I won't write some long detailed article about how much I enjoyed the game as a whole (I don't think most people care to read that), but in my opinion, after having just played three of these games in a row during the period of a couple of months. I can easily say that this is the most satisfying gaming experience I've ever had narratively and it's a series that has moved me in ways that few video games have. A slightly flawed ending won't change that.

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When you ask someone why they love the Mass Effect series, it may conjure up the same sort of reasoning's that would come from any Trekkie, Warsie or Battlestar Galactica fan; that it represents scenarios or worlds that are just plain "different," out of this world, with a tinge of familiarity that seems oddly relatable. They stand as depictions of a possible future where we're allowed to escape and appreciate the ingenious possibilities that can occur through the advent of technology fused with conflict.

Now, try asking the gaming minority why they love the series; we're talking about the resident black guy, the gay neighbor, or the female gamer among others and you may get a less than standard response. There's something to be said where a game allows you to be whoever you want to be, with whichever sexual preference you prefer without restricting the player to a token stereotype. However, it's much more profound than Bioware's approach towards character creation. If you really dig deep, you'll find that ME can teach anyone about tolerance and how it feels to be respected and alienated at the same time, so let's go through the list.

The Strong Female:

They really could have messed this one up from the beginning. It's a fine line one has to dance on to create a female character that appears strong and commanding without seeming like a downright b^#H (although, depending on how you play, she can come off as one). It's an unfortunate tag most women have to wrestle with if they ever want to appear clear-cut and independent, but that's the reality of our male outlook. At the same time, if you try to portray a character with too nurturing of an attitude, there's always the risk of having her seem delicate and frail, which wouldn't fit the personality of a commander that needs to make tough decisions. Jennifer Hale's firm yet soothing voice adds to the illusion by providing a character that consistently sounds tough with believable cracks of tenderness that can only come from a female protagonist. To put it simply, the differences between the male and female Shepard's in terms of raw capabilities are largely invisible and evenly matched, and that's not a sentiment that can be made regularly with most multi genre titles. Sure, she lacks a certain amount of self-conflict and can come off as one dimensional as a result, but it still stands as one of the few gaming moments where I can actually take pride in using a fem character without feeling like something significant was lost in the translation (Yeah, I'm rolling with a female Shepard and loving it).

The Disabled Pilot:

At the start you immediately get a sense of Jeff Joker's limitations once passions flare over his upsetting past at the Alliance Navy. He speaks with a stubborn confidence that comes from years of being told that he couldn't do this or be that. It's a personality profile that you've likely seen parroted in the lives of any disabled individual who had to contend with people who were deemed normal or superior next to themselves.

I personally had a friend who suffered from a very visible limp and he had the same sort of personality, where he'd have moments of expressing opinions about himself that sounded border line arrogant at times, but I understood where it all came from. He taught himself to think in this way to ensure that he would never allow his own mind to believe that he was in any way second cl@ss next to his peers and it helped him rise above and beyond expectations. Joker isn't simply a normal pilot; instead it's his practiced way of thinking that made him arguably the "best" pilot in the entire Alliance navy. Bioware doesn't fall into the trap of depicting his faults as if they were pathetic or tragic, instead his burdens are what make him irreplaceable, it's what produces his unique sense of humor in dire situations and it's ultimately what drives him to be the best in his cl@ss.

Religions:

It's pretty jarring to find out that religion still plays such a huge part in a society that has been so scientifically and technologically driven over the course of 200 years. The Asari have the Siari that relies on core universal truths. The Drell much like the religions of today believe that they have souls in addition to their physical bodies, so death in itself is an exodus. While Turians believe that regions or a group have spirits that allow individuals to excel. Ashley, a human, brings things home when she of course admits to her belief in a spiritual power to Commander Shepard with a certain dose of reluctance. Judging by the dialog options, it would seem that faith is a far touchier subject in comparison to something as insignificant as homosexuality or interracial relationships. She of course justifies her viewpoint with an argument shared among many by way of the universe and its splendor; a refusal to believe that it was created by chance. Despite these beliefs among all races however, it plays little significance in how species treat each other. Religion doesn't influence politics, self-preservation does. It doesn't influence respect, scientific and technological prowess does. It's largely a belief system that serves more as a stimulant rather than a regulator of decisions. Like real life, I can respect any belief that isn't imposed upon me and Mass Effect carefully provides this viewpoint.

Sexuality:

The freedom of choice is the long running theme in this series and it would be ridiculous to limit them in an area that remains a political and social hot topic in our own real life settings. Regardless of the preferences of the standard gamer, ME's world consistently attempts to portray itself beyond the laws and morals of our own. This is the future where individuals have more important troubles to worry about than who's bedding with whom, where racial divides mean little next to the divisions of entire species. In other words, people have evolved and Bioware deserves a certain level of appreciation for at least attempting to showcase this view point. The truth is that the "future" platform has always been a great place to push boundaries. Television did it with 1966's Star Trek by featuring Nichelle Nichols as Nyota Uhura, an African American communications officer, or LeVar Burton in the Next Generation as Geordi La Forge, who served as a chief engineer -placing an African American at the head of a technical position. Star Trek however received controversy for ignoring homosexuals in a largely diverse series which is why it's so bold for ME to be taking on this issue in Mass Effect 3 by introducing the male's perspective. I challenge anyone to find games in this medium that try to do the same.

Human Significance:

One common trait that can sometimes be maddening about most Sci Fi epics is this continuous focus on humans, as if they were still the center of everyone's universe. It's the same sensation I get when I hear people idly chanting "America," followed by "@#$ Yeah!" I don't need all that galactic patriotism in my face like I receive it on earth. I get it, we're special, but with all the advanced races out there we shouldn't be seen as important. Mass Effect seems to favor my point of view by placing our race in an alienated position. We are not the most advanced race from the beginning, hell; we're actually seen as rather primitive due to stereotypes or plain racial intolerance by other aliens. As a species rather than a race, we're in a collective minority and that self-importance that comes from our own superiority is absent. This is a society that evolved without human intervention, prospered and only recently recognized humans as a viable, joinable species. We're surrounded by the strange and different, even the Normandy by selection only has a handful of humans on board by the second iteration. As a gamer, you become desensitized to the diversity of this world. In many ways, this approach towards human insignificance mirrors the way any minority might feel in a situation where they are the lesser of a subgroup and it's refreshing to experience such a world view in a video game of all mediums where the player is forced to acknowledge this perspective.

The Message

Mass Effect as a series provides a lot of worthwhile features as a game, but also provides just as much through its message. These are clear examples of a game that's seriously trying to provide voice and a venue for those with alternative views or experiences to the norm (the white male). You don't have to like the series as game, but I dare you not to respect it for what it is.

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Who is this Jeremy Lin character everyone keeps harping about?

Every time I spotted a feature story on this unknown New York Knicks player he always had this giant grin on this face. It was the same kind of playful smile I'd find on the concrete grounds when I used to play street ball religiously way back in the day (even in the pouring rain). Then I viewed the high light reels, and I noticed that his movements were relaxed as he swerved through bodies with on point hesitations, minus the haste. It's that care-free grace that playground ballers share when the only thing riding in the balance is the fun of the game and the bragging rights that go with it.

The hardiness or toughness that's expected out of this sport can sometimes make one forget that the game itself was meant to be fun. So when some undrafted new guy comes along, completely absent of the stereotype (a skinny Asian), with a smile on his face that re-appears every two seconds as opposed to the death stare of the Kobe's and Garnett's, it reminds me why I love sports in general. He's not simply popular just because he's an underdog; we've had plenty of those before. Jeremy Lin's entry is more like the humble street baller who's just been given a chance to live out his dream in front of us all, and the love he has for the game minus the politics, is shown through every cracked smile, every high five and each surprising win. Keep it up Lin, and I might just become a Knicks fan again (something I swore off on once Patrick Ewing left).

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When I think back on that film and the way it managed to paint a false belief before my eyes, a question came to mind: why hasn't this gamingmedium made more of an effort to exploit our expectations much in the same way as a film like "Old Boy" did?

Let's think about this; Artificial Intelligence, for instance, is governed by a set of rules and as a result becomes predictable. Well, I don't know if you've noticed it, but many of our own gameplay patterns are similar. We jump because we know we're supposed to jump, we shoot an opposing character because they lifted a gun at us and yet we never question it - there's no need to. We robotically follow a trail because we know it'll lead to the next level. We're complacent in the way we presume a video game should and would play because the same systems exist much like they did years before.

So I ask that you imagine the suggestive power a title can have over the player given the current state of the medium today. Make no mistake; it has been done before but with different degrees of success, and few titles have attempted to play with this concept but one prime example comes in the form of a 1999 PC masterpiece, System Shock 2.

The game throws you in the middle of a situation completely devoid of answers. Set in the future, you wake up in a cryo-tube; you're nameless and alone. Immediately, there's a distinct sense of loneliness and seclusion from the outside world. There was an obvious disaster that occurred but the game places a mask over what truly happened – you're simply left with the horrific sights of dead crew members, mutilated bodies and the like. As a result, the game does a great job of artificially instilling a certain desire within the player for a companion, or at least someone who can communicate what's going on. Thankfully, as if on cue, the game introduces yet another survivor by the name of Dr. Janice Polito who responds to the player through voice communication. Throughout your journey you learn to trust the Doctor as she guides you to her location and helps you to avoid certain potential dangers. As the player, you do so without questioning any ulterior motives. After all, it is a gameplay method we're all used to experiencing. When the player is met with the inevitable goal of reaching Dr. Janice Polito's hideout, only to find out that she isn't who she presented herself to be at all, but rather the very (A)rtificial (I) ntelligence that caused the dreadful disaster; the player is left helplessly played by a game.

(she played me...)

It's easy to understand how effortlessly a game can fool the most faithful gamer. The reality is that we're all programmed to do very specific things in the titles we play much like the AI we interact with, as mentioned before.. We go into such experiences knowing all this, so it's actually interesting when you think about the power a developer can have if he or she decides to modify our expectations like System Shock 2 did a few years ago; completely breaking the pre-defined rules we're accustomed to.

That 'I had no idea' impact is so much greater with a video game because it exists within a largely interactive experience. It's a form of communication between the player and the game that's symbiotic in nature, and when that eventual twist occurs where a game reveals a separate reality that was obscured from view; we feel it on a personal level unlike something more passive such as a film. The overall impression left on us is great when the guidelines we've become accustomed to are suddenly shattered.

One example could help our understanding of the effects of war for instance; where instead of believing you've been killing foreign enemies on behalf of America during a Vietnam assignment, your vision gradually becomes clear. You come to the realization that you've been killing innocent civilians all along. The last bit of soldiers are police officers from behind the shielded doors of their vehicles; guns pointing. It isn't a war field; rather, it's your home town after returning from a mentally wounding war experience. The downed enemies are your family and friends. Lastly, the end credits show up prior to a mock breaking news alert that reiterates your horrific actions as being one of the worst public massacres in US history – "War is Blind". This is an extreme example of course, but it's a type of experience made possible solely through our form of entertainment.

Instead of this medium dancing around the same systems and rules to which we are already accustomed to, developers should take advantage of our already pre-defined expectations and use them as a vehicle to provide experiences that not only shock us but tug at our trust levels to a degree that I truly believe no other form of entertainment can achieve.

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"So I'd like to trade this game in"

"You can't, you own it that, sorry"

"Of course I own it, but I'm tired of it so I want to sell it"

"Sorry, but it's yours for life"

Volition's recent comments about used game sales sparked an ire in me I just can't let go. It squawked with a mood self-entitlement, that of course demonized used game sales through a very narrow scope; so much as to compare it to piracy. I've heard these arguments before that victimize a very rich industry, with brief mentions of a certain chain called Gamestop. Now I obviously understand the argument; that companies view used game sales as a hindrance from the profit they could potentially be making from these consumers (the same flawed argument used for piracy). But to complain about the giant hole in your sizable wallet while ignoring the significantly larger cavity in the pockets of gamers who participate in your lucrative medium is insensitive. This is an industry that demands more cash in comparison to any other form of entertainment (and has for years, this isn't a new phenomenon made necessary by technology) and as such, excludes a sizable portion of people who can't afford these titles at full price regularly. (Essentially, many of the nameless individuals who depend on a used game market wouldn't be able to afford titles at full prices regardless. So the situation would be the same under a "no used games" policy – the argument is flawed from the start)

You shouldn't be held immune from a practice that has gone on before the world had an official currency. The economically strained will always have an avenue for participating in all that society offers because of this system. On the other hand, the moment you start suggesting ideas that prevent me from feeling like I own my property is the moment you cross the line and it's also the moment you must raise your own standards. You're placing gamers in a situation where they must keep their properties permanently for reasons that make selling it useless. As a result, it than should be your responsibility to ensure that every dollar I spend on your expensive product is worth it. I can excuse a piece of #### movie, book or album by selling it – a simple solution. In the absence of that right however, you're demanding loyalty, in fact you're imposing it, so the bar on your end has to raise, and I'm a afraid that a chunk of developers out there do not deserve that same loyalty aside from a select few (not including you Volition). Eliminate the idea that gamers who buy titles used are your consumers because most are not, the same goes for pirates.

Developers, you aren't losing money from a consumer that isn't prepared to purchase your products at full price. If it's a concern, than have the humility to lower your prices to suit the lowered demand so you can provide a better solution and a profitable one (as in, I shouldn't find full priced titles a year later). If your demands are a necessity though, than it's your responsibility to make your games worth the full price tag. If your hard earned work stresses a need for a full blown, straight off the shelf purchase, than the content should reflect that.

Now what I fundementally don't get is how a system that prevents used sales can help this industry. Gamers will only become all the more selective in the titles they choose to buy when faced with the prospect of life time ownership. Lower profiled games would get overlooked by the faithful purchasers and overall would just slow this industry to a crawl.

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Me: Yup

Film buff, non-game playing Friend: But that Nathan guy seems so harmless. One minute he's cracking jokes and the next he's a wise-cracking, neck snapping, gun shooting killer.

Me: It's a video game; don't think too hard on it.

Film buff, non-game playing friend: Doesn't make sense to me.

Me: It's not supposed to. This isn't a movie, it's a game. You watch a cinematic and you shoot **** afterwards.

Film buff, non-game playing friend: Whatever

Now, aside from that riveting conversation, let me just lay the foundation for my argument by indulging in a certain comic book hero, Batman; please bear with me.

Bat's, the Caped Crusader, the Masked Man Hunter….. he went by many names that hinted of a certain allure. It was a magnetism that preceded many others of his kind who also donned multi-coloured outfits, those self-declared heroes of the 80's. Sure, we enjoyed the bad guy repellent banter, witty quips and investigative talents like everyone else, but it was the knack for keeping his moral foundation secure that made the Dark Knight so interesting. Unlike the type of hero that performed fantastical feats in broad day light to the tune of positive praise, Batman represented the comprehensible fears of a masked vigilante who often gambled his actions on shades of grey rather than the standard black and white. Because of this dark image, it was natural for readers to want the hero to act on impulse and break the rules for the sake of entertainment. "Snap that guy's neck," "Let that fool fall," "For god's sake, kill the Joker already!" were all likely echoed, but despite the wants of readers including myself, the gut reactions of the many were never indulged.

(Not even the Joker's antics could get Batman to break his code so he had to take matters into his own hands)

His principles were never cheapened, so my own unblemished idea along with everyone else's of who Batman was has eternally remained the same. Now let's make something clear; this article has absolutely nothing to do with my own favourite comic book hero, so you faithful Marvel fans can release your collective cringes. Rather, I want to pose a related question based on that bloated introduction. Could Batman still be considered a morally heroic vigilante and still kill criminals at the same time? The answer is no, such a notion would stupefy most readers and possibly trigger outright annoyance. Fans would suddenly lose a sense of who Batman was; the consistency would be shattered along with all for which he once stood. It would be a glaring contradiction.

As Blaise Pascal puts it, "A contradiction in itself is a bad mark of truth." It's an incompatibility between a message that claims a singular truth and a competing idea that asserts the same reality. That's why I think it's unfortunate to hear myself say that I actually think it's a problem that's becoming an all too familiar presence with a lot of video games today, whether some of us realize it or not.

My venture into this world of paradoxes mainly occurred in Rockstar's recent hit, Red Dead Redemption. Here you had a westernized Robin Hood in John Marston willing to bend the law to help the weak, use his moral code to judge those who deserved it and help anyone who needed a supporting hand – an abnormally warm personality for someone living during the harsh 1900's. Of course, the competing idea would eventually reveal itself – an idea that came in the form of his world. It was a virtual playground that compelled the player to hogtie innocent women on train tracks for comedic value, pistol whip NPC's who gave dirty looks and on occasion, the dishing out of a massacre or two was to be expected. Now I know what you're going to tell me gamers - that I had a choice to do all these wrongs. But is it really a choice when a Rockstar game is only truly fun when we're encouraged to express these bouts of free-form mayhem? Just how enjoyable would this virtual world be if we always followed the rules, stayed on the paths and kept things in line with John Marston's own likeable personality? I'll tell you what would happen - it would lose its gameplay attraction for one and become an experience driven by a narrative; in other words, it would become an interactive movie.

(John instantly looses his believability for me once I move off of his moral path)

A game is typically about eighty percent gameplay and twenty percent narrative these days (rough numbers here). If the bulk of my experience revolves around the actions I make, whether that means shooting down bad guys or crashing into cars, and a smaller portion consists of the decisions my character makes without my control, there will inevitably be a contradiction if handled poorly. You can't solve issues like personality inconsistencies by forcing the player down a strict path, either. A game, a medium that increasingly encourages free-form interactivity, would lose its own unique sense of self. At the same time, because of the way most games are designed, with an importance placed on freedom and the increasing emphases on storytelling, you can probably say that a universal acceptance towards video games as art will likely not happen as long as there is a lack of cohesive direction. Respected art is expressed best when every element is made to send a clear and concise message on behalf of the artist. When there is a confusion or contradiction by its own creators, it typically loses its value.

(The pressures of show bussines was made clear in Black Swan. But it also had the benefit of a medium that controls every facet of the experience, unlike a video game that dishes out that control freely).

The fact is, I never really believed in John Marston's character nor did I particularly identify with him for reasons I couldn't explain a year ago. The same could be said about Nathan Drake, Niko Bellic and especially Cole Phelps (don't get me started on him). On the other hand, in other mediums I can still fully understand the personalities and traits of completely fictional characters as if I knew them because they were consistent in their actions.

Can this contradiction be solved as games become more freedom-based with a continual focus on storytelling? I honestly don't know because it's a barrier with which other mediums don't have to deal with. But if we ever want this hobby of ours to advance beyond what it is, and not only be viewed as a true form of art, but a respected one, we have to find a way to send a unified message that extends from the gameplay to the presentation.

In other words, if you want young people to understand the horrors of wars within a Call of Duty game aside from loading screen quotes, I suggest you not allow them to feel like action heroes prior to killing hundreds. War has consequences, so pick a message and stick with it creators.

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"Puzzles are really useful devices for getting players to calm down after an exciting part of the game and focus on the details of the world around them. We build all this detail into the world and in many cases the player whizzes through it at a breakneck pace. Puzzles and 'down time' are like a sorbet in a multi-course meal, in that they allow the player to better appreciate whatever action comes next. Without those pacing contrasts, everything becomes a numbing blur of relentless action, which winds up being fatiguing and not very fun after a while." – Joshua Weier, as supplied by Reddit.

This is a quote illustrates my utter distain for the recent releases of Killzone 3 and Homefront to a really simplistic degree – an issue that never really crossed my mind. For one, I can't recall the last time since Half Life 2 where I played a shooter that demonstrated an inkling of "downtime", much less a simple environmental puzzle. I can't even evoke a moment within the last few years where I was driven to stay still for a moment and admire a fictionally created environment like the unique world Bioshock provided, as encouraged through its slow paced design. Are my annoyances simply down to the relentless supply of the action formula that has made up just about every first person title?

In a genre that restricts you to singular view points and perspectives; it really makes me wonder why developers insist that we only shoot a gun for nine plus hours while naively expecting us not to get bored of the rinse and repeat experience over time.

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1. This event was held in Toronto

2. I was there covering the event for Urbanology Magazine with VIP access.

3. It was ridiculously cold outside.

4. No, I didn't buy a 3DS.

5. I took these photos with an Olympus EPL-2 (awesome camera)

If you actually knew how cold it was on this day...Nintendo has some pretty dedicated fans.

Oh Mario..

This was actually the entry point to the VIP tent. One of my favorite pictures

Matt Ryan of Nintendo Canada

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I know that I used to like this white stuff at some point in my life, but I'm pretty sure that ended as soon as I was introduced to a shovel...

In other news, I plan on covering Toronto's Nintendo 3DS launch event, so expect to find a lot of pictures and impressions soon (though, I'm not really a portable gamer).

I also want to note that I recently beat Homefront which can be described best as one big giant tease of a game. It started off with a strong direction (with set pieces that literally gave me goosebumps) but quickly caved to the many stereotypes of that already plague the genre. I planned on writing my impressions but as short lived as that experience was, I think such a game would adequately deserve an equal amount of respect (which amounts to none).

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Let me just start off by saying that I'm enjoying my time with Dragon Age II for the most part. It's a game that doesn't present all its most appetizing flavors out right but if you really take the time to dig deep enough at its core, you'll find the unseen positives amongst the more visible negatives. It's important to note that my impressions are based on the first act (approx. 9 hours and 58 minutes in, hard difficulty, screenshots taken from my time with the game)

The Narrative

Negatives:

Now I'm sure many of you played the demo and much like most trials of its kind, they drop you in a random situation without much of a backstory, they ask you to care or interact with characters you know nothing about which is commonly acceptable for over glorified tutorials. Despite this common tradition, I was pretty surprised to find out that the full game started in this very same fashion where you ultimately go through the same situation, only to then skip through an entire year (time lapse!) you've never experienced, while being situated in a town you've never lived in, and in the process of meeting individuals you supposedly know but never really met- immediately there's a lack of narrative direction.

They manage to get away with this because of course; you're playing the part of a tale that's actively being told by Varric. I'm disappointed to say that I spent much of the first few hours trying to get a sense of who Hawke was and how he is tied into the world of Dragon Age and Lothering.

(yeah I stuck with the default look this time around)

I also have to mention the dialog tree as it's an unpredictable fiend. Choices simply aren't as black and white this time around. A response that highlighted as bad may simply translate into a stern form of dialog, or if you're going for a blunt answer, Hawke may reply with something only a brain dead brute would say. Go for good, and Hawke just may say something completely timid (eye brows raised with his best wussified sad face).

For those like me who are just plain anal about consistent personalities, you may find yourself frustrated thanks to the various unpredictable extremes. I found myself rolling my eyes thanks to Hawke sounding inadvertently out of character a lot of the time, and it's ultimately one of the flaws with adding voice to a character. You're a slave to his potentially cringe worthy responses.

Positives:

So naturally I felt pretty disconnected at first narratively speaking, but as I continually began to take on side mission after side mission (a ridiculous amount btw), I began to feel a sense of intimacy with my new home, Kirkwall. As I continually attempted to help people around me to gain status and coin, I started to feel that sense of purpose within the city, when individuals would refer to my reputation; I began to feel that progression of status, like I belonged. I think Bioware placed a lot of care in assignments non-related to the main plot as I found myself nine hours in without having touched the main storyline. (I really can't imagine this game being short at this point)

Exploration:

Negatives:

Much of the first hours will involve missions within the self-contained Kirkwall. I say self-contained because I really felt confined thanks to a limited city made up of different sections, all with relatively straight forward paths. You won't find a whole lot of areas where you can simply explore with actual purpose. Every enterable location for the most part is presented in plain sight, which really discourages adventuring in my opinion. You'll also find yourself going through several missions all confined to a singular location which just ended up feeling like a series of dungeons masked as an actual city.

(get used to this map)

Positives:

There's something to be said about being forced to traverse through the same locations while meeting different characters and personalities through your time at Kirkwall. I again have to go back to that word intimate, because unconsciously knowing where certain characters will be, becoming familiar with the shortest paths, and constantly seeing the same structures and aesthetics imposes a feeling of familiarity with the town. When Hawke referred to Kirkwall as his new home, I truly felt like it was coming out of my own mouth, and whether this was purposeful on Bioware's part or not, I think it was a positive change. I just wish it was more lively of a place.

(I started to like Kirkwall after a good while)

Mechanics

Negatives:

It's strange, I played ME2 and didn't mind the fact that I couldn't change the way my companions looked, but for some reason it really bothers me when DA2 mirrors this thought process. It's just disappointing to play a title set in this medieval world, with all its fantastical armors and weapons that mostly seem to be limited to Hawke and Hawke alone. I think it's one of the bigger offenders after coming off of Dragon Age Origins, where I was given the freedom to dress my team in any fashion I saw fit. It provided me with a small sense of visual progression to see my mages and swordsmen stylized for battle as opposed to the rags I met them in.

(dude..seriously?, why even bother with the loot..)

I also have to talk about the constant reuse of dungeons when it comes to actual battles. I encountered the continuous recycling of levels, something Bioware themselves admit to doing and while I can live with it, I'm only nine hours in, so I'm hoping that I don't burn out from all the derivativeness as a result.

Positives:

The combat is just plain fun, and this has little to do with it being dumbed down. In all fairness, it's essentially the same game with much of the same strategic complexities as Dragon Age Origins. The only difference is an infusion of new animations which provide tighter responsiveness and flare. Now I'm playing the PC version and did so with the previous DA, so the exclusion of a top down camera is missed, but you really get enough elevation with most situations. A greater focus simply has to be placed on positioning your characters since your viewpoint is obviously limited.

(Me and my boy showing these sword hoggers how the mages throw down!)

"Don't cross the streams!"

Final Thoughts So Far

I think DAII is its own beast and it's best approached with a clear mindset (don't expect DA: Origins), for some it may come off as streamlined to the point of disgust but to others it may be just what the series needed to be more approachable. If you loved ME2 and really disliked DA: Origins, it's likely that you'll enjoy this far more than the previous. For all others, lower your expectations to appropriate levels and you'll enjoy what's offered here.

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Man, it's been way too long since I posted a blog without actually deleting it on GS (I promise I won't delete this one @_@ ). For those that are closest to me, or know me enough to have witnessed my annoying habits, they'd be fully aware of the fact that I'm somewhat of a lazy perfectionist. If I don't like how something looks or sounds, I won't hesitate to trash it and start all over and alternatively, if I feel like I can't give 100% for any reason, I don't just bother. So forgive me if you've seen blog titles appear and suddenly disappear from GS's databases, it's my own damn habit that's to blame.

Putting that all aside, let's talk about some games for a change. It was exactly June 11th, 2010 since I "casually" wrote about any video game title I was currently playing, so it's high time.

Killzone 3:

(token turret gun sequence #1)

Ok listen, from a technical standpoint, Killzone 3 performed like a perfectly sound game. It had all the visual flare commonly associated with a next gen shooter (sharp textures, lively and sporadically explosive environments, awesome set pieces) and from an auditory standpoint, it offered up a worthy accompaniment of background noise with a musical score that set the tone pretty well (although, I was getting a heavy Star Wars vibe at certain points which was just plain weird o_O).

But despite all these technicalities, KZ3 still felt very hollow to me. I've been on this roller coaster ride several times before (plow through faceless enemies on a linear map, get placed in an on the rails shooting mission, proceed to stealth mission, get sent on a loan suicide mission, etc. etc.), all missions taking place from the perspective of two gun ho soldiers (as if more than one or two people couldn't save the world for a change). This entire game felt like one giant typecast, with a lazy ending that sealed my opinion permanently.

Infamous:

I love this title and I'm not entirely sure why. It probably has something to do with my love for the Super Hero. Since I was a kid I've always loved the super hero mythos (I even have a giant marvel, framed poster in my spot to let everyone know this), having godly powers and being able to do what you wanted with it, absent of all restraints. Infamous fulfills this need but not to the ridiculously limitless degree that Prototype offered.

Powers come gradually so this puts you on equal footing with your enemies for the most part. I began to appreciate the minimal differences as I experimented and began to use the environments to my advantage (blowing up cars, electrifying nearby water, using elevation). The missions are pretty repetitive and drab for the most part, but for some reason I didn't mind. The solid gameplay is taking precedence over the narrative for me (which still isn't bad) and so far I'm having a blast.

Dead Space 2:

A lot of people love to equate survival horror with the following conditions; less guns bundled with terrifying enemies. This is flawed; survival is survival regardless of the kind of ammo you're packing or lack thereof. The real physiological difference stems from the difficulty. Regardless of whether you have more or less guns, if I can breeze through an enemy without a sweat, any potential fear is immediately removed as a result.

With Dead Space 2, survival became a pretty repeated process for me as I kept dying thanks to a steeper difficulty level. I suddenly found myself a lot more on edge, walking slowly (instead of running), constantly checking my ammo and planning ahead for conservation purposes, and deciding how I should deal with an incoming threat.

We have titles like Silent Hill and Fatal Frame which have been branded true survival titles based upon these so called conditions, but it's a misplaced entitlement. These games provided an element of horror through a selection of imagery and environments that were designed to disturb you rather than out right scare (enemies however were laughably avoidable). It was that constant feeling of being uncomfortable throughout the experience that helped these two franchises stand out, and I felt a similar response with DS2, which had more to do with general caution than anything else - just as prime of an element when it comes to horror.

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Even if it were from a movie, I'd still be impressed. The choice of music, the start and finish of a tragic moment set in time, combined with the use of a young child, which is typically taboo within the industry. While this says absolutely nothing about the merits of this title as a video game, it says wonders about the narrative direction. I really don't have much else to say..

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You probably don't know this guy but his name's Nicola Godin and he's the game designer for Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for the Kinect. I interviewed him recently and as you can tell by his facial expression, he loves his creation. Now I'm not a particularly huge supporter of the device, because I'm not the immediate target audience. I do recognize however, what it does well. I had a chance to get some hands on with the exergame as they call it and the simple fact of the matter is that it works and Nicola's enthusiasm for the product definitely helped in raising my hopes for the technology.

Your movements are on point, the interface is very welcoming as you guys have most likely seen and the actual exercises seem to have been well researched (I broke a sweat). I also like the fact that the mere nature of the technology creates a regimin that makes it hard to cheat *unlike other exercise routines*. I definitely will be eyeing the Kinect a little more closely this time around, especially when pc enthusiasts begin to unlock more of its capabilities via software.

PS: As you can tell, I still write for Urbanology Magazine, hence the access to these exclusive events, interviews etc. I don't like to write about it too much because it feels like showing off to me, but if you guys want more information about it all, I'll gladly post more of these, since you as daily gamers will appreciate it the most.

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But really, I love my extended family and I like you guys, so I'm wishing yall a Merry Christmas, Happy Hollidays and Happy Festivus!

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Jim Sterling recently responded to Braid developer, Jonathan Blow's heated response to a CVG article that supposedly placed him in a negative light in relation to Microsoft's approach to indie development, which essentially placed something he said within the wrong context. Jim quoted CVG's article in a previous blog post and felt that he needed to defend himself and CVG in the process after Blow blasted the publication in a blog. (how do you even defend CVG, they are the lowest of the low)

During this rant for those with even minuscule reading comprehension skills, it became clear that Jim was essentially admitting to being a website that now had to cater to the lowest common denominator because according to him, no one wanted to read long detailed interviews or editorials. In the process he also practically assured that any and all developers should expect to have their words twisted for the sake of petty system war material so that hits can be generated. (While ragging on Kotaku in the process….rich).

I read between all the astutely handled words that were meant to draw pity and acceptance from the reader and deciphered a pretty clear statement that depresses me as a follower "Real Journalism doesn't bring in the moola, so posting about boobs and system war related nonsense is the way to go, unless you can figure out a better way for us to make that money, you have no right to complain". As a developer I would absolutely dread at the prospect of a journalist twisting my words as Jim so clearly admitted to supporting for the sake of profit, and I have no idea how this tactic helps this industry mature as far as coverage goes.

Despite his personal stance, what I loathe almost just as much are the replies that followed, which only further reaffirmed his position. It's like they were all saying, "yeah you're right, make that money and continue to provide me with the utmost dumbed down content just so you could stick around a little big longer", while in the process trashing Jonathan for supposedly handling it like a douche because Jim quoted one singular attack driven line from an entire blog post that clearly stated why such tactics can hurt him along with others as indie developers.

"When this kind of hack-job is written, it hurts indie developers: it harms our relationship with our business partners like Microsoft or Sony when they think that we called an interview just to trash them in public (or when they know we didn't really do that, but they have to deal with the PR fallout of the public thinking we did, which is just as bad.) It harms my reputation with players because they think I called an interview just to make a big deal out of bashing Microsoft and generally being negative (which I did not do!) It does an injustice to people who want to read about thoughtful discussions in video games; it does this not only by failing to point out the thoughtful parts of the interview, but by injecting extra noise into the sphere of discussion, making it harder for everyone to find anything thoughtful." - Jonathan Blow - The Witness

I'm not sure how you can read John's blog post and not understand the common frustration that's shared among many developers from this industry in regards to words are constantly being twisted for the sake of profit, only to read a piece like Jim's afterwards that asks for your understanding and respect afterwards, as if it was entitled to recieve it. Let me know your opinions on this growing trend, do you guys like the direction of sensationalist coverage that has been going on for years now because I'm getting pretty sick of it.

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Strengths:

Multi Media Capabilities:

I was actually surprised by how multi-media rich the PS3 actually was straight out of the box. I'm not simply talking Blu-Ray playback, but rather, media server capabilities. For those less technically minded, it means being able to stream video content from my netbook directly to my PS3 wirelessly without the use of any sort of media center. All it took was an install of a single program and it was instantly recognized on my system along with my hard-drives etc. All of that however would be completely useless without the multitude of video formats it supports. I honestly didn't expect it to be able to play 720p or 1080p mkv files but it did so without a hitch.

The Build:

This thing is quiet, amazingly so. It makes such a difference with my movie watching and video gaming since I value atmosphere and sound so much (which might I add, the PS3 makes excellent use of its sound output capabilities). It just seems like a quality machine build wise and I feel confident in its ability to last as long as I'd like it to. The Xbox 360 however always left me with a subconscious dread that it may give up on me at any second, which isn't something any gamer should have to worry about after spending a good 200 dollars.

The Games:

I haven't even touched a fraction of the PS3's exclusive library, but having played just half of Uncharted 2; I can definitely see the raw technical differences between the two systems. I noticed this quite easily when I played God of War III months ago, but it just seems to be becoming more pronounced. I also see a heavy single player focus with the upcoming titles I'm seeking to play, which appeals to my tastes. So I have a lot to look forward to.

Weaknesses

The Install:

I understand the appeal of the Blu-ray addition to the console. I've heard many PS3 owners brag about this supposed strength. However, for the many of the titles I've checked out, they all seem to sacrifice the luxury of inserting a game and playing straight from the get-go for size. Yes, the alternatives are those pesky install times. The PS3's Blu-ray player for most intensive purposes is simply too slow to play a lot of titles straight from the disc and this is becoming increasingly clear. Having to wait five to ten minutes to play a freshly inserted title pales in comparison to taking seconds out of my time to change a disc (which happened maybe twice during my 360's entire life span).

PlayStation Store Demos:

Install times also seem to plague demos as well. I know that the act of downloading and installing a demo hardly seems new to a PC gamer, but for some reason it seems entirely backwards as a PS3 owner after having been exposed to the instant download and play scheme XBL sports. It wouldn't even be a problem if it didn't take ten or so minutes to install a standard 1 gig title.

PSN:

I actually don't mind PSN, mostly because it offers a free online alternative, but despite that, I'm starting to clearly understand why some individuals prefer XBL regardless of the subscription price. It's just a more appealing interface, with an obvious focus on more community and social features. PSN however, feels sterile in comparison, an afterthought, with your friends list tucked to one side along with brief descriptions of what they're playing as opposed to actually having access to detailed information, like what level your friend was actually on within a given game.

Overall:

Despite the negatives, all the aspects that I personally value in a system seem pretty damn sound and then some. So I'm definitely not regretting my purchase. The only difficulty I have now is deciding what title to purchase next. Demons Souls is unquestionably high on my list.

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...reunited and it feels so goooood!

As far as PS3 exclusives go, I may be setting the bar a bit high by starting off with Uncharted 2 but it came bundled with a deal that I couldn't resist.

Now this isn't to say that I've abandoned my Xbox 360 library. I fully intend to purchase another system in a month or two, but for now thanks to the holiday deals that are surfacing, I thought it would be a great time to finally re-enter the Playstation family. (and I simply wouldn't feel confident as a writer with an up and coming video-game website if I knew that I abandoned the chance to play all of the best this generation has/had to offer. *no, I haven't forgotten about the Wii*)

For those with PSN accounts, go ahead and drop me a line in the comments section with your ID's. As for my own, I kept it pretty simple. Crystalvision83.

PS3 Impressions coming in a later blog.

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This movie eases itself into the conflict like any mainstream flick would. You have a bunch of Caucasian naive American journalists going within the region with the sole intent of acquiring a great story, of course without completely realizing the entire scope and seriousness of the situation.

Now when I say naive, try a professional journalist questioning the idea of children being recruited as soldiers, this is a fact that most should know by now and it made me cringe hearing her repeat it. It's safe to say that I certainly didn't expect an amazing script going further into this movie, but I expected an accurate portrayal of the crimes that occurred and I got more than I expected.

It was a very hard movie to watch and it was a film that didn't hold back for a second. Children were graphically murdered, females were raped and butchered, I was literally angry throughout which isn't something that normally happens since films are such a passive thing to me.

The violence and realism overshadowed the incredibly conventional story arc which was mostly grounded on non-fictional crimes that happened every day, and I came away from the movie with a certain amount of respect for whoever decided to push the boundaries necessary to show what most of us rarely want or get to see.

As the credits began to roll, I suddenly had a conflict of the mind when I saw Uwe Bowl's name listed... This is a director that was known to push some of the most unnecessary boundaries for the sake of gaining the attention of the public, with Postal being a prime example, and I had to question whether or not this flick was genuine in its message. Did he portray a damn infant being impaled for the sake of showing the truth or for gaining attention? I guess in the end I decided that it really didn't matter because before I saw his name I felt genuine sadness and it made me want to read up more about the conflict, which is what every movie of this nature should aim to accomplish. Yes, it's surprising to utter these words, but Uwe Bowl actually made a decent movie.

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So this is maybe the fourth time my Xbox 360 has died but this isn't a simple RROD error, this is a 0001 error. What this translates into for those less informed, is a complete internal problem (could be a short, could be fried in some way, a part likely needs to be replaced or re-soldered) because it isn't recieving any power whatsoever. When I turn on my 360 it won't even respond, it'll simply give me the three red lights without any sign of life which is not normal. I'm so @#$@# pissed right now I can barely retain my anger because this couldn't have happened at a worse possible time.

So my main outlet for reviewing titles is essentially gone until who knows when, but I'm still going to launch the website regardless. To top it off, COD: BO's is just around the corner. I don't understand how engineers who consider themselves professionals can make such a horribly unreliable product. I have a computer background so when I look at images of the insides of this thing, it just pisses me off how poorly things were designed...(why rest a dvd rom drive over the GPU's heat sink and not impliment some sort of gpu focused fan for instance). I normally avoid talking about this because it's just a recycled complaint but I needed to vent. I need a f@#4@# drink....

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The term escort mission has undeniably received quite a bad rap over the years amongst gamers; it's one of those uncomfortable gameplay methods that can bring some of the most uncharacteristically vindictive hisses and curses from behind the hilt of a controller. Much like another irritating system known as backtracking, few titles have managed to unitize these gameplay concepts without falling victim to the associated flaws that make them weak by design. So it was a surprise to find a developer ballsy enough to base a videogame entirely around this much stigmatized genre.

Straight from the beginning of the game, it was clear that Enslaved was not going to waste time setting up the major backbone that would hold the two main protagonists together throughout the journey. It was the simple words "I die, you die" uttered by the technically minded and cautious female named Trip, to the more brawny and mile tempered fighter named Monkey, that helped illuminate why two completely opposite personalities would have to rely on each other under less than ideal circumstances. You immediately got the sense that character development was being paid with a lot more thoughtfulness than the surrounding plot – a refreshing take when compared to the plethora of games that put too much stock on telling a decent back-story.

Since most readers upon finding this review likely familiarized themselves with the basic storyline, it isn't necessary to repeat information in regards to the overall story arc. However, it's the world surrounding the two fictional characters that needs recounting.

You quickly find out that the depressive locale that Trip and Monkey reside in is actually a New York City set one hundred and fifty years into the future, within a world that has gone through one too many wars to the point where near human extinction is a reality and robotic creatures are the stereotypically dominant species. Despite the all too familiar scenario, it's important to note that visually, it isn't the rusty metallic visual look we'd often come to expect from most post-apocalyptic settings, rather it's a game that sports a surprisingly lush and green aesthetic. One of the very first visual highlights you notice is a dying world that ironically seems teeming with life – Broken down buildings with rich green foliage, a sky that seemed surprisingly blue; along with some unique character design choices all brought a certain beauty to an otherwise bleak world.

It all makes traversing throughout each mission all the more easier, and you'll definitely be doing a lot of that throughout your journey. Due to the fact this is mostly an escort mission, making use of each character's unique abilities comes into play. Trip, despite her frailty, doesn't fall under the same guise that makes so many escorts a frustrating pain, in other words, she isn't completely useless. Her abilities naturally coincide with your own (that being Monkey), she can use her tech savvy gadgets to sway enemy fire in her direction, or alert you of potential traps. However, much of her skills are defensive in nature which makes her particularly vulnerable to any sort of combative danger. But this is where Monkey's natural strength and agility comes into play.

The symbiotic relationship works so well between the two characters that you often feel like it's your obligation to protect Trip rather then it feeling like a forced task. On the combat end of things, Monkey is capable of handling most of the dirty work without a sweat, which is a great thing until you realize that this trend continues throughout the game. It's just too easy.

While you're given the ability to upgrade certain moves, enemies hardly put up a challenging fight and they usually sport the same move sets per encounter. The fixed camera angle usually present during a fight also adds a welcome cinematic flare to the action and works well, most of the time. The problem comes from a view point that normally remains fixated on your character throughout the action, which ultimately hampers your view of potential sneak attacks – a big no no for an action title.

You can also be expected to perform quite a bit of traditional plat-forming as hinted by the character's nick name, Monkey. For the most part, plat-forming within Enslaved provides more eye candy than actual challenge. Much of the appeal comes from watching the wonderfully animated Monkey effortlessly traverse the environment but it's a visual flare that comes at the cost of over simplification. Simply positioning monkey in the right direction and pressing a single button will always get you where you need to go without much effort – it's literally impossible to fall to your death. This is unfortunate since so much of the game provides you with the sort of death defying moments that would normally cause your heart to skip a beat, but with the prior knowledge of invincibility; it only takes the thrill out of the plat-forming segments.

Despite these various weaknesses, Enslaved never allows the gamer to focus on one element for too long. Thanks to some great pacing, It's a game that provides the player with some clever and memorable moments throughout. At one point you may be trying to evade bullets while Trip comically attempts to handle a vehicle without knowing how to drive, or you may find yourself trying to run away from an unstoppable mechanical forty foot dog with Trip hugged onto your back. It's a great method of pacing, and it also lends itself well to the game's greatest strength, the story telling.

Now you may be surprised when it's said that the plot isn't all that original or new, in fact it's mostly based on an ancient tale, and so, much of the back story would seem derivative regardless. This isn't where its strength comes from; it's the subtly handled relationship between Monkey and Trip that sets it apart from most story driven titles.

Thanks to some cleverly handled facial animations carried on from Ninja Theory's previous title, Heavenly Sword, every nuance of emotion can be seen between the two protagonists without a single word having to be spoken. You'll notice fear, distrust, curiosity, jealousy, humor, disappointment and anger without the robotically awkward expressions that often plague other titles. The great script also lends itself well to the overall story.

When it's all said and done, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West stands as a beautifully told tale that helps it excel as a cinematic joy ride, but with a few glaring flaws that ultimately prevent it from being truly excellent as a videogame. If you're one of those gamers that gains more value in a richly told character driven plot, than you should definitely give Enslaved a try.

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