Decisions, Decisions

What I'm Playing: Mass Effect 3

I haven't been able to afford the big-ticket games lately, but one thing I am rich in is gamer friends. One of them is buried under work for his internship, and asked if I'd like to borrow his copy of Mass Effect 3 for a while, because he just has no time to play it. I believe the word "Duh" figured into my answer. I'd heard all sorts of intriguing things about this game, and was anxious to give it a try.

I've never played any of the Mass Effect games before, so it took some getting used to. In a way, it's a lot like Dragon Age, but instead of wizards and rangers, it's aliens and robots. You still have to fight enemies, of course, but the real game is in the interactions with the characters around you. The stances you take on certain issues and the way you treat people in conversation is far more important than being good with a machine gun.


Every action having such weight can be intimidating. Piss off the wrong party member, and they'll walk out on you (or worse). That's what makes the game exciting. My problems are pretty minor so far, and can't really be blamed on the game. The type and subtitles are hard to read - my fault for still having an old, low-res TV. The story and directives can be a bit confusing - my fault for not playing the previous two games. Selecting, assigning, and modifying the weapons/powers can be a bit of a clusterfuck.

I've heard people grumbling about the game's ending, but have managed to stay spoiler-free, so I guess I'll have to judge for myself. In the meantime, Mass Effect 3 is like a long, interactive movie, and I'm really enjoying the ride.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

 
Copyright © Slice of Lime