So I played the Extended Cut. Overall, I’m satisfied, but that’s not too much of a surprise since I was satisfied with the original ending as well. All the additions are definite improvements, there’s no room for debating that. Several occurrences that were previously open to interpretation are now properly spelled out or dramatized, and the options available to the player are expanded to include an additional final choice.
Category: Reviews
Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers is an HBO miniseries about American troops fighting in Europe during WWII. Ten hour-long episodes follow the fortunes of “Easy Company” from basic training to the end of the war, covering several significant campaigns, such as the landing in Normandy and taking the Eagle’s Nest. The narrative is based on real people and events; some episodes begin with veterans talking about their memories, but it’s not until the last one that it’s revealed they are, in fact, the characters from the series, some of whom still live.
Closure
Ha. I was neither right nor wrong. There will be an “Extended Cut” DLC for Mass Effect 3, but it will offer no new endings and it will cost no money. It will extend the existing endings by including additional cutscenes and dialogs in order to provide more closure. ETA: summer 2012.
I Like the Way Mass Effect Ends
There has been a huge shit-storm in Mass Effect fandom over the way ME 3 ended. I can’t say I’ve been on the forefront of these… discussions, but some of my friends have been affected by the depression and have kept me informed on the hopes and fears boiling within the community. Like I said elsewhere, I think the particular ending(s) have little to do with the high emotions; I think the fans are mourning the passing of the entire series.
Mass Effect 3
This is not a review. In fact, I don’t know if I’ll ever have the stamina to write one; you know, with objective criticism and all that. That would be exceedingly difficult, because, see, this game pulled on all my strings so hard. Other than some minor annoyances, I’d say that everything was done exactly right. Or, to allow for some weaseling, everything was done exactly to my taste.
Quests – Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives
by J. Howard
A bridge-building book that connects the literary genre of the romantic quest narrative (exemplified by the Arthurian legends), and the wide category of “quest games” that includes, but isn’t limited to, RPGs and action-adventure games. The parallels are undeniable and familiar to any person who enjoys playing such games, but it’s a real pleasure to see someone publish a book filled with good arguments and examples to use in debates with game critics who dismiss games as an art form and just a “waste of time”.
Continue reading Quests – Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives