We all know the Mass Effect 3 ending has been somewhat controversial. It’s been a little troublesome to discuss while avoiding spoilers as the game is still new. Late last week Arse-bot decided it was time to blow this wide open, and spoilers be damned. If you’re ready to hear the ending (his version at least, which was very similar to mine) and discuss the controversy he’s got two great articles. The first simply describes the ending as he saw it and will let you in on the questions he had as it happened. The second is a little more in-depth about why so many people are disappointed with the ending and includes a few theories about what’s really happening. Remember though, both of these are chock full of spoilers. If you’re not done yet and you don’t want to how it ends, don’t read them.
Other than that, this weekend’s news was solid, if not prolific:
If you dig the fantasy genre, reading or gaming, you’ll want to check out Mistborn: Birthright late next year on PS3, 360, PC, and Mac. Little Orbit, who is also working on a Young Justice game, is developing this prequel to Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn saga of books. Sanderson is writing the story, which takes place four hundred years before the first novel about metal eating wizards. Yeah, it sounds a little bizarre, but it’s a very creative world and one of the reasons Sanderson has been called “one of the most popular new fantasy writers to emerge in the last ten years.” In addition to Mistborn, he’s also written the successful Stormlight novels, handled story development on Infinity Blade II, and is finishing the final novel in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time.
Battlefield 3 will be getting a stout patch on PS3 today. Patches for PC and 360 will be detailed soon. For the full rundown, check Battlefield’s site as this thing is far too massive to cover completely in this space. If you don’t need all the details, suffice to say I counted 21 general gameplay fixes, 67 vehicle fixes, 71 weapon tweaks, 11 scope adjustments, three bipod, five heavy barrel, four IRNV, two foregrip, two laser sight, four suppressor, three flash suppressor, 21 gadgets, seven team deathmatch, and four on squad death match. In addition, you’ll now be able to turn off anti-aliasing on the PS3 to reduce lag, and the minimap will now be more clear. This update will also include the “rent-a-server- program mentioned a few weeks ago, which allows PS3 players to host their own servers with their own rules, similar to the PC options that have been around for years.
At least three different editions seem to be coming for Assassins’ Creed III this October. The “Freedom Edition” looks to be top dog with a 24cm Connor figurine, steelbook case, George Washington’s notebook about the Templar/Assassin war, lithograph, two single player missions with additional weapons (Lost Mayan Ruins that unlocks Captain Kidd’s sword, and Ghost of War that unlocks the Pontiac’s War Club), and the multiplayer Sharpshooter package (new character, one relic, one emblem, special picture, and the title of “The Jester”).
The “Join or Die Edition” has a little less of the good stuff, but still looks great. This one includes Connor’s medallion, George Washington’s notebook, the Ghost of War mission, and the Sharpshooter package.
Finally, there’s the “Special Edition.” This one is fairly basic, coming with a special package and a bonus mission, “A Dangerous Secret,” that scores you a Flintlock Musket. It’s worth noting, as you’ll see the PEGI 18 rating logo in the pics, that I got the assets from a UK announcement. Ubisoft didn’t bring the specials from Revelations to the US, but this game is set in colonial America so I’m expecting some form of each of these will be available in the US as well. If not, serious collectors may want to import. Also, while pricing was not announced I’d like to make my predictions (in US dollars). The “Special Edition” will likely be a free upgrade for preorders, meaning the bonus mission and Sharpshooter stuff is actually going to be unlockable with the online pass. The “Join or Die Edition” strikes me as a typical $80 package. That 24cm figurine is what’s going to boost the cost on the “Freedom Edition.” I’d expect $120.
If you’re a Call of Duty fan (despite internet bitching, the sales numbers would indicate you probably are), you might be interested to know that the Robert Bowling announced he’s moving on yesterday. Bowling was the Creative Strategist for Infinity Ward and was generally the public face of Modern Warfare. Making the announcement on Twitter, Bowling said “Today, I resign from my position as Creative Strategist of Call of Duty, as a lead of Infinity Ward, and as an employee of Activision.” He didn’t mention where he’s headed or what’s next in his career. Activision responded in a positive manner, stating “We sincerely thank Robert for his many years of service. He’s been a trusted and valued member of the Infinity Ward team. We wish him all the best on his decision to pursue future opportunities.” Seems like an amicable departure. It will be interesting to see where this move takes Bowling and the franchise that’s benefited from his contributions.
Cover art for the film tie-in of The Amazing Spider-Man has been revealed. That little graphic in the top corner quietly announced something Beenox hadn’t mentioned yet, Move compatibility. I can’t confirm Kinect compatibility, but it stands to reason. Right? If we don’t get details first, we’ll find out exactly what the compatibility means (punching, swinging, silly dance numbers with Gwen Stacy?) when the game launches on June 26th.
Don’t forget, it’s time again to vote for the cover athlete on this year’s Madden NFL 13. Voting is going on now at ESPN.com. Ticelli Bot has more details on the process, who’s in the running, and a clever mock-up of what the cover would be if ALL of the finalists made it.
Finally, with April just around the corner, Sony has announced the month’s PlayStation Plus bonuses. It’s not the best month I’ve seen, but it’s still a good offering. First, you’ll get a demo for House of the Dead 4 and early access to the closed beta on Ghost Recon Future Soldier. There’s also Shank 2 (PSN), Shift 2 Unleashed (PS3), Silent Hill (PSOne), and Frogger Returns (PSN) for free. In the minis department, Canabalt, Farm Frenzy, and Mystic Garden will be available. As usual, there will be a pile of avatars, themes, discounted DLC, and several full game trials – including Saints’ Row: The Third and Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition.
