I’m apparently a really slow gamer, because I just finished my first run of Mass Effect 3 on Sunday with about 42 hours of game time. Now I finally understand what everyone is crying about with the ending. By that I mean, I know what happens, but I don’t know why they’re crying. The final set of missions is wrenching. Even playing as a renegade character I had a hard time being the bitch I needed to be to stick to my karmic guns. As for any characters’ fates, I don’t really see how else it could have gone. My one complaint is that a character I’m fairly certain was killed somehow ended up in the Normandy’s final cutscene. Of course, very minor spoiler, there are at least three possible endings based on the player’s choice at the end. I’ve only experienced one of those endings. The difficulty for me was in trying to decide which choice made the most sense for a renegade character. Each option seemed equally noble and ignorant. Ultimately I took a clue from the environment and headed to the right only because that area was red, a color I’d come to associate with renegade options in the game. After finishing the game, I would have to say that my initial reactions in the incomplete review are still accurate. It’s a fantastic game with some nagging inconsistencies. There are some other choices with different consequences that I think could make a big impact on the game. I’m very curious, for instance, what would happen to two potential squadmates had they died in the second game? How would the Horizon mission have played out if Miranda Lawson hadn’t survived? She seems very integral to that plot. Also, I took the DLC character, Javik, to Thessia with Liara. His specific presence there had such momentous scripting I’m surprised it was optional. How would they even have pushed this plot point without the character?
But that’s enough about that game. We’re here for news:
Haha. You didn’t think I’d walk away from Mass Effect 3 that quickly did you? This is mostly for people who love statistics, as Bioware has released a few regarding the multiplayer modes. Nothing important here to know really, but it’s fun information:
- 83 billion credits have been earned in multiplayer
- 33% of matches end in failed extractions
- 36% of players select the assault rifle as one of their two weapons
- Two million Cerberus Phantoms have been killed
- Players have accumulated 1,800 years of play time
- Soldier, Vanguard, and Infiltrator are the most popular classes (18%, 17%, and 16%, respectively)
- Less than 1% of successful extractions occur on Gold difficulty
- Firebase White (Noveria) is the most popular map at 36% of selections
- Turians are the most popular non-human race at 6.43%
- The Battlefield 3 Soldier kit has been used in 618,000 matches
Guerilla Games has announced that they are currently working on three new games. The first is the already-announced Killzone for PS Vita. As you would expect, they are also working on “the continuation of the Killzone series on PS3.” Is that a sequel? An MMO shooter? Further expansions to the multiplayer? That’s uncertain for now, but it is somewhat telling that they say PS3 specifically. Industry rumor is the imminent announcement of PS4 and the next XBox at E3, though both manufacturers deny it. Is Guerilla supporting the party line by publicly developing for PS3, or is this project so far along that it will preempt PS4 if it is announced in June? Regardless, the third game is a new IP. That’s always an exciting prospect. Lots of sequels are great, but new properties are especially welcome. While we don’t what that IP will be, Jan-Bart van Beek of Guerilla did tell us what it won’t be. One of their pitched ideas, later scrapped, was a steampunk, Holmes-style mystery with protagonist, Jake Crowbar, fighting monsters. Sounds a little generic but still awesome. If that idea, once called Dark Science, was scrapped, what did they keep?
Shenmue fans may be thrilled about the latest rumor regarding the series. Unfortunately, it’s only a rumor from a source close to SEGA. According to the source, Shenmue HD and Shenmue II HD have been complete for over a year, but are being held back by SEGA. With the recent success of many HD remasters of classic games, why would they be holding the titles? The same source says they’re waiting to see if and when Shenmue III will be ready. HD versions of the first two games will serve as a great introductory marketing tool for the third game. Makes sense. But is it true?
Of the various gaming award shows, BAFTA seems to run a little late in the game. Normally it wouldn’t even warrant a mention this far after all of the other game of the year awards were distributed. But something quirky happened at their presentation on Sunday, Skyrim won zero awards. Considering how many other outlets gave the massive RPG top honors, this seems a little strange. It certainly had its fair share of bugs and glitches (backwards flying dragons, numerous crashing problems on PS3, game ending save data), but its massive scope and rich world has given it massive respect throughout the industry. Here’s the full list of those who did win:
- Action: Batman: Arkham City
- Artistic Achievement: Rayman Origins
- Audio Achievement, Online Multiplayer, and GAME Award (public voting): Battlefield 3
- Best Game, Design, and Story: Portal 2
- Debut Game: Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
- Family, and Game Innovation: Little Big Planet 2
- Mobile & Handheld: Peggle HD
- Online & Browser:Monstermind
- Original Music: L.A. Noire
- Performer: Mark Hamill (The Joker, Batman: Arkham City)
- Sports/Fitness: Kinect Sports Season Two
- Strategy: Total War: SHOUGN 2
- Ones to Watch Award: Tick Tock Toys (Swallowtail)
As we’ve come to find over the last few years, online gaming has a drawback: server shutdowns. EA has recently announced the next list of games that will have their online capabilities severed in the near future. Among these games is Spare Parts, a downloadable title for PSN and XBLA that’s been available for just 15 months. Also included are several titles that utilize EA’s online pass program In theory, those titles should still be generating $10 in revenue for EA when used copies are sold. If you just bought a used copy of one of these games and paid the $10, I hope you get your money’s worth by April 13, 2012:
- BOOM BLOX Bash Party (Wii)
- Burnout Revenge (360)
- EA Create (PC, PS3, Wii, 360)
- EA Sports Active 2.0 (PS3, Wii, 360)
- EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp (Wii)
- FIFA 10 (PSP, Wii)
- The Godfather II (PC, PS3, 360)
- MMA (PS3, 360)
- Need for Speed ProStreet (PS3, 360)
- The Saboteur (PS3, 360)
- Spare Parts (PS3, 360)
We’ve known since long before the game released that Capcom’s Street Fighter x Tekken would come with a plethora of DLC. The schedule and pricing has now been announced, starting with the “swap” costumes that puts Tekken costumes on Street Fighters, and vice versa. Those will release April 3rd with individual costumes $1/ea when you buy a la carte. Getting them bundled will save you $6 on each of the two packs. Some color packs will be available at no charge on the same date. New quick combos, gem packs, gem slots, and more will also be released for free. The 12 PS Vita “exclusive” fighters (Blanka, Guy, Cody, Sakura, Dudley, Elena, Alisa, Bryan, Christie, Lars, Jack, and Lei) will also be coming as DLC in a single $20 pack at an unspecified date.
Saints’ Row: The Third also has a DLC pack incoming today. “The Trouble with Clones” is $6.99 as a stand alone or comes with the $20 Season Pass. In this episode Jimmy Torbitson has cloned Johnny Gat. But, as clones are wont to do, this copy goes rogue and it’s up to you to stop him. A modified Saints’ Flow energy drink will give you super powers to aid in your quest. Yeah, that is just as looney as it sounds, but it is Saints’ Row.
The latest rumor is that Crystal Dynamics unannounced title in the works is another reboot, Soul Reaver. I can’t make heads or tails of the source so I can’t even advise on how believable the rumor is, but a few sources I trust seem convinced. This franchise started with Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain back in 1996 and had several spin-offs and sequels up to the 2003 release of Legacy of Kain: Defiance. The time seems about right to reset the tale of Kain and Raziel, and Crystal Dynamics should have be able to cover it well.
It looks like that’s all I’ve got for now, but come back Friday for more of the biggest news in gaming this week.