Mass Effect

I've come a long way on the notion of shooting things.  I really preferred my games with more slashing and less shooting.  Shooting requires precision, patience, planning... slashing a sword only requires - well, slashing.  But I've found that I have increasingly and increasingly been evolving to enjoy active combat and a weapon that can aim.

The Mass Effect series were the games that put Bioware on the map: a space opera series about Commander Shepard, human extraordinaire, and his ragtag group of adventurers.  Having finally been re-released for the PS3, the time was ripe to play and enjoy the series.

Dragon Age 2 DLC: Legacy

I already reviewed the first round of DLC for Dragon Age 2, which was mainly the standard of whether or not you bought the game used and wanted to flush $10 towards having access to The Black Emporium and also the dismally dissatisfying Exiled Prince DLC.  Since, I've played through with the new Item Packs (just round one of them, I'm not made of money, you know!) and the new Legacy DLC, which promised an interesting exploration into Hawke's lineage.

The Item Packs (round 1) were more of a "let me spend this strange leftover amount of cash" purchase than something I actually wanted.  In hindsight, they are pretty dumb.  The value added in "better" equipment is marginal, since the reason I play DA2 is to experience Hawke's adventurers through Kirkwall.  That is, even if the items were in fact better.  Stats of many regular in-game items are comparable.  There are some unique items for followers that carry the "Improves with level up" text, usually amulets or rings, but I can't verify that they do, in fact, improve with level up.

Is it Worth It?  Item packs generally aren't worth it, though some of the new armors for Hawke do actually look kind of cool, and I really like the staff that I gave to Anders that I got as part of Mage portion of the item-goodness.  But for $4.99, I could think of other things I'd enjoy (maybe like a new DLC case for L.A. Noire).

He can't be evil.  He's so shiny.

Legacy is a different story.  No really!  Like, it's a different story from the original Dragon Age 2 game.  Hawke travels to some ruins - though I can't quite remember why - and ends up being hunted for his blood by the Dwarven Coeterie gang.  His blood, specifically, since he is the child of the often unmentioned Malcom Hawke, who we learn the backstory behind in this fun, four-to-five hour DLC adventure.

Great news everyone!  This DLC includes new enemies, and not just retooled pushovers of old enemies!  Actually real, somewhat challenging, new creatures to contend with.  NEATNESS.

The DLC also includes new dialogue with companions, some new items, and puzzles, which the main game felt like you could really do without, as if all the people of Kirkwall already have had enough of the brain teasers and have just directly given up on them without another moment's thought.  A child of The Ocarina of Time, myself, I cannot get enough of puzzles.  Blocks to move around?  YES PLEASE.  In fact, I just assume that if I want to take money out of my bank account, that instead of entering in a 4 digit pin number (how pedestrian!), that I instead am forced to rearrange a series mirrors in order to shine a light onto a sensor on the ATM.

Pro: I get to show off my mad Zelda skillz.

Con: Lazy thieves with flashlights.

So, is it worth it?  Yes, yes, yes.  Sure it's $9.99, but that's worth a few extra hours and the great, in-depth story you get to explore.  No spoilers here, but let me tell you: I was very happy with this DLC.

So, if you've got $15 blowing a hole in your pocket, you could do a whole hell of a lot worse than picking up both of these for another run through DA2 in which you attempt to finally nab the elusive Supplier trophy.  If you've only got $10, skip the Item Pack and go straight for Legacy.  Only got $5?  Save it until you have $10 and buy Legacy.

Also: here's more Varric:

Supplier Trophy - here I come!

After doing L.A. Noire justice and utterly giving up on Catherine, I've decided to run through another 30-hour playthrough with Dragon Age 2 in hopes of finally doing it right and nabbing the Supplier trophy.  Also, there is new DLC I've not played.

You've no doubt already read my review of the game, so here's a cute picture of Varric:

Picture care of The Haughty Queen, who has some fun DA2 fanart.

Dragon Age 2 DLC: The Exiled Prince & The Black Emporium

Dragon Age 2 was realeased with two DLC packs instantly available, one of which was free when purchasing a new copy of the game.  But, you ask, if I picked up the game used, is the DLC worth it?

The Black Emporium is said free-with-new-purchase DLC, and adds the following to Dragon Age 2 gameplay:

• Hawke can enter a sustained mode (at no cost to mana/stamina) to summon a Mabiri Warhound which assists the party.  The dog is available from the very beginning of the adventure. 
• The (titular) Black Emporium is opened in Kirkwall in Act I.  The Emporium features items that cannot be purchased anywhere else in the game, especially the Maker's Sigh, which allows you to redistribute all ability points and talent assignments (essentially allowing you to reformat a character).



Third floor: Ladies' handbags, designer dresses, disembowling daggers.

Is It Worth It?  For free, no questions asked, but is it worth the $9.99 price tag?  The additional features, while certainly neat (new dialogue is added for each party member's interactions with your Mabari, for example), did not add any additional play-time to the game.  You can pick up any crafting resources you missed in a previous act (which is nice), but it wont' help you towards the devilish Supplier trophy/achievement, so that is what it is.  Rather than considering purchase of the DLC, consider whether or not a used version of the game is worth not having these features, since that's pretty much the choice you're making...

The Exiled Prince adds a new companion to your party.  Or so it claims to.  In all reality, Sebastian Vael cannot actually join the party until Act II, and has only a minor quest to complete in Act I.  I barely utilized Isabella because she joined the group so late in Act I, do you think I'm going to use this dude?  Furthermore, Sebastian unbalances the otherwise well thought out party system (or had you not noticed that you had 2 rogues, 2 warriors, and 2 mages?) as a third rogue (and a second one of range).  On the bright side, Sebastian can equip bows, while Varric keeps Bianca near him at all times.



Holding his Longbow like a gangsta...

You can romance Sebastian, if you're a woman.  He is a man of the cloth, so no Friends of Dorothy need apply.  Like other companians, he has quests to be completed, which all-in-all add a couple hours to gameplay (although they utilize the heavily recycled locales, so it just feels like more of the same).

Is it Worth It?  For $6.99, I don't think it really was.  Sebastian barely feels like he belongs in the party of misfits, and I'd much prefer Varric for ranged attacks (and romantic lustings).  All in all, it just doesn't justify the price tag.

Item Packs are also the available DLC for Dragon Age 2, but as I haven't given them a spin, I'm not sure I feel good reviewing them.  The game already has all types of weapons and armor to chose from ... do you really want more?

Dragon Age II

I wish I could review Dragon Age II without putting up a spoiler-alert, but it's nearly impossible to capture the awesomeness I had for the game without going into at least some of its incredibly detailed story.  So if you want a spoiler-free, TL;DR version, here it is:  this game was fucking awesome and I'm a little upset that it was so awesome because I was borrowing it from a friend and now I have to buy it instead of buying groceries.

First of all, a non-spoiler thing: I don't often get eye-candy in video games, since I have less than usual tastes, but thank you, Bioware for Varric.  Handsome rogueish dwarf with wit and a super-spring loaded crossbow?  Yes, please.  Unfortunately, upon trying to flirt with him, he said I was too high maintenance.  Does this game know me or what?

Yahtzee Croshaw's Take on Being Gay in DA2

You know how I made a blog entry about the Dragon Age 2 gay nonsense debate that is still permeating the very crevices of the interwebs?  Well, Yahtzee Croshaw of Zero Punctuation (whose wit and unmatchably fast tongue supercede my own) has written a nice little treatise on the topic wherein he found himself accidentally playing a gay Hawke, regardless of his individual desires to avoid "sausage sandwiches."

Warning, the article may not safe for work (depending on your place of employ) and is excessively British.

Late for the Party: Gay Romances in Dragon Age 2

The train has left the station on much of the debate from a post on the Bioware forums regarding relationship options in Dragon Age 2, but I have a blog and an opinion, regardless to the fact that I haven't shelled out the $60 the game would cost so I could refine said opinion.  I did play the demo, and I've read a lot from both all sides of this controversy.

TL;DR: On one hand is this dude's assertation that DA2 didn't cater to the "straight male gamer," and a response from one of the writers that it wasn't supposed to, and some petition that's upset that gay characters were oversexualized.  The internet is serious business! 

Games like Dragon Age 2 are role-playing games that use a blend of open-ended interactive fiction and focused, structured narrative to communicate a story.  The open-ended interactive fiction is what has created the problem for DA2 writers, apparently.  With same-sex options intermingled with opposite-sex options for the romance of the hero (Hawke) as a component of that interactive fiction.  But, as interactive as it is, it's still fiction, and it is not an open-ended storytelling experience.  There are only so many paths available.

Compare a situation like that to one of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, or even a MMORPG.  Herein, the player is able to fully define the character and his or her interactions with all other characters and the environment.  In interactive fiction, the player can choose which path to take, but cannot forge one of his or her own free will. 

When I played through Dragon Age: Origins, I delighted at the opportunity to experience Fereldan as a female elf on my second playthrough.  The way in which characters interacted with me changed, and I enjoyed seeing that perspective.  It does not mean that I in any way want to be a woman, or an elf for that matter.  This rings true, since a majority of gamers (straight male, or otherwise) will play characters of an opposite sex.  Was Tomb Raider designed with the "straight male gamer" in mind?  Was Super Mario Bros.?  How about Ms. Pac Man?

In short, I think the entirety of the debate boils down to someone who self identifies homosexuality as "disgusting" being upset that a male character hit on him while he should have been more concerned about the influx of dragons about to eat him (seriously, think about your priorites, dude).  Fiction tells us a story, and interactive fiction lets us direct some of the ways in which that story is communicated.  The presence of sexuality is not guaranteed to match your own, in fact it would be astounding if it did.  Instead, indulge the opportunity to experience character, which is what role-playing games are all about.

Dragon Age: Origins

When I first got into Dragon Age: Origins, I had hoped it would be more hack-and-slash than it is.  Don't get me wrong, you hack and you slash, but I was hoping for a button-masher.  Nevertheless, this fantasy title from Bioware did certainly get my attention and keep it!

This RPG (or role playing game) is set in Fereldan, a fictional continent populated with all sorts of mystical, Tolkein-fantasy somesuch: Dwarves who like to drink, mages who are feared for their power, and gay elves.  The story starts in the titular Dragon Age, with a threat looming on the horizon that only you and a band of oddities can conquer.  In writing this review, I'm shocked to find how stereotypical this whole thing sounds.  It's as if the developers just got out of Fantasy Stories 101.

Playing the game, thankfully, these straight-up contrivances are not as easy to spot.  The story is actually rather well put together, and I cared about the fate of Fereldan and its denizens.  There is a great deal of role-playing, as your character is completely moldable, which I enjoy, though there is limited permanency to your decision making.  You can be an outstanding citizen one second and a complete asshole the next and only a few lines of dialogue really seem to change.  There are (blessingly!) a few things you can do which really screw you over in the eyes of some allies, which is a shocking relief.  I'm tired of games that let me insult an ally's every core belief to then have them go "well, okay, I guess I'll stick around, even though you are a huge dickwad, because I know you're going to save the world and shit."

Anyway, for my first playthrough of the game, I pretty much saw an enemy and mashed the X button.  It initialized my attack sequence, but subsequent mashes did nothing, so I pretty much sat there and watched the battle unfold, occasionally quaffing a potion or using my shield to do extra damage with a quickset key.  This is the life of a Warrior in Dragon Age: Origins.  Take damage, deal damage, ho hum.

Things are more exciting as a Rogue, since it actually matters where you stand, but the game really shines if you play the Mage class.  You have a bevy of spells to interact with and it almost feels like you are micromanaging your very own character's actions in trying to achieve throwing a fireball three feet in front of yourself.

Your allies are controlled by an incredibly simplified version of Final Fantasy XII's Gambit system.  The logical parameters are so limiting, you're better off using preselected "roles" to define how they act rather than try to program them yourself.  Yes, you could tell it that when an ally is low on health they should heal that ally, but the companion A.I. is slightly retarded in actually doing anything about most things.  If you really want someone to do something, you need to take control of them and command them to do it, quickly reverting back to your original character, lest he or she run off a cliff without your guidance.

There is a fluid amount of sexuality in Fereldan, allowing you to have same-sex relations with either a female or a male, who can also both be bedded by the opposite gender.  Romance plays a big role in the adventure, which is weird since society is on the brink of civilization, but I spent more hours than a care to talking to Alistair about his daddy issues and finding obscure gifts to give him so that I could get into his pants.

Despite its downfalls, it's a fun fantasy game with solid story and enough replay value to get your money's worth.  I'd recommend picking it up used for a fraction of the cost, especially since its sequel deubts tomorrow.

PS3 Demo: Dragon Age II

The original Dragon Age: Origins, was a great game that a sunk a lot of time into.  But, like many things, I hadn't gotten a bite of excitement from hearing about the coming of its sequel.  That is probably because I hadn't had my hands on the demo, which now I have.

And let me tell you: I. Want. This. 

The combat system always felt sluggish and became somewhat disinteresting in DA:O.  Bioware must have read my mind, because there is much more hack-and-slash active combat in Dragon Age II.  There's plenty to be strategic about as well, but sometimes you want to relentlessly mash the X button to swing a greatsword into your foul enemies.

The demo also made me care about the story, which is no small feat.  This was exceptionally aided by a returning character voiced by the divine Kate Mulgrew.  The graphics also enthralled me, making a really engrossing experience.  

Of all the demos I played, Dragon Age II was the best, and also least available: not coming out until March 8 and boasting a hefty $59.99 pricetag.  Post-spring-break, though: my eye is on this one, no questions asked...

PS3 Demo: Mass Effect 2

I've heard a lot about Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2.  There's a lot to these games which I enjoy, just based on the premise: Sci-Fi, Space-Based FPSRPG.  Sci-Fi?  Love it.  Space-based?  Love it!  FPSRPG?  Well, Bioshock and Fallout hadn't steered me wrong... so why hadn't I played this game?

It wasn't available for the PS3, only the Xbox360 and PC.  Forget that noise!  Listen, I'm not trying to egg on console wars.  I did own an Xbox360, but it sat there gathering dust.  The controller was designed for men with gigantic hands.  I just couldn't handle it.

Eventually, my Xbox360 made its way to GameStop, becoming a source for other delicious gems of gameplay, and I wrote off the Mass Effect series.

And then, news came that Mass Effect 2 was being released for the PS3, and look!  A demo was available.  I decided to give it a shot.

First off, my big complaint: it's not a First-Person-Shooter, because you do not maintain a first-person perspective.  Rather, it's an over-the-shoulder shooter.  This means worrying about taking cover, which apparently someone must find fun, because they keep putting it into games.  Those of you who know me, know that I'm more of a "go ahead, shoot me!" player than a stand-behind-cover kind of guy.  In real life, this would result in my instant death, but these are video games.

Aside from that one distraction, I otherwise enjoyed the game.  I had to be a little less reckless, but I had fun exploring the beautiful environment, and the game was mostly intuitive.  The demo featured some audio logs to be found, which I'm a big fan of, even if the technique is becoming a bit overused.

I'm a bit bummed that it's just Mass Effect 2 coming out, since I feel like I'm missing out on the initial entry.  Since the game is a direct sequel, that's a bit of a bummer, and maybe it will even con me into playing it on the PC, which was made for Excel documents, not FPSRPGs.

The full game is $45 used, and $60 new, which is a bit more than I'm willing to part with right now, but I give a want tag, because I honestly think the thing would be worth it ... eventually.