The Weekly Byte for 8/9/2010

New Releases

• Thursday, 8/12 – Puzzle Quest 2 on Steam for $19.99 ($17.99 by pre-order before then)

News Bytes

Torchlight will be lit, again, in Spring of 2011!!! Runic games has blindsided us by announcing that their next project is not a Torchlight MMO, but a full on, Torchlight sequel, featuring online co-op, among other innovations.  Runic has mentioned that the outcry for co-op, and the huge success of Torchlight have made the next logical step seem more plausible as a sequel with multiplayer, rather than a dive directly into the MMO space.  Great idea to work out the kinks for the MMO and the fans are certainly happy with the announcement! Look for more information to come, very, very soon, here at Everyday Gamers, about Torchlight II, but for now, here is a summary of the new features to look for :

1. New Classes, 4 total, only the Railman ( melee/Tank) and Outlander (Ranged/Light Magic) announced, so far.
2. Player characters will now be customizable as male/female, and some appearance features
3. New pets announced, although Dogs/Cats will return, no animals heard yet, but Runic wants each pet to have some unique features/attributes/skills
4. The ‘Identify’ spells/scrolls will not return, the mechanic has been abandoned
5. Wide open, outside areas spanning multiple towns/lands, featuring day/night cycles and weather effects
6. Random, non-quest related, events will also be expected
7. Online Co-op with a minimum 4 players, no ceiling announced yet (6-8 estimated)
8. Co-op loot fights non-existent, only you will see your own loot drops
9. Sadly, Runic has confirmed that the 3 classes from Torchlight will not be playable, but will return as NPC’s, in the game.

Players Zerg-rushed stores for Starcraft II purchases! Record breaking sales numbers, for Starcraft II, show the game sold 1 million copies on day one, and reached 1.5 million sales within the first 48 hours of release.  These amazing numbers have made Starcraft II the fastest selling strategy game of all time.  Pretty good for an exclusive game on a dead platform, right?  If you are a big Starcraft fan, stay tuned for our review, coming very soon.  Also, look fora Spoilerific Spoiler-filled Starcraft Podcast, set to come sometime within the next month!

Maximum cloak. According to EA financial reports, Crysis fans will go without a nanosuit this Christmas, as it seems Crysis 2 will remain cloaked until the first quarter of 2011.  It is going to be very interesting to see how the game performs on consoles, as well as in a new environment, but now the game faces a crowded Spring lineup, as well.  EA, alone, has five titles planned for that time period, and I’m sure we’ll see a few more, thanks to the success of some of the 2010 launches, in that timeframe.  Is it wrong that I am more curious for Darkspore than I am Crysis 2?

Have you ever danced with the devil in the light of Arkham City? No, I never heard of Arkham City, either, but gamers will know it well after next fall.  Batman : Arkham City will be the follow up to one of the most lauded licensed video games ever, Batman : Arkham Asylum.  We already know to expect appearances from Two-Face and Catwoman, thanks to covers on Game Informer, I would hope to see more revelations made soon with GamesCom and PAX Prime right around the corner.  The game’s story will be penned by Paul Dinni, the writer from B:AA.  Judging by the name, we can expect to see Batman terrorize thugs across a more open environment, but we will have to wait to see.  Develpers have also teased more Batmobile segments, and I’m sure fans would enjoy a jet boosted ride through the streets of Gotham, as long as it’s not a high-def Spy Hunter sequence(or a super disappointing end-game sequence, harumph!).

Have you been dying to pay for your Quake? Quake LIVE has been in free Beta since 2/2009, but now it’s a full-blown game with subscription options.  I know, I didn’t realize it was still in Beta either, but relax, the free option is still there, if that’s what you prefer.  More committed fraggers can choose between a Premium option at $24 per year and a Pro option, at $48 per year.  The Premium package includes a Freeze-Tag Mode, many exclusive maps, clan creation and the option to join up to 5 clans.  Pro tacks on the option to start your own game server, as well as bringing three non-paying Quake friends into any of the premium content games.

Speaking of shooters, Star Wars Farcry? Maybe we can expect a new Republic Commando, thanks to the new staff member at Lucasarts.  The prime creative mind behind Farcry 2 and Splinter Cell games, Clint Hocking, has defected from Ubisoft to Lucasarts.  Obviously, Mr. Hocking has not revealed the projects he will be handling there, but speculation abounds.  There is enough to keep him busy with the collaborative push behind The Old Republic and Force Unleashed II, but this gamer hopes that his experience in the stealth/FPS realm will be applied to the Star Wars franchise.  May the Force be strong with him in his new endeavors!

Rumors of Dragons abound. Apparently, a listing on Gamestop.com, has everyone talking about Dragon: Age Origins, again.  A listing for an Ultimate Edition of last year’s RPG breakout was shown on their site with an MSRP of $59.99 for 360 and PS3, and only $49.99 for PC—but no details on the contents.  Not a bad deal if the full expansion, Awakening, and all of the DLC packs are included!  The bundle is set for an October 12th release, this year, and could be a great pickup for those that held out from early adoption.

The Weekly Byte for 7/26/2010

New Releases

• Tuesday 7/27 – Starcraft II : Wings of Liberty King of the RTS, MSRP – $59.99

News Bytes

THQ, Relic and Company of Heroes award service medals to veteran franchise players. Details are sketchy but if you have a copy of Company of Heroes, and plan to jump in when the free-to-play CoH goes online this Fall, you may want to bronze that CD Key.  One of the games producers, was quoted in an interview as saying how much the CoH team appreciates it’s fan-base, and will have some rewards in store for those who enter their CD Keys into the free-to-play game when it hits.  For those unfamiliar, Company of Heroes debuted shortly after Vista, and revolutionized RTS games by abandoning the traditional base-building/resource gathering system found in games, and created a Risk-style game mechanic, where players fought for control of supply routes/depots to choke out their opponents in a WWII setting.  The game has seen expansions, and remains a largely popular competitive online game, in the RTS space.  Registration is still ongoing for the game, with chances to get into the Beta.

Charge up your R2 unit, space combat is coming the Old Rebuplic.  It seems PC Gamer will have the scoop on space combat in Old Republic, for their October issue, so details will be scarce until then.  I’m sure it’s great news for those already looking forward to TOR, or maybe it’s something that will attract players on the fence about investing in the game.  Full details will not be disclosed until the issue hits, on 8/17, but it will be interesting to see how the combat factors in with that games features, and if it will be an interesting addition, or an annoyance, hindering travel within the game’s universe.

Fighting games making a PC comeback? We can only hope so!  PC gamers reveled in the release of Street Fighter IV for PC, now we can continue the great one-on-one fighting game battles with BlazBlue : Calamity Trigger!  The good news is that Japanese fans can square off when the game releases there on August 26th, the bad news is that Games for Windows LIVE will be handling the multiplayer aspects.  No news on a US release yet, but we will be watching this closely, maybe Mortal Kombat will follow suit, with Marvel vs. Capcom not far behind?

Dragon Age 2 breathing fire on traditional RPG lovers?  I have to admit, as much as I like what I hear about Dragon Age, it seems to be abandoning all of the things that made it hearken back to the RPG of yore.  New details outline a more action-oriented combat system, and a streamlined conversation system, limiting choices to no more than three responses–each with a Mass Effect-style Paragon/Renegade icon.  While I very much enjoy strategy and tactics in my games, I do prefer them blended into the action setting, and the punishing I took in DA:O was enough to sway me from not finishing it(yet).  To me, these details are welcome and not upsetting, but I can definitely understand how those who enjoyed the style and gameplay of DA:O could see this as a negative “Mass Effect in a fantasy setting” setup.  Unfortunately, I think the latter portion of gamers make up the minority and Bioware is definitely catering to the masses in the DA sequel, but either way I can’t wait to see it this Spring.

Geared Up

This week’s Geared Up gear is not out yet, but pay’s homage to a 12 year, in the making, gaming juggernaut Starcraft II.  Hailing from Comic-Con, DC Unlimited has announced the first three figures, in their Starcraft II series.  The first three are an action pose of hero, Jim Raynor, sans armor, a space marine and Protoss Dark Templar, Zeratul.  This set of three will be in range of our tractor beams in Spring of 2011.  If they follow suit, from the similar WoW series’ from DC Unlimited, they will stand 8.5 inches tall, and retail for around $26.99 for the set—-however, those specifics have not been released yet, that is my speculation from past precedence.  Detailed pictures, from various angles, are displayed here, or check out the pic of the set below.

The Weekly Byte for 7/12/2010

New Releases

• Disciples III – $39.99, turn-based action RPG
• Don’t forget to download Phoenix Online’s “The Silver Lining”, first episode in King’s Quest fan fiction, FREE on PC only

News Bytes

• Blizzard thaws out after heated Real ID debate. In a not so surprising turn of events, Blizzard has heeded the fan feedback, and abandoned the use of Real ID in it’s official game forums.  However, let’s not forget that the games will still using it—games such as WoW, Starcraft II and the upcoming Diablo III.  I would imagine that most player’s fears are kept at bay, knowing that only online game players and not just every forum troll will have access to our real names, but is this still a cause for concern?  We saw what forum posters were capable of digging up when a Blizzard Community Manager revealed his name on the thread debating Real ID’s implementation.  Granted, limiting our names to in-game use reduces the cause for alarm, but does it quench it altogether?  I would venture to say no, however it will not prevent me from using their products.  If you think differently, or you agree, stop by and vote at the poll we have here, and let us know what you think!
• Team Fortress Engineer Update Goes Live! Yes, all the Golden Wrenches have been found and the update is automatically downloaded, if you haven’t logged in since it’s inception.  Included for the update are some new weapons and maps, highlighted below.  All the details for the update can also be found here.

1. The Wrangler – Replaces the pistol, creates a shield and allows Engineers to control sentries
2. The Gunslinger – New add-on that replaces the wrench.  It boosts heath 25%, adds a combo to the Engineer’s melee attacks, and allows deployment of Mini-Sentries
3. Mini-Sentries – Requires less metal than full sized brethren, Builds four times faster and deploys with full health, however, they cannot be repaired/upgraded and deal significantly less damage than full sized sentries.
4. Frontier Justice – New Shotgun, does not deal critical hits, but gains “Revenge Crits”.  Revenge Crits are critical hits acquired when the Engineer’s Sentries obtain kills or kill assists.
5. New Maps – Upward, Hightower and Thunder Mountain

• Spore blowing into San Diego Comic Con? A newly updated schedule for this year’s Comic Con has a spot reserved for a Maxis to unveil a new game.  One would think that this could be a new Spore game, and that seems to be a correct assumption.  What’s intriguing, is that the revel is supposed to be a Sci-Fi, action-RPG.  I’m not sure how optimistically we should look at this, especially since I drank the Kool-Ade and drowned with the Galactic Adventures add-on.  Either way, it’s an announcement I will be very curious to hear and see, onward true believers!
• Dragon Age with a dash of Valve and a pinch of Sheppard? In an unexpected press release, Bioware has announced that Dragon Age 2 will be hitting store shelves in March of 2011(drawing a few L4D2 comparisons).  Also surprising, is the choice to abandon the many Origins of the first game, in place of a singlular, customizable, male/female lead.  The new character, known only as Hawke, will be a human survivor of the blight, and Bioware has promised the same mechanic of tough choices, we have come to expect from their games.  One must wonder how the success of Mass Effect coupled with the obviously tough undertaking of the varied characters from the first game has impacted this decision.  It is a shame to know that we won’t be importing characters again, a la Mass Effect 2, but we can’t help but wonder if this will be more of an action RPG without the punishing difficulty of the first.  It would appear that Bioware has figured out what appeals to us, and will stay true to that path, but only time will tell.

Geared Up

This week’s Geared Up is the sweet new Civ V Special Edition, recently announced.  The fifth installment of PC gaming god, Sid Meier, releases this September 21st, and the Special Edition of the game looks amazing.  Packaged in is a Behind the Scenes DVD, a whopping 176 page hardcover art book, 5 pewter figurines and a two disk soundtrack.  I’m not enough of a fan of the series to swallow the $99.99 price tag, but I can easily see the draw for the fans.  Yes, it’s pricey game goodness, but I think it more than delivers for the fans, so my hats are off to the Civilization V Special Edition Bundle!

Weekly Byte for 6/28/2010

New Releases

Tuesday 6/29

• All Points Bulliten – $49.99 – The MMO is finally here!
• ARMA II : Operation Arrowhead – $39.99 Stand-alone Expansion
• Fallen Earth : Blood Sports – $29.99 – Basically, a retail version of the MMO with the newly patched Blood Sports content
• LEGO Harry Potter : Years 1-4 – $29.99
• Singularity – $49.99 – Yes, it’s dropping with no PR, could that be bad?
• Sniper : Ghost Warrior – $29.99

News Bytes

Newer Digital Distribution site, Beamdog, has added an MDK2 HD remix into it’s releases, with a Wii release also scheduled soon. MDK was a classic Bioware PC franchise, unlike much seen at that time-or now, for that matter.  The player was an alien sniper/assassin, and the games pushed the limits of what shooters did at that time frame, it’s a great pickup, and even better to hear it’s getting the HD treatment, not sure I can recommend the WiiWare version, depending on the controls.  Sorry fanboys, the game was a PC title, originally, I would still recommend it for PC since Beamdog looks very promising and it’s a steal at $9.99.

China has been know as an MMO paradise, but new regulations may be changing that image. New regulations are cracking down hard on what minors are allowed to be exposed to, but also curious is a new rule not allowing them to take part in microtransactions.  Also limiting microtransactions is another new law that states in-game items cannot be sold for actual money any longer, but must only be paid for by some type of in-game currency.  I had thought the free MMO supported by in game transactions was a staple in China, but I guess that model is being frowned upon from this point on.  I’d be curious to see how this affects the flood of free MMO’s in that region-will they start charging monthly fees or be forced out by these laws?  Guess it doesn’t matter if you are ‘For The Horde’ or ‘For The Alliance’, as long as you are in China, you best not sell those characters and gear you worked so hard to find, for real cash!

More interesting news for online gamers, Starcraft II will have limited LAN access? Apparently, Blizzard has said they will patch the game after launch to allow LAN play for tournament purposes.  Pardon me if I don’t Zerg rush to praise them for this.  They have only stated that this will allow LAN support for tournaments, not for personal use, and it’s a paltry substitution, if I may say so.  Sure it’s good news for the hardcore Starcraft competitors, but it’s not going to allow the viral success of the first game’s multiplayer respawn feature.  Don’t get me wrong, I am anxiously awaiting the single-player game, but am still very upset at the functionality being stripped from the game.  I still need to be convinced that Blizzard is not cutting their thorax off to spite their hive with this move.

If MDK coming back didn’t grab you, how about a walk in the fantasy realm of King’s Quest? Thankfully, Activision has backed down from blocking the publishing of the Phoenix Online Studio’s project, taking player’s back to the King’s Quest realm with episodic content. Originally, the project was on hiatus, thanks to a cease and desist order from Activision, the current license holder.  In a welcome change of events, Activision has rescinded that order and the project is back up, full throttle.  The first episode, The Silver Lining, will be out July 10th, no details on following episodes yet.  So far the screenshots look pretty promising, making this one to watch for the summer.  Definitely keep your eyes here for more news with this game, I am very much looking forward to seeing how POS handles the franchise, and until then visit their site here for more details!

Been out of Counter-Strike for a while? It might be time to come back with the new revamp from the latest Counter-Strike : Source update, already out.  I’ve heard this update touted as making a new game completely obsolete with all the new features brought to the table.  The update adds 144 achievements, a wealth of stat-tracking features, not available before scoreboard and death camera features and that’s just the cosmetic add-ons!  The game has been truly revamped and brought into graphics and Source engine updates that were much needed, go boot it up, get your gear and start fragging to see for yourself!

Deals

I can’t list all of the deals here, mostly because the majority of them are changing daily, but Steam is having a HUGE July 4th sale that will host daily deals from now until the 4th.  One of the most tempting is a THQ Complete Pack for only $49.99—which includes all of the THQ strategy greats, with Dawn of Warr II AND Chaos Rising, along with all 3 COH games, Metro 2033, all 3 Red Faction games, and a ton more.  All for only $49.99, talk about a steal!  Just about every developer on Steam has their games discounted, go check the deals out daily at the homepage here.

Geared Up

Well, there’s bittersweet news for Tron fans out there that were left revving their lightcycles at the sight of some new Tron peripherals.  We have heard that the console controllers for 360, Wii and PS3 were purely show pieces for E3, but one can imagine someone must be thinking about actually manufacturing them after all of the post-E3 interest in them and the media attention they got.  However, on a positive note, PC gamers can rejoice at the announcement that Razer, featured last week here for their Starcraft II PC peripherals, will be making a Tron:Legacy themed gaming mouse and keyboard.  Not many details have come out, I will keep you posted with more, but for now, bask at the pictures below!

The Weekly Byte for 6/7/2010

New Releases

Prince Of Persia : The Forgotten Sands – 6/8, retailing at $49.99

News Bytes

• Mass Effect Deathmatch? Apparently that’s the newest rumor.  Job listings for Bioware Montreal were looking for ‘programmers  capable of adding multiplayer components to an already rich single player base using the unreal engine’.  Of course, these postings were ripped down, the minute they made headlines, but it would seem the damage is done.  The only Bioware property to use the Unreal engine is Mass Effect, and further rumors have a captured screen of one of the ads, shown here, getting into gross detail about the requirements.  Let us know how you feel about multiplayer in the Mass Effect universe.  I, for one, think it’s completely unnecessary and will divert resources that should be focusing on the awesome single player experience that the previous games brought-but, then again, I never would have predicted some of the things Bioware has pulled off before, so I guess we will see.
• Move over Torchlight, dungeon crawlers are crawling out of everywhere! Those of us who can’t wait for Diablo III, now have Dungeon Siege 3 to look forward to!  And it will simultaneously release on consoles?  Press releases have confirmed the sequel, designed by Obsedian with some Chris Taylor input, and a sprinkling from Square Enix.  Co-op has also been confirmed, but all other details seem to have Town Portaled back to E3 for a more spectacular reveal, so stay tuned!
• You shall pass, without fees! It would seem that Lord of the Rings Online will follow in the footsteps of Dungeons and Dragons online, and become free to play, later this year.  Hold onto Sting and your Lembas bread, players will still have to pay to unlock the content from the expansions, and some other features.  There will be ‘VIP’ access, but those details have not been outlined yet.   If your lucky, maybe you will be able to storm Mordor in the closed Beta, venturing forth on the 16th of this month.
• In other RPG news, Elemental : War of Magic, from Stardock, will be unleashed this September. Stardock’s Brad Wardell posted a lengthy video demoing the game’s opening dozen turns, in the beta engine.  For those unfamiliar with Elemental, think a fantasy-style Total War game with some Magic : The Gathering and Heroes Of Might and Magic elements thrown in.  The game is Stardock’s newest entry into the 4x strategy genre, and has not seen much in the way of details. The trailer is a whopping 12 and a half minutes long, but lacked the grand scale teasers that have come before, opting, instead, to show off the game’s basic mechanics and strategies. UPDATE : Release date confirmed for 8/24 2010!
• Survival horror on Mars? That’s the feeling we have gotten from the newest Red Faction trailer, announcing the new game, Red Faction : Armaggeddon, slated for March 2011 release.  So, the game takes place about 50 years after Red Faction : Guerrilla, and you take the role of the grandson of that game’s character.  Oddly enough, aliens have now been thrown into the mix, begging the question, where were they for the last few games?  Taking a page from Aliens and Dead Space, it will be interesting to see how this new mechanic plays out, as I’m sure we can all admit some new mechanics were needed, for the franchise.  I’m sure our own, Eric Bouchard, will be able to unearth more details at this month’s E3, and let us know if he got any hands-on squashing bugs with the game’s fabled hammer!
• Ready for some more Star Wars MMO action? No, I’m not talking about The Old Rebuplic and please don’t mention Galaxies!  The new, younger audience attracting online game is titled Clone Wars Adventures.  This fall, the free to play online game from Sony will be unleashing it’s clones on us, but don’t think typical MMO!  The game is more a collection of puzzle games, with some overarcing elements-reminding me of Puzzle Pirates, by description.  Early hands-on reports have force pushed nay-sayers aside, and reported that the minigames have tapped into the best addictive flash games and innovated them with a little Lucas magic.  Needless to say, I am intrigued, and my little clones at home will play anything emblazoned with the Star Wars logo, so you can be sure to find plenty of details here, as soon as I can get them!
• OK, I know I’m known as the MMO hater, but I’m all about the FREE! Another, free to play online game, this time sanctioned by Bigpoint and Universal, will take place in The Mummy film universe.  Supposedly, the game will be a browser based, action RPG featuring many of the characters and environments from the film series, in your quest for ancient treasure.  Unfortunately, the only details we have are speculation, but it will be interesting to see if this trend continues as well as to see how well this particular title will turn out.
• Last, but not least, some bittersweet Aperture Labs news. Yes, I know, this story already opened up on our own, ‘Daily Bits’ segment, but it bears repeating for PC fans.  In an oddly worded press release, from Aperture Labs, Valve canceled it’s ‘Portal 2′ event at E3, but said that there would be a surprise-the time and details of which would not be released until it was time for the surprise.  Also, to clear up any accusations, the memo also stated that the cancellation was NOT the surprise in question.  I think we will see that Eric Bouchard’s prediction of Portal 2 releasing with an Orange Box type bundle successor are coming to fruition, but I, admittedly, am not sure what to expect in it!  I think, if a Half-Life game is in the works, Valve will skip Episode 3 and just launch right into the next full game-especially if we are to believe the changes teased in the way of bringing back proper scary games.  I would have to think that a worthy Team Fortress 2 replacement would be in one such collection, but who knows if it’s Counter-Strike related, or a new property.  I can’t imagine Team Fortress 2 needs any work or new iterations right now, it is standing well enough on it’s own feet. Stick around for the emerging details from E3!

Geared Up

Geared Up is taking a hiatus this week, it was a full news week, and we are awaiting some of the E3 goodness heading our way.  In the meantime, if you have any entries, send them to me over at chris@everydaygamers.com!

Weekly Byte for 5/24/2010

Release List

Tuesday, 5/25

• Blur – Racing, $39.99

News Bytes

• Our fishbowl spies broke the news last week, and we can confirm it this week – Fable III is indeed being told on the PC platform this year! Hold your jubilation, the details are somewhat confusing.  Apparently, PC players will only have to pony up $49.99 for the game BUT that is because the Exclusive Edition will not be available on PC.  However, it seems that the exclusive level and in-game items will be accessible on the PC-the question is how much will we pay?  The 360 Limited Edition will retail for $79.99 and will include an exclusive quest, region, dog breed and outfit-as well as a Fable themed deck of cards and Guild Seal Coin.  Which means that, even if, all that DLC retails for $29.99 or less, we may still be getting hosed.  One can only hope this will be automatically be included in PC copies, but none of those details have been leaked.  That, couple with the “episodic storytelling” promised for Fable III has this PC gamer very skeptical that this will be Microsoft’s holy return to the platform, but we will see when E3 tells all.
• Enjoying your Mass Effect 2 DLC? Yeah, me either, but brace for impact, commander, much more is on the way!  Apparently Bioware representatives have said that the gap between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 will unfold over DLC packs.  Now, we’ve already heard the announcements that no new party members will be forthcoming, but it’s curious to see how well this will play out.  Certainly, no ME3 details have been released, but it will be interesting to see just how much of the stage gets set for Commander Sheppard’s third iteration.  I would love to see Dragon Age style full expansion to attack this story gap with, but an episodic approach might not be bad if it beaks the trend of short, throwaway DLC packs.  Eiter way, watch the stars for more news!
• I feel the need, the need for speed! No, that doesn’t mean another Need For Speed game on the horizon, I’m sure when EA figures out how to charge $10 per multiplayer track, we’ll see that.  Instead, the PSN Top Gun title will buzz our PC towers, with or without clearance.  The single player campaign will be written by the film’s screenwriter, Jack Epps Jr, and will expand upon the movie’s content.  Also available, will be 16 player multiplayer across 5 different game modes.  Hitting this summer, we can’t wait to take to the skies!  Will it be possible to save Goose?
• Google Chrome selling games? Apparently, the Chrome App store has been confirmed to start carrying browser based games.  Bejeweled 2, Lego Star Wars, FIFA and Plants VS Zombies were among the games revealed, but more have been promised.  I’m still trying to figure out if this is an attempt to emulate the Iphone App Store or move in on Gaikai/OnLive territory.  Either way, we will have the details here when they download!

Geared Up

Once again, the ‘Geared Up’ faeries have sold me short, I regret that I have no entries for this week.  However, I would like to take the time to share a link to MonoPrice.  If you need network cables, HDMI cables, LCD Wall Mounts or anything for your Home Theater, I have not found prices cheaper than here.  Sure, gaming gear is great, but useless without the right equipment to set it up!  Also, I would love to hear from our readers, send your interesting gaming gear entries to “chris@everydaygamers.com”.  Thanks!

Mass Effect 2

The Story: A New Threat

After a dramatic intro to the game, Mass Effect 2 drops you back into BioWare’s universe two years after the fateful battle at the Citadel. Human colonists in the terminus systems are being abducted by an alien race known as the Collectors, and no one seems to know why or how to stop them. Cerberus, a shady entity with a pro-human agenda, seems to be the only group willing to do anything about the Collectors. Its leader, known only as the Illusive Man, hires Shephard and provides him/her (your choice) with a new and improved version of the Normandy, believing Shephard is the only person who can assemble a team capable of dealing with this new threat.

As Shephard, you must recruit the best of the best, whether human or Asari, biotic or soldier, in hopes that the collective skills of the crew you assemble will give you a chance against an enemy that outnumbers you and has much greater technology. Along the way, you will run across your old friends and enemies, along with several new characters who make the story truly come to life. The voice acting in this game is absolutely top notch, with sequences that will rival any movie being made in Hollywood. Add to that a plot that completely changes everything you thought you know about the universe created in the first game, and you have what is easily one of the most engaging storylines in gaming.

While it is impossible to talk too much about the story without spoiling it, one thing I can say is to pay attention to the decisions you make. Not only will they affect the game itself, they can affect the loyalty of your crew, and you will need all of their loyalty to make it though the end of the game in tact.

After all, in case you did not know this, it is possible for you to beat the game and yet still have Shephard die.

The Gameplay: BioWare Listened

As good as the firstMass Effect was, there were some things that drove gamers absolutely crazy. A poor inventory system, quirky combat controls that looked like a shooter but really did not play like one, cookie cutter side missions with the same buildings and caves over and over and those darn elevators tended to drive even the most ardent fan of the game insane. BioBare had said going into Mass Effect 2 they were going to improve all of those things, and they delivered in that promise.

• Inventory: There basically isn’t an inventory system in the sequel. As opposed to having multiple weapons of a particular type and all the various upgrades, you find various items you can research to improve your weapons, armor and even the Normandy itself. What this means is you are never having to decide what useful item you were going to have to turn to omni-gel just so you could carry more stuff.

• Combat: Mass Effect 2 plays much more like a third person shooter with RPG elements, as opposed to its predecessor which did the reverse. Gone are the feels of the die rolls; there is much more emphasis on aim and headshots in this game. At the same time, you have a much better squad command system and the ability to map three biotic/tech powers to buttons on the controller on top of your standard time pausing target selection process. The game also forces you to rely on cover; you are usually outnumbered and outgunned, and if you try to run headlong into battle, you will not last very long.
• Side Missions: There is no such thing as a cookie cutter mission in this game. Every side mission takes on its own life, with unique settings and additions to the storyline. Some side missions actually unlock others as you beat them, giving the missions a depth that was never really there in the first game. I never felt like I was just going through the motions of the side quests in this game. On the contrary, I quite enjoyed them.
• Elevators/Load Screens: The first time I entered an elevator in the Normandy, I could not help but mockingly brace myself for what was coming. Instead of spending forever in the elevator just spinning the camera around to waste time, I was rather pleasantly surprised to see myself zooming out to a schematic of the ship, giving me an overview of where the elevator was taking me. Other load screens are handled in this same style, showing anything from your shuttle departing from the Normandy to land on a planet to whatever path the planet side transportation you are using is taking. Its a nice touch that never lasts as long or gets as frustrating as the first game’s load screens.

While BioWare has made signification changes to the gameplay, the best element may be a slight refinement to what was already one of the series’ most distinctive features: the conversation system. Conversations flow much more naturally in Mass Effect 2, with characters actually moving around and reacting logically to the flow of the dialogue as opposed to just standing there as you talk. Little touches, like a character standing up to pace a bit before answering or moving closer or further from you as you converse, make the dialogue seem more real.

No discussion of the conversation system would be complete without discussing ME2′s interrupt feature. During conversations, you will often be given the chance to interrupt the character in either a positive or negative way. Paragon interrupts, activated by hitting the left trigger when prompted, will result in positive actions, such as giving medi-gel to an infected Batarian or helping someone focus. Renegade interrupts, activated with the right trigger, lead to more negative results: shooting someone’s bodyguards, head butting a Krogan, etc. This feature draws you into the game even more, making you pay extra attention to the conversations in the game, often wondering what would have happened if you had chosen to use an interrupt, or if you hadn’t.

And then there is the character import system. BioWare obviously wanted to reward those who had played the first game, and while it may have seemed the company down played this feature, you will be amazed at what a difference it can make. You will run across several characters who were influenced by your actions in the first game, giving fans a chance to truly see the difference they have made.

Mass Effect showed how cinematic an action/RPG can be. Mass Effect 2 improved heavily on its predecessor, making this an almost flawless game.

The Verdict: Not Hyped Enough

As I just mentioned, Mass Effect 2 is an almost perfect game. There are some issues with the cover system where you will find yourself suddenly vulnerable to attack, an odd choice to have you fly manually between solar systems not containing Mass Effect relays and some game glitches including but not limited to a complete loss of sound in the game that keep it from being perfect.

In the end, however, I found these few negative points just really did not bother me. BioWare has built an absolute masterpiece of a game that manages to more than live up to its hype. Every character is multi-dimensional, even Subject Zero, who could easily have been just the archetype bad girl. Players of the first game will love the references to characters and events in it. Even more impressive than that is the the fact BioWare did with this game what I thought would be next to impossible: creating an ending even more epic than the first.

Every now and then a game comes along that forever changes your perspective on just what is possible in this medium we enjoy. Mass Effect 2 is that kind of game. I cannot stress enough just how much of a joy it is to play, and though I have beaten it, I am already planning my next playthough. An early favorite for 2010′s Game of the Year, Mass Effect 2 gets a 5 out of 5.