Mass Effect 2 is the greatest game BioWare has created in its 15 years as a developer. Its prolific development schedule seems all but impossible: to release one fantastic blockbuster in November (Dragon Age: Origins) and then, two months later, hurdle over the quality of that game with the launch of another — while simultaneously crafting a massively multiplayer online game set in the Star Wars universe, due out in 2011. It’s an enormous accomplishment, satellite studios or not, for a developer already respected for its history of producing top-tier software.

Yet greatness doesn’t always imply perfection, and the second title in the Mass Effect trilogy stumbles on occasion during an otherwise impressive stride. But with those minor problems in mind, Mass Effect 2 is still among the most satisfying games I’ve ever played. It deserves the praise and the hype.

Science-fiction space operas don’t appeal to every gamer, but I sincerely doubt that BioWare’s recent opus, with its intelligent gameplay, diverse characters and compelling plot, is incapable of attracting both role-playing game skeptics and shooter scoffers alike. This truly is the best of both worlds.

As the Normandy explodes around him, Commander Shepard rushes to save his iPad

Mass Effect 2 is a hybridized experience; it’s the pulse-pounding union of statistical role-playing sensibilities and precise shooter mechanics. The sequel shares only the most basic traits with its predecessor, and it’s much better for the changes.

Ordering the squad around is no longer akin to babysitting questionably intelligent intergalactic children. When you’re not inputting skill points into a trimmed down character screen for Shepard and his or her companions, you’ll be deftly moving from cover to cover and tossing a mixture of biotic, tech and weapon abilities at foes faster than what was ever seen in Mass Effect 1. Ability cooldowns, though still present, are quick enough to no longer act as a stopgap for executing stylish attacks — BioWare realized the old combat, though functional, was punishing players through its reliance on shooting mechanics that weren’t always satisfying, or accurate.

At its core Mass Effect 2 is a role-playing cover-based shooter. Firing from cover and moving to multiple different positions is more important than before, and even on lower-level difficulties strategic thinking is instrumental in overcoming the various enemies who flank and storm Shepard to no avail. Forget those combat habits developed from the first game. Prepare to adapt. The initial fights are potentially taxing for Mass Effect 1 players, who are used to a certain way of doing things. While I now prefer the revamped combat, I had to tell myself to stick with it during some frustrating sequences.

Mass Effect 2 incorporates three new defensive layers available to the good and bad guys of the galaxy. Shields make a return, keeping their blue coloration and weakness to tech abilities. New to the series are a yellow armor bar and a purple biotic barrier bar, each of which requires distinct weapons and powers to whittle down. Tougher foes will have up to two layers of protection before their health will fall. It’s now imperative to think about the team’s weaknesses before charging into battle. Coming toe-to-toe with a 20-foot tall LOKI mech without any armor-reduction capacity will likely result in a Critical Mission Failure screen, followed by the urge to cry under a pile of dryer-warm blankets.

The game’s interface receives a substantial overhaul as well. Information on your squad members’ current condition and shield strength are placed alongside tiny headshot icons in the bottom center of the screen. It’s a bit hard to read at first, which bar correlates to what action, but after a couple of hours it stands out as a wonderful alternative to the first Mass Effect and its unappealing blue-hued graphics cluttering the corners of the screen. Shepard’s status is, like before, easy to ascertain from the numerous audio and visual cues bombarding the player during critical moments. Shields fizzle out and explode when depleted; Shepard will also tell his squad that much in case no one was paying attention. Bloodshot eye veins will creep in from off screen to remind players that Shepard’s fairly close to kicking the galactic bucket. The remaining screen real estate is given to the currently equipped weapon, which sports an orange color palette that dominates the entirety of Mass Effect 2′s graphic style. The first game’s interfaces were predominately blue. The sequel favors an all-orange look. Will Mass Effect 3 go all-out with an interface composed of varying shades of pink? Hopefully.

Artist's rendition of the on-screen character headshots in Mass Effect 2

While the second Mass Effect takes great strides in improving the overall experience through its trimming of numerous features, this same mentality ends up causing problems over the course of the 30-hour experience. Character classes are more defined than ever before, and each has strengths and weaknesses the original classes did not. Unfortunately without some type of qualifying marker for the classes it’s possible players will pick a role based on its coolness factor, and later find the play style is too difficult for their first attempt. I encountered this problem during my time as a Vanguard. Although I did finish the game on Veteran, the up-close-and-personal tactics of the class did not provide an appropriate introduction to the new combat style. This issue could have been rectified by adding a color-coding system based on difficulty. For example: The class selection screen could color the roles in green (beginner), yellow (intermediate) or red (advanced). As far as the classes are concerned, the streamlining comes off as schizophrenic, and BioWare’s motivations become suspect. Was the series’ revamp completed with the intention of attracting a more diverse population of gamers, or was it to satisfy the complaints of Mass Effect veterans?

Regrettably for some, the infamous power wheel makes a lackluster return. Holding the left bumper still accesses the squad’s weapons while the right bumper presents the various special abilities. Three powers can now be mapped to the Y button and the left and right bumpers respectively, reducing the time spent browsing the power wheel. The system works, but considering the numerous other changes to the core experience it seems strange that the wheel system remains largely untouched. Whereas the rest of Mass Effect 2 is trimmed down and speedy, the power wheel introduces awkward and lengthy gaps into the flow of combat. However, what has drastically changed from Mass Effect 1 is inventory management — or the lack thereof.

It stands to reason that years of misspelled emails and grammatically horrific forum posts played some small part in BioWare’s decision to scrap the traditional inventory altogether. Following the “less is more” philosophy prevalent throughout Mass Effect 2 there are only a small handful of different weapons in each category, including the new classes of sub machine guns and heavy weapons. Instead of spending hours managing a bulging inventory, players will select their equipment before a mission (and sometimes during one if a weapon station is available) so the focus is entirely on fighting enemies. Customization takes a bit of a backseat as squad members only have two costumes to choose from, although Shepard can purchase many different armor components, and players can color the commander’s armor as they see fit.

What makes the most sense in the new system is how the original’s various ammo types are handled. Doing away with a full inventory made incendiary ammo and others become actual abilities accessible via the power wheel, and once upgraded they can be applied to the entire squad. Unfortunately that means some classes (like the sentinel and adept) are locked out of ammo powers until the squad members that have one of the various powers is leveled up enough to permit entire squad usage.

One outstanding gripe is the game’s addition of finite ammunition. Mass Effect 1 had unlimited ammo, but Mass Effect 2 uses “thermal clips.” With the addition of heavy weapons — which vary from functional to disappointing in their usefulness — it can be reasoned that the developers didn’t want unlimited ammo to make the experience easier. Still, the change is an interesting one. Making Mass Effect into a shooter must have been quite important to BioWare.

Apparently, LOKI mechs are filled with gold foil confetti

Yet all of the design-focused improvements in the world wouldn’t make a difference if the developers couldn’t scribe another space-faring story filled with danger, adventure and plot twists. Being the middle child of a trilogy, the potential for Mass Effect 2 to falter in its weaving of the series’ most essential plot threads is fairly high. Fortunately, the game never finds an opportunity to disappoint — either because there’s always something happening, or because it’s just a damn good story. It’s likely a combination of both.

Mass Effect 2′s writing is much more coherent due to its driving focus on building a team to face the Reaper threat in one all-out suicide mission. From the revival of Shepard’s body in the first 15 minutes to the epic confrontation with the Collectors — who look like the aliens from Independence Day — in the core of the Milky Way galaxy, the game flows at a lightning pace. Its style, charm and wit lends the experience well to an “Ocean’s 11 in space” comparison — assemble the crew and complete the high-stakes job. Shepard’s motivation is to find the best and most dangerous beings in the known galaxy. His goal: amass the badass. During the course of the game, a slow crescendo builds in the periphery. It’s fairly easy to lose sight of the end goal when preoccupations like side quests and loyalty missions keep filling the journal, but by the end the darker tone pays off.

Cerberus, a pro-human splinter group, plays an interesting role in the sequel. BioWare’s staff of writers and lore-keepers took a barely mentioned entity from the first game and turned it into the driving force behind the sequel. A paragon-focused Shepard will feud with the group’s leader, the Illusive Man, and the constant exchanges of intellect and morality provide hours of entertainment. The fact that this rogue paramilitary organization reconstructed Shepard’s charred body to keep him in the fight against the Reapers is a powerful simile for the importance of heroes and icons. So it’s that much more important to keep Shepard alive through the end of the game — remember, anyone, including the commander, can die in Mass Effect 2.

Carrie-Anne Moss puts in a brief but effective performance as crime boss Aria T'Loak

Mass Effect’s cast may have been top-notch, but Mass Effect 2′s is more dynamic, more complex and much more interesting. From the shadowy Illusive Man to the monk-like Samara, the introspective Thane and the high-strung Mordin, each character is unique. Jacob, the Cerberus soldier and the first squad member encountered in the game, is the only letdown. Even so, he’s well-written and fits the role of the loyal ex-Alliance troop admirably.

Making the most memorable debut is Legion, the only Geth in the universe who doesn’t want to put a hole in Shepard’s head. Donning salvaged N7 armor and addressing the protagonist as Shepard Commander, Legion manages to become an instant classic despite its lack of organic characteristics. Legion is reminiscent of HK-47 from that other BioWare game, Knights of the Old Republic. Legion and HK-47 are both humorous in their awkward adoption of humankind’s mores, and they are equally mysterious in their underlying motivations. The only difference is Legion doesn’t constantly tell people he would kill them if he had the chance.

Even the Normandy acquires a personality in Mass Effect 2, thanks to the vocal talents of Tricia Helfer, better known as Number Six from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. A new ship is built by Cerberus and dubbed the Normandy SR-2 after the original Normandy is destroyed in the introductory sequence. Installed in the vessel is EDI, Helfer’s character and the ship’s artificial intelligence. The entire voice cast is brilliant, with big names like Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man and Carrie-Anne Moss as crime boss Aria T’Loak. The original voice cast returns as well, and favorites like Seth Green and Keith David give another set of wonderful performances. All in all, BioWare did a fantastic job directing its assemblage of vocal performances.

Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of Mass Effect 2 lies in its character-specific loyalty missions. At certain points throughout the game after Shepard begins recruiting his team, players will have the (optional) opportunity to undertake a personal mission for each member. Considering that there are 10 of these things to do (excluding the optional DLC characters Zaeed and Kasumi), it’s surprising that each mission is fantastic, largely because they offer intimate insights into the new team as well as the expanded universe; the Krogan home world of Tuchanka, a Geth base ship and the Quarian flotilla are just a few of the engaging locales Shepard can visit. However, the benefits don’t stop at the sight-seeing level. Loyalty missions will give the team a better chance of surviving the final suicide mission in addition to unlocking new outfits and special loyalty powers. Even the side quests for Mass Effect 1 veterans Garrus and Tali are fantastic.

Tali returns in the fight against the Reapers, and this time she and the male Shepard can get "physical." It's weird.

Galactic exploration, one of the more appealing aspects from Mass Effect 1, boasts more than a few alterations in the sequel. Thanks to an intelligently designed map, players can now tell exactly how much of a sector they’ve explored by percentages.

However, mineral acquisition is now a necessary evil. Do you want to equip the new Normandy with a better cannon for the inevitable confrontation with the primary antagonists, the Collectors? Make sure you’re probing the galaxy for resources before and after missions. This also applies to both squad upgrades and Shepard-specific upgrades.

It wouldn’t be a problem if finding minerals wasn’t an exercise in tedium. Once the Normandy enters the orbit of a planet, a scanner will say if the planet is rich, good, moderate, poor or depleted of the elements needed for advancing both the ship and the weaponry. If you choose to probe the planet for minerals, a circular reticule appears on a planetary grid, and a spectrometer will begin vibrating the controller and visually peak when there’s a significant amount of a mineral at the current spot. A probe must be sent to collect the resources, but don’t forget to stock up on them from a space station before trekking into deep space. Fuel is also important. Once you leave the local cluster of a system containing a mass relay, the Normandy will begin spending its fuel reserves; when depleted, the ship will convert resources to continue its intergalactic chug across asteroid belts and nebulae. It sometimes felt like I was playing Oregon Trail 2450: A Space Odyssey.

If the entire above paragraph was as much of a chore to read as it was to write, imagine how it feels when the game forces the aforementioned activities upon you. It’s not going to ruin the entirety of the Mass Effect experience, but it’s an acute example of the pitfalls of over-streamlining a game. The same applies to planet-side missions. Instead of landing on a planet and roving around in the Mako (which, as crazy is it sounds, is sorely missed), side missions are now contained to one area of an entire planet — again, streamlined. And while it makes the game less frustrating for those who hated roaming open stretches of land looking for missions and resources, the new system can sometimes feel like a series of downloadable content missions being played out with no encouragement to explore and fulfill the intergalactic wanderlust present in the original. The developers get their kudos for crafting varied missions, but sometimes the rewards are hardly worth the effort.

Abilities are more volatile than before, and can curve around obstructions

In the first Mass Effect, using biotic and tech abilities never felt quite right. As a result, six out of my eight playthroughs of that game were completed as the Soldier class. It was much more efficient to delegate the power usage to squad members and then complement those abilities with my maxed-out weaponry and unrelenting firepower. Ironic, then, that as of this review I’ve yet to try the sequel’s rendition of the Soldier. The Vanguard and Sentinel are far too much fun to make me go back. Powers like Throw and Pull can finally curve around cover defenses. It’s cathartic to watch an unstable, swirling mass effect field act like a homing missile to find the hiding spot of some unfortunate mercenary. Unsuspecting schmoes will find their faces smashed in by biotics.

Mass Effect 2′s abilities benefit visually from gorgeous particle effects and animations. And thanks to the faster cooldowns, those eye-catching abilities are constantly flying around in battle. Even the squad’s computer-controlled characters generally use their biotics in an intelligent manner. The less time spent pausing a firefight to open the power wheel, the better.

But BioWare wasn’t content to slightly tune the returning powers, so the studio debuts a plethora of useful abilities in Mass Effect 2. Incinerate, a tech class ability, obliterates enemy armor. Reave, a loyalty power, is great for taking down biotic barriers and stopping health regeneration in Krogan and Vorcha enemies — it will even heal Shepard if used against an unarmored organic foe.

Perhaps the most gratifying change to powers is their ability to evolve. Once an ability is maxed out (which requires 10 skill points split across four ranks), players can choose to evolve the power in two different ways. One option generally offers more overall damage but can only be used on one enemy, while the other is less powerful but allows the power to spread to multiple targets. For instance, Miranda, the new human female character, can evolve her Overload ability to affect multiple shield-wearing enemies within a wide radius. It’s a gratifying design choice, one that encourages experimentation and forethought in the player. Whereas the original game was fairly easy to conquer, even on Insanity difficulty, with maxed-out characters using similar powers, Mass Effect 2 makes it essential to build a team with varied skill sets.

Female Shepard means business

Technically speaking, Mass Effect 2 is a monumental improvement over the first game. Gone are noticeable pop-in issues and the chugging framerate. Loading is also much better, though it’d be a stretch to say that Mass Effect 2 loads faster than other titles. The only noteworthy problems with the game are some hiccups in the audio track. I noticed over the course of two playthroughs that the music would sometimes crackle during loading screens, and an entire minute-long section of dialogue disappeared on two separate occasions during Samara’s loyalty mission.

The game’s use of visual markers, such as 3-D advertisements, Normandy’s hologram in the combat information center (CIC) and Garrus’ eyepiece, are absolutely spectacular. The tiniest details make the best impression and allow players to suspend their disbelief and involve themselves in the happenings of the science fiction opera in front of them. Each aspect of the game simply pops with detail. Walking through the Citadel, past stores and patrons, cylindrical advertising tubes will flicker to life and offer various spam email-inspired services to Shepard. If it was ever in doubt that Blade Runner inspired the Mass Effect games (and it shouldn’t be), the influence would be difficult to refute now.

Another example: As Shepard walks by the busy floor of the CIC, maybe on his way to talk to Joker or just surveying his crew mates as they work, a gigantic hologram of the Normandy projects itself in place of the galactic map, highlighting in bright blue which portions of the ship have been upgraded over the course of the game. It’s amazingly cool. Likewise, Garrus’ heads-up display, with its lights, meters and text scrolling by in an infinite loop, is captivating. It gives a tiny morsel of characterization just by being there, informing players of Garrus’ need for instantaneous updates during combat — or that he’s browsing the RSS feeds for Perez Hilton and TMZ.

Is it possible at the end of such an extensive review that I can still feel like there’s more to write? Mass Effect 2 is a brilliant addition to the already weighty curriculum vitae BioWare has toiled over for years. The sequel’s full impact won’t be discerned until the third game in the trilogy is released, which will allow players and fans to dissect each entry and determine just how successful the shift in design theory was. And while certain issues emerge from the studio’s enthusiastic adoption of paired-down combat, inventory and class structures, the overall package is what the first Mass Effect wanted to be.

Mass Effect 2 was developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The standard edition of the game is available for $59.99 on the Xbox 360 and $49.99 for the Windows version. The reviewer purchased the Collectors Edition of the game himself, and he completed the entirety of the story as a Vanguard on Veteran difficulty in February, and almost completed a second playthrough in April as a Sentinel on Insanity. He also finished nearly all of the sidequests and played each of the loyalty missions. His Shepard followed a paragon path, largely because he feels digital guilt when acting like a jerk to NPCs in BioWare games.

Recommended for:

• Mass Effect die-hards
• RPG fans looking for a new take on character development
• Shooter enthusiasts with an open mind
• Gamers who take pride in quality plots and characterization above all else, and also enjoy eye-catching graphics and atmosphere

Not Recommended for:

• Those who are unenthusiastic toward past BioWare titles; this is still a BioWare game, with all the requisite branching dialogue trees and alignment options — it’s just more fast-paced
• Anal-retentive fanboys unable to look past the fact that the game ships on two discs

Read our policy on reviews here.

The Holidays approach. For some that means quality time with family members not seen for a year — maybe more. Others, well…can I get a “what what” if at some point during your life you hid away in the midst of celebrations to finish Earthbound (or, insert other game reference here). However, my adult years have made me more personable when it comes to the holidays; I’m now infinitely more interested in the going-ons of my kin.

Still, I won’t lie that this year I’d prefer to mow down more of Left 4 Dead 2′s cajunized zombies with a giant plate of delicious turkey and fixins on my lap. I’m thankful for me.

We’re back on track for backlogs, and this week is mega-sized to make up for our absence. To summarize: Nick informs us he essentially played everything ever released this month, Doug gushes about his beloved Forza 3 between study sessions, and I write about why two wonderful November-born titles should be played on the PC.

Do the Mario!

Nick:

Life served up a particularly hellish week for me, so it was fortunate that I had a slew of excellent games to escape with.

I spent a few fantastic hours in New Super Mario Bros. Wii in its fantastic cooperative/competitive mode earlier this week. What Jerry Holkins said about this game’s debilitating effects on a relationship is true, to a point; while we were able to help each other out for the most part, there were times where my attempts to “take the lead” or “get us through this tough spot” often led to one or both of us being killed, prompting my girlfriend to say some things about me that are rarely included in the same sentences used to talk about a Mario game. But it was all in good fun — something this game has in ample supply. It’s Mario in his best form ever, and anyone who grew up playing these games should purchase it without hesitation.

This week also brought another sequel to a game I adored: Assassin’s Creed 2. Transporting the game to Renaissance Italy is perhaps the most significant shift in story and setting that I’ve seen in a franchise in quite some time, and Ubisoft Montreal deserves some commendation for crafting an incredible sequel to an already ambitious debut title. There’s so much I could say about how things were improved — combat, economy, actions and consequences, exploration, story — but I’ll lay it out like this instead. If you loved Assassin’s Creed, you’ll love Assassin’s Creed 2. And if you hated the original? You’ll probably love Assassin’s Creed 2 anyway.

Having completed all five campaigns in Left 4 Dead 2, I’m happy to pronounce myself an official fan of the series. Although I bought the first game and had my fair share of fun with it, I always felt a little uneasy playing it. And it wasn’t because of the game’s tension, or horror-film veneer, or anything like that; it was just that the game sent a constant message that your survival was entirely at the game director’s mercy. In the sequel, the tone has changed significantly for the better. If Left 4 Dead was Valve’s attempt to make an interactive zombie movie like Dawn of the Dead, Left 4 Dead 2 is Valve making a balls-out Zombieland-style game. Melee weapons encourage close combat, lending a sense of strength and confidence to the survivors that was sorely missing from the first. All four of the characters in the sequel have stronger personalities than the first game’s survivors, and their determination on getting to New Orleans to be rescued encourages the player to keep slogging it out through hell and high water. It’s one of the most improved sequels of the year, without a doubt.

And when you consider that Left 4 Dead 2 was developed in just one year, it’s disappointing that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 didn’t shape up to be more substantial. To be fair, Infinity Ward’s last game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, not only reinvented the series — it raised the bar significantly for what an online multiplayer experience can be. I sank a “mere” 40 hours into COD4′s multiplayer mode, which pales in comparison to most of the people on my friends list. Multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 is technically just as good as COD4′s, but after a solid six hours online in a variety of modes I’m struggling to stay interested. The mantra in developing this sequel seems to have been “more options in every aspect of play,” which is a good thing, but the core sensation of Call of Duty 4 has dulled for me. I was hoping lightning would strike twice, and I suppose it did, but I was hoping for a more risky and adventurous update to multiplayer — not a mere iteration. If I wanted that, I’d have bought last year’s Call of Duty: World at War. If there is one area that received a substantial improvement, though, it’s the single player. Rather than attempt to keep things within the bounds of reality, Infinity Ward opted to create an over-the-top global conflict that was flawlessly paced from start to finish. It’s ludicrous, but it’s so, so much fun. At about six hours to complete, it’s shorter than COD4′s — but considering how tedious replaying that game’s campaign was for me, I’m much happier with the new game’s approach.

I’m still slogging through Dragon Age: Origins with my city elf rogue. Steam says I’ve played for quite a long time, but I’m only at about 15% completion. Maybe it’s because I love reading every entry in the admirably written codex, or because I can’t help but talk to every NPC, but I’m getting an astronomically entertaining experience for my money with this game. I’m really struggling to fathom just how Mass Effect 2 could top the quality of this experience once it hits in January.

I also sank a few rounds in with the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta. I’d been hoping for a return to the glory days of Battlefield 2, and instead what I got was Bad Company with a moderate graphical upgrade; it’s good, but there are better options available. Looks like I’ll still be holding out for Battlefield 3 after all.

Doug sums up his feelings on this picture with an articulate "WEEEEEEE!"

Doug:

While I’ve been way too busy finishing up the majority of my grad school quarter, I’ve still found time to play a little bit of…erm…Forza Motorsport 3. And nothing else.

But it’s so good! I still love pretty much everything about it, even if I haven’t been able to play online with my friends at all. The rewind button is a godsend — it erases single-player frustration with the ease of control-z functionality. The selection of cars and tuning options are superb; I’ve made an old-school Volkswagen Rabbit into a fire-breathing, turbocharged four-wheel-drive monster that could eat a Ferrari for lunch and spit out its bones.

It’s been said that Microsoft and Turn 10 gets things right in the third iteration, and this particular game is a great example of that. It’s almost strange to think that all three Forza Motosport games have been released since Sony and Polyphony released Gran Turismo 4 on the PlayStation 2. It’s scary to think how much Forza has moved ahead certain aspects of console racing games.

Along with Forza, I’ve tried out a few of the Xbox Live improvements from this week’s update — namely the implementation of Facebook and Twitter. And that’s really the extent of my interaction; they’re there, they work just as advertised, but I feel like I’m kind of missing the point. It’s nice to have both services everywhere at all times, but until a real killer use for either blooms on the 360 they’re going to feel like tacked-on additions.

I don't think James Brown had this in mind when he wanted to take us to "the bridge."

Aaron:

Let’s get down to it. Left 4 Dead 2 and Dragon Age: Origins are two amazing games that deserve to be played on the PC only.

Now, I love consoles. This isn’t a fanboy thing. And I fully understand that not everyone has a modern computer capable of playing the latest releases — Boot Camp Macs included. So, let’s assume you’re a lucky gamer who has the following: a home console of the PS3 or Xbox 360 variety, and a gaming PC. Let’s also assume you enjoy co-op zombie shooting and in-depth fantasy RPGs. You’re excited about the aforementioned titles, but you’re hesitant to commit to a particular platform. Here’s the answer: Play those games on the PC, or you’re not getting your money’s worth.

That may be a blatantly ignorant statement to some, but these words come from a person who, before this month, more or less abandoned PC gaming over the past year (aside from Dawn of War II and Left 4 Dead 1). PCs get the short end of the doomsday stick these days. People say the PC as a gaming device is dead, no one makes money off of the games anymore, and pirating is ruining developers left and right. Controversies aren’t helping the perception of PC gamers amongst the general gaming populace either. So that’s why I’m glad to see Electronic Arts promoting the platform with a definitive version Dragon Age, and Valve doing their thing by releasing such a quality computer title as L4D2.

Dragon Age works best on PC because of the following: the overall better performance (higher frame rate, less glitching, faster loading), a more sensible control/camera mechanic, and a BioWare community toolset that paves the way for future user mods. If Neverwinter Nights is an example to go by, expect years of free, quality content flowing from the collective mind of an invested fan base.

Now, Left 4 Dead 2 deserves to be experienced on the PC because it’s a Valve title first, console port second — plain and simple. The Steam service is consistent in its ability to match like minded players and bring friends together promptly. PC gamers are spoiled when it comes to online play. Thanks, dedicated servers.

I’d also wager the community on Steam is better than Xbox Live’s. Actually, it is better. Left 4 Dead 2 even has a section specifically for add-ons, and it’s exciting to think of the campaigns an active community will create using the sequel’s assets. The original’s user-made maps were generally great, so expect a longer lifespan if you pick up L4D2 on the PC.

Oh, and PC versions are cheaper than their console counterparts. That’s a plus.

Mmm, Backlog-y

What legends of game-playing intrigue do we, the stewards of Silicon Sasquatch, bring you this week?

There’s more of the same (Titan Quest) with a nice lime twist of newness (Borderlands); there’s the late-to-the-party-but-enjoying-it-anyway epic (Brütal Legend); and then there’s the dreaded blackness of managing grad school responsibilities (Portland State University — rated “M” for mature).

There ain't no rest for the wicked

Nick:

If you’d asked me two months ago whether I was excited for Borderlands, I’d have scoffed. Sure, Gearbox made a couple Half-Life expansions I enjoyed and delivered a real overlooked gem of a game in Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, but they haven’t come up with many surprises in the past few years.

As PAX 2009 was drawing to a close, I wandered over to the Gearbox booth to get a ten-minute hands-on demonstration with Borderlands. In that brief span of time, my apathy transformed into elation — this was the first-person shooter/ role-playing game hybrid I’d been yearning for all these years. I walked away from the booth convinced the game would be worth owning, and I waited out the next month and a half as patiently as I could.

Now that it’s here, I’m pleased to say Borderlands is everything I had hoped it would be. It’s full of wit, style, and finely tuned action-RPG mechanics that, while a bit unoriginal, are executed with quality. It’s almost enough to wash the sour taste of the disastrous Hellgate: London out of my mouth.

You know something's really interesting when people are opting to not stare at the giant wings of the demonic Eddie Riggs

Doug:

Along with playing “Oh god I’m halfway through my first term of grad school,” I’ve spent time alternating between shaking my fist at and being thankful for the Europeans who got Forza 3 this week — it’s validating my pre-order decision many times over. Foreign coverage hasn’t influenced me this much since Gran Turismo 4.

Also, I played a bit more NCAA 10 and Brütal Legend. But, mostly, I’m trying to survive my classes.

Lucky you — here's a bonus Borderlands screenshot

Aaron:

I’m still playing Titan Quest. Yeah, I know. Best $5 I’ve ever spent though — on a videogame.

But this week’s titles of actual interest didn’t find their way into my disc drive until the tail end: Brütal Legend and Borderlands. Slowly, but surely, I’m scratching away the surface layers of each game with dilligence and child-like excitement. What’s going on, 2009? You’ve produced almost too many surprisingly great games so far.

Should I accept each game’s hype without taking that grain of salt everyone always warns me about?

Yes, I think it’ll be OK.

There’s not much else to say yet, unfortunately. Installing Windows 7 took away some of my PC gaming time this week due to reinstalling and optimizing, so finishing TQ and getting to know Champions Online were put on the back burner.

You’ll have to excuse me, but it’s time to go giggle at Brütal Legend and cause severe eyestrain from grinding away in Borderlands.

Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss

The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

Right before tearing the shrink wrap off NCAA Football 10, I had a thought: “Why do I do this every year?” This is the third year in a row I’ve bought EA Sports’ NCAA Football game, and on previous console generations I purchased multiple copies as well. The problem is I’m getting strict visions of déjà vu. It is, clearly, an annual thing for me — all within the same repetitive cycle of pre-release excitement, post-release honeymoon, and over-analysis of missing features that need to be in next year’s version. Rinse, wash, repeat.

So let’s take a look at how NCAA 10 fits into this cycle — because, despite tweaks and improvements that fans have clamored for, there are a few minor steps backwards and features that have been given little more than a fresh coat of paint.

The tackling technology in NCAA 10 has been rebuilt, allowing strong runners (like Florida's esteemed starting quarterback) to drag defenders for extra yardage, or even break free.

To preface: I’ve played far too much NCAA 09, sinking probably 120 hours into last year’s edition. With college football season rapidly approaching (just over two weeks now!) I’ve picked NCAA 09 up again and poured more hours into a couple of offline, single-player dynasties. I get killed by a few of my friends but they’re also insanely good at football games.

That said, the basic on-the-field impressions after play of NCAA 10 are very, very positive compared to its predecessor. The graphics and on-field presentation have improved, and the speed of play in the game is slowed down and feels much better balanced. Speed has been nerfed a lot — it still pays to have super-fast wide receivers for deep home-run passes, but breakaway speed is handled much more realistically. Wide receivers find passes more realistically, and good quarterbacks can thread the ball through the eye of a needle just like in real life. It’s subtle compared to NCAA 08 and 09, but important.

The running game has been improved to feel a lot more hard-hitting — powerful running backs who run over defenders can be just as successful as quick quarkbacks who avoid defenders altogether. That goes for powerful quarterbacks, too — Tim Tebow feels like a killdozer, but even lesser QBs can successfully pull off designed QB keeper runs. It’s now possible for power runners to really push a defender away with a stiff-arm, truck right through a cornerback, or shrug through contact at the line, and it’s all the more satisfying for it.

Defense is a bit looser than last year — I’ve been whiffing open-field tackles left and right. New for this year is the capability pre-snap to guess what type of play the offense is going to call, and sell-out for that — so if you think they’re running up the middle, defenders will crash in on the line of scrimmage. It’s a cool risk/reward setup, but DEFINITELY can burn you if you’re not careful. Actually playing a game of football with NCAA 10 feels much, much better than NCAA 09 — in that way, it does what a yearly franchise update should.

New risk-reward defensive play guessing adjustments allowed skilled players to gamble pre-play. Guess right and you'll stop the offense dead in its tracks; guess wrong…and you'll be hearing the band play.

A quick moment on the graphics: NCAA 09 animated well and had good textures, but Madden 09 was clearly a step ahead. Now, though, it looks like NCAA 10 is sporting that technology — the uniforms are insanely detailed, players look great, and the animation has been improved. The only creepy thing is all the player faces in the recruiting and roster screens — it works better in a game where the art team puts effort into making the players’ faces look realistic, but is just weird in NCAA 10.

Unfortunately, off the field, NCAA 10 feels like it has just a fresh coat of paint as opposed to major revolutionary changes. Okay, so there is one huge addition: The ability to create your own team has been added in (for the first time in HD-generation NCAA games), and is now available through EA Sports’ easportsworld.com Web site. This is an anticipated return because the creation tool is incredibly powerful, and being able to play with it through a Web browser instead of clunky console menus is welcomed.

However, everything from the single-player Dynasty mode to the Road to Glory RPG-style experience feels identical. The menus have changed (and Road to Glory gets a new dorm room-style interface and some more ESPN college football talent to flesh out the mode — namely sideline reporter Erin Andrews), but almost nothing beneath that has — or, at least, it doesn’t feel like anything has changed.

There are so many opportunities to improve on the game. Road to Glory could be much more of an RPG and have a true storyline to it, as opposed to staying stagnant. Season Showdown could be a cool addition…if it weren’t for the fact that most players taking advantage of it are using the best team in the game, the Florida Gators.

A minor but useful addition is the ability to choose helmets, jerseys, and pants independently before each game. It's definitely useful for Oregon Duck fans.

Most importantly — and related to what I wrote about in the Beginner’s Guide to Sports Games a month or so ago — they could have added in a tutorial to teach newcomers and interested parties both how to play the game and how to watch the sport. Even somebody like me, who has watched football as long as I can remember, has struggled at playing football video games not because it’s hard to run the ball or pass it, but because it’s incredibly hard to decide what plays to call when — especially against a human opponent. Tutorials to instruct about basic and advanced offensive and defensive schemes, strategies and techniques would both teach players not just the difference between a Cover 1 and a Zone Blitz defensive play, but also how to make use of the convoluted control schemes football games are known for. Teaching piece by piece would allow new players to eventually put it all together in the form of playing a full game on offense and defense, and then go from there.

Imagine: if the game could teach players new and old to the degree where they could decide “you know, I’m tired of this West Coast offense, I’ll switch to an Air Raid playbook on offense, and try out the 3-4 on defense this game,” and it all makes sense….the game will be worth the platitudes it currently receives.

This sense of sameness I’m getting from NCAA 10 must be what it feels like to be a Japanese RPG fan. Japanese RPGs fall into very set formats as a matter of course — the gamers want very specific things from those games, and get frustrated with deviations. Combat systems are all very familiar, the narrative structure is very familiar, the mixing of story-driven areas and finding places to grind is very, very familiar. Sports gamers crave that amount of familiarity from year-to-year, too — there were revolts when EA Sports tried to change up how you passed the ball in Madden a couple of years ago.

Instead of just relying on a receiver with a speed rating of 95 or higher (out of 100), the deep pass in NCAA 10 requires strategy — making it a satisfying prospect.

Yet here I am, eagerly anticipating free time to tear through the game some more. Despite that feeling of same-ness, it’s still incredibly fun. Is it the buzz of months of build-up to the new product, combined with “new car smell” from working the fanbase (including my friends) into a lather? Is it that the new features are enough to satiate my want and need for the year, $60 price tag be damned? Are EA Sports the bad guys for not adding more, or are sports gamers (kind of like JRPG fans) not too hard to please — more of the usual, please and thank you.

What it comes down to is more of the same…but in a good way. Yes, there is new material here for experienced armchair quarterbacks, but nothing revolutionary off the field of play. This is easily the best of the current-gen NCAA Football games, but that applied to NCAA 09 this time last year. Some issues were addressed in NCAA 10, but still more remain. It may not be a case of “two steps forward, one step back,” but more “two steps forward when three were needed.”

That said, I tip my hat to the new constitution, take a bow for the new revolution, pick up my controller and play…just like yesterday. Then I pray I don’t get fooled again next year.

NCAA 10 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable. The reviewer played games in Dynasty, Road to Glory, and Quick Play modes, as well as online games both ranked and unranked, with a variety of teams.

Recommended for:

• Diehard football game fans, who will find plenty of positive tweaks in this year’s edition.
• Motivated newcomers to the NCAA 10 series — this year’s version is appreciably better than NCAA 09 for non-fans.

Not Recommended for:

• Non-football fans who aren’t terribly interested — unlike games like FIFA 09 or NHL 09, this isn’t friendly enough to make non-believers into fans of either the series or the sport.
• Football fans expecting more than a fresh coat of paint for the Dynasty or Road to Glory modes, or any other true feature innovations for the series.

Guitar Hero 5 is coming and it has songs (surprise!), free-to-play MMO Free Realms has racked up quite the player base in its first few weeks of existence, Valve’s sneaky with its surprises as usual, and Mass Effect 2 footage is available for your viewing pleasure.

Not Guitar Hero 5–but close enough

Though the game has been known about for a while now, Activision today tossed out a few official scraps of details on the upcoming Guitar Hero 5. Players will be able to tackle the game’s tracks with any instrument combination they see fit. Want to sing through a song with three other friends all using microphones? Go ahead.

It’s an interesting mechanic to put into a rhythm game–certainly one that isn’t “authentic” as far real bands go (though, yes, these games aren’t meant to be taken literally). And while we’ve been somewhat biased in favor of Harmonix’s Rock Band titles (or, at least Nick and Doug have), I personally find the gameplay freedom Neversoft’s offering to be great. Add-in the beginnings of a solid-looking track list and the new instant difficulty/instrument swapping, and the next Guitar Hero game might turn out to be one actually worthy of the franchise’s name.

You'd certainly be happy too if you were SOE

Free Realms, Sony Online Entertainment’s recently released free-to-play MMO, has already achieved 1,000,000 registered player accounts in under three weeks’ time. The “free” concept might tarnish these numbers a bit considering the zero-cost entry level for gamers to go and be wizards, but it’s still an impressive amount of people willing to try out an American company’s take on the international concept of micro-transaction gameplay. Also, there’s a trading card game within the MMO. I almost feel compelled to try it now.

You are encouraged to fear Mann Co., but that fear comes with the gentle and stern guidance of a near-naked Australian

Though we already mentioned Valve’s impending Team Fortress 2 update, they’re not quite done yet: The next Team Fortress 2 serving of additional content will also be a…gasp…Spy-oriented extravaganza! You have to love the design team’s miniature poster announcements, with their clever wording and immersion into the strange world of TF2′s 1960s super villain culture. Plus, who doesn’t get a kick out of Mann Co.’s CEO (and Australian), Saxton Hale. The name and trouser-shorts simultaneously scream manliness.

And finally, a closing treat for you: BioWare today released a dual-purpose teaser and pre-E3 video for Mass Effect 2. What else can I say but “Wow.”

Enjoy, and have a great weekend. We’ll be posting some great stuff over this weekend and throughout next week, so keep coming back for more!

Also, the two-hour season finale of Lost didn’t help much.

Hurley certainly isn't happy with the lateness of this post

Thankfully, it seems, Wednesday was relatively calm as far as news goes: DICE learned from its console prejudices, Blizzard reaffirmed its next MMO is not World of Warcraft: Part Deux and Microsoft bolstered its Platinum Hits collection.

Expect these explosions to somehow be more "hardcore" in the next console Battlefield title

Veteran Battlefield franchise creative director Lars Gustavsson admits that with Battlefield: Bad Company the team treated console gamers “a bit more gently” in crafting content due to DICE‘s PC background. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Gustavsson talks about the company’s natural progression with its Battlefield games, moving from basic multiplayer functions in Battlefield 1942 to more advanced matchmaking in Bad Company. Still, Gustavsson emphasizes that although the team created a strong console Battlefield game in Bad Company, they now understand future console versions have to be as complex and tailored to hardcore online players as the PC versions have always been.

It’s certainly an appropriate admission for the studio, as Bad Company–though a superb single-player experience that foreshadowed the quality and attention DICE would put into Mirror’s Edge–just didn’t feel like Battlefield. The online portion was very similar in spirit to Battlefield 2 with class load-outs and various vehicles to utilize, but it was more of the same, albeit less grandiose than the PC games. Admittedly, it’s not that easy to shove 64 players into an Xbox Live multiplayer match.

The question now is if DICE will extend these retrospective revelations to their upcoming sequel to Bad Company–otherwise, it’s all talk.  Furthermore, what do Gustavsson’s comments mean for the anticipated (though only rumored) Battlefield 3? Would a hypothetical BF3 become a multi-platform release, a series first for a direct sequel, or will the next core title follow the past trend of PC release first and a stripped-down console counterpart later?

Sorry classic Blizzard franchises–no MMO for you. Besides, Warcraft, you already had your turn.

Though rumored in the past and even partially confirmed by the company itself, Blizzard Entertainment has officially expressed that their next massively multiplayer online title currently in-development will not be based on any of their established StarCraft, Diablo or Warcraft franchises.

World of Warcraft is popular. We all know that. And despite the wide variance in personal feelings about the game, it would be wise to give the Blizzard crew credit where credit’s due–they honed their franchises to be the blockbusters they are today through their own capability and craftsmanship. The company completely deserves its praise and sales.

Still, it’s not always a guaranteed good move to release a brand new MMO under a fresh intellectual property, even if you’re Blizzard. If this next game won’t be based on neither their space, mythical nor fantasy efforts, then what could it possibly be about? Maybe a modern-day MMO where players level up through working menial labor tasks at minimum wage.

We’ll call it: World of Wagecraft.

Army of Two: This much battle-buddy man-love can now be had for less!

Here’s quite the PSA for budget-conscious gamers: Microsoft has added eight new titles to their Platinum Hits line, including popular titles like Gears of War and Mass Effect. It’s good to see Microsoft is bolstering its $20 to $30 hits line (which, admittedly, is an extremely baffling price difference), but let’s be honest here: Gears of War is a nearly three-year-old title and Mass Effect has been selling at the $20 range for awhile now at Best Buy and other retailers.

However, the Mass Effect repackaging does come with the $5 Bring Down the Sky DLC as a bonus–quite the addition for gamers who’ve yet to add BioWare’s fantastic RPG to their collections.

The full list of the new Platinum Hits games, complete with Metacritic links for the curious,  are as follows:

• Gears of War
• Forza Motorsport 2
• Mass Effect
• Viva Piñata
• Army of Two
• Battlefield: Bad Company
• Burnout Paradise
• Fight Night Round 3

Note: Nick pointed out that GameStop stores are offering used copies of Forza Motorsport 2 in a bundle with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance for under $20. That offer is a bit more cost-effective if you don’t mind pre-played games.

Hey, it’s Peter Moore! He’s that guy who did the thing at the place and now it’s kind of a gaming humor mainstay. But I’m not here to talk about Rock Band, which I’ll do for hours on end if I’m not careful; I’m here to talk about what Peter would want me to discuss: sports games.

I always hated sports games growing up for the same reasons I hated playing sports: I was painfully unaware of my surroundings and, put bluntly, I totally sucked. Despite my parents’ best efforts to instill virtues of hard work, fellowship and teamwork through various sports in my youth, I quickly realized I couldn’t kick a soccer ball without tripping over myself. I whiffed more swings than anyone else on my baseball team in second grade — even when you count the practice swings on a tee. But as I’ve grown older and arguably wiser, I’ve learned to appreciate the intricate strategy and thrill of action in a lot of popular sports. However, that doesn’t change the fact that games like Madden just aren’t made for me. Without an innate knowledge of football strategy, discerning one type of rushing play from another is like asking a chimpanzee to transcribe Mozart by ear. If you’re lucky, the specimen might pick up on a few appealing shapes and try to recreate them, but more often than not you’re basically taking a shot in the dark.

Peter Moore understands what it’s like to be an inept, awkward mess like me. Maybe he wasn’t picked last for the football team, but he’s got to be painfully aware just how undesirable a bass player he’s become. So since he left Microsoft for Electronic Arts, publishers of sports games like Madden NFL, he’s sought to expand the market for sports games to include gamers like me — you know, the sort of person who remembers exactly how to breed a gold chocobo in Final Fantasy VII but can’t remember when the hell the next Super Bowl is going to take place.

Moore laid out his scheme across five pillars, detailed here at Gamasutra. Basically, he’s hoping that EA will be able to hold onto their core audience while reaching out to atypical sports game players who — like me — might be swayed by the right feature set, or an easier entry point. It’s a great approach, and I think it’s only going to help the games industry if such a major genre can expand its player base as significantly as Moore hopes to.

I want to like sports games, but I definitely need a little extra help here and there. And I can’t be the only one, either. Moore proved he could have used a little easier starting point before performing Rock Band on-stage with the game’s developers. Similarly, I’d love to get my feet wet in a variety of sports games as well. Just don’t toss me into the fray and shut the door behind me! The sooner sports games broaden their audience appeal and begin to cater to the casual and hardcore, the better.

But hey, Peter? Please promise me one thing.

Don’t release weekly song downloads for Madden, okay? I’m already perpetually broke thanks to Rock Band.