#kees reviews

After having played this wreck of a game, after the overall feeling of disappointment it left me with, it took me a while to figure out what was wrong.  It wasn’t the “innovative” mechanics which just made everything more confusing (and that was if they worked in the first place).  It wasn’t quite the poorly written narrative with two dimensional characters and minimal plot progression.  The wide, sweeping, bustling, populace was nice. It added a feel of life to the city, even though that didn’t really do much more than push up the specs.  

It was the fact that everything about this game felt half done. It was like someone had jotted down a few ideas, the barest thoughts about what could be an interesting idea to look at, then someone else strung it all together and turned it into this half-done nonsense.  Ties to both sides, fantastic!  Fractured animus eras, great!  Customization, beautiful!  Conflict of nobles and masses, thrilling!  Individual choice in completing assassinations, exciting!  ...and yet, none of it worked to it’s fullest.

Don’t get me wrong, it did have it’s moments.  The co-op missions had a good feel and needed planning and team work, the equipment was a nice change with customization the other games never had.

But they missed some amazing opportunity for exploring complex issues.  I mean the main guy had two dads, one a templar and one an assassin fOR PETE’S SAKE!  Some conflict of interest, some emotional dilemma, some collaboration between these ancient rivals, even some Romeo and Juliet fluff would have had more gravity than anything that was in this.  Not to mention that the actual Revolution doesn’t happen until around sequence 10 of 12, and again doesn’t really do anything but add more crowds and make your tech work for it’s life.

And at the end of it all, I still have no idea what was the point of the assassins or templars in this game. Neither faction had any apparent development or motivation, aside from getting snarky comments from our dear, thick, protagonist or occasionally interrupting from the present day.

A game of amazing, lovely, beautiful potential... and sad, hollow, disappointment.

Based on a tabletop RPG, Shadowrun takes you into an anarchistic cyber Berlin inhabited by humans and a range of mythical creatures (Elves, Orcs, Dwarfs, and more) and in an age of futuristic technology but also magic.  As if that doesn't sound good already.  But wait, it gets better.

Your character joins up with a team of Shadowrunners (people paid to do the stuff corporations don't want tied to them) for a milk-run, and soon enough all hell breaks loose.  You've got mystery, murder, the matrix and a goddamn dragon at the centre of it.

Even though it's a small game, I've found the character development to be extraordinary. Never before have I felt so connected with my character, that I could understand them more than just in the small window of the game.  It sucks you right in, then spits you out gasping for air and crying out for more.

Sure, the graphics and interface feel a little old school (think Diablo II meets tactics) but once you get used to it, there's no other way it could be.  The story is short and leaves a bit to the imagination, but that only makes me so more eager for whatever is next install.

Revelation, Ascension and Retribution are three entertaining and well written stories. They give you the story and even more reason to love the galaxy's favourite BAMF Admiral Anderson, and of course more to his relation with Kahlee Sanders (of Grissom Academy fame).  

As an avid fan of the games, these three stories, though not needed, are an immense addition to the Mass Effect universe.  Also making the appearance of Kai 'sudden-evil-cyber-ninja' Leng, not so much out of the blue and instead an actual character with actual back-story and connection to past events.

For any who like the games, these are a well likable supplement to the world, expanding on things only mentioned in the game and telling a story that isn't all about the illustrious Shepard.  Of a similar vein I would recommend most of the Mass Effect comics as well.