Buried: Mass Effect 3 Leviathan DLC

It's possible that BioWare and EA were going for some kind of meta experience with the Leviathan DLC for Mass Effect 3 -- not entirely sure; this the first piece of additional content for Mass Effect 3 I've played -- because it's so difficult to find.

The basic starting point for the Leviathan story is that there's this mysterious Reaper killer something out in deep space. It's up to Shepherd to find it. And it's up to the player to figure out where the hell the story arc is buried.

Granted I haven't played Mass Effect 3 in a while, but I was expecting a flashing light, a big button somewhere that said, "Leviathan, GO!" to kick off the story.

No.

So, I check Shepherd's email. Nothing obvious there. I wandered the Normandy and Citadel expecting a flashing arrow or other obvious indication of a starting point.

No.

What the hell? I went online to track this down. Surely, it can't be that difficult to start playing this thing that people have plunked down money to purchase.

"Our Carelessness / Their Secret Weapon"

A very special Armchair Empire Easter weekend / PAX East update for you, dear reader, lover of the written word and cuddler of properly-used commas.

Just in case you missed them the first time around we posted some Reviews:

• Mass Effect 3 (360)
• UFC Undisputed 3 (360)
• Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (3DS)
• FIFA 12 (360, PS3)

And of course, if you're not so hot for the written word and you go out of your way to split an infinitive whenever the opportunity arises, but sure to check The Armchair Empire's YouTube channel, featuring old and new games with plenty of commentary from Mr. Nash.

I'll be joining Mr. Nash for some upcoming commentary so stay tuned!

Mass Effect 3 - Part 5 *SPOILERS*

SPOILERS AHEAD for the ending of Mass Effect 3!

Still reading?

So aside from suffering further rounds of "homage" and Easter Eggs -- "The first shuttle is away!" Yay! -- the ending, at least the ending I experienced, concluded with Shepherd saving the galaxy by blowing everything and anything to hell. The Ghost Child in Shepherd's Max Payne-like nightmares that turned out to be "The Catalyst" tells Shepherd flatly that all robotic life will be wiped out if she puts a few well-placed shots into a crazily exposed conduit. And because Shepherd has a bit of robot about her, it means her destruction as well.

That's what Shepherd came to do. Put an end to the Reapers. And in the process mimic some scenes from LOST.

It came as a bit of a surprise that the destruction of the Reapers and all the mass effect relays basically destroyed the galaxy. (This is something I predicated in a previous blog.) It was a bit of a, "Wait, what?" reaction on my part. In my head I imagined all the Reaper tech just shutting down and collapsing in a heap all over the galaxy. Cue the inter-species celebrations, ticker tape parade, and medal ceremony. Nope. Earth's surface is essentially "glassed" and Joker just maybe got the Normandy far enough away from the explosion to fight another day.

The ending wasn't enough to make me want to send BioWare cupcakes or file an FTC complaint or just go crazy with a "That's not how it should have ended! Those leftist feminist ruin everything!" diatribe. If anything, the ending kind of made me sad that I predicted the end of the game -- the close out of a trilogy -- only a couple hours into the third chapter. I wanted a surprise, a real smack to the face, from BioWare. Something that would have been unexpected (along the lines of Jade Empire characters saving the day). It makes sense from a trilogy standpoint to end things so definitively but it did kind of undermine the entirety of the struggle in the trilogy: trying to save organic life in the galaxy. After all that, the Reapers won!

Granted, my ending was one of (supposedly) 7 different endings, some where everyone survives and Earth isn't vaporized. But I'm not sure I want to dive back in again after witnessing the end of the galaxy, particularly because it means scavenging space for War Assets, which isn't actually that fun.

When the game "ends" it re-launches Shepherd into the last part of the game where she's about to assault the Illusive Man's hideout. But I think I'm done at this point. I already destroyed the galaxy once, why do I need to do it again?

Mass Effect 3 - Report 4

I'm definitely zeroing in on the final moments of Mass Effect 3 -- I've finally returned to Earth, which amazingly has not been completely obliterated (for a pretty limp reason) -- and it makes me realize how badly I miss space combat games along the lines of Wing Commander and X-Wing/Tie-Fighter.

There's this great scene between two massive assemblies of ships above Earth that made my gamer heart pang for the days when Hobbes was revealed to be a traitor and when transport #7 was that one that needed to be disabled with ion fire.

And now that I'm zeroing in on the final push, I realize just how hard I pushed through the story of the game rather than meandering around the ship talking to my squad. It wasn't but two missions before that trek home that I figured out where I could upgrade my weapons! And, man, did that ever come in handy. Suddenly enemies were turned into tin cans and even the toughest enemies, the Atlas mech, were hardly any effort with a Claymore shotgun upgraded to level 5. It makes me wonder what else I missed along the way. What other bit of space weaponry did I miss? Extra powers? Side missions?

Mass Effect 3 - Report 3

I'm side-stepping the whole "ending" controversy. I don't even think I'm that close to the end at this point. From what I've been reading though, some of those gamers need to get over themselves. And the entitlement issues on display... I'd say those complainers are doing themselves a disservice by shining a spotlight of outrage on themselves. I might have more to say about this when I finally reach the end but so far, the game has been pretty enjoyable even if hitting comic book and sci-fi/fantasy beats overshadows some of the cooler aspects of the Mass Effect universe.

Why does it feel like the writers on Mass Effect 3 were constantly referring to Marvel Comics for inspiration? A couple nights ago I led my team in saving people from a "School for Gifted Youngsters." The entire set-up and execution felt like I repelling an assault on the Xavier's mansion.

Mass Effect 3's version
of Half-Life 2's Citadel.

Last night Shepherd activated a couple of thumpers to attract a sandworm. While she didn't ride the worm, it did send an impulse to my brain to read Dune again. Layered on top of that, is that this all happens in the shadow of a giant spire reminiscent of the Citadel in the middle of City 17 (see Half-Life 2) which, if you remember, is under the effects of a suppression field which basically means people aren't having kids (or even have the desire to try). And the whole reason Shepherd and crew are headed to this spire is to reverse something called the "genophage" which has kept race of ultra violent aliens -- the krogan -- from reproducing and overrunning the galaxy. (Replace "genophage" with "suppression field.")

Had I not played Half-Life 2 or read Dune I wouldn't have drawn any parallels or mumbled to myself about an "homage or something." But I did both. (And read far too many Marvel comics.) So, when these things come up I wonder why BioWare didn't do something more "original" and cool within their own universe.

Let me be clear about this point: I'm enjoying the game.

Mass Effect 3 - Report 2

Okay, BioWare.

First I come across a skittish crazy dude stealing lines from Ghostbusters in Star Wars: The Old Republic -- "Listen! Do you smell that?" -- now this brazen "homage" of a curvy female robot from an Avengers storyline? Honestly, the first time *spoilers* EDI appears, all curves and silver, I spoke to the game: What? What?

I first came across The Bride of Ultron, more properly Jacosta, in an old Avengers storyline called "The Korvac Saga" where the Avengers face off against the biggest threat the universe has ever known after taking public transit to get there. (There's a subplot involving the US government revoking funding and special status for the Avengers.)

But that's actually not the part that bothered me as much as the way the character is "revealed" -- like a stripper stepping through fog.

And to top it off she quickly demonstrates "Lt. Commander Data Syndrome." I expected EDI to explicitly say something along the lines of wanting to see what it meant to be human and she pretty much does just that. Before the end of the game, I fully expect to hear "What is this thing humans call, Love?" with some option for weird robotic hanky-panky further down the line.

I don't think Ultron would be okay with that.

Mass Effect 3

Less than three hours into Mass Effect 3 and I'm hooked! I have a little trouble swallowing the whole "Reaper invasion? Okay, I'll go arrange a meeting about it!" arrangement (so far). Why am I traipsing around the galaxy with my Anne of Green Gables avatar, when it's so clear that by the time I actually get back to Earth there will be nothing left? In the opening minutes of the game it seems that the Reaper's will make very short work of Earth so when I bomb over to Mars, then zip over to the Citadel, then hop to Palaven (the turian homeworld), which is also defending against a Reaper attack... all I'm thinking is that Earth is done. It's all over for those poor bastards.

A concious choice I made before starting Mass Effect 3 was that, unless I was dealing with my squad mates, I would be a complete jerk. I would only make "bad" or Renegade choices. This has really help me deal with the crippling aspect of Mass Effect 2 that I never really overcame: choice. I was always concerned with what would happen if I made the wrong choice. This time around I don't care because I decided ahead of time what I would do.

Also, I'm predicting that the "Promethean device" will eventually require Shepherd to act as the "catalyst" to wipe out the Reapers. Or the device won't just destroy the Reapers, it'll wipe out everything.

My Feminine Side

I made a sudden realization over the weekend that the last number of games I've played, if the option to to play a female character is included, that's the option I take.

Saints Row: The Third, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Star Wars: The Old Republic, SSX (I'll pick Elise over any other character) and now Mass Effect 3.

Why is this? It hasn't been a concious choice to play all these games -- almost in a row -- to see if the "female experience" is any different than the usual male experience. I just picked that character. Is it a response to having played so many games with a male protagonist? At this point I'm not sure but I do think it deserves some more thought.

If there was a robot option would I want to play as one? Is that my next stop when it comes to choosing a protagonist avatar? Right now, games are making me think but for very different reasons. I'm thinking more about myself than any theme or design choice or game mechanic.

The only change I made to my Saints Row: The Third character was her skin color. She was green for a long time.