After a bit of a break, the next musical interlude is winging its way to you.
Both these pieces – The End Run and Suicide Mission – come from the Mass Effect 2 soundtrack.
Suicide Mission
The End Run
Both pieces are suitable epic for the ME2 game. The odd thing is that I’m still trying to judge the game itself. It made some marked improvements over the first game, especially with the removal of the elevators, and has one of the best computer game characters you’ll meet, the awesome Mordin Solus, but I am still uncertain as to which of the two I prefer. I’m not sure of the exact problem I may or may not have with ME2, but a big part is probably due to working with Cerberus, whose actions in the first instalment of the game had them marked for death with extreme prejudice.
Been a short while since I have had a chance to play ME2 but thought I should get around to posting some thoughts about.
I’m still a bit unsure of whether I prefer Mass Effect or Mass Effect 2. In some areas they made some big improvements, but in others they didn’t quite hit the mark. Plenty of others have talked about it before though so I’m not going to labour it.
I did enjoy the game. It was a different look at the ME world, had some great music and characters and left us waiting for the third, and final, chapter of the trilogy.
It is certainly best played with a save from ME1 – all the little bits and pieces that make it into ME2 that refer back to events in ME1 give it flavour.
On to other matters – six degrees of Mass Effect 2. Firstly one has to watch the following scene.
Apart from the amusement of the conversation, pay attention to the names given to the two recruits – Burnside and Chung. Short of a massive coincidence I know (and have worked with) the two people they are named for – Ken Burnside and Winchell Chung. The project was Attack Vector on which I helped design the background setting – a hard Newtonian science space sim. Apparently during the design of ME1 both of them gave some assistance to the designers via a mailing list I’m also on – sfconsim – and this easter egg was a way of thanks.
And one more clip, involving Mordin, one of the character in game. Probably my favourite and also has a huge fan base. He is simply awesome and quite complex all in one. The following clip is just a small display of his awesomeness.
Even though I knew Mass Effect 2 was being released just around the corner (as in just over a week now), I hadn’t been paying it all that much attention. I enjoyed Mass Effect 1 and am planning on getting the sequel, but as matters stand at the moment, I’m going to have to wait until it comes down in price to be able to afford it. So there wasn’t much point in looking at it too much or I’d just torture myself.
But something I did stumble across (and alas had me looking into the game more than was good for me) was the following video showing who is doing voice acting in the sequel.
Martin Sheen.
Tricia “Number Six” Helfer
Michael “Colonel Tigh” Hogan
Carrie-Anne “Trinity” Moss
Michael “Worf” Dorn
And Adam “Jayne Cobb” Baldwin. No one knows yet what part his character plays, or if you can have them as a team member, but if they are you know I’m going to have them permanently on roster. Teaming up with Jayne Cobb? You betcha.
And here is the trailer for the game.
One of the interesting things about ME2 is that you can import saves from ME1 and events that transpired in it affect the ME2 game. A character dies in ME1? They aren’t around in ME2. The choices you make at the end of ME1? They carry over – so the council may be dead or alive.
Only two of the six original team members are available to team up with again – Tali and Garrus. Its a shame that Wrex can’t be a team member, but given what can happen in ME1 with him, you can see why.
In preparation for when the game does come out, I am working on a couple of saves, getting them set up perfectly to export over.
Playing the game again makes me want to work on some SF stories again one of these days. Many years back I came up with a SF setting that I have planned to write in for some time, but it has always been far down the list of things to do. Maybe one of these years I’ll get back to it.
Mist and Shadows 