Mass Effect 2 Review (Evaluation)

Mass Effect was a great game. Mass Effect was about the Reapers, an ancient race of machines that are bent on the destruction of all sentient life. Despite some shortcomings, BioWare's first in what it promised to be a trilogy took the role-playing genre to new cinematic heights. Mass Effect 2 is a better game in nearly every way. From the very first scene, you will be hooked. And the further you dive into this game, the better it gets. It fulfills the promise of its predecessor while continuing to push the boundaries of what we should expect in a video game.

It furthers the story line of Commander Shepard, the protaganist of the seris and a battle hardened soldier. It's the furture and all sentient life is in peril again. The Reapers are intent on wiping out all sentient life Shepard has faced this before and triumphed, but now he is to be tested again. Shepard must take the fight to the enemy -- a mission that is deemed suicidal from the start. Thing aren't looking up, but Shepard has a plan. This plan involves recruiting the best and brightest from around the galaxyand somehow convincing them their lives are worth sacrificing to save the galaxy.

These heroes are what drives the story. Their motivations become yours as the experience continues to get better with each addition to the cast. Shepard's compatriots are fascinating and flawed; captivating and occasionally despicable. The arc of the main tale in itself isn't exceptional, but the characters Bioware has crafted most definitely are. These are the most compelling characters I have ever seen in a video game -- the Turian named Garrus is a particular favorite of mine -- and the great design and writing is not restricted to the main characters. The citizens of the galaxy are remarkable and offer more than enough reason to explore every location and speak to everybody.

Ted Talk: 7 ways Video Games Reward the Brain

In Tom Chatfield's "7 ways Video Games Reward the Brain" he discusses how and why people play so many hours of video. Chatfield himself plays video games, and so does his wife. He is a sucker for getting on the back of a rare steed in a game, like World of Warcraft, covered from head to toe in armor. 

People play so many hours because it involves them in ways that could not be accomplished other wise, and they get rewarded for it. "Every time you do something, you get credit; you get credit for trying. You don't punish failure." People are not discouraged, they are only motivated to try again. When they succeed they are met with great satisfaction.It may not be a very noticeable thing but it all adds up. People want to get rewards for what they are doing, but getting an item of much higher value with small odds very is thrilling, "A known reward excites people, but what gets them really going is the uncertain reward." A certain level of uncertainty is what drives people, it is similar to gambling: the smaller the chance the higher the reward, of course it is much less risky. But that's the point, the less likely it is to get the ultimate reward it  is the better you feel when you finally get it. Chatfield points out that " the biggest neurological turn-on for people is other people." Given praise by our peers is the biggest reward, not only in gaming but everyday life. People are able to cooperate in ways that will allows them to things not possible when alone.

You can find the Ted Talk here:  7 ways Video Games Reward the Brain

The Wii U

The Wii U is the next generation console coming from Nintendo, which is set to be released during the holiday season. The Wii U will not be just for gamers, it will be an experience that will be enjoyed by anyone in the family who decides to give it a shot. The feature that I see as the one I would use the most would be moving the screen from the t.v. right into my hands, since my parents love to kick me off the t.v. to watch one of their shows.

The Wii U will have a very strong appeal to casual gamers.  Nintendo did a great job with the Wii, the console before Wii U. The Wii U seems like it will be a part of everyday life, just play a game of Mario Bros while some others will watch a ball game.

I cannot wait to see how well this new console does.  It's expected release is for this holiday season 2012.

This video is the announcement of the Wii U at E3 2011, a big gaming convention.

Halo 4

Halo 4 is the start of a new trilogy in the Halo franchise. Halo centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant. The Covenant are led by their religious leaders, The Prophets, and worship an ancient race called the Forerunners, who died in combat with a  parasitic race known as the Flood.

The developer of the Halo franchise, Bungie, who made the first trilogy will not be a part of this.  Instead 343 Industries, specifically created to continue the Halo series, will take over the development of future Halo games. There are very high expectations to which Halo 4 has to live up as all the previous Halo games have received awards and very high praise from fans and critics alike. I am aware that 343 Industries assisted in the development of Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, so they are not starting from scratch.  I believe they have continued the excellent work that Bungie started.

 What I have gathered from the Halo 4 trailer the new antagonists are an ancient race that have been corrupted and seek the destruction of all they come across. The new enemies will bring a great addition to the game-play. I do not know what will be different but I am expecting great things and some exciting new weapons, different game modes and understand character customization will be more sophisticated.  I know I shall be pleasantly surprised at each game level.