED.

Oh man. I just… have no words. Link… what are they doing to you over there?

It’s just… I have these awful mental images of everyone’s favorite Hero of Time being chronically sodomized by grinning, aging Japanese businessmen. For a while, I imagined Miyamoto merely sitting on the sidelines and watching; perhaps with a sort of subdued distaste. But now? Well, now’s he’s part of the action. And I just can’t handle that.

…and now that I have concluded the most disgusting tangent ever written on Riddlethos.com, I will take my leave. Goodnight, everyone. Enjoy the mental imagery.

Tags: Disgusting Mental Imagery, Final Fantasy Vs. XIII, Final Fantasy XIII, Hey! Look! Listen!, Mass Effect 2, Nintendo's Downward Spiral, Red Dead Redemption, Square Enix, The Legend of Zelda
Posted in Alan Wake Week, Hey! Look! Listen!

Mass Effect 2 Second Opinion – The Choice is Yours, Shepard

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Mass-Effect-2-Boxart Mass Effect 2 is the best RPG I’ve played in years, full stop. It’s also one of the most improved sequels I’ve ever played. With Mass Effect 2, BioWare has addressed the original game’s weaknesses, and produced an incredibly well-written, cinematic thrillride that improves upon its predecessor in every way.

Speaking personally, my main complaint with the original was its dull, slow-paced plot. The writing was fantastic, and the amount of backstory provided about the massive universe was staggering; but the main plot almost became buried beneath this deluge of exposition.

In Mass Effect 2, the stops are immediately pulled. The game kicks off with Shepard’s beloved ship Normandy exploding. I won’t spoil more, but suffice to say, things get pretty crazy. Like Empire Strikes Back, Mass Effect 2 takes on a much darker, more desperate tone the the original, right from the start.

And, seeing that Empire Strikes Back is my second favorite Star Wars movie, I consider that a compliment. In Mass Effect 2 the stakes are higher, the decisions are heavier, and the ramifications are dire – people often live or die on your whim. Mass Effect 2 is a far more intense, involved, and well-paced experience than the original was.

Not only that, Mass Effect 2 plays a hell of a lot better than the original as well. Gone is the ridiculously contrived “overheat” system, replaced with a fairly typical ammo system. The gunplay adopts a more cover-oriented approach, and as result, ends up feeling slightly Gears of War-ish. This isn’t a bad thing, though – combat is much faster and more enjoyable in Mass Effect 2.

Oh, and I feel compelled to point out: the exclusion of the awful dune buggy that occasionally forced itself upon you in the original game was a good decision. That is to say: the dune buggy sucked ass. A break from the usual gameplay, yes, but a shitty break. It is not missed in Mass Effect 2.

This dude is my fave.

But the most impressive thing about Mass Effect 2 is how flawlessly it maintains the richness and believability of its universe. After importing my save from Mass Effect 1, I soon found out that decisions I had made in the original game would have ramifications now. Also, I was impressed to see that concepts only touched on in the original – such as the Krogan genophage – were fully explored in Mass Effect 2. You’ll even come across a number of incidental characters from the original, and they’ll all know who you are. Something this complex has really never been done before, and BioWare is pulling it off with remarkable grace.

But I’ve said all I need to say. Ethos has already written extensively about the game, so check out his two posts for more information. Other than the specific points I mentioned (such as the Buggy) I agree with his analysis of the game. His generous score 9.0 is well deserved. Mass Effect 2 is not a game to be missed.

Tags: Mass Effect 2, Second Opinion
Posted in BioShock 2 Week

Mass Effect 2 Review – Reach and Flexibility

Monday, February 8th, 2010

mass-effect-2-box-art LIKED:
-The continued conversation tree excellence
-Improved sidequests, graphics, and combat
-Way better crew beside Shepard
-Exploration to places only heard of in ME1

DISLIKED:
-Watered down Citadel and RPG mechanics
-Lack of dune buggy and crew interaction

I’ve already been relatively thorough with my thoughts on Mass Effect 2. The highly anticipated ambitious space opera by Bioware does side-quests, graphics, characters, and menus better than the original while taking away the fun dune-buggy thing and toning down the expansive and beautiful Citadel. Combat and RPG mechanics are streamlined at the small cost of feeling a little watered down.

So with all that summed up, what else is necessary to say about this middle chapter? Well, just that, really. Mass Effect 2 is the middle chapter of a trilogy, and as such it carries the necessary glories and burdens. Since the first game did the difficult job of introducing the expansive universe, the sequel could focus on fleshing out the world and characters. Consequently, missions were more intriguing since they didn’t have to worry as much about set-up, and big decisions were a lot bigger because I actually cared about the characters. To be perfectly frank, I didn’t really care who I left to die on that planet in the first game. Kaiden was boring and Ashley’s a bitch, so I was a little apathetic about the whole ordeal. However, there were moments in Mass Effect 2 that knocked me on my ass and I literally stressed over what I should chose while staring at the screen.

Still, while these decisions were very involved and the revelations made during the main plot were intriguing, I couldn’t help but feel like all the biggest answers were being held back for the conclusion. It was a little unsatisfying to know absolutely nothing more about an important character like the Illusive Man at the end of the adventure than I did when I first talked to him. Also, just as The Empire Strikes Back ends with dread and excitement looming at the adventure ahead and thus doesn’t feel concluded, Mass Effect 2 has the same issue. I do appreciate that the ending wasn’t dragged out, but it just didn’t have the same significance and sense of urgency and wonder as making it to Ilos and then taking down Sovereign.

Fear the Justicar

But, to make up for the fact that Mass Effect 2 is almost a side-story to save humanity before the exact same impeding doom from the original takes over again for the conclusion, the game makes things far more personal. I have a feeling that finally taking down the Reapers will be more satisfying now that Shepard, Joker, and the old and new crew have been through so much more together. It was also nice to see Shepard making decisions while on a different sort of leash than that of the council’s, it made the story a lot less political which was an almost necessary change.

Final Thoughts
What’s important is that Bioware has delivered on improving the most complained about issues about the original Mass Effect while beefing up the adventure and giving a mostly new and much better cast to boot. I personally miss driving around in that stupid little dune buggy, the massive citadel to explore, the awesome end credits music, and the sense of wonder that accompanied the original, but the improvements are worth losing those things without question. The Mass Effect series is still way ahead of the curve with scripting, voice acting, and combining an incredibly epic yet entirely interactive adventure and Mass Effect 2 is the definitive proof of that. I have confidence in Bioware’s ability to bring the best of the first two with the conclusion that I’m already drooling for.

Mass Effect 2

Tags: Mass Effect 2, Reviews
Posted in Mass Effect 2 Week, What's Worse Than February Week?

Scatter Storming. Issue #018 “I Have Giant Testicles”

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

ss018 Well these “classy” series Scatter Stormings didn’t stay classy for very long. This cover is a screengrab from an old sketch “comedy” movie I made with a dear friend of mine. “I have giant testicles” is a line from the scene that that unfortunate grab was taken from. I decided it would be appropriate to have something horrible as the cover for the first February issue of this illustrious feature, so there we have it. Let’s talk about games.

I miss Mass Effect -
Apparently when you go back to work, you’re unable to play video games as often. Who knew? Luckily, tomorrow’s my last day before the 3 week Olympic break. I will beat it then. I truly miss it. Like how one might miss a lover.

Darksiders 2?! -
Speaking of games I miss. I’m really looking forward to polishing off this gem after I knock out Mass Effect and before Final Fantasy 13 eats up my life. Now this is more in the realm of news, but this story broke after Riddles’ fantastic HLL on Tuesday. The point is that Darksiders did well and THQ isn’t stupid, so we’re getting a sequel. Yes please. (IGN)

More IGN Flamebait articles -
But, truly, I like it. It emphasizes the personalities of the site, and I’ve always been an advocate of that. Hell, look at Riddlethos, just since Sunday, Riddles has recounted a day in his life and posted a hideous picture of himself, while I posted a Facebook conversation and featured myself in my boxers this week. Anyway, controversial loudmouth, Greg Miller is a renowned PS3 fanboy but writes about how he thinks Mass Effect 2 is better than Uncharted 2. Frankly, I agree. Read it here and tell me if you agree.

The Last Guardian non-news -
This is starting to read more like a Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah! feature, but hey, it’s what’s on my mind. Fumito Ueda is The Last Guardian’s director and recently joined in the latest craze: releasing news about releasing news. Yes, in an interview, Ueda talked about how The Last Guardian might be talked about E3 if Sony wants to. Great. Good stuff. Thanks. Basically confirms that this game is coming out in 2013. I’m barely joking. Kingdom Hearts 3 will come out before this shit. Hey…I wonder if that’ll be announced…

A New Development -
Speaking of that Facebook conversation I posted, there’s no better way to end this segment than with his reply that came just recently. Yes, folks, you can’t deny it: February sucks.
sucks

Tags: Darksiders 2, Mass Effect 2, Scatter Storming, The Last Guardian, Uncharted 2
Posted in What's Worse Than February Week?

Hey! Look! Listen!

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

HLLfinal

What’s worse than February?

This recurring “news” column, that’s what. This barely informative, self-gratifying, irregularly updated EXCUSE for videogame journalism.

I feel sorry for anyone who’s about to read it, frankly. But hey, everyone’s gotta bite the bullet and eat a shit sandwich at some point in their lives. For the lot of you, that day is today.

So let’s get this over with.

Megaphones Ahoy! Celebrates its 50th Podcast

A lot of you probably don’t need to be informed of this, but for those of you who don’t listen to Lusipurr.com’s Megaphones Ahoy! Podcast, there’s never been a better time to start. Both myself and Ethos guest star in this special, double-sized 50th podcast. I’m there for the whole thing, while Ethos’ airtime is limited to a 15-minute pre-recorded segment. Kinda stupid, actually, but so is he.

Click here to download the cast. Alternatively, you could get it on iTunes. Or you could click that big freaking banner to the left to go straight to the website itself. Choices, choices!

I like this guy already.

Mass Effect 2 Sells 2 Million

We have our first official videogame blockbuster of 2010, folks, and it’s Mass Effect 2. Here’s some PR spin for you:

Forty perfect scores. Two million units. One pop culture phenomenon. BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced today that Mass Effect™ 2 has sold-in over two million units worldwide in its first week of release*. Lauded for its intense shooter gameplay and deep, hand-crafted story, Mass Effect 2 has earned an average review score of 96** — making it the second highest rated game of all time on the Xbox 360

I’ll admit to being a little surprised. I knew Mass Effect 2 would be big, but 2 million units in a week is huge.

Then again, I’ve never seen so many people at my GameStop for the game’s midnight premiere. Not even for Modern Warfare 2. (VG247)

Heavy Rain Requires 4.2 Gig Install, Lets You Make Origami

Quantic Dreams’ interactive movie, Heavy Rain, will size in at a whopping 4.2 gigabytes. 4.2 gigabytes that you’ll be required to install before booting the game up. But never fear, because Quantic Dream was reportedly nice enough to include a 12-step origami minigame that you can play while performing the install.

I’m not sure that a 12-step origami piece will be enough to occupy the average gamer for 4.2 GB worth of install time, but hey, the effort is appreciated.

I haven’t talked much about Heavy Rain on Riddlethos.com, but I’m actually really looking forward to the game. I’m somewhat familiar with Quantic Dream’s previous works, having played approximately half of Indigo Prophecy back in the day. I really liked it, too – which makes me wonder why I stopped playing it.

Not interested in Heavy Rain? This video might change your mind. It features the main (female) protagonist naked. No, really. There are boobs and everything. Damn nice ones, too, as far as digitally rendered stuff goes. (VG247)

Sony Hopes to Bring More PS1/PS2 Classics to PSN, Considering Charging for PSN

IGN recently interviewed Peter Dille, Sony’s senior vice president of marketing. He’s also the man “in charge” of Sony’s PSN service.

The interview is very, very good, and there are more than a few things to latch onto and discuss. Two things in particular caught my attention: the discussion of PS2 games coming to PSN, and the possibility that Sony may go the way of Xbox Live and charge for their online service.

When asked about PS1 and PS2 classics on PSN, Dille responded that they’re “working really hard” on making more of them available. From the interview:

By all means, I think people can look for more of that because once the third-parties see how this works, it’s just found money. There’s not a whole lot of work that has to go into it and once we can get it up on the network, it finds an audience pretty quickly.

“Found money” is an excellent way to put it. On all accounts, there is absolutely no reason for PS2 games (and more PS1 games) to be on PlayStation Network. Peter Dille said it himself. I suppose it’s a matter of getting third-party developers on board, but frankly, that shouldn’t be difficult for Sony to do. So. Where are the PS2 classics?

IGN asked quite a few questions about Sony’s PlayStation Network, and one of them was if Sony ever planned to charge for it. From the interview:

It’s been our philosophy not to charge for it from launch up until now, but Kaz recently went on the record as saying that’s something we’re looking at. I can confirm that as well. That’s something that we’re actively thinking about. What’s the best way to approach that if we were to do that? You know, no announcements at this point in time, but it’s something we’re thinking about.

And… ugh. I am not in support of this. I buy multiplatform games for the PS3 for a few reasons, and the main one is that if I ever feel like playing online, I can do it for free. I don’t play enough to be considered “hardcore,” and certainly not enough to justify a $50 Xbox Live subscription, but I enjoy the occasional round of, say, Modern Warfare 2.

If Sony does introduce some type of subscription model, I sincerely hope it only applies to “premium” content – like, say, exclusive demos or videos.

I know $50 a year isn’t much to ask, and I know that people have the idea that it “pays for the stability.” But playing games online is not and should not be considered “premium content.”

I encourage you to check out the full interview here.

QUICKIES:

Here’s a few rapid-fire headlines for you. Short, sweet, and not really worth writing about at length.

Final Fantasy XIII Will Ship on Three Discs – As long as one of them doesn’t sit in a paper sleeve. (I’m looking at you, Lost Odyssey)

Final Fantasy XIV Is Coming to Xbox 360 – According to VG247, this has been “obvious for a while,” but it came as a surprise to me.

And just because we have a bit of a Simpsons thing going this week, I figured I’d include this image from the latest episode:

simpsonsZii

I should watch that show more often.

Well. Between a long night at work and frequent South Park-induced distractions, this thing went up a bit later than I anticipated. But hey, at least I did it, right? If nothing else, it means you don’t have to suffer another one of Ethos’ pathetic attempts to match my news-condensing prose.

Which is almost as bad as February, but not quite. ‘Till next time!

Tags: Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain, Lusipurr!, MAP, Mass Effect 2, PS3, PSN, Sony
Posted in What's Worse Than February Week?

Mass Effect 2: The First 6 Days

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

A little ironic that on a theme week when I play the titular game for way more hours than I usually would, I write the least about it.

Well I suppose that laziness begets laziness, and when I have a week off, I tend to do less than when I have to work. But oh well, I did play a fuckload of Mass Effect 2, so let me talk about that.

Mass Effect 2 just continues to do what it does best. It’s absolutely staggering how many conversation options there are and how consistently good the voice acting is. Conversations are still cinematic, choices are still surprising and occasionally very difficult, and the story is still character driven and intriguing. But because this isn’t a review, I’m going to go over what I think has been improved and what I’m sorry to see gone.

This chick might not be wearing much, but she's such a badass

This chick might not be wearing much, but she's a sexy badass

The Good
Yes, everybody, the side quests are no longer the same two buildings barely re-skinned. Each sidequest has a unique and sometimes even captivating backstory and they all take place in varied locations. There are no longer menus to absolutely struggle against. There is a streamlined upgrade system and weapons and armor are far simpler to navigate through. Now that there are more weapons, there is also ammo. There’s a bit of a stretch of an explanation as to why it is that way now, but I think it’s a preferred mechanic to the old overheating method. Bioware engineered a believable and exciting way to bring Shepard into a new adventure without the exact same dynamics as last time. You’re not working for the council, even if you decided to spare them, and you have a largely new team. And although it’s easy to miss some of the classic characters, the new members are all excellent and often deeper and more interesting than the original cast.

Exploring is far more rewarding and far less convoluted than before as well. Each system will give you a percentage so you don’t have to unnecessarily backtrack to countless systems to find everything. There’s also a mining system that plays directly into the upgrade system, so it’s actually meaningful to explore and search for resources. There are more changes in that area as well, but they’re minor so I won’t go into detail, but they’re all improvements in my eyes. Finally, it’s cool to see choices make a difference from the first game and see how other decisions will affect the 3rd title. Bioware is delivering on its promise of making a unique experience for every individual. There are also some plot points that have genuinely surprised me in the best way possible. The sequel also marks the introduction of a few mini games and a few really cool arena battles.

WAY more interesting than Kaiden.

The Not So Good
While the streamlined upgrade and ability system is largely a great thing, it can also feel a bit watered down when compared to the original. I liked micromanaging all my powers as an adept and now I’m basically just playing Gears of War in battle while tossing in the occasional mass effect power. It might just be me, but I feel like I have fewer options when leveling up as well. Also, that tank thing is gone. I know a lot of people didn’t like it, but I thought it was great. It was a good way of breaking up the gameplay, and I loved taking down Geth Colossus with the little thing. The side-quest planets might be far more interesting, but I would still have liked to see a little bit of that buggy exploration make a return.

But, easily most disappointing of all is the complete nerfing of the Citadel. I adored the Citadel in the first game. I would go back all the time and search every corner. It just seemed so alive, and there was always something new. Sidequests would pop out of nowhere, and I even liked the ragged-on elevator conversations. I prefer them to a loading screen, anyway, as the secondary character banter was far more interesting than the space-age holograph images spinning around during the loading screens. Anyway, the Citadel is now just three small floors and a few shops. No C-Sec offices to explore, no presidium to admire, I haven’t even come across any Hanar that I’m able to have a conversation with yet. I’m extremely disappointed unless it drastically opens up in a part of the game that I haven’t seen that, but that looks to be highly doubtful.

Conclusion
Despite my gripes, I am entirely hooked. Uncharted 2 was an unrivaled cinematic experience. But like I’ve mentioned before, while its linear nature is necessary for the series to work, it is inherently limited. Mass Effect 2 takes cinematic prowess, great characters and voice acting, and rips the lid off. And with the graphical issues (largely) fixed, there is not a game this generation I have enjoyed more thoroughly. I’m not really a fan of the darker middle chapters to a trilogy, but Mass Effect 2 is bringing me on a hell of a ride to the inevitable conclusion. This is the reason to own a 360.

Tags: Mass Effect 2
Posted in Mass Effect 2 Week

My Life, People…

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

My, what a Mass Effect 2 Week it has been!

Sigh. Pardon the dark sarcasm. This week began with promise and then it just had to go and get weird.

I’m actually referring more to my personal week than the week here at Riddlethos, but the above sentence applies to both. My week went something like this:

1. Mass Effect 2 claimed my soul. For two days after its release, I did nothing but play the game – and man is it good. So good that I never got around to writing about it – as you can see.

2. I Worked All Day Thursday. It’s true. Riddlethos doesn’t pay me. A small, independently owned restaurant in South Nashville pays me. Like any job, it has its ups and downs. Last Thursday was definitely a down.

3. Middle Tennessee is Hit with a Freak Snowstorm. Nope, not making it up. Out of the blue, we were smacked with five to six inches of snow. And guess who drove to work in it on Friday night? (Well, I technically carpooled with some friends.) A 56-mile roundtrip in a snowstorm is not my idea of fun. Or safe. And we didn’t get any business last night anyway.

4. I’m Snowed In. Well, kinda. The roads are shit and my restaurant was nice enough to close for the evening. I’ve spent most of today shooting the shit with a certain Mike Babasick, who was unlucky enough to get stuck at my apartment with me for most of the day.

5. Now I’m Alone. Mike is gone, and nobody is here to accompany me on this snowy evening. Therefore, I believe now is an excellent time to re-acquaint myself with Mass Effect 2. And who knows, maybe I’ll get around to writing something about it. I certainly don’t have much better to do at the moment.

Tags: Freak Murfreesboro Snowstorms, Mass Effect 2, Riddles' personal life
Posted in Mass Effect 2 Week

IMPORTANT UPDATE

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Mass Effect 2 still kicks ass.

More to come.

Tags: Mass Effect 2
Posted in Mass Effect 2 Week

Scatter Storming. Issue #017 “Mass Effected”

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

ss017 Yes, I really look like that right now and for the past 30 hours or so. It’s because of Mass Effect 2, and since that’s all I have to talk about, let’s get to it.

Time Travel -
It’s like it’s a year ago. It’s like nothing has changed. I loaded up the game and played it absolutely nonstop until it was 8 in the morning. It’s just like I’m playing the first one again, I’m completely drawn into the entire world. And unlike my recent gameplay habits, Mass Effect has a way of making me do almost everything. I do side missions, I talk to everybody a billion times, I scan planets, I even listen to hours of codec entries. I just can’t stop. There’s always something I want to do, and everything interests me so much that I don’t mind taking my time with the main mission. Hence why I looked at the time and it was not even 10pm and I thought to myself, “I have plenty of time to catch the re-airing of the new Scrubs at 11pm and go to the convenience store before it closes at midnight. I also have an hour of slack on the Scrubs episode because my tv’s on pause and has an hour’s worth of local memory. Just one mission will do WAIT HOW DID TWO HOURS PASS I BARELY BLINKED?!?!”. Then it was 8am and I finally went to bed.

The Empire Strikes Back -
Although The Empire Strikes back tends to be a fan favourite, it’s my least favourite of the original trilogy, so I was tentative about Mass Effect 2. And although it is darker and a little more rogue, I’m enjoying it greatly. It’s keeping enough of the same elements to be familiar and not lose its charm, but the tone is different enough for it really to feel like a new adventure. But speaking of…

What about the conclusion? -
What will they do with the third game? This game comes up with an extravagant but ultimately believable way of pushing the setting forward two years and resetting Shepard’s crew. I just don’t understand how Bioware could pull that off for the expected third installment. But maybe when I beat the game, the ending will give me a clue.

I WANT TO PLAY! –
Yeah, I’m going to go the route of Riddles and cut this short to play more. But expect more Mass Effect 2 love from us, and at this rate, we both may even complete the game before the week is up. Riddles is especially likely since he’s not smelling the roses in the same way I am.

That’s it! I have more to say about the game, obviously, I didn’t even touch the battle system, but I’ll leave that to some more formal impressions. For now, suck it!

Tags: Mass Effect 2, Scatter Storming
Posted in Mass Effect 2 Week