Mindless Fun

After finishing up a fairly long Mass Effect:  Andromeda playthrough I felt the soul crushing reality of a game hole--you know, that feeling where you have nothing to play while you are staring at your 149 game Steam library.  Luckily, before the real mania set in, I remembered that I had bought the ARPG Grim Dawn while it was on sale right before Andromeda dropped.  Since most ARPG's share almost identical mechanics and controls it was easy to dive right back in.  There's something highly enjoyable about ARPG's that I don't really understand--maybe it's the concept of effortlessly slaying armies of evil or maybe it's the mountain o' loot that you collect along the way...or possibly the enjoyment of gearing up a character to make them into an almost invincible wrecking ball of destruction--ARPG's are their own special kind of fun.

At first glance Grim Dawn felt extremely similar to Diablo III--a great calamity has befallen the world and threatens to destroy it.  You play as the hero who is tasked with figuring out how to prevent the world from being taken over by the forces of evil.  It's a tale as old as time (sorry Beauty and the Beast--you lose).  Now that I've played more than a couple of hours I've realized that even with plot similarities that there are some intriguing mechanics present in Grim Dawn.  I'm positive that I have no idea how these mechanics work and that I am probably stumbling around blindly whacking things with my shaman stick.

My shaman taking on the Cthonian blood cult.

The class system in Grim Dawn offers several standard choices--you can sword and board as a soldier; opt for some dual-wielding stabby action as a nightblade; or fling spells as an arcanist (there are several others too).  Because I am the most boring person on the planet I opted for my standard "carry a big stick and whack things" class, which oddly happens to be a shaman.  The shaman class offers the ability to wield a two-handed weapons and to unleash the powers of nature.  You might be thinking...that doesn't sound like anything special..but, it gets even weirder (or better depending on your perspective).  Somewhere around level 10-15 players are given the ability to pick a second class.  Once you pick that second class you can choose to put talent points in abilities for either class.  This allows for the creation of very unique hybridized classes.  My shaman could feasibly take arcanist talents and not only give a mad beatdown, but fling fireballs at groups of zombies.  Even though I am a coward and haven't been brave enough to put points into the non-shaman trees, the versatility of talents and builds is very unique.

Along with the talent points there is also the "devotion" system which allows players to put points into specific constellations and add damage or stat bonuses.  Scattered around the map are shrines where players can either make offerings of one of the many item enhancements that drop or they can cleanse a desecrated shrine and fight a large group of baddies.  Once those actions have been completed points can be allocated to the deity/constellation of choice.  Completing entire constellations offers larger bonuses than scattering points over many different ones and can also offer unique abilities.  One constellation I picked will randomly pop up a cluster of poisoned spines that can damage clusters of enemies.  I've mainly put my points in the constellations that offer more physical and lightning damage since that is the meat and potatoes of the shaman class.  Like the talent system, the devotion system also gives players the option to create a very unique build for whatever style of play they choose.

One part of Grim Dawn that I am enjoying is the large variety of settings within the game.  My hero has wandered through ruined villages fighting hordes of the undead, traversed across ruined fields infested by giant, poisonous insects; and trekked through the blood-filled corridors of the sinister, Cthonian cult.  At no time have I had the feeling that I had seen a particular area, cave, or pattern before--maybe it's the fact that I've played a boatload of Diablo III, but I am enjoying the fact that things feel fresh and not like cave #43 which is being repopulated with enemies.

A few pointers--#1 Make sure that your hero eats any food or food rations that they find.  I learned the hard way that the transparent yellow bar over the health bar represents how recently you've eaten and is tied to your health regeneration.  If you don't eat and that yellow bar goes away you will find that your health regenerates at a cripplingly slow rate.  Finding food while in the field is not usually difficult--it's when you enter a cave, fort, dungeon, or other blue glowy entranced place that food can be scarce.

#2--There's no shame in running away and letting your health regenerate.  Many of the bosses you find around the map hit like Mack trucks.  Rather than just stepping up and getting whacked around, try to plan out attacks where you can dart in, land a few blows, and then dart out to let your health regen or to pop a health potion.  Unless you're playing on veteran or elite difficulty, bosses won't regenerate health.

#3--It's a good idea to pop a rift every few minutes.  I'm really bad about doing this and as a result I've had to run the equivalent of a video game marathon to get my character back to where I died.  Opening rifts when you are in the aforementioned blue glowy places is a must.  I would also recommend popping a rift whenever you see an enemy boss.  This is me admitting that I die all the time.

Even though every ARPG feels a little familiar I still love the accompanying carpal tunnel from mindless button mashing.  Grim Dawn adds some new elements and mechanics to the genre while maintaining the recognizable features that we all know and love.  Keep on mashin'.

Pathfound--Andromeda Thoughts

After some very intense Andromeda playtime, I have just finished my first playthrough.  I have ardently tried to avoid reading other reviews or articles so I wouldn't be influenced and that my thoughts would be as original as possible.  If you want this to be my review...fine, it can be a review.

Maybe Ryder will find a better story?

Mass Effect:  Andromeda Spoilers ahead!  Read with caution!

Now that my journey has ended I have to say that I feel a little underwhelmed with the story.  Alright...a lot underwhelmed.  Maybe it was the fact that there was a lot going on--you're trying to explore and settle a new galaxy as well as fight off a major galactic threat in the form of the kett.  When I got to the last mission it just didn't really feel like the whole Meridian thing was really much of a focal point--the entire exploration and colonization process was much more of a focus.  Then, before I realized it, I had won the day and saved the galaxy....and it wasn't really that exciting.  There weren't even any really big cliffhangers to make you feel excited for the next game!

Did I hate Andromeda?  Am I raving for a refund?  Not really.  I enjoyed certain aspects of the game, but I found that the core part of what makes a Mass Effect game has been severely limited in favor of much shallower gameplay related themes.  My playthrough clocked in at 92 hours--I tried to complete all the side missions but not necessarily all the "tasks."  In my gentle guesstimate, I would say that about 40 hours were strictly story/character related while the rest was exploration.  To me Mass Effect has always been about it's compelling story, characters, and writing.  This time around I just didn't feel like those areas were much of a focus.  I always enjoyed the times on the Normandy when Shepard would wander around and get to know the "team."  There were plenty of chances to chat up and really get to know your people...and that made them special.  I didn't feel that same connection to the crew this time around and felt like those interactions were limited.  I'm sure there are some people who thought that was the boring part of Mass Effect, but I always loved it.  Andromeda tried to capture those same feelings and it just didn't come off the same way due to the lack of interaction.  Liam's "movie night" mission felt...weird and like they were trying to recapture the magic of Shepard and the crew in the Citadel DLC, but with none of the character development.

Previously I had written about my disappointment that there were virtually no connections to the previous game.  I take that back--there is an explanation about the Reapers and the Milky Way but it takes place pretty late in the story.  One big cliffhanger that I am curious about is this mysterious "benefactor."  Could it possibly be Cerberus?  Who else would have the funding to push a huge mission like the Andromeda Initiative?  It has to be!

One part of Andromeda that I did enjoy was the combat.  I chose to make my Ryder a biotic of the more combo-prone variety (not vanguard style).  There was something highly entertaining about floating a group of kett in a singularity or with pull and then angling the combo detonator just right and watching them get launched into the atmosphere (although this could be annoying if they actually lived and came trekking back).  The fact that there are more enemy types, and that you really have to be prepared to move, is a big change for the series.

The best parts of Andromeda are the parts that have always been done well in Mass Effect--the loyalty missions and the story-based missions.  If only they had spent more time developing more stuff like that rather than the exploration or crafting system (which I've decided is fairly useless)!  I'm going to stick with my earlier analysis that Andromeda felt like someone was pasting little pieces of past games together to try to make a new picture and structure for it.  Within all those little bits are some good bits, but they are surrounded by a lot of other unneeded bits that you have to wade through.

If there's a future for Mass Effect, I hope they go back to the roots of what made the series a favorite for so many people--stellar storytelling and character development.

UPDATE:  4/8/17
I wrote the above immediately after I finished the game...then I went and read the other reviews that I had been avoiding.  Many of them saw a lot of the same flaws that I did but also pointed out some things that now that I think of them I completely agree with.

1.) Somewhere along the line a decision was made to take out the whole Paragon/Renegade character aspect.  When I first read about it I thought..."hmm, maybe that's a good thing."  As a player you were sort of forced into these two archetypes--the heroic Paragon or the ruthless Renegade--and could mold your decisions around fitting into that role.  After thinking about it more, it was at least something that gave you some variety and some depth of character.  Often your actions could reflect a simple decision, but they could also be something really huge--like in ME3 where you can choose to shoot Mordin rather than letting him administer the cure for the genophage.  Andromeda takes away those options--sure, you could say that they are still present in the form of the few cutscenes where you are given an option to quickly "click" an action--but it's not the same.  I wish more development had gone into keeping that system but expanding it--they added symbols to the dialogue wheel (ala Dragon Age II) why couldn't we have some dialogue choices that allow Ryder to make some wisecracks or to be a hard ass or to be that iconic hero?  I think Ryder would be a much better character with that ability to personify him/her into the type of character you want.  I miss the old blue/red choices and the variety they brought to the games.

2.) There were so many parts of Andromeda that felt like someone simply cut and pasted parts of the old Mass Effect into this new world of Heleus.  To a point I can somewhat understand it--if the Reapers are truly a system-wide phenomenon then it's believable that Heleus could be subject to the cycle of re-birth and eventual destruction just like the Milky Way.  In that sense, you could have the remains of former civilizations present.  But did that civilization have to be an almost exact match with the concept of the Protheans?  And really, that's just the beginning of the similarities.

I get it that you need some core parts of the game to remain the same--I'm cool with the whole ship and team aspect, but you can't just re-hash the same story in a different way!  (Or maybe you can--look at the 5 billion Superman/Spiderman/Batman movies out there)  I guess what I'm saying is that I would've liked something new--why couldn't the story have revolved around the settlement aspect?  That on each planet you have a story that revolves around its settlement and that the choices you make impact how the settlement turns out.  Once, literally once, you choose what type of settlement you want to establish--either scientific or military.  Why does it need to be carte blanche?  Why couldn't we have more options that could be based around the needs of the entire initiative?  Maybe you get to choose to make some settlements industrial--maybe like a mining colony on planets with rich minerals--or a military colony on planets like Voeld where there is the constant threat of Kett invasion.

3.) One review I read was actually pretty positive (my first thought was "did you actually play the other games?") and especially sang the praises of Ryder's crew.  I somewhat agree with parts of that.  Personally I felt like there was one standout on the crew--namely PeeBee--while the rest of the crew was extremely bland.  PeeBee is a great character and one who I enjoyed taking along all the time.  Part of that was influenced by the fact that I felt like there were a lot more opportunities to interact with PeeBee than with the other crew members.  She's a big part of the opening of the main storyline and then seems to have several character based quests where the others really don't have as much involvement.

The rest of the crew....well, were a little disappointing.  I had high hopes for Cora Harper; at first glance she has so much working for her--a badass haircut and a past working as the one human member of a joint species Asari commando squad--she has to have some amazing stories, right?  Wrong.  She has literally zero entertaining stories about her time doing something that almost no other humans have ever done!  That was a huge missed opportunity.  Even when you delve into her loyalty mission the most you learn about her is that she basically hero worships the Asari (and then, like in previous games, learns that they aren't all they are cracked up to be).

With a much greater focus and some better writing this crew could be salvaged and turned into a genuinely interesting bunch.  I am still unclear about what Suvi Anwar's role even was on the crew--co-pilot?  Science officer?  Designated Irish accent character?  Gil Brodie, who I am pretty sure is the one gay character on the crew, also confused me.  He talks and talks and talks about his friend Jill whose job is literally to get people to have kids--that is an interesting job, and another chance for some good and possibly funny storytelling to take place--and toward the end of the game he gets to make this huge choice about having a baby with Jill.  That seems like the type of decision that would warrant some very serious discussions--but you talk about it once!  One time!  Then he's like "yeah, I'm having a kid."Ohhhkay.

4.)  The inability to command your companions in combat is huge and their AI is abysmally bad.  I loved, loved, LOVED the ability to set up combos with my squadmates in the original trilogy.  Wham, bam, suck it Cerberus!  But now, it's mostly up to Ryder to make these combos happen.  Add to this the fact that unless you directly order them to attack a certain target your companions spend most of their time standing around...in weird places...getting shot in the face.  In the old games I would pick my companions based around who had the combat abilities that were most beneficial for a specific type of enemy.  In Andromeda I picked PeeBee and someone else because your companions are there for more entertainment value than for actual combat usefulness.  Ryder is the juggernaut (but should he/she really be?) who destroys everything while his/her companions are merely target dummies that somewhat conveniently soak up bullets.

5.) Romance.  It's a part of the Mass Effect series that some people absolutely enjoy and others could probably do without.  I opted to go with the lamest choice for my lady Ryder--Liam--and it, like Liam himself, was very bland.  There isn't even the signature last mission awkward sex scene!  I'm also not so sure how I feel about the ability to "hook up" with random crew members--PeeBee offers some escape pod fun, which I gracefully turned down in loyalty to Liam.  Maybe it's a sign of maturity that the game is offering characters with a wide range of relationship options.  It makes sense to me that some might be more open to a simple "hook up" while there are others who want to develop something deeper.  But there's this other part of me that thinks that it's something that we didn't really need and that it's just another shallow distractor.

Wow, this sort of turned into a rant.  I didn't hate Andromeda, I just feel like the series is morphing into this bland template of what people think a game needs to be (i.e. open world, multiplayer, combat heavy/story light).  It makes me sad to see the series losing its luster.

Andrama-duh. The Thrills and Chills of Mass Effect: Andromeda.

As a quick forewarning, there could be some light spoilers ahead.  If you're only a few hours into Andromeda you might want to hold off and play some more.

Now that I've had some free time, I have played considerably more Mass Effect:  Andromeda.  The current status of the Heleus Cluster is that I've fully colonized two planets (Eos and Voeld) and they are now sprouting some happy little settlements.  I've also managed to make Havarl livable, but I don't quite know how that one is going to pan out since it's technically the Angaren homeworld.  My progress on the main storyline has been sidelined as I've decided to focus on the settlement aspect.  Honestly, I just have poor impulse control and if you give me a map full of missions and exploration I will usually opt for that until everything has been checked off the list.

Speaking of lists and my love of them...I present my list of stuff I'm liking as well as stuff I'm questioning in regards to my progress in Andromeda.  I always like to start with the good, so let's start there.

This is my Ryder.  It's also an actual screenshot I took with my phone.
Origin needs to get on the ball with the screenshot tools.

Likes👍
1.) I am vastly enjoying the Nomad and using it as a tool for exploration.  Like it's predecessor, the crazy Mako from the original Mass Effect, the Nomad can go almost anywhere.  Unlike the Mako it can go anywhere without feeling like you were steering a very unmaneuverable boat.  It's fun to drive, goes fast, and offers versatile cover for any kett killing situations that arise.

2.) The crew is finally starting to grow on me.  At first I was a little reluctant about some of them--particularly PeeBee.  From the pre-release material I understood that she was supposed to be an Asari who was very un-Asari-like.  PeeBee is very independent and I haven't quite cracked her shell yet to figure out exactly why she refuses to make connections with anyone.  Her spirit and quirkiness are fun and I enjoy taking her and Jaal along while I do exploring because their banter is hilarious.

Vetra has also quickly become one of my favorites.  Like PeeBee she's a contradiction to the traditional roles within her species--in talking with her you realize that her family was largely negligent and she was left to fend for herself and her younger sister.  That fending included activities like smuggling and mercenary work.  I mostly enjoy the fact that Vetra is sarcastic and will throw out a real zinger once in awhile.

As for the rest of the crew...
--Liam is funny and has a lot of bad ideas that he thinks are good ideas.
--Gil's poker logs are a good read (there's a datapad by the central vidcom where he keeps his logs)
--Cora has started talking about her time as an Asari commando....but it's not really that interesting
--Drack fills the old-man role well and seems like the perfect Krogan grandpa.
--Jaal is awkward and his attempts at fitting in with the crew are cute.
--Kallo is no Joker and I've learned basically nothing about him.  He likes to fight with Gil about the ship.
--Suvi is absent-minded and leaves things all over the Tempest.  She's a spiritual person.
--Lexi--I mostly just enjoy listening to Natalie Dormer's voice.  It is magical...but really, Lexi is worried that she's too cold and doesn't really care about the crew.

It's worth mentioning that I've only completed one loyalty mission--Liam's.  So far it has been one of my favorite missions in the game.

3.) The wide variety of planets and environments harkens back to the original Mass Effect.  I can bounce from deserts on Eos to snowy plains on Voeld to dense jungles on Havarl and then to the caustic lakes and jagged peaks of Kadara.  Each planet is beautiful in its own way.

Dislikes👎
Even though this is the next chapter in the Mass Effect universe, it just doesn't feel the same way that the previous games did.  I've always struggled with games that try to be open-world and to also have a strong storyline that you want to follow.  In the past I've felt like Mass Effect was way more about that storyline and its strong cast of well-written characters.  How many other games do you remember playing that gave you an option to basically turn off combat so you could focus on the story?  It takes an extremely engrossing story and characters to make you want to do that.  I'm just not getting that sense from Andromeda.  It seems to have switched the focus onto the gameplay (exploration, combat, crafting....the myriad of other stuff to do) aspect and away from the story or character aspects.  This makes me a little sad.

I keep getting this overwhelming sense that this game isn't all that original and that it was cobbled together from pieces of the previous games.  Imagine a big Mass Effect jigsaw puzzle with each piece being an essential aspect of the game that people enjoy.  So many of the story elements don't feel original...the remains of an ultra-technologically advanced race (Protheans, anyone?), an alien race that is capturing people to turn them into an army of genetically modified soldiers (Collectors?), a band of space pirates led by a saucy female leader (Aria T'Loak?), a massive central hub that is the center of galactic politics (Citadel?)....and I could keep going on.  I completely understand keeping core aspects of the game but it would be nice to get some new story elements.

I am crossing my fingers that as I progress things will get better and the story will start to unfold in a less familiar manner.

Another of my major dislikes has to do with the inability to command and outfit your followers.  You could argue that the constant pausing of combat was too interruptive, but at least you could get them to use their abilities when you wanted them too!  Now, the most you can do is order them to attack a target.  And it's worth mentioning that you really should be constantly ordering them to attack a specific target--I'm finding the NPC AI to be questionable at best and often my companions are standing around getting shot.  I've also noticed that when you do order your squad to attack a target that they like to go into melee range.  It's frustrating.  It's also frustrating that I can't upgrade the weapons of my companions.  I've picked up a veritable mountain of loot....and sold it all.  What a waste.

I've also had some minor irritation with one lore-based aspect--why is Ryder wearing N7 armor?  As you learn about his/her background you learn that she wasn't in the N7 program but was a peacekeeper for the Alliance.  I've been justifying this taboo by telling myself that it was a blueprint left from her father and she's just using it as a sort of inheritance.  That still doesn't seem right though.

There have been some missed opportunities when it comes to Ryder's interactions with her crewmates.  I feel like in previous games there were many more opportunities to chat and get to know them--there seem to be fewer.  I also noticed some opportunities during times when there is banter going on--as Ryder approaches the kett base on Voeld she makes a very cheesy joke about "staying frosty."  This would have been the perfect chance to have someone groan and comment on the horrible quality of that joke.  But alas, there was just silence.

Maybe this all seems too negative...in general I am having fun but it's just not the same Mass Effect.  I'm still trying to avoid reading reviews until I'm finished and maybe they feel the same way I do.

Feeling Like a Kid Again

My prediction that Mass Effect:  Andromeda would wind up being delayed was wrong...and that is awesome.  I don't know if I can fully express my excitement to be back in the Mass Effect universe...  I've been carefully calculating my departure from work each day so I can rush home to run through the daily chores that need to be completed so I can get logged on and re-enter the world of Andromeda.  It has been a very long time since I've felt this kind of excitement.  But is it worth it?  I'm sure you've read the myriad reviews and commentary that has invaded every gaming venue but I want to offer my own perspective.  I have tried very hard to avoid any of those reviews or comments so that I can make my own judgments clear of outside ideas (which, as I stated last week, has been difficult).  I'm going to try to lay out what I've enjoyed so far and what I have found lacking.

I should probably make it clear how much I've actually played--probably about 6-8 hours.

One of the new worlds to explore in Andromeda.

The Good:
1.) Andromeda uses the new Frostbite engine and I have to say that I am impressed by the clarity of details.  Space looks amazing and they've done a great job of incorporating aspects of space that you commonly see in images captured by NASA satellites.  Once you make it to a planet there is plenty to stop and gape at--plant life, scenic vistas, alien structures...it's beautiful.

2.) Movement is so much smoother than in previous games.  The animation for running feels more natural than the weird, marching type of movement from ME and ME2.  When Ryder changes direction it looks athletic.  The addition of the jump jet has added a whole new enjoyable aspect of vertical play to a game that has completely taken place on a horizontal and very linear plane.  The jump jet also makes dodging much quicker and more fluid--that additional movement is needed in a game that has drastically changed its combat systems to require more movement.  I haven't quite mastered using the jump jet effectively in combat and find that mostly I make myself an exposed target hanging in mid-air for all the aliens to shoot at.

3.) ..And speaking of combat--it has changed enough to make it feel new and more challenging, but the basics are still there.  The biggest change is from the largely stationary style in the previous games.  You need to scramble, dodge, and move from cover to cover in order to stay alive.  It's fun, but it does take some getting used to.

4.)  People may disagree with me here, but I am excited that the RPG-like elements that were present in the original ME but that gradually disappeared in the successive games are finally back.  There is loot to gather, a robust crafting system, and junk to sell.  I haven't spent a lot of time with the crafting part of it yet, but there are numerous options to craft armor, weapons, consumables, and mods.

5.) A flexible talent system that allows you to take the abilities you want without pigeonholing you into one specific build.  Even if you do lean toward a more traditional build there are combat profiles that seem to be built around your specific style of play.  My Ryder is a more traditional type of biotic who banks on combinations but if you combine those abilities with combat skills you can mold your character into more of a vanguard with lots of charging and punching.

6.) Your new ship, the Tempest, is a worthy successor to the Normandy with none of the obnoxious elevators and wasted time moving between decks.  There are also plenty of windows so you get an eyeful of amazing views of the beautifully crafted planets and space that I mentioned earlier.

7.) It manages to simultaneously feel new and familiar at the same time.  Red medkits and familiar buildings make you feel like you're still in the same general universe but new alien structures make you realize that you really aren't.

8.) Non-human species seem more expressive and more varied than they did in previous games.  Every Salarian seems like an individual rather than just a generic "Salarian" figure.  There are female Turians and Krogan!

9.) Ryder feels like a character who players get to shape into a hero rather than a "ready-made" hero like Shepard.  I like the fact that Ryder feels unprepared to be thrust into the role of leadership and can seem uncertain about the role of Pathfinder.

10.) If you choose to make a custom Ryder your parents are shaped to reflect the appearance you have created.  This may seem like something that is really minor, but it's these small details like these that stand out.  Usually I go with the default character appearance on my first playthrough but I decided to go with a custom character to check out the creation tools.  My Ryder was supposed to be a mash-up of ethnic identities but I had a tough time figuring out the eye color tool.  Rather than the light brownish eyes I was going for I got a weird light green.  It wasn't a big deal, but I was pleasantly surprised when my father figure made an appearance with those same freaky green eyes.

11.) The Nomad is fun to drive and a huge improvement over the Mako from Mass Effect...even if it can't shoot anything.

The Bad
1.) Almost every square inch of gaming related space has been chocked full of GIF's and jokes about the wonky facial animation in Andromeda.  The complaints are valid as the animation just seems....a little off.  It's not the worst that I've seen, but it's disappointing in a title with as much billing as Andromeda.  Oddly enough, it's way more noticeable with human characters (maybe it's more noticeable because we're used to looking at human faces?) than with the alien species and I've actually found that aliens seem more expressive than in other games.

2.) The menu system is a hot mess.  Even in the few short hours that I've played I am getting the impression that there is going to be sooooo many places to see and things to do and items to catalog that we need tiers to help keep things organized.  These tiered menus make it a pain to find quests or codex entries without clicking through three or four different lists.  I've almost given up on trying to find new codex entries because unless they are clearly marked they require too much digging to find.

3.) The opening hours try to cram a lot of information, characters, and places into a short span of time.  It's a lot and makes the first couple of hours seem slow.  I spent a lot of time just wandering around meeting the people who crew the Hyperion and the Nexus.  This meant there was much time spent talking and trying to keep track of the different characters--I generally enjoy learning about the different characters, but I think it would have been better if it was a little more spaced out.

4.) Planet scanning is back but in a slightly less annoying form.  If you didn't play Mass Effect 2 you missed out on the time consuming process of scanning every square inch of the many planets in the galaxy.  It has been tweaked to make it easier, but it's something that many fans of the series were hoping would fall by the wayside.  There is also a sort of first-person effect added to the Tempest that looks cool, but that makes travel between planets in a system feel slow.  I am appreciating that you can discover abandoned ships for salvage or asteroids for minerals.

5.) For me, the jury is still out about the new scanning system.  In a lore related way it is neat to be able to learn more about the world around you but in a gameplay related way it's just another task to perform.  Maybe it will grow on me.

6.) As someone who has played the entire series and experienced the ending of Mass Effect 3, I really hoped that some of those huge, looming lore related questions would be answered...or at least referred to in some way.  Thus far it appears that there are not going to be any references to the events that took place in the third game--I did notice that when you are initially designing your character that there is a box to check that lets you choose the gender of your past Shepards--so maybe this means that there will be something.  There have been references to the Citadel, which I sort of assumed was destroyed or at least rendered useless....apparently not...there has been absolutely nothing about the Reapers or the destruction that was wrought on the galaxy.  It's a little disappointing, but maybe a clean break is exactly what the series needs?  I, for one, always enjoyed the fact that the games were so connected.  I am hoping that as I play more that some of the story will come to light.

With spring break right around the corner I am planning on dedicating time to exploring Andromeda.  I haven't felt a a great connection to the other characters in the game because there hasn't really been many opportunities to get to know them.  The story seems to be picking up some steam and is getting more interesting--I've just finished exploring Eos and learning about the Remnant.

After almost five years...it's great to be back in the Mass Effect universe.

The Indiest Indies and Avoiding the News

I have had two tasks this week:  Play some very indie games whose classifications as actual "games" might be questionable AAAANNNND avoid all the pre-excitement, pre-reviewing, of the very soon upcoming (March 21st--unless you're one of those Origin Access people) Mass Effect:  Andromeda.  My success at these two tasks is a bit of a mixed bag.  I've played the indies and tried my best not to read the news.

Some of the pictures, apps, and messages you see in "A Normal Lost Phone"

In a partial effort to distract myself from the mania of pre-release (still haven't pre-ordered!  I should win a prize) I decided to purchase a couple of low-priced indies.  I started off with the very straightforwardly titled A Normal Lost Phone which is shockingly about a lost phone.  The entire premise for the game is that you have found a phone and you are trying to figure out to who it belongs so you can nobly return it (it's that way in my head anyway).  As you read through the numerous messages you start to build an image in your head about who the owner of the phone and get an idea about the events surrounding the loss of the phone.  It's a little jarring to read an extremely harsh message demanding that the owner of the phone stop attending a board game club.  Jeez, what did this kid do to make people so mad?

There's a bit of a game-y aspect as you unravel passwords and dig deeper into the story, but really, that's about as "game" as it gets.  The plot thickens as you learn that the owner of the phone is keeping some very personal secrets from his family.  I don't want to spoil it so that's all I am going to say.  To learn the truth about the owner of the phone you need to pay attention to the details and read everything.  I will admit that A Normal Lost Phone isn't a game that everyone will enjoy and at times it can seem a little pushy about some of the issues that are relevant to the story, but overall I thought there was a valuable lesson to be taken away from the slow unraveling of the secrets of a stranger.

Looks can be deceiving....that's true of this game and the story.

After I finished my phone investigation I decided to switch gears to being a real detective (or not....but no spoilers!) and gave Her Story a whirl.  Her Story is a bit like piecing together an intricate murder puzzle using very short video clips.  Part of the challenge is trying to figure out which queries to pose to get the right videos that will drop a vital piece of evidence so you can keep the chain moving along.  Eventually you start to get some kind of idea about what actually happened to Simon Smith--but, if you're me, you have no idea if your theory is correct.  I made some solid progress and felt like I had a somewhat clear idea then I just couldn't think of any new queries to move the story to where I felt like it was absolutely the truth.  I found Her Story to be enjoyable despite the fact that it's not really a traditional type of game and there's really no winning or losing.  I found myself thinking about the story at odd times--like right before I fell asleep or in the middle of doing something at work--and there aren't a lot of games out there that have made me work so hard to figure them out.

The part of my tasks that I utterly failed was my personal mantra to "avoid any early Andromeda stuff."  It's not that I'm not interested...the multitude of Andromeda themed entries I've written should tell you something about that.  I really want to form my own opinions independent of what I read on other reviews, but I also am intensely curious about the follow-up to one of my favorite game series.  So I've read a few things and, sadly, they don't seem to be great.  I'm a little bit disappointed to hear that but also hopeful that those early hours are just the slow ramp up to something great--apparently EA only allowed reviewers to write about the first few hours of play.

I'm crossing my fingers and doing my best to ignore the multitude of Andromeda themed articles popping up on my Facebook feed.  I can't wait to start my new journey on the 21st!

The Magic of Grand Theft Auto

While I await the upcoming release of Mass Effect:  Andromeda, I have decided to revisit another of my favorite gaming environments--the wonderful world of Los Santos.  There is so much to do in Los Santos...I almost forgot!  But now that I'm back I've decided that it's time to enjoy the lighter side of life--the non-criminal aspects of Grand Theft Auto V that I largely neglected the first time around.

A little post-heist yoga will do the trick.

Of all the activities in GTAV that I initially scoffed at, yoga was probably at the top of the list.  It just seemed really silly to have one of our three badass protagonists stretching, breathing, and just generally being completely un-criminal-like.  I decided to give yoga a chance and I have found that it is oddly peaceful to walk Michael through the poses and breathing.  It's also one of the best ways to boost his stamina and prepare for criminal activities.  I wish he could learn a wider variety of poses though...

Besides yoga, Michael can also play tennis against a number of different challengers at the various courts around Los Santos.  I haven't quite mastered all the spins and lob shots but can usually eke out a win.  There's also golf, but I haven't made it that far yet.  I will probably give it a spin.

By far my favorite activities in Los Santos revolve around racing.  Whether it's tearing up the streets as Franklin or offroading with Travis, there's something highly enjoyable about the variety of races in GTAV.  I'm not a big fan of street races featuring motorcycles--I would rather skip those, but they always have to throw one in.  Those races usually end in someone getting forcefully and painfully ejected from the bike onto their skull--which, I have to admit, is a little hilarious.

I jumped out of a moving tow truck to steal this beauty.

I've also made a much more concerted effort to "pimp" some rides and have to say that I have at least one car that I feel somewhat proud of.  I have no idea if it's even a very good type of car, but I have enjoyed racing it.

In my last Los Santos adventure I found myself easily frustrated with the daredevil activities--the stunt jumps and the parachuting.  Parachuting takes a few tries to really get the hang of and if you don't get a feel for it then the frustration starts to mount.  This time I made myself be more patient and I've actually wound up being able to stick most landings at 90% and above.  Let me tell you about the fun I had trying to find a dang helicopter to finish up a Dom quest...I easily spent an hour and there were none spawned.  It was really weird, but in the end I did manage to find one and finish the mission to jump off the Maze Bank and land on a truck.

Trevor can enjoy some quality time in nature.  By "quality time," I mean slaying nature.  Hunting is not an extremely profitable activity but it is fun.  Stalking and killing boars, elk, coyotes, and the occasional mountain lion can provide a nice distraction.

Flying has always been challenging for me, so I think I might skip out on the stunt flying events.  There are a variety of airplane and helicopter courses to help you master the skills required to become a truly proficient flyer.  My first playthrough I worked hard at trying to complete all of them.  I'm just not feeling it this time around.

There are still numerous collectibles, stunt jumps, and other moneymaking enterprises to pursue.  It has been awhile since I last played GTAV and I am now remembering how much time someone could spend just messing around in the story mode doing all the assorted stuff.  I've always felt a little weird about liking GTA, there's something screwy about the cutting and frequently immature cultural commentary.  But I like it and it's a lot of fun, so I will keep playing them if they keep making them.

Here's to GTAVI!

Trailblazin'!

If you were to rank your favorite things to do in the Mass Effect galaxy, where would you place exploration?  For me, I feel like exploration has never really been a strong suit in the series.  In the original Mass Effect there was an element of exploration--you could thunder around planets in the Mako and look for any strange structures, recover artifacts, claim minerals, or just take in the variety of planetscapes in the galaxy.  Mass Effect 2 and 3 really seemed to veer away from the exploration aspect of the game.  It's true that you had missions that took you to varied planets, but I didn't feel like there was quite that same sense of wanderlust.

Today, the third video in the gameplay series was released that specifically details exploration.  Give it a look:

1.) A ship with a view!  The Tempest features windows from which the surrounding galactic area can be looked upon in awe.  This may seem like something ridiculous to be excited about, but I always enjoyed the variety of planets with their multitude of stories in the original Mass Effect.  It was kind of cool to see meteors streaming down to the surface or look up and see a massive looming red, blue, or verdant planet.

2.) "There are over 100 beautifully crafted planets to be discovered and a handful of planets can be landed on."  Hmmm....this tells me that there will probably be a lot of exploration on that handful of planets while the others are mostly there for things like salvage, credits, or whatever other system rewards you for token exploration and scanning.  This is not a change from the previous games.

3.) Did anyone else get a distinctly Dragon Age:  Inquisition feeling from the part of the video that featured the desert planet of Elaaden?  Maybe it's the fact that I somewhat recently played a lot of DA:I, but I got a vibe.  I think this could be a good thing and actually make exploration an important part of the series.

It looks like players will get to pick from a set of nav-point like objectives and use the Nomad to travel to those important places.  Similar to DA:I exploration players can call down a forward station that serves as a sort of resupply center and fast travel waypoint.  One handy feature is the ability to recall the Nomad if it gets lost or destroyed--like that would ever happen, right?  My mad Mako driving skills should translate well to the Nomad ;)

4.) Planetary hazards are back.  This is one feature from the original game which I always felt lent a degree of reality to exploration.  In the bottom left-hand corner you can see a warning for a "heat hazard" and the video mentions that players must periodically return to the forward station to recharge shields.  Here's to hoping that recharging is infrequent....

5.)  Viability.  The more you discover, the more useful a planet becomes.  For a completionist like me it's nice to know that the efforts that will be put into trying to discover every detail will pay off.  Planet viability looks to play into a lot of different things--allied factions, base locations, resource gathering....and probably even more.  There is also mention of "viability points" which allow you to improve the Nexus.  It looks as if some strategy will be involved as you must pick who you wake up from cryosleep--three categories are featured, scientists, military, or merchants.

6.) Vaults.  As long as vaults are packed full of treasures I am completely down for some fighting, puzzle solving, or navigating.  There also looks to be an element of challenge involved.  Bring it on!

I am encouraged by the number of different landscapes featured in the video.  It appears as if we will have plenty of different biomes to traverse.  In a game that is about exploring a new galaxy, it makes sense to bump exploration up the list of priorities and to feature a wider world for players to see.

Only 18 more days until we get to explore the gorgeous planets of the Helius cluster!