Downloadable content, along with digital distribution, is commonplace among contemporary gaming.

Not only does it allow developers to fix issues with their game post-release, but it also gives gamers the ability to augment their experience with extra features and content, if they so choose. Great as it may be, what about flagrant issues that prevent a game from being completely playable? How much content do developers hold back, so as to put it on the marketplace at a later date? When do we say that enough is enough?

Ever since the launch of Microsoft's original Xbox, DLC has blossomed into essential material that every game must embrace. As a matter of fact, it's such a decisive feature that, upon release, some games that have yet to release any DLC already have a section of the marketplace dedicated to it. At the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, some games have DLC available on their release day, a sin that many gamers regard as unacceptable. And for good reason.

Hey, I'll totally help you up here for like, you know, five bucks.

Gaming isn't a cheap hobby. Whilst you can certainly wait for games to come down in price in sales or on the used market, it's still something that you dedicate ample time to and pay for with your hard earned money. That's why when a game releases and, on day one, it already has DLC available for purchase, gamers froth with anger. Shouldn't that DLC be contained within the game itself? Take Resident Evil 5 as an example; not long after launch, a multiplayer mode became available that was found to already be on the disk. Needless to say, no one was happy about that.

One can blame BioWare and their flagship Mass Effect 3 for the current resurgence in DLC hate. Following in Resi 5's shameful footsteps, ME3 will contain day-one DLC, entitled From Ashes, at a cost of $10 or 800 Microsoft Astral Credits. However, for those who are willing to fork over the extra cash for the N7 Collector's Edition (or Digital Deluxe Edition) the DLC will come at no additional cost. BioWare has already stated their reasoning for the day-one content, but that hasn't stopped people from outright boycotting the game entirely. Overzealous as it may seem, I still see where they're coming from.

Allow me a few humble words. We are gamers; we are not developers. As much as we may see and read about it on the internet, we don't know what it's like to build a game from scratch. We don't know the ins-and-outs of working with certain engines and other design protocol, and we don't work at an office where we answer to the producer at every waking moment. However, as the consumer, we cherish a quality product and when something is wrong, our voice is usually heard. There still isn't a amiable way of accepting an additional fee for content on top of what we just paid for, and I expect there never will be. On day one, I expect to have everything out of the box that's core to the game world in question. Sure, I might miss out on a multitude of space rifles, colourful armor and other transforming oddities of doom (since you can't pre-order everywhere), but special missions that actually contain an interactive, core character is not something I'd want to lose out on.

That's right, baby! This punch will finish you and... the game dropped. Cool.

Saying that, BioWare's decision to implement this day one DLC does trouble me somewhat. I'm incredibly excited about ME3, but I definitely won't be purchasing a different version of the game just so I can get that extra content. Acquiescing in this way lets the developer and distributor know that what they're doing is somewhat acceptable. It's something that I just can't do.

This whole debacle poses several other questions brought on by this console generation, including one that still pertains to Mass Effect; are developers purposely holding back core game content so as to sell it to us later? If we're using ME3 as an example, that answer would surely be a resounding yes. However, I don't feel that every developer takes advantage of the DLC system in this way. Take, for instance, Rockstar and their exquisite, high-quality DLC for Grand Theft Auto IV. It was a bit pricey, yes, but the content and effort put into The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony cannot be denied.

Other developers, like Mortal Kombat's NetherRealm Studios, use DLC in ways that were both accepted and not. NetherRealm provided excellent support for their game well past its launch day, with a slew of DLC and hot fixes to make the game as balanced as it possibly could be. Whilst that's a struggle in itself, NetherRealm did a commendable job and I wish other studios showed as much passion as they have. Unfortunately, NetherRealm also used DLC to cover up the brittle multiplayer infrastructure. If you had a chance to play MK online, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Constant input lag, match slowdown, dropped games, broken lobbies - everything a fighting game considers critical to a great experience was entirely screwed.

Think I can summon you to fight this crazy boar thing? The network is still down? You can't let me die to this thing!

Fun as it was, I hold errors like MK's high on my sin list, and that leads us directly into another argument; what's acceptable when flagrant errors prevent a game from being completely playable? DLC can help this matter as unforeseen circumstances arise; issues naturally happen. For this reason, DLC can be a boon to certain games. Even still, there's no denying the embarrassing amount of games that rely on DLC to correct post-release issues. LittleBigPlanet and SOCOM: Confrontation threw up several patches just to allow you to play correctly. Gears of War 2 has its own special place in hell for what it did to its players on launch day and several months after. The point is, DLC allows games like MK to release with the intention of fixing the problem later. Dark Souls, one of my favourite games of last year, released with completely broken multiplayer functionality. It took From Software months to come out with the necessary fixes and even then, there were some mechanics that just didn't work in the way that it was intended they should.

DLC isn't the end of all things; it's just the opposite. Developers may not be using the system in ways that we would like to see, but its flashes of brilliance make gaming today a thing of beauty. It'll take time to weed out the issues but we can do our part by voting with our wallets and voicing our opinions on official message boards about what we think is acceptable. I'll never come out and say that day one DLC is ever 'alright', but I will always take a working game over something that requires several thousand title updates.

What do you think about day-one DLC? Do you have issues with patches coming in late or requiring several for you to even play your game? Voice your opinions below!

Labels: Andrew Whipple III, Dark Souls, DLC, Feature, Grand Theft Auto IV, Mass Effect 3, Mortal Kombat, Opinion, Resident Evil 5

What do you consider the greatest game you've ever played? When this timeless question is asked, well-deserving titles like the original Super Mario Bros., Half-Life and The Legend of Zelda are often mentioned. It then, of course, sparks a perpetual debate about what sort of prerequisites must be met to be considered among gaming's most elite. However, sometimes an anomaly approaches with substance and quality that are simply unmatched in virtually every category of contemporary gaming. Sometimes a game just needs to be experienced to be fully understood and appreciated. That's the kind of game BioWare has delivered with Mass Effect 3.

A few years ago, when Mass Effect 2 hit store shelves, I was so impressed with it that I didn't think it'd be possible to outshine its incredible, refined mechanics - I was wrong. From start to finish, ME3 is an absolutely captivating tale about love, loss, hope and hate. The decisions you've made, the people you've met, everything you've accomplished in the previous games comes full-circle and there's no turning back now. I know it sounds like I'm blowing ME3 up here, and that's because I am.

Wrong way pal!

As you've come to expect, the strongest point in the series is located within the narrative. Having been fully invested since the very first game, I can say that BioWare's uncanny skill at weaving an intricate story cannot be commended enough. Ostensibly, ME3 is about an alien force who wants to eradicate the galaxy because they can, but it's far more than something so seemingly bland. ME3's situations, dialogue and personality behind every character is what makes every drop of interaction so meaningful as these scenarios expand the story itself. What do the Reapers want? Why do they perform this 'cycle' every 50,000 years? The conclusion is shocking, but do yourself a favour, if you haven't played any previous Mass Effect games - don't start here.

One of the key points BioWare has made about ME3 is the major decisions you've made in the past. The good news is that these choices are a huge factor and definitely influence the way your game will play. For instance, if you're unfortunate enough to have certain characters die off from the first game, you'll miss some monumental cut-scenes and classic dialogue that relates directly to the central plot. More impressive though, is how minor characters and unimportant people you interact with influence your surroundings. On more than one occasion I found myself speaking to someone I helped during a routine mission in the previous games. Even your teammates name drop characters, giving the game a much more dynamic feel.

Speaking of being dynamic, ME3 sports the best cut-scenes I've ever witnessed. Characters move around the rooms they're in, commit to different facial animations, look around and touch objects, it's practically like watching a movie. The game also brings back the excellent dialogue interruptions and, as usual, they're always fun to perform. Although, the thing I'm most appreciative of definitely has to be the humour buried within such a dire narrative. It's largely in part to Garrus and EDI, but there's some other characters who said and/or did various things that had me laughing throughout the game's duration. ME3 is the new gold-standard for creative and intelligent cut-scenes.

Different ammo types can get you the advantage. Unless you get rocketed.

The jump from Mass Effect to ME2's combat system was huge, and in a lot of ways the jump is also quite large into ME3. The same systems are largely intact, but the combat in general has been tuned to the point of perfection. Headshots are now possible, cover is no longer a chore to navigate and a brand new physics engine has been instituted, making it incredibly satisfying when ending your adversaries' lives. The guns are also fun to use and feel great, letting a variety of superb sounds escape when fanning the trigger. Playing as an Adept, I didn't use too many weapons as my biotics were my primary tool of chaos, but even they created some wondrous, satisfying explosions. Melee combat has also been tweaked and depending on your class you'll be able to deploy an Omni-Blade or just straight up channel your biotic energy into some kind of super-punch. It's pretty awesome.

In direct relation to the gunplay, BioWare has heard the call for more customisation ala the original ME. Unlike ME2 which literally had just a handful of weapons, ME3 employs a long list of well over 30 unique guns. While I thought they'd all be similar in a way, I took the time to fire each one and they most certainly are all one of a kind. The cool thing about this, besides the variety, is that now any class can use any weapon without restriction. Want to be a shotgun-wielding Adept with a backup sniper rifle? Go for it. Then again, the new weight system might have you hold back some of your crazy ideas.

The weight system is pretty simple, but adds some extra depth to certain classes. To put it simply, the more guns you bring to battle, the higher your cooldowns for your abilities will be. As an Adept, I'd switch my weapons around just for an occasional change, but I usually rocked a heavy pistol of some sort. By only carrying this, along with my upgrades, my power cooldowns reached the bonus cap of +200%, making it possible to spam my moves in many situations. However, if you're more of a gun person you can modify every single weapon in the game with a multitude of different devices. Making your gun lighter, more accurate, having it deal more damage, the ability to see through smoke, punch through cover, there's a ton of options to choose from and whatever you decide to augment is also reflected in the model itself. That's right, say this scope you found makes your gun more accurate, simply attach it at a work bench and your gun will now have a physical scope on it.

One of the calmer moments in the game.

I always found the talent systems for the first two Mass Effect games a little off-putting. I didn't like how you had to pump so many points into things you didn't actively use or, in ME2's case, how you couldn't reach the maximum level in most of your skills. ME3 fixes all of these issues, giving you six different tiers of each ability with multiple choices of how you want to build them along the way. There's also bonus powers you can attain by conversing with your squad mates and if you felt like you screwed up somewhere, there is a reset switch for all your talents. I swear, it's like they've thought of everything.

Great as everything is, some may find the more condensed character roster a bit disappointing. Even if all of your squad members survived the suicide mission in ME2, you really never get to use them as you did in the past. At first it might seem like a crime to omit such interesting and compelling characters, but once you begin meeting back up with your old friends you'll come to appreciate the way BioWare has re-instituted them. Since the galaxy is dealing with the Reapers on every homefront, it only makes sense that all your friends can't be chilling with you aboard the Normandy. Yes, yes, it's too bad you can't get Wrex back into your squad but believe me when I tell you that his constant appearances, cinematics and dialogue more than make up for it.

It may also come as a sort of shock, but ME3 doesn't contain any mini-games whatsoever. There's no more locks that need picking, servers that need hacking or planets that require hours of probing. Actually, the scanner and probe system do make a return but it's been entirely overhauled. Instead of scanning random planets for their resources ala ME2, ME3 gives the Normandy a new pulse aura.

Upon entering a new system, you can tap a button and the Normandy will unleash a radial pulse that reveals important areas in that section. If a planet is highlighted you can then perform a scan on it, but there's only ever a single item per planet and there's a compass that tells you exactly what direction it's in. If you use this pulse while in a Reaper controlled sector though, they can invade the system and come after you while you're looking for items. All this means is that there's a demonic robot noise, the things come in after you and if you want to survive then you need to just exit the map. I get BioWare's trying to represent the invasion, but it's far too easy to evade the Reapers and even if they do catch you the game just reloads upon your entrance to the system. You lose, maybe, 10 seconds of your time. Harsh, I know.

A fitting end to a thrilling trilogy.

The big new feature for the campaign is the focus on war assets or what you're bringing into the final confrontation. As you progress through the game you'll convince those around you to commit to fighting the Reaper threat. As you discover various objects, complete missions and recruit people to join the fight, your asset number increases. These assets also increase a bar that displays your effective military strength to combat the Reapers. It's not hard to fill the bar up, but if you're one of those people who don't like to burden yourself with completing every little thing in the game, you can jump into the multiplayer to help increase your assets.

Multiplayer? In my single-player game? Believe it. Actually it's not at all that bad. Galaxy at War is a four-player co-operative experience that pits you against waves of enemies (where have I seen this before?). Its emphasis relies heavily on good teamwork and the combat in ME3 is good enough to make the mode worth checking out. Sure, it has its fair share of problems with imperfect hosting and feeling extremely grindy after a while, but its sole purpose is to serve as a minor distraction. At least playing the multiplayer nets you campaign bonuses to make it feel more worthwhile. Completion of maps grants a percentage increase in your efficiency rating, which effectively means your bar for the final confrontation will gain a multiplier. Again, it's not necessary to play the multiplayer to get the best endings to the game, but it's nice to have something as a decent distraction from the main story.

Mass Effect 3 is a master-class in story-telling that comes second to none. Its refined combat, deeper customisation and personable characters make the experience worth it from start to finish and that goes double for the people who've been with the series from day one. While it may be the final entry in the trilogy, you can bet that this isn't the last we've seen of Mass Effect 3. So grab your gear, sit back and enjoy one of the best games of this generation.

10/10 [?]

Labels: Andrew Whipple III, Bioware, EA, Mass Effect 3, PC, PS3, Xbox 360

It's been well over 20 hours since I was first introduced to the opening credits of Mass Effect 3. Since then there's been no shortage of cinematic moments, intense combat and emotional dialogue. ME3 is definitely what you expect and so much more. While the bulk of the game has been cleared, there's still so much to do and even more to look forward to.

The more I play ME3, the more I realize BioWare really took into account everything we loved and hated about the series. The Mako missions, identical buildings, scanner sweeps, all of those frustrating mini-games, practically everything has been eliminated that one could consider a waste of time. A decision like this might seem a bit unnecessary, but I endorse this move as it has made the final game in the trilogy the most exciting and the one with hardly any fluff.

The customisation I mentioned in my first diary has deepened significantly. I've only bought, maybe, two weapons from stores in the whole game and I'm running around with more than 25 weapons in my inventory that are all unique and fun to shoot. Since I'm an Adept, I really don't use weapons often but the ones I do use are worth the time spent tinkering around with. The modifications I can make to these weapons have also increased as I've been introduced to several new items. Some allow me to fire without using a thermal clip and there's some really useful mods that cut the weight of a weapon in half. I've only ever seen two slots for mods in a weapon, but my favourite part of customising is seeing the change in the weapon itself while you do it. Adding a scope for increased accuracy? You better believe a scope will be attached. Want more damage? An extended barrel will be attached to your weapon. Going into it, I expected to make some tough decisions but I didn't realize some of my choices would also carry over to my arsenal and what to bring/how to modify them. Brilliant, I say.

You will be killing dudes. A lot of dudes

Being so deep into the story now, I can safely say that there's nothing disappointing about the dialogue. If anything, this is the most involved I've ever felt with the Mass Effect universe. Whether that might be because it's the last in the trilogy is up for debate, but I give the credit to the writers on this one. Every confrontation, every conversation has a certain weight about it that makes it personal. How the characters you're speaking to move, their body language, facial animations, everything is presented in a way that you simply can't bear the thought of missing a drop of dialogue. Of course I won't ruin anything here, but get ready for some of the hardest decisions you've made in a video game. The line of what's right and wrong is mighty blurry this time around and I can't support it enough.

It seems the vehicle segments have been completely stripped from the game this time around. I'm not against it as the combat is just that damn good, but it is something I noticed. I should also mention that character-wise, there's a lot of funny bits buried away. On multiple occasions I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things said to Shepard or just at some of the things people did around the ship. Mass Effect 3 doesn't force you to check back in with every character time and time again, but you certainly are rewarded for doing so.

Whatever Anderson says, you do it.

In my previous entry, I mentioned the Galaxy at War and assets you collect throughout the course of the game. How this system works is up to your efficiency in exploring and collecting items you can use in the war on the Reapers. Every person who joins your cause is put into your assets, which is really just a collective number to demonstrate the amount of 'power' you have. This number will increase a bar that basically tells you what kind of endings you can receive. The multiplayer also gives you assets and increases your readiness rating, which is just another way to increase your military strength. If you don't want to gather all the assets to get your bar to the max, multiplayer is another option. Sure, it may just serve as a minor distraction, but it's nice to have that co-operative material available when your friends continue to harass you to play with them.

This will do it for our diaries on Mass Effect 3. Come back tomorrow to witness our full-scale review on the game and what we truly thought of the whole experience. Thanks for being here with us!

Labels: Andrew Whipple III, Bioware, EA, Mass Effect 3, PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Tim Schafer, head of Double Fine Productions, is probably one of the most creative and original developers currently working in the videogame industry.

Known for creating games that challenge the norm and go against genre conventions, such as Pyschonauts and Brutal Legend, it’s undeniable that the development team at Double Fine has a distinctive voice, which for many of us translates into interesting, fun and challenging games, and more often than not offer unforgettable gaming experiences. However, for the head honchos at videogame publishing companies, the creativity that Double Fine breathes into its projects mostly translates into unnecessary risk.

Under the current gaming business model, millions upon millions of dollars are poured into a single game. Here’s some perspective: according to a 2010 report by M2 research (a consulting firm which provides marketing intelligence and strategic consulting on gaming trends) the average multiplatform game can cost anywhere from $18 to $28 million to make, with triple-A games reporting budgets as large as $40 million. When the average publisher invests millions of dollars into a game, you can rest assured that they want nothing more than to make all of that money back, and then some. For these publishers, helping a creative developer to publish a unique and risky game has proved to not always be the smartest way to do that. In the end, what this means is that a unique game with less mass-market appeal is simply much less likely to be published, regardless of its quality or greatness. After all, most publishers are looking to make money, not great games.

That puts developers like Double Fine in a particularly difficult position. Guys like Tim Schafer do not want to just make any game; they want to make extraordinary, unique games that stand out from the pack. Case in point: Double Fine’s upcoming Adventure.


The story goes a bit like this. Schafer and co. are looking to return to the genre that made them famous; the point-and-click adventure. You see, both Monkey Island and Grimfandango were made at LucasArts by the same group of people now working at Double Fine, and these games are considered classics which have, to some extent, shaped the current landscape of the aforementioned genre. The problem is that when talking about point-and-click adventure games, there isn’t much of a landscape to speak of. Back when we were all running our games on huge MS-DOS desktop computers, the point-and-click adventure was all the rage with the cool kids. But those times have long since passed.

Double Fine, as stated above, has done its part in trying to keep the genre alive but, although the point-and-click adventure has bucketloads of old school cred and a niche following, and rare success stories do exist - just browse through Telltale Games' catalogue and see for yourself – once you translate those games into numbers, adventure games are simply no longer what you would call a safe bet. Therein lies the rub for Double Fine. Publishers are not willing to invest millions and millions of dollars in a game which is likely to achieve no more than moderate success.

Enter Kickstarter. It’s a simple enough concept: Kickstarter is an online funding platform, where creative folk rich in ideas and short on cash go to get funding for their projects. Comic book creators, filmmakers, musicians, artists and videogame designers can all head over to the website, present their project to the masses, set a goal and ask for funding in exchange for unique 'thank you prizes'. If your idea is good enough, the people - much like those dead baseball players in a Field of Dreams - will indeed come.

So, you have one of the most innovative videogame creators in the business asking the people he really works for - the gamers - for the support he needs to get this game off the ground. A $400,000 goal was set; if Double Fine was able to reach that goal, the money would be theirs, and if the goal was not achieved then any money they had collected would be lost. On 8th February, 2012, approximately eight hours after the project had been announced, the goal was reached. And surpassed.


As of 3rd March, 2012, Double Fine has collected almost two and a half million dollars; 68,510 have pledged their support; and there are still ten more days of fundraising to go. Two million dollars, pledged by random gamers to a quaint little point-and-click adventure game. Wow is the word you’re looking for, and don’t be ashamed of your ineloquent response; it’s more than appropriate.

Gamers, the sheer awesomeness of the feat achieved by Double Fine should not escape you. I mean, sure, Tim Schafer gets to stick it to the man and make his game (certainly a victory for Double Fine), but it’s also much more than that. When you think about it, those who turned Schafer away at the door weren’t only denying him the opportunity to make this game; they were denying all of us the opportunity to play the game. In the end, publishers who are mostly motivated by their financial interests and the potential economic gain that a game represents dictate what we do and do not play. This time, through Double Fine, we have been granted the unique opportunity to politely tell the publishers to suck it. We want our game, and we’re gonna get it.


What are the implications of this event for the future of the industry? Right now, I wouldn’t rush to any conclusions. For the time being, all this means is that Double Fine is going to get to make an adventure game that will probably be amazing, and a bunch of lucky gamers will get to play it, knowing that they played a part in its creation.

How this affects the industry in the long term depends on a few things. First and foremost, the success of the game. If other publishers see that this funding/publishing scheme is viable and can lead to success, I’m sure more would jump on the bandwagon, and that not only means more interesting games for us to play, but also a certain degree of control and choice too.

Could you imagine if each of the big developers tried out one of these 'community-funded' games at least once every couple of years? Do you want to see your favorite classic Capcom franchise reborn? Put your money where your mouth is, and a new Megaman X game might be just around the corner. Rather see a wholly new character then a rehashed Donkey Kong game? Well, if Nintendo were to give you the chance, you may get the opportunity to make that happen by simply investing in that new IP.

Through massive funding, via Kickstarter or other similar platforms, the power to mould the gaming landscape is, in a very real way, in the hands of gamers around the world. If nothing else, it's extremely nice indeed to think about the endless possibilities it entails.

If you think what Double Fine is doing is nothing short of epic, than show some support. Head on over to the game’s Kickstarter page and donate as little as a single US dollar. Donate $15 or more, and you’ll get a copy of the game once it's released. Go ahead and take part in potentially changing the future of gaming.

Labels: Double Fine, Double Fine Adventure, Feature, Financial, Joey Núñez, Kickstarter, Tim Schafer

If you've been frothing for a high-fantasy MMO, TERA might be just what you need. Sporting a combination of action, evasion and RPG elements, we're going to take you on a trip through En Masse's new world.

Having already completed multiple beta tests, we figured that some of you would be interested in this brand new fantasy world with a fresh take on MMO-combat. While it might not be the original creator of real-time action/dodging in an MMO, it still performs in a rather excellent way. If you'd like to see how the game functions please tune in on Saturday, March 10th at 11am/4pm GMT for our livestream.

Watch live video from Gamer's Guide to Life.com on www.twitch.tv


As always, we'll take your questions and your comments in the chat room while we're discussing the game. You didn't think we'd have a livestream without our incessant gibbering did you?

Labels: Andrew Whipple III, En Masse, PC, TERA

When something as big as Mass Effect 3 hits and you finally receive your copy, the excitement surrounding the impending experience is nothing short of palpable.

It's no secret that the Mass Effect universe is something I personally reserve as one of the best fictional story-driven environments in a game. The characters, the dialogue; everything is on-key, and there is always an absolutely colossal amount of lore to wade through. It's so much that, sometimes, I feel that literally submersing myself in the information is the only way that I'll truly sate my hunger for more of BioWare's tale.

You understand by now; I was excited, but I'm more excited to share the beginnings of my journey through what I hope will be one of the better games that I'll play this generation.

ME3 begins right where the game's demo does, and while I've already played through the demo multiple times, the opening cinematic is no less inspiring. I give tremendous credit to the design behind this introduction, as it truly sets the mood and a defined tone for what the entire game will be about. Despite Shepard's warnings and the beliefs of the people, the legend of the Reapers has come to fruition, and Earth is under siege. It's too late to do anything about defence, as you witness entire columns of ships and buildings being vaporized right in front of your eyes. Seeing the Reapers move around in the backdrop gives an incredible sense of scale to the ominous, perhaps unbeatable foe that will eventually have to be confronted. Cue cinematic shots, explosions and a lot of running, and you have a solid opening that should grab any kind of gamer.

This guy has no idea Liara has Singularity. No, I'm not telling you what that is!

Soon after the demo portion ends and we get into the uncharted territory of the game, I feel right at home with the controls and the experience. Like the second game, ME3 expands on the conversations and you can definitely tell that they've amped up just about everything regarding the dialogue. I'm about seven hours in right now, and I haven't had an issue with any voice-acting or set-piece; it's all superb quality. You still have your snap-decision dialogue buttons to somewhat interrupt an ongoing conversation, and you still have the traditional renegade/paragon responses if you feel you have to go down only one path. Options are available and I'm glad they haven't shirked any of the interesting dialogue. If they did, it wouldn't really be Mass Effect, right?

The combat is something that feels familiar but altogether different this time around. By different, I don't mean bad; quite the contrary. This is, hands-down, the best combat out of all the games. How? Why? Well, I always felt that the original Mass Effect was an RPG trying to be a shooter, and that extended into ME2. ME2 was definitely better for improved shooting mechanics, but compared to what ME3 offers, it doesn't come close. I'd say that the closest way that I can describe ME3 to you, combat-wise, is that it has evolved into a shooter with RPG mechanics. Some of you might scowl at that remark but it's not a criticism in any way. The shooting feels fluid, guns have weight behind them and the sounds they emit are pleasing and very well done. Depending on your weapon, the kick is greater this time around and - this is my favourite thing - you can select any weapon at any time, without being restricted to a single weapon or weapon type only.

Playing an Adept in ME2, I found my restriction in weapons somewhat annoying. Yes, I primarily use biotics for my attacks, but I do like to change it around every once in a while, so it was a bummer that I didn't start out being able to use sniper rifles. In ME3, I can use whatever I well please, but there is a catch: weight. BioWare has implemented weight as a mechanic that you can use to your advantage in several respects. You see, the more weapons you have on you, or the heavier a weapon is, the longer your cooldowns will be. If you play as a class like a soldier, who primarily uses assortments of projectile weapons to take down your opponents, cooldowns aren't as important to you as they are to an Adept. So having more weapons gives you the options you might enjoy, but your cooldowns are going to take forever. The best part, though, is that if you hardly carry anything on you, then you receive a cooldown bonus that can go up to a maximum of +200%. Being an Adept in ME3, I can literally use my biotic powers exclusively without firing a single shot. That's awesome.

Shepard is who you want him to be. Sorta.

Back to the combat, I should mention that Shepard's health now works akin to that in Resistance. Your health is segmented, so if you lose a partial bar then it'll eventually regenerate if you stop taking damage. However, if you lose a whole bar, it won't regenerate unless you use some medi-gel. On a related note, the physics of the game have significantly improved. I have first-hand knowledge of this, because I can throw and dangle my enemies all over the battlefield, and let me tell you, it's glorious. Upon being killed, enemies crumple in more realistic ways, and you can even get headshots this time around. You could shoot the heads of things in ME2, yes, but in ME3 their heads actually come off. Cover is also not so much of a burden either; it still isn't perfect, but I definitely didn't find myself getting stuck on too much cover for no reason. Oh, and you can also sprint indefinitely now. Thank the heavens!

As far as talents go, a lot and a little has changed. It's still the same talent system from previous games, but it's more condensed and personal now. Where ME2 had you choose either single target damage or area of effect damage for maxing out an ability, ME3 gives you very unique options for reaching the end of an ability. Throw, for instance, can net you the nifty ability to throw two biotic bursts out at the same time, meaning you can throw two people instead of just one with a single shot. I could talk about the abilities forever, but just know that every ability is unique and powerful now. Also, practically every character has grenades. I guess it was about time that Mass Effect embraced them, but at least every character gets unique takes on them. We're talking lift, inferno, frag and sticky types of grenades amongst others, but it's important to remember that they're limited in quantity!

Gun customisation is back from the original game, but not in exactly the same way. You can modify each gun, but each has limits to how many mods you can throw onto them. If you find a weapon bench, you can take mods out as many times as you want and even put them in a different weapon. I haven't run into too many that I haven't had to purchase, but they are present and I'm glad they are. Also, whilst I was amongst the crowd who thought we needed more of a variety of weapons in ME2, this game embraces the first title's mentality and gives you a plethora of different guns. They usually don't come cheap, but you can even upgrade the standard guns you have to mark II, III, IV, V, etc, which definitely gives each weapon more of a feel.

You'll still have to cut through armour to shoot the driver out of the cockpit. Yes, you can actually do that.

Overall, the feel of the game has improved dramatically. I like how ME3 plays, and I'm really enjoying the way that the story is progressing right now. There's some kind of Galaxy at War mini-game that I believe the whole game will revolve around. From what I gather and have experienced, you will be recruiting people of all shapes and sizes to commit to the war effort. You don't actually have to go over and recruit someone into the military for this to work. Actually, it's a pretty casual process; for instance, you can approach a couple that are arguing and you'll be asked to support a certain person. Depending on which you choose, you'll gain reputation or even perhaps gain a war supporter. Once I know more about it I'll elaborate further, but it looks to be a pretty intensive process.

I have run into a couple of glitches, but nothing game-breaking. In a few conversational sequences, my Shepard kept looking around in a very unnatural way. I've also had a few scenes where a giant blotch of colour covers the backgrounds of the game, but only for a few seconds. Strangely enough, upon importing my game, the face of my imported character was completely wrong. I only use the default Shepard face as is, but I thought it was strange the face was the same as first one you select in the 'customise' screen.

That's the rundown of some of the core mechanics of the game, how the function and of some things that have changed. I hope you found this informative and interesting to read. Please let us know what you think in the comments and we'll have another post shortly.

Labels: Andrew Whipple III, Bioware, EA, Mass Effect 3, PC, PS3, Xbox 360

I try to stay away from open-world games.

I appreciate the charms of their huge, sprawling environments, and I understand what attracts people to them, but they've never held sway for me. I prefer my games focussed, linear and respectful of my time. I want bang for my buck, and I like moment-to-moment gameplay that keeps me on the edge of my seat. After resisting the likes of Red Dead Redemption, Fallout 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV, I've finally met my match with EA's newest fantasy RPG, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

Except it isn't for the reasons I thought. Whenever a game gets into my head, as Kingdoms of Amalur has, it's because the story has firmly snared me in its tendrils, or because I've bought so heavily into the game's world. Instead, I'm counting down minutes on the clock until I leave work, raring to go home and fire up my Xbox 360, because Kingdoms of Amalur is so bloody fun. It's both exciting to play and engrossing to explore, and it renders me incapable of playing for less than two hours at a time.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an action-RPG from developers Big Huge Games and 38 Studios, a games company founded by former Boston Red Sox pitcher, Curt Schilling. Kingdoms of Amalur's design is informed by open world RPGs like Dragon Age: Origins and The Elder Scrolls, which fits, given that its executive designer, Ken Rolston, was also the lead designer on the latter series, working on both Morrowind and Oblivion. Like those games, Kingdoms of Amalur is all about exploring, levelling, and combing each and every dungeon for epic drops.

At the outset of Kingdoms of Amalur, your character wakes up amid a pile of corpses, and soon learns that they've been brought back to life by a magical artefact called the Well of Souls. That's not all, though; it seems as though your character is unaffected by the hand of Fate, a very real and present force in Kingdoms of Amalur, and your destiny is completely yours to decide. It's your task to find out what killed your character in the first place, and why Fate cares about you even less than Americans care about football.


Kingdoms of Amalur's fiction comes from the mind of author R.A. Salvatore, whose catalogue of fantasy literature includes the Forgotten Realms series of Drizzt Do'Urden books. Similarly to Mr. Salvatore's previous works, Kingdoms of Amalur's lore comes thick and Tolkien-y, and wastes no time in presenting players with halflings, dark god-kings and names in dire need of a pronunciation guide (amongst them: Ljosalfar, Alyn Shir, Dalenfarth; a race of elves, a person and a region of land, respectively). I find the game's intense dedication to popcorn high-fantasy tropes endearing and entertaining, even though it often seems borrowed from an overly-enthusiastic fourteen-year-old's favourite Dungeons & Dragons: 2nd Edition campaign.

After a brief opening tutorial, players are dropped into the main world with complete freedom to explore, taking quests or simply ambling about and taking in the scenery. It's usually during this section that open-world games lose me, but Kingdoms of Amalur does a good job of leading players along, cataloguing sidequests and keeping everything organised during the course of play. Not only that, the game also implements a very forgiving and flexible fast-travel system, cutting down on wasted time and letting players dive right into the action; travelling slowly and stopping every now and then to smell the flowers, however, is not without its perks, particularly not when the game looks so great.

Kingdoms of Amalur's art style comes from graphic novelist and artist Todd McFarlane, best known as the creator of dark antihero, Spawn. McFarlane gives Kingdoms of Amalur a brightly-coloured and slightly-cartoony vibe not unlike World of Warcraft, resulting in a completely different feel than games with a more 'dark fantasy' bent, like Dark Souls or Skyrim. I've only just finished with Kingdoms of Amalur's first main area, but so far I've enjoyed running amidst its giant trees and swimming through its many lakes.


Where the game truly shines, though, is during its action-packed, fast-paced combat. Kingdoms of Amalur's enemy encounters feel akin to stylish action games like Devil May Cry or God of War, with mid-air juggles, dodge-rolls and split-second blocks and parries fuelling the fun. Players are given freedom to pick from a large roster of weapons, choosing standard-fare equipment like swords and bows, or opting for more unique equipment like faeblades, wrist-mounted daggers capable of delivering more quick cuts than Tony Scott ^[1], or chakram, magical ringed blades that return after having been thrown like flaming boomerangs.

Magic usage is just as accessible and intuitive as mêlée fighting, as players can also hotkey a number of different spells to the face buttons, from lightning bolts, to healing charms, to a magic harpoon that pulls enemies in for further beatings (eliciting a loud "Get over here!" from me whenever I cast it). Finally, as a last-ditch effort, players can fill up their Fate Meter and enter into Reckoning Mode, granting players increased strength, slowed down enemies and an experience boost after having performed an over-the-top, gory finishing move. Combat in open-world RPGs tends to bore me greatly, but in Kingdoms of Amalur, enemy encounters are fun enough to actively seek out, making even the most tedious fetch-quests feel invigorating.

Another of Kingdoms of Amalur's selling features is its class system. Players deposit ability points gained from a level into one of three different categories: might (sword- and warrior-related techniques), finesse (bow- and rogue-related) and magic (self-explanatory). Kingdoms of Amalur offers players a good deal of flexibility when crafting their character, whether they want to concentrate purely on one category or mix and match. I opted for a combination of all three, giving me access to powerful long-range arrows, strong up-close sword strokes and crowd-clearing fire and ice spells.


Players also acquire skill points upon levelling, which can be spent on attributes like alchemy, persuasion, and stealth. Some, like lockpicking, give players greater success in Amalur's minigames, while others, like dispel, can offer different dialogue options. I poured all of my points into blacksmithing and sagecrafting, letting me forge my own weapons and armour and imbue them with powerful gems. Best of all, Kingdoms of Amalur lets players reassign their skill and attribute points at very little cost, letting them experiment with different play styles and find the one that works best for them. Freedom of choice is the name of the game, and you're encouraged to play.

So far, I have had the time of my life with Kingdoms of Amalur, but I do have several complaints as well. There is no option to turn off the mini-map, which can lead to ignoring the environmental art in favour of chasing after quest markers (think Detective Vision in Rocksteady's Batman games). Also, choices made by the player aren't reflected very well in the game, which is odd given the fuss that everyone makes of your Fate-proof demeanour. Lastly, while I do appreciate Amalur's goofy fantasy vibe, I currently have no idea whatsoever about what is going on in the main story, which is as thin and tasteless as a crêpes made of papier-mâché.

Still, these are only small gripes about one of the most engrossing and life-eroding games I've played in some time. It's by no means perfect, and veterans of The Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age might be put off by the game's shallow world-building and storytelling, but for me, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an effective blend of epic scope and satisfying moment-to-moment gameplay, and I can't wait to put in another thirty hours. And, perhaps, thirty more after that.

Labels: 38 Studios, Andrew Testerman, Big Huge Games, EA, Feature, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, PC, PlayStation 3, Western RPGs, Xbox 360

Mass Effect 3's release is imminent and with it a cascade of unmanageable reviews from every site in the known universe. Suppose you're interested in something more specialized than just a standard review though. Suppose you could read about all of our exploits, thoughts and opinions while traversing the final installment to BioWare's epic trilogy. Interested? Welcome to our new, exclusive feature on GGTL - the Mass Effect 3 diaries.


Over the course of the next week or so, I will be playing through Mass Effect 3 in its entirety as well as jumping into the multiplayer experience. During this time I will be making posts detailing my play-through, talking about the changes BioWare has made and overall giving you an up to date opinion of how I feel about the game. All of this, of course, will lead directly into the official review but this is your chance to interact with us while we're playing through a game we actually intend to review!

Why are we doing this? We thought giving you all the opportunity to discuss with us your opinions about the title as well as sharing ours would give a unique twist on the inevitable review. We also felt that if you're on the fence about purchasing the title, then this would give you inside information that would be rather hard to get out of a standard review. Also note that we will try and keep these diaries spoiler free, but if there is in fact something potentially harmful to disclose, we will warn you.

All you need to do is revisit the site every other day and we'll have some juicy information, lists and critiques you can't find anywhere else. We welcome your discussion and questions about the game in the comments and thank you for sticking with us!

Labels: Andrew Whipple III, Bioware, EA, Mass Effect 3, PC, PS3, Xbox 360

On Sunday, 26th February, the US awards season finally comes to a close, with the 84th Annual Academy Awards, better known to you and me as the Oscars.

The Oscars - or, as we call them in my house, 'The Movie Industry VGAs' - are a grand time in Hollywood, honouring the best and brightest in film from the previous year, along with many others hardly considered to be the 'best' or 'brightest' of anything (seriously, they nominated Rio).

With all of the excitement surrounding this year's Oscars, there is a golden opportunity to check out how the gaming industry measures up to its Hollywood counterpart. Therefore, let's take a look at the nine films nominated for the award for Best Picture, and see if we can match them with any corresponding video games.

The Artist = Limbo

The Artist, which has ten nominations and is heavily favoured to win on Sunday, was one of the most-acclaimed films of the year, taking away seven awards from the Baftas and thus it's only right to pair it with a similarly-praised game. Limbo, a side-scrolling platformer released for Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, Steam and the Mac App Store, for instance. Limbo not only shares The Artist's critical praise - it was named amongst last year's top games by several publications - but also its black-and-white aesthetic, as well as a minimal sound design. Limbo was one of last year's best games, making it a great companion for The Artist. Just make sure you watch out for spiders.

The Descendants = Bastion

Not many games feature a Hawaiian setting, and the ones that do don't quite fit; Test Drive Unlimited involves far more driving than is found in The Descendants, whilst Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow concentrates too heavily on private-eye ninja action (also, George Clooney is emphatically not a duck). Hence Bastion, a game that easily matches the prettiness of Phedon Papamichael's Hawaiian cinematography with Jen Zee's gorgeous art direction and sprite-work. Also, a hefty chunk of The Descendants' dialogue is delivered as voice-over, just like Bastion, though Bastion's writing is far less ham-fisted than anything Alexandre Payne came up with for his middlebrow domestic drama.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close = Haze

The events of September 11th are a touchy subject in the realm of games development, making the search for a parallel to Stephen Daldry's combined Asperger's-September 11th-sploitation flick rather tricky. Fortunately, we have Haze, a sci-fi shooter developed by Free Radical in 2008, and the only game that I can think of whose political message is even more heavy-handed than Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Extremely Loud is a 'Profound Story About The World We Live In' about how September 11th 'Was A Terrible And Tragic Event'. Haze is a 'Profound Parable About The World We Live In' about how 'The Invasion Of Iraq Was Bad'. Also, both Haze and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close are pretty lousy.

The Help = Beyond Good and Evil

The Help concerns two African American maids (the titular "help") and their struggles against racism in the post-Civil Rights South; if that doesn’t sound exceptionally difficult to adapt into a video game, I don’t know what does. Fortunately, the film features Skeeter, an investigative journalist who hopes to expose the racism inherent in the town’s social structure, and here’s where we find our in-road. Jade, Beyond Good and Evil’s protagonist, is also an investigative journalist, and her desire to discover the truth helps drive much of the game’s plot. Additionally, The Help is a showcase for strong female characters, and Jade is one of the strongest female characters in all of gaming, making her a fitting through-line between the game and the movie.

Hugo = Super Mario 3D Land

The current leader in Academy Award nominations, boasting eleven, Martin Scorsese's newest film bears a startling similarity to Shigeru Miyamoto's latest slice of Mario goodness. Both are billed as family entertainment, but their appeal stretches to film and gaming fans of all ages. Also, both help push the use of honest-to-goodness quality 3D, and both feature several throwbacks to the early days of their respective medium (Hugo recalls silent films, while Super Mario 3D Land reaches for Super Mario Bros. 3). Am I suggesting that Hugo would be even better if it included a Tanooki suit? Probably, but I won't hold it against it.

Midnight in Paris = Assassin's Creed II

Woody Allen's best movie in years and years seems like a breath of fresh air in filmmaking, especially since its central plot hook is so unique. Or is it? Let's compare the two. In Midnight in Paris, a big doofus (Owen Wilson) gets transported back in time (in an old Peugeot) into a famous European city (Paris) and interacts with famous people (Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, etc). In Assassin's Creed II, a big doofus (Desmond) gets transported back in time (in the Animus) to a famous European city (Florence, Venice, etc.) and interacts with famous people (Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli, etc.). Of course, it is important to mention that Midnight in Paris features far less murder and sexual content than Assassin's Creed II. To its detriment, in my honest opinion.

Moneyball = MLB 11: The Show

Games rarely feature the electrifying, riveting dialogue featured so prominently in Moneyball, making that a poor point of comparison, and even though Jonah Hill (who I will remind our readers is now an Oscar nominee) was featured prominently in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's marketing, he wasn't in the actual game itself. Let us then turn to the low-hanging fruit, by the virtue that it is one of the best baseball games available: MLB 11: The Show. It may not have Brad Pitt's sexy allure, but it does include a wealth of game modes and all 30 MLB teams, including the sub-fifty-feet-of-crap Oakland A's, for your film-reenacting pleasure.

The Tree of Life = Myst

Terrance Malik's new treatise on creation, spiritualism and life itself has been a darling amongst cinephiles since its release in May, and finds several parallels with developer Cyan's Myst, the best-selling PC game of the 1990s, which is now available on iOS. Both The Tree of Life and Myst are sterling examples of craftsmanship in their respective genre, showing artistic discipline and control, and often furthering their creative aims using a less-is-more mentality. Both also emanate a spiritual vibe, and are best enjoyed as an experience, absorbing their subtleties and how they each paint the corners of their respective mediums. Best of all, both The Tree of Life and Myst are nigh-impenetrable and mind-bogglingly dull to the common man. They're the perfect match.

War Horse = Darksiders

In Darksiders, you play as the harbinger of chaos, War, and during the course of the game, you acquire a Horse. Quod erat demonstrandum.

Labels: Andrew Testerman, Assassin's Creed II, Awards, Bastion, Beyond Good and Evil, Darksiders, Feature, Haze, Limbo, MLB 11: The Show, Myst, Oscars, Super Mario 3D Land

If Capcom has shown anything to be true, it's that Resident Evil is one of its favourite hallmark franchises.

Having debuted on the original PlayStation in 1996, the Resident Evil series has since released over 30 different games and, with it, garnered legions of fans from around the world, all willing to sacrifice anything to get their hands on the next entry in the series. That next iteration is right around the corner in the form of Resident Evil 6, and I've got six reasons why you might want to think twice about picking it up.

Editor's warning: this article contains possible spoilers for Resident Evil 6, and as such you may wish to exercise caution if you want the game entirely unspoilt for you.

Whilst I do consider myself a fan of the series, Resident Evil reached its pinnacle for me (and the majority of others) during the reign of the beloved Resident Evil 4. Inevitably, though, the fourth couldn't go on forever, and so Capcom was forced to churn out number five, the usurper of the throne. Unfortunately, Resident Evil 5 was too ambitious for its own good, and gave us a bastardisation of what we've all come to expect from such a notable series. Since that hollow day, Capcom has tried desperately to revitalise the golden age brought to us by RE4 with several spin-offs but, alas, all efforts have fallen short.



With the recently announced Resident Evil 6, Capcom is putting itself in a position to either rejuvenate a wounded franchise or dig itself deeper into the proverbial hole. After watching the trailer, it appears that Capcom is taking cues from both sides, and I'm not sure that's such a smart decision. So, without further ado, I give to you six reasons why you shouldn't expect the dawn of a new era in gaming from Resi 6.

6: The Story

Can you explain this? No, neither can I.

If you're coming into Resident Evil 6 with high hopes for an incredibly deep, intuitive story that's both as emotionally captivating as it is interesting, then do I have something to reveal: it's not going to be.

Unless you're some kind of zombie savant, I'm confident in saying that there's no way that the Resi storyline comes together in a coherent manner. This series is all over the place, with evil corporations, apocalyptic viruses, shadowy figures and a slew of other confusing plot points that seem to become more labyrinthine the longer the series goes on. Does anybody even know what's happening at this point? Once you accept that the main story will never be anything more than chaos incarnate, the better off you'll be.

As far as the plot-point for Resi 6 goes? No one can be quite sure yet, but Capcom sets us up with this alarming sentence:

Due to be by the President's side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision.

Take a minute to soak all that in and, if possible, ignore the awful grammar at the end. Done? With that sentence, (and also in the trailer) Capcom unveils a major event in the game. Spoilers: Leon shoots the president after he becomes a zombie. The sad part is that I almost guarantee that this is going to be one of the focal points for the game, and that entire surprise is now taken away. Maybe I could be wrong, but something tells me I won't be.

It may sound all terribly cynical but after the first game, which set everything up, can you give me an example of a Resident Evil game that has made the plot easier to grasp? Do you even want to understand the game? Right now, we're still trying to figure out if we want to fight against zombies or parasites. Which brings me to my next point...

5: Zombies or parasites? What's the damn deal?!

I get that he's not really a zombie, but... damn.

Resi is perhaps best-known for its gratuitous helpings of walking dead. Zombies coming stealthily from behind and whisking away your last splashes of health is always a terrifying experience, especially if you throw in those damned dogs that break through the glass. Strangely enough, Resi 4, the best game in the series, did away with the undead almost completely and replaced them with parasites that literally transform their hosts into maniacal beasts and bloodthirsty heathens.

That transition never made any sense to me. Somewhere along the way, a new virus was made and people got exposed, yadda, yadda. Regardless of the nonsensical virus, it was a blast to fight against the things and it led to quite the variety of enemies. Resi 5 embraced this parasitic formula, and that's all well and good, but what on earth happened to the zombies?

4: Zombies/parasites who shoot guns

This is what happens to zombies who carry guns.

One of the worst parts of Resident Evil 5 was when the undead chaps started to use guns. Look, Capcom; I understand that you want to be all fancy and such, but if you're bringing zombies back for whatever reason they really, really should not be able to fire a gun.

3: The cast

Come on.

The entourage of Resi guys and gals is rather varied, which is a good thing, and usually makes for interesting dialogue and connections in a game. Unfortunately, though, in Resi the only connection you have to the characters is their physical appeal. Be honest, the only reason you're excited to play as Ada Wong is because she's ridiculously good-looking. Remember those unlockable skins for Sheva in Resi 5? What about Jill, Ashley, or even Chris and Leon? Chris Redfield's biceps are the size of basketballs, which only further realises the stereotypes that Capcom has set in place.

You might learn a thing or two about a character but, once again, we then hit the nonsensical storylines, and within them there's nothing that makes you truly care about that particular character. So what if Jill Valentine was basically brain-washed and gained Super Saiyan abilities? Leon is great friends with the president? What? Ties like these are conveyed in an incredibly weak fashion, so when the time comes for the 'big reveal', all you're really moved to say is, "Oh", before proceeding to the next checkpoint.

We shouldn't be playing a game as notable as this if the characters that appear are too complicated for their own good. This is poor character design and I highly doubt that Resi 6 will change any of that.

2: Multiplayer

Maybe it'll be better on the other side. Eh, probably not.

I truly believe that Resident Evil is a series that can flourish with co-op. Just not the co-op we've been given in the past. Resi 5 allowed us to complete the campaign with two people, which was a nice touch, but with another person the key thing that Resident Evil is known for was diluted: the survival horror aspect.

Its 'Dude-Bro' style of co-op play really took the fun out of Resi 5. The inventory alone was a travesty, but not being afraid or worried about the normal things that make a RE game great was its biggest fault. Resident Evil 6 is undoubtedly going to continue the co-op trend, but let's just hope that the rumoured 6-man co-op turns out to be non-existent. Could you imagine walking through the game with six players all vying for ammo and kills? I shudder to imagine such horrors.

I have my hopes, but I feel that from what we've already seen, Resi 6 is going to embrace both the balls-out combat of Resi 5 and more of the subtle moments of Resi 4. Unfortunately, if this is the case, I fear it will only scramble the franchise's identity yet further.

1: How about some unique boss fights?

Great as it was, it's time to move on.

Boss battles are a core experience of any game and Resident Evil 5 seriously took the easy way out. Basically copying most of the battles from Resi 4, I felt completely underwhelmed when faced with each encounter. If Resident Evil 6 is going to succeed, it's going to have to take the crazy scale and send it into space.

As cool as Del Lago and El Gigante are, I don't want to see those fights in this game again. Will it happen? I sincerely hope not. Capcom is a talented studio and shouldn't be struggling this much to come up with unique and fun fights to progress the game.

I'm all for the continuation of the series, but if Capcom continues down this same path, my hopes for its successful resuscitation are nil. What else can they do to achieve this daunting task? Well, maybe some of the ideas above can help in that process.

Labels: Andrew Whipple III, Capcom, Opinion, PlayStation 3, Resident Evil 6, Xbox 360