Mass Effect 3

[Scipio]

Played through the single player demo.

Graphics are much improved.

Cover shooting is superior to both 1 and 2.

The multiplayer is a heck of a lot of fun, very easy to pick up.

Overall, definitely looking to be a fine conclusion to the series.

[Scipio]

Multiplayer is multi-ficky-fick hard, what with no fucking radar.  That's some hard shit, not having that little indicator in the corner.

[Legbiter]

Definetly grabbing this one as soon as it comes out.

[Scipio]

Origin name is ScipioAmericanus, for multiplayer purposes.

[viper37]

Have played a bit with the demo.  Seems a tad better than ME2, but will see with the full game.

[LaCroix]

it's a shame that the premise behind this trilogy turned out to be a lie. choices and consequences of decisions my ass 

[viper37]

You did have minor repercussion of your choices from ME1 to ME2, as well as during the game (loyalty of your squad mates, paragon/renegade bonuses).  But yeah, it was pretty minor.  I believe #3 will put more emphasis on that.

[DontSayBanana]

it's a shame that the premise behind this trilogy turned out to be a lie. choices and consequences of decisions my ass 

Fable syndrome.  I blame decision trees.

[Neil]

The nature of the business means that you really can't stray all that far.  Bringing vast storylines to life costs money, especially for AAA titles.

[DontSayBanana]

The nature of the business means that you really can't stray all that far.  Bringing vast storylines to life costs money, especially for AAA titles.

Sure.  I've got a pretty solid idea of where the blame lies, but I figured I'd give Jake a chance to chime in, since he's actually been involved in the whole mess.

The investment on a AAA video game title is so immense that you can really only afford to gamble on one or two departures from the archetypical game of the genre.  The nature of reviews is that they (ironically) tend to zero in on small details far more than major themes, so the departures are usually saved for relatively minor gameplay features.

Once again, look at the Fable games.  They were massively overhyped and promised an endgame they couldn't deliver.  But they've sold like crazy, because the games were familiar enough with just the right mix of deviation in normal gameplay.

[garbon]

Once again, look at the Fable games.  They were massively overhyped and promised an endgame they couldn't deliver.  But they've sold like crazy, because the games were familiar enough with just the right mix of deviation in normal gameplay.

Isn't more a Peter Molyneux phenomenon? I mean, he brought us Black & White.

[Sophie Scholl]

Multiplayer is multi-ficky-fick hard, what with no fucking radar.  That's some hard shit, not having that little indicator in the corner.

Try playing Space Marine.

[DontSayBanana]

Isn't more a Peter Molyneux phenomenon? I mean, he brought us Black & White.

Aha.  Yeah, didn't realize he'd had to publicly apologize.

[Syt]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/02/27/all-the-mass-effect-3-dlc-costs-how-much/

No. Nooo. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo way. Destructoid writer but not X-Files creator Chris Carter (who is probably incredibly bored of that reference) has been doing a bit of maths, which immediately makes him a more capable human being than I am. The purpose of this mathleticism was to collate all the disparate bits of DLC, pre-order bonus, unlocks and whatnot available for the upcoming marketing monolith that is Mass Effect 3, and just how much it'd cost someone to lay hands on the whole shebang. Take a seat before you read the next line.

$870/£550/€650. Whaaaat.

It must, however, be pointed out that much of that horror-price stems from having to buy bonus code-sporting hardware such as special gamepads, keyboards and headsets, or Mass Effect 3 merch such as multiple action figures and iPhone cases.

And most of what it gets you in-game is just weapon variations, skins and multiplayer unlocks, rather than 'real' content. Not stuff you'll actually need, in other words, depending on how much you care about being King Big Balls in multiplayer. Apparently, each additional code you get for the Collector's Assault Rifle (available with assorted Razer hardware) further boosts its power in multiplayer, which makes for a fairly vague concept of completism and presumably suffers from diminishing returns.

Even so – this is a sign of just how darkly convoluted and fragmented modern gaming purchases have become. The full breakdown of all the DLC and the necessary purchases is over yonder.

http://www.destructoid.com/it-will-cost-you-around-870-to-get-mass-effect-3-s-dlc-222045.phtml

Collector's Edition (needed to obtain all content):

$80 - N7 Collector's Edition

Pre-order bonuses:

AT-12 Raider - Origin pre-order bonus
Chakram Launcher - Play the Kingdoms of Alamur demo
M-55 Argus - Pre-order bonus for select retailers
N7 Weapons pack - N7 Edition bonus
N7 Hoodie - N7 Edition bonus
N7 Warfare Gear - Pre-order bonus for select retailers
Reckoner Knight Armor - Play the Kingdoms of Alamur demo
Robotic Dog - N7 Edition bonus
Squad Outfit pack - N7 Edition bonus

Auxiliary purchases:

Unannounced price for the iOS game Mass Effect Infiltrator, which can affect the main game.

$10 day one "From Dust" DLC

$44.99 for the Liara figurine - which oddly enough now comes with multiplayer unlock DLC

$24.99 for The Art of Mass Effect Universe - Collector Assault Rifle unlock DLC/Powerup

$80 for four Mass Effect 3 toys - "Slightly randomized" multiplayer unlock DLC

$59.99 for the Mass Effect 3 controller - Collector Assault Rifle unlock DLC/Powerup

$209.99 for the Chimera 5.1 Headset - Collector Assault Rifle unlock DLC/Powerup

$34.99 for the Mousepad - Collector Assault Rifle unlock DLC/Powerup

$79.99 for the Messenger Bag - Collector Assault Rifle unlock DLC/Powerup

$24.99 for the iPhone case - Collector Assault Rifle unlock DLC/Powerup

$79.99 for the Mouse - Collector Assault Rifle unlock DLC/Powerup

$139.99 for the Keyboard - Collector Assault Rifle unlock DLC/Powerup

[garbon]

Yes, I think a messenger bag is probably something vital that we should consider part of the game price.

All I think that highlights is that video game owners have enough disposable income that they can become ultimate consumers and by all sorts of branded nonsense.