Hear Me Out: Mass Effect 3 & The Curious Case of Day One DLC

Its kinda funny, because Knights of the Old Republic on the Xbox was my first real experience with DLC. I wouldn't call it substantial or anything, but there you go. Upon hearing about it, I busted out the ethernet cable and hooked my Xbox up to the internet for the first time. It was an odd experience. Xbox Live wasn't really a thing at the time; people used it, but mostly for Halo 2. No one I personally knew used it, at least.

So the thing boots up, slowly, and I'm greeted with a little screen that lists the DLC for KotOR. "Yavin Station" it was called, and I was unreasonably excited at the time. Shouldn't have been, since it really only amounted to a brief encounter with an NPC and a little bit of loot - and, I guess, the geek delight of being in orbit somewhere in the Yavin System. All in all, it was a brief distraction.

But you know what? It was free! The price was absolutely right for BioWare's first attempt at console-based DLC. And we've come a long way since then.

Now, I'm certainly not saying that BioWare should've kept releasing free DLC, because I know that's not how the world works. (Except in CDProjekt's magical realm.) My main problem with BioWare has always been what's actually in the DLC. That problem really started emerging during the release of Dragon Age: Origins; for as much as I absolutely love that freaking game... most of the DLC is shit. Why is that?

During the initial release, there was a deluxe edition for DA:O that included "Warden's Keep" for free. It wasn't in the standard or collector's editions, though. Everyone else had to pay $7 for the add-on at launch. Sound familiar? And the primary selling point of the add-on wasn't really the story, it was that it came with the only storage chest in the game. In a loot-heavy game like Dragon Age: Origins, you had to buy, with real money, a means to store it all if you didn't want to manage your inventory over the course of an 80 hour game. Some would say that's a more egregious overstep in "DLC ethics" than "From Ashes".

BioWare's slowly building a history of being that company that makes compelling games, and then sells you the pieces that made them compelling. They've shown that they're not afraid of selling you the ending to a story they've built up. "Lair of the Shadow Broker" is by and large the most celebrated piece of DLC BioWare's put out in a long time - yet, it's the ending to a story that's been built up over the course of two games. The mystery of the Shadow Broker was introduced in Mass Effect and continued well into the sequel. An intriguing story that you cannot finish unless you buy the add-on.

Another couple of examples that I'd call to the forefront would be "Return to Ostagar" and "Normandy Crash Site." In both of these add-ons, you're returning to a place of much relevance to your respective characters. In DA:O, you're returning to the place where you became a Grey Warden, met Alistair, Duncan, and witnessed the Battle of Ostagar. There's a lot of history in that little part of the game. Same with "Normandy Crash Site." Obviously, the Normandy played a big part in the first game, and seeing it destroyed in the opening moments of Mass Effect 2 is what really hooked you back into the story.

Both of these were cut away from the main game and sold as DLC. (Though "Normandy Crash Site" did come with new copies of ME2.) Why these parts specifically? Let's say I'm in charge of writing the stories for DLC, and I literally have thousands of years of history and an entire galaxy to use as my canvas: why, then, would I make an add-on that would make for such a compelling moment for players who truly love the lore of these games? Why do that instead of keeping them in the game, thereby bettering the product as a whole, and focusing on something else?

Well, I might have just answered my own question.

And that's really the sad part for me. BioWare would rather piece out key character moments and sell them separately (or use them as a means to combat piracy/used game sales) rather than just focus on delivering a whole game. They're known for their stories, their narratives, their universes; so what does that say when they're completely a-okay with holding all of these hostage to bring in more sales?

It makes them a business, certainly, that much is true. But for some reason, that's never how I saw BioWare. Ever since Knights of the Old Republic, I saw them as a bunch of storytellers first and a corporation second, sci-fi/fantasy fans, whose main goal was to deliver immersive, story-based RPGs. It took the atrocity that was Dragon Age 2 for me to realize, "Holy crap, they really don't care anymore, do they?" Dragon Age 2: a game where they literally left holes in the narrative so that they might be filled at a later time by DLC. Dragon Age 2: a game that spoiled its own endgame plot twist in its day one add-on, "The Exiled Prince."

So, here comes "From Ashes", an add-on that'll be available the day Mass Effect 3 is released. From what's been confirmed, we not only run into a living Prothean, but we also make a return trip to Eden Prime - both of which are huge developments with regards to the lore, and most fans will take notice of why this is the case. Eden Prime, much like the Normandy Crash Site and Ostagar, represents a key moment in the series. It's the place that kicked off Shepard's trilogy, and includes the member of a race that might as well be the True Sith by comparison. (Pre-SWTOR True Sith, when they were still a mystery.) So, of course, that's all up for sale now. A galaxy's worth of stories to tell, and that's the one they pick.

I'm still baring in mind that we don't know all the details yet. BioWare could turn around and release a small bit of info that would make us all realize we blew this way out of proportion. Regardless, BioWare still managed to spoil the fact that we even have Protheans in the game to begin with by ensuring this DLC was a little more crucial than it needed to be... and on Day One.

BioWare's still going to end up getting my money out of this - for the game, at least, not for the DLC. It just has to happen, though I hate myself for it. They're building on a foundation that means a lot to me, just as The Old Republic did. I want to see how the story ends, though I'm amazed that throwing $60 at this thing won't get me the whole package at launch.

Drew Karpyshyn Leaves BioWare, Takes Company's Integrity With Him

What exactly is a "lead writer" on a video game? Well, if you have a room full of writers working on a video game, the lead writer is one of them - the one with the whip who keeps the story in line. They're essentially narrative designers, directors, and staff writers all rolled up into one. (Or, at least, this is how it was explained to me.) This is important when you think about general tone, when/how certain plot points emerge, how characters develop, etc. The lead writer has to keep track of all of this.

My first experience with Drew Karpyshyn's work was during Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the first game in which he was credited as "lead writer". I don't think I have to go back over how much of an impact that game made on my life. I can! But I won't.

...I totally could!

But I won't... Or, maybe... Nah.

His second game as lead writer was Mass Effect. Again, huge impact on my life. It was a fantastically imaginative game, with great characters and great sci-fi that harkened back to the classics of the genre. Mass Effect 2 is when Mr. Karpyshyn had to hand over the reigns, and I think anyone who pays close attention to these things can see that there was some definite change. Not for the worse or for the better, but definite change.

Mass Effect 2, while good, was a little formulaic. Character development occurred on cue and usually involved what you thought it would. When Karpyshyn was involved, these things were handled with a little more subtlety. Party members joined your crew more organically, and their stories unraveled at a more natural pace. You saw Garrus's discontent before you ever heard about Dr. Heart, and how it affected his handling of Saren's case. You sensed Kaiden's subdued personality before you ever heard about his time on Jump Zero, and what actually happened there.

Even going back to KotOR, connecting Carth's trust issues to Malak and Saul Karath was fantastic. It made sense because it had always been there. Even Bastila's parental problem was something I didn't see coming but made sense. Or, you know, how you don't think about why fourteen-year-old Mission Vao is hanging out with a Wookiee until you find out she'd been abandoned.

Let's face it, the writing on both of those games won't win the Pulitzer, but there's something to be said for writing that's a little more subtle, more human. Mass Effect 3 is looking like it'll have all the bombastic dialogue that EA/BioWare have encouraged out of the series of late, and, you know, whatever. But there's something to be said for subtlety. Dialogue doesn't have to be a series of exciting and loud one-liners to make an impact. I don't remember Kaiden saying one interesting line that I can quote endlessly. What he said over time is what made him interesting. His actions and the many conversations he had with Shepard are what combined to make him one of my favorite characters in the game.

Subtlety. I'm gonna type that a few more times, because I think that's what Karpyshyn encouraged while he was with BioWare. Because people don't naturally talk with extravagant rhetoric; sometimes you can talk to someone for a long time before they say anything interesting. That's what made the characters Karpyshyn oversaw a little more human, because they acted like it.

That's an element that I think will be sorely missed once we're finally up to our controllers/keyboards in the beautiful guys and gals of the Mass Effect universe. Time will tell. I've been overly critical of Mr. Karpyshyn's other endeavors, but his work at BioWare speaks for itself: subtly, without sex and explosions doing all the talking.

Thanks for the ride, Mr. Karpyshyn. And good luck.

First Impressions - Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

There's a reason why R.A. Salvatore is one of my favorite authors, though I'm still trying to understand it. It feels like the fantasy genre has evolved into a place where dramatic, dark, and otherwise adult stories have become more commonplace than anything else. Not to get too blunt here, but after initially reading Salvatore's Icewind Dale Trilogy, the next few fantasy series I got myself into all had a rape and/or incest scene in there somewhere. Not that I'm against adult stories in fantasy, but you can see how my initial image of what was true of the genre shifted rather dramatically.

The brand of fantasy that I'll always be able to enjoy is the kind that's geared towards escapism. Lands that you'd want to explore, places you wish you could see, people you wish you could meet. Drizzt and the gang weren't characters I wanted to read about; I wanted to be right there with them! Basically, a Tolkien mindset. Stories that always have one foot planted in fairy tales.

That's what I was hoping for when I learned Salvatore was helping to develop a new fantasy RPG from the ground up. I know his strengths lie in the creative process, the actual world-building, and coming up with ways to keep people in that world. He's probably the prime reason Forgotten Realms is as fine-tuned and immersive as it is today. (Not to minimize Ed Greenwood's obvious contributions, but I have a tangent going here!) So, I had a lot of expectations wrapped up in this game - very high expectations. Did Reckoning meet those expectations? Or will it? (Since I'm not finished with it yet.)

Judging by my first impressions, it's tough to tell. I have about 16 hours into it so far, which should tell you something: that I haven't been put off by it yet. Reckoning is such a strange beast, but I'm still loving it enough to continue progressing like mad.

The Story:

The game begins, and you wake up dead. With no memory of who you are, or were, you quickly find out that you're the first mortal to be brought back to life through a device called "The Well of Souls," which attempts to take a soul and remake it into a corporeal being. Since the mortal races are currently at odds with a sect of immortals, this is a big fucking deal. Being able to bring mortals back from death could possibly turn the tide of the war.

What sucks is that these evil immortals, the "Tuatha," have been tipped off about the Well, and destroy the thing after you wake up. This leaves you kind of high and dry in the grand scale of things, but you're soon befriended by a Fateweaver... but let me go back and discuss the concept of fate that will be a prevalent element in the game.

In Amalur, fate is everything. It's a tangible force, leading all mortal beings to a predetermined end. Religions are based off of it and all that. Fateweavers are people endowed with the ability to see the weave of fate, see how people will succeed in life, fail, and eventually die. (They can even see their own death, which is why our fellow Fateweaver has a drinking problem.) When this Fateweaver meets with you, he discovers that, well, you have no fate: at least not one that he can see, nor one that a higher power has any control over.

You're one big walking disaster as far as fate's concerned. Anytime you interact with anyone, you're changing everything. People who were doomed to die will suddenly have a new lease on life, and bad men who would've otherwise caused untold destruction have their crusades cut short. In a world where predestination is everything, you're a dangerous thing to have walking around unchecked. And the story progresses with factions on all sides trying to claim you in some way, some maliciously, some charitably. As one of the characters says, "Death has worked out pretty well for you."

Personally, I find all of this pretty interesting. It gets one thinking, and the game wrestles with the question of fate along with you as you progress. What is the point of doing anything if you have no control over what becomes of you? Or is there a reason to take solace in knowing that what you do already matters in some way? Or is fate proper justification to just do-as-you-please if there are no real consequences, only living up to your destiny?

The World:

A lot of RPGs have opted to go with a very realistic style these days, with Fable and the semi-recent Dragon Age 2 being examples of the more stylized type. In that sense, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has more in common with Fable stylistically than anything else. You see these towns, forests, dungeons through you're playing through a dreamscape. The mood is very ethereal; beams of light break through the treeline, blue wisps of energy float and bounce through the air; vibrant, unnatural shades of blue and green and yellow are the base pallet almost everywhere you go. It's surprisingly relaxing and very appealing to the eye.

Towns spot the world every now and then, clearly constructed with aesthetics in mind more than anything else. A great example of this is the town of Didenhil, a hamlet built on the edge of a small lake in an area that sees constant twilight. A place that you'd want to paint, even if you can't draw.

It's a visually impressive world, and stunning with regards to a few areas. (Nyralim being another one. When you see it, you'll know.) It's as stylistically impressive as Skyrim was realistically... if that makes sense.

All of this makes running around this particular region of Amalur rather fun! You'll actually want to progress just to see where the story's going to take you next. There certainly are a lot of places to go, and it's completely open world; you can run from one end of Dalentarth to the other without hitting a loading screen. (Though there are a few zones that will require a loading screen, but much, much less than you'd see in Skyrim.)

My only real problem with the realm of Amalur is that there's not a whole lot of spontaneity to it. Sure, it's filled with a bunch of unique enemies and a lot of little nooks and crannies to explore. But it also has a lot in common with The Legend of Zelda series, in that in between missions you're not likely to meet anyone but enemies. I guess I've become accustomed to living worlds like Red Dead Redemption and Skyrim and The Witcher 2, so I expect... more, I guess. Skyrim has the benefit of being able to tell stories even when no one's around (i.e. item placement and abandoned outposts and all that), but there's nothing like that in Amalur; it feels a little empty at times.

The thing about Fable was that there was no wasted space, and in Skyrim there's always something to find. With Amalur, there are definitely instances of wasted space and there's not always something to find. This makes certain areas absolutely enjoyable to explore, but not so much to keep returning to. More NPCs or wedging the lore into the setting itself more often would've help - but still! It all still works.

The Gameplay:

Much has been made about KoA: Reckoning's combat system, and it's all pretty much right on the money. It actually kind of picks of the slack from the somewhat empty world, because even if you don't find anything of interest, there is still no shortage of things to fight - and the fights are still very fun to me.

It all kind of stems from how the game doesn't force you into a role. Unlike other RPGs where you pick a class and stick with it for the rest of the game, Reckoning gives you three different skill trees (Might, Finesse, and Sorcery) and pretty much lets you go crazy. You can spec full on into Finesse and make yourself into a badass rogue, or go into Might/Sorcery and be a battlemage - or go into all three! The game compensates for experimentation by having certain "Destinies" available for different combinations, which grant bonuses to your attack, mana, crit chance, etc. based on the class you've created.

As you level, you're given more points to put into these skill trees, which eventually nets you different combos and abilities. This ensures that you can be as versatile as you want to be in any given fight, by being able to switch between melee, ranged, block, magic, abilities, spells, and combos. Not to mention "Reckoning Mode"! When ever you kill a creature or lace together a big enough combo, you build your Reckoning meter, and after it's full and activated, your attack power/speed increases, enabling you to wipe out an entire room filled with bosses and minions effortlessly, and it's all topped off by a finishing move that augments your XP, kills everything you've subdued in the room, and looks just plain badass.

There's also something inherently exciting about listening to a boss give his monologue before you activate Reckoning mode and take him down in the most one-sided way possible.

It's fun, and up there with The Witcher 2 in terms of variety (and maybe Dark Souls, minus the difficulty).

Overall:

I'm still having a blast. For reasons that I can't quite explain, I have an intense urge to keep playing the game. The story is interesting, the world is varied, beautiful, and massive (nearly 20 hours in, and I've only explored 1/4th of the entire map), and the lore is fun to sift through. Is it perfect or the second coming of RPGs? Probably not, but it's a fantastic start for a new company, a new IP, and a premiere title. With all of the trappings and all that could've gone wrong, it's amazing how much they got very right.

If I had one big criticism, it's that the Xbox 360 version has a problem with lip syncing. I think I'd be gushing about this game if the characters didn't seem so disassociated from their voices. It just gives me a headache, because the insane thing is that the lips match the words that are being spoken, but there's this noticeable half-second delay. It's just... GAH! And there's so much dialogue! Almost every NPC has a handful of dialogue options, which makes things worse because I want to talk to everyone, but I just hate that delay. It breaks immersion something fierce.

Not game-breaking, but I'm dearly hoping for a fix.

Another criticism would be that those silly segmented responses from Oblivion are back, which I was never a fan of. I guess if you don't like sifting through dialogue responses to get the information you want, this would work. But I like hearing my character's voice in my head and sifting through dialogue responses to find the right one. I would've greatly preferred Dragon Age: Origins or Fallout: New Vegas or KotOR-type responses to make my character feel a little more personal. It just feels like a weird decision when the game took so many steps in other ways to ensure the player character would be unique to each player.

If you pick up Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, you'll have no shortage of things to do. There are tons of quests, items, and recipes for crafting in one of the larger open worlds out there, with an interesting story and fun combat to link it all together. It has its downsides, just like most premiere titles, but it had the foresight to not make any mistakes that would've made the game a chore to get through. Because it's not - at least, not to me. There's something to be said for games of a more intimate nature, but I see nothing wrong with a game that tries to ensure there's always something more to do.

You know: one of those games where there's no point in making another character, since it's unlikely you'll be finished with your first one anytime soon.