Mass Effect 2 Review

Mass Effect 2 Review [500 words]  – CallsignHUSKER

.                    Let’s face it: video games are sometimes a shallow form of entertainment, lacking imagination, depth, or artistic merit. Even good games may only improve slightly upon their predecessors. But every once in awhile a game is released that redefines its genre, sets a higher standard for future games and even moves video games forward as a medium. This is exactly what Mass Effect 2 accomplishes.

.                    ME2 picks up wherever you left off in Mass Effect. You play as either John or Jane Shepard, hell bent on saving human- and alien-kind from extermination.  Your decisions, relationships and experience from the first game can follow you via your saved game. This serves to further personalize a game that is already one of the most personal games ever created.

.                    Divergent plot lines present themselves often and your decisions have far-reaching consequences. These crossroads define who Shepard is for you. The freedom you have with Shepard’s actions and dialogue is not a gimmick. Two people playing ME2 can have very different experiences. From who you choose to recruit to your crew to the places you explore, you get what you put in.

.                    The star-studded cast of voice actors draws on exemplary talent from Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer and Michael Hogan, Star Trek’s Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis, The Matrix’s Carrie-Anne Moss, Martin Sheen, Seth Green and many others. The sheer variety of personalities you can meet and environments you can explore conveys a relentless impression that the world of ME2 is alive and complex.

.                    ME2 improves upon its predecessor in every way. The combat in ME2 is greatly improved. Squad commands are streamlined as is inventory management. Cover mechanics are more fluid. Level design encourages improvisation and a variety of tactics.

.                    If you neglect the side quests in this game you will miss out on hours of some of the best character development and action in the game. You can learn much more about your companions who all turn out to have quite compelling stories of their own. The universe is just more full in this sequel. There is more to explore and more to do.

.                    The art design in ME2 is fantastic. ME2 is the kind of game where you see things and go places that are visually stunning, so much so that you may find yourself stopping simply to look around.

.                    Additional downloadable content is already available for ME2 with more on the way. Flexibility of narrative and numerous decisions also bolster replay value.

.                    ME2 is as epic in its scale as it is nuanced in its design. Masterful storytelling combine with finely tuned gameplay mechanics to create a truly immersive experience.

.                    Mass Effect 2 is a landmark storytelling achievement in the video game medium with over 90 voice actors portraying 546 distinct characters that speak, grunt and digitize more than 31,000 lines of dialogue. Even if you’ve never played a role-playing game or you prefer other genres, you should still check out this mind-blowing accomplishment.

Immersive – 10 – ME2 is absorbing and moving and it will leave you wanting more.

Technical – 10 – Graphics and gameplay have improved in every way from the original.

Value – 10 – The production values of Bioware’s ME2 make other developers look like swindlers.

Average = 10/10

Borderlands Review

Borderlands Review [550 words]  – CallsignHUSKER

.                    It’s tempting to go easy on Borderlands merely because of its genre, or lack thereof. There aren’t many first person shooters that combine vehicular combat, fast paced cooperative action and an expansive loot system. Did I mention that Borderlands also lets you modify your character’s abilities as you gain experience and level up one of four unique character classes?

.                    This all sounds like a gimmicky attempt to mix disparate styles of gameplay with the obvious pitfall that these elements won’t complement one another. However, this is where Borderlands gets it right; the mix of high octane shooter action combines well with a loot system and gameplay that echoes action rpg exemplars like the Diablo franchise and it actually works! But what has 2k games done with this match made in heaven?

.                    Guns, guns, guns! Borderlands developer 2K Games alleges that the game has ’87 bazillion’ guns in it just waiting for you to collect and use in devious ways. Liars! Fine, they may not be far off in their estimate but this is certainly a half-truth. Most of the weapons in Borderlands differ only slightly from one another and there are only a handful of item types in the game; pistol, rifle, smg, rpg, shield and a few others. These weapon types may be sufficient for most shooters but in a game driven by loot and not storyline the variety in firearms leaves much to be desired.

.                    The stylish cell-shaded feel of the graphics distinguishes Borderlands from similar games. However, the post apocalyptic setting of Borderlands is underwhelming. The landscape and set pieces are often uninteresting or repetitive.

.                    These flaws are all the more glaring due to the wild popularity of Fallout 3 released nearly a year ago. If you are looking for a post apocalyptic adventure that oozes character and originality and can do without the multiplayer there is no reason to get Fallout 3′s ugly sister Borderlands.

.                    Borderlands has decent sound design and the most important thing, the guns, sound great. However, the soundtrack is forgettable and there isn’t enough voice work to make the game world come alive.

.                    Enemies are easily recognizable and the combat overall feels good. It’s what you do outside of combat that can be frustrating. The game’s scattered save points makes it cumbersome to save your progress.

.                    Borderland’s bosses are anticlimactic and ironically they tend to yield worse weapons than the average dumpster. Quests are usually mundane tasks that require you to kill a certain number of a specific enemy or fetch something. Again, the items you are rewarded are usually worse than those you find wandering around.

.                    The New Game+ option allows you to play through the entire game again with tougher enemies and better loot which adds replay value to the game. Borderlands is a game best played with friends. Having some players join you makes enemies more formidable and livens up the pace of the game. If you have some friends that can look past flawed gameplay elements and a bland setting you can go gun crazy with Borderlands.

Immersive – 6.0 – The setting is generic and uninteresting but Borderlands can be addictive.

Technical – 5.0 – Graphics are mediocre and gameplay lacks refinement.

Value – 8.0 – Replay value and engaging multiplayer help make up for the guns they owe us.

Average = 6.25/10