Update and Mass Effect 2
So, I seem to be really bad at updating, and considering the amount of time I spent in front of a computer it’s absolutely amazing that I don’t overblog.
So I’ve had some really intense game ADD lately, moving from Borderlands to AC:2 to Darksiders, and playing a ton of WoW and Star Trek: Online in between.
But if there is any one company that has the cure for my multi-game fever, it’s Bioware.
Mass Effect 2 is interesting in that it really tests the limits of what a company can do to a sequel and keep it’s core audience. It should first be noted, that from a strictly design perspective, Mass effect 2 is a better game in pretty much every front. No game is without it’s design stumbles, ME2 included, but the game is borderline design ballet.
That having been said, I find myself in a rough situation, I liked pretty much everything in the first Mass Effect, so to see things go wasn’t as much of a relief as it was for the majority of gaming press, armor customization is cool, but the lack of an inventory means I don’t get the little rush that comes with getting a new gun, and trying to decide if it’s better than my old one. Not having the Mako means I don’t need to spend 45 minnutes to get across the map to get something that doesn’t really matter, but the system now implemented eliminates a lot of exploring.
It also breaks a habit in a lot of Role playing games, Stats. I honestly don’t really know what my stats are in the game, I don’t need to manage them, and I only have 4-6 skills per character to pump advancement points into. I was really worried about this at first, I mean, I played D&D 3.5 I’m pretty sure there was a stat for how well you handled your stats in that game. But the system here lends itself more to story telling than micro managing, and more to actually playing a role than tying to munchkin an edge via stats (look up “munchkin” if you don’t know what I’m talking about, interesting concept design wise and great Steve Jackson game).
So the question Mass Effect 2 asks is: Can you make a story based, role playing game, that doesn’t have a focus on stat building?
The answer, though many won’t admit it, is a resounding yes, despite the lack of numbers, I feel in control of the story and who Shepherd is, which should really be the criteria of an RPG.
So, go play Mass effect 2, much like bacon it’s good for you.
