Before the game even begins, players will initially notice a new trio of options that determine the style of gameplay. Action, Role Playing, and Story mode are Bioware’s attempt at making the RPG/shooter more available to different types of gamers. Action mode brings the player right into to the nitty-gritty, by centralizing the experience around – yep, you guessed it – the fighting. For those who appreciate the traditional style of Mass Effect, Role Playing is just that: an even balance of customization, choice-making, and dialogue. Finally, Story mode seems to be designed for the “lazy” gamer, offering relaxed combat, the most elementary customizations for your character and squad members, and cut-scenes in lieu of dialogue options (which seems to ruin the entire point of the game). The ability to change combat difficulty and play style are still available once the game begins, however.

Once the Normandy swoops in to save the day, Shepard runs into some old buddies. Depending on who you chose to save, either Kaidan Alenko or Ashley Williams will be there to welcome you onboard, followed by cameos from Liara, Garrus, Wrex, and others. Joker didn’t have a role anywhere in the demo – I didn’t see or even hear him, which is odd considering he is rather verbose –  and that was a bit disappointing.

After the friendly reunion, the game suddenly skips ahead and drops you on the Salarian homeworld, with the objective of retrieving a female Krogan for Wrex to play with. That’s right, a female -- and she's fertile. She’s dressed head-to-toe in some outfit that makes her look like the Krogan version of a nun. For Wrex’s – and the endurance of his species’ -- sake, we can only hope that she hasn’t taken a vow of chastity. Aided by Mordin, the team runs into a bit of trouble with Cerberus, who are bent on thwarting Shepard’s efforts and killing the female.

"I may be drunk, Krogan, but you’re ugly."

The second part of the demo starts the player out at character level 12, providing a glimpse of how the customization and upgrades work. The Shepard I chose was a biotic, and I was thoroughly impressed with the addition of mind-blowing new powers that made me feel like he should have been shouting “FUS RO DAH!” as an explanation for the sheer awesomeness. Overall, the tech and biotics seem to have a bigger role and make the combat more exciting and balanced.

Along with the upgraded weapons and powers, however, came enhanced enemies. It wasn’t too difficult fighting the husks back on Earth, but once the Cerberus folks showed up, it’s clear they meant business. Turrets, mechs, and grenades that deplete biotic and tech powers for a short time are just a few things that made the combat more challenging.

In conclusion, the demo lived up to my extremely high expectations. The action, the tear-jerking cut scenes of Earth and her people being annihilated, the humanizing touches that bring the situation into perspective, the dynamic and realistic personalities of your companions, and the new and improved biotic and tech abilities are just a few things that make waiting for this game unbearable. My only hope is that the actual game provides more frequent dialogue opportunities than the demo did. Knowing BioWare, though, I don't think the story or the dialogue will be lacking in the least. Hopefully, Mass Effect 3 will be well-balanced in terms of dialogue, combat, storyline, and everything in between. No matter what, it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.


Finally, to add icing to the cake, a new CG trailer will be premiering this Sunday during the episode of AMC’s The Walking Dead. A teaser for the trailer (found HERE) has just come out, and it looks stunning.

If you are a long-time fan of the series, I leave you with these parting words: Play the demo! Play it twice. Good hunting, Commander.

Morality in Video Games

With the recent releases of Skyrim and Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the looming releases of Mass Effect 3, Fable: The Journey and Rainbow Six: Patriots, players will likely be making more important, in-game choices than they do in real life.

There Will Be Blood

Spike’s recent Video Game Awards has many gamers in an uproar. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 won the highly sought-after title of Shooter of the Year, despite predictions that Battlefield 3 would bag the award.

There’s a lot to be said about Modern Warfare 3 – some gamers fell in love at first sight, while others find it difficult to see past the flaws.

With the introduction of new game modes like Kill Confirmed, Survival mode, and Hardcore Domination, there’s plenty to keep players occupied. Kill Confirmed encourages teamwork, supports a run-and-gun style of play, and (with occasional exceptions) eliminates camping. This mode is a refreshing new change on the traditional Team Deathmatch. Survival mode is MW3’s version of Zombies: endless waves of enemies that include regular soldiers, dogs, choppers, and those pesky juggernauts. Weapon upgrades, explosives, and air support can all be purchased and add a fun new dimension to typical gameplay. Whether alone or with a buddy, Survival mode offers a satisfying break from the multiplayer experience.