Review: Mass Effect 3

**Well, I did it, folks: I beat Mass Effect 3 in time to get you all a review. I feel I should preface this by mentioning that a certain aspect of Mass Effect 3 deserves a more detailed discussion than can be done without spoiling that part of the game. So if you have yet to beat the game, then be sure to skip the section clearly marked with a spoiler warning.**

Earth is going to need some help...

OK everyone, the time is finally upon us! Mass Effect 3 is here and marks the end of Bioware’s epic space trilogy. Earth has come under attack and it’s up to you, in the shoes of the one and only Commander Shepard, to rally the diverse factions of the galaxy together and save Earth (and the galaxy) from destruction. While I won’t reveal much about Mass Effect 3’s narative, I will say that those of you hoping for a galaxy spanning story where you meet up with old friends (and enemies!) in an attempt to unite them will not be disappointed. The Krogan and the Genophage? Yep, you’ll deal with that. The Quarian and the Geth? Yep, them too. Of course, that won’t come as a surprise to those of you who have played the previous Mass Effect games; and rest assured that your choices in the previous two games will come back to help (or haunt) you.

Continue reading “Review: Mass Effect 3”

The Mass Effect 3 Controversies

For those of you who are unaware Mass Effect 3, the conclusion to Bioware’s three part space epic, will be coming out this Tuesday. As such, I think this is a good time to cover the large amount of controversy that has sprung up around the game just weeks before its release. While there are many of you out there probably saying to yourselves, “Jeez, this again? I’ve already heard enough about this on <insert website you visit often>.” I can only say that while I agree with you, I’m in the camp of those who approve of what Bioware has been doing. I therefore find myself in a position where I’m in the minority and feel that all you people out there that dislike what Bioware has done need to either put up or shut up.

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about let’s start from the top. Recently Bioware released that their game would be including bi sexual characters and day 1 DLC. Two features of their new game that have, quite simply, caused more then its fair share of outrage on the internet. Forum goers and gaming websites have exploded with debate over both of the issues, and more then one media output has taken a side of these issues (only further lighting the fires of anger in gamers across the internet.) While most of the hate and vitrol is aimed at the announcement of the day 1 DLC, there has been a decent amount of hate aimed at the announcement of bi sex characters as well. Continue reading “The Mass Effect 3 Controversies”

Breaking Up with Video Games

Part three of “Getting Older Sucks”

What do most people do in their free time? Watch TV? Talk to friends? Cook? Clean? Play video games? For me, I used to play video games a lot in my spare time. I would find the newest sports title and just play it until I could win every game by calling the same play. Or I would get a new platform game, and obsessively play it through once til I beat it and found most of the hidden goodies.

Nowadays…they’re just not that important to me. Continue reading “Breaking Up with Video Games”