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Mass Effect 2 on the PS3 Review

Mass Effect 2 PS3 IGN Video Review

I’ve played through it twice and here’s my take on it.

PS3 owners have had to wait an eternity for this game make it on Sony’s console from the Xbox but thankfully Bioware has delivered the same game (almost) with a few perks.

The PS3 version is the best version of the game visually uses the Mass Effect 3 engine. The clothes look more detailed. You can now tell the difference between armor and spandex. The scars on Shepard’s face are rougher and things seem a bit brighter. Add to the fact that all three DLCs (Overlord, Kasumi, and Lair of the Shadow Broker) are included, it makes playing it a bit better.

The blu-ray media allows the entire game to played off a single disc without having to swap anything out (see Xbox version). But it requires a mandatory 6GB install from the disc and you’ll need to download the Cerberus Network content from the Playstation Store after you’ve created your EA Account. Though it is possible to go through the game without the Cerberus Network, it is the only way to see the comic book which explains the events of the first game. This is a pain.

The comic book is the only way to create decisions in the first chapter to affect the events of this game. That will take another 900++ MB download. Even then, it’s still not complete and this is where my disappointment with the game lies.

Sure, the comic book lets you easily choose who to save, who to rescue, who you have a relationship with. But there are glaring differences in the game, especially if you’ve played through the Xbox version.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

These are events that never happen in the PS3 game but happen in the Xbox version.

Missing characters:
Helena Blake, the crime lord who asks you to get rid of her rivals which you are given a choice to either kill her or convince her to give up her life of crime. If you picked the paragon path, you’ll see her again on Omega.

Rana Thanoptis, you encounter the Asari scientist in the first game in Virmire. If you let her go, you’ll see her again while recruiting the Krogan Warlord.

Shiala, if you let her live after defeating the Thorian in Feros, she stays behind to help the colonists. She once again needs your help in Illium.

Conrad Verner, your number one fan. Does not appear in the Dark Star Lounge in Illium.

Gianna Parsini, the detective you help out in Noveria (surprise, surprise!) needs your help in an entrapment operation. You still get to talk to the merchant but now you are able to get discounts from her kiosk on Illium.

Nassana Dantius. She plays a pivotal role in Mass Effect 2 since she is the target of Thane Krios, the assassin you’re trying to recruit. You help her kill her sister in the first game, but now she’s never met you in her entire life.

Not really a missing event but I can’t stand the bug where if you chose Liara in the first chapter as your love interest, Kaidan’s picture appears instead. There’s also the annoying clipping of edges of your character while playing. This is really bothersome especially in the Overlord mission.

With the exception of Giana Parsini, all the other characters can be missed. However, these are the details which make the game fun to play. To be able to see the results of the decisions you made brings a little smile to my face. But not to see them makes me feel the game seems to be missing something.

So which is better? Where shall I continue the adventures of Shepard and the Normandy?

This leads me to conclude that I will end up playing both games. Though the PS3 is superior in technology, the story is what matters to me and the Xbox still delivers the complete package for the game with all the decisions, side quest results and the characters you let live in the previous game.

Thank you Bioware for making such a great game. I’ll be sad to see it go once it finishes in Mass Effect 3.

2011: 02/06
POSTED BY: mdelamerced
CATEGORY: videogames
TAGS: bioware
mass effect
PS3
Review
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Resistance Retribution on the PSP

The last very very good AAA game I played on the PSP was God of War and Final Fantasy Crisis Core and that was a year ago. Now I can add Resistance Retribution to that short list.

I’m not a big Resistance Fan. I didn’t pick up the game when I got my PS3 and still didn’t get it when it became part of the Greatest Hits line (note: lower priced). So picking this up was sort of a big thing for me.

As a newcomer to the series, the game has enough cutscenes to get you oriented with the setting and the story so far.

Controls are pretty well mapped. Although it took me a while to get used to the changing of weapons. It doesn’t ruin the experience of the game. The secondary function of the weapon is a bit tricky since it involves the directional button.

Checkpoints are well placed but it can get frustrating at times when wave after wave of enemies come rushing in and the next checkpoint is still over that ridge.

Boss battles are relatively easy. (Of course I was playing easy, I don’t play videogames to lose, I play to win) with exception of a few. There are times where you may run out of ammo. Let’s put it this way, there are ammo boxes and health packs all over the place. Just not always where you want them. (Hello boss fights?!)

Overall it’s a solid shooter and a must play on the PSP.

I have no review for multiplayer. Because of this game I may have to pickup Resistance 1 and 2 for the PS3 to unlock the additional weapons for the game.

2009: 03/28
POSTED BY: mdelamerced
CATEGORY: videogames
TAGS: AAA
psp
Review
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Golden Flowers of Zhang Yimou

Just last weekend, I decided to watch Zhang Yimou’s new movie translated in english, “Curse of the Golden Flower”. Here is re-united with his former muse, Gong Li and showcasing his new skills in Mandarin, Chow Yun-Fat.

I must admit the only thing that made me want to watch the thing movie was the fact that Gong Li was back. After “House of Flying Daggers” I was afraid to go back to the movie house. His style of filmmaking has changed dramtically since gaining western producers/ distributors for his recent films, notably “Hero” and HOFD. He was no longer the low budget artist (low budget by Hollywood standards) who told his story visually without the need of Wire-Fu martial arts and big name Asian actors to star in his movies. His movies had become, commercial. But his last two films, “Riding Along for Thousands of Miles” and “Curse of the Golden Flower” seems to break that streak of Hollywood.

Visibly noticeable from the opening sequence is the amount of cuts he uses, which is consistent throughout the entire movie. We are instantly drawn into the Imperial Palace of the latter part of the Tang Dynasty. We are not intruders, nor are servants to the palace. But the audience is treated like guests. We are there to witness all the intrigue and the ceremonies that surround the lives of the Imperial family of the time. Camera work is precise, not one frame out. Not one image out of place, the movement of every scene is well rehersed as if everything had already been scripted.

Zhang Yimou brings out the life of his characters by their mere eyes and hand gestures. This is most apparent in Gong Li’s performance. Her contained passion and anger is effortlessly portrayed on screen. Most of the film is on her anyway. But that is not to discount Chow Yun-Fat, who in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” had to memorize his lines since he was fluent in Cantonese, but not in Mandarin. That is not the case here. Here he pulls off probably one of his best performances all the while combing his beard.

I can’t say anything more about the movie without giving away the plot details, but it is a must see. Maybe we can see a glimpse on what the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics will look like.