ME1 - Out Of Their Minds

Not everything is what it seems when Meriel descends upon the human colonies of Feros.

There are spoilers after the break.  Continue reading at your own risk.

Alpha Protocol

Alpha Protocol came in the mail today.  Released in 2009 by Obsidian, Alpha Protocol is a third person action cRPG.  (Or as the box say, it's an "espionage" cRPG.)  When the game originally hit the shelves I didn't pay it any mind because, to my understanding, it deals heavily with stealth and utilizes gun play as a central component.  I'm sure that it's been mentioned before this, but ranged weaponry and I have a very strained relationship.  My success rate with guns, bows, and crossbows is rather abysmal without a good targeting system; so generally if a melee option exists I'll opt for that instead.  Recently, however, I've begun to realize just how many games have flown below my radar due to their reliance on ranged weaponry.  Thus, after repeated references to, and recommendations for, the game from Game Banshee contributors, Alpha Protocol has joined my rapidly growing to-be-played library.

Another thing that has also previously deterred me from purchasing AP, is the fact that reports regarding its "brokenness" abound.  We aren't just talking one or two obscure references here.  References to its broken nature (largely in the form of bugs but also regarding balance issues) appear in customer reviews, professional reviews, and even serve as qualifiers for otherwise positive recommendations.  Considering AP was distributed by Obsidian I suppose this isn't too much of a surprise, but when negative comments are that common, one will certainly think twice about sinking their money into a release.  Something that I've discovered lately though, is that despite all its nay-sayers, this game has continued to intrigue me. The basic premise, or at least what little I understand of it, is perhaps not exactly earth shattering material.  What I've heard about AP's dialogue system and character development though certainly makes me sit up an pay attention.  Only time will tell what I'll ultimately think of the game, but for now I'm thrilled to finally own Alpha Protocol and hope to get to it soon.  Once comprehensives are finished there (theoretically) will be a lot more time on my hands, so hopefully that won't take too long.

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First Impressions - Devil May Cry 2

Studying for Comprehensive Exams has been consuming just about all my time these past months.  You reach a point after a while, however, when you just can't take any more and will snap if you do not take a break. This is where Capcom's Devil May Cry 2 (2003) recently entered the scene. Yesterday found me picking up Devil May Cry 2 and Devil May Cry 3 for the PS2, and then popping the first game in to see what it was all about.  Given my rocky relationship with JRPGs, I must be honest here and admit that I only picked these up because of Unskippable's video for DMC1, and Yahtzee's reference to keeping enemies "afloat with a cushion of bullets" in DMC4.  Given comps, there hasn't been much time to properly play DMC2 yet, but after zooming through the first mission it seems like a great deal of fun overall.  I have clearly undervalued the cathartic nature of shooting projectiles in the past, because gunplay, for once, is far more satisfying than swordplay.  There is nothing quite like jumping a mile into the air and then keeping yourself  there amidst a sea of gunfire.  The game's gun play is even exhilarating enough to forgive the world's worst fixed camera, the inability to see half your enemies, and the fact that Dante runs like a man trudging through knee-deep mud.

Verdict: Hello there, my new stress relief game of choice.

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... and what a busy week it was.

9/3/11: I know that I still haven't posted for a very long time.  No, I haven't disappeared, dropped the blog, or been swallowed up by the Earth.  Ever since this post though, things have just been unexpectedly insanely, insanely busy.  I've been studying for my comprehensive exams - a massive 8 hour writing test that I must pass in order to get my degree.  This studying (combined with work et. al.) has left little time for anything else, much less gaming.  I WILL return to form come the week after next, when this blasted test is over, and my graduation is (hopefully) secured.  Talk to you then!

Original Post :
Talk about crazy.  Last week or so (as you may have noticed) not much was posted because my internet kept dying.  I have quite possibly the worst internet carrier around and as a result I and the entire local area found ourselves without internet service for large spans of time.  At one point I was out for over 24 hours.  During the times that my internet was up I did managed to type almost all of the next entry in Meriel's story, and that will be posted this Monday(7/25).  I had hoped to get it out earlier this week, but ultimately I underestimated the inherent difficulty of typing on a laptop when one has three hyperactive dachshunds vying for attention, burying under the computer, lying on the keyboard, and incessantly licking my hands everytime they move.  Alright! Waiting until my stint as a dog-sitter is over it is!  On the upside, the family I am sitting for has both a PS3 and Dragon AgeII which means that I have been logging some serious time in Kirkwall this week with Hawke and her companions.

Next week be looking for the newest update on Meriel, a discussion on Dragon Age II, and a Mass Effect edition of "Amusing Oddities."  See you on Monday!

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ME1 - One's Own Crew, Part 3

I hope that those of you Stateside had a delightful 4th with the four "f"s - friends, family, food, and fireworks.

It is well past time some things were straightened out.

There are spoilers after the break.  Continue reading at your own risk.

Let's Watch - Tristania's "My Lost Lenore"

I'm still getting back into the swing of things after being MIA for a few weeks.  A new Mass Effect entry will be up Sunday, but in order to maintain the usual posting schedule I present you with a youtube video in the mean time. :)

As a side note, I would love to know exactly what it means to "secrete" one's soul.

ME1 - Visit From The Past

You can run, but you just can't hide ...

There are spoilers after the break.  Continue reading at your own risk.