Tag: Mass Effect

The Ultimate Beastmaster – Gaming Edition – Week 9

Wow, didn’t think we’d get here, the last week of regular competition on on the Ultimate Beastmaster Gaming Edition season, based on the Netflix reality show produced by Sylvester Stallone, The Ultimate Beastmaster, where competitors from around the world tackle the most vicious of challenge courses, the Beast. Only 2 more weeks after this and then the grand finale pitting all our beastmasters on a beefed up version of The Beast for the title of Ultimate Beastmaster.

This is the last chance for characters to claim the title of Beastmaster before we head into the finals and the hardcore course.

Continue reading The Ultimate Beastmaster – Gaming Edition – Week 9

Extra Life 2016

Around this time last year, I was getting ready for Extra Life, putting together a list of games to play, prizes to give away, conditions for raffle entries and of course, the all-important donation goal. I worked tirelessly on this, getting in touch with game developers for keys, Blue Microphones for a Blue Yeti as grand prize and coordinating with the rest of the Tomb Raider Community Team. Continue reading Extra Life 2016

Aligned Narrative – The Mass Effect 3 Endings

A couple of weeks ago I spoke about the issues in Mass Effect 3’s storytelling, primarily how bad its characterisation was. I’ve been playing the game since Extra Life in November. I went through the first game on a Renegade playthrough and then got as far as I could in the second one before the charity event ended. I picked it up again when I launched the LawfulGeek channel and decided to complete the trilogy with my renegade FemShep, the one I lovingly call Darth FemShep.

I remember one of the issues people had with the endings was that the three doors didn’t exactly work for both “alignments.” Some said control didn’t work with a Paragon character, or that Synthesis didn’t work with a Renegade. Continue reading Aligned Narrative – The Mass Effect 3 Endings

Dropping The Pen – The Storytelling Flaws of Mass Effect 3

When people think of storytelling and Mass Effect 3, they immediately think of the highly controversial ending, where all your choices up to that point boil down to a three-door scenario: control, destruction and fusion. The endings themselves aren’t bad but they commit the serious crime of wrestling control away from you, making all your choices be in vain.

But we’re not here to talk about the endings because to be fair, that subject’s been beaten so much it’s no longer a dead horse, it’s an undead one. Instead what I’d like to focus on are the other often-ignored shortcomings in Mass Effect’s writing, be it general storytelling or characterisation. There are good things as well and I’ll make sure to mention them, of course. Continue reading Dropping The Pen – The Storytelling Flaws of Mass Effect 3

E3 2015 – Highs and Lows

Last week was E3, an event that I always look forward to, because I’ll learn of upcoming releases from some of my favourite developers. I know there will be announcements for some of the yearly-released titles as well, but for me there was also a sense of awe at the original content coming. I have always been a Nintendo guy, and every time they release or announce a new iteration of their IP I’m the first one to drool.

I don’t get into “Who won E3?” because I feel it’s nonsense. I do however point out my favourite (and least favourite) announcements. The stories I enjoyed and the events that excited me. Boiling everything down to “X won this year!” makes it seem as though announcements didn’t matter. Continue reading E3 2015 – Highs and Lows

Free Will is an Illusion – Choices in Games

“But suppose you throw a coin enough times…suppose one day, it lands on its edge.”

“…We each play out the parts fate has written for us. Free will is an illusion”

– Kain, Legacy of Kain

Continue reading Free Will is an Illusion – Choices in Games