Hello faithful readers. I've had about a five-month hiatus from writing in
the paper (although my work appeared online and on my blog) due to some
personal issues.
But things are coming back on track and so I'm back to offer my insights
and opinions on video games on a weekly basis.
There were several big issues during the past couple of months in the
industry, including backlash attacks at gaming giants Electronic Arts and
Activision. But the one issue that particularly drew my ire was the fan attacks
on Canadian developers BioWare Ltd., over Mass Effect 3.
Many 'fans' took issue with the game's ending, specifically the fact it
basically broke down into three general endings, with a couple subsets within
those. Fans felt cheated because they said the choices they had made throughout
the three entries - decisions totaling about 1,000 options that were supposed
to have ramifications as to how the game played out - were essentially tossed out
the airlock. But in Mass Effect 3 space, you could definitely hear the
disaffected and the forum trolls screaming bloody murder.
Personally, I think it’s a crock.
As a story teller, you have to have the game’s hero, Cmdr. Shepard wind up
in one place. So, this idea that there could be dozens of endings is a joke. And
the choices people made were not meaningless. They affected how you experienced
the game and how you got Shepard to his ultimate finish. Go on YouTube and
search through the different Mass Effect 3 videos and you’ll just how varied
the story can be depending on the choices you made.
But the end is the end. That’s where the writers determined Shepard’s
journey would ultimately come full circle and culminates in what I personally
thought was one of the best, most rewarding, truly emotional and fantastic
video game trilogies in the history of gaming. Period.
To their personal credit, the good doctors, Ray Mazuka and Greg Zeschuk,
the heads of BioWare, have promised to revamp the ending of the game via a
downloadable piece of content in the near future. I think the guys caved - in a
way - to pressure when they didn’t need to. I know they care deeply about their
fans, but I think a special group like BioWare that is dedicated to
story-driven gaming, could have made a statement here about standing strong by
their editorial and creative decision because the three endings were effective
and emotional.
* * *
Here’s a quick look at a couple games out now:
* Syndicate (360, PS3; Electronic Arts): A strong, interesting sci-fi
shooter with a story that could have been fleshed out better. In a dystopian
future, big business can sell you a lifestyle if you agreed to have a chip
installed in you that can, in essence, control aspects of your behaviour. You
play as a syndicate enforcer, an Agent, who discovers there may be corruption
in this seemingly perfect world. The game has excellent shooter mechanics and
looks great, but is hampered by some glitches that take you out of the gameplay
at points. With more polish and a little deeper story, this could have been
really special. Instead, it’s just a heck of a shooter. 3 ½ stars out of 5.
Rated M.
*Yakuza: Dead Souls (PS3; Sega): OK, Japanese gangsters tackle a zombie
infestation. Greatest game ever, right? Well, not quite. Enjoyable in sections
and spurts, the lack of polish and the somewhat absurd storytelling detract
from the experience. 2 ½ stars. Rated M
* NeverDead (360, PS3; Konami): A mix of hacking and shooting, akin to Too
Human and Devil May Cry, this often times silly action title focuses on an
immortal who can’t die, who is tasked with killing a bunch of demons. Ya, you
can’t die. You’re immortal. So you can get stopped and have to reassemble
yourself and then tackle sections again, so don’t sweat trying to stay safe or
play strategically. Like this game, there’s really no point. 2 stars. Rated M.
Coming up: A look at the new PlayStation Vita and several sports titles,
including MLB 12 The Show and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13.
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