Kaz

I’ve been anticipating the release of Mass Effect for months. I’ve been a Bioware fan for a while, and I totally believed in what their vision for Mass Effect was.

Have I been let down?

NO.

I originally planned to lead people on that I didn’t like the game until the very end of my post, but I just couldn’t do it. I am head over hells for this game. So the game fulfills all the things that Bioware set out to do?

Right?

The answer is a little vague right now, I’m merely 6 hours into the game at this point, but I feel like I’ve experienced more in those 6 hours than I’ve ever experienced in an RPG.

Oh yes, this game is very much an RPG. Don’t let the fancy graphics and 3rd person shooting fool you. This game is a couple 20 sided dice from a complete RPG nerd-nest. I’ve spent just as much time labouring over which skill track to upgrade to maximize my party as I have spent in combat.

And then there’s the dialogue, oh the dialogue. Mass Effect might just be the best looking game out there right now. It may soon be eclipsed by the likes of Metal Gear Solid 4 but for now I think it’s on top (even better than Uncharted). It’s funny that this is one of the things I notice as I traverse the branching conversation trees. It does take quite a bit of concentration to remain immersed in the conversations.

I can also see the man behind the curtain a lot. repeated dialogue seems so strange juxtaposed to the otherwise immersing speeches. I think the guys at Bioware are hitting the character uncanny valley, when the conversations seem so lifelike little things like characters saying the same exact thing each time you talk to them becomes a very visible sore.

So far, though, as long as you don’t go out of your way to do things that break the system the experience is unparalleled. Once I finish Mass Effect I think I’ll have a lot of things to say about it.

I’ve gotten time to get used to my new Fisher-Price band equipment. I have to say I’m impressed. This weekend I’ve played Rock Band with several groups of four or more on separate occasions, each occasion has been one of the best multi-player experiences I’ve had. Rivaling all of my fond memories of GoldenEye and Halo multi-player.

Which isn’t to say Rock Band has no flaws. Quite the opposite; its price is prohibitive, there are numerous technical difficulties, the guitar feels like it might break in my hands and it takes nearly 20 minutes to get going the first time you wanna play.

That being said, I’m completely enamoured with the experience that Harmonix is trying to deliver. Being able to download a couple songs on day one helped make the purchase seem worthwhile as well. However, do not play this game by yourself. Well, I’m not going to follow that advice but playing Rock Band solo is a strange experience indeed.

I loved the feeling that I got from playing Guitar Hero I and II when I was alone. Something about standing up and really rocking out, doing all my favorite stage moves, and moving around the room made me feel like I was really a guitar hero. I don’t get that feeling from Rock Band, but it stands to reason that’s why they called the game Rock Band instead of Rock Hero.

I’ll post pictures of how goofy we look while rocking out soon enough.

Much to my dismay (or delight) the catastrophic month is upon us. The month of ruin. The month that is going to make my wallet bleed. November.

I’m counting this past week as part of November so I can complain more.

It all started on Sunday: Guitar Hero III for the 360 costs $100. As much fun as I have with GH games, I’m seriously starting to question the worth of the game at one hundred bucks. Luckily, the money I spent on Guitar hero will make my Rock Band experience oh-so-sweeter. I’m trying to justify the extra forty bucks as half for GHIII and half for Rock Band, and in my mind it’s worth it.

Unfortunately, this week contains another potential hundred dollar plus purchase. Virtua Fighter 5 Online debuted this week, I picked up a copy of the game but have yet to find the two arcade sticks I so desperately want. Although, at sixty bucks a stick, I’m starting to be concerned over just how much use I’ll get out of these things. Unlike Justin: I’m not okay with purchasing a 200 dollar dust collector. I may, regrettably, purchase one Hori stick and see if enough people want to play versus and get another stick at a later date (Xmas/SoulCaliberIV).

But hey, why stop at two games that cost more than one hundred dollars this month when you can get three (Crysis not withstanding). Rock Band drops later this month on the 20th. I was lucky enough to put $75 on the game when preordering, which means the game will only be around $100 at purchase. It’s still up in the air whether or not I’ll need an official guitar for the bassist’s solos, or if the wireless 360 guitar will fit the bill.

Phew, all done, right? No.

Crysis comes out in the middle of the month. I won’t be upgrading my computer for it unless the demo I’m downloading plays particularly awfully. And then I still need to get Mass Effect which hits day and date with Rock Band? Ouch. What about Uncharted: Darke’s Fortune, I suppose I won’t get that unless there’s some good reviews. I really liked the Call of Duty 4 MP Beta, and I enjoyed the single player demo on PC, I should pick that up. Oh crap, I almost forgot about Mario Galaxy! That comes out with Rock Band too! That’s a bad day for my wallet.

Let’s total all of this up:

Guitar Hero III + Virtua Fighter 5    160

Crysis + Mario Galaxy                         100

Rock Band                                              170

CoD4 + Mass Effect + Uncharted       180

Total======================610

Oh noes, that’s far too much to spend on gaming in one month, especially one that doesn’t involve a platform launch. But how do I decide what to buy?

This November, it sucks to be a gamer.

The good way.