PinballFX2--New tables!

Zen Studio's PinballFX2 is one of my favorite casual games.  It's nice to be able to sit down and play a game (or ten) of pinball.  Once in awhile I find myself drifting back to the many pinball tables I have accumulated as part of this modern take on a classic arcade staple.  I hadn't played any pinball for awhile and recently decided to check out some of the new additions to the line-up of available tables.

Trying to control my desire to binge purchase all the new tables I ended up settling on buying just one (I'll wait for a sale to come along and then hopefully get the others).  After viewing the movie Guardians of the Galaxy and enjoying it, I decided I understood enough about the universe as depicted in the movie to buy the pinball table.  The table features all of the unlikely heroes from the film--Peter "Starlord" Quill, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, and Drax.  There's a really challenging sequence at the beginning of each game featuring a five ball multiball that is supposed to represent the attack on the space prison known as the Kyln.  It's basically complete chaos where you do your best to keep all the balls in play for 30 seconds.

After you finish the multiball chaos the game resembles a regular pinball table with missions, goals, and special events.  The missions on this table match up to the heroes and each one has a different goal.  You shoot lit ramps and hit targets in an attempt to take down Ronan as he fights Quill or you help Rocket, the genetically engineered raccoon, attack and defend.  Each character has a different set of goals and your job is to try to accomplish them all.  Fans of the movie will appreciate the many references to the events from the film.  Fans of seventies music will appreciate the seventies themed music that plays (no actual pop hits, unfortunately) in the background.

There have also been several other tables released that look fun.  There is a new two-table pack that are themed around the hilarious Comedy Central adult-cartoon South Park.  One table follows the show itself while the other is themed around the character of Butters.  A Spiderman themed Venom table is a solo addition that can be purchased by comic book fans.  The most recent additions are two new Zen tables (not tied to any comic books, but just themed) dubbed "Iron and Steel."  The "Iron" table is a Wild West themed table complete with a lady cowboy and lots of shootouts. The "Steel" table is a medieval fantasy/RPG themed table featuring goofy knights battling different baddies.

Video Game Spin-Offs: Mass Effect Comics "Foundation" #7

"Foundation" #7 follows everyone's favorite psychopath from Mass Effect 2, Jack, known by Cerberus as Subject Zero.  Jack is a character who I wasn't crazy about in Mass Effect 2, but whose evolution I enjoyed in Mass Effect 3.  The mission from Mass Effect 2 to break her out of prison has always been one of my favorites.  There's nothing like shooting through an army of escaped prisoners and Blue Suns.  But back to the comic!

This issue deals with Jack and her desire to derail any Cerberus testing facilities..  As part of her loyalty mission in Mass Effect 2 you visit a similar facility on Pragia and help her destroy it.  From that mission you learn of the torture and brutal experiments that helped shape her into one of the most powerful biotics in the galaxy.  "Foundation" #7 revisits Jack as she tears her way through another unnamed Cerberus facility and highlights the activities of the two stars of this comic book series, Rasa and Kai Leng.

Jack is on a mission in this issue.

As Jack is tearing her way through the facility Rasa and Leng are sent by the Illusive Man to stop her.  There are also several other parties involved--namely the Blue Suns and a Krogan bounty hunter (not Wrex--although that would have made for an interesting addition to this story).  You also get to see Jack tangle with Rasa and Kai Leng.  It doesn't work out well for them.  There's a suggestion of her softer side as she tries to help other students from the test facility escape--some of them follow her lead and she takes risks to rescue them, but others opt to stay behind in the not-so-loving care of Cerberus.  Things don't turn out so well for Jack in the end and her escape is eventually foiled--hence her imprisonment as depicted in Mass Effect 2. This issue is packed with lots of biotic destruction and if you're a fan of Jack you'll enjoy the artistic interpretation of her abilities.

My Second Playthrough of Dragon Age: Inquisition is Done.

I've been in a bit of a gaming lull lately (several games I've been excited about have ended up being delayed) so I decided to replay Dragon Age:  Inquisition.  After my first playthrough I decided that I liked it, but that there are some major flaws.  I was hoping that armed with some knowledge of the game that I would learn that those flaws were completely in my head.  I actually felt like I was enjoying the game more for about three-quarters of it.  Then I hit the last quarter and I felt many of the same negative feelings that I felt the first time.  (Spoilers ahead)

 This time around I tried to go completely the opposite direction from my first character.  I decided to make a more brusque and practical character who would be completely unlike my friendly, emotional elf character.  I sided with the templars rather than the mages and picked Cassandra to be the next divine.  There weren't a lot of major changes due to my different decisions.  The quest in which you recruit the templars before Haven falls is, of course, totally different from the mage quest.  I found the quest to recruit the mages much more interesting and fun.  The whole time travel aspect gave it a different feeling than storming a castle and killing demons.  Picking Cassandra as divine made the epilogue tell a different story but didn't appear to have a major impact on the plot.

One major decision from previous games that did add in a new aspect to Inquisition was the decision for Morrigan to become pregnant and then absorb the soul of the archdemon (from Origins).  I decided that she should have the baby and was surprised when she showed up with her new son, Kieran.  I hoped there would be more interaction between Morrigan and her son, but there isn't a lot.  Morrigan, a character who seems so stand-offish and ruthless in Origins, now seems like a normal loving and caring mother to her son.  What I assumed was her evil plan to use Kieran like Flemeth used her daughters turned out to be false.  Towards the end of the game there is an additional mission where Kieran uses the eluvian to enter the fade and you have to help find him.  The plot thickens as Flemeth shows up to complicate the formula.

Sadly, I still felt like there were a few too many zones and my plan to stick to the same levels as the main storyline dissolved quickly.  I still wanted to explore them all, but what was the point?  I had reached the suggested levels 16-19.  I also killed all ten high dragons...again...and didn't get the achievement.  I'm going to stick to my initial analysis of Inquisition--it's big, but the size feels extraneous towards the end of the game.

GTAV on PC Delayed Again and More Mass Effect "Foundation" Comic Talk

I was sad to read that the release of Grand Theft Auto V on PC was delayed again.  The date which had been pushed back once already is now slated for sometime in April.  I'll have to save up my hit-and-runs for another month.  But back to the main event, reviewing the Mass Effect comic book series "Foundation."

At the end of "Foundation" #5 there is a bit of a cliff-hanger that involves the explosion of a ship and the possible demise of one of our heroes from the issue.  Miranda and Jacob are still stuck on some backworld, Batarian colony trying to locate the remains of Commander Shepard for Cerberus.  The issue starts with the explosion of their ship (after some Batarian gangsters planted a bomb on it preventing them from leaving).  A grimy street-urchin type of kid is one of the important players in both #5 and #6 and offers to guide Jacob through the streets in an effort to find Miranda who has been captured by thugs.

The kid takes Jacob to her home where her mother offers to let him stay.  Apparently this kid has some sort of powerful uncle and offers Jacob some new clothes and weapons from his stash.  Then they set out to find Miranda.  They end up at an abandoned warehouse and the thugs are preparing to kill Miranda.  Jacob intervenes in a fantastic fashion.

Jacob saves the day.

Once rescued they free some other captives from what appears to be some sort of slaver operation include the street kids aunt and cousins.  Miranda berates Jacob for agreeing to save the captives and not simply finishing the mission.  Jacob, in his general good-guy attitude, tells Miranda she's going to have to deal with it if they work together.  You also get a feeling that there's an attraction between Jacob and Miranda.  Their former relationship is mentioned in Mass Effect 2 and this seems to be the point of it's origin.

Unlike some of the previous issues in "Foundation," I enjoyed the story in #6.  It was nice to see the Miranda/Jacob relationship and how it started.  It gave a better feel than what Mass Effect 2 did in its basic explanations of their beginnings.

Miranda....being Miranda.

Ridiculous Frustration

I am here to admit that I often make the same stupid mistakes over and over--this is completely applicable to real-life and gaming.  Maybe it's slight insanity, who knows.  My latest gaming related mistake has been rabidly following the release date of episode two of the TellTale series Tales From the Borderlands.  If you've been following it and have experience with the previous TellTale games then you're probably kicking yourself.

My brain told me not to buy Tales from the Borderlands until the entire series had been released but my heart jumped after I saw a trailer and it looked really funny.  Then my brain realized that the whole series was currently on sale!  I snapped it up like a hobo snaps up a slimy wine bottle from a dumpster.  I wish my monkey brain had waited.  TellTale has a less than stellar record of releasing things when they promise and that those things will actually function the way that they are supposed to.  If you are deluding yourself, much like I did, you should read this enlightening article about TellTale's non-impressive record through several very popular series ("A Chronicle of Buggy, Broken Telltale Games 2012-2015").

Why did I jump in only to spend way too much time searching for theoretical possible release dates?  How did I not learn?  I was really excited a couple of weeks ago because I had read one of those possible dates and was looking forward to spending a couple of hours guiding Rhys and Fiona through their next set of adventures.  Steam booted up and I expected to see an update happening...but lo and behold, no update.  Ruined!  A release date that was originally in January was pushed back to mid-February, then late February, and now sometime in March.  It makes me wonder if TellTale has their hands in one too many cookie jars.  You have the Game of Thrones series and Tales from the Borderlands both demanding their time.

I know this is sheerly psychological and stupid.  People fill message boards with rants like "OMG RELEASE EP2!!!RAAAGE" and it's silly.  One poster on the game's Steam forum brought up a great point to all the whiners (me included)--if you're unhappy you should just wise up and buy the whole series after all the episodes have been released.  That way you don't have to wait for release dates that seem to be vague estimates of general game readiness and most of the horrible, game breaking bugs that seem to pollute many TellTale games have been fixed.

If I was even remotely smart and stopped behaving like a five year-old on Christmas morning, I wouldn't be staring forlornly at my computer and silently cursing TellTale.  Now excuse me while I go look for a release date.

Video Game Spin-Offs: Mass Effect Comics--"Foundation" #5

The tangled adventures of the Cerberus agents Rasa and Kai Leng continue as they are again re-assigned by the Illusive Man to investigate the major happenings of the galaxy.  The issue starts after the attack on the Citadel as depicted in Mass Effect.  The rumor is that Commander Shepard has died and Cerberus hopes to gain control of the body for their own purposes.  Rasa volunteers to pursue leads and locate the body of Shepard but the Illusive Man informs her that he already has appointed an agent to complete this task.  That agent is Miranda Lawson and much of this issue follows her as she teams up with a disgruntled former alliance soldier named Jacob Taylor.

Miranda and Jacob team up to find Shepard.

After Miranda and Jacob formally agree to team up, Miranda centers their investigation on a Batarian colony where she hopes to find out the location of Shepard's remains.  This colony is a backwater populated by the scum of the galaxy and much of the issue involves them trying to avoid getting shot by a bunch of angry Batarians.

Like many of the issues in the "Foundation" series, I didn't really feel like I learned anything interesting or new, but instead got a sort of sideways glimpse into non-important events.  It was kind of cool to see a pre-Cerberus Miranda and Jacob tag team, but that's about it.

Video Game Spin-Offs--Mass Effect "Foundation" #4

The next issue focuses on another staple character in the Mass Effect series, Kaidan Alenko.  In the original Mass Effect you learn that Kaidan is a biotic and that he was part of an intensive Alliance training program located at Gagarin Station.  If you continue chatting him up he will expand on his experience and talk about a girl, Rahna, who he befriended on the station.  Issue #4 of the "Foundation" series expands on Kaidan's experiences as part of the BAAT program.

Vyrnnus is a brutal instructor.

The story starts with Kaidan arriving at Jump Zero and realizing how he is now completely isolated from the rest of the Sol system.  You also get the impression that the rules are extremely strict as students are trying to illicitly send messages back to their families on Earth.  Shortly thereafter it is revealed that much of the training in the program is being carried out by a Turian by the name of Vyrnnus.  I thought it was a little non-canon to have a Turian as a biotics instructor.  From what I remember of the lore, Turians aren't particularly biotically gifted or have a respect for those with biotic gifts.  A Turian as a drill sergeant type of character does make sense though.

It turns out that Vyrnnus isn't all that interested in being a nice, supportive teacher and instead opts for a more authoritarian type of method.  His lessons are brutal and very strongly resemble torture.  Part of one lesson involves forcing students to use their biotics to assemble an object out of smaller pieces but they are forced to do it in a hot room and are denied water.  Vyrnnus taunts the students with glasses of water and is basically being a huge jerk.  Things come to a head when he begins tormenting Rahna and Kaidan decides he's had enough.  He lashes out with his biotics and bad things happen (I won't spoil it).

I never got the impression of Kaidan as a person with a volatile temper.  He's not one of my favorite characters but I enjoyed seeing a little more of his background from this comic.

Video Game Spin-Offs--Mass Effect Comics--"Foundations" #3

After Wrex's dust-up on the Citadel the action shifts to focus on Ashley Williams and the events after the attack on Eden Prime.  The mysterious Cerberus agent known as Rasa is working as part of a joint agreement with the assassin Kai Leng.  They appear to be gathering data about the Reapers and Ashley Williams has firsthand knowledge since she was present during the infamous attack.

Ashley just can't live down the Williams name.

Rasa poses as an alliance psychologist and proceeds to "interview" Ashley about her knowledge of the attack.  The story then falls into a series of flashbacks where she is explaining what happened before the arrival of Commander Shepard in the original Mass Effect.  Her family connection to her grandfather, General Williams--the human who surrendered during the battle of Shanxi, seems to be a serious hindrance to her advancement within her unit.  Before the attack she is passed over as an option for leading her unit.

Once the 212 arrives on Eden Prime they find out that there is much more going on than what they originally thought.  As they investigate the planet they come under attack and realize it's the Geth accompanied by a mysterious and very large ship.  Ashley's squad gets picked off one-by-one and eventually she ends up alone and things look very bleak.  That's when she's discovered by the squad led by Shepard--an event that isn't depicted in the comic but is referred to.

The sad end to the 212.

I didn't like this issue of the comics as much as others.  It didn't feel like it added much to Ashley's backstory and instead just expanded on things players already knew.

Video Game Spin-Offs--Mass Effect Comics--"Foundation" #2

The next issue in the thirteen part "Foundation" comic book series focuses on everyone's favorite Krogan badass (alright, maybe second favorite) Urdnot Wrex.  The story focuses on Wrex's early days on the Citadel trying to track down the crime lord Fist for a mercenary contract. Wrex happens to cross paths with the main character from "Foundations" #1 because it turns out that they are both pursuing Fist.  Wrex is such a badass that he tangles with not one, but two, different agents who are pursuing Fist.  One of them is Kai Leng, the Illusive Man's assassin lackey who you tangle with in Mass Effect 3.

Wrex....being Wrex.

Much of this issue involves Wrex taking down large numbers of turians, batarians, and various other alien races who get in his way.  The plot also thickens with the number of people wanting something tied to Fist changing as the story progresses.

I enjoyed this issue because I do like the Krogan characters and their general warlike nature.  It's fun to see Wrex doing what Krogan do best--relentlessly pursue their goals with guns blazing.

Video Game Spin-Offs--Mass Effect Comics: Foundations

After the initial comic book series that tied in well with Mass Effect 2 and 3 the comics took somewhat of a departure.  The thirteen part "Foundation" series focuses on the backgrounds of a different character in every issue.  I didn't enjoy this series as much as the initial comics, but still found a few interesting facts or pieces of artwork.

The first episode focuses on a mysterious character who appears in the "Citadel" DLC of Mass Effect 3.  I don't know if I can really explain it without completely ruining the story.  The issue details the rough childhood of this particular character and how they were drawn into a life of deceit.

Maybe you can guess who it is.

Rough beginnings for this character.

Hint:  It's not actually a boy.

Video Game Spin-Offs--Mass Effect Comic Books

The next comic in the Mass Effect series details events that led up to the events in the "Omega" DLC from Mass Effect 3.  "Invasion" tells the story of how Cerberus took over Omega and why the famous pirate queen Aria T'Loak wasn't able to stop them.  It also introduces the very creepy reaper creatures known as adjutants.  If you're a fan of Aria T'Loak, you will definitely want to check this volume out.  There is some really great artwork featuring Aria contained within.

Great rendition of Aria T'Loak

One of my biggest unanswered questions from playing the "Omega" DLC was how Cerberus managed to take over Omega in the first place.  According to the story in the comic, Cerberus began using Omega as an important supply hub for their research bases beyond the Omega-4 relay.  After the ending events of Mass Effect 2, Cerberus apparently establishes bases to study the remains of the Collector base.  It's also at this secret base that they are developing the adjutant creatures from reaper technology present at the ruined Collector base.  The adjutant creatures then escaped through the relay and ended up on a Cerberus ship that docked at Omega (there's way more to that story, but you should read it yourself).  Through the chaos of trying to fend off the adjutants Aria shows up and lends a hand, but she's not the only one...Cerberus also sends in a fleet led by General Oleg Petrovsky to take care of the adjutants.

Oleg and Aria begrudgingly agree to team up with the mutual goal of clearing the adjutants from Omega.  It seems a little weird that Aria would be willing to work with Cerberus but the situation appears to be mutually beneficial for all parties involved.  As the story progresses it becomes obvious that there is much more to the adjutants and to Cerberus's motives for defending Omega.  I liked this volume and enjoyed the tie-in with the "Omega" DLC.  It cleared up some of the more nagging facts about how Cerberus came to be involved on Omega and how Aria actually ended up getting evicted.

Aria and Petrovsky team up.

Video Game Spin-offs--Comic Books

The next volume of the Mass Effect comic book series is titled "Evolution" and is one of my favorites.  This volume focuses on the infamous boss of Cerberus, the Illusive Man, and his backstory.  I very much enjoyed this volume because of the fact that players are given very little information about his actual background in the game.  He's very mysterious with his expensive suits, cigarettes, and adult beverage consumption (at least that's what I'm assuming he's drinking--it could be some sort of reaper juice).  If you're wanting to learn more about the actual person behind the Illusive Man this comic is great!

"Evolution" details the backstory of the Illusive Man

One of the main things we know about Cerberus is that it's a pro-human group that is not interested in establishing a great relationship with the various alien races that populate the universe.  There's a good reason for that.  A large part of the Illusive Man's story is based around the First Contact war.  If you're feeling a little forgetful of your Mass Effect lore, remember that this is the war that started when humans discovered the mass relay in the Sol system.  As they explored they eventually ran into the Turians who weren't all that interested in being friends.  A war broke out between the two species including the famous Battle of Shanxi, where Ashley Williams' grandfather surrendered.  Eventually the humans drove them off the planet and the Citadel council helped to negotiate a peace treaty between the two species.

According to the story in "Evolution," the Illusive Man was part of the human forces fighting on Shanxi during the First Contact war.  It's understandable that he would dislike aliens, especially Turians.  Another part of the story deals with the discovery of a reaper artifact and it's influence on the Illusive Man.  Let's just say that his fascination with them started much earlier than the story in Mass Effect 3.

Another fun fact...the Illusive Man's real name is Jack and he seems like a pretty cool guy throughout much of the story.  He stands up for his fellow humans and scraps with the Turians who seem like jerks.

If you're curious about the story behind the Illusive Man, check out the "Evolution" series of the Mass Effect comics.

Video Game Spin-Offs

I love my games, but also find myself interested in other game related materials.  I don't collect action figures, but do have an interest in artwork, books, and comics related to my favorite gaming series.  I thought I would spend some time writing about some of these items in case their are others out there sitting on the fence about getting into a game related comic series or novels.  If you're a big enough fan it can be another way to delve deeper into a story or characters.

My favorite game series is Mass Effect.  As a big fan of the games, I'm generally interested in anything I  can get my hands on.  I decided to start with the Mass Effect comic book series.  The first series, Redemption, is centered around events and characters related to Mass Effect 2.

Cool artwork of Feron.

The first volume details the efforts of Liara and Feron as they are trying to recover the body of Commander Shepard.  In the Mass Effect 2 DLC, "Lair of the Shadow Broker," you meet Feron as you storm the shadow broker's base.  He's been held hostage by the broker for years and is being tortured.  After you deal with the broker you get a chance to talk to Feron and realize that his friendship with Liara is deep and includes events that aren't explained in the game.  The comic, Redemption, details these events and explains how Cerberus actually managed to get ahold of Shepard's body.

Early part of the story detailing Feron and Liara teaming up to find Shepard's body.

I'm no expert on comic books so I'm not a good judge of 

things related to comics.  I enjoyed the first volume and found the story intriguing and action-packed.  There's some cool artwork included that will appeal to any Mass Effect fan.  You can pick up the comics relatively cheaply in digital form on iBooks or from Dark Horse comics.

Games with Great Music

I enjoy a game that has a great soundtrack.  Whether it's the actual music composed specifically for the game or real music that's added in, music can make a huge difference.  Grand Theft Auto is one of those game series that does a great job finding music to fit the game.  One of my favorite things to do is to hop into a car and scroll through the radio stations until I find one I like.  Listening to the radio while navigating the vast landscapes in GTA is fun and the stations are usually spot on with their collection of songs.

One of the games in the GTA series that did a particularly great job of finding music to fit the setting was Vice City.  Set in a fictional Miami during the 1980's, players can choose from a wide variety of radio stations that fit like a glove.  If you're a rocker, you can choose V-Rock and headbang to some classic 80's metal.

Or maybe you're a true fan of 80's pop and want to listen to some more mainstream hits--turn that dial to Flash FM for all the hits (it's hard to find a full soundtrack--guess they're stricter about some of the music on Flash).  But, if you're truly a fan of the 1980's, you'll opt for Wave 103 and some new wave madness.

The next time you're looking for some great music pop on the GTA:  Vice City soundtrack and relax to the soothing sounds of the 1980's.

Happy Valentine's Day to all the Gamers out there!

I'd like to wish a happy Valentine's day to all the gamers out there.  I hope everyone has a nice day celebrating a holiday dedicated to love or at least re-branded to be about love.  In college I wrote a paper for a history class about the pagan origins of most Christian holidays and was enlightened about their beginnings.  Valentine's day started out as Lupercalia, a festival to celebrate the founding of Rome by the twins Romulus and Remus (who were raised by wolves--seriously).  The festival involved the ritual sacrifice of several animals and then making their skins into leather thongs (not like the underwear) and running a course through the hills and slapping women with them to symbolize fertility.  Totally romantic.  Then Christianity came into Rome and turned it into a holiday celebrating St. Valentine who secretly married couples so that men could avoid being conscripted into the Roman military.  There's your history lesson for the day.

Since it's Valentine's day I am dedicating the rest of this post to my favorite character to romance--Liara from Mass Effect.  Sure, she's an Asari--the alien race that seems to have been created sheerly to be eye-candy--but her personality makes her one of my favorite characters.  Her good-bye to Shepard in Mass Effect 3 is seriously tear-jerking.  I always feel like someone is punching me in the heart when I get to that part of the game.  So here's to you Liara.

Romantic Entanglements--GTA Girlfriends

Well, I've run out of BioWare games to write about.  I've been thinking about Grand Theft Auto a lot lately, mostly in anticipation of the soon-to-be-released on PC fifth episode, but realized that it's also a game that offers you the opportunity to pursue romances for your character.  Then I got to thinking about who some of my favorite ladies from the GTA series.

Sure, you play as a criminal wrapped up in all the bank robberies, drive-by's and turf wars that are a staple of the GTA series, but criminals need love too.  Grand Theft Auto:  San Andreas introduced the option for players to go on dates and establish a relationship for CJ.  Dating in GTA in no easy feat and requires a sort of trial-and-error process to figure out what your lady-friend is into.  The first thing you have to figure out is how to dress-up your character.  Does your lady want you to dress casually or to show-off your fancy threads?  What type of ride is your lady into--a lowrider?  A shiny sports car?  A SUV?  What types of activities is your date into--going for a drive (which, for me, meant driving as fast as I could to find their personal threshold for speed and/or completely crazy driving), dancing at a nightclub, or eating at a restaurant?  As you figure things out and earn more relationship points your girlfriend will offer you "coffee" and invite you in.

Enjoys drive-by's and cheap burgers.

So who are my favorite GTA girlfriends?  In GTA:  San Andreas I always liked Denise Robinson.  She is almost a default girlfriend for your CJ, but she enjoyed all the same things that he did.  She doesn't freak out when you drive too fast (what's the point of not driving fast in GTA?), enjoys the occasional drive-by, and is content with rolling into Burger Shot and having a cheap burger.  What ideal dating situation doesn't involve a drive-by?  I'm joking, of course.  As you progress through the game there are five other ladies who CJ can date.  I never knew there were that many.

In GTA IV the dating situations gets much more complicated with the introduction of online dating.  You can find a girlfriend through those dating sites or date the ladies you meet through the main storyline.  The number of activities available for dating scenarios also complicates the dating formula.  You can opt to take your lady bowling, to play darts, to a bar, to a comedy or variety show or if your date is feeling particularly adventurous you can accompany her on a trip to your friendly local strip club.  In GTA IV, your clothing and vehicle choices are much more complex.  Some ladies prefer things like nice shoes or not wearing hats or sunglasses and others are very picky about the type of vehicle that Niko drives.

I have to admit that my dating choices in GTA IV have not been diverse at all and I have typically ended up dating Michelle, Kiki, and Kate.  I always found it interesting that there's no way for Niko to be invited in for "coffee" during the course of Kate's relationship sequence.  Maybe I pick Michelle and Kiki because they seem to be the most "normal" of the Niko's possible GTA girlfriends.  Interesting.

Romantic Entanglements--Dragon Age: Inquisition

Must...make...it...to...Valentine's Day.  Continuing my thoughts and opinions on romantic options in BioWare games we progress onward to the newest incarnation in the Dragon Age series--Dragon Age:  Inquisition.

Inquisition reverted back to character creation options similar to those in Origins--your character can be a member of one of four different races--human, elf, dwarf, or qunari.  I am on my second playthrough with a dwarf as inquisitor and have also played as an elf.  Since I don't have numerous playthroughs under my belt I am simply going to analyze my decisions as I've made them and how I feel about specific characters within the game.

Cassandra.  Tough lady who loves romance novels.

Let's start off with your original party--you are initially paired up with Cassandra Pentaghast.  Cassandra comes off as a really tough lady.  She's a Seeker and also the Right Hand of the Divine so her personality is hard and highly wrapped up in the religious beliefs of the Chantry.  To some, Cassandra might seem slightly off-putting.  As you talk with her you get to know more about her background as a very distant member of the Nevarran royal family and dragon-slaying hero protector of Orlais.  If you talk to her enough you also realize that she's not all steel but also has a softer side.  She enjoys reading Varric's romance novels and begs the inquisitor to make Varric finish writing them.  I've been really surprised to read that many male players choose Cassandra as their romantic option and even describe her as "hot."  I would be more prone to believe that they would choose a slightly more feminine character, someone like Sera or Josephine.  I like Cassandra as a character and am already plotting a male character to be her counterpart--pious and tough.

As you fight through the opening sequence you run into Varric and Solas.  Sadly, Varric is still not presented as a romanceable option.  (I love me some Varric--why, BioWare?)  You do find out more about his own romantic past later in the game when you meet the namesake of his crossbow.

Solas is such a strange character.  I opted to pair him up with my first character--an elf mage, but even then I found him to be odd.  He doesn't really identify with the elves and is obsessed with exploring the fade.  There are some cute moments if you do choose Solas, he will take your inquisitor into the fade and they share some intimate moments, but in the end it turns out poorly (that's all I'm going to say--if you really want to know you should romance him--it's a bummer).  There's something kind of cute about his bald head.  You can only choose Solas if you are a lady-elf.  I like that they narrowed down the preferences of the members of the inquisition--it seems more realistic.

But what about your loyal advisers?  Let's just get it out of the way that Cullen is the equivalent of Kaidan or Jacob from Mass Effect.  He's not that exciting, but he is smokin' hot.  He's very serious but there are some great lighter moments with him.  He is only an option for female human or elven inquisitors.  No dwarf love?  Josephine is also an option for male and female inquisitors.  I like Josephine even with her interest in the the complicated political scene of Thedas.  She's serious but gives off a sense of fun.

Both male and female inquisitors can opt for romances with Iron Bull and Sera.  I have enjoyed listening to Iron Bull's blunt commentary on the qun.  You get a much more detailed understanding of what life is like for the qunari.  He's also pretty funny which seems suprising for a qunari.  I have been maneuvering my current dwarf inquisitor into a relationship with Iron Bull and am curious to see how that turns out.  To me Sera is an odd romantic choice.  Her sense of humor seems immature and she doesn't take anything seriously.  She is more of a fun character but I'm not really sure how I'd pair her up.

Cool mustache bro.

Blackwall and Dorian are also possible romantic options.  Blackwall is another character who I'm not wild about.  He has an interesting backstory that you learn about much later in the game.  Like Cassandra, he's a serious character who doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humor but does have a strong sense of duty.  He's not one of my top choices.  Dorian is a much more interesting choice for the male inquisitors.  His backstory is very compelling--he's a Tevinter mage who has fled from his home and family for a variety or reasons (one of them being his own romantic preferences) and who is openly opposing his own people.  He's funny and has a cool mustache.  Why wouldn't you want to choose Dorian?

Romantic Entanglements--Dragon Age II Style

Dragon Age II made some of my romantic choices slightly simpler.  Hawke, the main character, can only be human.  Yes, you can opt to romance elven party members but I felt more comfortable making many of my decisions in the shoes of Hawke the human.  Since a major focal point in this game is the ongoing conflict between mages and templars, I tend to focus many of my choices on who would best support my Hawke's pro or anti-magic beliefs.

One very odd choice for romance in this game was the decision to make all the romanceable characters open to relationships with either the female or male character (with the exception of Sebastian Vael who is only available through DLC).  Maybe people in Kirkwall are just more open-minded about their relationships?  It just seems odd and nonsensical to me but probably was a way to cut down on production costs.

Without the addition of "The Exiled Prince" Hawke can choose to pursue romantic relationships with four different party members--Anders, Isabela, Fenris, or Merrill.  My Hawkes have romanced all but Isabela.  Now that I'm thinking of this it seems really weird.  Why not Isabela?  Well, she's a liar and a traitor for one.  She does end up leaving the party.  She could be an interesting romantic choice...maybe next playthrough.

If my Hawke is of a more pro-magic persuasion I will opt for relationships with either Anders or Merrill.  Romancing Anders is a little weird because of the whole spirit/demon possession part.  He is a character that I like and his jokes and sarcasm make me laugh.  Merrill is also a bit of a weird choice.  She is supportive of magic, but also of the very controversial blood magic.  A large part of her story revolves around her obsession with recreating the eluvian despite the fact that there is the possibility of demon activity.  I always had a hard time initiating a relationship with Merrill.  There's just so much I disagree with regarding her story.

Fenris.  So angry, but so hot.

My more anti-magic Hawke will typically lean toward Fenris.  Fenris, like Merrill, can also be a difficult character to initiate a relationship with.  You really have to make sure that you oppose any decisions related to magic.  I think Fenris is also the hottest character.  There's just something about this brooding, tattooed elf that works.  Sure, he's kind of cranky.  Isabela is also an option but I've never chosen her.  You could also argue that she's more of a "hot" character but I find her personality off-putting.  She seems very self-centered and very much to have her own agenda.  Maybe I'm judging her too much based on her actions toward the end of the game.  I do enjoy the whole pirate queen aspect.

It's always been kind of a disappointment that you can't romance Aveline or Varric.  Varric is one of my favorite characters in the series and I've always found his voice to be attractive.  Aveline's story revolves around her attraction to one of the guards in her command so I understand why she's not a choice.  But why not Varric?

Only a few more days until Valentine's Day.  I'm hoping to keep writing about romantic options in video games till then.  It's my own weird way of celebrating...well, that and eating a bunch of candy.

Romantic Entanglements--Dragon Age: Origins

Maybe you're not a fan of all the sci-fi weirdness that is a part of the Mass Effect series and prefer the more fantasy oriented Dragon Age.  The Dragon Age series follows the general patterns of BioWare games and presents you with the option to romance a member of your retinue.  No longer do you have to worry about dating an alien.  Instead you have to puzzle through the intricacies of inter-racial relationships between humans, elves, dwarves, and qunari.

Dragon Age:  Origins is an epic game with equally epic romantic options.  Your chosen hero can have one of three different races and have a different background depending on the class you choose.  As a result of these added modifiers, I spend much more time thinking about and playing matchmaker to my many heroes of Fereldan.

Has it been awhile since you've played Origins?  Yeah, it's been awhile for me too but I'm going to try to remember all the options for romance.  Let's start off with Alistair, the goofy, former almost-templar and possible inheritor of the Fereldan throne.  One major difference between Dragon Age and Mass Effect is that I tend to match my characters based on their chosen classes AND personality traits as opposed to just personality.  Would a mage really hook up with a templar?  I suppose it's possible, but probably unlikely.  I tend to match Alistair with my warriors/rogues who take a decidedly anti-magic stance and who opt for the more paragon-like choices.  If you do choose Alistair you have to make some rather disturbing choices later in the game regarding him possibly marrying Anora AND impregnating Morrigan.

If Alistair is not the perfect match for your hero you could opt for Leliana.  You meet up with her early in the game and have ample opportunities to interact with her and learn her history.  As a former bard but also a former nun she is an interesting choice.  She's a good match for almost any class/race/background combo due to her weird background.  Leliana is my favorite romantic choice in Dragon Age:  Origins and one of my favorite characters.

Maybe your character is more of a tough guy/girl who wants to blaze their own path.  Morrigan is definitely the best option in that case.  You have to play a pretty ruthless character to win Morrigan's favor--she usually disagrees with almost all of the choices I make and I get used to seeing the -10 pop-up.  Morrigan is definitely an exotic choice with her "witch of the wilds" background and growing up under the care of a possible demon.  She is also arguably the most physically attractive member of your crew.  You do have to consider the whole "demon baby" scenario towards the end of the game.  In my many playthroughs of DA:O I have had success romancing Morrigan once.  She and my dwarf rogue made a strikingly odd couple.

Zevran.  I've never picked him.

But what about possible non-human matches?  There's always Zevran, the elven assassin from Antiva.  I have never chosen him as an option.  Never!  I don't really know why...  He could be a good match for a character with more of a renegade type of background.  I always liked listening to Zevran talk about his life in Antiva.  He's actually really interesting--an assassin who grew up in a brothel.

Romantic Entanglements--Mass Effect 3

After wading through the myriad romantic choices presented in Mass Effect 2 it's nice that most of the same characters are valid options in Mass Effect 3.  But, damn it, there's still so many complicated aspects to romance in Mass Effect 3...at least in my head.  So let's hold hands and wander down the crooked path that is the craziness in my head and how I apply that to my video game adventures.

One of the biggest romantic obstacles is presented early on in Mass Effect 3.  You are finally re-united with your original crew members and most possibly earlier romantic interest in the form of Ashley or Kaidan.  In Mass Effect 2 Commander Shepard is briefly reunited with one of these characters (depending on who you saved on Virmire) during a mission on Horizon.  The exchange is not very loving and leaves you with the impression Shepard has made the absolute worst choice in trusting Cerberus.  It's not very endearing.  In Mass Effect 3 you start off with an awkward exchange on Mars where your former interest asks about renewing your relationship.  So do opt for Shepard to stand by his/her man/woman or do you side with your newest flame?  In directing a paragon Shep I generally opt to renew the older relationship but will cast them aside in favor of the newer characters for renegade Shep.

BioWare also opted to throw in some wildcard options for strictly same-sex relationships.  Your lady Shep has the option of romancing the new communications officer Samantha Traynor while manly Shep can opt for shuttle pilot Steve Cortez.  This also presented some interesting two-timing scenarios.  In one playthrough my renegade lady Shep was firmly ensconced in a relationship with Liara...then Traynor asked to used the shower and one thing led to another...and Liara was not happy.  (Seriously BioWare...a shower scene?) My renegade Shep is pretty much the most horrible person ever to save the universe.  Besides two-timing Liara she also lied to the Krogan about a cure for the genophage, shot Mordin in the back, and allowed Samara to shoot her own daughter and herself.  My soul felt truly black playing as that Shep.

But back to Traynor or Cortez as options.  I like Traynor as an option more than Cortez.  There's something really awkward but also kind of  hot about her.  Cortez is just so sad...but that kind of makes me want my Shep to comfort him and be his new boyfriend.

Your crew has gotten close over the last three suicide missions.

One part of Mass Effect 3 that I found interesting was there were side romances occurring.  There's the famous Garrus/Tali hook-up (get it...hook-up?  Like his mandible.....on her suit....funny?) or Joker and EDI.  In the "Citadel" DLC there is also an alluded to possible James/Ashley relationship.  Shepard is actually given the option of encouraging it or telling them to cool it.  Sadly Jacob has also moved past his relationship with lady Shep.  Oh Jacob...I will never forget your contributions to the crew of the Normandy..or your abs of steel.  There's also Traynor's uncomfortable discussion with EDI about her initial attraction to her voice.  I thought it was nice to see that the crew of the Normandy were forming their own attachments.

Even though you would think romance in Mass Effect 3 would be easier...it's really not.

Romantic Entanglements--Mass Effect 2 Style

The romantic choices for Commander Shepard in the original Mass Effect were pretty straightforward.  For someone who puts way too much thought into the relationship status of fictional video game characters this was a good thing.  Then the second episode (and the best!) of the Mass Effect series was released and my poor Shepard was faced with a much more vexing array of romantic partners.  Let the ridiculous overthinking begin!

Pretty much sums up Jacob.

FemShep (the best Shep) has many choices in Mass Effect 2.  In my head paragon Shep would opt for one of two choices--Garrus or Jacob.  Jacob is the easiest choice--he's human, has a very similar background to Shep (military, likes to shoot things), and is actually kind of boring (not Kaidan-level boring but close) but his hotness makes up for it.  I concur with Kasumi in her unswaying desire to watch Jacob do sit-ups and also enjoy his ummm...Cerberus uniform (teehee :P).

But what about Garrus?  He's a tough choice for my paragon Shep because he's sort of a rebel himself and he's a total badass.  Sure, he's all uptight and turian but he is trying to do what he thinks is right in a vigilante kind of way.  And that whole "reach and flexibility" bit really proves it.  Plus, turians aren't exactly the most attractive aliens.  (I think I just admitted to caring about looks--how shallow.  Turian mandibles are weird!)  Would goody, goody Shep fall for a rebellious turian?  I think my renegade Shep would be much more likely to opt for Garrus.  In the numerous playthroughs of Mass Effect 2 I have never opted to romance Garrus.  I feel like I'm really missing out because I think there is a ridiculous dance sequence in the "Citadel" DLC for Mass Effect 3.

Thane is also an interesting choice for my lady Sheps.  It's really hard to peg him as more of a paragon or renegade interest.  I would view him as a paragon choice because he seems very sensitive and sweet...for an assassin.  Would paragon Shep fall for someone who kills people for a living?  Renegade Shep definitely would.  You have to consider the whole Kepral syndrome thing as part of the Thane relationship.  He's going to die and that's depressing.  Do you stick with him because of that (paragon)?

If you include the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC you can opt to continue your relationship with Liara.  Strangely Liara is the only character from the entire series who you can romance in all three games.  There has been a lot of speculation about BioWare's seeming desire to force people into a relationship with Liara.  It really seems like they nudge you that way.  My paragon Shep will not usually choose Liara but she is a choice for my renegade Sheps (or male paragon Shep).

Male Shep also has some tough romantic choices to make.  Miranda, Tali, or Jack.  My paragon male Shep will lean toward Miranda or Tali.  Miranda can be a bit of a toss up and could also be a valid option for renegade Shep.  To me Miranda seems really insecure and like she needs some sort of reassurance about her abilities.  This chink in her armor makes me see paragon male Shep as a sort of protector.  At the same time her ice queen harshness and cockiness in her abilities make her a renegade choice.

Romancing Tali.  A life or death scenario.

Tali can be a difficult decision for my male Shep.  There is something slightly disturbing about a relationship with Tali.  Sure, she's really sweet in an innocent and quirky kind of way which is nice for paragon Shep.  On the other hand there's the whole suit issue that makes me feel weird.  If you do choose to romance Tali there's the reality that she will get sick.  Would paragon Shep really be like "Yeah, you could die but let's get it on anyway?"  That just seems wrong.  There is something really cute about Tali though and if you do choose her she gives you a picture of herself without the mask.

Jack is not a tough decision at all.  She's a criminal who is hell-bent on seeking out revenge on Cerberus for all their evils.  Paragon Shep wouldn't touch Jack with a ten foot pole but she is perfect for a renegade Shep.  I suppose you could play it from the angle of trying to "reform" Jack.  Nah, that seems weird.

Of course you could always go with the non-traditional choices.  Your friendly yeoman Kelly Chambers will feed your fish which is the Mass Effect 2 equivalent of marriage.  She'll also do a naughty dance in your private chambers if you decide to go that route.  If you are hoping for an asari option outside of Liara you can give Samara or Morinth a chance.  I've never gone that route and am intrigued.  Apparently you can opt to romance Morinth and die.  Why would you choose that?

Romantic Entanglements--Mass Effect Style

Yesterday I confessed to not only caring about romantic options in my BioWare games, but also to the fact that I put much more thought into who my character should romance than what I feel a normal person probably should.  So today I thought I would continue down the long winding path into my choices by focusing on romantic options in Mass Effect.  Mass Effect is by far my favorite game series and I have spent some serious time puzzling out who would be the best match for my Commander Shepard.

Firstly, let it be said here for the thousandth time--FemShep is the best Shep.  I roll with FemShep.  I've tested the waters of the male character and am not a fan.  So assume that my choices are from the perspective of a charming lady Shepard.  My choices for romantic partners are largely based on the choices I have made for my character.  If my Shep is a paragon her choices will be much different than a renegade Shep.  Let the insanity begin.

She'd be awesome without the poetry.

Let's start with the original Mass Effect.  In this game your romantic choices are extremely limited.  You have three choices--Ashley, Kaidan, or Liara.  If you try to tax your brain way back to 2007 when this game came out you will also remember that BioWare, to some fan upset, only allowed heterosexual relationships (this has greatly changed and now they win awards from LGBT groups)--with the exception of romancing Liara.  So you had to make the harrowing choice between Kaidan or Liara.  If I roll paragon I will generally go with Kaidan.  Kaidan is not one of my favorite characters (IMO he's the toast of Mass Effect--white, bland, and boring) but he's a nice guy--perfect for do-gooder/hero Shepard.  On the other hand renegade Shep will opt for a relationship with Liara.  It seems like the badass thing to do.  Sure, Liara isn't exactly a "badass" herself but she's a very non-traditional choice for a human.  Why?  Well, she's an alien so there's that whole weird aspect to the relationship and it's a same-sex relationship which is bucking the system.

The few times I have played a male character I have found the choices to be a little more difficult and to be exactly the opposite of my choices playing the female toon.  Male paragon Shep would totally go for Liara--she's quiet, somewhat shy, and seems to be close to passing out a lot in this game.  She needs a burly protector type.  On the other hand my renegade, male Shep would go for Ashley.  She's a tough chick with a soft side (as evidenced by several nauseating instances of poetry recitation) and I think tough Shep would be into that.

Tomorrow I'll look at the more complex choices of Mass Effect 2.  So many choices....

Romantic Entanglements

It's almost Valentine's Day and I decided to spend some time reflecting about romance in video games.  For a long time I've told myself that I don't really care about the option to pursue a fictional romantic relationship in a game.  It's totally silly, right?  Then I told myself to stop lying.  I do care and actually have a ridiculous formula for choosing who my character is going to flirt with and possibly engage in an awkward video game make out session.

I came to this realization a few days ago when a student asked me about my choices in Mass Effect.  Who did I save in the first game?  Why?  I realized that I generally based this choice completely on the fictional romantic entanglements of Commander Shepard.  That's sort of realistic, right?  Wouldn't Shepard try to save the person he/she has been quietly flirting with?

My ridiculous formula for choosing a video game partner includes a thorough personality analysis of the character I have crafted.  Have I made my character into more of a paragon, a do-gooder with a heart of gold or a renegade who is willing to do whatever it takes to get things done?  What race is my character and is he/she an ardent member of that specific race?  Yep, I have made it into a ridiculously complicated affair.  Maybe I should just go with whoever I think is the hottest?

Currently I am facing somewhat of a romantic conundrum for my new Dragon Age:  Inquisition character.  My dwarf rogue is one tough cookie.  She doesn't put up with any crap and takes a tough stance on the issues facing the inquisition.  But who should she have a soft spot for?  Let's think through the options.

Cullen--sure, he's pretty but I don't think he'd fall for my tough-talking tattooed dwarf.  He needs a genteel lady to compliment his pretty hair.

Solas--too elfy.  My dwarf is decidedly anti-magic so having her hook up with a weird mage seems unlikely.

Josephine--I'm not opposed to a same-sex relationship for my character, but Josephine is too formal and like Cullen needs someone more high-brow...and more human.

Sera--hmmm.  Sera is an interesting choice.  Like my character she's wrapped up in a life of crime and comes from the lower classes of Fereldan society.  She's also very goofy where my character is tough and serious.

Iron Bull

Iron Bull--Another interesting but slightly disturbing possibility for my inquisitor.  He's a rebel and does what he wants even going so far as to defy the Qun.  It would be weird to have a dwarf/qunari relationship.

Blackwall--I suppose he's also a possibility.  He's one of my least favorite characters and I don't really see him being interested in a dwarf.

It boils down to Sera or Iron Bull.  Interesting.  Do other people think about this or just pick someone?  Am I putting way too much thought into this?

Online Jerks

I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever played an online game has at some point had some sort of extremely negative interaction with another player.  If you're like me, those interactions were enough to cause you to shy completely away from multiplayer games.  But why do people act like such jerks when they're online?  Is our world populated with nerdragers, ragequitters, and trolls?  I don't think so.

The article/blog entry that sparked my thoughts about this issue alleges that video games are making people into sociopaths (read it here).  In it the author explains that behavior in online games is so horrible it's almost sociopathic.  He also refers to several interesting cases where it appears that games were the source of some disturbing real-life criminal actions (like a village in the Philippines that banned DoTA after a string of stabbings or the trend of "swatting").  I would agree with him that behavior in online games can be extremely negative but I think the stabbings and "swatting" incidents are very rare.

I think people act like jerks online because it's just way too easy to hide behind an anonymous avatar.  Unless you've set up your account to be linked to your personal identity no one actually knows who you are.  This is great if you're trying to just kick back and relax.  As a high school teacher and gamer I enjoy the fact that I don't have to worry about running into any of my students while in a game.  It's not like my behavior is so horrible that I worry about what they will think but it's more of a privacy thing.  I enjoy having my space away from them when I'm not at work.

Anonymity is a double-edged sword--the privacy part is nice but what's to stop you from acting like an idiot?  You don't know any of the people you're playing with so calling them names or generally being a jerk has very few repercussions.  Sure someone can report you but what are they going to do?  Ban you for a few hours?  We all know that actually removing the jerks from a game is rare.  I also think that games remove you from the emotional consequences of the things you say in-game.  You don't get to see someone get upset over something that's said or done in a game where in real-life you can see that person's face and have to deal with the pain you've caused them.

If people acted like they do while they're playing online games our world would be filled with a lot of angry, screaming, quitting people.  I don't think people normally act like this.  For some video games are a cathartic experience--a way to blow off steam or relax after a stressful day of work.  I'm sure many of those frustrations come out in-game.

In short, I don't think video games are creating millions of sociopaths with no emotions or connection to the rest of humanity.  I think many online games offer the perfect environment in which to flex your jerk muscles--maybe the solution is that your real identity is linked to your in-game characters?  Would that be enough of a deterrent?  Would that just create more problems?  Maybe the people running these games need to take a tougher stance?  I don't know that there's an easy solution to get rid of the truly horrible behavior that takes place online.

Moments with Sera

I am not sure how others felt about Sera as a character in Dragon Age:  Inquisition.  I would guess that some people hate her ridiculous weirdness and goofy sense of humor.  I, however, am loving Sera.  Her motivations are simple--if someone does bad stuff they deserve to have bad stuff happen to them.  It's her own version of karma and it's easy to understand.

There have been several really great interactions between Sera and my little ladies club that has become my go-to party.  Cassandra, Vivienne, and Sera have turned out to be quite entertaining.  Sera clearly annoys Vivienne and seems to enjoy it.  There have been two really funny exchanges between the two of them.  In one exchange Sera calls out to Vivienne to look at something and then Vivienne indicates that she's already seen Sera's "bony butt" before and she's clearly not impressed.  There's no actual nudity but it did make me laugh.  In another moment Sera informs Vivienne that she sent some "rabbit raisins" to one of her fancy Orlesian friends posing as Vivienne herself.  Vivienne plays it cool and tells Sera that the Duke thoroughly enjoyed them.  Sera comments with "ewww" and Vivienne explains that this Duke has a very unfavorable position and is lucky that all he received were Sera's little gifts.

Cassandra Pentaghast.  Non-wearer of underpants.

Cassandra is much more patient with Sera than Vivienne and has also been the focus of Sera's strange questions and exchanges.  At one point Sera starts listing colors--rose, robin's egg blue.  Cassandra takes the bait and asks what game Sera is playing.  Sera tells Cassandra she is trying to guess the color of her underpants.  Cassandra then calmly informs the group that she doesn't wear underpants much to Sera's chagrin..."you all heard that, right?"  The best Cassandra related moment so-far has been Sera asking her if she's ever punched a bear.  Cassandra seems boggled by this question and wonders why anyone would punch a bear...or ask such a silly question.

It is vaguely possible that the party banter bug was effecting my first playthrough of Dragon Age:  Inquisition because I have laughed a lot this time.  Maybe I just picked a better group of companions?  I am looking forward to more laughs courtesy of Sera.

Second Time Around

Earlier I wrote of my slight disappointment in Dragon Age:  Inquisition.  Sure, it's a huge game but I didn't feel as drawn to it as I had the earlier games in the series.  As a result of that feeling I finished it and have set it aside for several months.  I recently decided to create a new character and give it another playthrough in an effort to correct the mistakes I made the first time around.  These corrections have made the game much more enjoyable and I am somewhat regretting my criticisms earlier.

Here are the changes I'm making in my second playthrough of this epic game.

Crafted a more engaging character.
I went with a default character on my first playthrough and didn't spend much time playing with the very detailed character creation tool.  As a result of this I didn't feel as invested in my first character.  My first character was a Dalish Elf Mage who sided with the mage rebellion throughout the game.  I chose the default voice (which I do actually think is the better voice acting of the two female choices) and features.

My new character is a tough talking dwarf--a casteless surfacer, former Carta member and lyrium smuggler.  I spent some time with the character creation tool to make sure that her looks complimented this background.  Casteless face tattoos--check.  Rogueish haircut--check.  Facial scars indicating conflict in the past--check.  I also decided to have this character take a decidedly anti-magic stance that fits a society with no magical abilities.  It makes sense that a dwarf would favor control over mages and would side with the templars in the scope of the rebellion.  Being a dwarf also throws some central parts of the story into conflict.  Would the so-called "Herald of Andraste" be a dwarf?  It's really easy for me to make this character deny the possibility of being some sort of heaven sent prophet.

Following the main questline.
During my first playthrough I was way too focused on trying to explore every inch of each zone.  This can take many hours and I tended to ignore the main quests way too much.  Each quest requires a certain amount of power and has a recommended level range.  This time around I decided I would do my best to stick to the recommended level range.  I still plan on exploring the many zones in the game, but I want to be sure to keep up with the central story.  So far this strategy has kept the main storyline in the front of my mind and I don't feel as lost in the details as I did during my first playthrough.

Mixing up your companions.
The composition of the party you choose to accompany you tends to be made up of the same classes.  Your character (in this case a dagger rogue), a sword-and-board warrior (Cassandra or Blackwall), a mage (Solas, Vivienne, or Dorian), and then a class of your choice.  The first time I played I went with a pretty default party for much of the game--Cassandra, Varric, Solas, and my mage.  Sometimes I would switch it up and take Iron Bull rather than Solas but I pretty much stuck to this composition.  If you've ever played a BioWare game you know that party banter is a very central part of character interaction and can be highly entertaining in the correct combination.  My new party consists of Cassandra (I think Blackwall is one of the most boring characters and I like Cassandra too much), Vivienne, Sera, and my dwarf rogue.  Vivienne and Sera are polar opposites and the resulting interactions have turned out to be pretty hilarious.  One of the best moments has been taking Sera to the Storm Coast and listening to her maniacal laugh as she requests that the party watch the ensuing fight between a giant and a dragon.  That laugh....it's so awesome.

Getting to know you...

Another aspect of the game that I felt I skimped on in my first playthrough was my interaction with companions.  In Mass Effect I always made sure that I exhausted all the speech options but I did a really crappy job of that during Inquisition.  This time I am taking the time to talk to the numerous people who make up the Inquisition and am finding many of the characters more interesting.  Sera, a character I largely ignored the first time, has turned out to be oddly entertaining.  She's weird but her immature sense of humor is a great contrast to many of the very serious characters.

I spent very little time interacting with my advisers on my first playthrough and was particularly sad about Leliana being relegated to the background.  Leliana was one of my favorite characters from Dragon Age:  Origins and deserved a bigger part in the story.  I've spent more time interacting with her in this playthrough and like the way her character has evolved.  She's not interested in talking about her past life and has instead put her energy into serving as the Left Hand of the Divine.  Even though her faith seems tested at the beginning of the game it seems like a momentary lapse and it's very evident that she's dedicated to the Chantry.

I'm about fifteen hours into my new game and am enjoying it so much more than I did the first time.  I still find myself with the occasional face full of tree view due to the crappy tactical camera and am irritated that I can't set more specific behaviors for my followers.  If you found yourself frustrated with Dragon Age:  Inquisition, create a new character and give it another try.

Four in February

According to PBS's web series "Game Show" only 10-20% of games are actually played to completion.  Fellow gamers, that is a travesty (and one that I'm guilty of)!  I have seen several articles relating to Joystiq's "Four in February" challenge which pushes gamers to pick four games that they haven't finished and complete them in the month of February (you can read a Kotaku article related to this challenge here).

I would love to commit to this, but think I would fail horribly.  So what games are in your so-called "pile of shame?"  I hate to admit to many of mine but they still aren't finished.  Here's my pile:

1.) Divinity:  Original Sin
I am extremely happy about the resurrection of the CRPG but just haven't been able to finish this awesome game.  The really sad part about it is that I'm pretty sure I'm like 80-90% done with it (I think I've played about 60-70 hours).  I've enjoyed pilfering paintings and gold cups but am really struggling to find the motivation to finish it off.  Every time I enter combat it feels like it takes forever (damn you modern developers who have made combat so much easier--now I expect it to be a faceroll and when it's not I lose interest).  Shame on me for not finishing a game that won a lot of awards and respect.  Someday I will finish you....someday!  (Most likely this summer.  For realsies.)

2.) Gauntlet
My brother bought me this as a gift which was really awesome but I haven't finished off this modern remake of the arcade classic.  It's one game that really needs multiple people and is much more fun with a group.  I've tried to solo through some of it and have found that it's not as engaging with just one person.  I think if I really buckled down I could finish it fairly easily.

3.) The Space Quest Collection
I enjoy classic games.  Especially classic games from my youth that have fond memories attached to them.  As a kid the King's Quest and Space Quest series were two of my favorites.  Sierra really had a great thing going with both of these adventure games.  Sadly, I have not finished all of the games in the series.  I own the full collection of both (Kings Quest I-VII and Space Quest I-V or possibly VI) and still haven't finished all the games in either series.  I would love to finish them..someday.

4.) Spelunky
Ugh.  Just looking at the title makes me depressed.  I know there are a lot of people who absolutely love this game.  It got much critical acclaim and I gleefully bought into it only to discover that I want nothing to do with this game.  It sits in my library and the 45 minutes of playtime stares me right in the face.  I feel much shame over Spelunky...so much shame.

Those are the top four that I can think of.  I know I have many others that lie unfinished....The Elder Scrolls III:  Morrowind, Five Nights at Freddy's (1 and 2--I am a coward), Crypt of the NecroDancer....just to name a few.