Mass Effect 3 Revealed

Bioware announced yesterday that their final installment in the Mass Effect series is due out for the holiday season in 2011 and gave a teaser trailer at the Video Game Awards.

The series centers on Commander Shepard who is tasked with saving the galaxy from a threat of ancient mechanical super beings known as the Reapers. The games were groundbreaking with the ability to choose Paragon or Renegade actions (good and bad) and your story will shape itself around your choices. Teamates lived or died by your choices and this allowed for extreme flexibility in the storyline. Additionally, the game featured a beautifully crafted story, excellent voice acting and well rendered environments. The games are immense in scope and take a long time to complete if you attempt the side quests.

Mass Effect 3 centers on Earth and Commander Shepard must lead the final defense on his home planet. There have also been hints that Bioware may be incorporating a new multiplayer function into the game to give the players even more immersion.

No doubt for the Holidays 2011 this will be the game to get!

Will WoW have a contender?

Everyone who hasn't been living under a rock for about the last 10 years know World of Warcraft is the dominant figure in in the MMORPG games boasting about 12 million players. In light of the new expansion set release (review coming soon!) Cataclysm, I thought I would highlight the much anticipated anti-MMORPG, as the development team calls it, Guild Wars 2.

The reigning champ

Set 150 years after the original series, ArenaNet's newest work features a completely redesigned world. Much like Cataclysm the game has dragons as the main antagonist, introduces new races and looks much flashier. The things that set Guild Wars apart from its competition is the wildly successful no subscription fees plan. Thats right, never pay a fee to play.

Perhaps a challenger?

Additionally, the game looks to set itself apart from other MMORPGs by making the combat more interactive and realistic. The persistent world engine will make events trigger even when you are not around that will affect the game, making the world feel as though it truly lives and never feel static.

The game itself looks to be a true winner, allowing casual players a chance to live along side the hardcore veterans. Keep an eye on this developer but for now WoW will remain supreme as Guild Wars 2 is not set to release until November 2011.

Best of the Bros?

Melee was the best selling Gamecube Game

In an interview this week with Famitsu magazine, translated on EuroGamer, the creator of the historic Super Smash Bros. franchise said that, if given the chance to make a fourth installment he would not make it like the Gamecube version. Masahiro Sakurai says that Melee was too difficult for anyone but hardcore gamers to pick up.

"There are three Smash Bros. games out now," Sakurai said, "but even if I ever had a chance at another one, I doubt we'll ever see one that's as geared toward hardcore gamers as Melee was."

Sakurai said the concept of Bros. was to be a response to the fighting genre's difficulty and how "hardcore" the consumers had become. The first of the series was an immense hit, loved by gamers and newcomers alike for its easy controls and benign take on fighting. With Melee, the development team attempted to make a much more in-depth and technical game that was extraordinarily balanced. They succeeded.

"Melee is the sharpest game in the series. It's pretty speedy all around and asks a lot of your coordination skills. Fans of the first Smash Bros. got into it quickly, and it just felt really good to play."

Melee was the number 1 selling game for the Gamecube and was a hit with fans of the series but the technicality was its downfall in Sakurai's eyes.

"If we want new people from this generation of gamers to come in, then we need it accessible, simple, and playable by anyone. You can't let yourself get preoccupied with nothing but gameplay and balance details."

Unfortunalty this means we will never see the likes of Melee again. Has the best of the Bros been put to rest?

Hidden Gems

This is the first post of a reoccurring topic on "Hidden Gems." I will try to highlight little known or underrated games or websites that deserve another look.

This week I am highlighting a great site recommended to me by a friend, Game Boy Online, that allows the user to play your favorite, classic Game Boy games online for free! Now the site is not run by Nintendo or affiliated with them but it has games like Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening, Metroid II Return of Samus, and most of the Pokemon games.

That being said, there continue to be holes in the system namely saving. Most of the games "saved" aren't recoverable once you close your browser unless you create a game ID but the site says they are working on it and, if you have a few hours to kill why not spend it by helping Link battle through a temple or raise a Squirtle by a few levels? Even if you don't want to create an ID to save you can always play the other great games!

XIM3 to Hamper Xbox 360 Shooters?

For those of you who don't know, FPS games are difficult on console controllers. Now you may be saying that there are many people out there who are experts with the sticks and can hit just about anything and, while that may be true for some, most people require some aim assist automatically built into the games. Developers behind the XIM system have found a way around that for those who want it; their newest creation, XIM3, allows players to use a mouse and a keyboard when playing instead of the regular controller. This gives players more control over minute details and could give an edge to those willing to pony up the estimated $175.00+

The twap that kills

I saw this video floating around of a nade kill in the new Black Ops game. Pretty unique way to die!

Fable 3 Review

Your brother rules with an iron fist. How will you rule?

Fable 3 was one of the most highly anticipated games of the season, but was all the hype warranted? This new installment transports you back into Albion, the mythological realm your Father freed in Fable 2. This time you play as the spoiled second child of the now deceased hero. Your older brother currently sits on the throne and has become a dictator to the people and seems to be spiraling out of control. Your mentor, Sir Walter, decides enough is enough and the two of you embark on a quest to depose your brother and make you a hero in the process.

The Menu systems of Fable 3 is improved from Fable 2 considerably. The biggest change is the Sanctuary. Left to you by your father, the Sanctuary is a stronghold you will be teleported to anytime you press start. It holds all of your costumes, weapons and achievements. It feels much more interective than a menu and fits nicely with the tone of the game. You will be able to fast travel to anywhere in Albion from the Sanctuary. The weapon system is also much more streamlined. You now start out with the weapons left to you by your father (not imported from save files) and these progressively get stronger as you upgrade them. There are also legendary weapons abound, over 50, but you must have upgraded your starter weapons first. The leveling system is now more balanced as you get "guild seals" which can be spent on anything from levels in your jobs to magical upgrades. All of this is achieved through the "Road to Rule" feature which limits what you can upgrade at which time.

The game play of Fable 3 is very much like all the other Fables. You have a melee weapon, a ranged gun and magic. Once again the magic is extremely overpowered and unbalanced and makes using any other form of combat unnecessary. You fight your way through quests and groups of baddies that Fable fans will be familiar with

The storyline of Fable 3 is pretty well done. I, like many, assumed the task of becoming king was the only part of the game but that's just the start. Once you gain the crown all of the campaign promises you made are called in and you can choose to honor your word or reject it. All of these decisions have moral and financial implications which, I won't spoil it for those who have yet to play, are very important in the final act. There are two problems I have with Fable 3's story. The first is that it is simply too short, you can rush through the story in a handful of hours and it seems like many parts dictate you not explore but approach the task at hand. The second is that after you become king you are put on a time line but the amount of time you are given does not proceed as I felt it should and, word to the wise, 121 days left does not mean 121 days left. Overall its an enjoyable romp but leaves the player feeling slightly unsatisfied.

The immense interactivity you are given before and after you complete the main objectives is astounding. Many of the side quests feel unique and are a lot of fun to do while there are also many "fetch" quests like any big game. The decision to have a family, own property and hold jobs is well done and mirrors other Fable but what is vastly improved is the online play. Instead of being a henchman you are now another hero and the linked screens system is gone. It is now fun to play with your friends instead of a chore.

Finally, the feel of the game stays true to the dry, and often childish, British humor that inspires it. One moment you will be facing down the destruction of Albion and the next you will be belching in a villagers face. It all seems somewhat contradictory and can make certain parts feel disconnected.

Overall I felt that Fable 3 is a very well made game but is much too short for the $60 price tag it commands. Rent it for a few days and you will have beaten it.