Please beware, this post contains spoilers. It seems that all I’ve done lately is write (bitch) about Mass Effect. Whether it be a DLC rant, or complaints about the third installment’s disappointing ending the game has certainly stirred up a lot of negative feelings in fans and critics alike. There has been a great deal of speculation on the ending (singular) of Mass Effect 3, but the most intriguing bit to poke out its head from the infighting is the Indoctrination Theory. The video below will bring  you up to speed if you aren’t yet familiar. Spoilers below (duh). The idea of Shepard being indoctrinated did cross my mind, especially… (more…)

Muzyka, listen to the fans! By: Anthony Velez  I honestly can’t say that I’m mad or angry with Mass Effect 3′s ending, but I’m definitely confused.  I felt that it left me hanging and didn’t give the franchise much closure. I’m a huge fan of the Mass Effect series.  I’ve played through Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 multiple times (and on both 360 and PS3 in the case of the latter), so as soon as I was able to pre-order Mass Effect 3, I was first in line.  When ME3 was finally released, I spent a huge chunk of time playing through the single player campaign. I haven’t really gotten into… (more…)

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I first started playing Journey. Developed by thatgamecompany of both Flower and flOw fame, Journey boasts amazing visuals, a minimalist narrative, and a co-op experience that I wish we saw more of in the contemporary videogame world. Journey has you taking on the role of a wanderer in the middle of a desert. In keeping with its less is more nature, the game provides you with no information as to your goals, rather it leaves it up to you to traverse the world. Of course, there are obvious markers along the way that give you a general direction to your next destination… (more…)

Bioware’s name is starting to sound like a dirty word in the gaming industry. The once-adored developer’s reputation has taken a double tarnishing: first by the whole From Ashes DLC fiasco and now by what many people feel is a horrible ending to the Mass Effect franchise. In some ways, I actually empathise with BioWare; I also suck at goodbyes. The only difference is that I never had to say goodbye to millions of people at once. For obvious reasons, this piece contains spoilers regarding the ending of Mass Effect 3 (ME3). If you want to experience the disaster on your own, then be sure to read this once you’re finished…. (more…)

There are moments in gaming that live on in your mind long after you have stopped playing. Below are some of the most memorable missions from the current generation that, for good or bad, will stick with many gamers for years to come. Train Ride – Uncharted 2 Somebody needs to stop a crazy warlord from getting his hands on an ancient magic that will make him invincible. Who better than all around bad-boy-with-a-good-heart, Nathan Drake? Unfortunately for Drake, one of his two hotties ends up on a train moving through the Himalayas with the crazy warlord. Drake shows up and, just like Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade, gets… (more…)

Usually people think of gaming as just a silly, juvenile hobby. They say that gaming is a waste of time, only okay for blowing off steam or relaxing. When someone mentions gaming, raising money for charity isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. Well, I think it’s time for that to change. Starting last year, an Xbox Live friend of mine put together a gaming event that helped raise money for the Child’s Play Charity. Since my XBL friend is a big fan of the FIFA games, he decided to do a 24-hour FIFA marathon to help. The idea came to him when his son had to stay… (more…)

Launch day DLC isn’t  new to the games industry, but with the leaked (and later officially announced) From Ashes DLC for Mass Effect 3 (ME3), many gamers have grown annoyed. Some are even calling for a boycott of Mass Effect 3 and other large Bioware titles such as Star Wars: The Old Republic. Is this outrage  justified? One point used to defend the From Ashes DLC is that consumers happily accepted launch day DLC for other Bioware titles such as Shale in Dragon Age and Zaeed in Mass Effect 2. The counter argument is that those DLCs were free to anybody who bought the games new; a clever way of cutting… (more…)

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning does a great job of setting itself apart from other role-playing games. At its core, it has all the basic elements of a traditional RPG. You get to create a character (male or female) in the beginning, choose which class you want to play as, and level your character to your liking.  The beginning of the game acts as the tutorial and introduces you to elements of each of the game’s classes such as a Fighter, Mage, and Rogue.  It’s all pretty basic stuff for any RPG right? The twist is that your character died and has been brought back to life as the ‘Fateless One‘ meaning… (more…)

Most of us are accustomed to publishers promising a release date that developers can’t always meet. In some cases, this doesn’t have too much of an impact on how a game turns out.  In other cases, rushing to meet promised release dates results in games riddled with bugs and lacking promised features. For the most part, gamers overlook a few missing features if the overall core is functional and interesting. Some of the more crafty developers then deliver the previously promised features as downloadable content. So the question is, how much better would the average game be if developers weren’t rushing to meet deadlines? The answer is this: Skyrim is… (more…)

Final Fantasy XIII is the only video game I have ever returned to a store. Yes, it was that bad, and I absolutely hated it. Square Enix, why are you releasing a sequel to a game that was generally resented by even Final Fantasy’s most hardcore fans? It just doesn’t make sense. When I was younger, the release of a Final Fantasy game always seemed like a special occasion. New entries in the franchise came out every few years and gamers everywhere were certain each Final Fantasy title would offer quality, narrative driven gaming. Now it feels like a new Final Fantasy title comes out every few months and, most… (more…)