PLATFORM: XBOX360
Being heralded as one of the all-time great computer games, Mass Effect was greatly anticipated, almost to the point of my delaying playing it because I wanted to be “ready” for something incredible. Although Mass Effect delivers an engaging storyline and outstanding visuals, the rough-edges made for a sometimes-frustrating experience.

PLATFORM: PC

This game had such promise, and an incredible marketing campaign. I got the collector’s edition and immediately read the included graphic novel, which set the stage for what I hoped would be an incredible adventure. Then, off I went to play and was, sadly, somewhat disappointed.

PROS:
Great concept, textures, character classes and design. The weapon system, tech tree, and modification system was also very well done. I also really liked the fact that playing the difference character classes afforded a very different experience in game play, which is not commonly the case.

CONS:
My biggest disappointment lies in the quests. There was little purpose to them other than to get the player out killing things. There was a missed opportunity here to develop other characters (especially the three from the graphic novel), NPCs and the storyline into something that could have truly been epic. There also seemed to be a lack of attention paid to the weapon and modification leveling. Near the end of the game I was consistently getting treasure that I would expect to find on the first few screens. Finally, the progression in difficulty with the enemies was lacking, in my opinion. I got quite tired of fighting the next level of zombie, rather than some new class of enemy or even a leveled-up less-encounter one.

COULD MYTHOS HAVE HELPED?:
I would have put much more effort into developing the storyline to make the game into a truly epic adventure. Supporting cast would have been far more fleshed out and compelling, adding richer subplots and more purposeful quests to advance their storylines. Also, because of the detail given to the fighting motions, I would have added the ability to choose shots. Clicking different regions of the screen or enemy would use a specific attack, for instance, clicking the upper part of a tall enemy would use an overhead swing or a hammer attack. This could have been applied to gun-type weapons as well, and could also have provided some interesting effects for mind-control weaponry.

PLATFORM: PC

This game had such potential, but for me, a handful of technical and performance issues were far too frustrating to realize it. The overall concept of society underground was very interesting to me, however, and provided a rich bed for fantasizing about what else could be going on outside of the game’s storyline.

PROS:
Interesting story and world, with nicely developed characters that I could care about. Excellent balance between stealth and slashing, as well as some nicely designed puzzles.

CONS:
The voice acting was a frequent source of frustration, as it regularly pulled me out of the game experience. The physicality of the characters was also sub-par, with awkward motion, poor staging, and often random blocking. The sound design had some nice ideas but, sadly, they were not fleshed out enough. The player was required to spend far too much time on managing inventory (sorting, making room, searching for items, etc.). Lastly, the magic gesturing system was incredibly frustrating. I do not think I ever cast a spell on the first attempt; usually requiring anywhere from 5-20 tries to get it right.

COULD MYTHOS HAVE HELPED?:
From a more technical perspective, the inventory would have been automated or at least some sort of “sort” or “distribute” button would have been added. Sound would have been pushed farther to accommodate the look and feel of the game more, rather than relying on commonly heard and often-indiscernible samples to bring more life to the game. The magic gesturing system would have been overhauled by making the gestures required for each rune more relaxed and less specific as the character’s magic skill grew. This would have had the effect of making a high-level caster very facile with spells, allowing the player to actually “feel” more of the power by being able to quickly cast in the middle of heated combat. Finally, a careful eye for the details of character interactions would have lent a far greater sense of realism to the entire game, making the NPCs much more believable and organic.

PLATFORM: PC

With our interest and consulting in bringing the experience of games closer to the engrossing, immersive experience typically had with a movie, BioShock represents one of the major successes in this endeavor.

PROS:
BioShock has an outstanding storyline and extraordinary environmental elements that literally grab you and pull you into the world, mirroring the hero’s descent into Rapture. The game was very well balanced and had enough variety of tasks, foes, rewards, and puzzles to be thoroughly enjoyable without being overwhelming.

CONS:
Very few, although, the antagonist had some trite lines and the voice acting could have used some help to make him much more menacing. The Fontaine character ended up sounding like a caricature of a 40s villain, rather than the “James Cagney” baddy that he could have been.

COULD MYTHOS HAVE HELPED?:
By using some simple directorial tricks such as secrets and staging, the acting performances could most likely have benefited, resulting in an even more cinematic experience, but all in all, this game was truly a marvel to play and I was saddened to see it end, much like I feel when completing an enjoyable book.