Yank Effect Sean M Puckett 10/22 '14

I'm annoyed at Mass Effect 2 again. It yanked me around yesterday, invoking a rather dramatic plot point after an unrelated mission, with very little foreshadowing and no way back.

That the plot point's semi-interactive cutscene had a bit of the flavour of Dragon's Lair in its demand that I move a character exactly as directed or instantly die didn't endear it to me either. I don't like it when new game mechanics (even fluffy semi-cinematic ones) are introduced mid-title. 

Also it has been rumoured that the mission that narratively follows the plot point is time sensitive (as in, you should do it right away rather than fuck about side quests at your leisure), although no other mission in the game thus far has been time sensitive. If that is true, it will piss me off even more. Because I fucked about on some side quests. Because I only had an hour to spare yesterday. We'll see tonight.

Thus far I have not been particularly impressed with BioWare's games at all. They seem to tell great stories, but then, so do a lot of movies and books. I guess I'm supposed to be grateful that I'm getting a mini-series worth of lovely narrative, but it's interspersed with so much tepid and tedious "go here shoot that" gameplay, I more feel like I'm supposed slog through the interminable gun battles just to earn the right to see the next episode rather than eagerly play a viscerally enjoyable game with a cool story that ennervates it. Matter of perspective, I guess.

I'm thankful I'm playing on hard mode, though. At least I'm dying occasionally, though it's sometimes with a rather baffled WTF shake of the head -- "okay, what the hell was hurting me there?"  

I have some thoughts about the playing perspective differences between ME1 and ME2 that I'd like to talk about but I'll probably save them for after I'm done the game. Maybe even get started on ME3 before I really dig in.

Anyone out there started Dragon Age: Inquisition yet? Is that out?

MORE
10/22 '14 7 Comments
Well, that was a deeply unsatisfying ending. Two new game mechanics, one of which was indeed the "time sensitive" thing I was worried about.
Sean M Puckett
You actually make me want to play this game.

I don't have the hand-eye coordination for fighting/shooting games, and I tend toward puzzle games that are plot-heavy. The only game I've ever played seriously was Oblivion. I gave up when I was a Mage university whatever student, trapped in an underground cave fighting a giant mage who was attacking me with spells and swords while some nasty little imp cat/lizard whatever hid in the shadows shooting arrows at me. I couldn't cast spells outwardly and on myself while fighting. and I thought, "What am I doing with my life?"
Lindsay Harris Friel
It's got a difficulty setting a couple notches down from Normal which has a description like, "for those who are more interested in the story than in shooting."
I have no philosophical objection to playing the game at whatever difficulty setting you want in order to get the best experience you can.
Sean M Puckett
That is very much me. I like games with great stories and cinematics, and I play on easy mode. :)
Jenny Hill
Still a few weeks before DA:I comes out. November 18th!
Jenny Hill
I'll probably be done ME3 by then, but I still have both Alice games as well as Bayonetta to play before I can justify buying anything else.
Sean M Puckett
It's interesting thinking about the game and how compares to a Final Fantasy title of the same vintage -- there's certainly slogging and grinding in those titles too, but somehow it's different.
I shall endeavour to figure out why.
Sean M Puckett