Can't Wait For This Game

The best storytelling in videogames today (and better storytelling than many movies) continues next year with the arrival of Mass Effect 2. As a big fan of the first, I'm eagerly counting down.

Shepherd's Back - Or is He?

I blogged a while back about my great love for BioWare's sci-fi RPG epic Mass Effect. The gaming community has long known that the game was the first in a planned trilogy, but over the weekend the first official glimpse of Mass Effect 2 was revealed with a teaser trailer. The video is certainly a teaser, and it has Mass Effect fans like me in a tizzy over the fate of the Commander Shepherd we created and shaped in the first game. The developers at BioWare are telling Xbox 360 owners to hang onto their saved games from the original Mass Effect for use with the sequel, so perhaps the trailer isn't quite what it seems. Anyway, have a look - and if you haven't played the first Mass Effect, really, what are you waiting for?

The Next Level of Video Game Storytelling

Last night, I just finished playing through Mass Effect for the Xbox 360, a game that I had looked forward to for over a year and that lived up to (and shattered) my expectations in every way. The game blurs the line between movie and game by telling a fantastic story through beautifully rendered graphics, great voice talent, and a dialog system that makes you feel like you are driving the story forward based on your decisions. If you have a 360 (or a good gaming PC for that matter) you simply must check this one out. Here's a look...