The Old Republic and How To Do MMO Role Playing Right
I'm 12 levels in on several characters on Star Wars: The Old Republic, and I'm still playing. It's still Star Wars as World of Warcraft, but Bioware has added a few interesting aspects that makes me stay with it and see it as a solid step forward. The gameplay isn't changed much from the World of Warcraft formula, but the storytelling (the RPG part of the MMORPG) is much better. Whether The Old Republic keeps going and digs into WoW's share or not, I hope Bioware's ideas continue in the world of MMOs.
Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Review (of the First Five Levels)
Well, against my efforts to break up with Star Wars and avoid MMOs, I've started Star Wars: The Old Republic. Star Wars meets World of Warcraft. That can't possibly be a life-destroying game. I've gotten to level 5, so I can't offer a full, or even remotely thorough review, but I can give my first impressions. No PVP, no advanced classes, no vehicles, just the bare basics of what the game is and how it looks.
Dragon Age 2 First Impressions
I'd love to have received an advance copy of Dragon Age 2 and finished it by now so I could discuss it in full today, but since I put my pants on one leg at a time and pick up games at midnight on launch day like everyone else, I'll have to limit my scope to the opening hours of the game. Keep an eye out for a full review as I get through it!
BioWare announces comprehensive Dragon Age package for $60
If you have any taste at all for RPGs and haven't touched Dragon Age yet, there's really no more excuse for you. BioWare has unveiled Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition, a $60 box that includes all the current Dragon Age content (thanks Joystiq) scheduled to hit shelves October 26th. For those keeping score, that's Dragon Age: Origins, the expansion Awakening, and (count 'em) seven DLC quests. There's little point in even trying to tally how many game-hours that makes. This package is bursting at the seams, with at least $120 worth of total content including the game, the expansion, and the DLC.
It seems that BioWare is intent on cramming as much Dragon Age down players' throats as possible in advance of the arrival of Dragon Age 2 next spring. So get ready for a nice, long victory lap around Ferelden with your very personally customized character you've gotten to know and love, because remember: Dragon Age 2 leaves him or her behind in favor of a protagonist with a single, prefabricated name and origin.
Entering The Lair: Mass Effect 2 Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC Review
[UPDATE] Eurogamer reports that Bioware has fixed the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC for Xbox 360 and PC. While I appreciate the quick turnaround, the fact remains that they shouldn't have put out broken product. Original review below.
Mass Effect 2
DLC Double Shot: Bioware Releasing Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age DLC Next Tuesday
Bioware's releasing two DLC packs for their two biggest games, Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins. Both drop on September 7 and will cost you $10 each. The trailer located above is for this year's critical darling and Game of the Year forerunner, Mass Effect 2. Titled "Lair of the Shadow Broker", this piece of DLC reunites Commander Shepard with one of the possible love interests from the first game, Liara T'Soni. The DLC will take you into the chambers of the mysterious Shadow Broker, a figure that had featured heavily in the periphery of the games and directly in the plot of the Mass Effect: Retribution comic book.
The trailer located after the jump is for last year's Dragon Age: Origins. Taking place after the end of Dragon Age: Origins, this will have you going after one of the party members and finding out just what they've been up to. Any more details would be a spoiler, so if you still haven't finished Dragon Age: Origins, I suggest you avoid the video.
BioWare CEO discusses the lack of DA2 character creation choices
Speaking to VG247 at gamescom, BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka sought to assure Dragon Age fans that the absence of character creation options in Dragon Age 2 will not constrain the wide world of player choice BioWare's epics have become known for.
"Given that he is a human in this universe," Muzyka says, "that’s just the way this particular chapter in the Dragon Age universe is built. It’s built around him being a human, and hence your choices are a little more constrained at the beginning, but on the other hand that enables us to do a lot more other cool things as well, in terms of the way the narrative flows, and the other party members that join with you are really cool and interesting and diverse."
There has been some backlash toward this direction for Dragon Age 2. Dragon Age: Origins gave players the opportunity to choose their character's race, gender, and backstory, all of which helped determine how the story began and how people would react to the character. However, Dragon Age 2 takes a page from the Mass Effect series, plunking players down in the shoes of protagonist Hawke, who comes with his own fixed history. It's still unclear what, if any, benefits or changes save files from Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening might have on Dragon Age 2.
Mass Effect 2 Defects to the PS3
You read that right. In a surprise turn, Bioware's extremely well reviewed third-person shooter action RPG is no longer an Xbox 360 exclusive. This was announced during EA's Gamescom press briefing; the game is set for January 2011. It will only be the second game, as Mass Effect was published by Microsoft.
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