Well, I haven't seen your trailer- but here's hoping that ME2 doesn't get the EA infection. In the mean time- Dragon Age, and soon! It looks like it will be even better than Mass Effect (hoping).
By the way, I haven't played it, but why did you give Mirror's Edge such a low score?

@ThaSod
Mirror's Edge, from what little I have played of it, is insanely difficult. How this game didn't get the "Punishing Difficulty" emblem from Gamespot baffles me.

This is the ultimate example of a game that would have been about 20 times better if they had simply made it easier/more forgiving. Frankly, I'd go so far as to say that the game is broken because you need to handle the controls PERFECTLY to really get things right. There is no margin for error in this game and it makes the game zero fun to play.

I wrote this a couple of weeks back as an explanation, but I've been meaning to go back and give the game a second try.

I was pretty blown away by the first Mass Effect; my partner who is generally not a gamer, got so sucked into it, he asked me not to play major story segments except when he was around to watch them. The scope of it was pretty spectacular, I thought, and the story was really well presented (such as the fact that the stuff with the Protheans had happened before was very well alluded fairly early in the game to if you paid close attention and did a lot of exploration). I am wildly excited.

And as for Mirror's Edge, I got to one part in a shopping center where you had to do a really complex series of jumps while being shot it; I did 30-40 times and just never went back to the game, and don't really regret it...

@xaos
Yuck. First blog of mine that you read is this quick and dirty thing I just threw up. Allow me to redeem myself by at least linking to my Mass Effect Review.

Did you ever play Star Control 2 and Star Control 3? There were some (sporadic) interesting similarities in the storyline and alien races between Mass Effect and those two older RPG titles. I've wondered since playing Mass Effect if Bioware drew some of their inspiration from those two games or if it was just a coincidence.

Mass Effect 2 needs to come out and soon. There are so many games out there that, while fun to play, have no idea how to integrate gameplay and narrative. Mass Effect did it so perfectly that I was both very satisfied with the games conclusion and extremely excited to see whats next. Its been 2 years now and I'm still waiting on hints. I hate it. Someone just give me all the plot spoilers now!

@zgreenwell
Oh well, as ThaSod says, at least we have Dragon Age coming. Bioware does RPGs well.

I could not agree more. In this day and age, a high quality, lengthy, single player game being released is always cause for celebration. I'm likely going to break two of my rules when Mass Effect 2 comes out. Not only will I buy it as soon as it's released for full price, but I'll probably end up getting the more expensive "special edition" as well.

@nocoolnamejim
Yeah, I was getting ready to judge you unworthy and stop tracking you based on this post

Seriously, though, nice, thoughtful review. I'm just hoping the narrative momentum continues. And that we get more info or at least clues as to where the Reapers themselves came from; I'll be very frustrated if they are just an unexplained catastrophe.

Never played Star Control but will have to research them a little, as I do enjoy retro RPGs (even having played through most of the antediluvian Gold Box RPGs).

"Bioware does RPGs well." That is the most profound understatement you've ever made! Bioware is king of the RPG, and having to wait an entire year for Mass Effect 2 will kill me unless I play Mass Effect The First at least twice more in the interim, and Dragon Age. Having to wait two weeks for the E3 gameplay footage is bad enough. My answer to the devs: No, it's not "too much." Put it in.

The Mirror's Edge demo made me dizzy. But the boys at Gamestop got me that cool yellow bag for my laptop, so it wasn't a total wash!

God I want ME2 so much it hurts... and I can't imagine why a Suikoven V wouldn't be released on the PS3/360/Wii? It's a universal title... we just have to wait for the JRPG devs to stop making PSTWO games lol.

My only regret is that I can't take my 360 to Germany and so I can't play ME2.

Why would you kill gabu and Btaylor? What do they have to do with konami.

Seriously though I would like to play mass effect 2,and I still have to pick up persona 3-4 based on your recommendations.

Ohhhh...make sure you get P3 Fes... you'll want the extension to the game, even with P4.

@johnsteed7
I don't have the same rule against paying full price for a game, but I rarely pay for the special edition of something. (Though I did for Mass Effect 1 and I will again for this game.)

@xaos
Here's a link for a free (and legal) download of Star Control 2. It isn't the original version, which lacked voice acting, but the original is difficult to get a hold of nowadays. You'll need something like Dos Box to run this on modern computers.

@tclvis
Oddly, I'm strangely unexcited for Dragon Age Origins. Not that I'm not going to almost certainly get it, but for some reason I'm not as absolutely giddy with anticipation as I normally am for a Bioware RPG. Weird huh?

@nappan
The odd thing is, Suikoden VI for 360/PS3 hasn't even been announced yet. I genuinely wonder if we'll see a new Suikoden title on the current generation of consoles. We saw a new Suikoden game for the DS, but that's like ordering a Meat Lovers pizza and getting a plain cheese pizza.

@grigjd3
Indeed, that would suck. Are you planning on getting a new console or PC in Germany? Are you moving there or just going on vacation there?

@mattykovax
I just threw out a couple of names that most people are familiar with and like so they know the depth of my desire.

@nappan
I've thought about it. I'm just not sure that I have the desire to spend another 90 hours on Persona 3 after playing through it completely twice already. Maybe over the long, summer dry spell.

@mattykovax
A suggestion: start with Persona 3 if you're planning on playing both games. Persona 4 is MUCH better than 3, so if you play 4 first and then go back to 3 you'll probably be disappointed.

Yeah jim,thats what I planned on doing. As an aside,as someone who pretty much follows user reviews I checked the link you gave for xaos,good stuff I am going to have to pay attention for whne you post reviews from now on.

I really need to play Mass Effect one of these days, actually =P

@mattykovax
Thanks! Glad you liked it. I've been fortunate enough to get one of those reviewer emblems. But there are plenty of really good reviewers around here. Yeah_Write, PAJ89, xboxrulze, GabuEx, Bozanimal,monco59, and SYdoggXxX are just a few off the top of my head that are worth checking out. (I hate doing stuff like that. I'm sure I missed some folks.)

@Allicrombie
I'm so disappointed in you! How can you never have played that game.

That Mass Effect 2 trailer has lifted my anticipation too. I got excited as soon as I heard the music.

I hope they'll remove DRM from ME2. Or at least make it more flavorable for us.

Damn you Jim, you made me watch that trailer. I also don't like watching trailers until we have a confirmed release date in the somewhat near future. I'm really excited to hear that our choices in the first game will carry over.

EA and BioWare have put me into a bit of a crossroads with Dragon Age. They confirmed that they game will not use SecuROM, or any DRM outside of a CD key. I can't decide if I want the game for PC or 360 now. I was going to get it for the 360, but now that they confirmed that it isn't using SecuROM then the reason why I was avoiding the PC version has become void. I can't decide if I want to pay less and play the game on my PC with mouse and keyboard, or if I want to pay a little extra and play it on my nice, large HDTV with a superior sound system. I mean, this IS BioWare, I'm sure that both versions will be great in their own ways. Although...The most recent trailer for Dragon Age has slightly turned me off, even though I know that the game actually isn't going to be like that...

As for the Konami teaser...I love Metal Gear Solid, but I hope that the main series dies with MGS4. It was a good way to end the main story of Snake and I think that any additions to the main series will just be milking it. Plus, I rather see Kojima start working on ZOE 3.

I'm curious, have you been keeping track of Alpha Protocol? That RPG is getting pretty close now. It still looks a bit rough, but otherwise very promising.

Oh, and a heads up: Word has it that the team behind Valkyria Chronicles are in the process of begging Sega to green light a sequel (Or, more likely, a prequel set during EWI) but things aren't looking too good...The first game, while somewhat successful, is little more than a cult hit right now. It was fairly profitable in Japan (An anime series is currently in its first run) but it was, as I understand it, a flop in the US due mostly to being criminally under-supported with a nearly non-existent ad campaign and being released during the big holiday rush, competing with the likes of Fallout 3 and Fable II.

@Louis-D
One of the great video game moments for me of the last three or four years was when I was made a Specter in the first game. I even knew it was coming, but the dialog, the scene, the music...all combined to just make it a complete "win" moment for me.

@Kleeyook
Seems likely that they will. After all, EA/Bioware removed it on their other upcoming rpg Dragon Age.

@raven28256
Ironically, I'll probably end up getting both. (I'm SUCH a sucker for really great RPGs that I know I will play repeatedly.) I'll likely get the 360 version first though, if for no other reason than I played through the 360 version of Mass Effect 1 several times so I have a number of good save files to port over.

I'm keeping an eye on Alpha Protocol. I like Obsidian a lot and the idea of a spy RPG interests me. On the other hand, I'm mentally tabulating about a two month delay between when Obsidian releases the game and when they patch it into a playable state based on their history.

I'd love a Valkyria Chronicles sequel/prequel by Sega. One of my surprise gems of the last couple of years.

I can't wait for Mass Effect 2. I usually wait to buy a game after the price starts to go down, won't with ME2. I have got to read the books based on the game.

Can't. Wait. Kind of looks like you're playing as a Geth in that video. ??? I have no interest in Dragon Age at all. I sat through a presentation of it at PAX and it looked like they completely ignored all the good lessons learned from ME and did something more akin to the trash that Bethesda spews out.

It's a post-doc, so a couple of years or so. The problem is, right now I don't really know what things cost across the pond nor what my wife's income possibilities and what with region codes, it's not really worth my time to ship my gaming stuff. All this adds up to, when I get back, I'm going to have a huge backlog of games I'm going to be crazy about playing and ME2 is going to be right at the top of my list.

A surprise hit you wouldn't have known about without me wanking off to how awesome it looked before the US release was confirmed.

Anyway, I would prefer a prequel during EWI. Imagine using a young Largo and Eleanor back in her prime when she was a sniper. Maybe even an appearance by General Gunther.

A PS3 port of ME would be most welcome. *sigh*

I saw that and just about cried with happiness. I'm basically going to be as giddy as a school girl whilst I wait for E3 to bring me back to earth.

I'm also dying to see if Forza Motorsport 3 makes an appearance. A more in depth look at Star Craft 2 would be nice also.

@MJoanne
You're not the only one. A number of people have told me to get off my hiney and go read the books. Always mean to, and keep forgetting.

@Smoov_B
I'm taking a bit of a wait-and-see approach to Dragon Age. Based on the track record of Bioware, whom I can't recall ever producing a game I didn't like, I'm more likely to get it than not. On the other hand, for whatever reason it hasn't tickled me like the thought of Mass Effect 2 has. This is interesting because I'm normally more of a fantasy guy than a science fiction guy.

@grigjd3
I understand you now. I did much the same thing when I was getting my Masters degree, and a post-doc would be far more work than a MBA was. Well, good luck and hopefully you'll still find SOME time to enjoy yourself.

@raven28256
Oh hush you! I've given you credit for nudging me towards that game lots of times now. But yes, a young Largo and Rosie and maybe a Gunther Sr. appearance sounds like a blast. Maybe also a certain young Captain? @galerian86
Believe me, I understand how you feel. Got a decent PC? There's a PC version of the game.

@xboxrulze
Good thinking on Starcraft 2. You know, come to think of it, aside from WoW updates, Blizzard hasn't come out with anything of interest in quite some time. Given that I don't PLAY WoW, I've been without a new game from one of my favorite developers for years.

I have to confess that I read the Mass Effect novels (hey, I had to put that e-reader to use). The second one was only so-so, IMO, but I thought the first one was really good. Then again, that could just be because I was more invested in it, since it dealt with Anderson's Spectre candidacy, meeting Saren and even super-early setup for the first game.

The second book, which involved a non-game character introduced in the first novel, concerned itself mainly with the Cerberus organization, but I didn't come out of it feeling much more insight into the ME universe the way I did with the first book. Still, it was a pretty good romp.

@nocoolnamejim

Well, I got a laptop that can played Left 4 Dead, and run Fallout at low settings. You think that is enough?

@nocoolnamejim: Not so weird. I'm not all stoked for DAO either; I guess I'm just longtime burned out on orcs and elves and all that medieval fantasy rot. Meh. But, like you say, it's Bioware, so I'm hoping that little detail will make the difference into a pleasant surprise and separate this one from the usual troll-hunting pack. But ME2 is where my sights are set right now with little on the horizon til then that really grabs me. Not surprising, considering Mass Effect was the game that prompted me to get the 360.

Xaos is right--the Mass Effect books really do help flesh out the world and give some interesting backstory that isn't necessary to play the game, but certainly contributes to the whole immersive, role-playing aspect...and helps tide us over in the lean times between games!

@xaos
Hmm. I kind of felt the same way about some of the Star Wars novels out there. Some, like the Timothy Zahn ones with Grand Admiral Thrawn, were a lot of fun. Others just seemed to be blatant cash-ins. The same could be said of the games. Kotor = Really good. Rebel Assault = Not so good.

@galerian86
Possibly! You could google the system requirements to find out. My guess is that if you can play Left 4 Dead and Fallout 3, there is a pretty decent chance you could play Mass Effect on it. I'd get some headphones at least though. The music/voice acting is where you'd probably miss out a bit playing it on a laptop.

Well I meant too, but you know how it goes, I was playing Lost Odyssey and meant to pick up Mass Effect after and then I needed a break from LO and at that time I'd just gotten a DSi, so I picked up Dragon Quest IV and went through and finished it and then Mailer recommended Castlevania, so Ive been playing that. I do wanna get to Mass Effect though.

@Allicrombie
Heh. Yeah, I know how it goes. Let me know what you think when you get around to playing it.

I agree with you and steed though, I really do enjoy deep, engrossing, involved single player experiences. Oh and thats a nifty review there.

I'm with you man. I am so geeked out for Mass Effect 2. I'm not as strong as you though, I'm giving into the hype, it's only a couple of times a console generation that you get to fall head over heels for a series.

I am holding off on reading the second book. The first time around, I read the book in August and it sent the hype machine into overdrive. I didn't end up getting the game till January and it was killing me. So when the book sequel came out months ago, I decided to hold off until the game was much closer. That also gives me the benefit of remembering more from the plot. Not sure if you read the first book, but it fills in some interesting back story on Saren.

Well if I were you and if you were me and if you were as awesome as I am now, I'd probably kill you just out of sheer jealousy.



Anyways, Mass Effect 2 is probably my #1 most anticipated game right now. Although Starcraft 2 sure gives it a run for its money. Damn, it's a fine day to be a gamer.

@Allicrombie
Thanks Alli. Glad that you liked it.

@yeah_write
I try really hard to limit the amount of exposure I have to a game that I KNOW I am going to get and almost certainly enjoy months before it comes out. It only makes the waiting harder. Your comment about the timing on reading the books is an interesting one. Maybe when I'm a month or so away from Mass Effect 2 I'll read the first book.

@GabuEx
Well, naturally I've thought about it for that reason alone. But if killing you would get me a Suikoden VI I'd probably no longer be able to restrain myself.

@tclvis
Sorry, somehow missed seeing this comment earlier. I'm not sure I ever asked you, but did you ever get around to playing The Witcher. (Particularly Enhanced Edition)

@ nocoolnamejim:

Well there certainly could be worse games to be killed over.

I haven't watched the trailer and have only seem the other teaser trailer. I tend not to follow games too much before their release aside from reading the daily news and previews here on Gamespot. But based on my experience with Mass Effect, I'm pretty interested in the sequel.

@GabuEx True, but if I kill you to get a sequel to Suikoden V, depending on the timing, you may never get a chance to play Mass Effect 2.

@bacchus2
Yep. You're one of a number of people who take that approach. The curse of the Internet age is that it sometimes makes it WAY to easy to get access to information about a game months before it actually comes out, thus making the wait all the more unbearable.

I am agree- a lot of games cater way too much to hardcore players at the expense of the majority. I think every game should at least have the option of an easier difficulty (not to mention ditching checkpoints and implementing saves, everyone has a hard drive now, geez)

I am ashamed to say, no, I haven't played The Witcher. I was scheduled to finally get back to it this month, but then Fable and Fallout DLC packs landed, so I've been back to those. I finally managed last week to let go of Fallout 3 until the next 2 DLCs come out, so now I'm in Abion for a bit. After that, I simply have to get to Witcher, and I did install the enhancement. I have been diligently plowing backlog, however. (Though it occurs to me I shouldn't ever say "plow" in a Jim blog.) Did Beyond Good and Evil, and Psychonauts in between bouts of RPG. It's all Mass Effect's fault, you know; I just can't stay away from it for long. God help me when #2 hits--nobody will ever see or hear from me again!

Nice, enjoyed that trailer. All the gameplay improvements talked about sound great, as does the story. Probably the only thing that bothered me on Mass Effect was my Xbox seemed to run particularly loudly, but the copy to hard drive feature since added (I always ensure theres room for at least my current most played game on the HD) solves that.