Even More Behind!

So, to all those of you who do not believe I can go any length of time with playing video games, I submit this! I've been away working for two months and haven't so much as picked up a controller. So there. That said, I'm back and the game is on again! Oh, and by the way, I decided to sell out. Should you feel a burning desire to purchase anything I may mention or recommend (or anything I implore you not to just to stick it to me, in which case I guess the jokes on you), just click the picture next to the review. Please do. I like money.


6/13 to 7/13 At a glance
Currently Playing:


Borderlands (360)
Halo 3: ODST (360)
Red Dead Redemption (PS3)
Rock Band 2 (PS3),
Dante's Inferno (PS3)


Recently Finished:
Mass Effect 2 (360) Completed #11!

My Mass Effect 2 Stats:

• Platform: 360
• Playthroughs: 2 @ 60+ hours     
• Achievements: 1055/1055 (Completed #11, and keeping up with DLC!)
•  I compare it to: Chapter 2 of the best sci-fi story ever!
• Play it again?: Lair of the Shadow Broker comes out soon!!
• Urgency: Buy, Borrow or Beg! (New if you want DLC, see below)

I have this weird relationship with midnight releases. On one hand, when I'm excited enough for a title, I have no compunctions about going to the Gamestop two hours before midnight and hanging out to wait for it. On the other, I know that I'm going to spend the entire time surrounded by sad, agoraphobic introverts who'll discuss nothing other than games. In other words, my people. Really though its not so bad. It's fun to talk games with other people and enjoy the excited atmosphere at these things, and even better to grab the game and get the hell out. 


My point: Mass Effect is one of the few franchises I'll hit a midnight for, and I did. (There's a reason Exploding Saren has been my XBL profile pic for so long) I have to say, it was very encouraging for the future of one of my very favorite franchises to see so many people lined up, waiting to take home a copy of its latest installment. 


So, what's so great about Mass Effect? Well, it's only one of the most fully realized and compelling sci-fi universes out there today. In my humble opinion, it rivals such giants as Star Trek and Dune, and completely blows away Star Wars. Yeah, it does. Everything other than Empire anyway. Go ahead and nerd rage, those of you that are prone to it. Shepard > Skywalkers.


Those of you that haven't yet had the privilege of playing the first Mass Effect, I highly recommend you do so. I would go as far as to say it is a definite prerequisite to playing Mass Effect 2. Unlike some other sequels, ME2 not only continues the storyline of its predecessor, but decisions you make in ME1 have ramifications in ME2. Playing 2 without having played 1 would be like seeing Empire before New Hope.


Now that you've played ME1 and come back, let me first assure you that a lot of the stuff that just bugged you about ME1 is no longer a problem in ME2. The crazy amount of inventory you had to sort through? Gone. The seemingly featherweighted and nigh undrivable Mako? Gone. The gross texture pop-in? Gone, mostly. Weapons that overheat instead of requiring ammunition? Gone, sadly. (fire in short controlled bursts, and you can firing a LONG time) BioWare has put a lot of work into streamlining the Mass Effect experience, improving the action, and removing barriers to enjoying the story. 


And the story, of course, is what this is all about. BioWare has always been one of the foremost companies for storytelling, and Mass Effect 2 not only continues this long and proud tradition, but elevates it. (SPOILERS FOR ME1 FOLLOW) ME2's story continues the adventure of Shepard and his crew after defeating Saren and the Reaper Sovereign at the Citadel. Shepard finds himself seriously indebted to pro-human extremist group Cerberus, (and not because he killed a small army of Cerberus agents in ME1) who enlists him to stop the Collectors, mysterious abductors who have recently begun targeting human colonies in the lawless Terminus Systems. Shepard knows from the beginning that his path must eventually take him into the Omega-4 relay, from beyond which no ship, other than those of the Collectors, has ever returned.  Shepard builds his team, meeting new allies and old friends, and prepares to engage the Collectors in what can only be called a suicide mission. 


It's just as badass as I tried to make it sound. ME2's narrative reaches some incredible heights, and unlike other  "moral choices" some other games try to present you with (Kill random dude or don't), I actually found myself agonizing over certain choices before I made them, then silently arguing with the game over its categorization of these choices. (Is it more morally correct to force someone to accept your viewpoint, or destroy them?) Also, how well you prepare bears directly on what happens to your teammates. Forget a vital upgrade, and your team could pay with their lives. Neglect to gain a specialist's loyalty, and you may find your fireteam dead as a result. And of course, everything you do will carry over to  Mass Effect 3. That is, if Shepard doesn't die. This is a very possible outcome.


As I'm sure I've made very clear, The Empire Strikes Back is my very favorite Star Wars movie. Mass Effect 2 is the series' ESB.  Yes, it's that good. The conclusion of this story, if it lives up to its foundation, will be nothing short of a phenomenon. Unfortunately that's a year or two off. In the meantime, may I recommend:

• Kasumi's Stolen Memory - 560pts (about $7)
• Overlord - 560pts (about $7)
• Lair of the Shadow Broker - 800pts (about $10)
  

These paid DLC packs are all worth the price of admission, and continue the story of ME2. BioWare has already announced its intention that ME2 DLC will continue to be developed and released all the way up to ME3.

NOTE ON DLC: If you buy ME2, be sure to get a new copy if you intend to download these content packs. A new copy of the game includes a Cerberus Network code, which allows you to download these in addition to a good chunk of free content. Without a code CN access costs about $15. It's part of the industry's War on Used, which I won't soapbox about here except to say,  No, I don't like it either.

If you're a hardcore ME junkie like me, you can also read the excellent novels by ME lead writer Drew Karpyshyn.

 

• Mass Effect: Revelation sheds light on Anderson's tantalizing hint in ME1: "I was once being considered to be a Spectre, but Saren made sure that didn't happen."
• Mass Effect: Ascension is set after the end of ME1, and introduces us in advance to some ME2 locales, including the chaotic space station Omega.
• Mass Effect: Retribution shows us what happens when we piss off the Illusive Man. Not pretty.

 
Also, bridging the gap between 1 and 2 (or the beginning of 2 and the rest of 2) is:

• Mass Effect Volume 1: Redemption - While Shepard is, um, away, Liara T'Soni digs around in the Shadow Broker's, um, shadowy world, and may not like what she finds. (Be gentle, it's been a while since I read it.)

 Finally, if you're just plain obsessive (also like me), you can also get one of these:

 Yep, that's a Shepard action figure. No, I don't have one yet, but I'm sure I will when they come out. I'm now going to cry my nerd tears onto my nerd pillow. *Sniff* More next week. *Sniff*