Mass Effect 2
One of my most highly anticipated games this year. Being a huge fan of the series, I pre-ordered the Collector's Edition and picked it up on its release day. Needless to say, I was utterly hooked and touched no other game for the two weeks that it took to see ME2 through to its conclusion.
Trying to talk about the epic space opera that is ME2 is actually more difficult than it appears since everything that makes the game great is a spoiler. The story and character developement are excellent. Combat has received a major overhaul and now plays like a standard third-person shooter. The writing/script is truly amazing and is backed by a stellar cast. I am sure it will be something that I remember for years to come.
Oh, and in case this phrase catches on and becomes a bad Internet meme...
Try Googling it. lol
MAG (Massive Action Game)
Probably better known as "that 256-player console shooter". For me, I would best describe MAG as a MMO/FPS hybrid. You pick one of 3 competing factions and acquire skill points through leveling which you use to unlock talents/gear on skill tree. You fight on very large maps (up to 128 vs 128) with several fronts and numerous points of interest/objectives.
The thing that seperates MAG from other FPS is its command structure. Each team is broken down into 8-man squads led by a Squad Leader. His duty is to assign targets for the squad to attack/defend and he also has access to special abilities (like air strikes and UAV). There are other higher positions like Platoon Leader and OIC as well.
WoW players will probably start to realize that this is all starting to sound familiar. All these command positions are like WoW raid positions (raid leader, 2IC, class leader) and each match is comparable to a raid/BG (Alterac Valley).
I actually enjoy it when I get assigned as Squad Leader. It is very satisfying when you know you have a part in leading your team to victory. On the downside, if you get in a squad full of morons who run about doing their own thing, you will feel like you just wasted 30 minutes of your life.
However, after playing the game for about a month, I found the maps to be limited and lacking in variety. I am near the max level but I felt like I have been seeing that same gate and that same bunker for an eternity. Hopefully, things will be more refreshing once I hit the max level and do a faction change.
