Review: The Witcher 2 - A thrilling, if challenging, fantasy RPG adventure

Creating tense, interesting and intriguing drama is a difficult task no matter what the form of media and video games have traditionally, unfortunately, suffered from lackluster writing. In terms of game development – especially at smaller companies – resources are usually reserved to refine aspects of the gameplay, sharpen the visuals or make the sound more crisp usually leaving room for a barebones story that may or may not include compelling, developed/developing characters, or even much of a coherent plot. As long as the game is pretty and plays well, many gamers can overlook a pedestrian plot (the “Call of Duty” series is a perfect example of this – the story of each game could be interchangeable [you know, depending on the time period of the game] but each new addition to the series somehow breaks the sales records set by the previous one).

But the dramatic failings of other games simply cannot be said of “The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings: Enhanced Edition,” developed by CD Projekt Red for the Xbox 360. A third person, action/adventure, fantasy RPG, “TW2” takes place in a medieval time ruled by swordsmanship and magic but more than that, takes place in a land characterized by constant war and political upheaval. A majority of the themes present in “TW2” are very adult and the subject matter of many of the games quests and storylines would not be considered “child friendly.” Though it may seem like another “Skyrim” or perhaps even “Fable,” “TW2” takes a drastically different approach to storytelling (with heavier themes and topics covered) and gameplay than the aforementioned titles.

“TW2” follows Geralt of Rivia as he attempts to clear his name after being accused of killing a king. Geralt is a witcher, a profession more-or-less forced onto unwanted, orphaned candidates. Though human in appearance and mind, the process of becoming a witcher allows Geralt numerous, supernatural powers and abilities normal humans don’t understand and often fear. Witcher training also bestows incredible abilities in swordsmanship, making not just Geralt but all witchers fearsome opponents in any battle. Though being a witcher means serving and protecting humanity from all manner of monstrosities and supernatural beasts, not all are as noble as Geralt and many turn to the mercenary’s life.

Though the narrative of “TW2” is gripping, dark and filled with heavy themes, its twists and turns and numerous  characters can get somewhat confusing – especially in the early stages of the game. Also, since you’re thrown right into the meat of the storyline, getting deep enough into the story of “TW2” to the point where you’re familiar with the recent events and characters can take a pretty hefty time commitment that some might not be willing to make. Those who are willing to get deeper into “TW2” will find a riveting tale, the direction of which can be changed by the player during pivotal moments in the story. 

Not all witchers are as heroic as Geralt

For example, the first 5-6 hours of the game are comprised of Geralt being questioned about recent events (where a king happened to lose his head and the only suspect is Geralt) and take place in the form of a flashback. Also, being that Geralt has amnesia and doesn’t remember much before the events of the game’s opening hours, your only options are to hold on tight and try to make sense of the massive amount of info being thrown at you, or not play. As the game goes on, you’re given ample opportunity to talk to NPCs, read books and investigate, so you won’t be out in the cold for long but you ought to be prepared to be slightly confused for the first few hours of the game (that is, unless, you played the previous title or read any of the corresponding books).

Also, the first few hours don’t do a very good job indicating how much of the game plays out. While the early stages of gameplay and story are very linear, you’re eventually given free reign to explore a number of different, large, open environments. The story is broken up into chapters and each chapter brings along a new area to explore with tons of items, loot and quests to be found.

Though at first confusing and slightly winding, the story eventually begins to make sense and once it does, you’ll be gripped by Geralt’s plight and how deeply your personal choices affect the outcome of the story. Events are moved along with the aid of beautifully rendered cutscenes. Well, all of the visuals in “TW2” are pretty incredible – not just the cutscenes. Characters are highly detailed, environments are awash with saturated colors of all types and there is a surprisingly effective use of light and shadow. The voice acting is equally superb, giving life and character to even the lowliest and most forgettable NPCs. 

I’ve mentioned other titles similar to “TW2” so far – like “Skyrim,” “Fable,” or “Mass Effect.” You should know right now that while “TW2” is similar, it’s much heavier on traditional elements of RPGs such as skill development, inventory management, challenging combat and a robust crafting system. Though you won’t be able to build Geralt’s abilities from the ground up (like “Skyrim’s” leveling system), there are four different ability trees with tons of ways to hone Geralt’s already impressive skills. I won’t dance around it any longer – “TW2” is about as hardcore an RPG you can find on the consoles these days (or anywhere, really, since it’s the port of a PC title) and its steep challenge and learning curve (coupled with its deep if somewhat twisting story) may be too much for most to handle.

I’ll get the boring inventory management aspects out of the way now before moving onto the much more exciting methods and strategies for combat. I know managing inventory isn’t the most exciting way to spend your time but if you want to play “TW2,” you better at least come to terms with it. 

 Witchers are tasked with protecting humans from all manner of nasty monsters

From typical items like weapons and armor to books, crafting materials, diagrams and even junk, there’s an astounding, almost overwhelming, amount of stuff that can be collected throughout “TW2.” Once you become accustomed to the game, you’ll start to understand what is worth picking up and what isn’t though early on, it’s very easy to become over-encumbered. While the inventory screen is broken out into easily navigable categories, the sheer amount of stuff you can carry around occasionally makes it difficult to locate specific items. A more intuitive inventory system would’ve been nice, considering the sheer amount of items available to collect, but the one present is serviceable enough.

My biggest gripe with the inventory system is how Geralt collects these items. Say you just finished killing a bandit, a little hand will appear over his body, indicating he has things to pick up. A little box in the corner will tell you what he has and you can click “A” to pick it all up – that’s it. You can’t pick and choose what to pick up nor can you even tell how many of those items he had (if he had four Iron Ore, it will only show up in the list as “Iron Ore”). For a game that’s so heavy on inventory management to have such a surprisingly lazy method for collecting items is pretty ridiculous, considering how much work went into other areas of the game.

But considering how much work went into crafting the combat system of “TW2,” its inventory shortcomings can be forgiven. Combat in “TW2” takes place in real time and can be very challenging for new players. The challenge lies in the amount of strategy required to be successful in even minor squabbles with bandits or monsters (like nekkars or rotfiends), let alone larger enemies or bosses.

Though Geralt is a witcher, he’s still human and therefore just as susceptible to damage and death as any enemy he faces. What I’m getting at, basically, is that even once you’ve increased Geralt’s armor rating and vitality, a few missteps in any battle will likely spell defeat – or at least the beginning of the end. Though not as unforgivingly difficult as past “Ninja Gaiden” titles or “Demon/Dark Souls,” combat in “TW2” can be infuriating even for experienced gamers and near-insurmountable for button-mashers. Carefully timed attacks, blocks, dodges and careful position are essential for success in combat. Though it’s difficult to master, becoming proficient at the combat in “TW2” is incredibly rewarding. Watching Geralt move deftly from one enemy to the next, striking quickly while casting signs and laying traps is very satisfying but takes plenty of practice.

Along with his swords (steel for humans, silver for monsters), Geralt can use magical abilities called “signs” which are your typical video game fare – a force push, a protective barrier, a fireball, etc. Every sign is available to you from the beginning of the game so you won’t need to worry about unlocking these abilities. Geralt can also make use of throwable items (selected in an in-game window with LB and used with RB) such as bombs, daggers and traps. However, you’ll first need to buy those quick-use items or craft them yourself.

“TW2” features a robust crafting system that allows you to not only create quick-use items but also weapons, armor and magical potions as well. Geralt himself can create potions, bombs and daggers while Meditating (initiated by selecting Meditation in the quick-use menu) but must find craftsmen to build weapons, armor and traps. 

 Geralt will face many massive monstrosities, many bigger than this troll

While the crafting in “TW2” is fairly deep and robust, it’s also slightly confusing at first (like most aspects of this game) but with some experimentation can be comprehended eventually. Geralt will need crafting diagrams before being able to create bombs or potions and will also need to own a diagram before he can get a craftsmen to create a trap or weapon. You’ll constantly be finding crafting elements so don’t hesitate to create plenty of items for use in combat (rather than hording everything for use later).

I briefly mentioned Meditation before and I should mention that it’s used for more than just crafting items and potions. You can get a deeper look at Geralt’s character stats from this screen, wait time (since there is a day/night cycle in “TW2”) and drink potions. Potions work slightly differently in this game than other RPGs. While in “Skyrim” you can down health potion after health potion from a menu, potions in “TW2” can only be imbibed while Meditating and as such, must be used prior to battle (since you don’t have time to meditate during a fight). Potions in this game are used to buff abilities and stay active for a long period of time. However, Geralt can only drink a few potions at a time as each potion has a toxicity level that limits how many (and how strong of) potions he can take at one time.

“TW2” also features a tutorial that will get you accustomed to the various aspects of gameplay, such as crafting, combat and dialogue. It’s really the only time “TW2” holds your hand before throwing you into the fire but overall doesn’t do much to explain the intricacies of its combat system. At the end of the tutorial, you’re given a chance to fight in an arena setting, at the end of which the game will suggest a difficulty setting for you. (I’ve no doubt most people will be suggested they play on “Easy” because the game, for some reason, figures you’ll pick up the combat right away which, if you’ve been paying attention so far, you won’t. It doesn’t lock in that difficulty choice so you can still choose your own.)

Because the Xbox 360 version is ported from the PC version, it includes patches that have been released so far as well as DLC quests not found in the original version. The 360 “Enhanced Edition” also features an Arena mode that is separate from the single player narrative. The goal of the arena is to complete increasingly difficult waves of enemies for points that count towards a global leaderboard. Victory also earns an experience point and the choice of an item. It’s an interesting, fun little diversion but ultimately doesn’t add too much to the total package. It’s difficult since you start at level one with barebones equipment and weapons and you stop earning points if you die. You can continue after you die but since you don’t earn leaderboard points or items/XP for single player, there really isn’t any reason to.

“TW2” can be characterized overall by its commitment to challenging the player. Not just with the difficulty of gameplay (combat, getting the most out of dialogue, inventory management, etc.) with the dark, mature themes that constitute the majority of the narrative. I’d also be in the wrong to not mention how frustratingly few checkpoints and autosaves there are throughout the narrative of “TW2.” Though you’re able to save at any time outside of combat, it’s easy to forget that little fact and considering this game’s difficulty, I’ve had to replay areas and battles more than a few times because I hadn’t remembered to save my game in a long time.

Though it does have numerous quirks and some elements of odd design, they are not so overwhelming that they cannot be looked past or, in time, adjusted to. Overall, I highly enjoyed the challenges presented in “TW2” and will definitely be returning to it in the future. With its unrepentant difficulty and its diverging narrative paths, “TW2” is a game that could be different for you on each subsequent playthrough. Though I have no doubt many will pass on this game due to its difficulty or its design quirks, those who do decide to take on the role of Geralt of Rivia will not be disappointed.

Dragon's Dogma demo thoughts: A very welcome surprise

 Though in the 90s, the concept of the Japanese RPG (like “Chrono Trigger” or “Final Fantasty”) was the dominant form of game in the role-playing game genre, that notion has changed significantly in the past few years in America. Currently, the Western style of RPG, made popular by games like “Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” and “Fallout 3,” is the most popular form of the genre on the market. 

Aspects of the WRPG, like being able to freely roam a large, interesting open-world environment coupled with free form battles and all manner of side activities and quests that can be pursued at the player’s pace, set these games apart from JRPGs, which feature linear gameplay and story, turn-based combat and are heavy on dialogue. Recent games like “Kingdoms of Amular: The Reckoning” and “The Witcher 2” have been well-received critically and the genre only seems to be gaining steam. It only makes sense that a Japanese company would eventually see the trending popularity of the WRPG and attempt to make a game in that style and “Dragon’s Dogma” from Capcom is that game and it’s, actually, pretty good.

The team working on “DD” for Capcom is comprised of people who had previously worked on capcom titles like “Resident Evil,” “Devil May Cry” and “Breath of Fire” and the influence from those titles is easily recognizable in its combat system, storytelling and visual style. The combat is heavy on hack-and-slash action and is very reminiscent of “DMC.” The inventory system is very similar to “RE” and, though I wasn’t able to tell from the demo, the final game will allegedly have elements of survival horror too (though, like I said, I can’t tell how). While “DD” definitely feels like a Japanese-developed game, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially considering all that they managed to do to make the game feel and play like a WRPG.

"Dragon's Dogma" features colorful, detailed environments as well as huge enemies

                                           

The demo features two missions to play (one of which is basically just a boss battle) as well as giving you access to its extensive player customization options. You can pick from one of numerous classes, such as Warrior, Mage, Ranger and Strider, with each offering a slightly different set of proficiencies and abilities (though the details of each weren’t explained or made very obvious, that I saw anyway).

The combat in “DD” is much more action-based than, say, “Skyrim” and its here that the “DMC” influence is most obvious. Player’s move fluidly around the battlefield and chaining together combos is quick, easy and the animations are very smooth. Capcom did an excellent job giving attacks and movement a certain amount of weight - not so much that actions feel slow but enough that your attacks feel powerful and heavy. An on-screen button layout (in the bottom right), similar to “Assassin’s Creed,” helps to remind or inform the player of all possible actions, such as examining your surroundings, picking up items, or what attacks are available from your current stance. For instance, holding the Left Button will bring up your shield to block and the attack buttons initiate different, shield based attacks. Holding the Right Button will similarly allow you to perform various moves with your weapons. Also, switching between weapons (if you’re a ranger, for instance, with daggers and a bow) is quick and easy, allowing you to stay focused on the fight at hand.

Grappling onto and riding larger enemies is a unique and interesting aspect of the combat in "Dragon's Dogma"

The most interesting part of combat, though, is the ability to grapple onto larger enemies. In the demo, you’ll fight against a griffon and a chimera, two large, ferocious, dangerous beasts. In “DD” you’re able to grab onto the leg of a larger enemy and hoist yourself onto it, allowing you to climb around on it and attack specific areas. The tactic, which is reminiscent of “Shadow of the Colossus” and boss battles from “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow,” adds a unique layer to the combat that most action games have yet to explore – let alone RPGs. In an interview, the game’s director Hideaki Itsuno said, “In a lot of action games, with big enemies the tendency is just to have you hacking away at the shins. You don't get the full effect of fighting a giant boss. With this game you can climb all over it. If it has a body part, you can attack it.”

Also, like most RPGs, “DD” features a party system, though its slightly different than other games. The player will have one constant NPC ally that they can design at the start of the game who will always be present. Other party members can be added and these guys are known as “Pawns” and are also customizable as well as upgradable. NPCs are actually quite talkative and surprisingly don’t just offer up the same, tired one-liners over and over again, instead providing helpful tips for battles or how to defeat a boss. Though, their babble can get a bit overwhelming at times as, in the demo alone, I was often forced to read what new NPCs were saying to me because I couldn’t hear what they were saying over the sounds of my pawns talking to no one in particular.

This game literally just came onto my radar a few weeks ago and it’s already become a game I’m going to keep a close eye on. If the open-world environment is interesting enough and if there are lots of quests and content to be had, “DD” very well could be the template for all future JRPGs and would easily find a place in my collection.

Saints Row 3 mini-review: Stimulation overdose

(And yeah, I know it’s technically “Saints Row: The Third,” but I’m not calling it that)

A game like “Saints Row 3” is hard to quantify. While it offers tons of content that amounts to hundreds of hours of gameplay, a majority of that content will seem like exceedingly familiar territory. Though the gameplay is incredibly fluid, the characters and environment colorful and vibrant and features a ridiculous array of high-tech weaponry and vehicles with which to cause mayhem, the framework of the game beneath that luxuriant coat is really no different from any “Grand Theft Auto” or previous “Saints Row” title.

I had purposefully avoided “SR3” for some time now. I had already played “GTA4” along with both its DLC pack - “Lost and Damned” and “Ballad of Gay Tony” - and from everything I saw, “SR3” would offer really nothing more than a re-hashing of those games. Obviously not an exact recreation, but with both series being so close in content and execution I was worried that playing “SR3” would quickly become boring, bordering on tedium. After playing a good bit of “SR3” I can safely say that even though it goes out of its way to throw realism out the window, if you’ve played the typical sandbox criminal-sim (like “GTA” or the previous “SR” games), you’ve played “SR3.”

That’s not to say that “SR3” isn’t fun because if you like mindless carnage and destruction, you could do a lot worse than this title. It seems like almost every aspect of “SR3” was designed to let you become a walking, smack-talking one-man army as quickly as possible and let you loose on an unsuspecting world. When a game opens with a bank heist that results in a massive shootout, hundreds of casualties and numerous aircraft (helicopters and an airplane) being destroyed, you quickly realize that subtlety will not be on the menu. However, once the spectacle of these over-the-top heists and destruction wears off, you’re not left with much as the story of “SR3” is as insane as it is forgettable.

The leader of the Saints (left) takes on numerous Luchadores

You once again resume your role as the leader of the Saints, a criminal enterprise that has grown so large that they’re now basically celebrities in the eyes of the media and ordinary citizens. Along with familiar faces like Johnny Gat, Pierce and Shaundi, you aim to take over the city of Steelport. In order to do that, you’ll need to knock off the three top gangs that currently run the city, the Luchadores, Deckers and Morningstar. Along with story missions, there are also a wealth of other activities to be found around the city like the series standard Insurance Fraud or the activity “Professor Genki’s Super Ethical Reality Climax,” a reality TV game show where you’re tasked with navigating a maze of treacherous obstacles, dispatching minions dressed like mascots and collecting power-ups for more points, weapons or health. You’ll also have plenty of Saints Book missions where you’ll find the standard assassination missions, car collection missions and other random challenges to keep you occupied.

Along with earning reputation points (XP) to unlock new abilities, you can buy property that will earn money as you play which can be spent on unlocking said abilities, new weapons or new clothes for your character. And with numerous different clothing stores to choose from, you can make your character look as ordinary or as outlandish as you wish.

Still, at the end of the day, all the outrageous antics, ridiculously weaponry and vulgarity that “SR3” possesses still isn’t enough to top the “GTA” series. Though, with “SR3,” THQ has done an excellent job to finally infuse enough originality and absurdity to distance itself from Rockstar’s king of the sandbox series. There is also tons of DLC packs out for “SR3,” though I haven’t checked any out (and doubt I will) but offer plenty of new content to keep fans coming back for more.

Gaming on the Cheap: Dungeon Siege 3

The fantasy, action-RPG video game landscape is packed pretty full these days. With “The Witcher 2” coming soon for Xbox 360, Capcom’s “Dragon’s Dogma” on the horizon and many still traipsing through the beautifully rendered woods of “Skyrim,” gamers have plenty of opportunity to indulge their inner warrior, pick up a broadsword and go questing. “But wait,” you say, “Those games are all open world, what if I want a more focused story experience? Oh and I’m poor.” And to you I’d say, “Stop being so picky if you’re poor. And also, you should probably check out ‘Dungeon Siege 3’ for the Xbox 360.

“Dungeon Siege 3” follows in the footsteps of games like “Diablo” or the more recent title, “Torchlight,” in that it is an action-RPG that features real-time, hack and slash combat. Though earlier “DS” titles featured automated combat where players input commands in real time (akin to “Knights of the Old Republic”), this iteration features real time combat that at first seems like a typical hack-and-slash brawler, but actually requires a bit more timing and patience to really excel at.

Though I know that the “DS” story is a continuing saga, I’m not sure how much this title relates to previous games, so I’ll just stick to the story as I experienced it. Player get to pick one of four heroes – Lucas, Anjali, Reinhart and Katarina – who are among the last remaining descendants of the 10^th Legion. The Legion, for centuries, had been a just and peace keeping force in the land of Ehb, settling conflicts and disagreements the courts could not. However, a woman named Jeyne Kassynder accused the Legion of murdering the former king of Ehb in an effort to usurp his power. After having converted the Azunite Church to her cause, Kassynder waged a bloody war against the Legion, slaughtering nearly every remaining member. Now she has set her sights on taking the throne of Ehb for herself, by force, and the player must embark on a quest to not only restore peace to Ehb but also avenge those who have been killed by Kassynder. The story is kinda generic in terms of other fantasy games but easy to follow even if you’re unfamiliar with the series.

The story is 15-16 hours long which can be extended with DLC (the only pack I saw available is 800 MS points called “Treasure of the Sun”). There is no competitive multiplayer but “DS3” can be play cooperatively online with up to three other players or with another person on the same console.

Lucas (center) is one of the most powerful characters in the game

Leveling your character up in “DS3” is a bit different from other action-RPGs I’ve played and I’ll admit, was a bit confusing at first. XP goes toward earning levels where you can unlock new abilities (new combat and defensive powers, every few levels), proficiencies (upgrading your abilities, every level) and skills (passive abilities that power up your character, every level). Each character has two separate weapon sets (Lucas uses a sword and shield for quick strikes and a greatsword for broader, powerful strikes) and you can unlock up to three abilities per set. Holding the block button lets you activate defensive powers that will heal you, increase defense or recharge your focus meter (what allows you to use abilities). Each ability has two proficiencies, but, each proficiency can only be leveled up five times so you’ll have to choose which aspects get more upgrades. For instance, Lucas can do a radial attack move called “Earthrending Strike” with his greatsword. This move’s proficiencies are Tremor (20% chance per rank to knockdown enemies) or Magnitude (increases the distance the attack travels per rank). I chose to upgrade Magnitude a bit more than Tremor so my attack hits more enemies but still has a chance to knock them down. This system, though confusing at first, lets players customize their character to their own style of play.

Using your abilities can also be slightly confusing at first as well. Combat abilities require focus to perform, which you can think of as a mana/magic meter, with regular attacks filling up the focus meter. However, using defensive abilities requires power orbs (displayed below the focus meter) which require using focus attacks to refill. Over time you’re granted more power orbs (only start with two) and they’re given to you at seemingly random times (you don’t earn these through levels).

But “DS3” isn’t all combat as there are many NPCs that you can speak to on your quest. Unlike “Mass Effect 3,” the “right” dialogue options aren’t always obvious and you’ll have to choose your responses carefully. Your speech choices also have an effect on your companion, as your responses have a positive or negative impact on your influence over them. Although, your influence with your companion seems to only relate to an Achievement as having lower or higher influence doesn’t seem to have any effect on how the story plays out.

While there are four characters to choose from, Lucas seems the most likely choice for a main character, for a few different reasons. First, he and his family are directly tied to the story of “DS3.” Not only because he is the youngest descendent of the last Grand Master of the Legion but for other reasons that are revealed as the story progresses. He is also the most likely, and best, choice for protagonist because he is the most powerful character in the game. Being that he is the only true melee fighter of the four (Reinhart is a mage and uses magic, Katarina uses firearms and Anjali uses a staff but also heavily relies on magic) his power is unmatched by the other three. By the end of the game, I had Lucas dealing well over 1,000 damage per critical strike and was usually mopping up everyone on screen (also because, as the most powerful, Lucas tends to draw aggro more often).

Lucas deals with a number of undead enemies in the "Treasure of the Sun" DLC

I’ve really enjoyed “DS3” for a number of reasons, the foremost being that any game that drops tons and tons of loot for me to acquire is like crack to me – I just can’t resist the allure of what great item might be still out there, waiting for me to find it. On top of that, the combat that comes between me and my loot is also pretty fun. At first, the combat seems like it emphasizes button-mashing but once you get later in the game (and especially in the DLC), the difficulty ramps up and you’ll want to stay on your toes, being careful to block, dodge and attack when the opportunity arises to be successful. Also, along with up to four-player online cooperative play, “DS3” lets a second person take up the role of your constant companion offline. “Couch co-op,” as offline, single console multiplayer has come to be known, is a feature most game developers tend to overlook but is still a big selling point for many gamers and it’s great to see games that actually take advantage of it.

The land of Ehb is large and sprawling but thanks to a quick and easy to use quest/navigation system, you’ll never be at a loss for what to do or where to go. While there is a minimap for you to get your bearings, there isn’t a world map. But, being that “DS3” is story-driven and most of the quests and adventures are presented to you without the need to search them out, having no world map isn’t a very big problem. I also wanted to point out that menus in “DS3” are relatively streamlined so you can quickly access your inventory, quests and light up a path to your next objective with the press of a button.

While the landscape of Ehb is beautifully rendered and colorful, nothing about the environments really stands out. Not that you really get a chance to take in the environments, either, as the camera in “DS3” isn’t very cooperative and you spend most of your time looking at the floor instead of the colorful landscapes. The character models, on the other hand, possess a very high level of detail and the appearance of characters changes when new weapons and armor are applied.

My biggest complaint about “DS3” is definitely the camera. Similar to “Baldur’s Gate,” the camera only features two views – a high up, zoomed out view that gives you a slightly good idea of your surroundings or a closer view that’s still positioned high up, giving you a good view of your character but not much beyond their immediate vicinity. Though it moves easily enough from left to right, it’s very limited in the vertical view that it gives you, moving up and down only slightly. So even though the characters are highly detailed and visually impressive, you don’t get much chance to study their detail.

Hopefully we’ll see more DLC for “DS3,” but I’m not holding my breath. Since its release in the summer of 2011, there’s only been on DLC pack released (“Treasures of the Sun”). Though the DLC only offers a few extra hours of gameplay, there are a ton of new items to be had, a large new environment to explore and tons of new enemies to fight. On top of that, it seems to have been designed to play after or near the end of the game because the enemies in the Aronai Desert do not play around and will mess you up big time if you aren’t prepared.

Though “DS3” doesn’t do anything to redefine a genre or stand out too much from the crowd, it remains a solid action-RPG offering that fans of the genre will no doubt enjoy immensely. If you’re not already a fan of the game type, “DS3” won’t do anything to sway your opinion. But if you’re looking for a fun, intense action-RPG the kind you usually only find on PCs, you’ll definitely find something to like about “DS3.” Since it came out almost a year ago, you’ll definitely be able to pick up this game for relatively cheap. I found it used at GameStop for $20 but I’m sure you could find it for even cheaper online.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City review: A disaster worth covering up

Imagine, if you will, a cream-filled doughnut. It’s fresh from the oven so the dough is gooey and moist with a rich, sweet center. Sounds pretty good, right? Now, imagine replacing that warm dough with bland, tasteless tofu. Still want to eat that doughnut? Consider that because it’s basically what you should ask yourself before playing Slant Six Games’ latest, “Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.”

Allow me to elaborate on that rather odd culinary creation in the paragraph above. In this analogy, the “Resident Evil” series, its characters and lore, is the cream filling and the gameplay, mechanics and story of “Operation Raccoon City,” built around that “Resident Evil” lore, is the boring tofu. Sure, with every bite you get a little, maybe even a lot of, the rich, tasty “RE” series but for the most part, you’re chewing through the boring, tasteless mechanics of “ORC.”

"RE: ORC” is a third person shooter developed by Slant Six Games. I was initially drawn to the title because of its inventive story – taking place during the event of “Resident Evil 2,” a team of Umbrella operatives, codenamed The Wolfpack (commence “Hangover” jokes), is sent into the Raccoon City disaster to clean up the mess. Well not so much “clean up” as “destroy any evidence of Umbrella’s involvement.” Being that “RE2” is one of my all-time favorite Playstation games, and one of the better “RE” titles, I was thrilled to learn that a game was in the works that would show the conflict from a side we rarely get to see in video games – the villain’s point of view. What kind of new information would we learn about Umbrella or about the way its operatives work? What else would we discover about the incident itself? What kind of people would work for Umbrella’ security services? These are just a few of the dozens of questions that could be asked given the situation.

Wolfpack member Bertha gets up close and personal with a Hunter

Unfortunately one of the biggest problems with this game is how Slant Six took such an interesting, creative setting for a game and proceeded to do absolutely nothing interesting or creative with it. Little in the way of plot or narrative is presented to the player. When I say that, I mean little of the plot itself is explained. Next to nothing is ever brought up about the events surrounding the disaster, leaving old fans to rely on their previous knowledge of the series to set the stage and leaving new players completely in the dark.

The Wolfpack is sent to Raccoon City to cover up Umbrella’s involvement in the viral outbreak, which is literally all you’ll be doing in the single player campaign. Destroying evidence and facilities, silencing witnesses and tracking down key “RE” characters like Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong are about the extent of the Wolfpack’s adventures. On top of that, the narrative is so shoddily presented that each mission feels almost unrelated to the previous one, connected only by the characters and setting.

I was extremely discouraged at these revelations. I had very high hopes for this title, that the story it presented would be on par with “RE2,” “RE4” or “RE5,” but the lack of Capcom’s involvement in its development is obvious. Outside of the “Wolfpack covering Umbrella’s tracks” story, little to no thought went into creating an original story. The Wolfpack members themselves are never developed, giving the player no reason to care about any of them, and antagonistic characters disappear as quickly as they are introduced. After a certain amount of time with the game, it became clear that Slant Six developed “RE: ORC” with a focus on fine-tuning the multiplayer aspect of the title, rather than creating an engaging narrative.

The multiplayer portion of “RE: ORC” features four different modes – Team Attack, Biohazard, Heroes and Survivor. Also, the story portion of “ORC” can be play cooperatively with up to three friends, but only online. I know you want to sell more games, Slant Six/Capcom, but many gamers out there still appreciate being offered split-screen play as an option. Team Attack is the standard, four-on-four, team deathmatch mode of “ORC,” while Biohazard tasks teams with collecting and scoring T-Virus samples, Heroes lets you take up the mantle of an iconic character from the series (like Leon Kennedy or Hunk) and Survivor sees both teams battling for a spot on the last rescue chopper out of Raccoon City.

Using zombies as a meat shield is an effective tactic (when it feels like working)

I appreciated the attempts at offering creative modes besides just deathmatch but honestly, Team Attack is the mode I found myself returning to most often. Biohazard can drag a bit and it’s easy for an uncoordinated team to get dominated. I found the concept of Heroes to be pretty ingenious, even though it is essentially Team Attack with recognizable characters. Also, Survivor is a cool concept, though executed poorly (the rescue chopper appears at random spots on the map and there’s only four spots on the chopper - you expect me to just believe that members of the Wolfpack and US Spec Ops will just peacefully ride out of Raccoon City together?)

I also wanted to point out that the XP earned in the story and multiplayer modes of “RE: ORC” is persistent over both modes and can be used to buy new weapons and abilities for the six playable characters. I found it interesting that, though the multiplayer clearly is the focus of this game, playing the story nets you a considerably larger amount of XP – another telling sign about which mode received more attention and which mode they’re basically bribing you to play.

Finally, I must address the countless issues I had with the design and mechanics of “RE: ORC.” At nearly every turn, I managed to encounter a design flaw or an odd gameplay mechanic that either infuriated me, confused me, or some terrible combination of the two. My biggest complaint is with the cover system. In most third person shooters that utilize cover, getting into and out of said cover is generally handled by pressing a button (as evidenced by such great third person shooters as “Mass Effect 3” and “Gears of War.”). In “RE: ORC,” players walk their character up against a wall (or box or other piece of the environment) and hope that they stick to it – that’s it. Also, since there’s no button to handle cover, there’s also no conveniently placed dive roll move either. I say “conveniently placed” because there is a diving slide, but you need to hold sprint (clicking the left stick), hold a direction on that stick, then hit A. So even if you want to dive backward you still need to hold sprint. But wait – there’s more. The cover system is so shoddy that moving your character to the edge of a piece of cover often leaves you visible to the enemy – your character doesn’t just “stop” at an edge but rather will continue moving until he’s completely out of cover. There’s no fancy moves like “leaning,” “corner turns” or “moving quickly from cover to cover” just lazy “mash your guy against that box and hope he ducks.”

And if strange design issues aren’t enough to give you a fit, the mechanics just might. Each character’s movement, whether it’s the larger explosives expert Beltway or the lithe soldier Lupo, feels plodding and heavy. Aiming movement is equally slow, no matter how much you bump up the look sensitivity. Not only that, but the aiming system (both focused and from the hip) is jerky and inaccurate. “RE: ORC” also features melee combat, though it’s very shallow. Mashing B repeatedly is the only form of melee attack there is, though you can perform execution moves on staggered enemies by pressing A or Y – about one of the only really cool parts of the combat.

As if zombies weren't enough, "Resident Evil 2" protagonist Leon Kennedy must contend

with the Wolfpack in "Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City"

So many other oddities about this game irk me. You need to hit A to pick up ammo piles on the ground as well as to pick up ammo from randomly placed boxes. Why? Just give me the ammo, game. It’s completely redundant for me to walk over to an ammo box then have to hit a button to get said ammo – me walking to that box is me saying “I WANT AMMO” so why do I need to hit a button to pick some up? Could there possibly be a situation in a third person shooter where I wouldn’t want to pick up ammo? I’m pretty sure the answer to that question is “no.” When you die, any weapons and items you picked up along the way are gone. That’s just manufacturing difficulty, Slant Six. Why would my gear and guns be gone if I’m essentially restarting at the last checkpoint where I had that stuff? Also, there’s a strange “quick draw” feature that can be used by either tapping the left bumper (which also switches weapons – remember this, it’ll be important) and then flicking the right stick. You can also hold down the LB to pull out your pistol and go into a weird, locked-camera, auto-aim stance. I tend not to use either as the quick turn is imprecise (at best) and the auto-aim thing is just strange (especially since pistols are worthless unless you’re head-shotting zombies). What happens more often than not is, when you’re in the heat of battle, moving/looking around frantically, you’ll try to switch your gun but the quick turn moves your view to wherever you were pressing the right stick (remember, you’re being chased by zombies, lickers, hunters and Spec Ops soldiers) instead of pulling out your other weapon. It’s annoying, it’s dumb and it’s nearly killed me more than a few times. And these are just some of the complaints I had about the mechanics.

Because as bad as the player mechanics are, friendly and enemy AI are almost worse. When playing solo, the computer will fill the roles of three other Wolfpack members (which you can select before missions) and I’m convinced they exist almost entirely to get in your way. Besides the fact that, more often than not, enemies will ignore computer players to attack you (one time I watched as Ada Wong didn't shoot any computer members of my team, even though they were standing directly in her line of sight, but hit me the instant I was in view). But I’ve had teammates stand behind/in front of me (blocking my line of sight), walk single file after each other through fire to follow me, and even take healing items as I’m about to pick them up.

Enemy AI is equally terrible. More than a few times I’ve watched enemies take cover on sides of objects completely visible to me or as they stand straight up behind cover, rather than ducking behind the object. They don’t even seem to register threats correctly. In one instance, I happened upon three Spec Ops soldiers while making my way through a graveyard. Before alerting them, I chucked an incendiary grenade in the middle of the group. None of them moved. One of the soldiers even yelled, “GRENADE! GET AWAY FROM IT!” and proceeded to stand still, not even moving after the grenade went off and engulfed them all in flames. The most I can figure is that, because they didn’t see me, they didn’t realize that they should actively be engaged in combat and therefore didn’t react even though there was a grenade at their feet.

“RE: ORC” reminds me of last year’s “Brink” in a few ways. They’re both terrible to play solo, only marginally better online and both wound up being unbelievable wastes of potential. I’m still going to pop “RE: ORC” in every once in a while because, even with its flaws, the multiplayer can be a ton of fun and can creates some truly hectic and chaotic moments on the fly. By adding computer controlled zombies and bio-weapon monstrosities to the standard competitive deathmatch modes, “RE: ORC” multiplayer shakes up the generic “player-vs.-player” third person shooter genre. Unfortunately, that’s about all that “RE: ORC” does right. “RE” fans may be able to see past the flaws and find enjoyment in this game, but they’re probably the only ones who will. With more competent third person shooters on the market (like “Mass Effect 3,” “Gears of War 3,” or “Warhammer 40k: Space Marine”) you’d do well to avoid “RE: ORC” unless you can get it for the right price.

Mass Effect 3 afterthoughts: Somehow, there's still more to talk about

Since I’ve done a full on review of Mass Effect 3 (as well as its demo) there isn’t much left to say about the game. Or is there? Read on to check out my random thoughts about the game that didn’t necessarily make it into any other article. (And just because these terms come up a few times – SP=single player and MP=multiplayer.) These are pretty general and vague and if there are spoilers, they’ll be noted above the entry.

Also, since I'm still not done talking about Mass Effect 3, be on the lookout for my upcoming article discussing Mass Effect 3's ending and the hurricane of nerd-rage it produced.

-Great how you can finally choose any weapon with any class. Your squadmates can only use certain weapons (James can only use AR and shotguns, Garrus can only use sniper rifles and ARs) but you are free to choose any loadout you like. Still, even with this extra freedom, I tend to still stick with ARs, shotguns or heavy pistols. And in MP, I tend to only take an AR or heavy pistol into battle so my powers cool down quicker.

-I wish melee attacks worked more smoothly. Still, the melee strikes in this game are more useful than they’ve been in previous Mass Effect titles. An annoying aspect of the melee combat is how pathetically weak your regular strikes are compared to the wildly powerful heavy attack. Regular strikes seem to do little more than knock opponents off balance while heavy attacks will usually kill if they land. I say ‘if they land’ because in the time it takes to wind up a heavy attack, your foe could easily have moved out of its range. That and your opponent seems to need to be in just the right place for the hit to land. I also really appreciate how the different races display different melee attacks, like the krogan charge or the asari radial blast.

-I can’t emphasize enough how much I want more options in the MP. More maps, enemies and options will be necessary to keep the MP fresh. Other modes, even a competitive mode, would definitely be welcome additions to the MP.

-It would be nice if the game marked planets and spots where you found resources or assets in the SP. It’s annoying to go back to nearly 100 percented systems to search, only to be chased away by Reapers before finding anything because you’re searching spots where you found stuff before.

(Spoiler alert)

-Overall, ME3 is not very difficult and missions can’t end in failure. For example, the mission rescue ex-Cerberus scientists turns into rescuing a huge amount of people including families with children. But, despite the high consequence of introducing children into a dangerous rescue mission, there’s no differentiation in the failure – no way to complete your original mission and not save the scientist’s families – it’s either win and save them all or die and start over. Would’ve been a more challenging system if there were degrees of success and failure, if there were specific objectives that could be completed or failed. In a sense, BioWare made the combat more challenging by utilizing more intelligent AI, but significantly decreased the difficulty of successfully completing missions.

-I’m really surprised there isn’t a true blindfire. In most third person shooters, firing without aiming in cover will let you spray bullets towards enemies, although unfocused and only as suppressing fire. But in ME3, even when just pressing the fire button your character still stands up out of cover to shoot. For everything that the MP does right, not including the ability to blindfire is pretty strange.

-I’m pretty sure I’ve stated this before but it bears repeating. I understand what BioWare was trying to do with the MP, by placing it in the SP game, so that you feel like each skirmish is taking place in the galactic war of the narrative. Even so, it would be great if BioWare allowed for more customization in the MP options, like number of waves or tweaks to waves, enemies and weapons (sorta like Halo’s Firefight). Would really love to see more maps too – only five or six maps, three enemies and three challenge types. And honestly, the silver challenge is impossible enough unless you have a balanced, four-player team of level 20 guys. I haven’t even tried a gold challenge yet because I’m honestly afraid of the beating the game will dole out.

-Lots of character options in the MP – different guns, characters, character training and gun mods to unlock – almost makes up for the relatively few game modifying options

-I’m considering a post about my favorite character in each class. While I’ve found some to be incredibly useful (pretty much any asari is a killing machine), others have kinda let me down (like any turian [seriously, you guys can’t roll?] or any soldier that isn’t a krogan). Overall, I’ve found the engineer to be the most useful – especially the humans. With a combat drone that deals plenty of damage (when fully upgraded) and can distract people, as well as overload to break shields and incinerate to break armor, a human engineer can deal with pretty much any situation. The salarian engineer is also pretty great, with energy that can refill his shields and a decoy that’s almost as good as the drone. The quarian engineer I’ve found to be just a hair above useless, though (granted I only had one of them in the demo – not the full game)

-BioWare seems to be introducing new packs to buy in the store from time to time (an equipment pack and now the premium veteran pack). It’s great to see that they are adding little things to the MP every now and then to keep it fresh. Except, it seems, when they introduce a new pack, the old one goes away. Why, Bioware? What’s the harm in leaving those up for a big list of packs to buy? Plus, since you can buy them with MS points (hooray, microtransactions), BioWare and MS are only losing out on money (I’ll admit, I bought a Spectre pack or two with Ms points – they’re only two bucks!) for not giving gamers a huge list of item packs to buy.

-I’m not sure why, but for some reason you can only view the postgame report immediately after the match ends – there’s no way to go back and see your stats from the last game. Maybe it’s because there really aren’t “stats” to speak of, rather just the medals awarded for your performance. Granted you can sort-of figure out some stats from these medals (that are awarded for assists, weapon kills, tech/biotic kills, etc.) but still, no way to view the postgame after exiting and no proper stats is pretty lame.

-The dialogue could be more challenging. I mean, the speech trees are the same as they’ve always been but still, they could be more challenging in terms of picking which response is paragon and which is renegade. P is top right, R is bottom right, as well as the blue and red responses on the left sometimes (which utilize your overall reputation rating).

-A character upgrade system on the Normandy replaces last game’s upgrade system. It’s a little clumsy and boring though and can be confusing at times if there are a number of menus to navigate.

-Nice to see plenty of choices when it comes to armor pieces and mods for weapons . Not as many as the first game, but many more options than the last game. Stores can be quickly accessed from the Normandy’ shuttle bay and Shep’s armor configuration can be set from the captain’s quarters.

-It might just be me, but the Citadel seems much smaller than it used to be. Obviously, I don’t mean the size of the station itself, but the areas that you’re allowed to explore and navigate. I can honestly remember nearly getting lost on the Citadel in the first and second Mass Effect games and now, there are only six areas that are connected by an elevator ride.

(Spoiler alert)

-James Vega seems to be a rather polarizing squad mate among gamers. Some are vehement in their hatred for the muscle-bound meathead from New York while others, like me, really can’t tell why everyone else seems to hate him so much. Sure, at first he seems like a stock character, just some extra filler aboard the Normandy to pad out your squad selection. But if you give James a chance and try to learn more about his story, he’s actually a fairly deep character – more so than many give him credit for. You learn more about his family, his background, his values as well as how, despite his gruff, meathead demeanor, he actually looks up to Shepard a great deal – especially once you learn of his self-doubts about joining the N7 program.

(Spoiler alert)

-All these parts chasing this kid (who Shepard saw die in a shuttle on Earth) feel kinda heavy handed. I get it’s supposed to be dramatic – reinforcing that Shepard, too, has doubts and faces uncertainty about his current mission. But still, it just comes off forced. Not to mention that Shepard had one of these “chasing a dead kid through a burned out forest” dreams right after I, ahem, bedded Liara before the final mission. Which was, uh, kinda, just a bit weird.

(Spoiler alert)

-Get to learn a good deal about Cerberus in this game. Sure, the shadowy organization still has plenty of secrets but you come away from this game with a better understanding of them than you did before (even more so than after Mass Effect 2, when you worked for Cerberus. You’re let in on such interesting factoids as:

--Turns out, EDI was the rogue VI on the Lunar base from the first Mass Effect. Seems she had just attained consciousness and freaked out just a bit, which necessitated Shepard’s involvement.

--Kai Leng, the badass Cerberus assassin, was created by the Illusive Man to be his next “Commander Shepard” after Shep turned his back on them following ME2.

--We get to see just how far Cerberus will go to achieve its ends, such as trying to kill a large group of people who only wanted out of Cerberus and their project to learn how to control the Reapers that used human beings like lab rats.

Mass Effect 3 review: The way the galaxy ends?

Mass Effect’s Commander Shepard has been through some tough times. Despite foiling two plots by intergalactic machines, the Reapers, to end all organic life in the galaxy, most people still don’t believe that the threat is even real. Next, following the events of Mass Effect 2’s “The Arrival” DLC, Shepard is stripped of his rank and grounded on Earth. Mere months after his demotion, however, the Reapers begin systematically destroying human settlements across the known galaxy until reaching Earth with blinding speed. And though no one has heeded his warnings before, humanity once again looks to Commander Shepard to save the day. (Oh and, just a note, this review is spoiler free)

The future is a rough time for a hero.

“Mass Effect 3,” the latest installment of the wildly popular BioWare/EA sci-fi epic, caps off the Commander Shepard story. Humanity’s situation is dire as they and every organic being in the galaxy stands on the brink of annihilation. The Reapers, a sentient race of enormous machines which return every 50,000 to cleanse the galaxy of all organic life, have begun their ultimate assault. Commander Shepard barely escapes the assault on Earth to ask the Council races (turians, salarians and asari) for help in the coming conflict. In spite of all Shepard has done to safeguard humanity and the rest of the galaxy, all of his efforts – even those in “ME3” – may be for naught if he can’t rally enough support to stop the Reaper invasion. As if the Reaper invasion weren’t enough, Cerberus is making the Commander’s life even more difficult, pursuing its own agenda against the backdrop of the invasion.

“ME3” is the final chapter of Shepard’s story in the Mass Effect universe and it’s clear that BioWare and EA wanted to make it the biggest, grandest, most epic title of the series to date. Everything from the single player story, to the tied-into-the-single-player multiplayer mode, to making the game more accessible to new fans has been done in an effort to make this the most exciting, action-packed “ME” title yet.

The Reapers won’t stop until all life has been wiped out and Shepard won’t be able to take on the Reapers alone. After escaping Earth, Shepard must span the galaxy, requesting the aid of numerous alien races to support humanity’s effort in stopping the Reapers. This is represented by your overall “Galactic Readiness,” which is persistent across both the single and multiplayer modes.

Above, a small Reaper demolishing a city

In single player, completing quests, gaining alliances or finding resources scattered throughout the galaxy all count toward your Galactic Readiness, which ultimately decides (or at least has a large bearing on) which ending you get after finishing the game. In multiplayer, completing missions will raise the Readiness in those areas of the galaxy. Additionally, the characters you play as in multiplayer can be “promoted” to generals in your single player story, once they reach level 20, which also is a big boost to your Readiness. Aboard the Normandy, Shepard can check out an itemized list of the various “war assets” he has accrued – a great touch for fans looking for more background information.

I’ll dive more into the multiplayer later, right now I want to go over more of what players can expect from the single player mode. It’s clear that BioWare and EA wanted to make “ME3” more accessible to everyone – not just those new to the series. By refining the shooter mechanics even further for this installment, even those unfamiliar with the series will be able to pick up “ME3” and have fun with it. Though it doesn’t control as tightly as “Gears of War” (for most, the top of the line in third-person shooters), “ME3” without-a-doubt features the best action of the series and is easily the most fun to play.

Improvements to the visuals and sound design are also immediately noticeable. Character models and environments are now more detailed than ever. New methods of dynamic lighting also serve to drape your surroundings in moody swathes of light and shadow. I’ve also noticed that BioWare has gone to great effort to make environments seem much larger and more lively than they have in the past. On numerous occasions through my time spent with the single player, I’ve noticed many interesting, eye-catching moments happening in the background. These events usually revolve around a Reaper rampaging through a battlefield but still, the amount of detail put into your surroundings in “ME3,” that some might not even notice, is pretty astounding.

Cerberus will be a constant thorn in Shepard's side

The sound design also got a nice upgrade, especially in terms of weapon sounds. Each gun, even the different guns in their specific classes, has its own unique report. It’s a little touch but how many other games can you tell what gun (and not just that they’re using a shotgun, but which shotgun) another player is using just by hearing it go off?

I’ve touched on the different modes of play in single player before (Action, Story and RPG) and won’t spend much time going over it now. But long story short, the different modes will present different experiences. Action will present dialogue options in the form of scripted cinematic sequences, letting players in on the story but getting them back to the action as soon as possible. Story mode retains the dialogue options but tones down the action difficulty significantly. RPG mode presents both normal dialogue options and combat difficulty and, to me, is the mode that any serious gamer should be playing.

I also wanted to make note about the process or importing characters. First off, importing your old character makes you almost unfairly overpowered. Before I had done anything in the game, just by importing my old character, I was level 26 and easily dominating any opposition before me. Also, as before, you’re able to pick a new class before completing your new character. I also need to make a note that in the version I played (Xbox 360) my previous character’s face couldn’t be properly imported – a glitch that is apparently pretty widespread. I ended up making a new face that very similar to my previous Shepards but still kind of seems to me like a cyborg who killed my original Shepard and is trying to take his place.

New, however, to the series is any class’ ability to use any weapon. In the past, certain weapons have been reserved for certain classes, such as only soldiers being able to equip sniper rifles. Now, a new mechanic has been introduced where carrying more weapons counts against the recharge time of biotic powers, essentially meaning that if you want to use your powers more often, you ought to equip fewer weapons.

Take on the role of special operatives in multiplayer to carry out

missions against Cerberus, the Geth and the Reapers

Even though the single player mode is set in an openish-world environment where players can travel to systems and take missions at their leisure, the story is excellently written and paced so that you, as the player, are never left to forget the urgency of your mission. And not always in obvious ways, either, but in Liara being stressed out about acquiring resources and manpower or shadow-brokering or in Garrus spending his time on the Citadel assisting refugees. Though the “ME” series has always been known for its impressive story-telling and presentation, “ME3,” to me, cements the series as the preeminent, video game sci-fi series akin to Star Trek (on TV) or Star Wars (on film).

Overall, I’m finding this single-player campaign to be just as enjoyable, if not more than, the original game’s. In fact, the only thing the original game has on “ME3” is the use of a vehicle (the Mako) in the form of planetary exploration. Other little touches to the single-player formula make this game the best of the series, such as an improved map function on the Citadel (that shows you points/people of interest), numerous cameos from previous characters (which long-time fans will no doubt get many kicks out of) and a greatly improved/streamlined resource gathering mechanic (a new scan feature lets you search Reaper-ravaged systems for resources and war assets but too much use of the scan can call Reapers to investigate the system, forcing you to flee). Missing from the single-player, though, are the hacking minigames found in “ME2” that were used to access hidden areas or gather additional credits/items.

When it was announced that “ME3” would feature multiplayer, the collective eye-roll that occurred on the internet was so massive and instantaneous that modern nerds will pass down its tale for generations. The news that one of the most beloved and interesting Western RPGs on the market today would feature multiplayer was, for some reason, near blasphemous. To understand this, one should know that, to many hardcore gamers on the internet, multiplayer is the bastion for those who don’t possess the mental faculties to enjoy a deep, single-player story – such as the one presented in the Mass Effect series – and that any multiplayer mode in “ME3” could only mean that A) the single-player/story mode would suffer for it and B) it would be a tacked-on afterthought, developed as a desperate cash-grab. Fortunately, neither is true of “ME3’s” multiplayer.

The multiplayer in “ME3” is interesting in that the battles you fight aren’t merely random squabbles between endlessly battling opponents (much like the deathmatches Spartans/Covenant in Halo or the humans/Locust in Gears of War are), but rather skirmishes in specific, strategically important areas that are tied into the single-player. Each multiplayer map is the backdrop of a sidequest in the single-player where Shepard must go in, clear out enemies (usually Cerberus) and complete an objective. The multiplayer mode then presents these maps as areas of contention that special operative teams must constantly fight to main control of, though you could find yourself fighting the Geth or Reaper forces instead of Cerberus in multiplayer.

You can pick from any of the six classes in multiplayer – Adept, Soldier, Engineer, Sentinel, Infiltrator or Vanguard – and each class has the option of four different races, some of which feature different powers/abilities. For example, the Engineer is my preferred class online. Though the human male and female are open right away, a quarian and salarian engineer can also be unlocked, each bringing their own unique set of powers to the table. However, unlocking these different classes, weapons and equipment can sometimes be frustrating.

Many familiar faces make appearances in "ME3" but not all will be party members

During the course of completing a mission, players will have to complete three separate objective waves that can be eliminating certain enemies in a time limit, activating various objects or defending a specific area. Completing these objective waves earns you credits which can be used to buy resource packs. The packs – which range from 5,000 to 60,000 credits – grant the player an assortment of weapon upgrades, one-time use items, equipment, weapons or new characters. Except, what each pack yields is randomized and the more expensive a pack, the more items you receive and the higher your chances are of unlocking rare items. But just because you spend a bunch of hard-earned credits on an expensive pack doesn’t mean you’ll unlock exactly what you’re looking for. Granted, you’ll always get something cool if you buy a Veteran pack or a Spectre pack, there’s no guarantee you’ll unlock that asari vanguard you want or that geth shotgun (the asari vanguard I got [and she’s amazing] but I’m starting to doubt I’ll ever get that geth shotgun).

Right now, I’m waiting patiently to hear about future DLC. A day-one DLC (which grants you the last prothean for your party), which is allegedly on-disc content, was released and there are rumors about an upcoming multiplayer pack with new characters but outside of these, I haven’t heard much. The character DLC, which allegedly features characters such as the batarian infiltrator and the krogan battlemaster, has yet to be confirmed but the prospect of new multiplayer characters has me pretty excited. I’d love to see more multiplayer specific content, such as new maps or modes, but additional single-player content, like new party members or missions, would be excellent as well.

Though its RPG trappings may be enough to dissuade some, not playing “ME3” at all is probably one of the worst mistakes you could make as a gamer. Even those who are new to the series will find a way to enjoy “ME3” and hopefully would be intrigued enough to search out the previous two entries. The addition of multiplayer also makes “ME3” one of the most engaging, enthralling and complete experiences in video games to date. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some Reapers to deal with.