We're on the eve of Mass Effect 3's launch. I, unfortunately, won't be playing tonight or until after Spring Break. I ordered online and chose standard shipping. Too bad for me. But to salve my wounds of not continuing the career of FemShep's war against the Reapers at launch, I thought I'd say a few words about the top things I'm looking forward to in Mass Effect 3.
1. Kinect control - Yes, I know it's only voice, but I'm glad to see a AAA title finally integrating voice controls in a way that hopefully works. I still remember the fiasco that was SOCOM on the PS2. And no, I still haven't played Gunstringer.
2. Multiplayer - And not as your Shepard character! Finally I can directly take on the role of a hulking krogan or a sly salarian. And the creators promise that successes (and failures?) in the multiplayer mode will have consequences for the single player campaign. That doubly means I'll have an incentive to play it.
3. Melee combat - I haven't used melee a whole lot in the Mass Effect series. It hasn't seemed all that effective and frankly isn't all that much fun to look at. It lacks a certain visceral je ne sais quoi that chainsaw-bayonetting hordes of Locust has in Gears of War. But during the demo I found a certain thrill in charging up my omni tool and smashing it into foes. The only thing better than glowing green (yellow?)[1] death would be an achievement for glowing green death-ing enemies.
4. The story's final act - I've been in love with Mass Effect ever since first opening the Collector's Edition tin for ME1. I imported my FemShep from ME1 into ME2 and kept the relationship with Liara alive in my heart.[2] Now it's time to see how it all ends. Hopefully, since it's a video game, the series will end with a bang and not a whimper. Too many of my favorite sci-fi universes (Babylon 5, DS9, Firefly) have ended with less than spectacular results. Let's hope BioWare cranks the fun and the storytelling up to 11 for the final installment.
5. The return of old friends - I missed Urdnot Wrex in ME2. Yeah, he was the leader of a clan and you could talk to him, but playing as Grunt just didn't have the same impact. Liara should be back. Hopefully my new second favorite Mordin Solus will return. No, I haven't read anything about who will be back. I want each return to be a surprise.
That's it. That's my top 5. To those of you picking up your copy at midnight, I envy you. Please keep the galaxy safe until I can join you. In the meantime, I'll continue to content myself with another Bioware creation: Star Wars: The Old Republic.
[1] Sorry, I'm colorblind.
[2] Still haven't played the Shadowbroker DLC to help Liara in ME2 and maybe renew that relationship in-game.
Showing posts with label mass effect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mass effect. Show all posts
Monday, March 5, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
a post that isn't about music
I set aside playing Mass Effect 2 for awhile. Wanted to get through other games in the library and then Xbox Live games like Bastion, Orcs Must Die, and recently The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile had caught my attention. With Mass Effect 3 dropping so soon, I'm devoting my free hours (the few I have in law school) to finishing up Mass Effect 2.
I don't know about you, but I'm a firm fan of femShep. My Mass Effect character was a femShep and I've continued her career in Mass Effect 2. I play her as a Paragon, tough but fair on her allies and only soft with Liara T'soni. I've become invested in her personality and her story. I'm glad the demo and some of the promotional materials will highlight femShep as a viable story path. She's a solid female character.
Some might argue that she's just a clone of the male Shepard career path. That's probably true. And that's what makes her such a compelling female character. Her sex organs don't dictate her horizons. She can be the tough as nails, ass kicking soldier (mine is) instead of some female stereotype. She wears the same armor as male Shepard, carries the same guns, and earns the same respect and reactions.
Currently, facebook is running a Mass Effect 3 contest. You can earn all kinds of cool stuff, including avatar gear, for participating. The most recent goal is to hit a certain number of downloads of the demo in order to unlock a special ME3 avatar shirt. So be a pal and download the demo on XBLA.
In an upcoming post, I'll preview some of the features coming to ME3 that I'm most excited for.
Pre-order Mass Effect 3
now and receive a special item, the M55 Argus Assault Rifle, and a $10 Amazon gift card.
While you wait for my next installment, read this article arguing the Mass Effect universe is the most important sci-fi universe ever. Does that mean MMO?
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