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Nick Reviews: ME3 EC

So it’s not a full game, but here’s my brief rundown:

I clearly had no issue with the original. However, Bioware really hushed the big whiners with this one. They took the BIG complaints (“OMG Joker wouldn’t run away like that GUYZ,” and that STUPID indoctrination theory) and incorporated them heavily into the DLC. They knew exactly their target audience and pretty much told them all to shut up. I fully support it.

My bitterness towards idiots aside, it really was a fresh experience. The new cutscenes didn’t feel forced, and even the little photo montage didn’t get old. I teared up a few times and felt very happy at the end of it all, and it felt like all my choices in the games, while not leading to DRASTICALLY different endings (because 20 different ending choices, like half these morons expected, is not possible given time and resource restraints), led to a genuinely satisfying final product. No matter how happy or unhappy you were with the original, download this.

FINALLY, people can shut up.

Edit: Oh, I lied. People are still complaining. What can you expect though?

Nick Reviews: Gaming Communities

I’ve realized something recently: Certain gaming communities are incredibly awful. I went back to playing Halo Reach last night and stopped after one game because I remembered why I stopped playing:

Halo players are consistently angry, bitter, hostile, trashtalking people who take a hatred to your existence as soon as you’re on the other team.

Sadly, this made me realize something about a community I’m a part of: The Mass Effect community.

I have never witnessed so much whining, moaning, and complaining over an ending of a videogame that, let’s face it, was just mediocre. There was nothing earth-shatteringly bad about the ending to Mass Effect 3, it was just mehhhhh.

I hear some people object, “but Nick, that’s what made it so inexcusable! It didn’t live up to the excellence of the series!” Well that’s fine, but with the way most of these jerks are treating it I’d have guessed the ending stole their car and ran over their dog.

So Bioware, being far too good for what these idiots deserve, are releasing the extended cut. Already there are people talking about how it will be disappointing. IT ISN’T COMING OUT FOR A WEEK AND YOU ALREADY HATE IT!

So, it’s unfortunate, but the Mass Effect community is now #2 on my list of worst gaming communities.

Edit: In a funny connection, the only ending I’ve ever been that mad about was Halo 2. At that point it wasn’t announced that it was a trilogy, so when Master Chief said “Sir, finishing this fight,” I expected the fight to be finished. But no, credits rolled, and rage ensued. The equivalent would be if the ending to ME3 was a cliff-hanger; THEN I’d understand the rage. But no, it’s just mehhhhh.

Nick Reviews: Professional Gaming

The universal acceptance of gaming as a sport will forever mark the end of gaming as fun. That’s where Bungie lost my respect, when they started making MLG-specific maps because their others were “too fun.”

Game to your hearts content, gamers, but if you’re one of those people who thinks it’s a huge competition to be the best in the world by using only ONE gun forever because it’s what you have perfectly mastered on every map, you’re ruining it for everyone else.

PS3 with some crazy showings now

Looking good. The Last of Us certainly looks like the PS3 exclusive winner, but I’m sure the God of War fans will quickly disagree. Wonderbook looks very interesting as well.