Sheesh!

Haven't had the time nor energy for a game post (or really, games in general) in some time, because I got a job.  Also have some school work to finish up, so that's been preoccupying me too, and I'm trying to get some cleaning done...

Here's what I've been playing.

Pokemon Heartgold; For the past couple months I've been very conflicted about my feelings regarding Pokemon.  Something clicked when I was playing Diamond, and suddenly nothing I did in the game seemed to matter anymore.  I think it may be time I bowed out of the series, at least took a break from it.  But then HeartGold came out, which is a remake of my favorite entry in the series.  So I bought HeartGold, and I've been enjoying it, but I think this will be my last Pokemon game.  I don't know if I'm going to write a post on it.

Final Fantasy XIII; I really like this game, but I was approaching the end of the game when I got my job, and now I don't have time to finish it.  I'm on Chapter 13, just doing some sidequests and exploring down on Pulse to put the finishing touches on my Crystarium, but as much as I enjoy the game, I'd really like to move on!

The Sims 2;  I was playing a LOT of this a few weeks ago, but then I stopped, and don't see myself picking it up again..

Star Ocean: The Last Hope International; It's been a few months since I played this game intensively, and I still haven't finished it.  I'm on En II now, just entered the Sacred Garden to try take out the invading Grigori.  The enemies got a pretty significant bump in difficulty here, so I'm doing some grinding to catch up.

Dragon Age: Origins;  I picked this up again after several months of inactivity, only to end up putting it down again.  I finished recruiting the Dwarves..the only faction left is the mages.

inFamous; I finally, FINALLY Platinumed this game, finding those last few Blast Shards and maxing out my evil powers.  Now I'm done with it.

Phoenix Wright; Gamefly sent my Trials and Tribulations instead of Justice for All, which wasn't so bad until I started the second case and ran smack into Pearl.  I'll take this in chronological order, or not at all, thanks.

Red Dead Redemption; Post on this coming eventually..I beat the game, it was great.  I also enjoy the multiplayer.

Modnation Racers; I was actually getting ready to write a post on this a week or so ago.  Should be relatively straightforward, but it's a fun game.  Not as good of a kart racer as Mario Kart though, regrettably.

Wipeout HD; This is one of those games where you've gotta just keep charging in relentlessly, or else you lose your edge and get rusty really quickly.  With practice, it's a fun and rewarding game, but very challenging.  I do wish it had a little more depth in some areas, but I guess that's a matter of taste.  The people who really enjoy what Wipeout HD does best won't care about whatever it may lack.

Demon's Souls; Don't expect a post on this anytime soon.  >.>  There's a hoard of untouched trophies in that game, but like Wipeout HD it's not a game you can play just whenever you can.  I just don't have the time to really get into it.

Haven't seen any anime or manga in quite some time too.  I've been keeping up with Fairy Tail, but that's it.

Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy. The name of one of the largest and most well-known franchises in the industry. Here's a fun fact: the first Final Fantasy was actually a desperation move by a near-bankrupt Squaresoft (what Square-Enix was before they merged with Enix), hence the name "Final" Fantasy. Fortunately for them (and arguably for us), it hit all the right cords, and carried the company to prosperity. Fast forward a couple decades, and we have Final Fantasy XIII. SE's been working on this baby for a few years now (much longer than most games take to make), trying to take the franchise into a new era, and boy does it show.

As per tradition, despite this being an entry in a long-running series, it has its own universe, setting and plot. There are some references and borrowed elements (Chocobos, Cid, summons, etc.), but story-wise it is entirely unrelated to other entires in the series. Speaking of tradition, SE did away with quite a bit of it here.

Final Fantasy XIII follows the stressful life of six different people who are forced together by unfortunate circumstances, and find themselves united against an unfair fate bestowed upon them by higher beings. They come from all walks of life, from main character Lightning, who is a soldier, to Sazh, a civilian pilot.

The setting is Cocoon, a gigantic planetoid of sorts where humanity lives in peace and prosperity, enjoying an age of advanced technology under the guidance of the fal'cie, godlike entities who are heralded as higher beings. Cocoon floats high above the surface of the planet Gran Pulse, known as a wild and untamed place where the strong survive and weak are weeded out. Everyone on Cocooon fears Gran Pulse something fierce. Being associated with anything related to the world below is like a highly contagious disease. If you're suspected of it, you and everyone else living in the same area as you are rounded up and Purged (banished down to Pulse). With Pulse being the equivalent of hell in the minds of most Cocoon residents, this is worse than capital punishment.

When the fal'cie need a specific task done, they pick out a human and make them l'cie by bestowing special marks upon them. While l'cie, being the only humans capable of magic, are known to be very powerful, they are treated similarly to those associated with Pulse: that is, with fear and extreme prejudice. Becoming a l'cie means the end of life as you know it. Suddenly you are hated and hunted by the government, feared by the people you once called friends, and everyone associated with you is liable to be punished by law. What's more, the task you are given by the fal'cie is only hinted at in a glimpse of a vision. Still more, you have only a certain amount of time to complete the task before you turn into a c'ieth (a mindless zombie, basically), doomed to walk the earth forever in insanity until you disintegrate. Complete the task, and you turn to crystal, maybe waking up again several hundred years later.

It's the extremely unfair circumstances that one finds oneself in after being made a l'cie that forms the basis of Final Fantasy XIII's plot. All of the six characters are made l'cie, either due to misfortune or for trying to protect their loved ones.

The six man band consists of the following:

• 21-year old Lightning, a taciturn but determined young woman who used to serve the Guardian Core (the branch of the military that guards Cocoon and its populace as palace guards, police, etc.). Lightning's own sister, Serah, was made a l'cie, and upon learning this, she sneaked onto the first Purge train she saw hoping to find some way to free Serah from her fate. Serah is Lightning's only remaining family, and thus she harbors a deep need to protect her from harm. Perhaps because of this, Lightning maintains a lone wolf personality, and is often frosty towards other characters, who may distract her from her goal.

• Snow, a large and tall young man, and Serah's husband-to-be. They were engaged to be married when Serah was made a l'cie. Lightning is especially hostile towards Snow early on, seeing him as incompetent and incapable of protecting Serah. Leader of the well-meaning but mischievous gang NORA, Snow is determined to become a hero, starting with him rescuing Serah. His extremely positive, carefree and forward-thinking attitude often irritates Lightning, but even she can't always avoid being warmed by his irrepressible flow of passion.

• Sazh, who is on the same Purge train as Lightning by coincidence, and seeing her skill, decides to follow her, hoping to find some way out of the mess. As the oldest member of the group, Sazh sometimes has trouble keeping up with the often-crazy plans and exploits of the rest of the members. He's a very down to earth person and prefers not to stray too far from reality. Sazh has a baby chocobo living in his afro, which he had been hoping to give to his son Dajh.

• Hope, a young boy who was simply visiting with his mother at the time, and was rounded up to be Purged by sheer misfortune, after being caught in the crossfire of a firefight between rebels and PSICOM (Cocoon's other military branch, which deals with foreign threats). Hope's mother joins Snow and his band to help fight PSICOM, but dies in the process. Hope sees this, and as a result harbors a grudge against Snow. Ironic given his name, Hope is thrust into the story entirely through lack of luck, which is a source of depression for him early on, and also makes him unwilling to cooperate sometimes. Lightning understands this, and takes him under her wing eventually. He is the first to break through her icy demeanor as a result.

• The other two members are Vanille and Fang. Can't say too much about these two without spilling a lot of plot content, but Vanille is a cheerful young girl who helps Hope before he bonds with Lightning. Fang is a straight-talking and somewhat cynical woman from Gran Pulse, who views Cocoon and its residents with distaste.

Final Fantasy XIII's plot, while filled with its fair share of secrets and twists, is based more in appeals to the player's emotions. Serah's fate is a constant source of concern and stress for Lightning and Snow, and the entire group is repressed by a feeling of hopelessness that could only come with being a victim of circumstance (some may be reminded of FFX). Constantly hounded by the military, and feared by the same people they used to live with, they have no choice but to seek strength from each other, leading to an incredible sense of camaraderie. As they continue to flounder and fight against their fate, you see these people progress from total strangers to brothers in arms over the course of the story. It's a good feeling.

This element of trust carries over into the battle system. SE cut off a lot of fat for Final Fantasy's appearance on a new generation of a consoles, and while some would argue they cut away too much, the result is a streamlined system that still holds true to the essence of combat in the franchise. That is, the job system.

Every character has six roles to choose from. Eventually (and I do mean eventually), you'll be able to assign any role to any character, but for most of the story each character has a preset assortment of three roles that they specialize in. The roles are Commando, Ravager, Sentinel, Medic, Saboteur, and Synergist. What role your character is playing determines what they are able to do. Commandos are your bread and butter. They have increased attack, and slow down the recession of enemy chain gauges (more on that in a bit). Ravagers are your attack mages. They are essential for raising enemy chain gauges, but also wield elemental attacks. Sentinels are defensive players. They aren't able to attack (they can learn a Counter ability though), and instead task themselves with drawing enemy fire, and guarding against it. In addition to heightened defense that comes with the role, Sentinels have an arsenal of moves that let them absorb insane amounts of damage with relative ease. Medics heal, and heal only. They have access to Cure (and numerous variations of it), as well as Esuna and Raise for keeping allies in fighting shape. Saboteurs and Synergists are your de-buffers and buffers, respectively. Saboteurs make enemies vulnerable by casting status ailments like Slow and Poison, while Synergists strengthen your party members with spells like Shell and Haste.

The ATB system returns, also trimmed down. All your abilities and actions besides items revolve around the ATB bar, a segmented long blue bar that is constantly filling up. Nearly everything you do costs one or some numbers of segments from the ATB bar. Simple commands like Attack only take one segment, whereas more powerful moves like "-ga" level magic attacks can take 3-5 segments. The tradeoff is that there is no MP. As long as you have energy in your ATB bar, you can cast or attack. Multiple attack commands can be queued up on the bar to unleash combos. It may sound complicated, but it works exactly like any semi-realtime RPG battle system with a wait bar (i.e. FF12), except even simpler.

The strategy in FFXIII, and indeed the meat of the combat system, is found in the Paradigm System, which is how your organize you party members' roles. You can only have three members in combat, but there are six roles. The Paradigm system is SE's solution to this. At any time during combat, you can press L1 (or Left bumper on the 360) to bring up your Paradigm deck, which holds up to several different Paradigms, or role configurations. You can switch configurations on the fly, which is called a Paradigm shift. Tougher battles will have you switching Paradigms probably every 30 seconds at least, to accommodate changing circumstances. For example: Relentless Assault is a paradigm consisting of two Ravagers and one Commando. This is an excellent offensive Paradigm, as it allows you to quickly build up enemy chain gauges. However, with no medic, you'd have to resort to items (which become outdated quickly). Instead, if you find yourself in a pinch, you can easily switch to a more defensive Paradigm like Combat Clinic (two Medics and a Sentinel) to nurse your wounds for a bit, then switch back to an offensive paradigm to go back on the offensive. You can only have a handful of paradigms (6-7, i believe) in your deck at a time though, so you won't be scrolling through a big list of paradigms in the middle of combat. Not only does this keep the action fast, it also forces you to carefully consider how you will structure your Paradigm deck. To fight efficiently, you have to have a wide variety of paradigms at your disposal to cover a wide variety of situations. You can always jump into the main menu to re-arrange your Paradigm deck, but you shouldn't have to do this every couple battles.

I really dig the Paradigm system, because it encourages players to always and constantly explore new tactics to fight more efficiently. Nearly every time I was defeated, to me it didn't mean I needed to do some grinding to get stronger stats. It meant I needed to take a hard look at my Paradigm deck, and see just how tight an operation I could run in battle. Combat really comes together when you're switching Paradigms almost instinctively, meeting each enemy and situation head on.

For an only semi-real time based system, battles can become exceedingly fast paced. In battles against Eidolons (character summons), for example, each second counts because not only are you often working with only two members, but they are boss level enemies, and you are cursed with a dreaded Doom timer (which, when it runs out, will cause an automatic game over).

You only ever control one character in battle. Until you are given free reign to choose your battle team, this will most commonly be Lightning, with the other two being AI controlled, acting according to the role they've been given. However, never once did this occur as a problem to me, as the AI is effective and competent at whatever role it is given. Use Libra on an enemy mid-battle to reveal they are weak to water attacks, and your Ravagers will promptly switch to water spells, and your Synergists will enchant your attacks with the water element. The AI will generally focus on the same target you are attacking (to get chain gauges up), but more "all out" paradigms like Cerberus (triple Commando) will often have them pick their own targets. It doesn't waste time, either. Switch to a Paradigm containing a Sentinel and he/she will immediately grab enemy attention and switch to guarding, taking all the heat off you in a matter of 1-2 seconds. They often get to work before the "Paradigm Shift" sign even fades away. Simply put, the AI is responsive, and with their help, and the use of the Paradigm system, the party moves and attacks as a cohesive unit.

To fight effectively, most of the time you'll be looking to raise an opponent's chain gauge. Every enemy has a certain damage threshold, which when surpassed, forces them into a staggered, vulnerable state. This threshold is represented by the chain gauge. Filling the chain gauge is as simple as attacking the given enemy, but only Ravagers and Saboteurs can really fill it up. Commandos stop it from emptying, but don't make much progress filling it. Once staggered, not only is the damage done to enemies multiplied by several times, you gain access to an arsenal of new moves; namely, the ability to "float" the target. Commandos have the ability to launch most enemies high into the air, leaving them unable to attack, and open to more punishment.

It's also worth mentioning that your characters are fully healed at the end of each battle, no matter how bad or good you did. I like this decision, and it's a sensible one given the absence of MP. Not having to constantly worry about the condition of my party members, and flee from enemies due to lack of restorative items is a huge freedom, and lifts a lot of stress from the game. Furthermore, you can always pause during battle and simply restart, which puts you down right in front of the enemy you engaged. Game Overs do the same thing, unless you choose to quit.

This means I often only found myself using save stations if I was actually done playing. Besides saving, save stations grant access to various shops, where you can buy a multitude of items, upgrade components and accessories using Gil. The whole economy in FFXIII is a bit odd, because Gil is only sparingly found on the field, your primary source of it being from special components that sell for a premium. But after your medics gain access to Cure and Raise, you won't have much use for restorative items. You could use Gil to buy accessories and weapons, I suppose, but you find plenty of those as battle spoils and chest contents during your travels.

Which leaves equipment upgrades, the final service save stations provide. Using various components and materials bought and/or found, you can upgrade your weapons and accessories to buff their stats. It's a simple system, with weapons leveling up just like characters do in most other RPGs when they gain enough experience from items being applied to them. Each piece of equipment has a max level that, when reached, often provides an opportunity to transform it into a potentially better weapon using a special catalyst stone (another type of component). You can also dismantle weapons and accessories you don't need for additional materials. Some even contain components that can't be found anywhere else. I'm still not sure how important this is to the game (maybe for some of the much tougher optional bosses), but I got by just fine not really touching the upgrade system throughout the story.

Level progression in Final Fantasy XIII is handled by the Crystarium, which those familiar with FFX's Sphere Grid (or even the License Board from FFXII) should have no trouble getting used to. The Crystarium is a gigantic web of small orbs, each of which represents either an ability or stat boost. You gain these benefits simply by landing on an orb. You use Crystogenesis points gained from combat to travel along the web and gain stat boosts and learn new abilities. While it isn't impossible to grind enemies for CG points, the Crystarium caps out fairly quickly, only being expanded at certain points in the story. Besides that, I think the difficulty pacing and learning curve is done well enough that for about 80% of the game, grinding never feels even slightly necessary.

However, this is due in part to the fact that the game holds your hand for several hours, and takes its sweet time really opening up. The ATB bar and Crystarium are expanded only at certain points in the plot, and you don't even gain access to the Paradigm system (or Crystarium) until a few hours in, meaning battles are not only almost pointless for the first few hours, but they are incredibly simple and boring.

Which brings me to the Final Fantasy XIII's biggest problem: its incredible linearity. For the first 25-30 hours, levels consist mostly of you running down a straight or winding path, with little to no side paths or detours. The game does open up a significant amount eventually, but until then you go where the game wants you to go, and use who the game wants you to use (meaning you also can't switch up your battle team). Since this is more or less one gigantic, extended tutorial, the game is also pretty easy during this time.

If you're only coming along for the story (which works great, actually), this isn't really that big of a deal. If you were more interested in a "traditional" RPG experience, complete with lots of exploration and/or grinding, you're in for a really long haul. The plot itself also takes its time moving along, concerning itself more with familiarizing the player with the characters and setting. The result is a whole lot of exposition, but when things do really get moving (right around chapter 10), at least you'll know the whole situation, and be able to keep up with all the terms. While one could question the quality of a plot that requires 25 hours of exposition and build up, that's another debate.

Back to the positives. Final Fantasy XIII's production values are off the charts. The CG scenes are breathtaking, but the engine-rendered graphics aren't slouching either. SE claims that the difference between their CG scenes and engine-rendered scenes is almost nonexistent, and that's only a small exaggeration. The level of detail and animation work that went into each character model is impressive, and the environments, besides being beautiful, are imaginative, fully realized, and very unique. Really, this is a game that could sit along side Uncharted 2, Gears of War 2, and Metal Gear Solid 4 as one of the best-looking console games ever.

For a Japanese game dubbed in English, the voice acting is pretty excellent (though Vanille walks a fine line with me). All of the characters are voiced with skill and enthusiasm, so the game has no trouble conveying its more emotional scenes. I honestly didn't miss the Japanese voice track one bit.

But when you're talking about audio, the real star here is the soundtrack. And hoo boy, it is phenomenal. As soon as you start the game up, you're greeted to a touching piano piece playing during the title screen. The primary combat theme doesn't get old. Each environment is supported by an appropriate BGM. Each scene is delivered with sweeping music. The soundtrack is a masterpiece.

Despite all it does right, Final Fantasy XIII is not for everyone. Its restrictive linearity peeved me at some points, and I can't imagine myself going through those first few hours again, after getting used to all the freedom I have at the point I'm now at. Furthermore, I can definitely see the touchy-feely tone turning away some people. But only a blind person would be unable to see the amount of work and effort that went into crafting this product. The story weaves together nicely, the audio and visuals are simply exemplary, and it's not exactly a difficult game to get into. This is Final Fantasy, evolved to face a new generation of gaming, and personally I like it. A 9.0/10.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

I haven't been playing my DS much lately. Really, the only portable games I've EVER poured much time into (outside of Custom Robo) were the Pokemon games (I just hit the 200 hour mark on my Diamond cartridge), and recently..I've lost any drive to play those. And thus my DS has lain dormant.

The Ace Attorney series has always piqued my interest, primarily because of its apparently quirky nature, and rather unique premise. Recently I decided to pick up the first entry in the series, and was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had playing it.

For those who haven't heard of it, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a DS game where you play as a rookie defense lawyer as he defends innocents from being wrongly convicted.

The game is separated into five cases. While there is an overarching plot and a recurring cast of characters, each case features its own self-contained story. The first case is fairly short. It's Phoenix's first actual trial, so he's guided by his mentor and boss, Mia Fey (a famously skilled defense lawyer) through the process, which serves as the game's tutorial. From there, Phoenix goes on to investigate other cases, usually uncovering a whole lot more than he bargained for in the process.

This is, at it's core, a text adventure. You can play the game exclusively via touch, using the bottom screen to sort through evidence, advance conversations, and choose dialogue choices. Like in a visual novel, locations are represented solely by static backgrounds, and characters you converse with show up as semi-animated sprites sitting against those backgrounds.

Each case is composed of two different segments: investigation and the trial. Each case begins with an investigation, where you go out and try learn more about the situation and given incident, as well as gather evidence which you can later use to prove your logic in the court. You'll converse with various characters and examine scenes for evidence and information.  This doesn't sound fun, I know, but it is.

Following the investigation phase is the court trial. Here, the prosecution will call witnesses to the stand to report what they know about the incident. You defend your client by cross-examining witnesses, carefully examining their reports and pointing out anything that contradicts evidence you have in your possession. Along the way, Phoenix will slowly unravel more of the truth, and start to throw out conjecture, which you have to prove with evidence.

The challenge in Phoenix Wright comes from the amount of logic and deduction often required to point out contradictions. The game will sometimes hint at them, but you're more frequently left on your own to put two and two together. Each case is more convoluted and complex than the last (I had some trouble following the details of case five), so it's easy to get left behind when characters start theorizing, much less actually be ahead far enough to know a bad witness report when you see one. It actually runs a lot like a case in Detective Conan/Case Closed.

The puzzle aspects of the game are all well and good, but what I found to be its biggest strength was the simply excellent writing and cast. For one thing, this is one wacky court. After having enough of their reports blasted to pieces by contradictions, witnesses will literally have a mental breakdown (one even starts banging his head on the wall repeatedly), in a hilarious manner. The judge, while generally capable of keeping order in the court, always seems to be behind the curve, and requires many things to explained to him. Edgeworth, your rival and the primary prosecutor, often has a hell of a time getting his own witnesses to respect him (in particular, he has trouble getting them to introduce themselves, and they often hold evidence without telling him). Each character introduced to you has a humorous side, from Angel Starr's bottomless supply of box lunches (which she insists on handing out even while serving as a witness in the middle of a trial), to Detective Gumshoe, who is capable and friendly but somewhat intellectually lacking. If nothing else convinces you of this game's humor, consider the fact that you get to cross-examine a parrot.

In the graphics department, the character sprites are really the best thing you have to look at in this game, so it's a good thing that most or all of the characters are unique and have interesting senses of fashion. The music can be surprisingly epic at times, particularly when you point out a contradiction and press witnesses. There's no real voice acting, but each lawyer has a sound byte for when they yell OBJECTION!! (or HOLD IT!! in Wright's case) to point out contradictions and make accusations. Sound effects are used to fantastic effect here; from von Karma's signature finger snap to the wince-worthy effect that accompanies crushing logic, it's amazing how exciting a game where you play as lawyer can get.

I tried, but this is a difficult game to describe. Take that as a sign of its addicting uniqueness. The episodic style of the game (in addition to the ability to save pretty much at any point) makes it easy to take in the experience at your leisure. For a game that requires you to do a lot of creative thinking, it's very linear though. There's always a right and wrong dialogue choice, and there's no way to proceed until you've gotten all the vital clues you can for the moment. On the plus side, this means it's impossible to miss out on crucial evidence. But on the other hand, it can also underwhelm the experience, and lead to complete halts in the action until you figure out what you're supposed to do next. The game's strict linearity isn't really a flaw in my eyes, but it does eliminate almost any replay value the game may have, since after one playthrough you'll already know all the choices to make and all the contradictions to point out. One could argue the writing and characters alone merit one or two more runs (I certainly would), but that may be a bit of a stretch for some. But this game is most certainly worth anyone's time and money, for the sheer amount of humor and brilliant logic to be had. An 8.0/10.

Mass Effect 2

There's something really awesome about playing as a galactic hero, commanding the most advanced ship known to man, with a crew composed of some of the most skilled and talented people in the galaxy. This is what Mass Effect 2 does, and thus it's already getting points with me.

Mass Effect 2 starts off right after the end of Mass Effect. The Alliance and galactic governments have downplayed the entire affair with Saren (a rogue Spectre) and Sovereign (a gigantic, partially organic and sentient ship that is a part of a race of antagonistic beings known as Reapers), sending main character Commander Shepard off to hunt down any remaining rogue Geth in the Normandy. Shepard and his crew know that they're really probably just being sent away so that the higher-ups can forge a story to quell public fear (because Sovereign was just one of thousands of Reapers still out there somewhere in the universe), but they know the truth.

Apparently, the governments weren't the only ones who wanted Shepard out of the way, however. At the beginning of the Mass Effect 2, the Normandy is attacked by an unidentified alien cruiser. The ship proves too powerful, and Shepard's frigate is quickly sunk. With his help, most of the crew escapes, but Shepard him/herself is blown out into space, seemingly lost forever in the dark void.

The game then fast forwards two years later. Shepard's body was recovered by the pro-human organization Cerberus, and using the best equipment and scientists, and a whole lot of money, was fully rebuilt. The Commander's recovery is cut-off a tad early though, when the facility comes under attack. Getting through this serves as the game's tutorial for basic movements, teaching you how to take cover, sprint, use the command menu to access personal and squad powers, and use medi-gel.

Evacuating the facility, Shepard is taken to one of Cerberus's primary bases of operations, where he/she is invited to speak with the Illusive Man, the organization's mysterious and enigmatic leader. The Illusive Man explains that the Normandy's downfall and Shepard's death was the work of the Collectors, a race of aliens so rare they are publicly considered a myth. The Illusive Man reveals that the Collectors have begun to kidnap entire human colonies. The strange thing is, there's never evidence indicating a struggle. One day they're there, the next the entire colony is deserted. The Illusive Man believes they are rounding up humans and taking them to their base, which is believed to be located in some uncharted space beyond the mysterious Omega-4 Relay. For what purpose they're doing this, nobody knows.

The Illusive Man tasks Shepard with finding out the Collectors' motives, and stopping them. But for all his skill and experience, Shepard is still just one human. To take the fight to the Collectors, he's going to need a team. A team of the most skilled people in the universe.

That team begins with Miranda Lawson and Jacob Taylor, who you first meet on the facility you were rebuilt in. Miranda was the director of the project to revive you, and features heavy genetic modification herself. She is curt with Shepard at the beginning of the game, but it's possible to get her to soften up to you. Besides being a strong biotic and a capable strategist, Miranda is focused (almost to a fault), and completely loyal to those that prove themselves worthy of her trust.

As the head of security at the facility, Jacob proves to be a bit more likable at first glance. A former Alliance Corsair, Jacob knows his way around a gun, and proves it when he escorts you to the evacuation area of the facility. Jacob is a bit more laid-back and headstrong than Miranda, but that also makes him a sensible and dependable ally.

The rest of your team must be gathered from across the galaxy. The Illusive Man will keep a steady stream of recommendations coming your way via dossiers containing information on those he thinks might be worthy additions to your cause. Examples of such additions include Thane Krios, a highly skilled assassin, and the salarian scientist Mordin, who is not only a brilliant scientist but a capable combatant, having run with the Salarian Special Forces for some time.

But the Normandy is gone, remember? Shepard's going to need a new ship to house his band of buddies. A ship capable of braving whatever waits beyond the Omega-4 relay. Fortunately, Shepard wasn't the Illusive Man's only big budget project related to the destruction of the Collectors.

Enter the Normandy SR-2, the most advanced frigate in the galaxy. Building off the original Normandy's overall specs, Cerberus installed multiple upgrades across the board, including stronger weapons, a custom quantum comm interface, some civilian class comfort standards, and a powerful AI. The new Normandy is twice as large as the old one though, so it uses a landing shuttle, instead of landing on planets itself. The Illusive Man even tracked down Joker and brought him back as the pilot.

The Normandy is composed of 4 primary decks. The topmost deck, also called the loft, is Shepard's cabin. Here you can choose your casual (aboard the Normandy) and mission (everywhere else) clothes and armor, respectively. The regular armor can be customized with various pieces found across the galaxy. The cabin is also home to some displays of Shepard's accomplishments (including a way to check your achievement progress), as well as a message terminal, where you can read messages sent to you by the Illusive Man and other characters you meet in your travels.

Deck 2 is the CIC, or Combat Information Center. It's arguably the most important one of the bunch, as it contains the Galaxy Map, which you'll use to travel to different locations. Located just beside the galaxy map is your yeoman, Kelly Chambers. Kelly is a quirky but very friendly character. She's also unofficially the ship's psychiatrist. Kelly is useful not only because she announces whenever you have a new message at your terminal, but can also tell you how the other crew members are doing. If someone on the team needs to speak with you, she'll tell you. The CIC also contains the ship armory, where you can customize your loadout, and the comm room, which acts as conference room and also houses the comm interface for conversations with the Illusive Man. At the front of the ship is the cockpit, where you'll find Joker. Joker always has a thing or two to say, either about the people you're picking up, or the status of the mission, but he can be insightful at times, so it pays to hear him out.

Deck 3 is home to most of the crew, featuring the primary crew quarters, a lounge/cafeteria, and a small medical bay (among other things). Deck 4 is Engineering, where you can view the ship's massive energy core, and also the cargo bay. Much of the Normandy is closed off at first, but as you pick up more squadmates, they occupy previously locked rooms, allowing you to explore them.

Once you unlock the science lab, you'll be able to research and obtain upgrades for both your team and the ship. Most or all of them can be useful in the right situation, so it pays to get them regularly. Upgrades include enhanced ship armor, larger ammo magazines, more health, and more efficient biotic usage.

Getting your team together is only half the battle though. Taking on the Collectors with just a frigate-sized crew is pretty much already a suicide mission, and it's highly likely the journey past the Omega-4 relay will be a one-way trip. To even have a hope of surviving, the team has to go in as a band of brothers/sisters, completely focused, with no regrets. To do this, you need to get to know your comrades on a personal level by seeking them out on the Normandy and talking to them on a regular basis. Some characters will be more approachable than others, but with time, all of them can learn to trust you enough to dedicate their loyalty to you.

And then there's Commander Shepard him/herself. A galactic hero. The first human Spectre. And an excellent leader. The really cool thing about Shepard is that he/she is whoever you want him/her to be. The fact that he/she was rebuilt gave Bioware an excuse to shape Shepard's character however you want. You choose Shepard's past, gender, even personality and combat class. Shepard has two primary personality tracks, and Bioware's patented branching dialogue trees return, allowing you to choose Shepard's responses in each conversation. Certain choices give you points in his/her two personality tracks, Renegade and Paragon. A new feature in the conversation system is spontaneous actions, which allow you to interrupt other people with a scripted Paragon or Renegade action.

A Paragon Shepard is friendly, romantic, and somewhat idealistic. He/She is able to rally crowds with powerful words of encouragement, and console saddened teammates with relative ease. Paragon Shepard is always looking for a peaceful way out, and always seems to know what's best. An example of a Paragon interruption would be to immediately reach out and verbally comfort someone who's on the verge of tears, or seize and dismantle the pistol of an eager youngster who obviously hasn't seen a real battlefield. Higher Paragon points allow you to charm people and peacefully convince them to see your perspective.

People will question the methods of a Renegade Shepard, but not his/her results. Renegade Shepard doesn't take crap from anybody, and can't be bothered to sit around dealing with people who can't keep up with him/her. An example of a Renegade action would be headbutting a krogan who is in the middle of scoffing at you for being a "weak human", or punching a suspect square in the jaw during an interrogation to show that you're not kidding around. Higher Renegade actions allow you to intimidate those who would argue with you.

The Paragon/Renegade system is quite satisfying, and encourages multiple playthroughs to experience the game in full. There is one minor problem it introduces, however. As you progress through the game, you'll encounter dialogue choices that require a certain amount of points in either Paragon or Renegade to choose. Many of these choices are ideal ones, and can lead to better outcomes than the regular options. Like for example, not all teammates get along, and a few will eventually get into heated arguments. You have to sort them out, but unless you are almost completely full in either personality track, you're going to have to pick a side, losing loyalty with the person who you don't side with. A character's loyalty is literally one of the deciding factors dictating whether they live or die at the end of the game, so it can feel like if you're not constantly pursuing points in a single track, you risk your squad suffering casualties later on; consequences that will carry over to Mass Effect 3.

When you're not chatting it up with other characters or roaming the Normandy, you're likely traveling the galaxy. It's a big place, to be sure. The world map of Mass Effect 2 is split up into about a dozen nebulas, which each usually contain 2-4 star systems, which in turn each have their own solar system of planets. You jump between nebulas with the use of Mass Relays, which interface with normal FTL drives and slingshot ships extremely far distances near-instantaneously. Though only a small fraction of the planets in the galaxy actually have visitable locations (much less mission-relevant ones), that doesn't mean it doesn't pay to look around.

Each planet secretes a set amount of valuable resources and minerals, which can be spent on upgrades. To obtain resources, you have to enter the planet's orbit, then set about scanning its surface. When you hit a spike, you can launch a probe to collect the deposit. This mining operation represents one of the few minigames in Mass Effect 2, and while it's not one of the game's funner points, it's nice thing to just settle into. And since those resources are the only way to buy upgrades, it's not like it doesn't pay to spend some time with it.

What relatively few planetary locations you can explore, you'll be visiting multiple times for different missions. So it's a good thing that they're not only expansive, but fully realized and very unique. Examples include Omega, a lawless space station where gangs duke it out for power, and the innocent try to scrape out a living. Its primary attraction is an eclectic nightclub run by the enigmatic Aria. There's dancing, drinks, and the obligatory shady business going on in some of the side rooms. Another example is Illium is a popular trade center, where it's said that literally anything can be bought (including people), if you know who to talk to. Because of its very lax regulations, one is advised against signing anything.

You'll visit such locations both to do some surface-side shopping, and to complete missions. Primary missions are those that have you searching out people on your dossiers. They tend to be rather elusive though, so you'll have to do some investigating, and talk to residents to pick up their trail. As people like assassins and vigilantes (the type of people you'll find yourself recruiting) are often surrounded in trouble, tracking down potential squadmates usually results in a few firefights.

General combat in Mass Effect 2 is composed of 3rd person shooting. You take cover to avoid enemy fire, and can sprint and melee in a pinch. Things are mixed up a bit with biotics, which are sort of like super powers. In addition to regular shooting, biotics add some strategic value to fights by giving you various ways weaken your enemies.

In addition, your general role in combat is determined by your chosen character class, just like in an RPG. Each character class has access to varying portions of the weapons and biotic powers. Soldiers can use all weapons (except SMGs), but cannot use any biotics beyond weapon powers. Infiltrators are snipers, and have exclusive access to the tactical cloak power, which lets them disappear for a few seconds. Adepts are full-on biotics, relying less on weapons and more on ranged powers and a powerful biotic charge that lets them slam into enemies from afar. Vangaurds are a bit Adept and a bit Soldier. Engineers use tech powers that let them hack robotic enemies and summon drones.

But you're not just a soldier, you're a commander! Whenever you leave the Normandy, you pick two people from your band of buddies to accompany you as henchmen. Each potential squadmate has varying strengths and weaknesses, and access to different powers and weapons, like you. Miranda is a capable biotic, but uses only pistols and submachine guns. Jacob has a couple biotic powers, but relies more on weapons to get the job done.

In battle, your squadmates are as responsive to your commands as your left and right arms. You give them orders via the command menu, which can be called up any time during a firefight. The command menu lets you use your own powers and switch your own weapons, as well as those of your comrades. You point at an enemy and click on a teammate's available power, and he/she uses it immediately on the targeted victim.

Combat in Mass Effect 2 is a very linear and straightforward affair, making it compare unfavorably to the game's more open-ended features. But it's still very enjoyable. Weapons come in several typical classes (shotguns, sniper rifles, assault rifles, etc.), with a couple weapons of minor variation in each class. Weapons themselves don't really have stats. The idea is to either augment your ammo to fit the situation, or simply change weapons. There are a few different "enchantment" powers, such as Cryo ammo which freezes nonshielded enemies after a few shots, leaving them vulnerable to shattering, and Disruptor ammo, which is designed to slice through shields and robotic enemies with its EMP qualities.

For a part-RPG, Mass Effect 2 features little in the way of side content. But what side missions present are substantial, and relevant to the survival of your team. That's because most of the actual missions (known as loyalty missions) are carried out as favors for your teammates. For example, Jacob hasn't spoken with his father in years, and their relationship has fallen out. But he eventually learns that the ship his father was commanding went off the radar some time ago, supposedly crashing into a nearby planet. You have the option of going there and investigating what happened, which serves as Jacob's loyalty mission. Each character's loyalty mission explores that person's past, and completing it raises their loyalty, which helps ensure their survival in the final battle. For some, it can also open up romance options.

In addition to this, if you buy Mass Effect 2 brand new, you are given free access to the Cerberus Network, which Bioware uses as medium to release free DLC (such as another recruit, or the original Normandy's crash site).

Mass Effect 2 is a beautiful game. Character models are clear and detailed, and the game makes excellent use of depth of field and blur to increase the feeling of realism. Each environment is remarkably unique, from the dark and murky alleys of Omega to the bright and sterile hallways of the Normandy. Every location has a visual style to call its own.

The soundtrack is filled with tons of moody and mostly forgettable space themes, but the more exciting moments in the game (the Normandy SR2's reveal) are done justice with just as exciting BGMs. The voice acting, on the other hand, is phenomenal. Regardless of whether he/she is male or female, and regardless of what options you choose in conversations, Shepard is fully voiced, and voiced with skill and enthusiasm at that. Other characters are given similar treatment.

Mass Effect 2 isn't the perfect game. There's an annoying bug where you sometimes find yourself stuck up high on a wall. The Paragon/Renegade system is mildly flawed, and combat doesn't stack up well against the game's better features. But the voice acting is exemplary, the graphics are excellent, and with multiple ways for Shepard's journey to play out and end as well as an entire galaxy to explore, the game's hardly lacking replay value. This game does so many things right, what few faults it has are immediately and easily forgivable. That's why Mass Effect 2 is getting my first 10 rating. A 10/10.

Games I'm Looking Forward To #3

It's that time again, folks.  Welcome to the Games I'm Looking Forward To editorial, where I discuss games I have on my radar, as well as the industry as a whole.

The gaming industry never ceases to surprise and interest me.  I've seen two new major trends develop since I last wrote a discussion post; game quality consistency and motion controls.  I'll start with the latter.

I hear people complain and scoff at the Wii all the time.  From what I've heard, it's attach rate (amount of people that actually continue to regularly play the console months after buying it) is incredibly low compared to other consoles, which makes sense since the system was essentially pitched on a single gimmick (it's surpassed by other platforms in pretty much every other way); motion controls.  Complain all you want people, that idea Nintendo managed to evoke through a gigantic marketing push has stuck, which is why the Wii has been soaring over other consoles since the very beginning of this generation, in terms of sales, despite the 360's one year head start.  While it is starting to wane significantly (the PS3 surpassed it in sales once or twice in the past couple months), there's no doubt that this has been a very profitable little venture for Nintendo.  As a result, we've also seen a change in the Big N, one that's not so necessarily positive.  Having apparently grown fat from their success, Nintendo seems content to spend most of their time remaking and reiterating on their classic franchises.  Money that could have been spent on development resources for more innovation, or new IPs is instead dumped into advertising, making sure everybody on the planet and their grandma has heard of the Wii.  This is an unhealthy thing, because compared to other platforms, the Wii's 3rd party support is very poor.  AAA games made by devs outside of Nintendo only come once in a blue moon, it seems, and with the Wii's own 1st-party support losing steam as well, the other reputation it's gained (for spawning mostly poor-quality motion games) will also stick.  If Nintendo doesn't step up their game, the Wii will become a sinking ship.  With its fad-like status dying out, the system's flaws (stripped down online multiplayer, lack of processing power, etc.) are beginning to tug that much harder.

Nevertheless, the Wii has had the same effect on gaming that the iPhone had on mobile devices.  Now we have Sony and Microsoft jumping on the motion control bandwagon, trying to get a piece of Nintendo's success.  Microsoft is at least going bold with Project Natal, which promises hands-free gaming, while Sony makes their own version of the Wiimote with the Playstation Move, which uses the PSEye in combination with a wand-like controller for 1:1 precision.  Personally, I think they're both going to flop.  The reason Nintendo's strategy worked so incredibly well is because they worked hard at giving the Wii a friendly and casual image, making it highly approachable by even the most technology fearing of consumers.  The PS3 and Xbox 360 don't have that image, though they're both working at it.  While Microsoft replicates Nintendo's advertising approach, trying to draw users in an idyllic setting, Sony's been getting some success with their comedic "It Only Does Everything" ad campaign.

But both of them jumped on a little too late, I think.  Neither systems have the wide public appeal to match the Wii's, and the limited number of consumer dollars (particularly in the current economy) indicates they never well.

Another concern I have is support.  Whereas the Wii remote is the Wii's primary control accessory, both Natal and Playstation Move are accessories, meaning it's highly likely that support for them will be limited at best after the initial wave of software.  Sony in particular is noted for releasing peripherals and not pushing to support them later on (EyeToy, PS Eye, PS2 Net adapter).  Both are also releasing at a fairly high price, with Natal supposedly looking at a $100-$200 price point, and Playstation Move probably looking to be around $60-80.  Not a good thing in the eyes of the casual audience, who probably look at the price tag first and the experience second (another reason the Wii excelled; it was and still is the cheapest console of the generation, and is low maintenance).

Software is what will obviously make or break Sony and Microsoft's motion control solutions, which brings me to my other observation.  You just can't afford to make a bad game anymore.  The guys on Joystiq have said it a few times, and I agree.  Games are taking longer to develop, leading to larger costs.  Most companies can't afford to dump resources into a game and have it tank, so their only option is to make quality games.  We've seen evidence of this with EA and THQ, both of which have shaped up significantly this generation.  EA, which used to be disliked almost as much as Activision is now, has started taking in new IPs, and making larger strides to improve on their already existing franchises.  The result is a truly quality sports release once or twice a year, and fantastically innovative games like Army of Two, Mirror's Edge and Bioware's Dragon Age: Origins.  THQ is precisely the same way, with interesting new games like Darksiders and the Saboteur.

Just look at this past spring; we had Final Fantasy XIII.  We had Bad Company 2.  We had Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain, God of War III, and Splinter Cell Conviction.  To a lesser extent, there's the afore-mentioned Darksiders, and incredibly fun Bayonetta, and we've got excellent games like Red Dead Redemption just around the corner.  There's so many games of excellent quality being released within such a relatively small time frame, it's astonishing.  And with games like Assassin's Creed II, Modern Warfare 2 and Uncharted 2 releasing last fall, there's been no downtime.  People like myself are finding themselves with a backlog full of AAA games just released within the least six months.  We don't have time to even bat an eyelash at mediocre releases, much less spend our money on them.  And it doesn't look like the torrent is going to let up.  Going into summer, we have Metroid: Other M, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Alan Wake, Lost Planet 2, Modnation Racers and Split/Second to look forward to, taking us right back into the fall/holiday season, which is always known to be the prowling ground for the best games the industry has to offer.  I'll say it again; if your game doesn't stand out, it tanks, and you lose significantly.  It's a sad thing to see a studio close or go under, but current industry standards demand a high level of quality, at least in retail releases.

Some think this may become a hurdle for Japanese developers in particular.  I think developers like Square-Enix, Capcom and Koei are having some trouble striking a balance between Japanese and Western influences.  Prime examples of this are Resonance of Fate (or Star Ocean, come to think of it) and Final Fantasy XIII.  While I consider both to great efforts, and probably great games, the former is sometimes criticized for it's blatant Japanese tendencies, while the former was seen as SE trying too hard to please Westerners.

Finally, one last discussion point: downloadable games.  Digital Distribution has introduced a new, cost-effective method of making a decent game and not risking being completely financially overwhelmed if it does't sell as well as you hoped.  While most people still favor having full-length games in boxes, the lack of retail costs (disc manufacturing, box licensing, retailer fees, etc.) makes selling smaller, value-priced games a safe proposition.  As a result, we've also seen a lot of innovation on the downloadable game front.  As they cost much less to develop and sell, devs are able to take bolder, more creative approaches to games without fear of being devastated by low sales.  The epitome of this, perhaps, is the iPhone App Store, which features games of literally all kinds of flavors at prices that make $10 seem outrageous.

Anyway, here's the list.

Playstation 3

-Lost Planet 2; Mechs, 3rd person shooting, engaging co-op and competitive multiplayer..the only thing holding this game back is Capcom's stubbornly old-fashioned gameplay tendencies. Your character moves as slow as molasses, and takes forever to get even the simplest things done, like climb into a mech, or activate a data post. While I have no doubt it'll still be a blast to play, here's a game that could do with some more modern gameplay styles.

-Modnation Racers; If Mario Kart and LittleBigPlanet had a baby, you'd get something pretty close to this. It's a kart racer that gives you the freedom to make your own characters, your own karts, and even your own tracks! That alone is awesome in itself, but the devs also promised a full multiplayer suite, featuring 12 player online races, 2-4 player splitscreen, and even splitscreen online. Like LittleBigPlanet, you'll also be able to upload and download custom made karts and tracks. I don't get what's not to like, unless you don't like kart racers.

-LA Noire; Done right, this game should be nothing short of splendid. And so far, it looks like it's being done right. From what I understand, you basically play a detective in the mid-20th century, solving dark cases and such, looking for clues. I dunno, the mere concept seems great, so I don't need a lot of details just yet for this make my list.

-Castle Crashers; An original XBLA-exclusive, Castle Crashers is a wacky 4-player hack n' slash that sports a surprising amount of replay value. Can't wait to take it for a spin.

-Split/Second; Bluntly put, this looks like Burnout, with more explosions. You race through a multitude of urban environments while building up energy to initiate "powerplays", which trigger [possibly] track-altering explosions, that can also interfere with your opponents, or destroy them altogether.

-Red Dead Redemption; While I have my reservations about a shooting game set in the Wild West, RDR seems to have all the trappings of a good game: Interesting multiplayer, a convincing and well-realized game world, and overall plenty of things to do.

-Transformers: War for Cybertron; As very little as I know about the game, I so dearly want it to be good, because mechs beating the crap out of each other is always a great thing to see and play.

-Armored Core 5; Once more: Mechs beating the crap out of each other is always a great thing.

-The Grinder; As generic as it sounds, the Grinder will have co-op, so it's already getting points with me.  And I've known HVS to make fairly quality stuff recently, even though they seem to operate on a schedule similar to Valve time.

-Batman: Arkham Asylum 2; Since there's still no real footage or solid info about the game, I can only build my anticipation of how good the first one was.  Good thing the first one was excellent.

-The Last Guardian; From the same people that tugged on the heartstrings of gamers everywhere with Shadow of the Colossus and Ico, we have the Last Guardian.  If nothing else, the game's visual fidelity was beautiful, and that was just in an early build shown at last year's E3.  I've no doubt this'll be another experience to remember.

-Sonic 4; I wouldn't mind picking this up for sheer nostalgia.  Besides, it looks like basically Sonic Rush adapted to HD.  Heck, why not?

-Assassin's Creed III; Ubisoft was dropping hints about this a few months back, but now it's completely dropped off the radar.  Deep in development, no doubt.  After AC2 though, I'm more than willing to take another dip in the Animus.

-Resistance 3; It's coming, we all know it is.  Just a matter of when Insomniac decides to announce it.

-Uncharted 3; Making a sequel to what is literally the PS3's killer app and system seller right now is a no-brainer, though I suspect it'll be at least a year before we start hearing real stuff about it, if they don't mention it at E3.

-Final Fantasy Versus XIII; This game looks badass, so get it done SE.  Or at least start talking more about it.  They've already indicated that VersusXIII is what the FF team has moved on to though (what with XIII out of the way), so I think we'll be hearing a lot more about it in the near future, particularly at E3.  I'm still curious what the heck happened to Agito.  Not that I really care, but are they still even making it?

-EDIT**LittleBigPlanet 2; It was worth editing this post just to add in this spectacular entry.  The first game let you make your own levels; the second game will let you make your own GAMES.  That's not an exaggeration.

Wii

-Sin and Punishment: Star Successor; Nothing particularly special about this game.  It just looks like a really good time.  After all, a shoot em up with co-op is always a good time.

-Metroid: Other M; Whenever I contemplate selling my Wii, this is really the only thing that stands in defense of keeping it.  A game set to show both Samus's more personal side, and her more brutal side?  Sign me up.  There's still a lot about this game that's still up in the air, I think.  Like how well it balances 3rd person action, classic Metroid side scrolling, and typical shooting.  And then there's the plot..

-Epic Micky; I get the same vibe from this game that I get from Kingdom Hearts; that is, classic Disney characters portrayed in a new and interesting way.  The Wii could certainly use more twisted games like this.

-Super Mario Galaxy 2; Like the first SMG, I'm having a lot of trouble generating any interest at all for this game.  To me, it's just another Mario.  It'll have excellent graphics, charming gimmicks, and interesting gameplay, but at its core it's still just a lot of running and jumping.

-Zelda; Besides Metroid Other M and the possibility of a new Star Fox game, this is the only thing from Nintendo that is pulling my interest.  And it is pulling it quite fiercely, I might add.

PC

-Mass Effect 3; Bioware has cursed themselves with a reputation for making awesome games.  If Mass Effect 3 is a flop, gamers everywhere will cry endless tears, and I will be among them.

-Guild Wars 2; Still waiting, NCSoft...

-Dragon Age 2; I still haven't finished Origins (and haven't even played Awakening), so I don't know if its story can serve as a jumping off point for a sequel, or if Bioware is spinning something fresh.  Either way, when you're dealing with Bioware, things can only get better, so I don't see why I shouldn't be looking forward to this.

-Crysis 2; I'm not actually sure whether I'm going to get this on console or PC.  On one hand I have more friends to play with on the console, but it'll be cheaper and probably look better on PC.  But I think it looks like it'll be a novel game to play on either platform.

-RUSE; For a game with its head buried deep in tactical trickery and strategic decoys, RUSE is surprisingly simple to get into.  I played the beta, and it was actually quite fun, and I picked up on most of the game elements very quickly, unusual for an RTS game, and pleasantly surprising for a game with RUSE's premise.