Time to get lost in space

I finally got my copy of Bioware’s space shooter RPG Mass Effect 2 today, for my Xbox 360. I will tell you what I think of it as soon as I’ve gotten around to play it properly. I have heard lots of great things about this second installement, so my anticipations are rather hight at the moment.

I did enjoy the original Mass Effect, although not everything was superb to my taste. I hope for a better menu system, a better planet exploration system without a unmaneuverable moon car, and more of the interesting characters.

It would also be nice with a storyline that doesn’t suck this time around.

Well, I am off to explore the world of Mass Effect once more. Wish me luck!

Molyneux talks Fable 3

This British game designer really likes to talk about his new games. His newest brainchild Fable 3 will, according to his statements at Microsofts X10 arrangement, come with a few ground breaking and revolutionary concepts.

I wonder when Peter Molyneux’ newest game did not come with revolutionary ideas.

To name the three main new features brought into attention by Molyneux himself, the new incarnation of his fantasy action RPG will feature context sensitive triggers, cool weapons and the ability to rule Albion as its beloved (or hated) king.

The trigger sensitive button feature means that the same trigger button will trigger different responses from the game depending on the situation. It may kill somebody, it may help a little child to find her way home.

In other words, the exact same feature that Molyneux eagerly presented to the press and fellow game developer about a year before the release of Fable 2, and was missing in the final release. Only back then, he talked about a bar fight scene and how the trigger button would pick up a bottle and smash it over somebody’s head.

The cool weapons feature means weapons that morph depending on what you do with them; what you kill and how often you kill it.

In other words, the creature from Black and White; only it’s a sword.

The ability to rule Albion sounds like the most interesting feature of Fable 3 thus far. However, we already knew all about that one.

What I’m interested in, is how Natal fits into all of this. I want to know if I can punch that child in the face and watch it cry.

No more trees for Diablo 3

According to recent speculations, the well tried and well experienced skill tree is pretty much out of Blizzard Activision’s famous (or infamous) dungeon crawler. This comes from a twitter message posted by the game’s lead designer Jay Wilson himself, who states that the skill system revision is in full force. Trees begone! I think it might be a winner.

An action role playing game without a skill tree? That’s almost like eggs without bacon!

The wonderful thing about a traditional skill tree, is that it’s so simple to understand and get into. The intuitive way of presenting the possible character progression is eye candy to most players who don’t want to dig themselves into some complex manual.

Diablo pretty much set the standard for most role playing games with it’s skill tree system. It was further developed in World of Warcraft, which all must agree on has been quite a success, and adapted by most action RPG developers and many traditional RPG developers. Even the hardcore role playing game developer Bioware used this very traditional system in their latest RPG Dragon Age: Origins.

However, Dragon Age: Origins does draw a lot of inspiration from games like Diablo and World of Warcraft, although most harcore Bioware RPG fans probably will refuse to acknowledge this fact. There is a lot of World of Warcraft in Dragon Age: Origins gameplay.

Anyway, where is Blizzard going with this? Are they trying out a more way of dealing with skills, like the system in The Elder Scrolls games? Or have they invented some new incredible skill sytem that is even more intuitive and easy to understand? Final Fantasy XII had its chessboard stystem. Is that a possible source of inspiration?

At any rate, it ought to be something interesting, since the developers obviously had allready worked out a traditional skill tree system in Diablo 3. Maybe they actually found some kind of meat that actually goes better with eggs than bacon does!

Don’t Get This if You Don’t Have Friends

I’m not really sure where to start with Borderlands. It can be a great game, but it can alsto be a really bad game. Why? Because having a Xbox Live connection or a few good friends to play split screen with is crucial in order to enjoy this game.

Borderlands is a hybrid between a first person shooter and an action role playing game. I love the idea of that mixture, because I think the traditional straight forward first person shooters are downright boring. Adding a bit of role playing elements to it is welcomed.

One of the things I didn’t like that much about Borderlands is the opening, because there is no real introduction to either your character, nor the game world. You’re just trown in there. You find yourself in the middle of a Texas looking planet, and you’re given these odd messages by an odd woman that wants you to find something she calles “the vault”.

I don’t mind a Texas looking planet, or a woman telling me things, but I do like to know what’s going on. It feels like a bit of a weakness to the role playing factor of Borderlands.

That being said, I have mostly good things to say about the gameplay. It’s action driven, loot getting, level climbing and skill aquiring, just the way you want a good action RPG to be like. It’s almost like a mixture of Diablo and Fallout 3, and that’s meant in a good way.

It would be nice, however, if the single player part of it was better. You simply have to play this game as a team with other people, because that’s basically the only way it’s fun. Running around alone is just boring, because the game design is so aimed at a multiplayer co-op experience. If you don’t have another Xbox 360 controller, have no Xbox Live connection, or simply have no friends; don’t bother to buy Borderlands. If you do, this game is something to remember.

In a multiplayer game I usually don’t mind the story or storytelling qualities of the game. In a single player experience, I get put off by poorly developed and poorly delivered story elements. For Borderlands, the latter applies. Happily, I do have both friends and an Xbox Live connection.