Short & Sweet Review: Mass Effect 2

More than a year passed from when I completed Mass Effect to when I started playing Mass Effect 2. Regardless, I was able to dive right in as if I never left it.  Mass Effect 2 to is similar to it’s predecessor: a third-person action RPG set in space around 2183. Commander Shepard is the main character though his characteristics are what you make them including appearance and backstory. During the opening he (or she if you choose) is fresh from saving the bacon of the entire galaxy. Suddenly, Shepard and crew are ambushed by a Collector ship and through a series of events becomes aligned with Cerberus. This group outfits him with a ship, some crew, and a mission: save the Galaxy again. The shady Illusive Man helps Shepard to shape his goals and grow a team that can blast into the Omega 4 Relay to destroy Collector homeworld. The suicide mission. Is it the end? Your actions will decide.

Mass Effect 2 has loads of missions, planets, and people to investigate. There are only a few major plot quests, with a lot of optional sights to see. I can’t stress enough how much these add to the fun and make the game easier. So skipping them would be like throwing money away. Resources are needed to make upgrades and are nearly as valuable as credits. Scanning planets for minerals is the only way to power your squad and ship to their highest potential. Extremely addictive and useful. Finally, a major aspect is crew management. Picking up new members of the team runs the gamut. Some come easy, while others require more skill to acquire. Each character also has a loyalty mission that usually means helping them on some unfinished business somewhere in the galaxy.

The visuals are some of the best on Xbox 360. Mass Effect 2 runs at a solid clip with minimal slowdown. Character models are phenomenal and textures look wonderful. The only rough patches I noticed are in the ship and shuttle cutscenes. Those areas don’t have the same sheen that exist in the worlds or ship interiors. No impact on the gameplay, but just something I noticed. The music and voice acting are superb. I wouldn’t accept any less. My favorites are Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man and Yvonne Strahovski as Miranda Lawson. Amazing all around. I feel like no other game rivals ME2 in this category.

I highly suggest players check out the downloadable content available for Mass Effect 2. I have worked through everything except Arrival as of this writing. For completists, buying the game new is important since you get Cerberus Network free. All the other content packs are worth the money for all the nice stuff you get.  Look for reviews of Overlord, Lair of the Shadow Broker, and the rest of the free stuff soon. I also hope to buy Arrival soon and play through that.

I had a ton of fun with this game. I recruited all the crew. Then, I gained their loyalty. I like making decisions and feeling that they matter. My Shepard ran into many characters I remembered from the original game. Since I fought the good fight most were glad to see me. I am interested to see how my choices will shape the experience in Mass Effect 3.

I imported my Shepard from a level 56 playthrough in Mass Effect. I romanced Miranda. My entire crew survived the suicide mission, so I’m happy about that. I chose to destroy the last boss, which the Illusive Man hated. It took about 32 hours to complete the game. That time includes all the DLC minus Arrival. I was moving at a brisk pace, so your experience may take more or less.

Some players won’t be interested in playing the second chapter without slaying Mass Effect. Even with that, the sequel ensures players are familiar with the story. This also makes the game accessible for people new to the franchise. With tons of refinements and a massive story to tackle, this is easily one of the best games of 2010. I highly recommend Mass Effect 2 to anyone looking for an adventure that spans the galaxy, but still manages to put story and experience first.  Thank you BioWare.

DLC Review: Mass Effect 2 – Kasumi’s Stolen Memory

Before I launch into my review, I should talk a little about the downloadable content for Mass Effect 2.  The strategy for add-ons in this game is considerably different than for other games.  Rather than expand the story after completing the main game, Mass Effect 2 enriches its story through DLC.  For example, the Cerberus Network adds worthwhile cool free stuff like a few extra weapons, armor, some missions, and the recruitable Zaeed.  As a part of Project Ten Dollar, this token is free to people who buy a new copy of Mass Effect 2 (or purchase it for $10 on Xbox Live Marketplace).

There is also paid content available that is worth having from the start of the game.  These DLC packs add depth to the story along with all the extra goodies like equipment. Granted a player could work through them on a second playthrough, but that means less time for other games.  Personally, I grabbed most of the packs when they were on sale around Christmas.  And since there isn’t much to deviate them from regular content, I’ve been playing them. So on to the fun!

Kasumi’s Stolen Memory adds the mysterious thief as a recruitable character with her own loyalty mission.  I had been playing Mass Effect 2 for under 10 hours when I recruited Kasumi Goto.  She is a fairly interesting character you meet on Ilium.  Her powers are fairly good for almost any enemy types.  Kasumi doesn’t pack much firepower, but her well rounded skills make her a valuable part of the team.

The best part of the DLC is Kasumi’s loyalty mission.  Players find out more about her history including a relationship for her deceased partner Keiji Okuda.  The plan is to recover his graybox from the man who killed him: playboy arms dealer Donovan Hock.  The heist requires cracking his vault when he’s entertaining party guests.  There are several steps that lead Shepherd to bypass security and enter the vault.  Shortly after, you are caught and forced to fight a path out.  The last thing standing in your way is Donovan Hock who fights from an armored gunship.  In the end, Shepherd and Kasumi destroy Hock and escape.

The mission isn’t lengthy (around an hour total), but the resources and loyalty more than make up for that.  I think the price is appropriate though it would have been nice to have even more content.  I look forward to seeing more as I adventure through the galaxy.  I recommend anyone purchase this if you’re looking for the full Mass Effect 2 experience.

Hey! Whatchya Playing!?!?! Volume 10

This week I set out to make big gains in Halo: Reach. Doing that caused my time with other games to slip. Almost to the point of where I feel bad. Oh well, I’m going to slap the reset button and try some more new games this coming week. All because I don’t want to bore you readers. If you are actually reading this, please leave a comment on my Facebook. Sorry no contest, this is so I know I’m not just talking to myself. Anyhow, on to the games!

Xbox 360

Halo: Reach
I played a ton of online games this week. The Daily Challenges are addictive especially when I’m so close to Lieutenant Colonel. As of this entry I’m at the bottom of Major Grade 3 and hope to meet my goal this week. I’m also working on my commendations. Which are making it feel like a new game since it has levels for online, campaign, and firefight. I also got a lot of time with the Defiant Map Pack. There is a review up for those mulling over a purchase. My adventures have also led me back to the campaign. Again my motivation is mostly in the commendation process, but the game is still fun no matter how it’s diced with an energy sword.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
Even with all the achievements claimed, I’ve still had good reasons to revisit this game. After playing for an hour I unlocked all the boards via the 5 minute mode. I haven’t even dropped a credit in thr other modes of those maps, so there is tons of life left in it. Dungeon is my favorite level because it’s so hard and tiny. Pac-Man CE DX has become my happy place. It’s there for me to visit when things aren’t going well in other titles. Yes, sanctuary.

Rez HD
I have been itching to play this game for so long.  The demo was one of the first XBLA games I tried out after buying my console.  Finally, I own it as part of the Qubed collection.  This and the next two games in the list heavily incorporate music and rhythm into their theme.  Rez HD stands out as being the most graphic intensive and fun to play.  It’s a rail shooter set within a supercomputer which the player is trying to analyze.  Each level has a variety of enemies leading to a boss battle at the end.  The path is predetermined, but the player has control of their avatar (not Avatar) to shoot down enemies.  The shooting isn’t traditional requiring players to hold down “a” and cross their enemies achieving a “lock-on.” I’ve worked my way through the first three story levels and enjoying it.  The difficulty isn’t terrible though I’ve done far but stellar.  I’m looking forward to working through more of the game and the variety of modes within.  Figured I better get started with Child of Eden coming later this year.

E4
Even after I played my first round of this little gem, I wasn’t sure what the objective was.  Years of video gaming had me programmed to put self-preservation above all else.  In this instance I was supposed to detonate my ship to create long score chains All there is to protect me while I maneuver to the best location of destruction is a small shield that lasts only a short while.  The main mode I played was Unlimited.  The timer counts down to zero forcing me to balance my pickups.  Yellow icons increase time while others increase shield and enemy speed.  There is one achievement related to time requiring me to play for 30 minutes.  Most of that time I kept the timer between 1 and 3 minutes, but there were many tense moments when I was about to lose it all.  After I made that milestone, I decided to push on and attempt to score 15 trillion for another achievement.  I played for about 90 minutes before I got it along with another chain achievement.  The game requires a lot of patience and coordination, but the music and visuals rock.

Lumines Live!
Despite playing this game before and not really getting into it, I gave it another shot on this compilation.  I’m still not a fan.  Mostly because it requires me to think faster than I’m comfortable with.  When I look at it I think a little  of Tetris, but Lumines is way more complicated than that.  I can play it, but not to the degree needed to be successful.   The simplicity of two colors making squares and such actually turns out to be tougher than most shooters I play.  It is a good title to have around when nothing scratches your itch, but I couldn’t play it full time.

iPhone

I haven’t been playing a lot that isn’t Street Fighter IV.  I did download Overkill, Lanesplitter, and RobotNGun.  Unfortunately I’ve been way too busy playing Xbox 360 to get a handle on any new IOS games.  Sorry, maybe next week I’ll get back to it.

Short & Sweet Review: Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor series has been around for over ten years, though for many people it has been replaced by Call of Duty. Not me. Medal of Honor: Frontline first stormed the beaches of my Playstation 2, making it my favorite World War II shooter of the last console generation.  The opening moments of the game are unforgettable: D-Day at Normandy Beach. For those who haven’t experienced it, watch Saving Private Ryan.  Now, imagine trying to run to safety among the bullets and the blood. That is the one positive point that Medal of Honor has on Call of Duty: the realism. Now, EA, DICE, and Danger Close have gone modern to release a new Medal of Honor.

The game is set during the early days of the Afghanistan Invasion and follows four major characters among a group of Navy SEALs. Though it takes place almost eight years ago, the story unfolds in real locations and feels grounded. The missions are a good mix of elements: gunfights, sniping, vehicle sections, and stealth.  Nothing over the top like you’d see in their rival, which is impressive. The game starts off slow, ramping up over the second half of the game and coming to a fever pitch in the last moments.  In the end, Medal of Honor had moved me more than I’d expected. As an added bonus, the creators acknowledged the sacrifice that comes with being in a military service member. This tribute came in the form of a five page graphic with very inspirational words that succeed in driving home the point. SPOILER ALERT… This did more for me than seeing Ghost and Roach meet their maker in Modern Warfare 2.

To go along with the top tier narrative in Medal of Honor comes tight gameplay.  Shooting is solid. Guns have decent weight. The control scheme is standard.  No frills allows players to focus on tactics and concentrate on the onslaught of their enemies.  The game runs and looks great running on separate engines for single and multiplayer. My only problem was with some slight collision detection.  A few times I’d be running and get caught on the environment leading to an untimely death.  Other instances had me being shot up while in cover.  Both were more prevalent during online play which could be part of the explanation.

The multiplayer is interesting and being held up by about 3,000 players at any one time.  Players chose from three available classes: Rifleman, Special Ops, and Sniper.  Each class is independently leveled by gaining experience and awarded by unlocks.  15 levels of goodies guarantee that players will want to spend hours playing. The available modes are common with plenty of objective based games and pointless firefights.  I found sector control and objective raid to be the most fun and easiest to gain experience.  The games I’ve been playing are fun, but I found them to lack player communication or the comradery found in Call of Duty.  Honestly, I don’t miss the hecklers or jerks though.  Snipers are also far too common which may turn newer players off who dislike the long range warfare.

The Online Pass/limited edition adds little apparent value. The free mode Clean Sweep  with its duo of new maps and the few digital assets available just aren’t enough.  I expected weapons or something more that would make people buy this game new.  The other DLC pack called Hot Zone is available, but costs $10 for everyone.  Obviously if a player plans to dump hours into the online portion of this game, both the Online Pass and the DLC are well worth the extra dough.  So purchase with extreme prejudice.

Recommendation:

Medal of Honor doesn’t re-invent the military FPS, but it does give players a more realistic experience than its competitors.  The whole time I played I felt like I was right there in the thick of it with my squad-mates.  The campaign isn’t terribly long, clocking in at around 5-6 hours, though incredibly worth playing through more than once.  The multiplayer may not be for everyone, but I recommend giving it a try. I think with all the big games that dropped in months leading up to Christmas last year, Medal of Honor was one of the best that may remain overlooked.  That being said, good news to fans of this installment: Danger Close is working on a sequel.  I’ll be seeing you around!

Short & Sweet Review: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

With great games coming out on a monthly basis, many will sit on my shelf for a while.. They patiently wait their turn to be played and enjoyed. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was one such title.  What was a five dollar yard sale score has become a dust collector. It had to wait almost a year before the time was right to pop it in. Now, I’m ashamed that it took this long to realize how great this game truly is.

This adventure stars our old friend Banjo the bear and his backpack-buddy-bird named Kazooie. The story opens in their familiar home of Spiral Mountain. Eight years gave passed since the duo defeated Gruntilda and destroyed her body when her head reappears demanding satisfaction. From there the action is quickly transported to Showdown Town when the Lord of Games (or L.O.G. for short) appears to break up the fight. He has devised a series of worlds filled challenges to settle this dispute. The winner can return to Spiral Mountain while the loser must forever toil in L.O.G.’s video game factory.

The gameplay is what players have come to expect from the series: solid, third-person platforming with simple combat. Except now their is one major twist: Banjo and Kazooie must rely on vehicles to complete challenges. So get used to driving, flying, boating and more over the 6 worlds to succeed. Completing challenges earn players Jiggies which open up more levels and earn stuff to make more complex vehicles. Exceeding goals will earn T.T. Trophies, earn 4 of those and players are given an additional Jiggy.

Compared to other hubworlds, I found myself spending a lot of time combing Showdown Town for parts crates and other mischief. The area isn’t just big, but vertical too. Climbing to the top of the videogame factory offers up an amazing view of the surrounding land. Plus, it might just earn you an achievement or two.

The game is fairly easy if you’ve got the right vehicle for the job.  Don’t have the best blueprints for a particular challenge? Visit Mumba Motors to customize a machine to win. This aspect of the game is like a black hole of time. Instead of buying new plans or parts from Humba, I toyed with rigging designs to make them work. Sometimes L.O.G. chooses a specific vehicle for Banjo, removing the need for tinkering.

My overall enjoyment with Nuts & Bolts was often overshadowed by the difficulty of certain challenges. Some were so easy I passed them with a T.T. rating on the first try. Others had me spending countless tries and rebuilds just to earn a Jiggy. What was worse: the camera in the building mode seemed counterintuitive. Adding to that frustration was being limited by the amount of parts I had in my inventory. I understand why, but I felt it limited my progress through the game. I wouldn’t expect this to frighten many gamers away, but for a kids title it seemed a little tough. Maybe I’m just getting old or rusty.

My Recommendation:

If you want a fun little break from the norm and have the time to give it proper attention, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is great game.  I was impressed with how the game runs and looks, so I think it’s worth a try just on that merit.  Rare has always been a great developer so expect nothing but the best from this title.