"Contagion" alpha gameplay trailer

Indie title by a team of Source modders (Zombie Panic: Source) gone pro.

ME3 Day One (Addendum)

+ I want to ass-punch every member of the Council. STFU noobs.

+ The Alliance "retrofitted" the Normandy. That means they added a few new rooms, and broke most of the light bulbs. It's dank.

+ Big surprise with EDI. I did not see that coming.

Battlefield 3 Flashlight Unlock

ME3 - Day One

I've decided to blog my experience with ME3 day-by-day. It's a long game, so a review -- coming only at the end -- would exclude too much "present sense impression" material. Conversely, a single "first impressions" post would prevent me from tracking changes in my thinking about the game over time. For whatever reason, I'm guessing that will be an important thing to do.

I will make no effort at either structure or chronology in these posts. Expect a series of lists.

So, Day One:

+ The intro is rather terse. The Reapers are finally here to bring the genocide, and Shep-messiah is let off the leash.

+ The first thing I notice: everybody has bigger boobs.

+ The tutorial mission is also brief, and apart from some rolling and jumping stuff, the blunt force trauma lesson is this: people are going to die.

+ Anderson is still the most likable guy in the galaxy.

+ Ashley, despite the boob job and the hairdo, is more masculine this time around. And she's still two mental leaps behind everybody else.

+ The FOV appears to be locked between 65 and 70 degrees. The result is claustrophbic and somewhat disorienting at times. There must be a way to change it.

+ New skill system: like. New inventory/upgrade system: do not like.

+ Combat is balls, as usual. I knew that was coming, so I'm playing the game on "tell me a story" difficulty. I've been standing out in the open for the most part, and my shields haven't gone down yet. I may have to rethink that choice.

+ I'm already regretting choosing the Infiltrator class. Combat is faster than it was in the previous games, and there's a lot more CQC. Should have been a Vanguard.

+ Voice acting is a mixed bag, but still stronger than most games. The pauses between lines, though small, are becoming more noticeable.

+ This game has some incredible vistas ... if you happen to see them. Restricted FOV fail.

+ As expected, the first encounter with the Illusive Man borders on parody. He's already well into the transition from enigmatic mastermind to obtuse megalomaniac.

+ All our hopes rest on an uber-machine. I can already see a "Contact" -like scenario developing.

+ The first romance dilemma comes early and abruptly, and ends up being rather wooden. Meh.

+ Garrus is still a more witty -- and more Turian -- version of Anderson. Good character.

+ Udina is much more of a bro this time around. Good move.

+ The pacing feels slow thus far. Millions of little Earthlings are being slaughtered as I stand around bullshitting with various minor players, but I feel no sense of urgency.

I have ME3...

...because I have to see how it ends.

I bought the game because I wanted closure, which should be enough of an endorsement for any fan of Mass Effect. But -- and this is a huge but -- there are so many ways Bioware could get it wrong. I've never bought a game that I expected to disappoint me before, but that $60 is gone now.

I have been at war with myself these last few months, because of the publisher, because of the DLC, and because I don't believe Bioware when they say that the multiplayer (nothing more than a honey pot for yet another microtransaction market) won't impact the singleplayer.

Will closure be enough? I'm about to find out.

Gamer Girl...