Baldur's Gate 2 : The Throne of Bhaal

Of all the games on my shelf that sit unfinished, Baldur's Gate 2 is one of the oldest and most prestigious.  I did manage to complete the original game, twice actually, but always burned out after starting The Throne of Bhaal expansion.  It's been several years since my last attempt, so long in fact that I don't even remember the last time I played.  This time, in addition to the ever popular and necessary widescreen mod, I'll also be playing with a few others:  the fix and tweak packs from Gibberlings3, David Gaider's Ascension, Nightmare's beauty pack, Weimer's Item Upgrade and Solaufien mods, PnP Celestials, Dungeon-Be-Gone, and 1Pixel Production's avatars.  I'm only using mods that don't unbalance the game, so no cheats or godly items.

My original intent was to play through the game normally, but I've already done that twice before and decided on something different this time.  I started a multiplayer game and created five characters for myself, leaving the sixth slot empty for NPCs.  When deciding what classes to pick I tried to make sure I had each of the main jobs covered:  a paladin to use the Holy Avenger sword, a high-damage fighter, a rogue to take care of traps and locks, a priest for healing and buffing, and a pure mage for power spellcasting.  I'm not really big on multi-classing as they always lag behind my single-class characters.  I thought about dual-classing, but decided against it since my last play through was a dual-classed Kensai/Mage.

After much consideration and dice rolling, I finally came  up with my party:
Rune, Human Cavalier, 2-handed sword spec, 18 STR DEX and CON
Throk, Half-Orc Berserker, 2-handed weapons spec, 19 STR and CON
Darcy, Dwarf Priest of Lathander, hammer and shield spec, 19 CON
Lassider, Elf Swashbucker, bows and 2-weapon spec, 19 DEX
Zamiele, Elf Sorcerer, darts and staves, 18 DEX and CON

The Cavalier is the best paladin kit in my opinion because they are immune to fear and morale failure.  Higher level mages and monsters almost always use some kind of fear, so it's nice to have one of my lead tanks be able to shake it off.  I chose the Berserker mainly for their high damage output and combat ability, plus I wanted one pure fighter for weapon mastery.  I almost went with a regular run of the mill cleric, but decided on the Priest of Lathander at the last second.  They have a nice combat spell that boosts armor class and all saving throws, if I can remember to actually use it.  A Swashbuckler has better combat abilities than a normal thief, the only downside being they get no backstab bonus.  Lassider's primary job is to open locks and find/disarm traps, so no backstabbing wasn't a big deal.  I gave him a bow for now so he can sit back and interrupt spell casters, but may switch him over to two weapons at some point.  Last but not least is the Sorcerer, the best mage class in my opinion.  They automatically learn spells each level and cannot scribe them from scrolls, which means Zamiele's spell selection will be limited.  The upside is he has no need to memorize and prepare, instead being able to cast any spell he knows from each level a certain number of times.

Dungon-Be-Gone starts the game right at the very end of Irenicus' dungeon, and I have to say thank god for that.  If there's one thing in this game I don't care to repeat, it's the starter dungeon.  After the initial cutscene I'm free to go wherever, so like most vets I head straight down to the circus tent.  There's a quick quest line and NPC you can pick up, plus it's a nice little warm-up for my group fresh out of the dungeon.  Needless to say it's not difficult, taking less than five minutes to power through.  After that I'm ready to move on to a real challenge, something I always try before I even leave Waukeen's Promenade.

In a private room above the Inn of the Seven Vales, Mencar Pebblecrusher and his band of adventuring misfits reside.  They aren't part of any quest, and if you weren't looking you wouldn't even know they were there.  There's Mencar the dwarf, hits like a truck and dressed in full plate.  His pal Smaeluv Orcslicer, a berserker with a cursed sword and matching temper.  Sorcerous Amon and Pooky the imp, a mage and familiar casting duo that can be annoying if not dealt with quickly.  And finally Brennan Risling, a thief who attempts to backstab and usually flees the first time he gets hit.  They may not seem like much, but these five can be downright deadly to an unprepared or newly created party.  I distinctly remember one previous attempt that ended with my NPC party members dead, and Mencar chasing my main character all over the promenade.  Eventually I was able to wear him down with missiles and spells, but it took a really long time and lots of running.

So this time I wanted to try and make it through with no one dead.  There's a room right outside of theirs that can be used to prep in, so I save my game and start casting buffs.  Darcy casts Bless, Chant, and Protection from Evil on the entire party.  After that I have Zamiele protect himself with Stoneskin, then cast Haste on everyone.  At this point I think we're ready, so I slide him over into the doorway.  I have him cast Web into their room, holding just about everyone but the mage and his imp.  I have Zamiele drop a Cloudkill into the room with a wand found in Irenicus' dungeon, then a Fireball before moving back.  The blast luckily kills both Amon and Pooky, but Mencar and Smaeluv break free from the webs immediately after.  They charge straight into Rune and Throk, who are thankfully blocking the doorway.  About this time Brennan also breaks free and tries to make a run for the stairs.  Lassider and Zamiele tear him down in a flurry of arrows and magic missiles before he gets very far.  Mencar breaks off from Rune to try and retaliate, but Darcy paralyzes him with a Hold Person spell.  Throk and Smaeluv trade blows, but then the Orcslicer gets hit so hard he explodes in a shower of gore  At this point Mencar's the only one left alive, helpless to defend himself.  A couple big hits and he goes down in a heap, then the battle is over.  We loot the spoils, immediately handing Mencar's slightly-used full plate to Rune.  I don't think I've ever been able to take them on that soon without at least one person dying, possibly two.  If we can take them down with only five party members it definitely bodes well for the rest of the game.  On to De'Arnise Hold!

The Witcher - End Game

I finally finished up The Witcher and can now move on, or should I say back, to Assassins of Kings.  Overall it's one of the best RPGs I've ever played, right up there with Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate 2.  The combat system I started out hating eventually grew on me, but I still prefer the newer game in that respect.  Although it does feel like you have more control, it's not nearly as fluid or realistic.  I also wasn't that big on the combo arrow, as it tends to get annoying since it's always right in the center of the screen.  Of course it does make stringing together moves much easier, so I decided against trying the mod that removes it.

I'm not sure how long it took since I haven't been able to find a game clock anywhere.  I attempted to complete every side quest, even fist fighting and dice poker.  My goal was to get the best gear possible for import into Assassins of Kings, so I knew right away I would have to make sure I didn't miss anything.  There were a couple side quests in chapter 4 that I had completed but did not turn in time, thankfully nothing major though.  The Order was the faction I chose to side with, partly because I liked Siegfried as he was one of the few honest characters in the game.  I also knew I wanted to get the Order version of Raven's Armor, which ended up being the deciding factor.  The stat bonuses were much better than the other two, at least for my brute force play style.

For most other decisions I tried to be realistic in what I would choose myself if put in that situation.  In one instance I came across a knight in the local inn looking for his missing sister.  He claimed she was spirited away by a blue-eyed prostitute and offered a reward for her return.  After digging a little deeper it's discovered that the blue-eyed beauty is a vampire, as is The Queen of the Night, the brothel's madame.  The knight's sister says that he is cruel, treats her like a slave, and that he wants to marry her off to some crotchety old lord for gold.  Therein lies the dilemma:  Witchers are supposed to kill monsters, of which vampires definitely qualify, but what about her story?  Assuming what she says is true, I took him as the more evil in this case.  At least the vampiresses treat her with some respect and compassion, as one of their own if you will, but he seems more concerned about losing a servant.  In the end he shows up at the brothel with personal guard in tow, then demands that she be returned.  I had already promised The Queen of the Night I would leave them in peace, to which the knight scolded me for being a witcher who sides with monsters and then attacked.  The vampiresses and I killed them easily.  Not exactly how I thought that quest would turn out when I started it.

One of the more interesting characters is Berenger, the rogue witcher who gave up the location of Kaer Morhen to the Salamandra.  Geralt meets him in chapter 3, and there is a final confrontation in chapter 4.  It's then that he comes clean and reveals that he was the one who gave Salamandra the location simply because he thought the witchers were no different or better.  I could have walked away at that point, but decided to kill him instead.  Traitors deserve death, and that's exactly what he got.  Not a terribly tough fight, and as a bonus I looted his amulet, which later helps during the fight against Azar Javed.

Princess Adda was something of an enigma to me, especially after her admission of guilt to helping in a plot to overthrow her father.  It's discovered at the end of chapter 2 that she is one that is forging royal seals and giving them to Salamandra.  Still under her curse from before, she attempts to have Geralt executed, but he is teleported away by Triss.  After that I was pretty much set on killing her, but later it's obvious that she's not entirely in control of her own mind.  One of the major story quests in chapter 5 is to come up with a final solution to her curse, one way or the other.  Geralt must enter the crypt she transforms in each night, and is locked in until she is either dead or cured.  By that time I had him so buffed up that even in her cursed form she really couldn't do much damage, so instead of attacking I just played keep away until morning came.  She would charge in and I would blast her back with the Aard sign.  Once the sun rose she was finally cured for good.  As a reward Geralt receives one of the better steel swords in the game, but I still had my eye on something better.

The final fight against Azar Javed wasn't really that difficult either.  With Berenger's medallion he starts out weakened, so it wasn't much work to finish him off with a strong steel sword and more liberal use of the Aard sign.  After looking in Azar's magic mirror it's discovered that the Grand Master of the Order of the Flaming Rose is the person behind everything.  I didn't see that one coming and thought that Azar was always the one running Salamandra.  Geralt and company then sail back to Vizima for the final confrontation, only to find the city in flames as the Scoia'tael have caused a non-human uprising.  It's in these final areas that Geralt battles the elven rebels with the assistance of the Order.  It's also where I found the last piece of Raven's armor and had the Order blacksmith forge it.  Since I managed to turn in all of the trophy monsters, I was able to select the Moonblade as my final reward for that quest.  It doesn't have any pain or other debuffs, but it does do massive damage.  Likewise, after defeating the champion boxer in the last fist fight match I was able to keep his tooth I had knocked out as a reward.  I had earlier started a quest in chapter 3 with a dentist in Vizima who was collecting teeth.  It began with beasts' teeth, continued with monster teeth, with the final prize being the boxer's tooth.  The dentist rewarded Geralt with a Mahakaman rune sihill named G'valchir, the highest damage steel sword in the game  When the final battle came I was definitely prepared.  I think Geralt was around level 34 or 35 when I entered the Epilogue.

Just before the final battle, the Grand Master shares his vision of Vizima's future: a vast frozen wasteland, unstoppable to all but him.  He stole the witcher's secrets to create a new order, one that would see himself as Vizima's ruler and savior.  He attacks immediately after, first sending in mutated warriors and then charging in himself.  This battle wasn't that difficult at all either, as I kept to group style with the steel sword and was able to cut down his mutants first.  After that he summoned in some fire monsters, but I switched to strong style and focused on him alone.  Once he went down they disappeared, then The King of the Wild Hunt appears and demands the master's soul.  I could have fought him, but instead decided not to stand in his way.  After he disappears I was able to deliver one final coup de grace, then Geralt finds himself back in Vizima inside the Order's cloister.  A few short cut scenes later and the game was over, setting things up nicely for the sequel.  It was an amazing experience, start to finish.  Here's hoping Assassins of Kings is just as good!

The Witcher : Enhanced Edition

After working my way through about a third of Witcher 2, I decided to go back and give the first game a try again.  My original thought was that if I finish the sequel first, I won't have any interest in going back to this one.  I know me and I won't do it, too many other games on the pile that need attention.  I also found that as good as Assassins of Kings is, I really felt like I had no idea what the hell was going on.  Several times events from the previous game are referenced, and I also wanted to get a better understanding and feel for the characters and places.  Plus you can import your save game into Assassins of Kings, complete with the choices you made and some of the gear you ended the game with.

The Witcher opens with Geralt attempting to cure King Foltest's daughter of a terrible curse that transforms her into a monster.  He is killed, but somehow brought back to life with no memory of who he is.  Along with his fellow witchers, they return to their fortress of Kaer Morhen.  It's not long before the keep is attacked by a group known as the Salamandra.  The witchers are thrown on the defensive, with Geralt quickly grabbing a sword to help repel the assault.  The first few areas introduce the combat system and it's three different styles: strong, fast, and group.  It's stressed that different types of enemies require different styles, so switching back and forth quickly to adapt is vital.  Shortly afterwards, a group of Salamandra break into the main keep and make for the witcher laboratory underneath the fortress.  Just before Geralt and crew reach the keep to go after them, a large beast called the Frightener crashes through one of the outer walls.  Surrounded by Salamandra, it begins to make it's way through the courtyard.  Here I'm given a choice to either go with head witcher Vesemir to slay the Frightener, or go with another witcher and the sorceress Triss to help secure the laboratory.  In my many previous attempts I've done both, but this time I decided to defend the lab.

Leo is the other witcher that helps, and it's pretty obvious that he is the most inexperienced.  We make our way into the keep, fighting cultists as we head towards the stairs to the lower level.  At first the passage to the lab is blocked, but with Leo's help we find a nearby shrine that grants the Aard sign.  Signs are the witcher form of magic, with this one being used to stun and blast back enemies.  After the rubble is cleared we make our way into the lab and fine their leader, a criminal known as The Professor, along with two mages.  Triss takes on the more powerful Azar Javed, while I am left to deal with Savolla.  This is the first boss fight, so it's not particularly tough.  Savolla surrounds himself with a shield, then begins draining the life force of his followers to power his attacks.  I cut him down fairly quickly, just as the other two escape.  Triss passes out due to wounds from her battle with Azar, and at some point Leo was killed during the fight.

The prologue is wrapped up with a little bit of exploring around the keep and cleaning out any remaining Salamandra.  Once that's done, Vesemir tasks me with brewing a potion that will cure Triss.  This introduces the games interesting potion making system.  Aside from the signs, potions are a witcher's bread and butter.  You start with only a few formulas and are able to collect few ingredients.  Once Geralt does some reading up after acquiring numerous books, he can begin to harvest more exotic types, some even from the monsters he slays.  After brewing the potion and attending Leo's funeral, the witchers decide to split up and track down Salamandra.  Geralt travels to the nearby city of Vizima, seat of King Foltest's power.

Arriving in the outskirts of town, Geralt finds that Vizima is quarantined and that no one is allowed in without a pass.  Conversations with the local populace reveal a large hellhound that is terrorizing the residents.  The local reverend believes that Abigail, a witch who just recently came to town, is the one controlling the beast.  It's here that I really began to see how much time and effort the writers put into this story.  To say these characters fall into the gray area of morality would be an understatement.  There is very little in this game that's black or white, good or evil, hero versus villain.

Take the reverend for example.  On the surface he appears to be your garden variety bible thumper with a head full of righteous indignation.  However, after digging a little deeper it's discovered that his own daughter was raped some time ago by a local guardsman.  (The same one that the reverend asks you to help to gain his trust, I might add...)  Upon discovering that she was pregnant, he threw her out of his house and she was left to fend for herself on the streets.  It's also implied in a later chapter when you actually meet her that he was a molester as well.  Then there's the local merchant Haren Brogg, who asks for help killing some drowners that are ransacking his stock at night.  On the surface he seems like an honest business man trying to make a living.  After dealing with the drowners, however, I encountered a group of  Scoia'tael elves that were expecting to meet Brogg and buy some illegal weapons and supplies.  Things are tense between the human and non-human races, and Broggs is profiting by selling weapons to the elves.  I was given the choice to let them take what they wanted and earn extra coin, but instead I refused and killed them all.  This also has an effect on a later quest in the next chapter.

Things come to a head at the end of chapter 1.  After talking with Abigail right before the fight with the hellhound, I exited the cave she was in to find the reverend and his congregation outside.  They demand that the witch be handed over, believing it's the only way to get rid of the beast.  I decline, then called each one out on their indiscretions.  They attacked from all sides, but had no chance against a witcher.  The hellhound then appears and Abigail helps by healing me during the fight.  After it was dead I looted the gate pass from the reverend's body.  I didn't feel that bad about it, as Abigail had done nothing wrong and was helping me with another major quest, plus it seemed like they were all scum anyway.  I made for one of the gates into Vizima and promptly handed over my pass when asked.  The local guard immediatly arrested me, chapter 2 starts with Geralt in prison.

The Witcher 2 : Assassins of Kings

The Witcher 2 is probably the best looking game I've ever played, on PC or console.  The underlying game itself is just as amazing as the eye candy, so when taken as a whole this is a masterpiece RPG.  I have the original sitting up on my shelf, but never managed to play very far.  The combat system of different stances for different types of enemies never grew on me, and I really didn't like the way they handled combos.  I was hesitant when I first heard about the sequel, but thankfully I caved and picked it up after reading many positive impressions.

Both games are based off the Polish fantasy novels of the same name and center on Geralt of Rivia, a.k.a. "The White Wolf", one of the last of a group of professional monster hunters called witchers.  Taken as children, their bodies are first modified with powerful magic and alchemy, with adolescence spent in constant training.  As adults, they posses inhuman reflexes along with vastly superior strength and dexterity.  This makes them particularly suited for hunting and killing the most dangerous beasts.  Witchers abide by a code that prohibits them from killing any creature that has sentient intelligence, which I thought was an interesting caveat.

The game starts with Geralt waking up in a Temerian prison, wrongly accused of assassinating King Foltest.  He is interrogated by Roche, a member of the Temerian Special Forces, about the events leading up to the king's death.  Geralt relates how he served as the king's personal bodyguard and details the battle that ended with his capture and imprisonment.  Several noble families had risen up against Foltest, who in turn led the attack on a rebel held castle to free his illegitimate children.

The prologue follows Geralt as he and Foltest lead the final attack that breaches the rebel castle.  Some of the set pieces in these first areas are absolutely amazing, and really show how much time went into their design.  Thousands of pitched army tents with troops wandering about, a field hospital packed with broken and bloody soldiers moaning in pain, and a massive siege tower that Geralt and the king climb to join the first wave going over the walls.  Everywhere you look it's evident that someone took great care in building this world.

After the climax of the battle the king is assassinated and his killer escapes, leaving Geralt alone with the body just as Temerian soldiers arrive.  After hearing the story, Roche is convinced Geralt is innocent and slips him the key to his shackles.  He's taken back to his cell and locked up again, but manages to taunt the guards into opening his cage.  After a quick hand to hand fight handled through QTE, Geralt must arm himself and escape the prison.

Witcher 2's combat has much more depth than it's predecessor, with both strong and heavy attacks to alternate between.  You can string several of either together, with Geralt's attacks gaining more flourish as you go.  He'll swing his sword in circles with fast attacks, turn and bring the blade down full force for a heavy strike, then roll across the room to slash another enemy.  It's a very fluid system, as you can seamlessly go from one enemy to the next if you're good enough.  Geralt can also parry attacks, and then riposte once he learns the skill.  Parrying is absolutely essential when fighting some of the tougher enemies, and you can't just stand there waiting for an attack.  First off it doesn't last that long, so you have to time it just right or strikes will get through.  Successfully parrying a blow also uses up one of Geralt's two starting vigor points.  They will regenerate over time, but definitely not quick enough to parry every attack.

As a witcher, there are two final abilities that make up the Geralt's monster killing arsenal:  signs, which are basically the witcher form of magic, and alchemy.  There are five different signs to use, and each one has a very distinct purpose.  The Yrden sign is used to trap and stun enemies, while Igni can set them on fire, and Quen will surround Geralt in a protective shield for a limited time.  That one in particular saved me more times than I can count, as even on normal this game can be downright brutal.  Alchemy is interesting but I haven't really played with it that much yet.  Geralt can harvest from just about any plant or creature in the game, then combine those different materials to make a variety of potions.  Each one requires a formula before it can be made, most of which I've found so far can be bought from local merchants.  You can also pick up crafting materials like wood, iron ore, leather, and twine.  Just like alchemy, you can find diagrams to craft new types of weapons, armor, and other equipment.

Alpha Protocol

I've been playing through Alpha Protocol over the past couple weeks, attempting to get to the end before I get wrapped up in something else.  I've had the game since it came out and managed to play about half way through before burning out due to the bugs and poor AI.  Obsidian is known for releasing games before they are ready, so I expected as much, but the problems burned me out so I shelved it.  I think it was a week or two after I stopped playing that I heard Sega was dropping support for the game due to poor sales.  It wasn't until a month or two ago that they finally changed their minds and released a patch for the PC version.  I'm starting up a new game as I have no idea where or what I was doing last time I played.

Alpha Protocol is an espionage RPG that tells the story of Michael Thorton, a newly hired agent working for an organization so secret even the US government doesn't know it exists.  When the game begins you are given the option to choose several different classes which specialize in a variety of different skills.  The Soldier, for instance, specializes in assault rifles and toughness.  An Agent, on the other hand, uses pistols and stealth skills.  There's also another option, that of the Recruit.  This is a special class that makes the game a bit harder because Thorton starts out with no skill points, fresh out of Langley.  I'm usually not for making anything more difficult than it needs to be, but this sounded interesting.  Picking Recruit gives you some special dialog options during the training mission, plus it unlocks the overpowered Veteran class for the next play through.

One of the more interesting things about Alpha Protocol is the relationships you have with other characters in the game.  Each person starts out neutral when you meet them, but can quickly change for better or worse depending on your actions or how you talk to them.  Similar to Mass Effect, you're given a choice of different types of responses to each dialog.  Some characters prefer the a professional demeanor, while others like a more laid back and down to earth agent.  While playing you'll come across information on characters in the form of dossiers that have a detailed description and history.  Accumulating 100% of a dossier on someone can give you an edge during conversation.  I was meeting with one particular agent in Rome, but didn't realize who it would be until I got there and realized I had already completed his dossier  I was keeping a low profile by using non-lethal tactics and not setting off alarms on previous missions.  He remarked in our conversation that I was a very skilled agent and that he wasn't even aware of my presence until a couple hours before our meeting.  This impressed him and I was able to get a couple points of reputation out of it.  The fact that I had read his dossier gave me a new dialog option, which had Thorton running through a list of pretty much everything this guy had done since birth.  The look on his face was priceless, and I received another point reputation boost for it.  I just met this guy and he already had a friendly attitude toward me because of how I had played the other Rome missions.  The intricate relationships that evolve over time is a really cool way to let you see how much of the game changes based on your decisions.

Combat reminds me quite a bit of Mass Effect, as they both were based off of the same engine.  The one thing that separates Alpha Protocol is that skill plays a huge role in how your character handles a weapon.  Starting out as a Recruit meant using the pistol Thorton initially picked up wasn't a great idea.  I couldn't hit a damn thing with it, even from close range, and always ended up alerting whoever I was aiming at.  I decided to rely on stealth to stay out of site until I could make a move.  Sneaking up on an enemy allows you to take them down silently without alerting anyone, so that ended up becoming my tactic early on.  I would wait and watch guards as they patrolled, then sneak up behind for the quick take down.  It's not easy and requires patience, as it only takes one guard to hit the alarm.  To me it's a more rewarding play style, not to mention that my character wasn't built to take damage anyway.  The beauty of Alpha Protocol is that it allows for both.  If you want to max out on Toughness and Assault Rifles then power through the game killing everything in your path, have at it!

It wouldn't be much of an espionage game if Thorton didn't have cool gadgets to play with, and there are quite a few here.  EMP charges, shock traps, radio mimics to fool guards into turning off an alarm, flashbangs, remote mines, etc.  How many of these you can carry is based on what type of armor you are wearing.  My character has been going with stealth armor that enhances your sound dampening, but the downside is he can't carry as many.  I've found that EMP charges and first aid kits are a requirement for every mission.  EMPs will disable any electronic device, so they're pretty helpful in unlocking doors or shutting down security.  You can manually hack a computer or pick a lock, so I find that I really don't use them for that very often unless under fire.  Automatic gun turrets, on the other hand, are a massive pain in the ass to a stealth character.  I usually save any EMPs to take those out, as they can kill quickly and some are impossible to sneak past.

There are four different types of weapons: pistols, shotguns, SMGs, and assault rifles.  Each is good at doing something different, like shotguns for close range or assault rifles for long.  Thorton can only carry two during a mission, so early on I decided the pistol would be my main weapon.  I still needed something for long range, so the assault rifle was the natural second choice.  Alpha Protocol has an interesting weapon customization system that lets you use different barrels, scopes, and other accessories.  Each weapon has four different slots which will modify the gun's stats in some way.  I chose the silencer for my pistol and decked out the other slots with items that would increase accuracy.  Since I didn't put that many points in the skill, I decked out my assault rifle with upgrades that increased it's accuracy while decreasing recoil.

I've finished all the primary areas and have almost reached the end.  I think I have one or two boss fights left before it's over.  I stuck with my professional demure through the entire game and didn't execute any of the major players.  I managed to convince two agents to switch sides since I had good reputation with them.  One told me he guaranteed we would never see each other again, so I'm assuming that eliminates him as a potential boss fight.  I hope so because he was a major pain when I fought him earlier.  The other ends up helping Thorton copy incriminating evidence to his PDA, so instead of a boss fight I had to protect him from waves of enemies until the download was complete.

Mass Effect 2

I awake in a recovery room, on what appears to be some sort of military or scientific research station. I can hear a woman’s voice over the intercom telling me to get up and get moving, the facility is under attack and she will help me escape. She tells me her name is Miranda, and then advises that I head for the equipment locker to get some suitable gear. I’m not completely sure how I arrived here, where here even is, or if I trust Miranda, but I don’t have any choice.

The armor isn’t much, but it slips on easy and should provide some damage protection. There’s also a pistol in the locker, not my first choice but it will have to do. I hear weapon fire coming from just outside the room, the doors slide open as I duck behind cover.

Two hacked mechs immediately open fire as they enter. I pop up from cover and blow off the first mech’s head, then hit the other several times before it explodes. There’s no time to waste, so I head out into the hallway and up some nearby stairs.

I fight my way through several more mechs, rounding corners and running up stairs as I go. So far they’ve only been the small kind, lightly armored and easy to take down. As I head down a long hallway I hear screams for help, then turn just in time to see one of the crew blasted by a security mech. They are much tougher and armed with heavy weapons, but luckily it can’t get to me.

I round another corner and head up yet another set of stairs, this time leading to a large open room. I run into another member of the crew, this one in a different uniform. He says his name is Jacob and that he is a biotic working with Miranda. He’s surprised to see me up and about, but we don’t have much time to talk. The far door opens and several of the smaller mechs pour in, Jacob and I both dive for cover.

We’re able to take the first couple of them down, but more arrive.  Their constant fire has us pinned down, and leaving cover to take aim means getting shot.  Jacob jumps up and quickly hits them with his biotic power, then I open fire and finish them off.

With the immediate threat out of the way, I decide it’s time to get some answers. Jacob tells me that this facility is owned by Cerberus, and that they’ve spent the last two years reviving me using my DNA. Before I can get any more answers, Miranda’s voice comes over the communications network. She’s cut off and needs assistance; Jacob says we have to move now to help her. I'm not really into helping others, but since she's the only person who knows a way off this station I don't have much choice.

As we leave I turn to remind Jacob that I don't take orders, I give them, and that he would do well to remember that.

Mass Effect 2

I played both Mass Effect games on 360, importing my Shepard from the first game when the second one was released.  Although I did like the sequel, I wasn’t so sure about some of the changes.  The fact that they simplified the inventory and dropped some of the skills bothered me at first.  I liked sifting through different types of gear and deciding who's using what, but after playing for awhile I learned to accept it.  They dropped the mako as well, which believe it or not was one of the things I actually liked about the original.  It seemed kind of Moon Lander-ish, but the sense of exploring an alien world was pretty awesome.  There’s something about dropping down to an unexplored planet in the middle of a meteor shower.  Any direction you go is uncharted territory.

Bioware is having a sequel celebration for the release of Dragon Age 2.  You get a free copy of Mass Effect 2 as a digital download if you purchased the other.  I of course did, since it's free and I have huge amounts of free space on my system anyway, who doesn't need more games installed?  It came with the Cerberus DLC, but I went ahead and splurged for a few of the other backs:  Shadow Broker, the Aegis and Equalizer packs, Overlord, and Kasumi – Stolen Memory.  I’ve got the game downloaded, all the DLC installed, and I’m ready to rock.

The last two times I played a Mass Effect game I used the same Shepard, literally.  I started him out in the first game, finished and saved, then imported him in to the second game.  Since I have kids and am a big softy anyway, I chose the Paragon path of the good guy.  I just couldn’t stand to treat my virtual companions with such disdain, no matter the situation.  I’ve been like that even back in the Baldur’s Gate days, always sticking to the path of the righteous.  This time I wanted a different experience.  I am going pure Renegade bad-ass all the way.  Someone gets in my way?  They die.  Innocents need to be saved?  Not unless there's a reward involved.  Touchy-feely conversations with my crew?  Not happening.  This is my new take on Shepard, and he’s pissed off at the entire universe.

I played a Vanguard before, which is a hybrid class that combines combat and biotic skills.  It’s a very powerful combination, but limited in what weapons they can use.  I really want to use the assault rifles for this play, so I'm forgoing biotics for a straight up Soldier; they can use any weapon in the game and equip heavy armor.  Since this game uses a different style of inventory system, I'm not sure if they get anything more than all the other classes.  I’ll be putting my points in active abilities such as Concussion shot and Adrenaline for the first few levels, after which I plan to invest in Soldering to increase damage and overall toughness.

After an enigmatic cut-scene with future squad member Miranda and The Illusive Man discussing the importance of Shepard in events to come.  The game then starts proper with Normandy and crew searching a sector of the galaxy, looking for remnants of the Geth.  The ship comes out of warp, and soon after is attacked by a massive Collector ship.  It's beam weapon tears through the Normandy, nearly destroying it with the first shot.  The crew flee to the escape pod as the ship limps through space.  It doesn't take long before most of the crew has abandoned ship in the escape pods, except Ashely Williams who comes to let Shepard know that we’re under attack.  I'd say that's pretty obvious by now, but you've got to admire her enthusiasm.

We attempt to put out one of the fires as Joker’s voice cracks over the intercom.  Since we'll need him later for the story, and there's no option for it anyway, I order Ashley to evacuate and then head up towards the cockpit to haul him out.

There are fires everywhere I look, several passages are blocked, and the ship feels like it could break apart at any moment.  I make a dash down the corridor, cut round the bend and head up to the main deck.  A force field covers the doorway, which means it's a hard vacuum on the other side.  I notice it’s because most of the Normandy's top was blasted off in the attack.

I step out into space and make my way through the debris.  In the distance I see a planet loom, and also the Collector ship moving in to finish us off.  It's not much farther before I come to another force field that shields the cockpit.  Joker's still in his seat, trying desperately to save the Normandy.

Joker’s not ready to leave yet, but I yank him out of the chair anyway.  We make it to the last escape pod, but another hit from the Collector ship knocks me away and him through the doors.  They makes it out just before the Normandy is blasted and then explodes in a spectacular ball of fire.  My last few moments are spent wondering what it's going to feel like to fall through the planet's atmosphere from orbit.  It should be fairly quick, I hope.