The Andromeda Initiative--The Pathfinder

Sometime this week part four in the Andromeda Initiative was released and introduced us to some of the crew members who will play a role in the upcoming Mass Effect:  Andromeda.  While it's been great to learn details about the galaxy, the vehicles, and a little backstory, I've been anxious to learn about the new characters who will play a key role in the story.  The video clarified a few things I've been wondering, but as always, left me with more questions.  Here is the video if you haven't seen it yet (remember that if you complete all the briefings you get a spiffy helmet!):

1.) Familiar phrasing.  One of the things I noticed in this video segment were some familiar phrases from the past games.  Describing the Pathfinders as the "tip of the spear" reminds me of Shepard and the Normandy referred to in exactly the same way.  The "first in" approach seems much more apparent in Andromeda as the Pathfinder team will literally be the first to check out these "golden worlds."

2.) Daddy Issues.  You get a Dad!  This may seem like something strange to be excited about, but family connections and stories have been particularly weak parts of the story in previous games.  When designing your Commander Shepard in the original Mass Effect you had the ability to choose a backstory.  Shepard's backstory played a very limited role in the actual story and having living family members depended on which backstory you chose.  Even if you chose one with living family members there was no actual connection (I might vaguely remember that you get a message from them once).  In Andromeda, your Dad is part of the crew and is someone who plays an important role.  I am interested to see how this dynamic works and if there will be more familial connections than in previous games.  I sort of get this weird feeling that Daddy Ryder probably doesn't live long.

3.) Humans!  One of my big questions has been about the actual Andromeda project itself.  Is it a human only project or is it a Council thing?  This question appears to finally be answered as your crew is specifically referred to as the Human branch of the project.  There must be other crews from the Council races--an Asari crew?  A Turian one?  Maybe some Salarians?  The cinematics have all introduced characters from other races so something must happen that brings together a more diverse crew.

4.) Crewmates.  Being introduced to the characters that make up the Pathfinder team is very exciting.  Liam is described as an idealist with a "crisis response" background.  Does "crisis response" mean he's a medic?  A negotiator?  He seems like he's going to be the "good guy" on the crew.  Then there are the Ryder's.  Making your possible character choices a brother, sister combo is interesting.  I've never really thought about who the male and female Shepards would be to each other.  Probably the most interesting crewmate in this video is Cora Harper.  She describes herself as your second in command (kind of like a Miranda?) and is sporting a wicked cool hairdo.  Although I didn't pick up on this, but read about it from a different source (namely this one), the name "Harper" should stick in your mind.  Could she possibly be the offspring (an actual child?  A test tube baby?  A clone?  A Reaper/human hybrid?!!) of the Illusive Man?  The possibility of having some sort of Cerberus link in the mix could add a little pro-Human spice to the story.  Harper is a biotic who specifically mentions spending time serving with Asari commandos.

I have been wondering about the possible presence of an AI on the crew.  After the magical experiences with EDI, I just couldn't see how they could leave one out in Andromeda.  SAM appears to play a role that is similar to EDI's but has a direct link to your character and your entire crew.  Will this link play into talents and abilities?  I have a feeling that there might be some sort of talent-point system that will involve gaining SAM abilities.

5.) Unanswered questions.  It was nice to get a glimpse at some of the new characters.  Mass Effect has one of its biggest strengths in well-written and lovable characters.  I am still left wondering about the non-human characters.  Peebee is an Asari character and Vetra, a female Turian (finally!), both are featured in the most recent cinematic.  How do they wind up as part of your team?  There's also mention of a Krogan in the video.  Even though the Andromeda Initiative detailed the human crew, it's obvious that the team gets significantly less human.

With the March 21st release date (we'll see....) creeping closer and closer, these videos make me feel just a little closer to the next great space experience.

100% Dwarfier

Lately I've been occupied with playing my way through 2014's Dragon Age:  Inquisition and it's DLC.  I have only made it to the point where I have played through almost all of The Descent, but haven't levelled up enough to reach the starting levels for the other DLC.  It's a work in progress and one that I am mostly enjoying.

It's a bit odd going back and playing Inquisition after other fantasy RPG's like The Witcher 3.  At the time that Inquisition came out it boasted one of the largest total world map areas in gaming.  For some weird reason, it just doesn't feel as big as The Witcher 3.  After riding Roach in TW3 the riding in Inquisition feels oddly stiff and hard to control.  I try to avoid riding.

This Inquisition go-round I decided to play a race and class combo that I hadn't tried before--a Qunari warrior with a tanking setup.  I am sure that most people jumped all over then chance to build a hulking blue beauty when Inquisition first came out.  I decided to stick with a decidedly more elfy and dwarfy path (still haven't played a human).  Playing as a Qunari is way more fun!  I also decided that my Qunari should be a bit of a jokester.  My favorite line from Cassandra after a wisecrack was "the Inquisitor was a funny Qunari" in reference to how the Inquisitor would be remembered.  The entire aspect of a Qunari becoming the Herald of Andraste puts the story into conflict and that awkwardness is acknowledged fairly often.  I will admit that playing as a tank isn't the most exciting class option.

One of my big complaints about Inquisition was the lack of dwarves.  In the first two Dragon Age games dwarves play a key role in the story and I felt their absence from Inquisition was a disappointment.  I can somewhat understand the decision--you can only really do the Deep Roads so many times before it gets really stale, but even the number of dwarves in the story was small.  I was excited that the DLC  The Descent introduced more dwarves and saw my party returning to the Deep Roads to investigate a series of mysterious earthquakes.

A major mistake I made was starting the DLC too early.  There isn't a a recommended level listed so I hopped in at around level 14.  Most of the enemies you encounter are around level 15 so it's doable, but a lot of the really good loot I got was for levels 18+.  I would recommend waiting until around level 20.

Once your party reaches the Deep Roads you meet two new dwarven characters who are investigating the source of the earthquakes.  Valta is a shaper who is trying to gather historical sources to explain what is happening and Renn is one of the Legion of the Dead who is protecting her.  They are an interesting duo and it's obvious that they have a close relationship.  Valta and Renn join you on your explorations as NPC's which is interesting...but can be annoying as you try to navigate narrow tunnels filled with spiders and darkspawn.

After you establish your main camp and spend power to upgrade it you can add a new operations table and a full complement of crafting items as well as a merchant.  As you progress through the Deep Roads you find many locations for possible operations that will unlock new areas to explore.  There are also new collections--one that involves collecting dwarven mugs and another that involves finding ancient gears, some of which are vital for unlocking doors to reveal more loot and more gears.

The Descent features some new Deep Roads landscapes.

I enjoyed the version of the Deep Roads that is portrayed in The Descent.  It manages to capture the former grandiosity of this vast dwarven treasure without feeling too...cave-ey.  There are gaping chasms and ledges that all seem to lead deeper and deeper into the earth.

As you venture deeper you encounter new, tougher enemies that can really wail on your party.  The loot is plentiful and has a unique dwarven-inspired look that is lacking from other objects in the game.  Eventually your party finds itself at the source of the earthquakes (not going to spoil it) and faces off with a final boss.  Sadly, I have not finished this boss fight--it is difficult!  It's another one of those bosses that relies on a large amount of party movement (something that I have always felt was a weakness in the series, but for some reason they add into the bigger boss battles) and can be very frustrating.  I plan to finish it once my party has levelled up to level 20.

Overall, I think The Descent is a decent DLC addition to Inquisition.  It adds the dwarves that were lacking from the core game and introduces new areas and enemies to spice things up.  The story is so-so and has its interesting bits.

Andromeda Initiative--You See me Rollin'....In My Nomad.....

The most recent installment in the informational series for the Andromeda Initiative came out sometime recently.  Part three deals with the new vehicles that will be a large part of adventuring in Mass Effect:  Andromeda.  Each thin little slice represented in these videos makes you hungry for more Andromeda information.  It also leaves you with many unanswered questions....  Let's obsess over the Tempest and the Nomad!

Here's the video:

My first impression of the Tempest was a positive one.  The general outline is very similar to the Normandy so it feels familiar, but it also felt....lighter and sleeker.  One of the bigger differences that was pointed out is that the Tempest is more of a stealth ship than the Normandy.  It doesn't have heavy shielding or the big guns that we all spent numerous minerals upgrading.  I like the idea of a ship that has more of a special-ops type of feel.

One of the impressions that is a little confusing to me is the actual size of the ship.  To me the Tempest feels like it should be smaller than the Normandy.  In the few shots where we got to see the interior of the ship it didn't really feel smaller.  The bridge feels considerably bigger than in the Normandy.  It also looks like they are combining the War Room (more of an intel gathering and communications hub) with the actual CIC.  Does this mean there are no elevators?  I don't know if I could survive without elevators.....

Overall the interior felt sleek, refined, and somehow lighter to me.  The captains cabin looks very spacious--but, no fish tank?  I demand fish!  It feels like a roomier, friendlier space that will lend itself to conversations with crewmates...and maybe some light space lovin'.

I have to admit that a small part of me was sad when the voice of the new pilot, a Salarian named Kalo'jan (I have no idea if that spelling is even remotely close), introduced the Tempest.  It's just not the same without Joker!  The idea of having a Salarian pilot is interesting.  The crew seems to be very diverse and made up of members of all the Council species.  This also leaves me with questions.  Is the Andromeda Initiative a Council thing or an Alliance Military thing?  I am interested to find out.

The second part of the video deals with the Nomad, which is the spiritual successor to the Mako.  Remember the weird, janky planetary driving in the original Mass Effect?  There was something simultaneously fun and frustrating about piloting that beastly vehicle.  The Nomad looks comfortingly similar to the Mako, but also manages to look much more advanced.  I didn't notice a weapon and get the impression that the Nomad is mostly for speedy ground transportation.  This tells me that the worlds are going to be large and have plenty of room for exploring.  

Another of the Nomad's functions appears to be in gathering minerals.  There is mention of the Nomad carrying probes that can be dropped to remotely mine.  Does this mean there won't be any planetary scanning?  We can only hope.

These two new vehicles both have managed to capture the familiarity of previous games with improved looks that somehow make them feel more modern and advanced.  I still have many questions about the crew and the mission.  Here's to hoping that more of that is covered in the remaining three videos.

It's a DLC Kind of Time

The theme of the moment for me is DLC.  For some weird reason I have purchased some older DLC that was on sale and then I kept stumbling across articles about DLC.  I think the universe is trying to tell me something...probably something like "stop buying DLC!"

One of three DLC items I'm playing.

Old DLC is cheap DLC..  If you do any kind of digital download services you probably know that all of them have their own version of a winter/holiday sale.  I've been keeping my eyeballs peeled watching for good deals on Origin, GOG, and Steam.  I tend to neglect my Origin activities but discovered that Dragon Age:  Inquisition (which is now about 3 years old...if you can believe it) and all of it's DLC was on sale.  Even though I enjoyed Inquisition, I didn't enjoy it enough to dive directly into the DLC that was rolled out later on.  Generally if I love a game I have no qualms buying DLC. but this time I just couldn't make myself do it.  So now, two years later, I grabbed the Game of the Year Edition which features all three of the story DLC's--The Jaws of Hakkon, Trespasser, and The Descent--along with multiplayer upgrades (which I don't care about) and a smattering of cosmetic/armor/weapon items.  I've found myself replaying Inquisition and mostly enjoying the experience (there are still some minor irritations like the "tactical camera").

It might be a little odd to go back and buy old DLC, but I have found that DLC is usually grossly overpriced for the amount of content that you actually get.  For a game that I liked, but didn't love, spending an additional $60 for DLC seemed foolish (Love or hate EA, they make a large percentage of their profits from DLC.  I've written about this before--here).  Thanks to this recent sale, I can finally enjoy Inquisition in it's entirety.

Mass Effect:  Andromeda will not feature a DLC season pass.  I first read about this here, and feel a bit conflicted about it.  First of all, I'm not a big fan of the concept of the "season pass."  It's like pre-ordering a product that you usually have little to no information about.  How much DLC content will you get?  Will it be meaningful content or just cosmetic tweaks?  It's really a roll of the dice.  On the other hand, waiting and partitioning out the DLC into what you want usually ends up being more expensive in the long run.  I tend to buy story based DLC and avoid cosmetic/item packs which usually get lumped together in season passes.

I would say that overall the DLC for the previous Mass Effect games has been very good.  Mass Effect 2 had Lair of the Shadow Broker and Mass Effect 3 had the fan favorite Citadel along with Omega (also, good) and Leviathan (less good, but still fun).  With this mostly good track record in mind, I will most likely be buying the DLC (...and contributing to EA's profits even more).

Free DLC is the best DLC.  I wish more companies would opt to make smaller changes, like cosmetic ones, free.  CD Projekt Red did this with The Witcher 3 where they released small, but free DLC items.  It was fun to log on every week and see what new item or quest they added into the game.

In the meantime, I will be re-visiting the now expanded world of Thedas in Dragon Age:  Inquisition.  Hopefully my DLC purchases were worthwhile and add something new and unique to the game.

Mass Effect Andromeda Release Date Announced!

In all the excitement of the Steam Winter Sale and trying not to buy anything I would regret later, I got distracted from the Mass Effect:  Andromeda news.  There was some big news today, namely a release date for the next chapter in my favorite space drama.  For gamers in North America that date is March 21 and for everyone else it's March 23 (sorry everyone else, you have to wait two days).

I was shockingly surprised at such an early release date because I thought I had seen a date that was in November.  Something I've learned though...release dates tend to be more like release "guidelines."  I'm not expecting this date to actually happen and am using my powers of clairvoyance to say that it gets delayed and comes out in mid-June.

The male and female versions of Andromeda's hero, Ryder.

A few things to remember before freaking out:  1.) Patience is a virtue.  If a game doesn't come out the exact moment when it was originally stated it would be released..it's not the end of the world.  2.) I would rather have a finished, polished product than a buggy, crash-y pile of poo.  Wouldn't you rather wait through a delay to have something released in a stable and playable state?  I realize that isn't the business model of today's game companies...but it would be miraculous.  The Witcher 3 was delayed, but when it did finally come out it was immaculately playable--I don't think I had any bugs or crashes.  That's what I want--an amazing game that isn't a hot mess on release.

In this post, Aaron Flynn of BioWare explains the release date and the progress they have been making on the game.  He also brings up the use of a new engine to power the amazing graphics that we got to see in the N7 day trailer.  I am hoping that my PC can handle it!  There was also another post about improving the facial animations--something that many people noticed was a little bit off in the most recent video.

So, with this exciting bit of news we can all suffer the excruciating wait for March 21 to roll around.  In the meantime, check out the Andromeda Initiative to learn more about story elements related to Mass Effect:  Andromeda.

Polar Opposites

I've just traversed the equivalent of polar opposites in the gaming world.  I went from the icy, cool, casual dystopian world of VA-11 Hall-A straight into the boiling, frenetic, chaotic pits of hell in DOOM.  Talk about a bi-polar journey!  DOOM, which I bought on a lark because it was 50% off and because I finally convinced myself that the violence can't scar me that much, turned out to a riot of gore soaked fun.

Even though I play a wide variety of games, I will admit that first-person shooters are generally very far down my list.  I am not a big fan of multiplayer games so I usually stay as far away from them as I can.  Single player shooters seem to be a rarity these days--sure, you could claim that many shooters have some sort of single player campaign built in, but that is generally as an afterthought--the bulk of the gameplay is centered around multiplayer.  Oh and then there's the guilt over playing a game that is way over the top violent.  Despite these personal qualms I can say that I would recommend DOOM to anyone who enjoys shooters and who secretly enjoys the cathartic experience of video game violence.

Doomguy doing what he does best.

DOOM is the next generation in the classic shooter series from my childhood.  As a kid it was one of those games that you probably weren't supposed to be playing, but played it anyway (and turned out mostly fine).  Doomguy has returned and is battling the legions of hell as they attempt to enter our universe.

Liked:

--Classic vibes.  The demons, the guns, doomguy in his shiny green suit of armor, the story...all of it was familiar/nostalgic, but it has been improved for a new generation of gamers.  Oh sweet super shotgun...at last I've found you...  Older (let's say "mature") gamers will get it.

--There's a story!  I'm not going to pretend that the story is the focal point of the game (shooting stuff is...duh) but between dismembering demons there is a decent story.  After all his exploits in the early DOOM games, Doomguy was captured by the forces of hell and sealed away for future use (I don't fully understand this because I didn't really play all the games).  Now, with the forces of hell trying to break into the universe, Doomguy has been re-birthed to stop this from happening.  Humans have figured out how to create a source of energy from hell's power and things have started to go wrong.  Corrupt leaders, gates of hell opening, you have to close them and kill the ones trying to do all the evil.  I'm just amazed that there's some sort of feasible story.

--Environments.  Part of the story takes place on Mars in a massive lab complex--one that has been attacked by demons.  The winding labyrinth of halls, ducts, labs, and the occasional large, demon-filled area are spattered with gore and suggestions of demonic presence.  It's all very ominous...and seems gooey.  You do get a good sense at the size of the complex as you travel to the many areas--it's huge!

Once you've progressed far enough you find yourself travelling to hell.  It's plenty hellish--lots of pentagrams, bloody pools, creepy candles,  and bleak demonic landscapes.  I just wanted to get out of there--the horror of the labs felt better than the barren landscapes of hell.

--Weapons.  As I mentioned before, they really tried to stay true to the classic games and keep similar weapons.  There's a weapon for every play style and situation--shotguns for up close and personal encounters, a heavy assault rifle for hard to reach demons, a rocket launcher for explosions, and....the all important BFG for when you need to mutilate an army of demons quickly.  My favorite is the super shotgun.  I like to shoot things from two feet away.

There's also a handy upgrade system that lets you customize your weapons even further.  Want to have mini-missiles on your heavy assault rifle?  No, problem.  Want that shotgun to shoot three round bursts?  Totally.

--Level design that is very intuitive.  You might start out running through some narrow halls and encountering a few demons.  When you hit a large, open room you know that the demon hordes are coming.  These rooms aren't simply horizontal planes....they have a vertical aspect as well.  During the chaos of a demon rush you will find yourself traversing ledges and scaling many levels in a large room.  This design gives players the ability to follow the "always moving" playstyle that is a core part of the game.  I enjoyed having the ability to move up and down and shoot demons from above or below.

--Metal mania.  In my regular non-gaming life I don't listen to heavy metal.  I had a brief period in high school where I listened to a little Metallica, but it was very brief (and Metallica is probably not considered very "metal").  For some weird reason the combination of the raging guitars and Doomguy breaking off the arm of a demon and then clubbing it to death...it just works.  The soundtrack is perfect for the pace and chaos of slaying.

--Tools.  The SnapMap tool allows users to create their own maps and content.  I am a big supporter of any game that allows community creation and interaction.  Personally, I have the creativity of a hyena...which means none...so I won't be making any maps.  I tested out the tutorial and making a map seems relatively simple.  Making a fun, challenging, or unique map...that's a whole other story.  There are singleplayer maps, challenge maps, co-op maps, multiplayer maps, story maps...maps, maps, maps!

--Game modes and replayability.  The story campaign isn't all there is to DOOM.  There's multiplayer (which I will give a wide berth) for those who enjoy slaying others and there's an arcade mode which is more about seeking out the highest score and competing on a leaderboard.

--Challenging, but not too challenging boss battles.  Hard enough that you're going to die a few times figuring it out, but not so hard that you get frustrated and give up.  You felt a small sense of accomplishment after finishing off a boss.

And, I saved the best for last...

--Glory kills.  Once you've staggered a demon there are numerous ways to finish it off and all of them are enjoyable.  It's like 1001 flavors of sweet, sweet violence.  Finding all the unique ways to send a demon back to hell makes killing them even more fun.  My personal favorite is "death from above" but I also enjoy the many varieties where you get to tear off a random body part and stuff it into an eye socket or other body part.  I don't know that I've seen this mechanic before, but now I want more.

There are numerous aspects of DOOM to enjoy and I have been pleasantly surprised.  There were a few minor things that I didn't like so much and are most likely a little nitpicky.  There's a bit of an exploration aspect that I didn't feel fit in with the pacing and energy of the game.  While the heavy metal is banging away in the background I'm searching for a hidden duct or floor panel in order to unveil a secret area that could contain an upgrade or collectible.  Should I be exploring or destroying?  It just felt oddly out of place.

I had to tweak the settings on my graphics a bit because the larger battles with lots of action could get a little slow.  I would recommend turning down the motion blur to low or completely off.  After I turned down this one setting it seemed to solve the problem.

Mostly, I had a good time.  DOOM is a fantastic followup to an old school classic. 

Mixing Drinks and Changing Lives

I've finally made a couple of purchases in the Steam Winter Sale and am happy to say that my restraint has proven to be a good thing.  No, I did not cave and buy the big name titles I mentioned in my last post, but instead opted to go for one big name title (DOOM.  I was hesitant to buy it...but daaaaaang if it isn't fun--but more on that later!  I haven't finished ripping demons into chunks yet) and one indie title--VA-11 Hall-A:  Cyberpunk Bartender Action.  You're thinking "what, the what?"

VA-11 Hall-A (which I am going to refer to as "Valhalla" because it's easier) is a game that you probably haven't heard of and which might not appeal to every gamer.  Trying to pick out genres to describe it is difficult.  It touts itself as a "cyberpunk" game and is set in a sort of dystopian future filled with genetic experimentation, AI's/robots (called Lilim), ominous powerful corporations, massively corrupt police forces...the whole questionable future grab bag.  But you won't be seeing those things directly.  Instead, you will learn about them through people you meet as you play the role of Jill Stingray, bartender at Valhalla.

As bartender Jill must interact with the people who work at the bar--her boss, Dana and her co-worker Gillian (a guy...named Gillian)--as well as the patrons who turn up for a drink.  Every day there is a different story and set of clients.  There is very little interaction with the clients and the "gameplay" hinges on paying attention to drink orders and then "making" drinks.  Each drink has a specific recipe that must be followed and involves dragging the correct amount of ingredients onto a shaker and then making sure that ice is added, a drink is aged, or it is mixed or blended.  That is about as "game" as it gets.

The majority of the game is about the interactions that Jill has with the clients at the bar.  Each character has their own personality and set of joys, problems, or psychoses and the more they visit the bar, the more you get to learn about them.  There are no dialogue options, it's just you sitting back, enjoying the drama in the lives of all the characters and occasionally mixing a drink.  Those interactions also slowly unwrap the story of Jill, the bartender herself.  I've seen the game described as a "visual novel," and that would be an accurate description.

Vallhalla shines in its ability to tell a story with a cast of kooky but engaging characters.  As they return to the bar throughout the game you uncover just a little bit more about their personal story.  And man....are there some interesting stories!  There's Dorothy, the Lilim (a type of AI/robot) who is an upbeat sex worker; there's Sei, a member of the city's paramilitary police force; there's Rad Shiba, a talking dog who wears sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt; there's Jamie, an assassin who also happens to be a really nice guy...and there are many, many more.  The characters are well written and oddly relatable.

Even though there aren't many choices to make throughout the game, those that you do make have an impact on the story.  Remembering someones favorite drink and serving it to them or deciding which purchases Jill should make are all decisions....even if they don't really seem that way.  I thought I was doing pretty well but one choice made me end up with the "bad" ending (which really isn't all that bad).  There are several different endings involving certain key characters from the bar.  I am eventually planning on going back and replaying the story to get a different ending.

I enjoyed Valhalla, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.  Let me try to break down what I liked...

Liked:
--Anime style without being too....anime.  This is a personal preference.  I'm not into anime.  I don't really have strong feelings about it, but I can appreciate the aesthetic and the fact that some people enjoy it.
--Mixing drinks is simple, but strangely enjoyable.  There is some freedom in what you choose to serve.
--Music/Soundtrack.  One task Jill performs every day is to choose music for the Jukebox.  You get to pick the songs that play in the background.  The music has a fun, retro feel and can impact the mood of the story.
--Well written, relatable characters.  It's fun to get to know the lives of the fictional patrons at the bar.
--Goofy, adult conversations.  There are plenty of more...adult references that will make you chuckle.

Who would like playing Valhalla:
--People who like stories told through game-like mechanics.
--People who like to read.  You are going to read lots of dialogue.  If you aren't the type of person who likes to read in games....probably not a good choice.
--People who like lots of character development.
--People who like relaxing, casual games.